My Review of Doctor Who's 9x04: "Before The Flood"

Written by Toby Whithouse
Directed by Daniel O'Hara

The Doctor (to Fisher King): "Here, now. This is where your story ends."

Okay, this certainly took a different turn than expected. Maybe it's really just the power of Steven Moffat but for the second half of his story, Toby Whithouse decided to go completely down the timey wimey route of things as the Doctor, Bennett and O'Donnell all ended up in the 1980s prior to the village getting flooded and the main villain being such a problem.

During this time we briefly got to meet the Tivoli fella, Prentis but for those hoping for some decent scope with the character, you'll be disappointed. Prentis was by and large just there for comic effect and got a subsequent offscreen death when the Fisher King decided to make his presence known. As did O'Donnell.

I'm starting to wonder if a little pattern is emerging in this show. Be a fangirl of the Doctor and wind up dying horribly. We had it with Osgood courtesy of Missy and here, O'Donnell is barely given time to truly throw herself into the adventure with the Doctor and Bennett before she's bumped off a little too swiftly. It's a bloody shame because although I liked Bennett (especially for his moments of calling the Doctor out on things), I actually preferred O'Donnell so her death did sting a little.

However the Fisher King stuff itself turned out to be a disappointment. Playing with the bootstrap paradox (it's even mentioned directly in the episode to the audience), the Doctor already had him bested before he knew it and despite at least one really cool scene between the Fisher King and the Doctor, the character is sadly too underused that his eventual defeat lacks a sufficient punch to it.

As for Clara, Cass and Lunn - they were mainly just trying to stay alive and figure out what Ghosty Doctor was saying (it was their names/order they'll die). I did sort of like the moment where Clara blew up about the Doctor and the moments with Cass and Lunn being stalked by the dead crew and looking for Clara's phone outside the Faraday Cage had some great creepy intense moments.

The problem though is despite the fact that the dead remained dead, it felt a little too easy. The Doctor never felt in danger and I didn't believe for a second that Clara herself was going to be killed in this story at least. I do think though that the show has been hammering home the fact that she won't make it out of the series alive.

Also in "Before The Flood"

I love breaking the fourth wall much as the next person but it actually jarred in this one. I did like the rockier version of the theme tune though.

The Doctor: "Can't say I'm a fan."
Prentis: "We do have a tendency to antagonise."

O'Donnell managed to namecheck Rose, Martha and Amy but not Donna. She also mentioned something about a Minister of War - future plotline perhaps?

Clara (to the Doctor): "I don’t care about your rules or your survivor’s guilt. If you love me in any way, you’ll come back."

The Doctor: "What if Clara calls?"
O'Donnell: "The last bloke that said something like that to me got dangled out of a window."

The Fisher King was played by Neil Fingleton, voiced by Peter Serafinowicz and Corey Taylor (the roar bit) from Slipknot.

The Doctor (to Bennett): "This isn't about saving me. I'm a dead man walking. I'm changing history to save Clara."

Clara (re Cass): "Okay, didn't need anyone to translate that for me."

UNIT took care of the ghosts offscreen. While I didn't mind the love stories with O'Donnell/Bennett and Cass/Lunn, they did seem a little tacked on in this part. Oh and who did compose Beethoven's Fifth?

The Doctor: "This world is protected by me."
Fisher King: "Yes, one man lost in time."

Any chance BBC1 can a) start airing these episodes earlier than 8.25pm and b) go back to the same format for Doctor Who Extra as they did last year?

Clara (to Bennett): "Take it from me, there is a whole galaxy out there."

Chronology: 1980s and 2119 Scotland/the Drum again.

After a promising start with this two parter, I kind of felt that Before The Flood sort of let the side down a bit. The resolution felt a bit too easy for me and while the Fisher King was a fantastic design monster wise, the character itself had too little screen time to really cement itself as a credible threat.

Rating: 7 out of 10

Recap/Review: How To Get Away With Murder's 2x03: It's Called The Octopus

This one was all about sex, both in terms of the main characters lives and the slightly too easily solved main case of the week to boot.

Written by Joe Fazzio
Directed by John Terlesky

What She Doesn't Know: Annalise is clever, this is fact but sooner or later, the people around her, especially the ones most burnt by her were going to get a little more clever too. In some ways, both Wes and Nate are weak spots for Annalise - two people that she seems desperate to make amends towards, so having the pair of them actually working together against Annalise makes a lot of sense. In terms of the flashforwards, it also turned out that Nate actually helped the Keating Four get away from the place at the very end too.

I Know Who You Are: Keeping with the interesting revelations, not only is Levi continuing to sleep with Michaela but Wes soon found out that the bloke is actually Rebecca's foster brother. Oh and Rebecca is/was Eggs too, due to something involving crappy foster parents (parallels to the Caleb/Catherine case?). Despite being threatened by Wes, Levi has decided to stick around, particularly with Michaela and right now, it's hard to decide whether he's going to be friend/foe/future death or knowing this show, more likely all three and in that order. If he's still alive by 2016, it'll be a miracle for him.

Blossoming Frenemies: It was really odd this week to actually see a scene where Laurel and Bonnie were out getting plastered and actually enjoying each other's company. I'm not even sure if I liked it or not either. Similarly odd was both women talking about Asher and Frank as Bonnie got dumped by the former and Laurel is eager to learn more about the latter. Speaking of Asher - while we didn't actually learn what Sinclair had on him, we did see his father once again and whatever the secret is, it's definitely bad enough to get Asher to drop his dude speak and actually look worried for once.

Sweet & Sexy: For an episode that went on about sex a lot, the only really sexy moment for me was Connor and Oliver getting to have sex in this episode and it was a rather lovely scene. Connor and Oliver at this moment in time are not only the best couple on the show, but also the healthiest too. Connor has become a better person because of Oliver but the show has actually done it in a way that hasn't diluted his personality one bit and that in itself is the great accomplishment here. Also the fact that Connor attended a sex party with Michaela (as part of this week's case) and didn't cop off with the hunky bisexual husband of one of the partygoers stirred a brilliant quip from Oliver too. More scenes like this show.

Sexy Times & Death: Breaking away from the killer kids plot this week (though not shockingly, they're actually sleeping together - so a motive for bumping off parents has surfaced), the case this time around revolved around a sex party hostess named Tonya, accused of murdering a man she had been in loved with/who wouldn't leave his wife for her. Surprisingly, it was one of the more straightforward of cases (Tonya actually did it but Annalise cast suspicion on the wife) and a little too quickly solved. On the plus side, it did lead to a rather hilarious scene in the Keating kitchen with the Keating Five all talking about their sex lives with some fun reactions from Connor, Asher and Michaela during those moments.

Next week, we meet Nate's wife and Annalise has a moral dilemma to face.

Recap/Review: American Horror Story: Hotel - Checking In

And the show is back with something of a revamp. Hey, we've lived in the Murder House, escaped the Asylum, dabbled with the Coven and were enthralled by the Freak Show and now it's time to check into the Hotel where I might keep the puns to a minimum or not. We'll see.

Written by Ryan Murphy And Brad Falchuk
Directed by Ryan Murphy

Countess & Jawline Boy: Well, the one really unexpected thing about this episode was that Lady Gaga had less screen time than expected but the time she was on the screen, she was neither wasted nor terrible in the role of vampiric Countess Elizabeth (Bathory maybe?). I'm not going to heap praise on Gaga just yet but she made a good first impression with Elizabeth exuding degrees of allure (her relationship with pretty boy, Donovan, charming both Will Drake and that couple) and plenty of danger (killing the couple/drinking their blood, killing one of the Swedish girls) and it does seem like Murphy wrote the character to Gaga's abilities so far. As for Donovan - he's a bit delicious, isn't he? Even the bloody orgy foursome exuded a certain sexiness before it got extremely messy too.

Mad Mother: After playing a more sympathetic character last season, Kathy Bates is back to playing a more brutal one this season, though perhaps not quite as brutal as her first role in this franchise. Iris is the manager of Hotel Cortez (which the Countess or is it Will Drake who owns it?) and she's certainly a cruel bitch and a half. The way she terrorised the Swedish tourists (who should've gotten the hell out of there when they learned it was a wifi dead zone) did indicate to me that she takes a certain pleasure in torturing people whom she considers unworthy. However in flashbacks we did discover that she's Donovan's mother and murdered a junkie named Sally responsible for her son's death. Well, almost death seeing as it's obvious the Countess gave Donovan a new vigour at life. The Countess also seems to be the only person that Iris has shown any fear towards as well.

Say You Love Me: It isn't just Kathy Bates playing a darker character this season. For the first time in five seasons, Sarah Paulson managed to achieve two firsts - a) she's gotten to play a rather nasty junkie named Sally and b) she got killed during a flashback in 1994, which means present day wise, she's a ghost that Iris and others can see or maybe a vampire, going by some of the previews for the upcoming season. Either way, there's a sadism to Sally that none of Paulson's previous characters had and Sarah herself is certainly playing the character with relish. The faux concern she displayed when washed up junkie Gabriel (Max Greenfield looking very different here) was getting raped by a drillbit dildo demon and even the mocking she had with the Swedish girls by trying to get one of them to run to her doom. Sally might be awful in many, many ways but once again, Paulson commands your attention whenever she's on screen.

Straight Man Entering The Chaos: It is me or does it feel like this show is channelling it's first season? Aside from the specific setting, an allusion to a first season character and the return of another, it does actually feel like John and Alex Lowe are the Harmons of this season. They're a couple divided by the loss of their son, Holden (who is actually one of the Countess's creepy vampiric kids in the hotel). The main focus though was on Bentley's detective John who was investigating another murder - the Ten Commandments Killer and when the killer wasn't taunting him Saw style, he ended up checking into the Hotel Cortez where it seems pretty inevitable that he won't be checking out anytime soon either.

Fashionistas Unite: With the threat of a new owner (as well as a brief cameo of realtor Marcy from Murder House) in fashion guy, Will Drake (Cheyenne Jackson adding to the impressive totty list this season), it was interesting to see how quickly the Countess was able to get the guy on side while Donovan looked like he wanted to tear his throat out in the background. For a first episode, even with an extended run, there was a lot to cover here - the superb use of music (She Wants Revenge more than the obvious Eagles choice here) two killers, the curse of the Hotel, whatever the hell is being kept in Room 33, bodies in the mattresses, creepy children as well as other colourful characters like Denis O'Hare's Liz Taylor and Mare Winningham's Miss Ever the blood cleaning laundress. Not to mention the fact that Evan Peters, Angela Bassett and Finn Wittrock still have to show up but either way, this season has started off intriguingly enough.

Next week, a few more residents check into the Cortez as Elizabeth continues to charm Will.

My Review of Empire's 2x03: "Fires Of Heaven"

Written by Attica Locke
Directed by Craig Brewer

Cookie: "You keep forgetting Lucious, you can't keep Cookie down."

And this week the gloves were off as Empire and Lyon Dynasty effectively went to war with each other or more accurately, Lucious and Cookie tried to outdo and sabotage each other at different points. Except that Lucious somewhat gained the upper hand here.

Cookie did put up a good fight though. Thanks to Anika, she was able to sabotage his own 'get out of jail' party at Levitcus by having Hakeem perform a song about the new record company while charming the pants off Pitbull (who sang with Jamal this week) and getting Lyon Dynasty the promotional kick up the backside it desperately needed. Also after Hakeem's dreams of managing a girl band went up in smoke, it's a promotion they really do need.

The subplot with Mirage A Trois did feel somewhat predictable though. The previous episode made a point of pointing out Valentina's diva like behaviour so it wasn't a shock to see her rub up her fellow band mates the wrong way, irritate Cookie and then jump ship to Lucious's team when he bought out Apex Radio for good measure. At least she felt moderately bad for abandoning Hakeem though.

I have to say though it felt a little too easy for Lucious to be on top this week. He was able to get both Andre (whom he keeps rejecting) and Jamal on his side, bested Cookie brilliantly and even provided a decent thorn for Roxanne's side to boot. Not to mention the fact that he managed to get through to aspiring rapper Freda in a way that Jamal clearly couldn't.

Basically, what I'm trying to get at, even if Lucious isn't destined for some prison time, surely he's at least destined for some kind of defeat or something big to backfire on him, right? As for the Lyon Dynasty storyline, it's getting a little more interesting but I still wouldn't be shocked if Cookie, Hakeem, Andre and Anika are all back there before this show gets to it's winter finale though.

As for Jamal - I like that the show are addressing his own frustrations with trying to record decent material and that he was quick to remind Lucious that he's been keeping things ticking over as well. Jamal is better recording than managing Empire though. I want to see more of that now.

Also in "Fires Of Heaven"

Not really sure what the title was supposed to actually allude to in this episode but I liked it though.

Lucious: "That's just a building. I am the Empire."

If the previous episode didn't make it clear, then this one confirmed that Lucious's mother Leah had bipolar. Although she's not getting a lot of screentime, I do think Kelly Rowland is doing well in the role. Lucious and Cookie had different reaction towards being imminent grandparents too.

Cookie (to Lucious): "I'm always gonna eat, just not with you."

Lucious: "They wanted to take Lucious Lyon to the gutter, well I'm a show them what the streets is about."

Roxanne was bluffing about Vernon and Lucious picked up on it quickly. The trailer for next week seems like we're going to see more on Andre/Rhonda burying him.

Cookie (to Lucious): "Oh and welcome to my very own 'Welcome to the World' party. Oh you know this next artist."

Lucious: "Have I broken any laws?"
Roxanne: "Not yet but the night is young."

Michael was a no show in this episode. I really do hope they have an idea of what to actually do with him this season.

Hakeem: "Where did you learn that from?"
Cookie: "Prison."

Standout music: Jamal/Pitbull's "No Doubt About It" and Valentina's "New New".

Lucious: "You don't need one. You're past a Cookie."
Jamal: "Tell me how that is?"

Chronology: Not long from where "Without A Country" left off.

Probably one of the weaker episodes we've had so far. I didn't mind Fires Of Heaven so much but I didn't love it as much as the previous episode. There were some nice moments but the Cookie/Lucious feud would work better if it felt a little more evenly matched though.

Rating: 7 out of 10

My Review of Gotham's 2x03: "The Last Laugh"

Written by John Stephens
Directed by Eagle Egilsson

Cicero: "Your legacy will be death and madness."
Jerome: "Ha. Ha. Ha."

Well, I think we all knew it deep down and thanks to the events of this particular episode, there was no denying it. Jerome turned out not to be the Joker but boy, did he certainly go out with a bang as well as managing to inspire the man who would later take up the mantle of the Clown Prince Of Crime at some point in the future.

A part of me did think it was a shame that Jerome couldn't be the Joker but I did love that he really went for the jugular in this episode. He callously bumped off Cicero (who told him what his legacy will bring) before holding the most wealthy of Gothamites hostage along with the just as deranged Barbara as well.

Aside from the deputy mayor meeting a horrible end and both Bruce and Leslie initially as hostages, Jerome's end truly came in this one though. I thought it might have been Gordon to save Bruce/Leslie but it was actually Theo going off script and presenting himself as a hero to the city, something which for now everyone seems to have accepted a little too quickly. Shades of Penguin in Batman Returns anyone?

Jerome might have lasted four episodes but without a trace of doubt, he's easily become one of the biggest success stories of Gotham and I'm going to miss seeing Cameron Monaghan in the role. I think it would be wise to have a great distance before another potential Joker candidate rears his head on the show and when that person does show up, they're going to have a hell of an act to follow with Monaghan cementing himself so well as the Joker that could've been.

As for Barbara - well, she's getting nuttier and nuttier per episode. She's convinced herself that she can rekindle her relationship with Gordon with Leslie out of the way and she's also sexing both Theo and Tabitha. Considering the tension between the siblings, I have a horrible feeling that Barbara will end up regretting getting into bed with those two somewhere down the line.

As for the rest of the episode - I did love Bullock's confrontation with Oswald about Gordon and Fish. Not only was it a nice bit of continuity but it was also a nice way of reminding Oswald that Bullock will be one of many people coming after him now that he's king of the city. I also suspect that Falcone will re-emerge the moment Oswald gets too comfortable in his new role as well.

Also in "The Last Laugh"

There's also an episode of Batman: The Animated Series and a comic series of the same title.

Theo (re Tabitha): "My sister is a very special person. She seems so strong but yet she's quite fragile. Sugar?"
Barbara: "Yeah, sure."

Selina showed up to the magic act to steal from the rich but helped to save Bruce twice instead.

Jerome (to Cicero, re Theo): "There's this guy, he believes in me. He thinks I'm gonna be a star and tonight, all of Gotham will see that too."

Selina (to Bruce): "You wanna steal stuff it helps to go where the rich people are."

Alfred chatting up Leslie was both amusing and embarrassing in equal measures.

Theo (to Barbara): "What Gotham wants is a hero and tonight, I'm going to give them one."

This episode revealed Theo's plans of revenge. Barbara aside, do Theo and Tabitha make a habit out of sharing lovers?

Gordon (re Jerome): "He's just a kid."
Bullock: "Every evil bastard in the world was just a kid once."

Jerome (to audience): "By the way, nobody's getting out of here alive."

Nygma was a no-show in this episode and neither was Lucious. Nate debuts next week and we still have yet to see Dent back in action.

Selina: "I'm not going back."
Bruce: "I don't expect you to."

Jerome (to Theo): "You said I was gonna be ..."

Going by this 'Rise Of The Villains' story and last season's Scarecrow/Ogre plots, this mini-arcs actually work well in the show's favour.

Barbara: "Poor Jerome."
Theo: "Yes, very sad. Such a compelling character with limited knowing he'll never last long."

Chronology: Not long after the events of Knock, Knock.

A superb end to the Rise Of The Villains trilogy, The Last Laugh might have killed the chances for Jerome to actually become one of the most iconic villains of all time but it certainly set up the legacy to perfection while Theo has also emerged as a fairly interesting force to be reckoned with as well.

Rating: 9 out of 10

My Review of Doctor Who's 9x03: "Under The Lake"

Written by Toby Whithouse
Directed by Daniel O'Hara

The Doctor (to Clara): "My God, every time I think it couldn't get more extraordinary, it surprises me. It's impossible, I hate it, it's evil. It's astonishing, I want to kiss it to death."

And this was both something that felt very familiar and kind of extraordinary in a way. Let's imagine for a second this was The Impossible Planet/The Satan Pit meets The Waters Of Mars but underwater. In a way, it would be an accurate enough description but at the same time, it might come across as a tad dismissive of the first part of what looks to be another impressive two part story for this series.

The Doctor and Clara ended up in an underwater base in 22nd Century Scotland called The Drum and before I get to the main threat of this story, I have to talk about the crew. Without a doubt they are one of the best crews I've seen on this show - except for Pritchard but he wasn't around too long to be a total problem but the rest of them are fabulous to watch though.

You've got Mason Bennett - a shy man, slightly afraid but still able to help when needed and ask intelligent questions while Alice O'Donnell might be the more toned version of a Doctor fangirl than Osgood (which should please some viewers) and then there was Cass and Lunn, who were two of the best guest characters we've had on the show.

Cass in particular was in command of the Drum who happened to be deaf and who deafness was never turned into a negative by anyone while Lunn (first name, Tim) was her interpreter but that didn't stop the Doctor from being able to communicate with Cass and the episode also used Cass's deafness as an asset in relation to figuring out clues to the main threat of the episode.

As for the main threat - it's ghosts or is it? This show never really likes anything supernatural to be supernatural and even here, there was some sort of scientific explanation creeping about. The ghosts in question included a Tivoli named Prentis as well as deceased crew members Richard Pritchard and Jonathan Moran, all of whom terrorised the remaining crew members along with the Doctor and Clara throughout the episode before the cliffhanger moment.

If you were fearing that this episode was playing it a little too straightforward (or actually delighted by that), the timey wimey twist kicked in at the end while Clara, Cass and Lunn were trapped in the Faraday Cage of the ship (the only place the ghosts couldn't enter), the Doctor, Bennett and O'Donnell went back in time with only one of them coming back as a ghost for the cliffhanger moment. You'll never guess who - oh wait, yes you will but it works though.

Also in "Under The Lake"

The original title for this episode was Ghost In The Machine. We did have a Torchwood episode titled Ghost Machine in that show's first series.

Clara (re ghosts): "What are they?"
The Doctor: "I haven't a clue. Isn't that exciting?"

I liked that the Doctor confronted Clara about her reckless behaviour but I have a feeling it's going to be a bigger problem as this season unfolds.

The Doctor: "But what about the things that aren't ghosts?"
O'Donnell: "Oh, they only come out at night."

Clara: "So what do we do?"
The Doctor: "Put the handbrake on."

UNIT got a prominent in this one. In fact they felt more relevant in this one than they did in the opening two parter.

Clara (to the Doctor/Drum crew): "Beginning to think we should have let the ghosts in on the plan."

The Doctor: "Clara, why don't I have a radio in the TARDIS?"
Clara: "You took it apart and used the pieces to make a clockwork squirrel."

There was some nifty mentions of Shirley Bassey and Peter Andre (yes, really) as well as the co-ordinates of the Dark, the Sword, the Foresaken and the Temple.

Bennett (to everyone): "At least if I die, you know I will come back to haunt you all."

Chronology: 2119 Caithness, Scotland for the whole episode.

Definitely a rather strong episode. It'll depend how the next episodes brings everything together but either way, Under The Lake is an impressive start and another in a streak of excellent stories for Toby Whithouse who just gets this show so effortlessly.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Recap/Review: How To Get Away With Murder's 2x02: She's Dying

So, we're two episodes into the new season and it really does look like a sophomore slump with How To Get Away With Murder ain't going to be happening any time soon. This was another shocker of an episode.

Written by Erika Green Swafford
Directed by Rob Hardy

The Other Body: Oh, Sinclair. The last few episodes she was a little pain in the backside and in this episode alone, she became a full blown irritation as she conspired to make it look like Annalise and Nate both killed Sam during the trial scenes (Eve also helped there) and when it backfired on her with Nate being released, Sinclair managed to get herself on the case against the 'murdering' kids. However as we saw in flash forwards, not only was Annalise shot at that house and bleeding out, but so was Sinclair and unlike Annalise, it looks like she's definitely dead there. Oh and once again, Connor, Michaela and Wes are there. Asher will also be out of the murder scenes, won't he? As for the shooter - I don't want it be Eve but I'm not ruling her out though.

Running Away: I have to give this show massive props for the way they're writing Annalise and Eve's relationship. I always get a little wary when shows do this because sometimes it feels like it's done for ratings but here, the connection between Annalise and Eve definitely feels real. Yes, Eve might have done a little projection during the trial stuff but there's definitely love between her and Annalise and now that Nate's aware of their true connection, I can't imagine things are going to pan out well. Is it really too much to hope that Eve is not Annalise's shooter?

The Puppy & The Lost Girl: When this episode wasn't hammering home both Wes and Bonnie's worser qualities by others, it did play on their sneakier sides too, in particular with the way it dealt with the 'killer' kids, Caleb and Catherine but it also had other interesting moments with them. For example, we discovered through Wes that Levi is connected to Rebecca as well as being Michaela's new squeeze (so he's 'Eggs' then) while there was some hints of Annalise saving/damaging Bonnie depending on what perspective you want to agree with. Fortunately there's going to be an upcoming episode that will finally delve into Bonnie's past and it's certainly about time.

Blabbermouth Boys: In this episode alone, both Connor and Asher royally put their foot in with the way Oliver's HIV became public knowledge to the rest of the Keating Five. I think Oliver had every right to express his annoyance and while I do sometimes find Asher's goofiness amusing, he came across as a total plank during that scene with Oliver. I do like however that in spite of hiccups, both Oliver and Connor are still more solid as a couple though.

No Gigolo: I have to admit to being a tad confused where the show is supposed to be going with Frank and Laurel? Is it meant to be casual? Is it meant to be something more meaningful? Also what happened to Laurel's boyfriend from last season? Isn't it also a bit rich of Frank taking cheap shots at Laurel for covering one murder when he committed one as well? I do like Frank as a character but he is a tad hypocritical (even with his confrontation with Bonnie over Rebecca) but him and Laurel continue not to do a lot more for me as a pairing though.

Next week, sex is everything when it comes to the legal system and someone breaks into Annalise's place.

Class - New Doctor Who Spin-Off For BBC3

Last night the Official Twitter page for Doctor Who buzzed audiences about a special announcement at 11pm. Some of us thought it was going to be the announcement of the new companion or that perhaps Steven Moffat might be stepping down. Even the idea of more missing episodes being recovered was covered. Suffice to say, it was none of the above.

Instead it was the announcement of a brand new spin-off, titled Class, spearheaded by American YA writer Patrick Ness and set in Coal Hill School.

The series will run for eight episodes, 45 minutes long, will air on BBC3 (which should be online by the time this actually airs) and according to the press release from the BBC ....

Class is a YA series set in contemporary London. Incredible dangers are breaking through the walls of time and space, and with darkness coming, London is unprotected. With all the action, heart and adrenalin of the best YA fiction (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Hunger Games), this is Coal Hill School and Doctor Who like you’ve never seen them before.

Class is executive produced by Steven Moffatt, Patrick Ness and Brian Minchin. It was commissioned by Damian Kavanagh, Controller BBC Three and Polly Hill, Controller BBC Drama Commissioning.

Ness's previous credit for Doctor Who is the Fifth Doctor ebook, Tip Of The Tongue, released back in 2013. He's also best known for his Chaos Walking trilogy and one of his novels, A Monster Calls is currently a movie starring Liam Neeson, Sigourney Weaver and Felicity Jones.

Needless to say, the reaction for the spin-off has been a mixed bag so far and I have to admit that I have some reservations. However to keep things balanced, I've compiled a list of pros and cons in relation to Class ....

Pros

- A spin-off. Always a pro and shows a confidence in the main show. Not to mention the fact that we haven't had one since 2011.
- Patrick Ness seems like a really nice bloke and a great writer. Plus one of the things the franchise could do with is more new voices. This could and probably will lead to Ness scribing an episode for Series 10 as well.
- Should certainly help in promoting the online version of BBC3 by next year. Remember Torchwood was a big hit for them when it debuted in 2006.
- Class could/should feature one or two familiar characters. More Ian/12th Doctor than Courtney (though she's more likely tbh). I definitely think an appearance (even brief) from Chesterton or Capaldi's Doctor on this show would be a good thing. The series will not feature Jenna Coleman as departing companion, Clara Oswald. Perhaps one or two familiar monsters too.

Cons

- There are better/more interesting ideas (Paternoster Gang, UNIT) for a spin-off than Coal Hill if I'm being candid and it'll need to differentiate itself from The Sarah Jane Adventures as well to stand out.
- Casting needs to be great for this one. It really does need to be great because the Whoverse can be a mixed bag for casting younger actors.
- I think it's an indicator that Series 10 of the main show might be spread over two years as well, ala Series 7 was. This is something that Private Eye alluded to months ago and something the BBC seem to be skirting around confirming as well.

Class could go either way as a show but I don't want to write it off though. While I do think there are far more interesting ideas to explore for a spin-off - two of which I've already mentioned, I do wish Patrick Ness luck with this series and I do intend to keep blogging about it (particularly as casting/writers/directors are confirmed) and will watch it/likely review it as it airs too.

Press Release: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/doctorwho/entries/953c5b1f-3cc8-4db9-8184-f1b6567260f1
Patrick Ness Facts: http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2015-10-01/who-is-patrick-ness-meet-the-man-behind-the-new-doctor-who-spin-off-class

Filming for Class will begin in Spring 2016 for an Autumn broadcast on BBC3 (online by then) and later BBC1.

My Review of Empire's 2x02: "Without A Country"

Written by Carlito Rodriguez
Directed by Dee Rees

Jamal: "I'll sue the drawers of your black ass."
Hakeem: "And that's why I'm not coming back to your stupid ass Empire."

Yeah, because Lyon Dynasty is exactly where it's at nowadays. Well, no, not really. In this episode alone Hakeem tried and failed to get a girl band going (there's always the next few episodes) and leaked his album online to get back at both Jamal and Lucious, which certainly had the desired effect by the end of the episode.

Jamal's relationships with his family are certainly getting more and more strained now. It's weird seeing him and Cookie barely speaking to each and it's also sad to see him being on the outs with both Hakeem and Andre as Lucious is the only one he has an actual relationship with now. Even his reunion with Michael hasn't been largely focused on as he struggles to record music and continues to fight with his family.

As for Lucious - well, he suffered a cop (played by Ludacris) hating his guts but aside from that and having his meds held back for a bit, this episode was another reminder of how little prison is a deterrent to him. I just knew that at the end of the episode he was going to get bail, so it wasn't a shock to see it happening though Roxanne's venomous hatred for him will obviously pose a problem in later episodes.

Thirsty Rawlings is one hell of a lawyer though. He got Lucious a recording session and even Ludacris's cop couldn't stop the music from getting leaked online. Despite Lucious's terrible qualities as a person - his callous rejection of an exhausted Andre, I really do have an admiration for his determination. If there was an apocalypse, you'd be guarantee that Lucious would be one of the few survivors of it.

As for the rival company plan - I'm trying not to get too attached to it because somehow even before we get to the winter finale, Cookie, Andre and Hakeem will be back at Empire - even Anika too. That's not a spoiler but more like a statement of the obvious. Plot wise, it's decent enough but I can see why Andre decided to bail in the end though.

Also in "Without A Country"

Kelly Rowland appeared in a flashback as Lucious's mother Leah. I think we were also given an explanation towards Lucious's attitude with Andre as well.

Cookie: "Jamal, you already won. You run the Empire. All Hakeem's got is his music."

Rhonda told Jamal that she was pregnant. Begging the question - why don't Lucious/Cookie/Hakeem know or do they already?

Cop (to Lucious): "Far as I'm concerned, the world would be a better place without you in it."

Hakeem (re Rainbow Sensation): "Anika liked it."
Anika: "The concept, not the name. It's a marketable concept."

Are Hakeem and Anika still sleeping with each other? In this episode alone, he also hooked up with Valentina - the girl who auditioned for Rainbow Sensation.

Rhonda (to Jamal): "The reason I'm not drinking is because I'm pregnant. I'm having a baby."

Cookie: "You worry too much. There is no way Jamal is going to sue his brother."
Andre: "You don't worry enough, Cookie."

Standout music: Lucious and his inmates "Snitch Bitch" (clearly this season's "Drip Drop"), Jamal's "Born To Lose" and "Sorry Just Don't Cut It" along with Veronika's "Hourglass" and Tiana's "Get No Better 2.0".

Lucious (to Andre): "You pray that God forgives you, because I don't."

Chronology: Not long from where "The Devils Are Here" left off.

"Without A Country" felt like a bit of a quiet episode compared to the opening one but I actually really liked it a little more than the premiere for some reason. The music was a bit better, the Lucious scenes were the strongest point and while him getting bail was done too quickly/easily, I'm cool with it though.

Rating: 8 out of 10

A Midsummer Night's Dream - Cast Confirmed

I should've posted this a few days ago but with filming commencing, the cast for Russell T. Davies and BBC1's production of A Midsummer Night's Dream has been mostly announced.

Bernard Cribbins who previously has worked with Davies during the fourth series of Doctor Who as Wilfred Mott and on CBBC series, Old Jack's Boat. Cribbins will play Tom Snout, an amateur performer who memorably portrays a wall in a play within the play. Along with Cribbins, the cast continues to impress.

Maxine Peake (Shameless, Silk) will take on the role of Titania while Matt Lucas (Little Britain, Come Fly With Me) will be playing Bottom, and John Hannah (Spartacus) as Theseus. Rounding off the cast for now include Eleanor Matsuura (Spooks) as Hippolyta, Hiran Abeysekera (Lion In The Tent) will portray Puck. Fisayo Akinade has been cast as Flute as well Elaine Paige, Javone Prince, Prisca Bakare, Paapa Essiedu, Kate Kennedy, and Matthew Tennyson.

Russell T. Davies released this statement in relation to the impressive casting for this upcoming production .....

“This is such an exciting range of actors from stage and screen, from wild comedy to high drama, and some making their first ever appearance on camera. The Dream is coming to life like never before.”

Though we have yet to learn who has been cast as Oberon though. I can think of a few names for that role, including a former Time Lord who would be great.

Press Release: http://www.denofgeek.com/tv/a-midsummer-nights-dream/37074/russell-t-davies-a-midsummer-night-s-dream-cast-announced#ixzz3nE6J9SmP

A Midsummer Night's Dream has begun filming and will air on BBC1 in 2016.

My Review of Gotham's 2x02: "Knock, Knock"

Written by Ken Woodruff
Directed by Rob Bailey

Jerome: "Hang on to your hats cos you ain't seen nothing yet!"

Well, this show has certainly upped it's game, hasn't it? Now I was expecting at some point in the show for Essen to die but in practically the episode after she was made commissioner. Come on, show - you couldn't have waited until November sweeps to kill the character off? Okay then.

Essen's demise came at the hands of Jerome, who this week really upped his game as Theo encouraged his madness and the gang sprang out of Arkham suddenly became known as the Maniax. In this episode alone, they used some workers to spell out their name, tried to burn up a bus of jocks and cheerleaders before invading GCPD and causing something of a bloodbath.

I really liked the confrontation between Jerome and Essen and I did like that the latter had some fight in her before being killed off, even if her death could've been held off for a little later. Even if Jerome isn't the Joker, he's certainly cemented himself as a proper thorn for Gotham and given that the Maniax are now reduced to him, Barbara and Amygdala, I'm guessing there's more mayhem to be stopped before they're done with.

As for Barbara, this episode wasn't as great for her as the opening episode but she did have some fun though. She got to torture Mayor James (does anyone care about that character? Yeah, didn't think so) with Tabitha while using Amygdala to beat the crap out of Gordon but so far, she's largely been kept away from the bigger schemes of Theo, who she openly expressed annoyance towards in this episode. Don't worry, Babs, you'll get your moment to cause further mayhem I don't doubt.

As for the non Maniax stuff, Alfred nearly got himself fired for blowing up the Bat computer but at the last minute, Bruce decided to let him keep his job provided he didn't stop him from continuing to investigate his father's secret life. This show really does want go there with the Batman stuff and having Lucious drafted in fix the computer will certainly edges Bruce towards his destiny when it's actually repaired, right?

Also in "Knock, Knock"

Both Oswald and Selina were missing for this episode, Nate and Dent have yet to appear/return and Tabitha continues to kill blokes in this one. She shot Arnold. Bullock also rejoined GCPD after Essen's death.

Theo (to Mayor James): "See there is no spider but if you don't do what I ask, there will be one."

I'm guessing with Theo's determination to get rid of James, he'll be wanting to step in as Gotham's new mayor shortly.

Theo (to Jerome): "The laugh is fabulous, use that."

Essen: "You ever thought about that? Walking away?"
Gordon: "No. You?"
Essen: "I did for a long time."

I've read some theories online that Barbara might be this show's take on Harley Quinn. Considering that she's expressed no romantic interest in Jerome so far, I think some people might be a bit off there.

Gordon: "Love you."
Leslie: "Likewise."

Lucious: "I'll bite. What were you thinking about me?"
Alfred: "Oh Alfred, please."

Nygma's split personality thing is a little too much like Two Face to really work with the character. However he did seem to finally endear himself to Kristen though in this one.

Barbara (to Gordon): "I'm not sick. I'm free."

Essen: "It's a new day, Jim."

Chronology: From where "Damned If You Do" more or less left off.

Well, this was even better than the opening episode. The Maniax (dwindling numbers aside) might be this show's attempt of a Sinister Six but they certainly know how to make an impression and in Knock, Knock, they definitely did that. It does look however by next week's episode their reign of terror might be coming to an end.

Rating: 8 out of 10

My Review of Doctor Who's 9x02: "The Witch's Familiar"

Written by Steven Moffat
Directed by Hettie Macdonald

Davros (to the Doctor): "All Daleks shall drink the blood of Gallifrey."

I was really worried about this one. Not because of Missy, Clara and the TARDIS because they were never in danger in the first place and that was deftly dealt with in this episode but I was worried about Davros. Really worried.

And not because I actually thought for a second that the Doctor was going to kill him because that predictably didn't happen (and a good thing too) but because for one little moment, I actually feared that Davros was going to be redeemed. I mean, seriously, I was never so relieved in my life watching this show when his attempts of showing remorse were revealed to be a front so he could get some Time Lord energy off the Doctor.

Yup, it seems that Davros is actually fine enough - he just wanted to play on the Doctor's compassion to get Time Lord energy as part of some bonkers prophecy to make a Time Lord/Dalek hybrid, because it was so compelling when done in the third series with Dalek/Human DNA. It's not really compelling here either but it's used as a handy plot device in order to make an idiot out of Davros and cause some serious problems for the Daleks on Skaro though.

I did like the imagery of underground Daleks and that they were used as part of the resolution for the latest Dalek problem but what I really liked about this episode was just how evil Davros was in this episode. Sure he had to endure a bit of humiliation (being chucked out his chair by the Doctor and getting his eye scratched by Missy) but his nastiness has never felt more apparent than since Revelation Of The Daleks to be honest. More to the point, Davros has never felt that much in control since that particular serial as well.

I also have to praise the performances between Peter Capaldi and Julian Bleach. As brilliant as they were in the opening episode, both of them really came into their own throughout this one as they mostly interacted with each other. As for the actual cliffhanger of last week, it was the hand mines who got exterminated while the Doctor showed mercy to his enemy - something which has bled into the Daleks in a way.

As for the Clara and Missy segment of the episode, it was there to add some levity to proceedings. Their escape was dealt with in a rather hand waving sort of way while Missy spent a great deal of the episode tying up Clara and putting her in harm's way with every chance she had. I know it's a bit evil but Missy's cruelty towards Clara was a nice way of reminding people that she really is the Master and the fact that she almost tricked the Doctor into killing a Dalek cased Clara at one point was a delicious little moment of extra cruelty.

This episode really did play on the theme of enemies and friends being inside each other beautifully though. The scenes with the Doctor and Davros, Clara and Missy, the Doctor and Missy, Missy and the Daleks and of course, the Doctor and Clara as well during the end of the episode. Speaking of Clara, you really don't have to be genius to suss out that she's not going to make it out of the series alive.

Also in "The Witch's Familiar"

As intriguing as the titles were for these two episodes, did they really tie into what actually happened in either of them?

Clara: "Why am I tied up?"
Missy: "In case there's nothing to hunt."

Interesting cameos from the First and Fourth Doctors in this episode. Not totally needed but interesting nonetheless. More so than Missy maybe having a daughter.

Davros: "You would threaten a dying man? Have I not suffered enough?"
The Doctor: "Get out!"

Doctor (to the Daleks): "I'm the Doctor. Just accept it."

Three things that didn't bother me but apparently bothered others - Davros being chucked out of his chair, Davros opening his eyes and Missy using the word 'bitch'.

Missy (re sharp stick): "Oh poppet, do you really think you would?"
Clara: "First chance I get."

Clara: "What are you doing?"
Missy: "Murdering a Dalek."

I'm going to join the list of people who are hoping that the sonic sunglasses are not a pernament thing. Give him back the screwdriver, Moffat.

Davros: "I'm dying."
The Doctor: "You keep saying that, you keep not dying. Can you give it some welly?"

Missy (to Dalek): "Tell him the bitch is back."

Is it a safe bet to assume that given the outcomes of them both, that Missy and Davros may be a big problem for the Doctor and Clara in the finale?

Davros (to the Doctor): "I wish just once we had been on the same side."

Missy (to Davros): "Can I just say it's been an absolute pleasure to finally meet you?"

The format for Doctor Who Extra this series is a tad crap. Can't they just keep it to 10 minutes instead of breaking it into four parts per episode?

Dalek Supreme: "What is happening?"
The Doctor: "Oh, same old, same old. Just the Doctor and Clara Oswald in the TARDIS."

Chronology: More or less from where The Magician's Apprentice left off.

A very satisfying second episode. I really liked The Witch's Familiar and while there was the odd questionable moment, I do think the episode served it's purpose. It's commentary on the lines between friends and enemies was interesting while reminding us just how lethal both Missy and Davros truly are as antagonists too. Now imagine if those two combined forces.

Rating: 9 out of 10

Recap/Review: How To Get Away With Murder's 2x01: It's Time To Move On

And it's back. In a week (or fortnight) of returning shows, How To Get Away With Murder came back and it was one hell of a blistering opening episode. One mystery was quickly wrapped up and another more shocking one ended the episode in style.

Written by Peter Nowalk
Directed by Bill D'Elia

Who Shot Annalise: Well, we did see Wes running from the scene of the main cases house while Annalise was on the ground in a pool of her own blood. Now, first of all, I'm going to assume two obvious things - one, Wes didn't shoot Annalise and two, Annalise will inevitably survive. So, who did it then? Right now, I think it's either going to be Bonnie or new character Eve but it really probably could be anyone, right? Either way, it's set up a rather interesting new mystery as the one we thought would drive this season took an interesting turn.

Not A Good Person: I really liked that the opening episode actually revealed Rebecca's killer and that it wasn't something we were going to have to wait until the mid season finale to happen. I also liked that some decent cases were made by Frank that either Wes or Laurel could've done the deed before Annalise figured it out and it was revealed that Bonnie did it. Bonnie's had something of an edge to her character and I did suspect that she would be Rebecca's killer, so I was pleased to be right on this one. I'm also hopeful in light of this information that we're going to learn more about Bonnie and the odd relationship relationship she has with Annalise. It's just as bizarre as the one Annalise herself has with Wes, isn't it?

The Former Girlfriend: Keeping with the twists and turns of this episode, not only did we get a lawyer for Nate by the name of Eve Rothlow but it also turned out that Annalise and Eve used to be in a relationship together and going by the kiss they later shared, one that may be rekindled too. I have to admit, I am a little surprised to learn that Annalise is bisexual (isn't she?) but it was a nice twist handled really well but the wary part of me also wonders if Eve might be a future suspect in Annalise's shooting though. I hope not as it's a lame trope but I can't rule it out until now. I did like that Eve wised up to the fact that Annalise framed Nate for Sam's murder and called her out on it though.

Domestics, Spying And Eggs 911: As for the Keating Five, they certainly kept things ticking along in this episode, didn't they? Asher was doing his best to avoid Bonnie so he could spy better on Annalise for that lawyer lady from last season's finale, Connor spent some scenes without clothing and committed to Oliver in many ways while Laurel and Michaela were sniping at each other as the latter contacted Eggs 911 and tried to pick up another gay guy at the bar. They were doing all this while Wes spent most of the time throwing a strop and realising that Annalise had lied about Rebecca's whereabouts - which actually might give him a motive to shoot her later on in the season, even though I still think it won't be him.

The Kids Might Have Done It: The main case, not just for this episode but it seems the first half of the season will be focusing on a pair of adopted siblings who might have killed their parents - at least that's what their aunt was convinced of. I did find it amusing how Annalise and company manipulated the situation so her firm could represent Catherine and Caleb and it was their parents home where Annalise was shot in, so there's definitely more than meets the eye with those two for sure.

Next week, there are some blindsights in the case of the siblings while Annalise is cross examined during Nate's preliminary hearing.

My Review of Empire's 2x01: "The Devils Are Here"

Written by Danny Strong And Ilene Chaiken
Directed by Lee Daniels

Lucious (to Cookie): "It's crazy how I can love your ass and hate you at the same moment."

And the biggest show on American television came back with something of a whopper. Anyone who might have felt that the show could potentially lose some of it's fizzle after the heights of the first season, should be relieved to know that this episode had plenty of it.

First of all, let's talk about the hostile takeover that didn't happen. I mean, let's give Cookie, Anika, Hakeem and Andre points for at least trying but they seriously underestimated both Lucious and even Mimi, who initially seemed like a bit of a soft touch. Cookie trying to pimp Anika into garnering Mimi's favour blew up in both ladies faces and a part of me was glad that even in prison Lucious was able to beat them.

It's not that I'm suddenly turning to the dark side (like Jamal kind of did here) but it's more that they were a little too underhanded in trying to take over Empire that it was nice to see them getting a little outsmarted here. While Jamal seemed a little too on his father's side nowadays, I don't think his anger towards the rest of his family was without merit though.

They did try to screw him over big time and the last scene where both him and Cookie fell out was sad to watch, but at the same time, there's blame on both sides too. As for the album rivalry with Jamal and Hakeem, that was something of a low point in the episode. I mean it was believable but it got tedious even before Becky herself was fed up of it too.

As for Lucious himself - prison hasn't turned out to be a deterrent for him. He was able to side up to Mimi (in spite of his continued homophobia) in order to prevent a hostile takeover and when Cookie's life was threatened, he paid enough inmates to kill off cannibal, Frank Gathers for good measure. I have to admit in that role, Chris Rock was pretty decent if a tad underused though.

I think the best guest star for this episode alone was probably Marisa Tomei's Mimi Whiteman and after Tiana, it's nice to see the show include some lesbian and bisexual women into the mix. That being said, I'm not sure I approve of Mimi's general gushing of Lucious though but I guess no-one is perfect.

Also in "The Devils Are Here"

Cannibalism aside, we also had Cookie in a gorilla costume/in a cage during the Free Lucious concert segment of the episode.

Mimi: "Lucious is the reason why we're here."
Cookie: "I hope it's not the only reason you have, Mimi."

Michael came back in this episode and seems to be sort of back together with Jamal. He's also helping out with LGBT fundraising too.

Frank: "How's Cookie?"
Lucious: "The hell if I know. You talk to her?"

Becky (re Jamal/Hakeem): "You're rude, he's crude and the both of y'all are socially unacceptable."

Given the way Jamal kissed Michael in this episode, I've gotten a clearer picture of what those two get up to behind closed doors. I'm pleased Michael is back, even Ryan was referred to badly in this one.

Mimi: "Why do you want to depose Lucious?"
Cookie: "He's lost his way and I need to get my company back before he destroys it or destroys my family."

Michael: "Why you gotta be so nasty?"
Jamal: "Empire."

Jamal's album dropped to number 22, so some of Hakeem's bitchy comments were possibly on point.

Lucious (to everyone): "Game over, bitches."

Lucious (re Frank): "Kill him. Make it loud and make it long and by the way, I'm a sign your baby girl and slip her my bone."

Standout music: Jamal/Hakeem's "Born To Lose" (with Swizz Beatz/Sean Cross), Miss Lawrence's "You Make Me Feel Mighty Real" and Bre-Z's "Same Song".

Cookie: "We can be a family again."
Jamal: "Get out."
Cookie: "What do you think you're talking to?"
Jamal: "You done, old lady?"

Chronology: Three months since the events of "Who I Am".

It might have been six months since the first season ended but given the events of this particular episode, Empire certainly hasn't lost any of it's charm. The Devils Are Here certainly kept up the momentum of what came before and with Lucious probably not long for prison, it'll be interesting to see how much like him Jamal really will be as the new season progresses.

Rating: 8 out of 10

My Review of Gotham's 2x01: "Damned If You Do"

Written by Bruno Heller
Directed by Danny Cannon

Theo: "The world sees criminal lunatics. I see brilliance. I see charisma and power."

I also see something of a contrast to the previous season in a way. Last year there was a heavy emphasis on mob wars between Falcone, Maroni, Oswald and Fish and with only one of them still being an active cast member and enjoying their little kingdom for now, it was time for this show to really step up a gear with some new blood on the villain front.

Theo Galavan and his sister, Tabitha/Tigress might very well be the very thing that Gotham needed in terms of new villainy because with this episode alone, Theo has charmed the city into thinking he's the dog's unmentionables while Tabitha helped to break out six inmates from Arkham - Barbara, Jerome, Sionis, Amygdala, Robert and some other bloke whose name was never mentioned and all so their criminal genius could be happily exploited for Theo's end no doubt.

Funnily enough the only person who didn't seem too keen on playing ball was Sionis but Tabitha quickly put a stop to that by killing him off a fairly brutal fashion, which seemed to intrigue both Jerome and Barbara quite a bit. Speaking of Barbara - it truly is amazing what a season can do to a character.

Last season she was a bland and boring girlfriend with a drug problem that hadn't been well thought out. This year, she's completely nuts, making threatening calls to Gordon and Leslie, casually dismissing Jerome and using Sionis to get a telephone when she wasn't making Amygdala into her personal bodyguard and foot slave. It's actually really amazing how the show managed to turn the character around and more power to Erin Richards who clearly is having a blast playing a more unhinged Barbara this year as well.

As for the rest of the episode - Gordon's demotion to beat cop/getting fired was resolved a little too quickly. Doing Oswald a favour (good going there, Bruce) ended up with Loeb being forced into retirement, Essen getting a deserved promotion and Gordon his own job but his actions in order to get it should inevitably have consequences as the season progresses though.

As for Bruce and Alfred - they sort of discovered the BatCave (let's be honest, that's what it is) and when they couldn't think of a password, they used a bomb in order to get into the place. More noteworthy was that this episode really did signpost Bruce's future even more than ever before and that's kind of a good thing really.

Also in "Damned If You Do"

Although they're regulars, this episode didn't feature Nicholas D'Agosto (Harvey Dent), Chris Chalk (Lucious Fox) or Michael Chiklis (Nate Barnes)

Zaardon: "Dark days are coming."
Gordon: "Thanks for the heads up."

I loved the sheer daftness of Zaardon and even more so when he was used as plot device for Theo and Tabitha to break out Barbara and company from Arkham.

Nygma (to himself): "Holy moly, look at you. Everyone's gonna think you've gone nuts."

Jerome: "You're bad."
Barbara: "Yeah, so why don't you go and make me a sandwich."

Aside from Nygma's brief scene, Selina was also revealed to be working for Oswald now. That should be an interesting dynamic to watch.

Oswald (to Gordon, re Selina): "Isn't she darling? It's like having a cat around the house but no horrid dead mice."

Bruce (to Gordon): "Sometimes the right way is the ugly way."

Update on Bullock: He's working a bar that plays Irish music, has been sober for 32 days and has a girlfriend who doesn't hate him. He'll be back at GCPD by next week then.

Barbara (to Leslie): "I just wanted to say that I hope you die screaming, bitch. Love you."

Oswald (to Loeb): "You're a rare animal but that does lead us to a sad pickle."

Standout music: The use of "Perfect Day" at the start of this episode was actually pretty perfect to be honest.

Barbara: "While that sounds fabulous, I am not a brilliant outlaw. I just have issues."
Theo: "You have ferocity and beauty and desire and that's enough."

Chronology: It's been a month since the events of "All Happy Families Are Alike"

Well, this was fun. Actually, it really was. The humour used to offset some of the doom laden stuff in "Damned If You Do" worked pretty well and I really like this whole "Rise Of The Villains" theme that the season seems to be embracing. A great start to the new season.

Rating: 8 out of 10

My Review of Doctor Who's 9x01: "The Magician's Apprentice"

Written by Steven Moffat
Directed by Hettie MacDonald

Davros: "Are you going to save me?"
The Doctor: "I'm going to save my friend the only way I can. Exterminate."

And this moment happened. Back in April when the Mirror leaked that the Doctor was going to potentially kill Davros as a child, I was pretty dismissive of the idea and in spite of how this episode, I still am to a degree but even still, that last scene though.

Over the years, Moffat has brought back various elements and characters like Russell T. Davies had done during his four series reign and with the Master as Missy, it was time for Davros to make an appearance in this particular era and I really appreciated that this episode didn't really delay anything there. We met him at the start of things as a child trapped on a battlefield and his presence gave the Doctor one hell of a moral dilemma.

Years later and Davros now seems to be on the way out (like that'll last) and has sent his minion, the snake like Colony Sarff throughout space and time in order to locate the Doctor. In that regard, it was the rather strained team up of Clara and Missy who did the work for Sarff and Davros by finding the Doctor for them.

I really enjoyed having to see both Clara and Missy battle with their mutual disrespect for each other in order to seek out the Doctor and I also really enjoyed the back and forth barbs between the pair of them as well. Unlike last series finale though, this story might have reminded us a few times that Missy is still evil (killing UNIT blokes, trying to cosy up to the Daleks) but for now, the main threats were an ailing Davros and his monstrous creations.

The Daleks in particular seemed a little too happy in killing Missy, then Clara and then destroying the TARDIS in almost too quick a fashion that you just know that all three of them are going to be fine, even if their 'demises' did result in that cliffhanger moment. On the other hand, Davros seemed perfectly happy with taking a pot shot at the Doctor's compassion but I still am curious as to what his overall angle is here.

Does Davros genuinely want to die and somehow get the Doctor to do it? For what end then? To mess with the Doctor's morality once and for all or is there another ploy at play? Given that this is the first of a two parter, we'll soon know the answer to that one but either way, the scenes between Peter Capaldi and Julian Bleach (yup, he's back in the role) were one of several highlights throughout the episode. The others including stuff with Clara and Missy of course.

This episode certainly played on the themes of enemies and friends, while not new for the show was definitely it's most effective here. The Doctor and Missy, Clara and Missy, the Doctor and Clara and of course, the Doctor and Davros. All of them wonderfully explored within the madness of this opening story. I just hope the second part really goes for leather there as well as providing a solid reason as to why the Doctor won't inevitably murder Davros as a child either.

Also in "The Magician's Apprentice"

Doctor Who Extra seems to be broken up into four seperate parts for this episode, which can be found on YouTube and the BBC website.

Davros (to the Doctor): "Davros. My name is Davros."

The hand mines on Skaro were pretty effective, especially with the eyes sticking out of them. Such a classic Moffat type of creation too.

Colony Sarff (to Ohila): "Tell the Doctor Davros knows. Davros remembers. He must face Davros one last time."

There was a lot of cameos in this episode - UNIT with Kate and new members Mike and Jac, the Shadow Proclamation, Karn, Maldovarium and aliens from both Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures as well.

Clara (re the Doctor): "He's not your friend. You keep trying to kill him."
Missy: "He keeps trying to kill me. It's sort of our texting."

Bors: "Dude, what is that?"
The Doctor: "You said you wanted an axe fight."

Which was more ludicrous - the Doctor playing guitar on a tank or Missy cupping a Dalek's ball? Oh and the Doctor's confession dial is a will that only opens after he dies. Missy was the one trusted with it, not Clara.

Missy: "Hang on a minute, Davros is your archenemy now?"
The Doctor: "Hush!"
Missy: "I'll scratch his eye out."

The Doctor (to Clara): "Davros made the Daleks but who made Davros?"

I loved the use of previous encounters with Davros - Genesis Of The Daleks, Resurrection Of The Daleks, Revelation Of The Daleks, Remembrance Of The Daleks and The Stolen Earth/Journey's End being used to bring audiences up to speed with the Doctor and Davros's history.

Davros: "Do you know why you came, Doctor? You have a sense of duty, of guilt perhaps and certainly of shame."

Missy: "With this and with me, everything can be yours. You can burn it all forever and ever and ever or would you rather just kill me?"
Dalek: "Maximum extermination."

No direct explanations were actually given as to how to either Davros or Missy survived their previous encounters with the Doctor.

The Doctor: "Why have I ever let you live?"
Davros: "Compassion Doctor. It has always been your greatest indulgence. Let this be my final victory."

Chronology: Some bits of 2015 London for Clara/UNIT, some in 1138 Essex when the Doctor was hiding out and various times on Skaro.

As an opening episode, I think "The Magician's Apprentice" is definitely one of the strongest we've had. It's certainly one of the most maddest and boldest, very much feeling like a series finale and with the Doctor's confession being an arc this year, there are some slight shades of the sixth series running through this one along with the plethora of Classic Daleks and other nods throughout.

Rating: 9 out of 10

Doctor Who - 10 Choices For Next Companion

Following yesterday's confirmation that Jenna Coleman will be stepping out of the TARDIS as Clara Oswald during the new series of Doctor Who, I decided to compile list of potential successors for her, because to be honest, everyone else is, so I might as well too.

1: Ingrid Oliver

The most obvious choice. Her appearances in both The Day Of The Doctor and Death In Heaven as UNIT scientist/cosplaying Osgood have endeared her to audiences and despite being vaporised by Missy in the latter episode, she's back for The Zygon Invasion/The Zygon Inversion or is she? It wouldn't be the first time the Doctor's travelled with a UNIT member if she joined up full time, now would it?

2: Jonathan Bailey

Popping up in last series Time Heist with the equally brilliant Pippa Bennett-Warner, it's been a while since we've had a regular male companion and given that Psi had the ability of being able to challenge the Doctor and cajole with him along with the fact that he's an augmented human, it would add a slightly different dynamic to the show. Plus Twelve did ask Psi to call him as well. Just saying.

3: Faye Marsay

Appearing in Last Christmas as the wonderfully likeable Shona, the character might have felt like a mashup of Lucie, Rose and Donna but Marsay is an incredible actress who brought a lot of warmth to Shona and her scenes with Capaldi during the Christmas 2014 special were fantastic to watch. She would definitely offer something of a contrast to Clara as well as some great dancing moves.

4: Luke Newberry

In The Flesh might have only lasted two series on BBC3 but it was long enough to certainly get people familiar with this wonderful actor who has also popped up in episodes of Sherlock and Banana. I could easily see Newberry travelling with Capaldi's Doctor as someone in awe of the latter's enigmatic Time Lord.

5: Karla Crome

The great thing about Misfits was the slew of impressive actors it had in it's five series reign and one of the best IMO was definitely Karla Crome, who played Jess in the show's fourth and fifth series. US viewers would probably know her as well from her appearance in Under The Dome's second season and when Crome isn't acting, she's also scribing plays to boot. I definitely think she has to be a serious contender for a companion role on this show.

6: Sacha Dhawan

Now here is an actor who has got some connections to Doctor Who but has yet to actually appear in the show. Sacha played Waris Hussein in An Adventure In Space And Time and has/will be appearing in some Big Finish audios. He's also had some previous genre credits with guest appearances in Being Human and In The Flesh. Oh and he's a bloody great actor to boot.

7: Charlie Murphy

It would be remiss of me to not at least include one Irish candidate into the mix for this list and I went with this particularly gifted actress. Irish viewers will know her best from her role as Siobhan Delaney in all five series of popular RTE crime drama, Love/Hate while UK viewers will definitely know her from roles in Ripper Street, The Village and Happy Valley. Also aside from the wonderful Molly in the Dark Eyes audios, isn't it time for an Irish companion in the TARDIS?

8: Robert Emms

Let's be honest here - Atlantis tried and failed to hit the highs that both Merlin and even Robin Hood managed to do and while it's axing after two series might not be the worst thing ever to happen to television, one of it's strongest assets was Emms as the often underutilised but consistently likeable Pythagoras. Now imagine him on a show where his strengths as an actor could be put to better use. He would be terrific.

9: Kate Bracken

Right now we still have a Scottish showrunner, a Scottish Doctor and a Scottish Master so maybe another Scottish companion in the mix too? On a serious note, Bracken was a revelation as Alex in the final two series of Being Human and did well enough in Misfits too. Then again, if Bracken doesn't get the gig here, then she just might if/when Toby Whithouse takes over the show.

10: Gillian Anderson

I've kept this list fairly grounded (you'll notice compared to other lists that there are some omissions here) but if I have to delve into proper fantasy casting, then I'm going with Gillian Anderson. The idea of her and Peter Capaldi sharing the screen together would be a TV match made in heaven and with Hannibal finished, The Fall finishing and The X Files being a limited run (for now), surely a series with Capaldi/Anderson would be television magic, right?

Okay now there's my list and if by some miracle any of those actors end up succeeding Coleman as the next companion with Capaldi, I will be genuinely surprised and pleased. As for whoever does get cast in the role, you already have my support.

Doctor Who starts tonight on BBC1 and BBCAmerica.