K9 - Another Spin-Off

There used to be a time when a Doctor Who spin-off would only result in a failed pilot episode (K9 And Company's A Girl's Best Friend) but with Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures both sating the older and younger audiences as well, can the metal dog strike out on his own? Well, K9 clearly made an attempt with this Australian produced spin-off that aired last year on a digital channel before making it's debut on Five last month.

The premise centred on a London set in 2050 with man's best friend, K9 coming back and undergoing a regeneration as he helped to protect the world from various alien threats. Helping him included Professor Alistair Gryffen (Robert Moloney) and his teenage assistant Darius Pike (Daniel Webber), rebellious orphan, Starkey (Keegan Joyce) as well as the intrepid, Jorjie Turner (Philippa Coulthard). Add in a secret government known as the Department, involving Jorjie's mother, June Turner (Robyn Moore) and the villainous Thorne (Jared Robinsen) and the Korvin and you've got quite a series to go.

Unlike, The Sarah Jane Adventures, the first season of this series ran for 26 episodes, mixing both arc storylines with the occassional standalone episode as well. The characters are reasonably likeable but the acting's choppy in parts and it doesn't grab quite as quickly, plus there's no official anything as to how canonical this actually is with the Doctor Who universe, in spite of the references that occured throughout the first season. I should also point out that over the next while, I'll review the first season as it gets a UK release. A second season is supposed to be in production but little is actually known about it yet. Either way, the series is definitely worth looking into at the very least.

Official Site: http://www.thedoctorwhosite.co.uk/k9/

Season 1 Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8uqKLA6ObU

Season 1 of K9 is available on DVD now from Region 4 but is being released in two separate sets in the UK from January 31st and March 7th.

Glee - Season 2 Second Half Spoilers

I know UK viewers are only two episodes into Season 2 of Glee, so I advise that you approach this entry with cautious as it's spoiler filled for the latter half of the season.

First of all both Blaine (Darren Criss) and Kurt (Chris Colfer) have gotten the cover of Entertainment Weekly in the same week of the latter's win at the Golden Globes. It seems that over the next few episodes of Glee, Kurt and Blaine edge towards becoming a couple and it also seems that the former's ordeal with Karofsky is far from over as well. In a bizarre twist, the homophobic gay jock will be joining the boys and the Gleek for a rendition of Lady Gaga's Born This Way for an upcoming episode. Another Gaga song? Okay, but seriously, lay off the superlatives. If I hear Kurt telling us how groundbreaking Gaga is, I will groan about it. Oh and Charice is coming as Sunshine for 5-7 episodes and there's both Nationals and Regionals to contend with in the latter of this season.

Speaking of upcoming episodes, not only is Gwyneth Paltrow reprising her role as Holly Holliday for two episodes and a romance with Will, but Anne Hathaway has been cast in the role of Kurt's lesbian aunt - a role she more or less wrote for herself when interviewed on a talk show a month ago. I know some will gripe about yet another high profile guest star (and increased screentime for Kurt) but when they start casting Z list reality losers from Jersey Shore, then I'll join in. It's been a good week for Hathaway - she's also been cast as Selina Kyle/Catwoman for The Dark Knight Rises as well. That being said we do need some focus on Mercedes, Tina and Mike in the latter half of the season though.

Elsewhere in the superbowl episode, called Thriller, Will and Beiste decide to enforce a truce with the Gleeks and football team by having them band together. In the pictures above, there's a Thriller/Heads Will Roll fantasy sequence/performance, Artie gets some slushy action and when some of the jocks protest, it results in some of the girls in joining the football team. The comedy potential in that is going to be a lot of fun. Also look out for Lauren getting nervous over a solo performance in where she imagines everyone in the nude and I've heard that both Will and Beiste will be singing together, Brittany gets blasted out of a cannon when Sue tries to ensure another victory for her Cheerios and another couple is due for a split.

Speaking of another couple, producer Brad Falchuk recently tweeted that Brittany/Santana will be getting it (back) on in episode 15 and that Holly brings them together. So, does that mean Artie will be single again? Maybe he join that singledom party Rachel, Mercedes and Kurt have planned as well in the future. I hope with Brittany/Santana, this is something to look forward to rather just pandering to certain fans - in other words, give us a lesbian couple properly, writers. Oh and Rachel/Mercedes will have a diva-off when they duet on Take Me Or Leave Me from Rent and the Valentine's Day episode will feature some rather familiar songs too. Also expect Rachel to take on Katy Perry's Firework and Lady Antebellum's Need You Now with Puck. Also, expect not one but two Justin Bieber songs as well from Sam. Don't worry, the mute button should come in handy for those ones. And that's what you can expect on all new Glee!

Glee returns on FOX from February 6th and continues to air on E4, Mondays at 9pm.

The US And Their Remakes

Or I was going to say - Jesus, America, Can't You Think For Yourselves? In the last fortnight the UK versions of these shows have been promoted/are back on screen and their American versions have also hit the airwaves, so what's done well?

Being Human: I was cautiously optimistic about this series. The cast looked great, the tone was promising and while the trailers were hardly breathtaking, I actually thought this would translate well with an American take. Guess what? I was kind of right. Not only has it done it extremely well for SyFy but I actually managed to sit through the entire first episode without constantly comparing it to the UK series. Some of the changes were nice - particularly the addition of a gay sister for Josh and the trio themselves - Aidan, Josh and Sally were all likeable. I might not be as emotionally invested in them yet as much as I am with Mitchell, George, Annie and Nina but if this series keeps up to the high standards of the opening episode, I could be. And Bishop is certainly a great villain. Marcus, not so much.

Shameless: For Irish viewers, this starts on RTE2, 9.55pm from January 27th (amazing, considering that channel's inability to air the UK version up to date) and after watching the pilot, it lacks the charm of the UK version. The casting's good, but William H. Macy really does have his work cut out because he's the weakest of the bunch but the storylines in the opener don't play out as compellingly as the UK series and the anarchaic spirit isn't as felt in it either. The acting's fine though, so hopefully it'll improve as it progresses and it must be decent enough if both Joan Cusack and Alison Janney are playing the Sheila and Monica roles in this one.

Skins: I really wanted to like this one and I partially didn't mind it, but it seems that this one will definitely get the axe if the Parents Television Council get their way. Bryan Elsley has done his damndest to try and make this work, but the acting's bloody patchy at best. None of the male cast members are particularly good and Tony is a rather unconvincing ringmaster in this one. Tea so far has the most potential as a character and I'm looking forward to her episode but overall, the UK version is starting next week with Generation 3 and chances are, that will be much better to watch.

So, predictions - Being Human is likely to get a second year but both Shameless and Skins have hardly wowed with ratings and the controversy with the latter could actually do it a lot of harm. Also MTV have their own version of The Inbetweeners due for later in the year and I have a feeling that someone will try to tackle Misfits within the next year as well. Oh, America - when will you ever learn?

My Review of Brothers And Sisters 5x01: "The Homecoming"

Written by David Marshall Grant And David Babcock
Directed by Michael Morris

Kitty: “I never thought we’d get back to this table. I can’t tell you how good it felt to have dinner again. We hadn’t done that since the night of the accident. To be honest, sometimes I felt like we’d never get over it but somehow we did.”

And somehow, this was also an episode that raised a lot of mixed feelings for me as a viewer. There were parts of this opener I loved and other parts that I wasn’t so crazy about but overall, I’m glad this show is back on TV for me to review again.

Okay, Robert’s death – or more appropriately, Robert’s year long coma. Was Justin harsh to tell Kitty that he wasn’t getting better? Perhaps, but he was also the only member of the Walkers who was willing to tell her what she needed to hear and while it took a while for it to sink in, Kitty sure as hell needed to hear.

I guess my issue with Robert being in a coma wasn’t from a moral standpoint. I knew Rob Lowe was done and dusted with this show, so it felt like they were prolonging Robert’s death when the episode should’ve been all about his funeral, rather than it being something that we didn’t even see on screen.

I’ve never been the biggest Robert fan in the whole but even I can’t deny the impact his character has had on the series at the same time. Kevin going on about Robert being his best friend wasn’t especially convincing to me but Justin’s talk about him and Robert being like two soldiers was something I actually did believe in. Mainly because it felt more organic.

Also organic was Kitty’s initial refusal to take on a job with the RNC because of Robert’s condition and the hardship she went through when finally coming to the conclusion that she needed to switch off his life support machine. Scenes like that actually made the episode for me as a viewer.

I liked the eulogies at the end of the episode and the family dinner. It’s scenes like that make me care about the Walkers as a family and given that they’re so distant in the majority of this episode, it’s also something of a relief that Justin came home when he did. He might be capable of making his own screw ups but his words were certainly needed with the Walkers this week.

Having Robert’s death being a catalyst for everyone to be distant with each other was something else I could believe but it was pretty damn shocking when even someone as vocal as Nora was unable to get her family back together. I really loved Justin’s speech about wanting his mother back. Maybe an uninvolved Nora is a lot scarier than the usually over involved one that we’re mostly used to seeing on this show.

As for the Narrow Lake plot, I’m really not sure what to make with this one. On one hand, by selling it, Sarah’s ensured that her entire family is financially secure for life but at the same time, it did feel that after all the trouble we had to get to Narrow Lake that the rug’s been pulled from under us with as well.

Okay, I should probably think positively here – no Narrow Lake means (or should mean) no more family business on verge of bankruptcy plots to deal with and after four seasons of them, we’re all due a break but apart from Nora, Saul and Kevin, Sarah doesn’t exactly have a job to go to. Why else would Luc being modelling underwear now to keep them solvent?

The Luc underwear model plot is hardly the most interesting thing they could’ve done with the character but while Gilles Marini’s acting isn’t perfect, I have to admit that Luc is a decent bloke. He obviously loves Sarah (especially highlighted when they were discussing Robert’s condition) and he certainly seems to be able to deal with the Walkers as well. Maybe he really is the one for Sarah after all and the lack of angst so far with them is a godsend.

Because with Rebecca out of the picture, all the angst has been transferred to Kevin and Scotty. Two miscarriages off-screen and Kevin doesn’t want to open up? I can understand Scotty’s frustration and as much as it was nice that Kevin did decide to let Matteo (his juvenile delinquent client) stay with him and Scotty, I kinda wished he had been a little more sensitive with the lad as well.

When it comes to the whole parenting plot, I kind of wish that the writers would drop it now. Kevin and Scotty never seem to be on the same page when it comes to parenting and I have a fear that the more the writers pursue, the less we’ll get other storylines for them. Or am I just being a little oversensitive with this one?

Still as rocky as things are for Kevin and Scotty, at least they’ll pull through. Justin went against Rebecca’s wishes and re-enlisted and now she’s left him. I actually don’t blame Rebecca but at the same time, with Holly’s condition, was it really the best thing to do as well?

Holly having amnesia isn’t the best plot they could’ve given the character but it’s not the worst one either. I even felt more for David’s struggle with trying to help Holly than I have for anything else involving him but I get a slight laugh out of Holly’s renewed dislike for Nora once again. I wonder why that was. Still, it’s better than Saul, whose storyline about a boyfriend was largely off-screen. For the love of god, writers, give the man a meaty storyline this year. Ron Rifkin deserves it.

Also in “The Homecoming”

Opening and ending narrations for this episode. Last time that happened, it was back with “Glass Houses”.

Luc (re poster): “I can’t believe they really hung it.”
Sarah: “Oh, it’s hung. It’s gonna be a real ice-breaker at PTA meetings.”

I have to admit that I have a similar standpoint to Sarah when it comes to being on life support but I could also understand both Kitty and Luc’s perspectives as well.

Nora: “Because it makes no sense. It’s crazy, you can’t go to war.”
Justin: “This is war, this is war. Where I am, right now, mom and I’m not winning. I’m dying, I’m dying and over there, that feels like my chance to make things right again.”

Sarah (to Luc): “I feel like my whole family’s in limbo, y’know, like we’re all on hold. Don’t let me be like that.”

Justin went back to the army a month after Robert’s death while Kevin seems to be doing pro-bono work in law.

Kevin: “I don’t have time to perfect my abs anymore.”
Sarah: “Anymore? Kevin, you never had abs.”

Saul: “I thought you lost your voice.”
Nora: “Not with you I haven’t.”

Nora’s working at a flower shop with a real bitchy boss named Zoe. I think it’s safe to assume that this won’t be a long lasting gig for Nora.

Kevin (to Scotty): “You have to let me do this my way, okay? I am trying to move on. Why do you think I’m doing this kind of work?”

Saul: “Where’s that Luc?”
Kevin: “Probably taking his clothes off.”
Sarah: “Kevin, that’s not funny. He will be here soon, something’s come up.”
Kevin: “Yeah, bet it has.”

Where was Tommy in this episode? Surely, he should’ve been here for Robert’s send off, right? Sally Field is now an executive producer on the series.

Justin (to his family): “I’m trying to help here. I mean it feels like after the accident you guys all went up to your room, shut the door and gave up.”

Kitty:”I always get to this point and I just can’t say it.”
Nora: “What?”
Kitty: “Goodbye. Goodbye Robert.”

Standout music: James Morrison’s “You Make It Real” at the end of the episode.

Kitty: “Like I said, it took a long time to get back here. I did the right thing, I know that now. I would’ve done it sooner if you were there to help me but you weren’t but I have this feeling I’m gonna be okay. I think we’re gonna be okay.”

Chronology: A year since “On The Road Again”

As an opening episode, “The Homecoming” certainly strained in parts and while there are certain things I didn’t like, I thought the acting in this one was incredible but the series does need to tread carefully with certain plotlines though.

Rating: 9 out of 10.

Brothers And Sisters - Season 5 Premieres Tonight On More4

Okay, tonight is the return of Brothers And Sisters, which is now into it's fifth (and possibly) final season on More4 at 10pm. By next week, it'll be up against Skins, which is not good for them rating wise.
For some inane reason, ABC cannot be arsed into doing promotional shots so this largely photoshopped poster is the best we have for a Season 5 cast shot, I'm afraid. In terms of departures - Robert is gone with his death being a vocal point in opening episode, The Homecoming, Rebecca leaves in fourth episode, A Righteous Kiss and Holly even leaves by the 12th episode, Thanks For The Memories. Heck, even both Kitty and Luc are absent for various episodes in the season and Tommy resurfaces with a new girlfriend called Rose in the latter half of the season.

In terms of storylines, Kevin and Scotty are at a crossroads. They're barely coping with the loss of their baby and in Call Mom/An Ideal Husband, there's infidelity that's tackled. Adopting a young girl named Olivia has been a big thing in the last three episodes, particularly the 100th episode, Safe At Home. I'm mixed about these stories because Kevin and Scotty do need other storylines and if this show doesn't get a sixth year, then there's only so many episodes left for them to explore. Even though the writing is patchy for them this season, I'll take them over any other gay couple on TV.

As for Sarah and Luc, they're engaged and largely happy. Luc's underwear model is another way of writers telling us how sexy Gilles Marini is but ah, not for me. Luc actually is an okay character but the better storylines involve Justin getting everyone back to talking terms in the opener and even Holly's amnesia storyline isn't bad. Kitty's flings with both Jack and Seth are a distraction though but I do like Nora getting a radio gig and Saul also has a storyline with a character named Jonathan (Richard Chamberlain) in the Christmas episode, Cold Turkey.

With the 100th episode now aired in the US, the latter half of the season is gearing towards Justin meeting another war vet, Kevin/Scotty adopting Olivia, Sarah and Luc's engagement and mysteries surroundings both Nora and Kitty. The show's a mixed bag this season but regardless of it's fate, here's hoping it ends on a high, whether it's just a season finale or a series finale.

Season 5 Sneak Peek: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpU-_j3kUBM&feature=related

Brothers And Sisters Season 5 starts tonight on More4 at 10pm.

Being Human - Season 3 Episode Titles (Contains Spoilers)

Well, there's four days to go for Being Human UK to hit BBC3 and in an odd thing, we're actually getting episode titles for the episodes this season. Brilliant as that is, why now? I'm not complaining because after watching the US version today (a blog will surface on that later in the week), my excitement is further stoked for the UK version all the more and the title are interesting too ...

Ep 1: Lia - Toby Whithouse
Ep 2: Adam's Family - Brian Dooley
Ep 3: Type 4 - Jamie Mathieson
Ep 4: The Pack - John Jackson
Ep 5: The Longest Day - Sarah Phelps
Ep 6: Daddy Ghoul - Lisa McGee
Ep 7: Though the Heavens Fall - Toby Whithouse
Ep 8: ????????? - Toby Whithouse

Season 3 Trailer 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWzJTsyW5pk

Being Human airs Sundays at 9pm from January 23rd on BBC3.

Secret Diary Of A Call Girl - Season 4 Promotional Pictures

It's the final season of Secret Diary Of A Call Girl and you can expect it to air Tuesdays at 10pm on ITV2 from February 1st. The spoilers aren't exactly jumping out at the place but it does seem if the promos are anything to go by that both Bambi and Byron are gone. The first pictures shows that Belle's torn between both Ben and a new guy called Harry (played by Paul Nicholls), who's a vice cop. Harry's rumoured to be in a few episodes this season.
The woman in the second picture with Harry, Belle and Ben is called Poppy (Lily James) and again, it does seem that she's a love interest for Ben and a quadrangle is afoot here. Not the most exciting of stories but after four seasons, I'll be genuinely surprised if Belle and Ben don't end up together because it's certainly been leading to that for quite some time now. Poppy is also the daughter of Madam Stephanie, who's spending this season in the slammer, leaving Belle to run her agency.

Trailer: http://www.itv.com/drama/contemporary/secretdiaryofacallgirl/

Season 4 Synopsis: http://community.livejournal.com/billie_love/654144.html?#cutid1

My Review of Dexter's 5x03: "Practically Perfect"

Written by Manny Coto
Directed by Ernest Dickerson

Boyd: “I did them a favour. They were all suffering and I put them out of their misery.”
Dexter: “You’ll be doing one more favour tonight.”

Oh, Boyd, if you knew that Dexter was a hot mess from the moment you met him, then why the hell did you not take any precautions with the guy? Oh well, after two episodes, Boyd’s journey came to the best ending ever – him on a table, killed by Dexter. Too bad that this kill didn’t go off without a hitch.

First off all for Dexter was his attempts to do the deed when luring Boyd into collecting a dead alligator. Dexter’s had his moments of sloppiness but getting hit by Boyd’s tranquiliser gun after knocking Boyd out was actually pretty comical but on a serious note, it was also bad for Dexter.

Boyd might not have gotten the opportunity to have gained a further upper hand but Dexter being in hospital, no matter how brief could be a problem down the line when Quinn continues to investigate everyone’s favourite serial killer. Well, that and the fact that Boyd is now dead could be another thing for Quinn to link to Dexter as well.

It’s almost a shame that Boyd did die in this episode because even though he was a nutter, I actually thought Shawn Hatosy was a lot of fun in this episode. Boyd had a pretty interesting way at looking at certain things and he was astute enough to piece that Dexter had been married as well.

Also his last few words were interesting. Before being finally killed, he told Dexter that the women whom he dumped in barrels of formaldehyde were having their misery ended. Boyd saw himself as a mercy killer and Dexter was snarky enough to use a similar phrasing when he ended Boyd’s life.

However with Boyd out of the way, it does seem like a set of new arcs have been opened up. Jordan Chase and his self-help tapes seem to be something a lot deeper than just something that helped Boyd work through issues and if death was a mercy, then what exactly were the poor women being subjected to that Boyd saw himself as a saviour of sorts to them?

Of course, the real meat of this episode wasn’t Dexter killing Boyd and being unable to feel good about it (I’m sure Dexter will get his killer groove back later in the season) but it was the young woman who was Boyd’s next victim. The same woman who looked badly beaten and witnessed Dexter murdering her captor as well.

I knew Julia Stiles was appearing in this series and I’ve always liked her as an actress but her first appearance here only sets up some question. We don’t know her character’s name, she doesn’t have any dialogue and aside from learning that she’s one of Boyd’s prisoners/victims, there’s nothing else we do know about her. That being said, I can’t wait to find out. Dexter had better not kill her.

And if the murder quotient wasn’t enough with Boyd, there’s also the Santa Muerte stuff as well to deal with. I am enjoying the pairing between Deb and Officer Manzon in trying to figure out why no-one wanted to talk about the deaths but I knew that as soon as that shopkeeper opened up a little, that he was a dead man walking. Sadly, I was right as well.

Even though the Santa Muerte stuff isn’t going to be a big arc this season, it’s certainly an interesting one. Particularly given the ways in which Deb, Manzon, Quinn and Angel all looked at the husband/wife killings and the neighbourhood’s reticence to speak at different angles. And I also laughed a little with some of Masuka’s inappropriate humour as well when the shopkeeper’s body was found.

Less of a laugh riot though was the Angel and Maria. I’m not really sure why some fans hate this pairing so much because I continue to root for them as a couple myself, especially after this episode. I want them to last as a partnership and even though Angel’s bar fight ended up doing damage to Officer Lopez, I’m not sure if he will end up in jail for it. I can easily see this causing further tension between him and Maria and maybe a suspension but definitely not jail.

In other plots, Quinn continues to have his weird moments. Counting the days since he last shagged Deb made him look like a desperate loser but I am finding it interesting how he’s managed to crack the connection between Kyle Butler and Dexter with ease. Looks like mystery girl isn’t the only problem that Dexter will have on his hands soon.

Also in “Practically Perfect”

I loved the opening sequence with Deb interrogating prospective nannies before Dexter settled on Irish one, Sonya. Maria Doyle Kennedy is excellent casting.

Girl: “I’m totally clean.”
Deb: “Then why are you so nervous?”
Girl: “Because I wasn’t expecting on getting these kind of questions. I mean, you sound like a cop.”

Sonya sang “Bye, Bye Bunting, Daddy’s Gone A Hunting” to Harrison. If only she knew. And cheesy as it sounded, but I thought the Prince Harry nickname she gave the child was sweet.

Masuka: “True warriors are humble men.”
Quinn: “Oh please, you got a reason to be humble. You got fucked up running the other way.”

Deb: “You’re counting?”
Quinn: “I can’t help it. I have an internal clock.”
Deb: “Well, unplug it.”
Quinn: “I’m just saying at this point we might as well be married.”
Deb: “Shit on my face. You ever use words like ‘we’ and ‘married’ in the same fucking sentence again ...”

I don’t want to comment on it too much but thanks to other forums, I have realised that Desmond Harrington does look a bit gaunt this season.

Harry: “That’s the problem.”
Dexter: “What?”
Harry: “This kill won’t just make everything right. It won’t bring Rita back.”

Dexter (re routine talk): “Where did you hear that?”
Deb: “I am capable of independent thought, Dexter. Oprah.”

Hey, Deb, want to know why Sonya’s left Ireland – ask Brian Cowen! Oh and clearly, Johnny Lee Miller is being earmarked to play Jordan Chase.

Dexter (to paramedic): “Crazy asshole, you were supposed to shoot the gator.”
Boyd: “You got in my way, fucking numbskull.”

Masuka: “Another head? And I was in such a good mood.”

Chronology: It’s been nine days since “My Bad” and we also learned that Harrison is 10 months old, thanks the child psychologist.

I really enjoyed this one. “Practically Perfect” certainly had moments of humour that cracked me up big time but it’s also given us an arc for Dexter outside of his own personal trauma and the next couple of weeks now look even more exciting as a result.

Rating: 9 out of 10.

My Review of "A Touch Of Dead"

Written by Charlaine Harris
Released in 2009

Niall: “Merry Christmas, Sookie.”

With this book franchise continuing to be popular for Charlaine Harris, I am delighted that she found the time to give us a book where we got a couple of short stories that decided to tie up some loose ends in between certain books.

The first story in this book, “Fairy Dust” gave an official introduction to Claude but more than that, it also saw the vain stripper and his sister Claudine rope Sookie in to find out who killed their sister, Claudette. Out of the three suspects, each of them had different motives – Jeff the bouncer, due to Claudette sabotaging his relationship with Claude, Barry the shaver for being spurned by Claudette and Rita the strip club owner over the possibility of losing one of her biggest assets. I won’t spoil the culprit but I can tell you that Claude and Claudette do have a very interesting method of getting their own back nonetheless and proves how ruthless a fairy can be in this verse.

Second story, “Dracula Night” finally confirmed something I had been wondering about in relation to this verse for a while now – the existence of Dracula. Not only does the Count in fact exist, but he also gets a day to himself and if a vampire bar is lucky enough, he might honour them with his presence. It’s a decent motive for explaining Eric’s panicky behaviour and while the bartender pretending to be the Count was a cop out, Sookie/Eric fans might enjoy the bouts of sexual tension between the pair in this one. Sadly, Bill and Pam are both rather underused in this one.

Third instalment, “One Word Answer” proves that even in short story form, we’ll never see Hadley alive (something I am grateful for the series doing then). It dances about the place with Sookie coming to the conclusion that albino vampire Waldo was responsible for her cousin’s death, even though that’s not technically true. However the real meat of the story is in Sookie’s brief but interesting encounter with vampire queen, Sophie-Anne. Now that’s something the series had better get over with in its upcoming fourth season already.

“Lucky” might be the fourth story in this bunch but it’s a bloody cracker. I’ve enjoyed Sookie and Amelia’s friendship in previous books and having the pair of them band together to find out who’s trying to ruin Greg Auburt’s business is definitely full of interesting twists and turns. The actual culprit itself is also a far better pay-off than the lists of presumed suspects that Sookie and Amelia have to wade through but points for the inclusion of Terry during this one as well.

However my favourite story is the fifth and final one, “Gift Wrap”. Being on her own, Sookie’s having a rotten Christmas, so great-grandfather Niall decided to give her the most unorthodox of presents. Sookie wasn’t speaking to Jason, so her brother loaned out her woods for a were pack, she loves helping and protecting others, so the rather delectable fairy Preston posed as a were and because Sookie hasn’t gotten laid in a while, Preston promptly seduces her before exiting. As presents go, it’s definitely memorable but while Niall was trying to be kind, it also showed the more manipulative side of the fae quite excellently too. Still, it’s the best of an impressive bunch of stories.

- Each of the stories are set at different points in the books but they’re all after “Dead To The World” and before “Dead And Gone”.
- Dracula drinks Royalty – very rare and part synthetic, part real blood. Well, only the best for the Count, eh?
- The cover for this book has lips with blood dripping down. It’s definitely one of my favourite covers.
- Sookie doesn’t approve massively of her great grandfather’s choice in ties and we’re told that Niall’s not Christian.

As a collection of short stories go, “A Touch Of Dead” is a lovely addition to this book verse. The stories all work wonderfully, add more layers to existing books and with any luck, maybe we’ll get another collection of short stories one day.

Rating: 9 out of 10.

Best Casting Ever - Doctor Who/Torchwood Spoilers

Um, excitement for both Doctor Who and Torchwood's upcoming seasons is reaching fever pitch right now, especially with casting for the latter ....

DWM Issue 430 have given us these little nuggets in relation to Season 6 ....

- Mark Gatiss's episodes has been pushed from episode 4 to episode 9.
- Steve Thompson's episode will now be episode 3.
- Neil Gaiman's episode will be episode 4.

Recent set pictures for the opening two-parter have indicated that Rory too is covered in tally marks along with Amy and River, so I'm wondering if the Doctor gets infected at some point as well in that story.

Steven Moffat has also written several endings for episode 7 so that the plot isn't given away. With any luck, they'll all be filmed and included on a Series 6 DVD as well.

Episodes 3 and 7 are the episodes currently being filmed in the same block as well.

Karen Gillan has also said that Amy is "going to be involved in the most traumatic thing - like, emotionally traumatic. She's been quite guarded, and doesn't like to show vulnerability, but we're going to see that start to crack in a massive way".

It's also been hinted that it will be episode 7 that will be featuring Cybermen and that they will NOT be in Steve Thompson's episode after all. A poster on GallifreyBase has also suggested that the new-series Cybermen might be foot soldiers of an old-series officer class of Cybermen and that they will be scary, they won’t say “delete” or “upgrade” and they may look different.

Even better than that is that Torchwood have Six Feet Under actress, Lauren Ambrose in the role of PR girl, Jilly Kitzinger, who happens to be a 'sweet-talking PR genius with a heart of stone who's just concerned the most important client of her career..and maybe all of time'. As for the client - Oswald I presume but either way, I am so stoked to be seeing her on this show. Lauren will appear in seven out of the ten episodes for the new season as well.

Exciting times, yeah?

Skins - Season 5 Trailer 2

With two weeks to go, a second trailer for Series 5 of the UK version of Skins has been released and it's certainly promising a lot. In the space of a minute, it really does indicate that Franky will be a big focus on the series, especially given her scenes with both Matty and Mini in the trailer. It also seems that Mini's little clique isn't as solid as she likes, Nick's not averse to vandalism, Rich/Grace seem to be an attraction waiting to happen and some stuff on Alo and Liv as well.

Character Spoilers: http://community.livejournal.com/skinsfans/1887688.html
Trailer 2: http://www.e4.com/blog/skins-news/post/40lwkuth2s4z0bfyxzbiyc/view.e4

Series 5 of Skins starts on E4 Thursday at 10pm from January 27th.

Skins US Character Profiles

So four days left until Skins US hits MTV and here are the comparisons/contrasts that the US version of Generation 1 have on their UK counterparts.

Not much differences here between Sid and Stanley or Anwar and Abbud. Even their character trailers give that impression.

Again little differwnces between both Chris's apart from hair but with Jal and Daisy, there are some. Daisy having a sister and working in a burger joint but both of them are still the sensible (not boring) ones from Generation 1.

I'm going to be controversial (or not) but I actually think Tea is a shit load more interesting than Maxxie. It seems like we really could have a fantastic lesbian character on our hands with her (to be honest, Tea's the biggest selling point for the US version for me) but it seems that Eura will be every bit as enigmatic/mute as Effy if her character is anything to go by.

I agree with the write ups here. US Tony seems far less nasty than the UK version but both Michelle's pretty much seem the same to me.

Cassie and Cadie, hmm? I loved Cassie and Cadie seems to be pretty likeable too from her trailer. The eating disorder isn't an arc for her but I'm sure something else will surface in it's place.

Character Trailers: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5C1qr_lIugA

Skins US begins on MTV from January 17th at 10pm.

More TV Families

11 days into 2011 and here are some of my highlights for the year so far ...

Parenthood - Given that Brothers And Sisters future isn't looking too promising at the minute, could this show end up filling a respective void? Possibly. It's certainly has the same type of tropes as the Walkers with the Bravermans being eerily reminiscent to them in ways and it's certainly got an impressive cast with Peter Krause, Lauren Graham and Craig T. Nelson to name but three. The opening episode saw Sarah moving back in with her parents and dealing with an unruly daughter while older brother Adam found out his son had aspergers and younger brother Crosbie learnt he fathered a child from a previous relationship while flying mother Julia is definitely Sarah Walker by another name. Overall, definitely worth looking into.

Primeval - I've never been into this series and watching the first three episodes of the fourth series made me realise why. It's not particularly awful but for some reason, it just lacks spark and even though I generally don't mind the characters and the new setting with The Ark, I'm not that emotionally invested in the series. Connor/Abby are okay, Jess is a bit too perky, Becker's just there and I'm not sure what's up with Matt but I don't think he's a baddie. Lester is probably the most standout character with Philip being the least interesting of the bunch. On the plus side, I am enjoying the time travel lady that appeared in the last episode I watched.

Mrs Browns Boys - Ah, Brendan O'Carroll. It's amazing how well he plays the role of an older Dublin woman with a dysfunctional mouth and a potty mouth to boot. If you've never seen this live on stage or any of the DVDs released, then you're in for a treat with this series. The humour is typically Irish, so it'll be interesting to see how it fares on the BBC when it airs but it's definitely one to watch.

Come Fly With Me - Another show from Matt Lucas and David Walliams, it's not a bad effort but some of the jokes aren't as original or as funny as they might have been seven years ago. The characters are a mixed bunch and none of them would've been out of place on Little Britain either, which is possibly not the greatest thing either. On the plus side, it's better than their last show and I do like Lindsay Duncan's narration as well.

This Is England 86 - I meant to get back to this one at some point. I watched the rest of the episodes over the Christmas and I really have to admit that even though it's not the best thing I've seen on TV, it was definitely a good series. The ending was a bit dark for my liking but here's hoping that Channel 4 commission another run of the series soon.

- Brothers And Sisters Season 5 airs on More4 from January 20th at 10pm. However the series has not been renewed for a sixth season. It hasn't been officially cancelled either.

- Glee's superbowl episode will feature an unique performance of Thriller and while an upcoming episode will (unfortunately) feature a song from Justin Bieber, an episode won't be dedicated to him. Plus Gwyneth Paltrow's back for two episodes to romance Will.

- Paola Tubay has signed up for True Blood, playing a recurring character Antonia.

- ABC has renewed Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice, Modern Family, The Middle, Cougar Town and Castle.

- Adrian Pasdar has landed a two episode arc on Castle.

My Review of Dexter's 5x02: "Hello Bandit"

Written by Scott Buck
Directed by John Dahl

Harry: “I thought the kids were your number one responsibility.”
Dexter: “They are.”
Harry: “But here you are in the middle of the night.”

You got to give Dexter something – he’s trying. It’s just shame that trying for Dexter is largely unorthodox at the same time. For Dexter, being a good father also means being able to kill at the same time, so the hell with Elliott and his patronising speeches about sacrifices. Even I wanted Dexter to stab the dolt during that scene.

The one thing I love about Dexter’s coping with grief is not only how in character it is for him but how it’s not bogging the series down in any respect. He genuinely wanted to do his best by Astor, Cody and Harrison in this episode and he was met with far too many obstacles to succeed.

Astor’s anger towards Dexter kept momentum this week and the girl made some rather valid pointers as well. She didn’t want to leave her family home but Dexter wanted to move somewhere else and staying at Deb meant that everyone was literally boxed in. There’s a reason why apartments aren’t meant for families this big.

But there was also the moment where Astor and Cody then snuck off school and went back to their home to see Rita’s bathtub. It’s definitely one of the strongest scenes in the episode and it was at this point that Dexter realised that he was fighting a losing battle with Astor. For me, because of that, it made more than enough sense that he let her and Cody move to Orlando with their grandparents.

I don’t know why but I actually hope it’s not the end of Astor and Cody as characters. I don’t need Dexter’s internal thoughts to tell me that he’s better with them and Harrison in his life but it did help and unlike last year where Harry’s berating got on my nerves, I find myself agreeing with him about how much Astor and Cody are needed in Dexter’s life.

Not to mention the fact that Dexter obviously feels a responsibility for them as well. Cody might have been more open with Dexter than Astor but it’s clear that from their last scene together, Astor doesn’t completely hate Dexter even if she does blame him for her mother’s death nonetheless. In other words, I hope we do see them again in the season.

As for the FBI strand from the first episode – it’s amazing how quickly that one was wrapped. I was almost surprised with how the two agents interviewing Dexter weren’t at least a tiny bit suspicious of him in relation to Rita’s death but I suppose that’s where Quinn is going to come in handy, right?

That’s also the thing that worries me. Thanks to Maria, Quinn’s got the perfect sketches of Kyle Butler and it can’t be long until he matches the pictures to Dexter and begins his own investigation. Much as that will obviously spell bad news for Dexter, I actually love the fact that the Arthur Mitchell is still lingering about the place, even if the character is no longer with us.

Of course, it’s not just Arthur Mitchell that’s giving Miami Metro work to do, there’s also the Santa Muerte cult and the decapitation of a young woman. The thing with her eyes and tongue being gouged out as well was surprisingly effective and was it me or am I sensing a slightly adversarial but friendly dynamic between Deb and that female cop on the case as well? As long as she doesn’t turn out to be another Yuki, I’ll be happy.

Speaking of Deb, the good sister thing might be tiring her out but damn, she deserves points for giving it a bash. For a girl who’s usually so emotionally explosive, Deb has been absolutely fantastic for Dexter and the kids in the past two episodes and I kind of wish that she would cut herself some slack. Deb’s not perfect but she’s definitely someone you’d want fighting your corner nonetheless.

As for the sex thing with her and Quinn, I’m still on the assumption that a relationship isn’t far off. I like that she’s actually being a little resistant and that Quinn’s not acting like a total dick but it’s pretty damn obvious that there’s going to be a repeat performance, even if Deb is trying to keep Quinn on his toes.

Something else that’s worth keeping us on our toes was creepy ass dead animal pick up guy, Boyd Fowler. I’m gonna assume here that’s Boyd’s just a side baddies until the real big bad of the season enters the fray but he’s certainly disturbing enough. Those girls in the water filled barrels? If experience has taught Dexter anything, its best not to prolong a kill, so here’s hoping that Dexter doesn’t feel he needs to learn anything off Boyd anytime soon.

Also in “Hello, Bandit”

The title comes from Boyd’s little dialogue about the dead raccoon that Dexter used to get to meet him.

Dexter (to himself): “They say there are seven stages of grief. I suppose killing a man with my bare hands in the men’s room was my way of working through the anger stage.”

Michael C. Hall has previously worked with Shawn Hatosy (Boyd) in Six Feet Under. Amazing how many guest stars from that series have appeared on this show, isn’t it?

Masuka: “We miss you brother.”
Dexter: “How’s handling the department by yourself?”
Masuka: “it’s a breeze.”

Elliott: “Forget about any free time, you just have to be there every morning, every evening, every weekend. Are you ready to do that, Dex? For the kids?”
Dexter: “Yes, Elliott, I’m ready to do that. For the kids.”

On the Maria/Angel subplot this week, I don’t see anything wrong with her having her own account but I do think maybe she should’ve told Angel at some point. How long have they been married for?

Cody: “I like it here. It’s like camping.”
Dexter (to himself): “Exactly. Boys are easier.”

Deb (to Quinn): “I came over here to sleep, not to have your fat little sausage fingers all over me.”

Santa Muerte means Holy Death and Deb/Masuka/Quinn seemed to think the husband killed the wife before killing himself. Chances are, it’ll be something or someone else responsible.

Dexter (re Astor/Cody): “While they’ll be seeing the grief counsellor, I’ll be getting my own kind of therapy.”

Speaking of therapy, that voice that kept shouting “Take It” (from Boyd’s self help tapes) sounded bloody familiar.

Angel (re splatter): “How’s it going on in there?”
Deb: “Masuka said he really likes working with blood.”

Astor: “I thought coming here would help but that was stupid.”
Dexter: “Well, I understand.”

Angel’s bar fight with the guy who accused Maria of being a sugar mama is definitely going to have repercussions next week.

Dexter (to Harry): “Just give me a minute.”

Chronology: None directly specified since the events of “My Bad”.

Definitely a strong second episode here. “Hello, Bandit” continues to tackle the fallout of last year quite nicely but apart from the Boyd and Santa Muerte plots, which are likely to be short terms ones, nothing is as yet developed for the next big bad for Dexter to face off with. Perhaps that’s a good thing for a few episodes at the moment.

Rating: 8 out of 10.

Torchwod - The New World Becomes Miracle Day

As of tomorrow, Series 4 of Torchwood begins filming and contrary to previous reports, the header is now Miracle Day instead of The New World. Not really keen on the title but here's a general synopsis nonetheless ....

One day, nobody dies. All across the world, nobody dies. And then the next day, and the next, and the next, people keep aging -- they get hurt and sick -- but they never die. The result: a population boom, overnight. With all the extra people, resources are finite. It’s said that in four months’ time, the human race will cease to be viable. But this can’t be a natural event – someone’s got to be behind it. It’s a race against time as C.I.A. agent Rex Matheson investigates a global conspiracy. The answers lie within an old, secret British institute. As Rex keeps asking “What is Torchwood?", he’s drawn into a world of adventure, and a threat to change what it means to be human, forever.

Nobody being able to die? That's a TV trope that's been done to death (pun so definitely intended) but if RTD can manage to not kill off any other major characters I love (Rhys better make it out of this season alive) and there's some humour along the way, this could be a very enthralling series. I loved Children Of Earth but it was so bleak that I really don't want another misery fest throughout Miracle Day. Also some other bits - Gwen/Rhys's baby is called Anwen, Esther's surname is now Drummond, Oswald's surname is Danes, Vera's life becomes entangled with Rex, a lot of the action through the 10 episodes takes place in the US, Shanghai and Cardiff (filming in Wales is due later) and at some point, Jack has a tryst with a bartender. Thoughts anyone?

EastEnders SIDS/Baby Swap Debacle

Usually I don't do a big soap blog unless it's something really big and the whole debacle surrounding EastEnders SIDS/baby swap storyline with Kat and Ronnie and the now announced departure from actress Samantha Womack means that even I can't help but not get involved in the debate. Or at least voice an opinion.

In the space of a week, the storyline has sparked over 8000 complaints to OfCom (coupled with over 10 million watching the episodes) and various organisations from FSID groups have also voiced opinions of concern and disappointment. It's also been heavily speculated that Samantha Womack herself has dropped out of the series because of the storyline and the woman has also gotten abuse on the street from viewers alike, which in my opinion is wrong, regardless of how you feel about the storyline. So, what's the hubbub about?

EastEnders has done cot death related storylines in the past but I think what's left a nasty taste in people's mouths was coupling a cot death plot with a baby swap storyline because even if Ronnie's actions weren't pre-meditated, it still put her in an unsympathetic light and painted the character in a dangerous corner and instead of the story feeling poignant and harrowing as it should do, it just feels cheap and silly.

I know soaps are renowned for sensationalism and always will be but there are times in which they go too far and without sounding like someone who works for the Daily Mail, I felt this plot was/is going too far in places. The acting is fantastic from both Samantha Womack and Jessie Wallace, whose character Kat Moon is convinced her son Tommy is dead but for once, I wish that the writers had actually listened to their actors (Womack allegedly voiced opposition over the storyline) instead of trying to be shocking all the time.

Yes, the writers added the usual 'if you've been affected by these issues' warnings/numbers at the end of each episode and while I normally find myself laughing at people who get this animated over a storyline they don't like, I feel that if the plot had been left with cot death and that issue had been dealt with poignantly, there wouldn't have been a problem. It's the unneccesary addition of a baby swap that's riled viewers. Sometimes being sensationalistic isn't a smart idea.

There's a lot of people baying for producer Bryan Kirkwood's head over the storyline and the departure of Samantha Womack but as badly conceived and executed this idea was, is it really worth having the man losing his job over? I don't think so. Kirkwood might have gravely miscalculated public reception to this storyline but if a writer was fired everytime a storyline didn't work or generated the wrong level of controversy, then perhaps there would be very few people working on television.

As a viewer, I can't bear this baby swap saga and I'm looking forward to it being resolved (which it should be by April/May, according to spoilers) but I also advocate freedom of speech as well and while the show should be allowed to push boundaries, perhaps some sensitivity and actual thought to the next plot would be best for Kirkwood and the EastEnders staff. If this storyline proves anything, it's that sensationalism can go wrong.

Lost - Season 6 Review

US Airdate: February 2nd – May 23rd 2010

It’s The End: But the moment has been prepared for? Okay, wrong show but the truth of the matter is that the moment in some ways had been prepared for. We always knew that the show would end with a sixth year and after the previous two seasons; this one certainly proved that it was time for the show to part ways with TV land.

I don’t mean that in a negative but the series transition from flashbacks to flash forwards and in this year alone, flash sideways, it has proved that the writers were running out of steam with storylines for the characters off the island as well as on the wretched thing as well. Don’t get me wrong, there are amusing alternatives given to us here – Jack and Juliet have a son together, Ben’s a teacher, Kate’s still on the run, Sawyer and Miles are both cops, Sayid murders Keamy and rescues Jin and Hurley after a series of mishaps reunites with Libby but at the same time, they’re padding in a way too.

Throughout the 18 episodes on offer here, you have these sideways being a distraction and for the most part, an amusing one because much as I hate to grumble, the stuff on the island isn’t as great as it used to be I’m afraid.

Locke’s death in particular feels like a nasty rub and it made sense for the Smoke Monster to permanently take his guise from “LAX” onwards but as a result, the monster in some ways loses his effect than when he was just smoke. With a human body, he’s able to be nasty and manipulate the likes of Sayid and Claire when he isn’t destroying Dogen’s camp by “Sundown” but he also becomes rather annoying in the process.

Similarly, the stuff involving Dogen’s camp for the first few episodes isn’t all that great either and then the arrival of Widmore’s people in the latter half of the season is just more fodder to be killed off by the Smoke Monster. There’s a rather odd ball scene where the criminally underdeveloped Illana is blown to smithereens in “Everybody Hates Hugo” as well but the deaths of Jin, Sun and Sayid in “The Candidate” certainly packed an emotional wallop.

As for the characters themselves, Jacob might have manipulated everyone on the island but he’s given a short shrift during the season (probably because Mark Pellegrino was on another extremely popular show at the time) and it’s also a year that sees everyone nearly cropping up all at once.

Claire’s finally back and spent most of the time on the island being crazy, Juliet’s death is prolonged throughout the first two episodes, we finally learn Richard’s back story and it’s predictable, Michael’s unable to move on in the afterlife while Boone, Shannon, Ana-Lucia, Charlie, Daniel and Charlotte are cropping up in flash sideways and Desmond is having the misfortune of being an experiment for Widmore. Bitching aside though, he’s also instrumental in getting everyone together at “The End”.

That finale was always going to be a tough one to pull off. Some viewers would be satisfied, others would freaking hate it but as for me, it was a divisive. Emotionally, it was incredibly satisfying and I got a kick out of seeing nearly every main character from the show’s beginning reunited but logically, it was kind of all over the place and the less that’s said to do with the resolution of the island nearly going kaboom, the better to be honest, even if it was disappointing.

Still though, “The End” did make up for a series of meandering episodes and a few pointless ones too (“Across The Sea” being the biggest offender) and it was hard not to sit through it without a tear in my eye. So what if they’re all dead? Most of us had guessed that would be the outcome since the first season and while the show has had it’s ups and down as a series, it was still a sad day when it ended, especially that it’s only in a small handful of truly definitive sci-fi/fantasy programming from the 21st century.

DVD EXTRAS: The one thing I’ve always loved about this show was the extras and for a final season, there’s a good selection. The commentaries are fine, the location features are interesting and the bloopers amusing but it’s the other stuff that really hits the spot. “The New Man In Charge” does it’s best to tie up some loose ends with the island stuff while “The End: Creating A Final Season” more or less lives up to it’s title as the producers and cast discuss what went into crafting the last year. The other features “A Hero’s Journey” and “See You In Another Life, Brotha” covers the mysteries of which characters are genuinely heroic and the antics of the sideways stuff this year.

EPISODE RATINGS FROM 1 TO 10

6x01: LAX Part 1 = 8/10, 6x02: LAX Part 2 = 8/10,
6x03: What Kate Does = 7/10, 6x04: The Substitute = 6/10,
6x05: Lighthouse = 8/10, 6x06: Sundown = 9/10,
6x07: Dr Linus = 7/10, 6x08: Recon = 8/10,
6x09: Ab Aeterno = 7/10, 6x10: The Package = 7/10,
6x11: Happily Ever After = 8/10, 6x12: Everybody Loves Hugo = 9/10,
6x13: The Last Recruit = 7/10, 6x14: The Candidate = 9/10,
6x15: Across The Sea = 5/10, 6x16: What They Died For = 7/10,
6x17: The End Part 1 = 9/10, 6x18: The End Part 2 = 9/10.

Season Six is currently available on DVD.

Torchwood - Season 4 Latest Castings

And with filming set to begin in five days, we've got two more pieces of casting for Season 4 of Torchwood.

All My Children actress Alexa Havins has bagged the role of CIA Watch Analyst Esther Katusi and while I've never heard of the actress before, I'll be intrigued to see how Esther fares as a character. Is it weird that I get Owen/Toshiko vibes off both Esther and Rex?

Former Dollhouse actress, Dichen Lachman has also bagged a role on the new series and while there's no official word on who she's playing, we do know that her character is in the CIA as well. As disappointed as I am that Enver Gjokaj didn't get to play Rex, I'm delighted that Dichen will be on the series.

Season 4 begins filming on January 11th with an airdate for both Starz and BBC1 due for July 1st. Yay for a confirmation.

Being Human - Season 3 Cast Picture/Trailer

An airdate still hasn't been confirmed but there's a trailer and it's seriously a fucking brilliant one. Annie going apeeshit in a library, Mitchell on the tube about to bite a pretty girl and George and Nina at the supermarket going gaga over meat. Even if Series 3 isn't the best season, it's definitely going to be a more focused one and one thing I should've mentioned in my last blog for the UK series is that we'll be meeting George's father this year. Now all we need is an airdate.

Season 3 Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucXsL8wVp-4

Skins US - More Cast Pictures/Interviews

It's gonna be another 12 days but the US Skins is gaining promotional momentum and here are some of the small bits.
A cast shot with the main characters - Chris, Daisy, Abbud, Tea, Tony, Michelle, Stanley, Cadie and Eura which doesn't look all that dissimilar to how the UK version cast members have posed several times in the last five years.

There's also an interview with Nylon magazine that gives off some spoilers. It seems that both Toby and Chris's episodes will be similar but others will differentiate themselves from what was done back in 2007 on E4. I'm still not overly sure but it looks decent and I actually wanna praise one of the actors for slagging off Gossip Girl in an interview linked below. The show begins on MTV from January 17th. No UK broadcaster has snagged it yet.

DS Interview: http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/s144/skins-us/tubetalk/a295921/skins-us-meet-tony-michelle-and-stanley.html

NYLON Interview: http://community.livejournal.com/skinsfans/1881137.html

Season 1 Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-SCidqj-lQ

My Review of Dexter's 5x01: "My Bad"

Written by Chip Johannessen
Directed by Steve Shill

Dexter (to Harrison, re Rita): “Lucky to have me. I wouldn’t say so. She trusted me and now she’s dead. Like your sister said, I’m toxic. You’d all be better off without me.”

And TV would be a slightly less interesting place without this show. I debated for a few weeks as to when I was going to review the fifth season of this show and after realising that FXUK would probably delay it for summer, I decided that I might as well just get in there and review it now. After watching this episode, I’m glad I made that decision.

When it comes to grief, there are plenty who will sob and shout their hearts out and then there are people who are so quiet that the likes of Quinn will suspect them of not caring or being responsible for their loved ones death. Dexter, naturally of course fell into the latter category, which wasn’t a good thing when Quinn is involved.

Dexter’s total lack of emotion made a shit load of sense to me as a viewer. He’s capable of feeling and we’ve had enough reminders over the previous four years that his feelings for Rita were real but at the same time, Dexter was able to vocalise his feelings in a way that people expected of him in this episode.

Even Elliot from next door was more openly sad about Rita’s death and the technical manner in which Dexter’s described Rita’s death when he made his 911 call certainly raised Quinn’s alarm bells but overall, Dexter had more than just reacting to Rita’s death to deal with and this was a week where he didn’t want to deal with anything.

He delayed telling Astor and Cody about their mum’s death and when he did, it went typically wrong. Even though, I’ve found Astor annoying in past episodes, I actually didn’t blame her when she lashed out at Dexter. Dexter himself felt like he failed/abandoned Rita and Astor was the only one to vocalise that as well.

Even when it came to funeral arrangements, it was Deb doing all the work there – picking a casket, arranging a burial date, funeral home and even getting a selection of dresses for Dexter to choose for Rita. It made sense that when Dexter snapped out of himself that he chose the dress that he first saw Rita in.

And that led to another interesting thing – their first date. I wasn’t really all that surprised that Dexter cut it short to tend to a victim but I was charmed by the fact that in spite of his seeming indifference to her at first, that Dexter did want to know more about Rita. Even back then, he was probably falling in love with her without realising it of course.

It was also a nice way of utilising Julie Benz in the opening episode, other than having her just play dead for a few scenes. The funeral scene itself served as a satisfying but emotionally potent coda for the episode. The big stuff from Dexter was less to do with his eulogy and more to do with him finally snapping.

I guess even an episode as downbeat as this one needed a killing but the attack on that asshole in the bathroom was definitely savage and unlike Dexter as well. It’s not the healthiest way for Dexter’s grief to have spilled out but it was certainly the most believable and after spending most of the previous season frustrated with Harry’s appearances, I was grateful for him being there when Dexter needed him the most.

However as for the consequences of Rita’s death – everyone mostly thinks that Trinity did the deed so that storyline isn’t entirely resolved either. The only person who believes that Dexter killed Rita is Quinn and it does seem that he’s going to be a further nuisance than Doakes ever was in trying to expose Dexter, especially that thanks to Masuka, he also knows about Rita and Elliot.

Whether or not this means that Quinn’s destined to be added to a slide collection in the next eleven episodes is anyone’s guess but overall, much as I dislike him, there’s a part of me that hopes he does learn more about Dexter for some reason. As for sleeping with Deb, it didn’t actually bother me but geez, couldn’t they have picked somewhere that a murder didn’t take place in?

Despite Deb’s protestations, it’s pretty obvious that the writers are intending her and Quinn to become an item this season and if she can make him a lot less annoying than he usually is, then more power to Deb. Otherwise, I’m not really that fussed about them as a couple. And I’d also like to hope that apart from being a support system for Dexter, Deb also has other storylines this year to be getting on with.

As for Maria and Angel, I really hope the honeymoon period isn’t over for them just yet because the lengths they went into becoming an official couple, it’d just be annoying for them to break up. I did actually see both their viewpoints with Rita’s death – Maria had a point with wanting the FBI to deal with it and Angel had a point with wanting Miami metro to tackle it. Either way, between the FBI and Quinn, Dexter had better watch his back because it certainly seems like being associated with Trinity could come to bite him on the ass again.

Also in “My Bad”

Have the writers been watching Joss Whedon shows over the summer because the episode title sounds like something a character of his would utter?

Dexter: “I’ve watched 67 people die and in the moment of truth, I’ve looked in their eyes and they knew and I knew they got what they deserved but what if that’s not what happens if you don’t get what you deserve?”

After this episode, Dexter can add 68 into that impressive collection, can’t he? Also Arthur killed Rita at least eight hours before Dexter discovered her body.

Deb: “FBI? Fucking bunch of idiots.”

Dexter (re Rita): “This is what she would’ve wanted – a grieving spouse. For once doing what a normal person’s supposed to do.”

Not so surprisingly, Dexter ran away from the FBI debriefing and nearly skipped town until his own moment of truth happened.

Dexter (re Deb): “She admitted the fact that I’m an axe murderer?”
Rita: “No, no, she said you were a blood stain pattern analyst, which I have no clue what that is.”
Dexter: “Believe me, I don’t either and I do it forty hours a week.”

Astor (re Rita): “She’s dead and it doesn’t even matter with you.”
Dexter: “How can you say that?”
Astor: “Cos it doesn’t. I can tell, just by looking at you. You don’t even care. Where were you? Where were you when someone was killing her?”

Astor and Cody being told about Rita’s death while they were all wearing Mickey Mouse ears/hats was definitely one of the most unforgettable things of this episode.

Dexter (re Rita): “I was never really honest with you. I’m a serial killer, that’s what I am. I know I led you to believe I’m a human being but I’m really not.”

Rita: “So you know all about me?”
Dexter: “I’d like to know more.”

Julie Benz’s name was out of the opening credits for this episode and no special guest stars were added either.

Dexter: “I thought you left me.”
Harry: “I’m here.”

Chronology: Exactly from where “The Getaway” left off.

As an opener goes, “My Bad” is definitely the darkest and most uncomfortable one that the series has done but it’s also the strongest one since the “Pilot” and while no new big bad was set up in this one, there was more than enough going on.

Rating: 9 out of 10.

Being Human US - More Cast Pictures

Yesterday I gave you something on Season 3 of the UK version and today, it's some more cast shots of the US Being Human to feast your eyes on.

The first one has Josh, Sally and Aidan with Bishop (Mark Pellegrino) in the mix as well. It'll be interesting to see how similar the Aidan/Bishop interplay is compared to the Mitchell/Herrick one that's about to renewed in the third series of the UK show.

As for the second picture, it's a bit generic but it does the job. Another thing that will differentiate both versions a little is that we'll be meeting Josh's gay sister, Emily (Allison Louder) in the second episode and her girlfriend, Jackie played by Rhiannon Moller-Trotter as well, who'll be in two episodes. The series will premiere on SyFy from January 17th. I'm actually optimistic the more I read about this series, even if it's on SyFy.

Cast Pictures: http://www.spoilertv.com/2011/01/being-human-us-season-1-cast.html