Recap/Review: American Horror Story: Hotel - Mommy

And this week, we've got the issue of mother and sons, lovers scorned and a case of the waiting game with a new alliance.

Written by James Wong
Directed by Bradley Buecker

Willing Plaything: Is it me or Will something of a submissive? In this episode alone he let both Tristan (whom he shown initial disdain for) and the Countess have their way with him before both of them elected not to 'satisfy' him. Seriously though, with the exception of the Lowes, he's the closest to a normal character on the show, even if his purpose to become an eventual husband and corpse so that the Countess can regain her fortune/the Cortez. Is it bad that I really want Will not to die, not to become a vampire and spend more time copping off with blokes than becoming the Countess's next love slave/victim? Chances of me getting any of those things are probably not high though. Sigh.

The Junkie & The Detective: Ugh, the idea of a tryst between John and Sally is not something I'm particularly interested in watching. I do love that Paulson is playing a thoroughly horrible character this season and when she wasn't needling John about Commandments (that killer struck again with a gossip owner), she was also attempting to seduce him in the lift with the Addiction Demon nearby. I did like that John didn't cave in - mainly because of his obsession with trying to crack the Commandments Killer and trying to repair his ailing marriage. Speaking of ....

Mommy Dearest: One of the two (possibly three) mommy centred plots this week revolved around Alex admitting that she cared more for Holden than she's ever done for John or Scarlett and when she wasn't serving divorce papers to John or being her usual cold and distant self, she actually spotted Holden in the hotel herself. Aside from the fact that her and John really do owe Scarlett a massive apology, I'm just relieved that this storyline won't be dragged out either.

Ungrateful Son: The other mother/son story of the week revolved around Donovan and Iris were sympathy was afforded to the latter as the former really came across as a spoiled little shit until Liz Taylor actually talked some sense into him. However it was a little too late as Iris convinced Sally to give her an overdose of drugs, forcing Donovan into breaking one of the Countess's cardinal rules as he decided to make the mother he openly hates into a vampire. We're three episodes in and so far only three of the main and recurring cast have not become vampires, murdering ghosts or others. How long before one of these fates befall Will, John or Alex?

Foxy Mama: The first two episodes might have lacked Angela Bassett but this episode more than made up for it with possibly her best role on the show yet. Not only is Ramona Royale the scorned ex lover of the Countess who wants to team up with Donovan to hurt the former's vampiric kids but in the 1970s she was also an actress starring in some kickass movies and she is too also was made by the Countess who broke up with her when Ramona made her own vampire. Bassett might not have had loads of scenes in the episode but every single one she appeared in was a pure gem and I can't wait to see where else the show will go with Ramona. In other news, Gabriel took out Claudia and the murdering March spent most of his time being oddly confused by Tristan's use of the word "google" and "high five".

Next week it's Halloween and John gets to spend time with Mr March, Aileen Wuornos, John Wayne Gacy and Jeffrey Dahmer to name a few.

My Review of Empire's 2x05: "Be True"

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My Review of Gotham's 2x05: "Scarification"

Written by Jordan Harper
Directed by Bill Eagles

Bridget: "Who cares if you're free? What good's freedom if you're alone?"
Selina: "What good's family if you're a slave?"

I tend to be mixed on gender swapping characters. Sometimes it can work but other times I feel it would be better if there was more concentration on writing stronger female characters than changing a male character but then again, one of my favourite character is Missy on Doctor Who at the moment and that was one gender swap that has actually worked in that show's favour.

Anyways, back to Gotham and keeping with origin stories, they've decided to gender swap Firefly into a shy girl named Bridget - bullied by her arsonist 'brothers' into taking part in a series of fires against Wayne Enterprises, only for her to develop an addiction for pyromania and inadvertently kill one of Barnes Strike Force lot (bye, bye, Garrett) but on the plus side, at least Bridget has Selina to count on as the latter offers to get her away from being arrested.

Firefly is without a doubt one of my least favourite Batverse of villains so gender swapping the character wasn't a big deal for me. It also helped that the episode made Bridget into an instantly sympathetic character and it's these sort of twists (her fear/newfound addiction to fire) that are the sort of thing that this show is becoming quite good at. After the mini arc with the first three episodes, it's nice that we're back with another one just as quickly.

Having Selina on Bridget also helps the character too as she's been at a loose end since the first season finale. I did like that Oswald sent Butch to get Selina in order to appeal to Bridget's awful brothers in order to carry out Theo's plans in this one. One of the brothers died in this one, so I'm hoping the next two are bumped off in the next episode for good measure.

As for the reasons behind the arsons on Wayne Enterprises properties - it seems that Theo is after some good old fashioned revenge as flashbacks to 200 years ago showed that the Waynes screwed his family over (the then called Dumas clan) and along with a rather creepy monk/priest at the end, it seems that Theo intends to kill Bruce before the season is out. I have to admit this whole plot suddenly got a lot more interesting than expected now.

As for Oswald - when he wasn't gaining a little advantage by learning about Theo's history, he was still hopelessly under the man's thumb which led to his getting madder and madder throughout the episode. Unfortunately for Butch, this meant that Oswald took his frustrations out on him in a way that really did make me slightly dread the next time we see Butch.

Also in "Scarification"

Aside from pointing out how batshit Barbara is, Tabitha still hasn't grown on me as a character. She needs better stuff to work with.

Tabitha (re Barbara): "She's kind of crazy."
Theo: "That's the best part of her."

Bunderslaw from last season had the misfortune of getting his eye gouged out so the Pike brothers and Bridget could retrieve the knife for Theo.

Leslie: "You go strike with your force but what are we doing tonight?"
Gordon: "Sleep."
Leslie: "Nah aw, it's date night, mister."

Tabitha (to Oswald): "Get your head together little man and get it done."

Theo managed to eventually get Gordon into endorsing him for Mayor by the end of this episode. I'm surprised that Gordon isn't a tiny bit suspicious of him but that'll come later I guess.

Selina (re Fish): "She might come back."
Butch: "I was there, darling."
Selina: "She might."

Leslie (to Gordon): "Don't tempt me. I could psychoanalyse the hell out of you but I'm gonna resist the temptation."

I liked the double date moment with Gordon/Leslie and Nygma/Kringle in this one.

Edwidge: "You're in deep waters, Mr Penguin."
Oswald: "Thank you, Edwidge. That's where Penguins thrive."

Bridget: "Where are we going?"
Selina: "Home."

No Bruce, Alfred or Barbara in this one. Considering how much of the plot hinged on the former, kinda surprised he was missing this week.

Father Kreel (to Theo): "Gotham will be redeemed in blood and Bruce Wayne will die."

Chronology: Not long from where Strike Force left off.

This was a brilliant episode. Scarification gave a pretty fantastic twist to the one of the verses least compelling of villains for me, has added a nice cult/league sort of feel with Theo's general plans for the city and with Oswald descending into further madness, things seem like they're going to get even crazier over the next few weeks.

Rating: 8 out of 10

My Review of Doctor Who'x 9x05: "The Girl Who Died"

Written by Jamie Mathieson And Steven Moffat
Directed by Ed Bazalgette

Clara (to Ashildr, re the Doctor): "He hasn't got a plan yet but he will have and it will be spectacular."

If the opening episodes with their multiple returns weren't the most anticipated ones for this series, then second on that list would probably have been the episodes to feature Game Of Thrones actress Maisie Williams and for those who were hoping for something heavier, this episode might have disappointed a tad. For me though, it's quickly become one of my favourites.

The Doctor and Clara wind up in a Viking village, mainly by being captured by a group of them at the wrong time and it's not long before the main threat looms over the entire episode. The threat being a war like robot race known as the Mire, led by someone posing quite badly as Odin and it wasn't until a young girl said the wrong thing that the Mire declared war on the Viking village in question. Nope, it wasn't Clara but instead the character of Ashildr as played nicely by Williams.

Ashildr's words of war (appropriate considering the name means "battle") against the Mire forced the Doctor and Clara to stay in the village and try to train up the villagers so they didn't get slaughtered. The funny thing was that there was less actual fighting on the day of battle in question and more a clever use of diversion and threats of viral humiliation instead.

I've seen a fair amount of criticism for the humour in this episode, even with some fair enough comparison made to last series Robot Of Sherwood but considering that the first four episodes this series were relatively darker (albeit with some lighter moments in them), I actually enjoyed the humour in this one. Yes, the use of a certain theme was a bit of a WTF moment and even the not so great 'Doctor speaks baby' thing was given another whirl but even that came into actual good use for once.

It also helped that most of the characters were likeable enough and while 'Odin' and the Mire were arguably a little too quickly defeated, they weren't really the main story. The main story was Ashildr and not for the reasons people were probably expecting. Anyone (including myself at first) who thought the character was going to be revealed as someone familiar - that didn't happen but maybe that was a good thing.

As a character, Ashildr really didn't need to be anyone we already knew. Pushing the hype of Maisie Williams casting for the character to one side, the character was genuinely interesting, strange and had plenty of wonderful moments with both the Doctor and Clara before she ended up being killed during the battle with Odin and the Mire. I even found her death pretty sad even without the Doctor lamenting to Clara about losing people/hammering home the latter's imminent departure.

Then there was the Doctor playing with Ashildr's death. Giving her a new lease of immortality due to an alien chip has got to blow up in his face by next week and the one thing I've noticed aside from the hybrid theme is that both the Doctor and Clara are behaving extremely reckless this series. Needless to say in seven weeks time this is going to end badly for both of them.

Also in "The Girl Who Died"

The explanation for the Doctor's current face along with a flashback of the 10th Doctor and Donna from The Fires Of Pompeii worked better than expected but again, this wasn't something that needed explaining.

Clara (re spider creature): "It's halfway up my leg."
The Doctor: "Don't worry, it's just hungry."

The opening sequence with Clara in a space suit dealing with a spider creature was amusing but wasn't needed for the episode.

Odin: "Your mightiest warriors will feast within the halls of Valhalla."

Clara (to Odin): "The universe is full of testosterone. It's unbearable."

How does a Viking village have electrical eels? Of course, plot convenience but it did stand out though.

Clara (re villagers): "Turning them into fighters, that's not you."
The Doctor: "I used to believe that too."

Ashildr (to the Doctor/Clara): "I know I'm strange. Everybody knows I'm strange but here I'm loved."

I keep mentioning it but seriously, BBC sort out the Doctor Who Extra and the timeslot for this series, even though this episode went up a bit in the latter category.

Odin (to the Doctor): "This humiliation will not go unpunished. We will meet again."

Clara: "What is wrong with your face?"
The Doctor: "I know why I chose it."

Standout music: Murray Gold really came up with something beautiful when Ashildr's immortality kicked in at the end of this one.

The Doctor (to Clara): "I'm the Doctor and I save people."

Chronology: Viking times, no specific chronology given onscreen.

This might have been a polarising episode for others but for me, I absolutely loved it. The Girl Who Died had humour that actually worked for me, a wonderful guest character in Ashildr whose immortality will have actual consequences for the Doctor. Not to mention a flashback to one of my favourite past episodes and more allusions to Clara's imminent exit from the series.

Rating: 10 out of 10

Recap/Review: How To Get Away With Murder's 2x04: Skanks Get Shanked

With a rather provocative title came a somewhat provocative episode as we had one hell of a case and several new revelations to digest on too.

Written by Angela Robinson
Directed by Stephen Williams

The Better Woman: Given that Nate's dying wife has been mentioned so frequently on the show, it's actually impressive that it took them until the second season to introduce the character and to be honest, I wish we had more scenes with her. Nia didn't judge Annalise for sleeping with her husband but instead wanted her helping in ending her pain. I'm glad that Annalise ultimately chose not to do so and I liked how the episode didn't try to pit either woman against each other. There was some genuinely superb writing and acting between Viola Davis and Enuka Okuma that I really do hope this isn't the only time we actually see Nia on the show.

Blood On Hands: Can I just say one thing - more scenes between Connor and Annalise on their own please? Especially ones where they're sparring because I really liked that Connor sabotaged the case of the week and I like that he confronted Annalise. I also liked that he reminded her that it was Wes who killed Sam and not him, Laurel, Rebecca and Michaela (though I'm surprised she didn't remind him of hacking up Sam's body). Still though it led to a brilliant confrontation scene and performance between Jack Falahee and Viola Davis and with Oliver being a no show this week, it was nice the episode tapped into Connor's morality with the main case and not wanting any more blood on his hands. Of course, there's also the future problem with Annalise not being dead as she's still alive going by the flashforwards in this one.

She Has Boobs: Yes, apparently that was the reason why Annalise sicced Michaela onto Caleb this week to learn more about the case but aside from learning that Catherine is still a virgin, the only thing Annalise might have done was cause history to repeat itself. This time around it seems like Michaela will be getting romantically involved with Caleb, especially as the last scene of this episode alluded to with him waiting for Michaela at her apartment. Which begs the question - what's going to happen to Catherine in the next few episodes?

Confessions And Team Ups: I really liked the teams up that Wes has currently going with both Nate (to take down Annalise?) and Levi (to find out what happened/who killed Rebecca) but Nate raised some valid enough points about Levi's true motives and again, going into the flashforward territory, where the hell is he? Like Catherine, he hasn't factored into things so far there, so there might be a sticky end for him in the next few weeks. Meanwhile Asher needed his father's help in dealing with Sinclair and Bonnie in a rather overzealous move told Asher that she killed Sam. Bonnie, maybe not saying anything is the best way to go here.

Murder School: I know high school can be intense and all that, but murdering a girl for talking to someone's boyfriend? Sheez. Anyways that was the case of the week and thanks to Laurel not buying into Zoe's "sob story" and Connor's conscience actually kicking in, the little madam was exposed as a manipulative, murdering little sociopath. I have to admit though that Zoe's rant in the courtroom upon being exposed was unintentionally hilarious but all in all, I actually do side with Connor on this one.

Next week it's meant to be crazy and it's an episode named after Bonnie too. I'm sure they're related.

Recap/Review: American Horror Story: Hotel - Chutes And Ladders

This week we got a few more character introductions, an almost repeat of history for a certain family and some history about the Cortez itself.

Written by Tim Minear
Directed by Bradley Buecker

Dapper Kills: After being missing from the first episode, Evan Peters returned this week and his spell of playing nice guys has come to an end. For James Patrick March was not only the original owner of the Cortez but it became a place where he murdered a variety of people as Miss Evers cleaned the sheets afterwards. Then he killed himself and Evers to avoid police capture. In 1925. Except in 2015, he's very much alive and even attempted to recruit a partner in Finn Wittrock's trashy model, Tristan into a murder spree that didn't pan out. Considering what this season is dealing with - he's either going to be a ghost or a vampire. For now, it's possibly the former but either way, even with a strange accent, Peters exuded a decent degree of menace with this guy.

Trading Up Or Down: Keeping with Tristan - well, he was pleasant to watch, right? A bored, hedonistic model who managed to cause chaos during one of the least convincing fashion shows (completely with Naomi Campbell as well) at the Cortez while pissing off Donovan royally. He did however manage to flee the danger of Mr March before being turned into a vampire by Elizabeth in this one. I did like that we got some general guidelines for the vampires in this show - avoid sunlight, only drink from health bodies and cut for blood than use fangs etc. The flashbacks to Studio 54 were also a lot more entertaining than the slightly overlong March/Cortez flashbacks but I get the feeling the Countess is going to be revealed as March's former wife (or not) but in this episode alone we learned that she has her types in men as Donovan and Tristan are anything to go by.

Dumped: When he wasn't torturing Iris by avoiding contact with her as much as possible, Donovan also spent a great deal of the episode acting the jealous boyfriend. While he might be somewhat of a hypocrite in relation to his attitude with Tristan, I actually do think Donovan has something that Tristan lacks though as a character. That being said, I wasn't particularly devastated to see Donovan getting dumped by the Countess in this episode.

Scaring Kids, Sewing Up Adults: Sally was pretty nuts in the previous episode and here, she kind of excelled herself. When she wasn't scaring the crap out of Scarlett (who discovered her brother is a vampire), creeping up to John in a way that felt super creepy, she was also sewing up poor Gabriel from last week into a mattress. At this rate, aside from the Lowe family and Will Drake (for now), is there anyone this season who isn't going to be killing or covering up deaths now? Speaking of the Lowes - they're still Harmons 2.0 but they're needed to balance out the rest of the craziness of the season. At least John did seem to be making a connection between March's past actions and the current ones of the Ten Commandments Killer though.

Frisky Receptionist: Iris might be in despair over a son who hates her guts but she's more than happy sending bodies down the same chute that March was doing in the past and even seemed to delight in needling John when dishing the dirt on the history of the Cortez. Other than that, she hasn't had too much to do and neither has Liz Taylor either but with another eleven episodes, perhaps both will get more to do or die rather horribly. On this show, both are inevitable.

Next week, the arrival of Ramona Royale who terms up with Donovan to get revenge on the Countess.

My Review of Empire's 2x04: "Poor Yorick"

Written And Directed by Danny Strong

Hakeem: "Why y'all look shocked? This family never been a real family. I'm outta here and I ain't never coming back."

And this is the moment where Lucious ended up looking the better person than Hakeem in comparison this week. I get Hakeem has got some lingering issues but his whole entitled attitude over Jamal being the heir apparent really grated in this episode - a lot.

Whinging about an arguably naff painting of Jamal aside, the actual fact that Hakeem attacked Jamal during the video shoot they were doing was beyond pathetic. Lucious is rarely right about his sons but pointing out that Hakeem needed to grow up was one of those moments where he was absolutely spot on but going by the trailers for next week, it does seem like Hakeem won't be growing up anytime soon.

However he did manage to spot a potential new singer at a random bar, so maybe Hakeem might learn something from his recent experience with Mirage A Trois. As for relying on Cookie - I hate to admit it but Lucious might be right. Lyon Dynasty really does seem like it's going to be a short lived venture. Same with Anika too - she should be looking elsewhere for future employment.

Speaking of Cookie, when she wasn't having her place raided (as was Lucious and Empire), she was arrested and practically forced by Roxanne to betray Lucious in order to protect her sons. For the first time this season, I really felt this episode truly nailed Cookie in every way - her spiky banter and her vulnerability and Taraji P. Henson really delivered in this one.

Of course, it wasn't just Cookie at her most vulnerable in this episode. Both Andre and Rhonda have managed to give Lucious so much power over them by showing them Vernon's body and confessing that Rhonda killed him. While I wasn't too surprised that Vernon ended up in the front seat of Roxanne (who really was an almighty bitch in this episode), I also have the horrible feeling that Lucious is going to use this revelation in relation to his grandchild as the season progresses.

As for the rest of the episode - I did like the creativity of the Rolling Stones photoshoot and painting with Jamal and the frazzled looking artist/photographer, Chase. Of course this also seems like a plot that might go somewhere a little more sinister if some of the spoilers are anything to go by.

Also in "Poor Yorick"

Mimi's motivations for buying Empire had something to do with having fun after her remission. Cookie referring to her as "White Bitch" and "KD Lang" weren't her smartest quips.

Lucious (to Roxanne): "Hi there baby. Look wherever you like."

Aside from being something of an overzealous irritant, is there any other motive as to why Roxanne is so determined to get Lucious behind bars?

Mimi: "This is how players play to win."
Lucious: "That's what I'm talking about."

Lucious: "Grandma."
Cookie: "Grandpa. Shut up, look at your fat stomach."

Adam Busch played the role of Chase the photographer in this one. Given that Danny Strong wrote and directed this one, it was a sort of Buffy The Vampire Slayer reunion in a way.

Andre: "God's been speaking to me."
Rhonda: "How's he been speaking to you?"

Andre looks like he's on the verge of a nervous breakdown with each episode. I like that we're seeing Lucious's mother in flashbacks too but I wish he'd tell Andre about his grandmother.

Cookie: "If I die in police custody, I did not commit suicide."

Lucious: "You sure about that momma's boy?"
Hakeem: "Call me that one more time, you'll see what happens."

Aside from looking a bit jealous about Chase's interest in Jamal, Michael has yet to do or say anything interesting this season. The guy needs any character development right about now.

Chase: "This is what it should say."
Jamal: "What? That I should have my throat slit?"
Chase: "Yes. It represents violence and anger of a racist and homophobic society. It's genius."
Michael: "Yeah, really powerful."

Standout music: Jamal's "Battle Cry" at the start of the episode and of course, Jamal/Hakeem's "Aint About The Money".

Lucious (to Vernon): "You will rot in hell you snitch."

Chronology: Not long from where "Fires Of Heaven" left off.

Easily the best episode this season. "Poor Yorick" was just brilliant from start to finish and it really pushed so many plotlines this season as well. If some of the first few episodes (last week's mainly) didn't have quite the same punch as the first season, this one more than did.

Rating: 9 out of 10

My Review of Gotham's 2x04: "Strike Force"

Written by Danny Cannon
Directed by TJ Scott

Barnes: "You're a warrior, Jim, so am I but you can't carry on the way you've been."

And with Essen being dead, her replacement had to come sooner than later and it came in the shape of Captain Nathaniel Barnes, who took a shine to Gordon and also booted out half the cops at GCPD in order to clean things up. Calling him a drill sergeant would be an apt comparison for this bloke. Aside from the fact that I like Michael Chiklis as an actor, I'm not sure how I feel about Barnes for now.

I guess his determination to actually clean up Gotham is admirable - even down to assembling a strike force with Gordon but is it me or is this the very storyline that could've easily been done with Essen still in charge? It might even work a lot more had she not been killed off but at the same time, Gordon might have met a kindred spirit in Barnes and his determination to uphold the law.

Gordon should also be worried about his debt to Oswald coming out too. Oswald made it clear that he'd use it against Gordon this episode when the latter pestered him at the precise wrong moment this week. I imagine this will come out sooner than later, which should lead to an awkward scene between Gordon and his new boss.

Speaking of Oswald, he found himself in the unfortunate position of having to do Theo and Tabitha's dirty work by bumping off potential mayoral candidates (as well as 'trying' to kill Theo for effect) and all because they're holding his mother hostage. I have to admit, this was actually the strongest plot of the episode.

It was nice to see Oswald under a bit of pressure and it'll mean that he will be a problem for Theo as the season progresses. Not only that but there was a beautiful moment where Butch genuinely sympathised with Oswald's plight as well. I think this was definitely Oswald's best episode so far this season and just further highlighted how nasty Theo can be as a character.

Of course when Theo wasn't holding women prisoner or making plans to run for Mayor, he was also charming Bruce and introducing him to his ward, Silver St. Cloud. I'm going to assume that Silver is also playing a role in Theo's very long and complicated long game but I'm sort of intrigued with the rapport between her and Bruce though.

Keeping with romance plots in this episode though - how creepy, cute and awkward was Nygma and Kristin's date? Every possible note that could've been hit managed to be during their scenes together and it'll be interesting to see if Kristin will end up a casualty of Nygma's dark side the closer she gets to him.

Also in "Strike Force"

Alfred slapping Selina was actually pretty unpleasant to watch, especially considering why he did it too. I like Alfred but that was just a loathsome move on his part.

Oswald: "Who are you?"
Tabitha: "My brother would very much like to talk to you. Alone."
Butch: "Why are you looking at me like that? You don't know me."

I like that this show isn't forgetting what actually happened to Butch. I do wonder though if it'll be reversed. If so, Oswald's screwed.

Theo (re Penguin): "I thought I heard you hated that name."
Oswald: "It grew on me."

Barbara (to Oswald): "You need this more than me. I'll make another."

Was Barbara even needed for this episode? She just mostly pouted, drank and pestered Theo about being bored.

Theo: "I will run for Mayor."

Alfred (to Selina): "That was for Reggie. I know you killed him."

We finally saw Nygma's apartment in this episode, which was pretty nice.

Nygma: "I like to cook. I'm a good cook. Is that okay?"
Kristin: "It is. Perhaps you should call me Kristin."

Gordon: "I'll face whatever's coming to me."
Oswald: "As will I. Goodbye Jim."

Standout music: Louis Prima's "Just A Gigolo" during Nygma preparing for his date.

Barnes: "Time to take down the Penguin."

Chronology: Not long from where The Last Laugh left off.

I was a little worried that after the Maniax trilogy that things might have slowed down a little but with the introduction of Barnes and Theo upping the ante and focusing his attentions on Oswald and Bruce, I guess I didn't need to worry. Strike Force was another excellent episode and it's highlighting that the writers have properly gotten into the groove with the series now.

Rating: 8 out of 10

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