Recap/Review: Penny Dreadful's 3x03: Good And Evil Braided Be

Back a bit more of a structure here. I'm gonna try and do these reviews Wednesdays from now and while this was a slower episode, it certainly wasn't lacking a good reveal or two.

Written by John Logan
Directed by Damon Thomas

Tapping Into Memories: Oh Vanessa. This episode really wasn't her week, was it? Thanks to Dracula/Sweet's overzealous minion, Vanessa was put on high alert that the Master is out to get her once again and this week when she wasn't screaming at Seward over her past supernatural encounters, she was getting the good doctor to tap into some old memories. We saw the padded cell but more importantly, we also learned that Vanessa and John Claire/Caliban actually have a past connection too. I really liked that reveal. It wasn't predictable and it feels like it makes sense too and with Caliban back in London, it can only lead to some great scenes in the near future.

Retracing The Past: With Vanessa unlocking some memories, it was actually fitting that Caliban upon returning to London started to do the same as well. I've said it in past blogs that Caliban works better away from Victor and delving into his past (losing his family etc) certainly has propelled him better as a character. His plotline seemed to move a little better but I'm more interested in seeing how he and Vanessa will deal with their own past once they see each other again.

Bloody Justine: Quite literally as this episode treated us to a bloody threesome between ingenue Justine and killer power couple Lily and Dorian. I'm liking their little 'taking over the world' storyline and so far they're not actually harming anyone undeserving either. The parallels between Lily and Justine as well as the commentary on oppression, feminism and suffragettes are far from subtle but they are effect and do work well within the narrative. I also find it interesting that in some ways, Dorian is essentially sitting back and watching Lily run the show as well.

Kill First, Question Never: Hecate is still a bit of a divisive character for me. As much as I like Ethan (and I really do), I find her obsession with him a little too stalkerish for my liking and while it doesn't seem like Ethan is deliberately enabling her, neither is his actively trying to distance himself from Hecate either. On the plus side, she's proven to be handy in a fight and with Malcolm and Kaetenay taking an eternity, I guess Ethan really does need someone in his corner. Unfortunately, it's obvious that Hecate seems more interested in bringing Ethan to her own level than actually helping him though.

Showing Some Hyde There: We didn't get too much with the lovely bromance between Victor and Jekyll this week but we did get to see Victor questioning the guy that Jekyll helped make sane from the previous episode while Victor also got to see the tiniest flash of Mr Hyde as well. We're only three episodes into the season so I can understand why we're not seeing Hyde in full form just yet but I hope when we do, it's genuinely explosive now that Once Upon A Time have also gotten in on the Jekyll and Hyde action as well.

Next week, Vanessa's finding herself being tempted by a certain someone.

My Review of Gotham's 2x21: "A Legion Of Horribles"

Written by Jordan Harper
Directed by Rob Bailey

Fish (to Strange): "My name is Fish Mooney, bitch."

And she's back. It literally took nearly this season and despite the fact that Hugo has been reviving and become responsible for a hefty chunk of some of the villains of late, I have to admit that I was looking forward to seeing Fish Mooney back among the land of the living.

Did we need her back as a character? Truthfully not really. Fish had a great-ish arc in the first season and her previous encounter with Oswald saw a fitting enough end for her character. What can the show do with her now? It seems maybe more than expected if she can get an orderly to make her a grilled cheese sandwich without applying too much pressure on the bloke.

Strange's experiments have been erratic at best but Fish is something of a true success for him. Not only did she come back with her own memories intact but she might have some powers as well to boot along with some brain abnormalities. I'm a little surprise we didn't get a reunion with her and Oswald but given the trailer for the finale, that is certainly coming pretty fast though.

As for Strange, once again, he managed to outsmart Gordon, Bruce and Lucius as their attempts of rescuing Selina saw them being captured instead. While Nygma got to have fun threatening both Bruce and Lucius with a slow death, Strange really upped the ante by having a very earlier version of what was Clayface be morphed into Gordon in order to keep the GCPD out of their hair.

I have to admit that I've loved Strange during the second half of this season and he certainly seemed to be holding all the cards except for the fact that he's got a masked woman/superiors to answer to as well. I do wonder if this lot are going to be the show's answer to the Court of Owls or whatever but either way, I think we've just gotten a glimmer of the next half season threat for the show will be.

As for Selina, she managed to escape a fiery death courtesy of a brainwashed Bridget but only because she went along with playing the role of servant. I bet anything it's going to be Selina and 'Firefly' who'll end up saving Gordon, Bruce and Lucius next week.

Also in "A Legion Of Horribles"

Along with the introduction of the Basil Karlo version of Clayface and Fish's return, we also got to see Ivy once again.

Reporter: "How long are you acting Captain?"
Bullock: "Until literally the second that anyone else wants the job."

I really do think the show is going to go there and make Bullock the next Commissioner. Again, it's a great move if they do.

Strange (re Fish): "How much more damage can she possibly do? She's dead."

Strange: "So you want a reason. Someone to blame."
Bruce: "In their case, I think there was someone to blame."
Strange: "Oh, so do I. Sugar?"

I think Peabody might have a darker streak that Strange. She's certainly showed that in her scenes with Nygma and Lucius this week. Strange also used cuttlefish on Fish during his attempts to revive her.

Lucius: "You're doing good so far."
Peabody: "I'm so relieved. This way."

Fish (to an orderly): "You wanna make yourself useful, make me a cheese sandwich."

No Oswald, Butch, Tabitha, Barbara or Barnes this week. I wouldn't be surprised if one of those characters is killed off in the finale.

Nygma (to Lucius): "You were always a smart cookie, Foxy."

Gordon: "You belong in your own asylum, Strange."
Strange: "And you James Gordon belong in the past."

Chronology: Not long from where Unleashed left off.

A Legion Of Horribles was a good set up for the finale. While it's unlikely that Bruce, Gordon, Selina and Lucius are in serious danger, I am going to miss this Indian Hill/Strange arc when it comes to it's natural conclusion as well.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Review: Eurovision 2016

Well, it was that time of year again and with Ireland not being allowed play again (not bitter, our song was bland as anything - no offence, Nicky Byrne but it really was), the Eurovision dominated Saturday and US viewers got to see the action courtesy of Logo as well. So what went down exactly ....

And the winner is .... Ukraine. Jamela's politically themed song 1944 bagged the last minute victory with an impressive 534 points, thanks the new voting system. Up until that point, it really did look like Australia were going to have this in the bag but in the end Dami Im's Sound Of Silence came in second with 511 points.  I have to admit that the Ukraine wasn't one of my favourites of the night and their win did seem a little sudden but saying that we've had worse winners but also better ones too.

Meanwhile Russia in spite of some controversy did manage to come in third place with 491. Sergey Lazarev certainly had the bonafide popstar appeal about him and You're The Only One was a pretty decent number though the visuals had some similarities to the previous winner. I did feel a little sorry for the guy but while his song was one of the strongest of the bunch, we also had some great numbers from France (Amir's J'ai Cherce, 257 points, 6th place), Malta (Ira Losco's Walk On Water, 153 points, 12th place), Sweden (Frans's If I Were Sorry, 261 points, 5th place) and Bulgaria (Poli Genova's If Love Was A Crime, 307 points, 4th place).

To be fair, there were not really any songs that were truly dire (though Georgia's entry left me a little cold) but a part really was hoping for the Australian victory. They've only taken part in the contest twice and they truly know how to play the game and make some good music as well. However with the US now watching and Justin Timberlake popping up to plat his new song as well, could they also be future contenders as well?

However with some pretty great music and a sense of coming together (the overriding theme this year), the actual highlight was the presenters. I found it a little unusual at first that Mans Zelmerlow was on hosting duties (when he wasn't singing both Heroes and Fire In The Rain) but he turned out to be quite a revelation as a presenter and along with the unflappable Petra Mede, they were quite the dream team in terms of hosts. They naturally played off each other brilliant and the skit about what makes a Eurovision record with Love, Love, Peace, Peace was absolutely hysterical to say the least. Those two really should host it every year and next year's hosts are going to have really up the ante as well. One of the best years we've had for the event.

Love, Love, Peace, Peace: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMgW54HBOS0

See you next year for Eurovision 2017.

Heading Into New Terrain

I know I need to try and make these jumble blogs a bit more frequent but I've been caught up with some regular reviews. However here is a look at the last batch of things I've been watching.

Arrow: Well, we've got two episodes left, a super powered to the hilt Damien Darhk and Laurel is still dead (though we'll see a version of The Flash next week). We've also got the show running around in circles with more dull flashbacks, Malcolm doing his usual self serving antics and Thea being taken out of the main action. On the plus side, I did like seeing Diggle taking out his annoying brother, Lyla being delightfully snarky and helpful and even watching Felicity working with her criminal father was better than expected. Oh and Oliver, you might want to up your game a little with Damien. Just saying and all.

Game Of Thrones: It's been three episodes in and so far, this show has had something of a creative rebirth. With the show now officially surpassing all of George RR Martin's books (as well as ignoring/merging other plotlines), Season 6 is so far on a really strong note. Even Arya's storyline has picked up tremendously and Ramsay is continuing to even outdo Joffrey for the most despicable character on the show while Daenerys is experiencing a bit of a comedown and Jon wisely decided to abandon the Night's Watch as well. Even the flashbacks to young Ned Stark are adding more to the show. So far this season really is firing on nearly all cylinders.

Marvel's Agents Of SHIELD: Two seasons ago we had Ward turning to the dark side and it did wonders for the characters. Now we've got Daisy being under the influence of HIVE and it doesn't really feel like she's done anything too bad (aside from taking Malick out). Other than that, it doesn't feel anything really exciting is happening. Hive's story is going too slowly that it's losing momentum but on the plus side, at least the show pushed Fitz and Simmons together.

Once Upon A Time: What a way to resolve things. Hook's back from the dead, Arthur got taken down and redeemed and Hades was killed by Zelena. Oh and Robin died. I wish I could be upset by that one but I never really shipped him and Regina to begin with. The last few episodes have had some interesting moments and I have enjoyed most of the flashbacks not to mention the fact that the Underworld storyline was such a step up from the disastrous Dark One/Camelot plot in the first half of the season. I just hope the finale gives the season a satisfying ending though.

Supergirl: I've really enjoyed the first season of this show and with news that it's been picked up for a second season (more on that in a bit), the last two episodes certainly packed a lot into them. I liked the team up of Indigo and Non and I liked seeing Cat and Maxwell even playing their parts to save the day in a way. I also loved every scene Kara had with the rest of the characters and the cliffhanger was a great way to hype things up for next season. This show has proved in the space of twenty episodes that Kara has more than stepped out of the shadow of her more famous cousin.

The Flash: While I'm still enjoying the show a lot more than it's parent series, I am tiring a tiny bit of the Zoom storyline. With two episodes left though, at least Barry finally has an advantage against his faster nemesis and with hints that he won't be the only good speedster on the show (the writers are laying it on thick with Wally and Jessie), and more Earth 2 stuff to look forward to, it does seem like things are progressing rather nicely.

- ABC have cancelled Agent Carter but Hayley Atwell will be starring in Conviction for the network. They've also decided not to pick up Most Wanted as well.
- ABC have also axed Castle, Nashville, The Family, The Muppets and Galavant to name a few. Scandal will also air mid season.
- Supergirl has been renewed for a second season but will now air on the CW instead of CBS and will film in Vancouver instead of Los Angeles.
- Grimm will have a shortened sixth season on NBC. The network have also picked up Charlaine Harris's Midnight, Texas as a series while Heartbeat and Telenovela have been axed.
- FOX have picked up both Star and 24: Legacy as series while cancelling Bordertown, Grandfathered and The Grinder.
- Colton Haynes will return for multiple episodes in Arrow's fifth season while a new character named James will be the antagonist next season.
- Wentworth Miller will not be a regular in Legends Of Tomorrow's second season but will recur in the Berlanti TV universe according to a new contract for the actor.
- Sleepy Hollow has been renewed for a fourth season.
- CBS have cancelled CSI: Cyber after two seasons.
- Riverdale has been ordered to series by the CW.

Recap/Review: Penny Dreadful's 3x02: Predators Far And Near

I know the reviews so far have been a little later but I wanted to see this episode a second time before I did a review for it. 

Written by John Logan

Directed by Damon Thomas

The Ice Truck Killer Is Bloody Dracula: In the most blatantly predictable of twists, the rather lovely Dr Sweet not only got closer to Vanessa this week by her actively and romantically pursuing him (coffee offers and movie trips) but he was also revealed to be Dracula during the closing moments with the hooked Renfield. I'm not disappointed by the twist. I really like it and the Vanessa/Sweet dynamic works so well because of the chemistry between Eva Green and Christian Camargo as well. Speaking of chemistry ....

Chops, Spuds & Bedlam: While I'm still not keen on the idea of Victor getting Jekyll to help him 'tame' Lily (seriously man, she's just not that into you), the chemistry between the two reunited friends has been a lot of fun to watch. This week we learned a bit more about Jekyll's family situation (a father he despises, dead mother) and we got to see some of his work this week, which impressed Victor along with that massive laboratory. We also learned that Jekyll has Victor on a healthier diet to try and curb his other addictions. 

Taking Out The Johns: This week also saw the return of mildly evil duo Lily and Dorian whose only 'bad' act was to slaughter a group of abusive johns and rescue a young prostitute named Justine. Justine seemed to be understandably wary of her rescuers, even though Lily did manage to get Justine to her way of thinking fairly sharpish. I like the complexity with Dorian and Lily's plan and that they're not being depicted too broadly as monsters. I also enjoyed the rather bittersweet scene where Lily told Victor to move on. Victor really should heed her advice.

Everyone Wants The Wolf: Ethan Chandler/Talbot really is a popular man. You've got Rusk who is determined to make sure that he's brought into justice, Hecate who offered her help during a rather violent situation (still mixed on her but she's less annoying without her mother around) and of course, both Malcolm and Kaetenay are also on their way to 'rescue' Ethan as well. The scenes in America continue to be gorgeous and offer new scope to the series and I'm also enjoying the connection that Ethan and Kaetenay have along with Malcolm talking about his own complicated relationship with Vanessa as well. 

A Record Of Our Voices: The therapy sessions between Vanessa and Dr Seward continue to be a masterclass in acting excellence between Eva Green and Patti LuPone. I love how merciless to a degree that Seward is with Vanessa while at the same time, is actually helping her too. There's some great moments with the two but I do wonder how much bigger Seward's role will get as Renfield is under Dracula's spell and the Count himself has Vanessa coming to her of her own free will.

Next week, Ethan teams up with Hecate, Vanessa confesses some more and Lily and Dorian strike out with Justine.

My Review of Legends Of Tomorrow's 1x15: "Destiny"

Written by Marc Guggenheim & Phil Klemmer & Chris Fedak
Directed by Olatunde Osunsanmi

Snart (to Zaman): "There are no strings on me."

Okay, I knew there was going to be a death coming as we got towards the final hurtle of the series. I assumed for some reason we could be done with the Hawks and Savage (though that should be next week) and even thought after the weeks of evolution that it would be Mick who would've perished and for a moment, it actually looked like that was going to happen. Then Snart decided to save the day with alarming consequences.

I guess I should've seen Snart's demise coming in a way. Like Mick and Sara, he's had one hell of a character evolution throughout the series and this episode finally gave shippers a nice kiss between Snart and Sara before the former decided to make his big heroic sacrifice and give the Time Masters one hell of a disadvantage.

For me, losing Snart seems like it could be a hit for the show. I love Jax/Stein and don't hate Kendra/Carter but truthfully, the show could've lost any one of those four characters and it probably wouldn't affect it in a big way. I know Wentworth Miller has signed a deal that means he can still appear within the Arrow universe but not having him as a regular on this show is going to be a massive loss next season.

I did however overall enjoy the episode and I loved the gang's reaction to Snart's death nonetheless. Rip realised that he failed, Sara tried to hide her sorrow, Ray wanted to remember him as a hero and openly comforted Mick, who also wanted vengeance on Savage to boot. With one episode left and Kendra/Carter in his captivity, it really is time for this show to finally lose the character once and for all.

As for the rest of the episode, I quite liked the timey wimey stuff with Jax and Stein. It was a bit of a convenient to add Jax back into the mix but it worked really well and considering that everything has manipulated by the Time Masters so far and we've lost Snart, the gang really do need to pull themselves together and take Savage out once and for all.

- I was surprised that Carter wasn't in this episode but I certainly didn't miss him though.
- The Oculus reminded me a little of Doctor Who's Eye Of Harmony for some reason.
-  This was one of the few times we've seen Sara fully in her White Canary costume.
- Chronology wise, we did go back to both 2016 and 2166 in this episode.

Destiny certainly added the right sting before we get to the finale. I hated that we lost Snart in this episode but given that Miller will be remaining with the series universe, it'll be interesting to see where else they can go with his character. As for Savage - please go now.

Rating: 8 out of 10

My Review of Empire's 2x17: "Rise By Sin"

Written by Ayanna Floyd Davis And Jamie Rosengard
Directed by Paul McCrane

Cookie (re Freda): "That bitch shot my baby."
Hakeem: "She shot at Lucious and Jamal just stepped in front of the bullet."

We all knew the moment that Freda realised that Lucious killed her father that things were going to down chaotically. Hell, it was even predictable that it would happen in a very public setting so the episode finally showing the ASAs actually seemed appropriate for it but what I didn't expect was for Jamal to end up on the ouch end of a bullet though.

Despite some of the most horrific things said to him this week by his father, Jamal actually risked his life to save Lucious from Freda's very public wrath. Personally I don't think the show will kill him off but this was not exactly the kind of plot line I was hoping for Jamal this week, especially considering that everything else wasn't going smoothly for him either.

His relationship with Derek is already marred with the latter's insistence on being in the closet, which even Lucious knew was a lie and then there was Lucious dialling up his homophobia to even more repugnant levels than before. I know Jamal threw Leah into his face but Lucious started the whole thing and to be honest we're past the point where Jamal simply needs to knock his father's bigoted ass out.

Keeping with Lucious, when he wasn't bouncing his vile homophobia towards Jamal and then expressing regret at the hospital, we did see him doing his best to worm his way back into Cookie's affections. These two will always have insane chemistry with each other but I don't know if I can ever really root for them as a pairing.

Speaking of Cookie, I'm glad she blew up on Carol this week. Carol continues to be quite stupid at times as a character and her refusal to show some caution with Tariq caused some deep seated between Cookie and Carol to come to the surface. It was also Carol and her big mouth that set Freda off on Lucious as well.

As for the rest of the episode, it's looking like maybe Anika did push Rhonda that fateful night as the latter openly quizzed the former about her shoes while Lucious wisely went to some lengths to keep both Andre and Leah away from the ASAs. However following the last scene of this episode, Lucious's desperation to keep his mother a ghost just went out the window.

Also in "Rise By Sin"

Both Lucious and Jamal lost out on the ASAs and Hakeem is starting to realise how mediocre Laura actually is too.

Leah (re Lucious): "He's always been a liar. Boom faced liar."

Instead of avoiding her, why didn't Lucious just send his mother somewhere else then?

Leah (to Andre): "So many maids and people working in this house, it's like Gone With The Wind."

Cookie: "Oh Lucious, don't nobody want your fat ass."
Lucious: "I'm only fat where it counts."
Cookie: "In the mouth."

We learned in this episode that Cookie stole two of Carol's previous boyfriends and that the latter met Lucious before Cookie did. We also learned that Jamal is 26.

Jamal (re Derek): "You knew?"
Lucious: "A real dog can always tell a fake bitch."

Standout music: Jamal's "Hemingway", Jamal/Freda's "My Own Thang" and DMK's "Fabulous".

Lucious (to Cookie): "I knew we'd get here. I didn't know it was gonna take this long."

Chronology: Not long from where the previous episode left off.

Rise By Sin almost could've been a finale had there not been one or two things more things to resolve. Did Anika push Rhonda and will she rat out the Lyon family to the feds? Will Jamal survive (yes, he will)? Are the show going to have Cookie and Lucious reunite and who the hell is getting married? We'll know next week, folks.

Rating: 9 out of 10

My Review of Gotham's 2x20: "Unleashed"

Written by Danny Cannon
Directed by Paul Edwards

Oswald: "Jim, a little tip for next time - always bring the right tools for the job. See you in hell, Theo."

And so it came to an end. Technically, Theo's storyline should've remained ended during the events of Worse Than A Crime but these last two episodes with him as Azrael have undoubtedly been so entertaining that his slightly prolonged existence was justified for them alone. Of course, Azrael's days were numbered the second Oswald became aware of his existence and this episode didn't fail to deliver on that note.

With Tabitha's attempts of reasoning with her brother resulted in her being comatose after revealing Theo's mission with Bruce Wayne, Oswald decided to play on Butch's love for Tabitha (how sweet was Butch at her bedside by the way?) by getting him to take out Azrael with a bazooka of all things outside Wayne Manor.

It's moments like this where this show clearly revels in it's OTT manner and it's also where it delivers them so well. After watching Theo's convoluted way in trying to kill Bruce yet again and Gordon being a somewhat ineffective rescuer of sorts, having Oswald and Butch come to save the day/wreck vengeance was bloody fantastic to see. A fitting end for Theo's storyline overall and a sign that Oswald is back to resume his King of Gotham title as well. Butch was never really cut out for the role anyways.

Keeping with the Strange events - even Bullock was openly threatening Hugo Strange this week and while Hugo was able to outsmart him and Gordon this week, Bullock did manage to inspire the rest of the cops to avenge Barnes (not quite dead yet). Could they possibly be hinting at Bullock becoming commissioner? I bloody hope so. I'd love to see Harvey take on that role.

Elsewhere this episode gave us another treat in the moment where an escaping from Arkham Nygma briefly interacted with a breaking into Arkham Selina met, snarked a bit at each other before attempting to help the other out as well. Of course, Nygma's attempts of escape didn't pan out for him and Selina's attempts of rescuing Bridget saw her being introduced to Firefly instead as the episode ended on a literal fiery note. How the hell is Selina going to get out of this one?

Also in "Unleashed"

With both Barnes and Tabitha placed in comas, at least one of them is likely to die in the next two episode. Butch also kicked Barbara out of his place.

Priest: "I don't have any weapons."
Azrael: "Oh, then what good are you?"

Oswald got him a bird themed cane in this episode prior to his confrontation at the hospital with Butch.

Bullock: "So your brother's gone nuts."
Tabitha: "You tell me. Theo convince you he was Azrael last night or was he acting?"

Bullock (re grave robbing): "I'm sure we're breaking more than a few laws right now."
Gordon: "Really? This is where you draw the line."

I'm pretty sure we just got a very glimpse of Killer Croc when Selina was heading into Strange's laboratory in this episode.

Nygma: "Alive people, dead people, dead alive people. It's horrible."
Selina: "Okay, how do I get in there?"
Nygma: "It's like I'm saying things and you're just not hearing them."

Butch (re Tabitha): "If you touch her, I will kill you."
Oswald: "I like this new side of you. Soft, sentimental. He has to pay, Butch."

Next week, it seems another should be dead person is back in the mix and we've also got another rogue gallery member to gawk at.

Selina: "Bridget, no!"
Bridget: "Don't call me that. My name's Firefly."

Chronology: Not long from where Azrael left off.

I loved this one. Unleashed was another bonkers, over the top joy of an episode with a satisfying end to the Galavan plot once and for all while Strange continues to have more tricks up his sleeve than before.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Recap/Review: Penny Dreadful's 3x01: The Day Tennyson Died

I caught this episode a little later than usual on SkyAtlantic and can I say, it's great that the show is back on the air. I had forgotten how much I missed the series until I saw the opening episode.

Written by John Logan
Directed by Damon Thomas

A Bonding Over Scorpions: As part of her attempts of breaking out of a depressing pattern now that she's solely on her own, Vanessa went to an exhibit of sorts and met the rather charming Dr Alexander Sweet (Christian Camargo) and seemed bowled over by his candor as the pair discussed scorpions and other unloved things. Then this episode on an interesting note with a slew of vampires terrorising secretary Renfield into gathering information on Vanessa for their master - the one and only Count Dracula. We don't actually get to see Dracula in the episode but his makes a very vocal appearance and to be perfectly honest, if he doesn't turn out to be Dr Sweet, I'll be genuinely surprised but either way, Vanessa's got some unwanted company coming her way.

Alienism: Following last season's much loved guest appearance from Patti LuPone, I'm not surprised that the show wanted to bring her back for a much larger role this season. Any scene between LuPone and Eva Green is sheer golden and seeing the former as an uncompromising American therapist intrigued by Vanessa's behaviour was certainly a highlight in this episode. I also liked the fact (though it wasn't needed) that the episode decided to add a link to both Dr Seward and the Cut Wife/Joan Clayton though right now it's hard to tell whether or not Seward will be an actual friend or foe to Vanessa. We can also thank Lyle for putting Vanessa and Seward into each other's cross hairs as well.

Old Friends Reunited: Keeping with the new characters this week, we had Shazad Latif join the series, both as Dr Henry Jekyll (with his Hyde side kept in control) and also as a former classmate and friend of Victor Frankenstein. The latter wanted Jekyll's help in killing Lily but the former decided that perhaps domesticating her would be the better solution. The funny thing is that I spent most of the time wondering whether or not Frankenstein and Jekyll were former lovers because some of the dialogue and interactions between the actors did seem a little suggestive at times but either way, Jekyll intrigues me and he seems to be a worthy addition to the show.

Higher Purpose: In case there had been any ambiguity about Sembene, this episode confirmed that he was dead and that Malcolm buried him in Africa. We also then had scenes where Malcolm came under attack, only to be rescued by a mysterious stranger named Kaetenay (Wes Studi), who then told Malcolm that he had a higher purpose and couldn't die and that he needed to also catch up with Ethan. Speaking of whom ....

Once Upon A Time In Mexico: I quite like the fact that this season, we're exploding a little outside of London. First with Malcolm in Africa and also with Ethan in New Mexico. Granted a portion of his scenes were mostly on a train until Hecate and her crew seemed to rescue him (mixed on Hecate still being around to be honest) and then Ethan was also told that he was going to be reuniting with his father pretty soon, which may or may not be interesting. As for Caliban, not really a whole lot happened with him this week, though there was a little flashback moment that piqued some interest but compared to the rest of the characters, he had the least amount of screen time.

Next week, Dorian and Lily are back and they're recruiting.

My Review of Legends Of Tomorrow's 1x14: "River Of Time"

Written by Cortney Norris & Anderson Mackenzie
Directed by Alice Troughton

Savage (to Rip): "Now if you'll excuse me, I better be getting back to 2166. I've been waiting so very long to meet your family. Wouldn't miss it for the world."

Of course it would happen. I knew the moment they had Savage on the Waverider was the moment when things were going to end badly and predictably enough, it did. That and the fact that Savage had been manipulating time, which also led to Jax being somewhat taken out of the equation.

In a moment of selflessness, Stein found a way of saving/sending Jax back to his own time for his own good but not before we got a glimpse of Jax and his mother talking about a family get together during one of several lovely flashbacks in this episode. With two episodes to go though, I have a feeling we haven't seen the last of Jax just yet.

Keeping with the flashbacks, we saw Savage lording it over a captive Rip in Ancient Egypt while Ray shared a moment with Felicity in Palmer Tech prior to joining Rip's team and Sara and Nyssa also sharing a lovely scene shortly after the former being revived/having her soul returned to her and Stein briefly interacting with Clarissa as well. They were nice little character moments in an episode that had a lot of chaos surrounding it.

Chaos stemming from Ray being easily manipulated into giving Savage an opportunity to escape and a memory wiped Carter to finally realise who Kendra really was to him. The little subversion here being that unlike earlier this season, Savage actually failed in his attempts to kill Carter but the episode did end with him getting one over on Rip.

I should've seen the fact that Savage was working with the Time Masters coming a mile off because it actually does make a lot of sense and it does also help to explain why he's been a few steps ahead of Rip and the team as well. The episode then ended with the majority of them being captured (Sara and Snart managed to hide in time) and Savage lording it over Rip in that OTT manner we've grown accustomed with his character. Still there's another two episodes left to permanently wipe that smug grin off his face though.

- I'm surprised we didn't get some Mick/Leonard and Kendra/Carter flashbacks in this episode as well.
- I got a kick out of seeing both Sara and Stein helping Rip with piloting the ship. Going by the previews for next week, Sara has become an expert in it. Just make her the leader already. Savage also goaded her about Laurel.
- Distracting guards with a pen? As ridiculous as Rip's leadership at times. Kind of funny though.
- Chronology: Various times with the flashbacks, mostly on the Waverider but Savage is determined to head back to 2166 now.

Certainly a better episode than last week, River Of Time treated us to some nice flashbacks with most of the characters but between Ray being easily manipulated by Savage and Rip's continuously bad leadership skills, no wonder it's been left to Sara and Snart will have to save the gang.

Rating: 7 out of 10

My Review of Empire's 2x16: "The Lyon Who Cried Wolf"

Written by Joshua Allen
Directed by Millicent Shelton

Leah (to Lucious): "I was sick, now I'm sorry. Sorry I was too weak to kill you when I had the chance."

Okay, now I can see why Lucious was more than happy to let everyone else believe that Leah was dead. Andre might have meant well but he opened up the worst cans of worms by springing his grandmother back from Philadelphia and back into Lucious's life.

Lucious might be awful but that last scene where Leah is forcing him to eat cake and holding that knife, I did actually feel bad for him. With only two episode left, I don't see anything positive coming out of Lucious seeing his mother again. Andre just made things a lot worse and the promos are heavily implied some bad stuff is going down for the Lyons.

This week Lucious got Thirsty to get rid of Harper (she really should've left the city after last week's stunt) and we also learned during a conversation between Candace and Carol that the latter might have helped Lucious with some illegal activity (at least they didn't sleep together) and with the FBI looming around in the shape of a former friend/flame of Carol, it seems that things are going to out themselves pretty soon then.

I was surprised with the focus on Carol in this episode. She's not a character I care too much about but her guilt and desperation to want to do the right thing seemed genuine enough and between Candace telling her to keep quiet, Porscha comparing her to Cookie and that FBI agent sniffing around, she's clearly going to crack pretty soon.

Moving onto other plots though - Jamal got himself a new boyfriend of sorts in the shape of Acers producer, Derek 'D' Major. A minus point is that he's in the closet but he's certainly got a charisma that Michael lacks and the scenes with him and Jamal were pretty hot as well. With Derek on the scene, we really can put that Skye Summers plot well and truly behind us.

Meanwhile, is the show really going to have Anika as Rhonda's attacker? This week Rhonda was getting flashbacks and it did really look like Anika was going to be revealed as the culprit to boot. I really hope it's not her and that another suspect makes themselves known in the remaining two episodes.

Also in "The Lyon Who Cried Wolf"

When Lucious wasn't being threatened by his mother, he was also on a diet and Cookie seemed to be happy to remind him that she's co-runner of the company now.

Candace: "Nice place you've got here, Loretha."
Cookie: "What did I tell you about calling me by my real name?"

I don't think Candace is being that unreasonable by wanting Carol to start looking after her children again.

Derek (to Jamal): "There are ways to change my mind but ambushing me in the middle of my session is not it."

Lucious (to Andre, re Leah): "You have no idea what you've done."

I quite liked Becky's enthusiasm during Jamal/Hakeem's recording session and I loved her for telling Porscha to pull her weight now that she's been promoted. It also seems like Hakeem might be swayed back to Tiana, so bye bye Laura.

Leah: "You told your family bad things about me."
Lucious: "I was honest with them."

Standout music: Hakeem/Tiana's "No Competition", Jamal/Hakeem/Lucious "Chasing The Sky" and Mike Snow's "Genghis Khan".

Lucious (re his maid): "You can't send anyone away. She lives here, she works for me."
Leah: "Not anymore. Sit down."

Chronology: Not long from where More Than Kin left off.

Another excellent episode. The Lyon Who Cried Wolf had some truly excellent music, character moments, the right amount of sexiness and a tonne of hints in relation to some imminent peril for the Lyon family.

Rating: 9 out of 10

My Review of Gotham's 2x19: "Azrael"

Written by Jim Barnes And Ken Woodruff
Directed by Larysa Kandracki

Barnes: "You .... you're dead?"
Azrael: "Not anymore."

Well, this was pretty bonkers even by the high standards of sheer bonkers that Gotham already has in spades. At the start of this episode, I wasn't sure about the idea of Theo Galavan becoming Azrael but as the episode gathered pace and Hugo Strange unleashed him on the city, I found myself actively enjoying this more than I probably should've done to be honest.

Galavan's return is enough of a game changer to effect everyone here. For Strange, it's given him more incentive to continue with his monstrous experiments on the patients for Arkham and for Gordon and Bruce, it spelled trouble for them. However it spelled more trouble for Barnes who ended up on the ouch end of a blade this week.

Will Barnes make it into the next season? Truthfully I hope not. He's one of the few dull characters we have on the show and losing him wouldn't be a loss even though there was some interesting enough scenes with him and Gordon this week before Azrael made his attack on GCPD.

As for Gordon, Bruce and Oswald - their reactions to Theo being alive were priceless to watch compared to Tabitha's seemingly more muted (for now) reaction and Butch's not much of a reaction too. It'll be interesting to see what the show will do with the Azrael plot for the remaining three episodes as we've also got Fish's imminent return to deal with too along with Nygma posing a problem for Strange as well.

I liked that putting Nygma into Arkham hasn't destroyed his spirits. He might be desperate to get out of the place but it didn't take him long to manipulate most of his fellow inmates and he's certainly clever enough to pose a threat to Hugo Strange as well. I also loved how he was able to use his wits in order find Strange's lair. That being said though he's probably ended up doing himself some bad there as I can't see Strange taking too kindly to Nygma outsmarting him.

Also in "Azrael"

Strange really amped up the creepy factor but manipulating Theo into thinking he was his father. Peabody's snark continues to make me smile though.

Strange (re Theo): "Strong as an ox, fast as a snake."
Peabody: "Mad as a hatter."

A Mad Hatter hint this week and then we saw Strange actually reading from Alice In Wonderland as well. I'm hoping they save that character's origin story for Season 3 though.

Gordon: "Thank you."
Strange: "For what?"
Gordon: "I can read tells too."

Nygma (to Strange): "My point is, everyone has a story and they just need to be listened to. My God, I should be the shrink."

The way Barbara made Butch nervous in this episode actually amused me. Is it me or did Babs seem to have the more crazier aspects of Selina Kyle from Batman Returns in this episode down a little too well?

Peabody: "Generations? That sword was made yesterday."
Strange: "It doesn't matter."

Strange: "So many stories to choose from. I feel like a child on Christmas morning."

No Selina or Leslie in this episode again. At the former is back next week though.

Barnes: "You can go to hell."
Azrael: "I've been there. You go."

Butch (re Barbara): "She scares me."
Tabitha: "Don't be a baby, she's harmless."

Chronology: Not long from where Pinewood left off.

For a series as bonkers as this one can be, it really did feel like Azrael somehow managed to top the show's usual craziness by quite a bit. Theo's gloriously OTT in his new persona and seeing the chaos unfold in his wake certainly worked a treat as well.

Rating: 8 out of 10

When We Rise - More Cast Added To Miniseries

The casting for When We Rise really does keep getting more and more impressive.

Whoopi Goldberg whose recent TV appearances have included voiceover work for Once Upon A Time In Wonderland and appearances on shows such as Glee and Blue Bloods has bagged a recurring role in the seven part miniseries. Goldberg will take on the role of Pat Norman, the first openly gay employee of the San Francisco Health Department.

Rosie O'Donnell, recently seen in a guest appearance in the second season of Empire will be taking on the role of Del Martin, co-founder of the first Lesbian organization in the country.

Denis O'Hare, best known for his roles on True Blood and American Horror Story will be playing the role of Jim Foster, openly gay Democratic party organizer. Filling out the cast includes Frasier's David Hyde Pierce as Dr. Jones the father of Guy Pierce's character, Cleve, while Ivory Aquino is transgender activist Cecilia Chung and Michael K. Williams will play African American Community Organizer Ken Jones.

Press Release: http://www.out.com/television/2016/4/27/whoopi-goldberg-and-rosie-odonnell-join-abcs-gay-miniseries-when-we-rise

When We Rise is currently filming and is rumoured to be airing on ABC from 2017.

My Review of Legends Of Tomorrow's 1x13: "Leviathan"

Written by Sarah Nicole Jones & Ray Utarnachitt
Directed by Gregory Smith

Savage (to Rip): "I see so you still think there is hope then for your family? Time will tell, Captain. Time will tell."

Oh boy. Thirteen episodes in and this one might have been the first genuine disappointment we've had. Sure, we've had the odd clunky episode here and there but this episode gave us a chance to finally see the gang take Savage out once and for all, only for Kendra to balk when she had the perfect killing blow lined up.

The writing for Kendra has not always been the strongest on the show but this was some pretty writing nonetheless. Having a future version of Carter pop up with no memories as one of Savage's co-horts could've been a decent twist had the show not decided to have Kendra spare Savage. Now we're still stuck with him for the remaining three episodes. On the plus side, at least his progeny is a more interesting character.

Taking on the role of Cassandra, Jessica Sipos turned in a likeable performance as Vandal's faithful daughter whose faith then took a nosedive upon being kidnapped by Snart and Rory and then by the former giving her a crash course into what her father was really like. The plus side is that along with betraying her own father, Cassandra now lives to fight another day so maybe we'll get to see her again.

As for Savage, they didn't kill but he's now a pernament guest on the Waverider along with the no memory version of Carter so I assume that's another disaster waiting to unfold for the gang fairly soon. Ugh, the fact that they didn't kill him is such a frustration in an episode that should've been a lot better than it turned out to be.

As for the rest of the episode, well I did get a kick out Mick and Kendra briefly working together, I quite liked seeing Sara and Kendra talk again and there was the surprisingly fun team up with Ray and Jax while the episode ended with Savage taunting Rip over the fact that he'll fail to save his family, which going by Rip's reaction is only too true.

- For the briefest of moments I actually they were going to actually kill off Stein in this episode. I'm really glad they didn't though.
- Surprised the show didn't properly go for Scandal instead of Cassandra for Savage's daughters. Then again, Arrow gave Nyssa more prominence over Talia and that worked out brilliantly.
- Ray versus the Leviathan robot really did look and feel like a scene out of Power Rangers.
- Chronology: London 2166 for this episode.

I really wanted to love this one but Leviathan was such a cop out as an episode. The show had the perfect chance to take out Savage and then came with a way too convenient and annoying plot contrivance in order not to do so. Plus side, at least Cassandra was great.

Rating: 6 out of 10

My Review of Empire's 2x15: "More Than Kin"

Written by Eric Haywood And Michael Spellman
Directed by Sanaa Hamri

Lucious (to Cookie): "You and me finally working together side by side. I wouldn't have it any other way. Congratulations baby."

I didn't expect that particular outcome but I actually really, really like it. Lucious and Cookie running Empire together has the potential to the best decision ever or the start of the bloodiest war known to man. It really is an outcome that could spectacularly go either way and instead of dragging this storyline out, it came to a natural and believable conclusion.

Lucious when he puts the effort can be charismatic and charming as hell and even when trash talking his own sons (mainly Jamal this week, Acer stuff, yadda yadda), he was still able to woo everyone by bringing a 'human' face to mental illness. Yeah, the hypocrisy was strong with Lucious, even more so when a vengeful Harper made it her mission to make sure that Andre knew that his grandmother was alive and residing in a home in Philadelphia.

Then there was Cookie. Last week, she prevented bloodshed between Lucious and Hakeem and this week, she was also doing more peace keeping, promotion and schmoozing between bitchy barbs with Harper and not being horrible to Anika (more on that in a bit), so by the end of this episode it actually made a tonne of sense for the board to want her as co-CEO as well. Like I said, there's great potential with this storyline.

Speaking of Anika, this week we had her in hospital with a health scare for the baby which not only introduced audiences to her mother but it saw both Cookie and Lucious showing some sympathy for Anika while Hakeem decided to step up as a soon to be father (a good thing, considering how dull the opening scenes of his hedonism were) while Laura seemed conflicted about being with a man who got another woman pregnant.

Elsewhere while Jamal spent too much of the episode sniping at Lucious, we did get some moments of his past in this one. One was that cafe that he used to perform in prior to his fame and another was meeting up with Michael once again. This episode was probably Michael at his most likeable in a while but at the same, what does this show want to do with him? Will we see him again as both him and Jamal seemed to have cleared the air?

Also in "More Than Kin"

The logo sequence now has a golden disc instead of either Lucious or Hakeem.

Lucious: "I'm ready to play, are you ready to play?"
Jamal: "I was born to play."

Michael has become a waiter since we've last seen him. Rafael De La Fuente will also be in ABC's LGBT miniseries When We Rise.

Cookie (to Lucious, re Harper): "Are you trying to save your company or catch an STD?"

Hakeem: "You don't care that I got Anika pregnant?"
Laura: "What?"
Hakeem: "Nika got pregnant before we got together."

Jamal and Freda seem to be maintaining their friendship. I'm guessing she's going to find out about her father pretty soon though.

Cookie: "Hakeem will kill me if something happens to this baby."
Anika: "You mean your grandchild."

Hakeem (to Anika, re Lucious): "What did he do?"
Cookie: "What boy? It's your father. What hasn't he done?"

Standout music: A new version of Jamal's "Good Enough", Jamal/Fantastic Negrito's "Lost In The Crowd" and Hakeem's "Got That Work".

Lucious (to Harper): "I didn't know anything sweetheart but I like to share my stories."

Chronology: Not long where Time Shall Unfold left off.

A solid episode. I liked the outcome of the CEO situation that More Than Kin laid out, Michael's brief return (the guy was only in two scenes) was nice enough and seeing Hakeem trying to step up to the plate is never a bad thing either.

Rating: 7 out of 10

Doctor Who - Series 10: Pearl Mackie Is The New Companion

Three weeks ago, we learned about the casting for upcoming BBC3 online spin-off, Class and last weekend during half time at a football match on BBC1 we were finally introduced to the new companion for Series 10 of Doctor Who.

Pearl Mackie, whose credits have included an episode of Doctors and a recent performance in the West End production, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time has been cast in the role of new companion, Bill. A two minute scene debuted the character alongside Peter Capaldi's Twelfth Doctor as the pair of them flee a Dalek chase. The scene is titled Friend From The Future, which can be seen on the official BBC site and YouTube channels.

Going by the press release for Mackie's casting, Pearl herself has described Bill as "wicked", as well as describing her character as "cool, strong, sharp, a little bit vulnerable with a bit of geekiness thrown in". It's also possible from Bill's attire that she might not be a completely modern companion with speculation that she could be picked up from either the 1980s or 1990s. I also liked in the minisode/trailer/whatever you want to refer to it as that Bill seemed pretty unaware of the Daleks and that mostly she was a total contrast to previous companions in Moffat's era such as Amy, River and Clara. The rapport between the 12th Doctor and Bill certainly has shades of the 7th Doctor and Ace, which I find quite amusing. As for the character's name - any chance it's short for Billie, Wilhelmina, Sybil or something else altogether? It could also be a nod to either Billie Piper who played Rose Tyler or possibly even William Hartnell who played the First Doctor but either way, I cannot wait to see this particular TARDIS team in action come 2017.

Press Release:  http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-36111598

Series 10 of Doctor Who will begin filming next month. A Christmas special will air in December and the series will air in Spring 2017.

My Review of Legends Of Tomorrow's 1x12: "Last Refuge"

Written by Chris Fedak & Matthew Maala
Directed by Rachel Talalay

Stein: "You'd murder a child?"
The Pilgrim: "I'd murder as many children as necessary to accomplish my mission."

Anyone else get the impression that this week's episode seemed to be a mashup of The Deadly Assassin and Father's Day? If you didn't, you probably should've as this week, the Time Masters really did highlight how ruthless they actually were by sending out their deadliest of assassins - a woman named the Pilgrim (Faye Kingslee) to go back in time and snuff out each of Rip's team members as quickly as possible.

First there was meeting a younger Mick on the night his house burned to the ground and then there was Sara, prior to getting on the boat with Oliver who was also having a work day with Quentin sort of thing going on. I have to admit seeing Mick and Sara's younger selves interact with each other was amusing but then things sort of changed up a little here.

The Pilgrim went after Ray as recent as 2014 and with Kendra's reincarnation abilities making her a pointless target, the show then focused on grabbing baby versions (yes, really) of Snart, Stein and Jax which forced the Pilgrim into kidnapping some actual loved ones from the gang. Onscreen we saw Jax's father, Lance and Clarissa as well as some images of Lisa and Anna. As a villain, she meant business and yet again proved to be a far more interesting antagonist than Vandal Savage has emerged to be.

Of course, the Pilgrim did underestimate Rip and in a moment where one of the latter's plans actually worked out, she ended up being bested by little Michael. It was a little strange meeting Rip as a youngster and also rather interesting that his backstory isn't entirely dissimilar to the ones we've seen with with Mick and Leonard. However it wasn't the only backstory that took a surprising turn in this episode.

Jax himself finally got some brilliant screen time as he finally met and saved his father from the Pilgrim and I have to admit, it really helped to flesh his character out a bit more. Watching his scenes with his father were every bit as affecting as Sara's scenes with Quentin, Mick's with his younger self, Stein's brief moment with his wife, Ray/Kendra's back and forth (they ended up engaged) and even Rip's scenes with his own adoptive mother.

Of course with the gang's younger selves still being tended to by Rip's mother at the refuge, the need to kill Savage just got bigger and now it seems like Rip is willing to actually risk going into the 22nd century in order to take down Savage once and for all. Well, there are four episodes left to go now.

- Rip's adoptive mother was played Celia Imrie and is called Mary Xavier. Doctor Who connection wise, she appeared in The Bells Of Saint John while this episode's director, Rachel Talalay has directed the episodes Dark Water/Death In Heaven and Heaven Sent/Hell Bent.
- Now that Ray and Kendra are engaged, it seems like they're setting up the latter to meet Carter again.
- Also, was the episode unable to get the actresses for Anna and Lisa to make an onscreen appearance?
- Chronology really did vary this week with jumps into the 1950s, 1972, 1993, 2007 and 2014 to name a few.

I liked this one a lot. Last Refuge gave us a strong guest assassin with the Pilgrim, some much needed backstory for Jax, more insight into both Rip and Mick's pasts and a reminder of how far Sara has come as a character too. The Ray/Kendra scenes could've been plotted a little better but other than that, this was great.

Rating: 8 out of 10

My Review of Empire's 2x14: "Time Shall Unfold"

Written by Ayanna Floyd Davis
Directed by Cherien Dabis

Jamal: "This family uses the term as if we're in some Shakespearian play. Technically if we're talking about heirs, we need to find Lola."

I'm surprised we had to wait this long for Anika to finally reveal that she was pregnant but between bumping off Camilla/Mimi and Lucious delving into his past and continuing to piss off everyone in the present, this episode finally got round to it and all because Andre and Rhonda caught Anika puking in the toilet.

I'm not sure if Anika really does just want a family for her kid but I don't blame her for threatening Lucious. He broke into her house and tried to buy his potential grandson and was pretty hypocritical towards her sleeping with Hakeem but at the same time, I can see wanting to get back in with the Lyon due to the fact that she is carrying the 'heir' to the throne at this point.

Leading to another thing - did this episode really rule out Lola? I thought last season she was supposed to actually be Lucious's offspring rather than Jamal but this episode saw Thirsty steal a hair sample from the child and Lucious then tell everyone that she was fathered by someone who isn't a Lyon. It seems more likely for Lucious to be lying than for this to be true but either way, it was a bit strange the episode dealt with the whole thing.

Keeping with Lucious, he really did play dirty this week to undermine Hakeem. Messing with Anthony and Cleopatra, planting drugs and getting equipment confiscated was one thing but he really went to town to humiliate Hakeem during the Shareholders meeting. It's lucky Cookie was able to step in at the eleventh hour but ultimately Hakeem found himself getting voted out and Lucious will inevitably get back in too.

Of course that wasn't the only shocking thing Lucious did in this episode. He took Andre to see his grandmother's grave, explained a bit more about Leah's condition and then the episode ended with a scene in Philadelphia where we learned that Leah is anything but dead. I can't wait to see this one blow up in Lucious's face when it's undoubtedly discovered.

As for Jamal, I quite liked his scenes with Freda in this episode. It seems that pairing her up (musically) with Jamal has actually done the character a world of good even if Cookie is dreading the fact that Freda might find out what really happened to her father. The subplot with viral rapper Stacey though was a little tedious but other than that, I like the budding friendship between Jamal and Freda though.

Also in "Time Shall Unfold"

Lucious's generating acclaim again with the Dwight Walker video. And next week we're finally getting the Acer awards out of the way.

Rhonda: "Are you pregnant?"
Andre: "Who's the father?"
Anika: "It's Hakeem's."

The toy lion Lucious gave Anika was a nice touch. We also found out that she never slept with Beretti as well.

Hakeem: "You gonna take me out like Jamal or treat me like garbage like Dre but know this old man, I ain't never bowing to you."
Lucious: "I thought you might say something like that."

Cookie (to Hakeem): "You don't know how to use a condom, stupid?"

I did get a laugh out of Jamal making that Shakespeare reference in this episode, given that it's an obvious influence for the series.

Anika: "What took you so long?"
Lucious: "Well, if I knew you felt like that, I'd have come sooner."

Standout music: Jamal/Freda's "Last Night" and Tiana's "Body Speak".

Thirsty: "As long as everything's dandy, I won't bother."

Chronology: Not long from where The Tameness Of A Wolf left off. I also notice that Porscha herself along with Jake Hamilton does a After Show thing for each episode now.

Well, that was an interesting episode. I certainly didn't see certain moments from Time Shall Unfold coming but I was definitely gripped by the whole hour, even if Cookie is the one who should be running the company rather than Lucious will inevitably do again.

Rating: 8 out of 10

My Review of Gotham's 2x18: "Pinewood"

Written by Robert Hull And Megan Mostyn-Brown
Directed by John Stephens

Gordon: "Why are you doing this?"
Barbara: "I was there, remember. When you first got the Wayne case. I know what this means to you."

It's fair to say that since tapping into her villainous side that Barbara has mostly improved for the better as a character but there are still some shaky bits with her from time to time. Having spent most of the second half of this season in a coma and now newly released from Arkham, Barbara seems to be on a mission to make things right .... or was she?

I genuinely don't know to be honest. Maybe if Gordon hadn't rejected her at the end of their little adventure with the Lady together perhaps she might have stepped back into the light but things did end with her going back to Butch and Tabitha (whom the show is struggling to do anything decent with), so perhaps not.

I did like that for the first time though, Barbara felt genuinely unpredictable as a character. One minute she seemed eager to help Gordon with tracking the Lady down and helping him with the Wayne case. The next moment he's tied to a chair and it looked like that Barbara was back to her old tricks. Gordon is absolutely right in not wanting to forgive her but without a doubt was Barbara the highlight of the episode.

As for the Lady, it's always fun seeing Michelle Gomez on the show (and I hope she appears again) but two episodes in and I still don't know much about the Lady as a character. She did seem to like Barbara's flattery towards her though, so that was something but maybe next time, give the character a little scope.

Of course, the one thing we took away from this episode was learning about the Philosopher who turned out to be Hugo Strange. This happened around the same time that Bruce, Alfred and Lucius did their own diggings into Pinewood, met up with the unfortunate but likeable Karen and also encountered Victor in full Mr Freeze form along with Gordon. And that wasn't the only insane thing connected to Strange that happened this week.

The episode spent a lot of time talking about Strange trying to raise someone from the dead and by the end of this episode, Patient 44 turned out to be a success story for Strange and the sceptical Peabody. Patient 44 also turned out to be Theo Galavan and keeping with this show's love of playing around with continuity, Galavan is now going by the name of Azrael. This is going to be an interesting one to see play out.

Also in "Pinewood"

Bullock's reaction to seeing Barbara coming out of the apartment is the funniest thing the show has ever done.

Barbara: "I'm telling the truth. That's what I do now."
Gordon: "It's hard to believe."

Karen's claw arm was pretty interesting. It's a shame that the character didn't survive the episode though. I liked her.

Alfred: "That's far enough, drop the knife."
Karen: "It's not a knife."

Barbara: "I'm kind of famous."
The Lady: "Oh, the notorious Barbara Kean."

Is Hugo really going to be the one responsible for the Wayne murders? I really don't know how I feel about that to be honest.

Barbara: "Don't be mad."
Gordon: "I was tied to a chair and nearly killed again. What should I be feeling?"
Barbara: "Gratitude."

Oswald, Nygma and Selina were all absent in this episode and Barnes was back to be fairly ineffectual as well.

Hugo: "Oh, Peabody we did it. We brought someone back. We actually did it."

Chronology: From where the end of Into The Woods left off.

Pinewood certainly had it's moments. With a smaller cast, it does feel like the show can flow a little better as the Gordon/Barbara and Bruce/Alfred/Karen team up all worked well seperately and then managed to merge together pretty well too.

Rating: 8 out of 10

My Review of Legends Of Tomorrow's 1x11: "The Magnificent Eight"

Written by Greg Berlanti & Marc Guggenheim
Directed by Thor Freudenthal

Rip: "Perhaps we will see each other again, my friend."
Jonah: "Yeah, I reckon that'd be okay."

I have to admit, I'm not the biggest western aficionado going (more my dad's thing) but you're gonna time travel, it's one of those era you just have to visit. We've seen Back To The Future go there and we've also seen Doctor Who go there twice in the space of 53 years so for this show to go there in their eleventh episode is great going.

This week, the gang were putting their quest to stop Vandal Savage to one side so they could hang out in a town not called Mercy but Salvation and keep to themselves while figuring out what to do about the Hunters who were desperate to kill them. Of course, this being the Wild West, there was fun to be had and between drinking sessions, bar fights and pissing off bandits the gang also came face to face with Jonah Hex himself.

To say the character is a massive step up from the movie he was given a few years ago would be an understatement but Johnathon Schaech really was great in the role. A slightly less feral version of the character we already know, Jonah seemed to be intrigued by Rip's motley crew when he wasn't hashing out some past issues with Rip as well.

It's been evident for a while now that Rip isn't a great leader and the revelation about Calvert definitely his remorse over a past failure but it does make you wonder that if maybe Rip actually planned then maybe he would have some actual success. His lack of preparation has been a consistent factor in why Savage has constantly gotten the upper hand in their ongoing back. As for Hex, I really liked the character and I'm hoping he pops up again next season.

Of course between Ray being appointed the sheriff and the gang try to rescue Salvation from a gang of baddies, there were also some other developments worth noting. Kendra and Sara banded together and the former met another version of herself (played by Anna Deavere Smith) who had some uncomfortable truths for Kendra. Plot wise, I really enjoyed the Kendra stuff this week even if it were too disconnected from the main action.

Also a bit disconnected from the main action but equally affecting was Stein's need to save a little boy from consumption. I've felt the last few episodes the character had been a tad underused but between learning more about his past and discovering that the boy whose life he saved was a little HG Wells, this was definitely a strong episode for Victor Garber's Stein. Actually aside from Sara, Jax and Snart, every other character had a fair amount of prominent screen time this week.

Then there was the Hunters. They popped up as the episode was concluding and we got our second coolest fight sequence moment in the episode. Of course the gang beat them pretty easily but not before both Mick and Rip realised that deadly assassin the Pilgrim was going to wipe out the gang by going back in their individual timelines, which managed to set up next week's episode pretty well.

- Sara and Mick's drinking/bonding session was brilliant. I also laughed when Mick was passed out as everyone else was fighting in the saloon.
- Rip and Jonah, we need flashbacks next season to their previous encounters. There was a bit of a slash vibe between those two as well. Other Kendra's "Carter" was called Hannibal. Ray calling himself John Wayne as well was amusing.
- Kendra needs to get a bracelet as part of her her arsenal to take out Vandal Savage.
- The episode took place in 1871 Salvation.

Well, The Magnificent Eight certainly lived up to it's title. An absolutely fun and chaotic episode with some delightful character moments, a great appearance from Jonah Hex and a nice set up for the Time Masters showing themselves to be as bad as Savage himself. One of my favourites.

Rating: 9 out of 10