Peace On Earth - Torchwood Season 4 Filming Spoilers

It might be hard to believe it but at this rate, Torchwood has been filming for five weeks now in relation to it's fourth season and here are some updates ...

First of all, unlike Children Of Earth, Miracle Day will comprise of individual titles per episode. Russell T. Davies is writing episodes 1 and 10, Doris Egan has scripted episode 2, Jane Espenson has tackled episodes 3, 5, 7 and 8 (with Ryan Scott for the last one) and John Shiban has written episode 6. The writers for episodes 4 and 9 have yet to be announced. Bharat Nalluri is still directing the first episode but Bill Gierhart is helming the second one.

In filming during Cardiff last week, we saw banners saying, 'peace on earth' and 'miracle day' as well as scenes filmed with Gwen and Rhys in hospital and visiting their old pal Andy with baby Anwen in tow. Not only that but later scenes hinted at some tension between Jack and Rex (Mekhi Phifer) as well as later scenes involving both SWAT teams and a kidnap but I'm not sure who. Either way, this is getting delightfully action packed. Here's an exchange as well worth noting ...

Gwen: "Hold it there! [to Andy]
Did you call them!? [the CIA]".
Andy: "They're in charge."
Jack: "Say's who!?"
Rhys: "He can't arrest us, he's American!"
Rex: "This isn't an arrest (he then goes on to say
something about it being a plead for help)
Now get me out of here! Get me home, go!"

Meanwhile, I'm pretty sure this is the first filming pictures with Six Feet Under actress Lauren Ambrose as well. This scene seems to be one between PR lady Jilly (who definitely is representing Oswald Danes) and Laurie (Rachel Leah Cohen), whose character is also due to be intimidated by a character played by Wayne Knight. Filming this week resumed in LA after the Cardiff shoot from last week. Looking forward to seeing Jilly in action with the creepy Oswald pretty soon as well.

There was also some scenes this week filmed with Dichen Lachman, Lauren Ambrose and Arlene Tur (Vera Juaraz) and a more detailed set report can be found at the link below. Either way, Torchwood is really shaping up.

Filming Info 1: http://www.doctorwhonews.net/2011/02/dwn090211120008-torchwood-week-fourfive.html

My Review of Brothers And Sisters 5x04: "A Righteous Kiss"

Written by Stephen Tolkin And Cliff Olin
Directed by Ken Olin

Justin: “Too bad we missed it, that’s kind of our play.”
Rebecca: “Romeo and Juliet? A pair of star crossed lovers who take their lives.”
Justin: “Nobody’s taking any lives, we’re still here. We have a chance to make this right.”

Okay, overreaction much? It’s not that I don’t take Justin and Rebecca seriously, it’s just that I really don’t like it when TV series compare relationship to that Shakespearean play because the connotations are really bad but I guess truth be told, Justin and Rebecca probably never were going to be one of those happily ever after types of couples.

However this episode does something really extraordinary – it parts Justin and Rebecca on the best terms possible and for that, I have to respect it. No histrionics, no melodrama, just a couple who painfully realise that they won’t last and part nicely. If only this could happen a little more often.

Rebecca never stopped loving Justin but relationship wise, she couldn’t go back to him and they certainly couldn’t go forward as a couple. I think Justin probably knew that as well given that he seemed resigned to Rebecca’s decision to take a job working in New York. I don’t think I’ve ever felt bad for them as a couple (apart from their miscarriage last season).

I really liked that Nora didn’t interfere with them either. She offered support to Rebecca but advised her to do what was right without any judgement and she was able to get Justin to break down about his marriage and grieve for it. Now if only we could see Kitty doing the same, we’d be fine.

I’ve read a lot of complaints about Rebecca’s decision to leave Holly behind this episode but I think in a bizarre way that she did do the right thing. Holly was getting worse with Rebecca around and when she does manage to get her memories back completely, then the writers can make the effort to fix their relationship but for now, I think the distance that Rebecca decided to put between them was a wise move.

Holly went through a crappy time in this episode. I’ve never been her biggest and while I struggle to wonder as to why she’s still on the series, I do have to admit to feeling bad for her. The painful realisation that William was dead was pretty nicely acted along with her getting Rebecca into being honest about their relationship as well.

That being said, how long can this amnesia plot be sustained for? Four episodes in and I want a snap recovery and after the previous episode, I also didn’t want to see another moment with Holly telling Rebecca that she feels nothing for her either. I know Holly doesn’t mean it but it didn’t stop it from sounding cruel nonetheless.

Still including Nora into this plot as well has made it a little bit more interesting though. I liked that she was sympathetic enough to Holly’s plight, even if I have difficulty ever believing that Nora would love her. Then again, I’m supposed to believe that Kevin and Robert had the best friendship ever, despite the poor development of that.

Speaking of Kevin, for the love of God can the writers please give him and Scotty something to do? Seriously, goading Kitty and wading into Saul’s love life just isn’t as interesting and it feels like they’re given naff all at the moment. However, there was a positive outcome on the Saul front in a way.

Charlie might not have been able to handle Saul admitting to HIV but it was only because he had lost a partner through AIDS and didn’t want to go through the same pain again – it made sense and it was nice that he was able to convey that without being a dick to Saul. Plus any episode that actually bothers to give Saul a love life, no matter how fleeting definitely merits praise of some kind.

I liked Saul a lot in this episode and even though I wished they had kept Charlie for at least one more episode, I am hoping that this is a sign of things to come. Ron Rifkin had every right to complain about his character getting little to do and here’s hoping the writers have better storylines for him in the next few weeks other than running the restaurant and supporting Nora.

As for Kitty, why are the writers rushing things with her and Jack? I know TV has to take certain things faster than in real life situations but she’s only known the girl for two days and they’re already smooching? Can’t she just grieve and can’t Jack just step back and be a friend for a bit? I know it’s probably going to be a fling thing but it’s something of an issue with me at the moment as a viewer. It’s not like Jack is unlikeable but this storyline is just ham fisted at best.

As for Sarah and those snotty moms, well here’s hoping we never see them again as well. The Cooper in Romeo and Juliet plot wasn’t exactly the most riveting thing they could’ve done with Sarah this week but at least Luc got to be the cool parent with Cooper and Sarah got a chance to tell Gloria and her little minion exactly what she thought of them but other that, it was pretty dull plotline. And for the love of sweet Jesus, knock it off with the age difference with Luc and Sarah – it’s boring.

Also in “A Righteous Kiss”

Okay, Cooper’s even gotten more onscreen action with Margaret (the girl who played Juliet) than Saul did with Charlie in this one. Network ageism and homophobia at work?

Kevin: “Are you sure, what’s that sound?”
Kitty: “I’m just pounding a very stubborn pole.”
Kevin: “Ooh I once spent a weekend in Aspen with a guy from Warsaw.”

Scotty got in on the act of admiring Jack this week when he said hi to him on the phone. Jack also gave another anti mobile rant as well. I can see that becoming a bigger issue with him and Kitty in later episodes.

Kitty (re carving): “How do I know when it’s finished?”
Jack: “When it feels like silk.”
Kitty: “Yeah, well, silk I know.”

Holly (to Nora): “You don’t get it. The more I remember, the more I realise I’ve lost.”

Holly’s story about Daniel the soldier was interesting enough. It’s not too surprising that she was married before I guess. It was also a nice device for Rebecca to relate something personal back to her mother as well.

Kitty (to Jack): “Are you saying I talk too much? There’s nothing wrong with talking you know.”

Holly: “I remember enough to know that anybody who says that they had a perfect relationship with their mother is lying.”
Rebecca: “You’re right. Our relationship isn’t always perfect.”
Holly: “Thank God for that.”

Anyone else think that maybe Kevin was written a little too stereotypically gay in this one? I don’t know, even the Kevin wouldn’t have been that bothered about stitching to be honest.

Sarah (to Luc): “Come here, you sexy French beast. Let’s go home and do some naked co-parenting.”

Standout music: NLX’s “Find Love” was pretty much the only track to stand out. It was also good to end the episode with too.

Kitty (to Jack): “Sorry, I ran away like that. I do talk too much. I think it comes from a family where if you didn’t talk, they didn’t know you were there.”

Chronology: A day since “Faking It”.

I liked “A Righteous Kiss” better than the last two but mainly for Justin/Rebecca and Saul/Charlie if I’m being perfectly honest. The show seems to be lacking a sense of focus right now and that’s somewhat worrying as a viewer but this was a good episode though.

Rating: 8 out of 10.

My Review of Dexter's 5x06: "Everything Is Illumenated"

Written by Wendy West
Directed by Steve Shill

Dexter: “You killed somebody.”
Lumen: “Because you wouldn’t do it for me.”
Dexter: “But you called me to clean up after you.”
Lumen: “I didn’t know what to do with the body.”

You have to give Lumen some credit, she’s not naturally gifted in the complicated life of murdering and disposing of bodies, it’s all a bit new to her. And I bet Dexter wasn’t that impressive when he first started off too no matter how much he likes to credit himself as a neat monster though.

Lumen continuing her quest to seek out and kill her captors made perfect sense. I shouldn’t salute or encourage her but at the same time, it’s hard not to. Not only will she not be able to get any peace until they’re all dead but with them all alive, there’s going to be plenty of young women out there who won’t be as lucky as Lumen to be rescued by Dexter.

That being said, I can sort of understand Dexter’s irritation with her as well. The girl’s inexperienced and running high on emotion, so it means that she’s open to making mistakes. Last week she nearly shot the wrong guy but this week she actually shot one of the right ones and nearly let him escape.

Even though she was highly strung and angry, I had a gut feeling that Lumen was right about Dan the dentist, even if at the time she had no physical evidence to peg him as one of her attackers. Lumen’s instincts were right but unfortunately thanks to Dan’s brief time with a cell phone, the rest of her attack gang now know that she’s alive.

This also means that Dexter can’t just palm Lumen off back to her parents in Minneapolis either but that doesn’t seem to matter any more. Dexter started the episode off being put out by Lumen’s return in his life but the episode sure as hell ended on a far more interesting note. In other words, I think Lumen’s got herself a rather powerful ally in her corner now.

I loved the last scene in the bathroom between Dexter and Lumen. Both of them have been put in positions where their lives have taken unexpected turns and both of them have dark passengers to deal with as well. Dexter recognised that Lumen’s one has come out to play and until she kills all her attackers, it’s not going away any time soon.

I know there are a lot of things that should make me wary about anything possibly romantic happening with Dexter and Lumen but unlike some other series, I like that his guilt and grief for Rita isn’t being ignored. He’s doing his damndest not to fail again like he felt he did with Rita and in some ways, Lumen seems to represent a chance for him to atone for that in a way.

However, not just that, there’s an interesting connection between them as well. In four episodes, Lumen’s seen every facet of Dexter that very few other characters have managed to do. She’s seen him as a killer, as her saviour, as a man who’s lost his wife, as a member of the law and also as a parent and seems to accept them all. Bearing that in mind, it does make for an interesting dynamic.

I genuinely believe at this point that Lumen will be a rarity for this series – a character that sees all of Dexter without being evil or manipulative. At least that’s what I’m hoping for and if she can somehow survive the season as well, then that’s also a plus. Now all her and Dexter have to do is hunt and kill some evil rapists and they’ll be fine.

Well, I say fine but there is pesky Quinn and his new partner in crime, Liddy trying to research on Dexter. I’m betting that in the next few episodes that they’re going to be something of a hindrance to Dexter and Lumen but honestly, I don’t think Liddy is that effective as a character. Quinn might as well just kept his Dexter mission to himself for all the good that Liddy actually accomplished in this episode.

However the one thing that was interesting with Quinn this week was him admitting that he had feelings for Deb and her doing the same. I don’t hate them as much as a couple as I thought I would but given that Quinn’s hunting Dexter behind her back, I don’t know if he should get too comfortable with Deb. She might not be so forgiving when she finds out that he’s been lying to her all this time.

As for the Santa Muerte stuff, this was another slow progress for them. The Fuentes brothers are still on the run, the stakeout in Club Maya was pointless, apart from Angel managing to get a willing informant. It was one of the storylines I liked earlier on in the season but now it needs to sort of step up a gear because gory beheadings aside, it doesn’t feel like any real progress has been made and I didn’t need Matthews unwanted presence to highlight that. That guy’s become a real pain in the ass.

On a positive note, it’s nice that after spending a good part of the episode arguing it out, that both Maria and Angel actually sorted their differences out. I did get both points of views (Maria’s reputation, Angel’s pride) but to be honest, I’d prefer just to see both Maria and Angel just enjoy being married to each other. Is that too much to ask for?

Also in “Everything Is Illumenated”

What an odd title for this episode but at the same time, we did learn more about Lumen, such as her jilting Owen on their wedding day and the fact that she was mostly blindfolded when kept captive.

Dexter: “I’m always trying to keep the different parts of my life seperate. Being a father made that much more difficult and as a husband, I failed but I’m a very neat monster.”

Dexter and Deb discussed disclosing to potential buyers about Rita’s murder when the house was being put on the market.

Deb: “Quinn’s place is all Quinn.”
Dexter: “A vast, empty space?”

Dexter: “He said, ‘die-die’.”
Sonya: “Don’t be silly, he said ‘bye-bye’. Harrison’s first word.”

I have to admit that I did laugh during that scene but the writers really do seem to highlighting Dexter’s fears of Harrison being a killer a lot though.

Dexter: “This is the life Harry wanted for me, carefully divided.”

Angel (re Quinn): “Sounds like someone’s jealous.”
Deb: “Why on God’s green earth would I be jealous?”

I enjoyed seeing Angel and Deb giving each other romantic advice about Maria and Quinn. Those two are brilliant in little scenes like that.

Lumen: “What are you doing?”
Dexter: “Luminol.”
Lumen: “Luminol?”
Dexter: “No relation.”

Lumen: “How long have you been a cop?”
Dexter: “I’m not a cop.”
Lumen: “Then, what are you?”
Dexter: “Complicated.”

Before being interrupted by Lumen, Dexter was going to kill gay serial killer, Lance Robinson and then managed to use Lance and Dan’s dead bodies to solve a case and cover both himself and Lumen.

Dexter: “Lumen didn’t witness her mother’s murder but she was born in blood like me. Some experiences are so big, they change your DNA.”

Quinn (to Deb): “Morgan, I just said I want to be with you. What more do you want?”

For a moment there, Dexter wasn’t the only thinking of Rita when Lumen was relaxed in the bathtub. I swear that scene was uncanny.

Lumen: “I don’t even have a word for what I’m feeling.”
Dexter (to himself): “I do, it’s the dark passenger. I can’t get revenge for Rita’s death but I can avenge Lumen for what happened to her.”

Chronology: A few days since the events of “First Blood”.

An incredible solid and engaging episode, “Everything Is Illumenated” definitely amped up the dynamic between Dexter and Lumen and with more threats to come their way, I can say that I’m excited to see what happens next.

Rating: 9 out of 10.

Music To Go Deaf By

Okay, there will be two TV jumble blogs this week. The second will be up on Friday/Saturday.

Skins: I am really liking the fifth series a lot right now and this was another great episode. Even though I am not a heavy metal at all, I did enjoy Rich throughout this one and it was nice that him going deaf gave him more of an appreciation for Grace and her ballet. I wasn't surprised that they didn't hook up just yet, seeing as we've got six more episodes to go but I can wait. It's also nice to see a continued friendship between Grace, Franky, Alo and Rich, even though it's clearly rubbing Mini up the wrong way though. Still the series does need to develop Nick, Liv and Matty though.
Primeval: After a pretty disappointing fourth season, this episode sure as hell was something of a wimper. After Jenny's lacklustre return in the previous episode, I was hoping that Danny's would be a better effort but it wasn't. It also didn't help that him, Ethan/Patrick and Emily all decided to go into anomalies as well towards the end of the episode. The reveals of Matt being from the future and Philip being a baddie should've made more of an impact but who didn't see them coming? Here's hoping the fifth series is a lot better than this.

Secret Diary Of A Call Girl: Um, interesting first episode, liked the antics with the lawyer. This show is coming to an end and it's still managing to be both racy and ludicrous in equal measure. Of course, Stephanie would be in the cushiest prison going and of course Belle would be roped into being a guardian to Poppy and a madam in one fell swoop. Not that I'm complaining but it just wasn't much of a shocker is all. On the plus side, it does seem that progress between Belle and Ben is also being made. So, she'll choose him over her profession by the finale, yes?

Shameless: I've been watching the 8th season on and off and while the show has had better days, it still shows how bloody inferior the US version is nonetheless (just watched the second episode of that). Monica's return wasn't the greatest of things but if it helps keep Frank with Libby, then I guess it served a good purpose (and I liked the Doctor Who spoof as well). It does seem that the Maguires continue to be more vocal than the remaining Gallaghers though. In recent episodes, we've had Jamie/Karen reunited, Shane/Kelly pulling scams, Mickey humiliating teachers and Mimi battling serious insomnia and nearly endangering baby Cilla. Not too keen on the new neighbours but I do like Lillian's new girl though. Overall, the series isn't as good as it used to be but it's still one of the best things that Channel 4 produces nonetheless.

Marchlands: Not one but two spooky new series on TV (I have to catch up with Bedlam later in the week), I wasn't overly impressed with this one to be honest. It's not a bad series as such and it definitely has an interesting cast but it just didn't jump out to me to be honest. I liked that there was a story that's connecting three generations but the series is lacking something. Maybe the next few episodes will be stronger.

- Debra Messing is apparently being lined up for a musical pilot called Smash about a group of people who decide to stage a broadway show about Marilyn Monroe.

- Smallville's two part finale, will be titled, erm, Finale Parts 1 and 2 and will air on the CW on May 13th.
- Glee will be doing a sex education episode. It's the one that returns Holly and has Santana discuss her bisexuality as well. Oh and Kurt/Blaine aren't happening any time soon, folks.

- Brothers And Sisters 18th episode of Season 5 will feature the death of Ida as well as Justin's 30th birthday.

- Grey's Anatomy's musical episode will revolve all around Callie, who is recent US episodes has been revealed to be pregnant by Mark.

- Rose McGowan will play a violent grifter in an upcoming episode of Law And Order: SVU.

- NBC have reported to have given the greenlight to their own version of Prime Suspect.
- Paul Adelstein will direct an upcoming episode of Private Practice. Both Nicholas Brendan and Alex Kingston will also be appearing in future episodes as well.

My Review of Being Human's 3x03: "Type 4"

Written by Jamie Mathieson
Directed by Philip John

Sasha: “Thank you for being my friend, Annie.”
Annie: “It’s easy.”

Aww, wasn’t this a lovely episode with extra gore on top? Seriously, I have wondered if and when the show was ever going to stray into zombie territory and after this episode, I was more than satisfied with the results to be honest.

Okay, I probably could’ve done without the fact that zombies actually do experience serious agony when being burned but the character of Sash was definitely an eye opener for the rest of the gang this week, especially Annie. Annie might have started the story wanting Sasha out of her hair but her mind definitely changed before the halfway point of this episode.

As a guest character, Sasha is another success. Brassy and similar obnoxious to the way Adam was in the last episode but also rather likeable and fun as well. For a girl whose stench was ungodly and whose face was coming apart, she certainly had no problem in one scene pointing out that Annie didn’t look like someone who groomed herself very well. The cheek of her! Annie always scrubs up well.

Playing on the trope of Sasha not actually realising that she was one of the walking dead could’ve been a source for tedium but really it made a lot of sense, Sasha didn’t seem like the deeply self-aware type while she was living and obliviousness to her walking dead condition was actually rather amusing, more so because it wasn’t overextended.

She might not have instantly believed that her new mates comprised of a ghost, a vampire and two werewolves but being rejected by her idiot boyfriend, Gethin was definitely the wake up call that she needed to accept the fact that she was no longer technically alive. Plus prop points to her bravery when briefly embarking on a night out with Annie and Nina as well for equal measure too.

I wasn’t surprised that Sasha didn’t make it out of this episode alive. Her body had been decaying for a start and it had been getting worse as the episode progressed but I definitely did feel sad for her as she passed on. Her words of advice to Annie and Nina might have been laying it on a little thick given their current predicaments but I’m still glad that Sasha went there nonetheless to be honest.

With Sasha finally getting her door to the afterlife, it was up to Annie to actually pursue something with Mitchell. For a woman not remotely famed for subtlety, I’m actually surprised that it took Annie as long as it did to kiss Mitchell. She’s wanted to do it for ages but the sad thing is that despite her insistence that Mitchell’s a good man, it’s slightly hard to ship their relationship when there’s a big massive thing hanging in the air.

Three episodes in and I do think that Mitchell is at the point where he’s going to have to tell Annie, George and Nina about his part in the box tunnel massacre because he’s running out of options. We’ve already had both Lia and Richard wave that nugget at Mitchell and now it was Graham’s turn this week.

The only difference with Graham is that he went out of his way to befriend George and Annie and even came close to telling the latter about Mitchell’s misdeed. If Sasha turned out be a good presence for Annie, then Graham definitely had the opposite effect for Mitchell this week.

Dressed like him, Graham was the type of ‘fan’ to take things too far. Mitchell kept rejecting him and Graham tried to do his own train massacre as a result. Except that Graham managed to get killed by Mitchell before even being able taste a drop out of any of them. Bye Graham, it was a pleasure seeing you off my screen. However now that Mitchell knows that Cara is free, he really should start worrying and start opening up to the rest of the gang.

Speaking of opening up, this episode had the unexpected surprise of revealing that Nina used to be abused by her mother. Sinead Keenan and Russell Tovey continue to pull in some excellent performances in this series and this week was another highlight in the George and Nina dynamic.

I totally expected Nina to fall pregnant and while I can understand why she would consider having an abortion, I’m also really glad that she didn’t. The reveal about her mother and Nina’s own fears of becoming a parent just show how well this series can these types of storylines. I think it’s also safe to assume that with George and Nina’s decision to keep the baby that there’s another purpose for McNair and Tom next week as well.

Also in “Type 4”

Sasha was the hand that we saw at the end of the previous episode. This episode opened with a ‘two weeks ago’ cap.

Mitchell: “Can I have a word?”
George: “Can it wait until the morning or at least until after I’ve peed?”

Poor George, all he wanted to do was to take a leak but with Mitchell/Annie, Sasha and Nina’s pregnancy, he kept getting distracted.

George (to Mitchell, re Annie): “No, she hasn’t told me she fancies you. She doesn’t need to. Her body language is deafening.”

Mitchell (re Sasha): “There’s a car slowing down. I think people can see her.”
Annie: “Well of course people can see her, she’s got a body.”

I actually think it’s brilliant that Mitchell was unaware of zombies himself more or less. 117 years and even Mitchell gets to see something new along with George, Annie and Nina.

Annie (re Sasha): “She has got to go.”
George: “Wow that was easy.”
Mitchell: “Yeah, we thought we’d have to persuade you what with you both being dead and all.”

Annie: “Okay, well I’m a ghost, Mitchell’s a vampire and George and Nina are both werewolves.”
Sasha: “Fuck off. Werewolves.”

If we’re going to deal with the consequences of the Box Tunnel Massacre completely, shouldn’t that also mean that Daisy is dealt with as well?

Annie: “Well, there are worse things than being dead.”
Sasha: “Just look at me.”
Annie: “You can be seen and heard by others. I can’t.”

Nina (to George): “This thing inside me, whatever it is, it’s a baby and I will become a mother and that terrifies me more than any werewolf bullshit.”

I had to laugh Annie’s attempts of trying to fix up Sasha for their night out. It felt like a scene from Death Becomes Her.

George: “Mitchell, shall we get pissed?”
Mitchell: “You are a genius, George.”

Graham: “Tell people that you liked me.”
Mitchell: “I will.”

Standout music: Um, Roy Orbison’s “Pretty Woman” during the scene where Annie’s doing her work on Sasha.

Nina: “George, would you like to have a little hairy baby with me?”
George: “Yes I would.”

Chronology: Two weeks since “Adam’s Family”.

“Type 4” was definitely one of the grossest episodes we’ve had thanks to Sasha’s zombie form rotting up the place but it was also a rather touching episode too. I love that this season not only has found its groove but also how focused it’s become as well.

Rating: 9 out of 10.

My Review of Brothers And Sisters 5x03: "Faking It"

Written by Veronica Becker And Geoffrey Nauffts
Directed by Michael Schultz

Kevin: “I can’t believe you’re pulling this off, you’re such a good liar. She would’ve made a good lawyer.”
Nora: “Sarah, this is ridiculous. You have to tell him the truth about your age.”
Sarah: “I will, mom, I will – when I’m 80.”

Maybe I’m overreacting but is this what this show has been reduced to – an episode where one of the Walkers spends most of it lying about their age? This show used to be so much better than this and as episodes go, this was something of an embarrassment.

I’ve grown to like Luc over the last year and while Gilles Marini’s acting is hardly spectacular, I do find his enthusiasm for the series rather infectious. However the problem with Sarah and Luc as a couple is that they’re still rather shallow and this is something I totally blame the writers for.

The age thing between the pair of them is ridiculous now. I don’t care if Luc is younger than Sarah because he’s hardly a toy boy and while I can understand Sarah’s hang ups about being older, I found the idea that she lied about her age to him for over a year (or is it two?) more than insulting and stupid for my intelligence.

Practically, how the hell did she think that Luc wouldn’t have found out about her real age? Luc could’ve asked anyone about her age and he’s been around the Walkers long enough that it would’ve come up in conversation at one point or another. Then there was also the fact that he was able to plan a surprise family meal for her birthday as well.

This also led to another issue for me this week – where was everyone? Why couldn’t Kitty have postponed her date until later and surely the episode could’ve featured Tommy as well, right? After all, he’s been in every other birthday episode from the first four seasons, so why not this one as well?

I liked that in spite of Justin blurting out that Sarah wasn’t 40 that Luc already knew and was more amused about Sarah’s fibbing than pissed off. It’s things like that do endear me to him as a character but the writers really need to get past this ‘age difference’ rubbish between him and Sarah because it’s no longer relevant to their relationship. Plus, I’m not being rude but I actually do think that Luc looks older than Sarah most of the time anyways and that’s being polite about it.

Much as I disliked Sarah’s storyline in this episode, there was something I disliked even more – Kevin. Yes, I’m even shocked to write that thought down and while I get that Kevin was trying to get Kitty to move on with her life, I find that I’m beginning to resent the way the Walkers seem insistent on her doing it so quickly.

Robert may have technically been dead for a long time but only a short time has actually passed since Kitty’s buried him, so it’s more than a little crass for Kevin to be suggesting that she went on a date with Jack. Yes, he’s attractive but why can’t she just be allowed to move on at her own pace? It’s times like this, that I wish everyone would just shut the hell up and leave Kitty be.

Also I’m not Robert’s biggest fan (and I continue to cringe with each passing platitude Kevin comes out with about him) but it’s almost as if the writers are trying to disrespect the impact he actually did have on the show. I’m not saying that Kitty shouldn’t date at some point but I don’t see why there has to be such a rush with it though.

Plus the writers themselves for this episode more or less handled Jack and Kitty in a ham-fisted manner. Jack whined about politicians and Kitty stupidly made up a false name and her dinner date resulted in bad soufflé and way too much information dumping. Even though I know the show won’t do it, I’d actually rather that Kitty and Jack just stayed friends for a while instead of jumping into the obvious rebound relationship that they’re going to do with them.

Jack did have some good points about him though. He didn’t behave like an ass when Kitty told him the truth about herself and he encouraged her to find herself in a far better way than her own family has done and that’s another disappointment with this episode too. Heck, he even didn’t seem to mind Kevin’s obvious leering at him as well.

Speaking of Kevin, this was a terrible episode for him and an even worse one for Scotty, who had naff all to do. I really do hope that baby stuff aside, there is something interesting for them along the way because any more contributions like this from these two and I will be one irritated viewer.

In slightly less irritating plotlines, Rebecca’s return was certainly interesting in some ways. I’m not going to hold out hope for her and Justin reuniting because I already know that Emily Van Camp has left the series properly and despite their kiss, it was also painfully obvious that Justin and Rebecca’s marriage is clearly over as well.

What I did find interesting was the fact that Holly still can’t remember Rebecca as her daughter. I even felt awful for Rebecca as she had to witness how far her mother has deteriorated but at the same time, I am not worried about Holly going AWOL, even if David is. Chances are she’s probably safe enough, wherever she’s hiding at.

Last but not least – was I supposed to care that Nora jacked in her job? Zoe was a total bitch to her and it’s not like Nora particularly enjoyed working for the woman either. That being said, I do wish that the writers hadn’t laid it on so thickly about Nora’s age and the current economy even if it was a valid point. As for the plastic surgery angle, I’d rather like to pretend it didn’t happen, though I did like Saul’s conversation with Nora near the end of the episode this week. Saul also needs more to do as well.

Also in “Faking It”

Now that we’ve celebrated Sarah’s birthday that leaves Tommy, Justin and Saul in need of getting their own special episodes.

Kevin (re not going): “What’s my excuse? I live upstairs.”
Sarah: “I don’t know, you’ve got to wash your hair, Kevin, I don’t care. You’re not going.”

Why was Kevin bored in this episode and what was up with that accent he put on when talking to Jack? I should’ve laughed but I didn’t find it particularly funny.

Nora: “Maybe I should be a wheelchair tester.”
Sarah: “Is that even a thing?”
Nora: “I just wanna feel better about myself and right now, I feel old.”

Justin: “It feels good to paint this a new colour.”
Saul: “What was wrong with the old colour?”
Justin: “Rebecca picked it out.”

I think there was a new writer for this episode. I don’t remember Veronica Becker scripting anything else for the series until now.

Sarah: “Mom, I don’t mean to be insensitive but one day, I’ll be as old as you.”
Nora: “Well, that’s fine but you’re not now.”

Kitty: “I guess it’s time for me to figure out who I was supposed to be after all.”
Jack: “May I make a suggestion?”
Kitty: “Uh-huh.”
Jack: “Let’s cross ‘chef’ off the list.”

Standout music: “I’m With You” by The Stills.

Justin: “I’m a different guy to who I was last year.”
Rebecca: “How do I know that?”

Chronology: I don’t think much time has passed since “Brief Encounter” and why didn’t the writers actually reveal Sarah’s age in this one? She has to be at least 44 or 45, right?

I really found myself frustrated with “Faking It” as an episode. It should’ve gelled but it really didn’t and I just think that the show is rather unfocused at the moment. At least last year we had several plots but very few this year. Improve show, please.

Rating: 6 out of 10.

Torchwood - Season 4 Filming Spoilers

This week has been a good one. Not only are pictures of filming for Doctor Who's sixth season are coming in but so are ones for Torchwood's fourth year.

First thing is that Tom Price's character Andy Davidson has now gone from PC to Sergeant since the last time we've seen him and with filming in Cardiff this week, it seems that a lot of action is happening with him and the regulars. It'll be interesting to see how big Andy's role in the fourth season is. It'll also be a miracle if both him and Rhys are still alive by the end of the season as well.

I can't be sure what episode is being filmed - it's possbily the first one, considering that Life On Mars director Bharat Nalluri was seen on set for this one. Also joining the regulars apparently during filming in Cardiff was Mekhi Phifer and Dichen Lachman, whose role has not been disclosed yet. Here's hoping for some pics of Alexa Havins, Bill Pullman and Lauren Ambrose in the next batch, eh? I really want to see Esther, Oswald and Jilly in action already.

Returnees for this season of Torchwood also include actors William Thomas and Sharon Morgan as Geraint and Mary Cooper. I wonder if that means we'll be seeing Rhys's family as well if Gwen's are returning. Ian Hughes as also been cast as a character called Ralph Finch. Lena Kaur (Leila from Hollyoaks) will be playing Dr Alicia Patel, Danny Szam is listed as Surveillance while Daniel Adegboyega is listed as playing a guard as well. The casting is certainly growing. Maybe True Blood should watch out. I jest of course.

Russell T. Davies has also hinted that he might not remain with the series after the fourth season is finished. From an interview, he quoted ...

It's brilliant to return to Torchwood - in a way for me Torchwood never went away because it always lives in my head, really. The chance to take those characters, take Eve Myles's character Gwen Cooper and obviously Captain Jack, played by John Barrowman. It's their fourth year of stories now, it's kind of like they have become modern legends, I love that. And I think people of Wales have enjoyed it, everyone's in on the story, they're kind of in on the fun of it all, it's great to keep going.

And on what he'll do afterwards:

It's interesting as to how long I can stay in the science fiction world. Personally I think I'm coming to the end of it now and I've saved the world and blown up the world too many times, and I hope I leave Torchwood in rude health, and then I'll probably move onto something else then

It's time to write something just where people talk in kitchens, at least for me. But I hope we literally leave the franchise in in a very strong position that other writers come in and take it over.

I'm as critical of Russell's work as the next person and while he probably should move on from the sci-fi world, I'm not sure if the series could completely could go without it. Who'd take over? Maybe Jane Espenson if her and Drew Greenberg's remake of Randall And Hopkirk for SyFy goes balls up. What does everyone else think?

Filming Pictures 1: http://www.sfx.co.uk/2011/02/02/torchwood-filming-pics/

Filming Pictures 2: http://www.flickr.com/photos/alun_vega/

Walk The Plank - Doctor Who Series 6 Spoilers

Last week some big casting for the third episode of Series 6 was announced and this week, we're into full filming mode for it. Pictures, videos and stuff are from Gallifreybase and DoctorWhoSpoilers.

First picture sees what you should expect in a pirate themed episode - the Doctor being forced to walk the plank, presumably by Hugh Bonneville's character, Avery. Bits about this story seem to be the main villains are something called Sirens as well as vampire pirates (allegedly), it's based within the 17th century and the Doctor apparently talks about Avery's ship looking different from last time. Rory's being held back by one of Avery's men during the scenes where the Doctor's forced to make the plunge of doom.

In some of the other pictures, it seems that Amy won't be playing damsel in distress in this story. Not only do we see her in pirate gear but she's also taking a cutlass and fighting off some of Avery's men. Atta girl, Pond. In terms of casting, EastEnders Lee Ross will be playing Boatswain in this episode and Danny Sapani will be appearing in episode 7, titled Demons Run as Colonel Manton.

Once this episode is filmed, there will be five more to do - episodes 8, 10, 11, 12 and 13. I'm not sure how much of this episode actually plays into the ongoing strands of Series 6 but it definitely looks like it's going to be a very fun episode nonetheless.

Here's an exchange of what was overheard during the filming of this episode ....

The Doctor: "I suppose laughing like that’s part of the job description. Can you do the laugh – check. Grab yourself a parrot. Welcome aboard."
Avery: (Something like she talks alone my parrot and my men): "Take the doxy below to the galley and get her to work. She won’t need much feeding."
Amy: "Rory! A little help?"
Rory: "Hey! Hey! You! Listen! She’s not a doxy."
(Amy is taken below - The Doctor then talks to Avery which is inaudible, but ends with him addressing the Pirates...)
The Doctor: "A bit more laughter maybe guys, no, thank you!"
(The Doctor then looks over the side of the ship)
The Doctor: "Interesting jewellry by the way. And you’ve redecorated. What happened to the rest of the crew? Big ship, (Where’s the?) Pirates. I suppose the rest are hiding, they’re all going to jump out and shout "Boo!""
Amy: "Boo!"
[Amy appears from the hatch wielding her swordy.]

Can't wait to see this swashbuckling adventure when it hits the TV screens.

Filming Videos: http://doctorwhospoilers.com/2011/

More Pictures: http://community.livejournal.com/doctoreleven/510445.html?#cutid1

My Review of Dexter's 5x05: "First Blood"

Written by Tim Schlattmann
Directed by Romeo Tirone

Lumen: “You really want to get rid of me, don’t you?”
Dexter: “I want you to get on with your life.”

That may be noble and all of Dexter, but how is Lumen supposed to do that exactly? She can’t talk to her family, therapists or even the police about her attacks and Dexter won’t let her seek out her attackers and destroy. Plus he won’t properly deal with her as well. If anything, Dexter has made Lumen’s dilemma worse than it should be.

Underneath his own need for self preservation, he’s doing a lot of damage to the girl as well. Lumen needs to deal with her ordeal and Dexter needs to help her. Whether he likes it or not, he is the only person who actually can help Lumen and thanks to the end of this episode, he no longer will have a choice in denying her. That could be an odd blessing or an unmitigated disaster for the rest of the season.

I really don’t know what Lumen has been through mentally but like any viewer watching, I do have tremendous sympathy for her. She wants to kill the men who raped her and kept her against her will – can anyone actually blame her for that? Like Dexter however, Lumen came incredibly close to killing the wrong man this week – Boyd’s old cell mate. Here’s hoping any future mistakes are few and far between if she continues this path.

Dexter might have tried to prevent Lumen from opening up a dark passenger in her but she was pretty exhibiting signs of darkening with this episode though. The scanning at the airport, the extensive research she was trying to do. Lumen is definitely determined to get back on those who’ve hurt her.

Julia Stiles continued to do a fantastic job this week. I enjoyed all of her interactions with Dexter, even if they both were on the opposite side of the spectrum as well. It’s too late for Dexter in trying to stop Lumen, it’s now time for him to step up and help her. This should definitely be one hell of a partnership, right?

On a less exciting partnership front, Quinn is now resorting to bent cops to try and nail Dexter? I can’t determine if he’s just desperate or blindly reckless but either way, I really hope to god that this is another spectacular fail for Quinn because he’s doing very little to actually make me want him to catch Dexter out.

At least Doakes was slightly cleverer than Quinn and less of a bore as well. It’s interesting that this week both Dexter and Quinn made no effort to hide their mutual hostility towards each other in front of Deb. I also don’t imagine that Deb will be especially too happy when she realises that her new fuck buddy has an unhealthy interest in her brother.

The bigger question though, is whether or nor Quinn and his bent cop friend will actually succeed on getting anything incriminating on Dexter. Quinn was savvy enough to point out Dexter’s use for gloves and with Lumen around, it could also pique Quinn’s interest if he starts to do some snooping on the girl.

Speaking of snooping, Angel proved a painful point this week – don’t assume your wife is doing the dirt without proper proof first. Vague texts only led to Angel blundering into a sting operation in a seedy motel rather than a seedy affair. Even though he had a point about Maria’s secrecy, I actually don’t blame her for being mad at him.

In terms of the Santa Muerte stuff, the bodies pile up from the Fuentes brothers but we’re still no closer to finding them and apart from Deb figuring out that a symbol of an eye stood for a nightclub, little else progressed this week with the storyline unfortunately. Still, I did like the subplot with Masuka’s tattoo hobby and the tattooist, Michael Angelo is definitely a character I wouldn’t object to seeing again.

Also in “First Blood”

Lumen seemed to have a habit of spilling sugar all over the cafe table when she was nervous during her first scene with Dexter.

Lumen: “Every time you see me you look disappointed. Like you were hoping for an empty table.”
Dexter: “I still think you need to consider my advice.”

Was Dexter paying for Lumen’s hotel bills as well as the ticket to Minneapolis as well this week?

Deb (to Dexter, re Masuka): “Well good luck getting the midget porn off your hard drive. He might have shown it to me.”

Masuka: “This was a crisis of the soul, Morgan.”
Deb: “Don’t you have to have a soul for it to be in crisis?”

The tattooist, Michael Angelo was played by Katherine Moennig from The L Word and Deb had more chemistry with her in one scene than she has done with Quinn at all.

Harry (re Lumen): “She’s found a target.”
Dexter: “You don’t know what she’s planning.”
Harry: “If she keeps going this way, she’s gonna get herself killed. That or jail.”

Masuka: “Tramp stamp, I think I’m in love.”
Deb: “She’s into needles. Why don’t you show her your dick?”

Harrison’s been scratching other kids and Dexter this week. Contrary to what Dexter thinks, I’m not sure if he should be worried about Harrison turning into him just yet. Even Sonya didn’t seem worried about it.

Dexter: “See where this leads? It’s not too late. There’s still no blood on your hands.”
Lumen: “I just want to feel better. I want this to all go away.”
Dexter: “It will.”
Lumen: “I don’t see how it can.”

Dexter: “I’m sorry for ever thinking the worst, Harrison. You’ll always be my son. Whatever we have to face, we’ll face together, okay?”

Chronology: Not much time seems to have passed since “Beauty And The Beast” and this was also the third episode to tell us that Harrison was 10 months old.

“First Blood” wasn’t a bad episode but it’s one of the weaker ones we’ve had as well. Nothing really progressed all that much but at the same time, it didn’t feel like a wasted episode either, so that’s good, right?

Rating: 7 out of 10.

Soap Discussion - January 2011

And to end January off, here's a soap blog for you all ....

Coronation Street: This show has continued to improve over the last few months and the residual consequences of the tram crash storyline have been gripping stuff. It served as a motive for Claire being the one responsible for Tracy getting her head caved and there was an interesting sense of community spirit as everyone helped her escape the police. Tracy's going to have find some other way to vent her rage now. Also when we weren't dealing with Janice being burgled or Fiz's growing financial woes (and the unwise choice of helping to claim Joy Fishwick's will), there was John having a breakdown. He's really sensitive for a killer, ain't he? Gary's continuous breakdowns are also apt but the writers do need to give him to do as well and Eileen's stealing off Owen was surprisingly short lived. Highlight of the month was Sally's means of trying to dissuade buyers from her house. Take that, Kevin Webster.

EastEnders: For a show that won Best Soap at the NTA's last week, I'm struggling to think of one of the many big storylines in January 2011 that was actually likeable. I'm not gonna further comment on the baby swap storyline because it's so damn tedious that I don't want to care. Similarly I can't bring myself to care about Christian and Syed's boring quest to have a baby with Roxy because the writers can't be arsed to actually develop them as a couple. Nor do I care about Phil's near but not deadly heart attack or his tiresome feuding with Ian. Plus, if I go into the Carol/Connor and Phil/Glenda/Ian affairs, I might just throw up and unlike Heather's fecking sneezing about the place last week, I would be convincing. Overall, this was a month that gave and gave bad storylines in spades.

Emmerdale: Maybe the producers were feeling left out with the tram stuff but did they really think a fire storyline was going to ignite the same talk? Probably but it wasn't as good and given that both Terry and Viv were long time characters, they deserved better an exit. Plus, I don't believe Katie's really worth the effort, Henshall, though he didn't have to do much to convince the village that Andy was responsible though, did he? Better thought out storylines was Lisa's rape by creepy Derek, Maisie and Will's more subdued but effective exits and the recent antics with Faye, Cain, Charity and Jai, even if it does make Cain look like a dolt. Also, why do I get the bad feeling that Aaron and Jackson are effectively doomed? Those recent video diaries of Jackson's are not a good omen and neither is the arrival of Flynn, who I did find rather cute by the way.

Hollyoaks: A really great month for this show, even if I couldn't care less about Mercedes cheating on Riley with his dad. Overall, I'm loving the inclusion of Mitzee into the Brendan/Ste plot, enjoying the weird but interesting partnership of Brendan and Warren, the fallout of Jasmine/Jason's GID storyline with the Costellos and even little Tom trying to defend Jack from an intruder. For a soap that's heavily youth obsessed, it can be quite brilliant with storylines that other soaps aren't at times. Even the return of the rather annoying Gaz for a brief time couldn't deter the greatness of this month, though Nancy's moaning about Darren being a new dad was a little tiresome. Plus, no overkill on the McQueens as well certainly helped matters.

Fair City: I won't be talking about this soap every month (or maybe I will) but I have to admit that I like it when a soap gives us an odd coupling and Turlough and Neasa perfectly fit that trope. Not only have I managed to actually like Turlough and feel bad for him but it was nice to see one male character on the show not treat Neasa like a bimbo either. Too bad Bob has to be a perennial spanner in the works with his inane glee in trying to wreck both Turlough/Neasa and Carol/Louis whenever he got the chance to. And while I'm finding the whole trying to normalise the other Bishop brothers a bit too rushed, points to the show for the brief Come Dine With Me subplot with Niamh, Orla, Yvonne and Carol as well this month.

My Review of Being Human's 3x02: "Adam's Family"

Written by Brian Dooley
Directed by Colin Teague

Nina: “Stay in touch, yeah?”
Adam: “You so want me.”
George: “Good luck, yeah?”
Adam: “George, one more thing – you are such a sad arse.”

And it’s goodbye to you, Adam. If we ever wanted to see George and Nina in parental mode (and I have a feeling this episode sort of set that up), then their taking care of young vampire Adam was a pretty good case in point of proving how great they would be whenever they have their own kids. Notice I didn’t say if there, right?

I liked that Adam’s arc in some ways was more or less resembling Jessica’s from True Blood or even Caroline’s from The Vampire Diaries. Take a baby faced teenage vampire and try to help him survive in the big bad world now that his father has passed on. George and Nina didn’t have to help the lad but they’re better people for doing it though.

Adam didn’t make it exactly easy for them with his initial werewolf-phobic behaviour and penchant for running off and nearly snacking on a random girl but I did feel incredibly sorry for the guy when George and Nina originally handed him over to rich vampire couple, Richard and Emma. Thank goodness the pair of them saw sense.

Richard and Emma as vampires pretty much proved that all the money and privilege in the world still makes you a total div. They had care for the humans they drank off, in spite of their nifty little system and their attitude towards George and Nina definitely made me want to stake them as well.

Fortunately when it came down to the crunch, Adam chose a more complicated life over the idea of being stuck in a rich nightmare freak show with Richard and Emma. I’m guessing the idea of numbered gimp and having to shag Emma on a billiards table wasn’t exactly up Adam’s alley after all.

However while George and Nina did step up to the plate and got Adam away from the mad pair, why do I get the feeling that Richard’s threat of repercussions wasn’t just him blowing hot air? This season is supposed to be giving all kinds of villains and I would definitely be surprised if Richard and Emma didn’t surface later in the season to get their own back on George and Nina.

As for the goodbye scene with Adam, I thought it was absolutely a nice way of sending the character off. He’s already got his own journey to make and online spin-off with Becoming Human, so it’s definitely not the last we’ve seen of him. That’s great, because despite some of his doltish behaviour and the fact that he looked horribly unkempt for the first half of the episode, he was definitely a more entertaining vampire than Vincent was in the previous episode.

Less entertaining this week was Mitchell. I can understand his reluctance in telling the gang that he’s got a werewolf related death coming his way but I found myself getting annoyed with him throughout this episode for multiple reasons – taking so long to help Adam out being one of them.

But the main was his attitude with Annie. Yes, he had some great moments with her and while he was right to tell her not to define herself by the gang, he’s also doing a lot of harm to her by lying to her as well. I really do hope that we don’t have to wait until the finale for Mitchell to let everyone else know that he’s got a nasty prophecy hanging over his head.

Also in “Adam’s Family”

Becoming Human can be seen on the BBC3 website as well as the red button and will continue for the rest of this series.

Annie: “It wasn’t actually all that bad.”
Nina: “Annie, you were in purgatory.”
Annie: “Yeah, I know but I’ve been to the Isle Of Wight, so it’s not really that much of a culture shock.”

Adam's dad mentioned having a thing for Anneke Rice. My bad.

Nina: “I know what you are.”
Adam: “So you know what I can do to you if you come any nearer, Goldie.”

Richard (re Mitchell): “I expected some demon. What do I find? The last Russell Brand in the shop.”

Richard tried to get Mitchell to go to South America on behalf of the Old Ones. Mitchell should be a lot more worried that Richard knows about the Box Tunnel Massacre.

George (to Adam, re Annie): “You’re a 46 year old vampire who dresses like a child. Don’t call her freaky.”

Adam: “Just because you’re a vampire doesn’t mean you have to smell like the undead. One word, Mitch: deodorant.”

Despite no appearances from McNair and Tom, more hints of Mitchell’s death by werewolf came with a fantasy sequence news announcement. In better news, he managed to bag another cleaning job.

Richard (to George/Nina): “You may not understand our little arrangement here but at least accept that it works.”

Who was that hand that we saw at the end of the episode? I don’t remember anyone being turned in this episode.

George: “Did you just realise that I’m zipping up my coat and going back there?”
Nina: “Yeah and I’m coming with you.”

Richard (re George/Nina): “These are not your people. These animals ...”
Adam: “Yeah, tell it to someone who gives a shit.”

I couldn’t find any of the music credits for this episode and not much time has passed since “Lia”. Annie mentioned a day or something.

“Adam’s Family” isn’t as good as the opening episode but it’s certainly a nice set up for the character and his online spin-off and while the Mitchell/Annie bits were a little disappointing, I think George and Nina more than made up for it.

Rating: 7 out of 10.

Doctor Who - NTA Sketch

Written by Steven Moffat
Directed by Richard Senior

Dermot O’Leary: “I’ve missed the National Television Awards. I’m an idiot.”
The Doctor: “Can I help?”

Can you go back to last Wednesday and stop Waterloo Road from scooping best drama because that would be a tonic and a bit? Um, bitterness aside, this proved to be one sketch too many.

Maybe it’s because most of the TV personalities who contributed to it are ones that annoy me or maybe it’s because I don’t ever want to think of Amanda Holden being Prime Minister or Becky MacDonald being the Doctor’s future wife. Either way, this three and a half minute sketch struck a bum note.

Dermot O’Leary – nice bloke but sort of bland and not really all that great an NTA host. Similarly wasn’t that great in this either, I’m afraid. As for Matt Smith, I was kind of embarrassed for him with this one. Even if this had been a Children In Need sketch, it still wouldn’t have worked so well.

On the plus side, it doesn’t last that long, still is nowhere near as bad as Dimensions In Time and we did get to see a new outfit for the 11th Doctor but aside from that, it just didn’t gel all that much.

- There were mentions of canaries in mine shafts before Dermot had to meet Bruce Forsyth.
- Is it wise to have a top rated BBC show slag off the BBC itself?
- Dermot O’Leary, okay he did look nice in that tuxedo but I still didn’t find him that great an NTA host.
- Shame about Matt Smith losing out to David Jason but at least he had worthy competition in one of his categories.

A bit overblown but I think some people will have enjoyed this one more than me. I expect a better sketch/missing scene for Children In Need or Comic Relief this year though.

Rating: 5 out of 10.

Doctor Who - Series 6 Monsters Return

Okay, I was desperately hoping for some major casting for Doctor Who but even I was pleasantly surprised when the press today revealed that Downton Abbey's Hugh Bonneville would be joining the series. He's guesting in the Steven Thompson episode, playing a pirate captain called Avery and while things are getting more secretive on the spoiler front, it seems the director for this episode is Jeremy Webb from Merlin. This is the third episode of the sixth season that is currently being filmed. The cast will also be travelling to Cornwall next week to film in Charlestown for this episode.

Meanwhile back to the game changing, 7th episode (or the series 777th episode if you like), it seems that Dorium, the alien from The Pandorica Opens that River acquired a vortex manipulator off is back in the mix. He's not also the only thing returning as both Cybermen and Sontarans (Dan Starkey playing a character called Strax) will be appearing in this episode as well. Other casting for episode 7 include Annabel Cleare and her son, Henry in two undisclosed roles, Lydia Fewell as Child Alien, Dan Johnston as Thin Man and Charlie Baker as Fat Man. This episode is directed by Peter Hoar.

There's also been some recent speculation on Twitter that Gareth Roberts could be writing an upcoming episode and Toby Whithouse has been confirmed for an episode as well, which means nearly all the writers for the season have been announced. Episode 7 is also due to heavily twin babies as well, which could add more fuel to the fire about Amy/Rory being River's parents. It's the current popularity theory in regards to River's identity being bandied about the place, despite no concrete proof yet to support it.

Welcome To Bristol, Franky

NB: After this blog, I will not be talking about either Skins US and UK in the same TV jumble. Today is an exception to the rule though.

Skins UK: Wow, a freaking return to form. Much as I loathed the overt depression of Series 4, I was hoping that Series 5 would get this show back on an even keel and this episode managed to mostly do that. Generation 3 are definitely going to be an interesting bunch and androgynous Franky's domination of this episode was the best thing ever. Some of the scenes were uncomfortable to watch (who the fuck seriously would cyber bully someone on that level?) but I did enjoy the character's various interactions between superbitch Mini, promiscious Liv, happy people pleaser and occassional thief, Grace, mystery man Matty and Alo and Rich. The only new character so far who didn't make a strong impression was Mini's meathead boyfriend, Nick. Overall, it's nice to see this show back to it's glory.

Skins US: After an underwhelming pilot episode, the second one really needed to make an impression. It's only a shame that for MTV, the show's lost over half it's viewers because this was a step in the right direction. Tea is definitely shaping up to be a fascinating character and she's got more of a command than this version of Tony could ever muster. Heck, even during their scenes together, Tea totally wiped the floor with him and her whole family dynamic certainly proved that this show has more substance than the PTC want to credit it with. Please MTV, let this show last for a second year because if we keep getting quality episodes like Tea's, this show will be fine.

Being Human US: Not a bad second episode, but definitely a little patchy in bits. I like Josh, I do but I hated his rejection of Emily in this one and I'm not sure if I like the co-dependant aspect of him and Aidan's friendship. The flashbacks for all the main players backstory was nice and Rebecca has a certain viciousness that makes her a fine threat, even more than Bishop. The Sally and Danny stuff sort of dragged in parts though but two episodes in, I definitely think this is a decent take on the UK series.

Primeval: I'm just about ready to jack this show in. I realised once again why I don't want to watch it - it just doesn't emotionally engage me. I don't care enough about the characters, the whole dinosaur plot is pretty limiting and the whole arc with Matt and the old guy is petering out and Philip isn't that much of an interesting antagonist either. On the plus side, the Emily and Ethan is sort of effective and some of the guest actors are interesting. I also didn't mind some dino attacks in the school either in the fourth episode.

Mrs Browns Boys: I'm still curious as to how this will do whenever BBC1 start airing it. Recent episodes still kept rehashing stuff from the DVDs such as Maria's hen night and the appearance of petty crook Buster Brady as well as Cathy's dire love life. It's still funny stuff but not as much as it could be I guess. Maybe because I've seen most of the jokes before and they were better done back then.

- Callum Blue will be reprising his role as Zod for one episode of Smallville.

- Former Skins actor, Luke Pasqualino has been cast as a young Adama in the upcoming Battlestar Galactica: Blood And Chrome.

- Kate Walsh will be appearing in the musical episode of Grey's Anatomy. The episode airs on ABC on March 31st.

- Kevin and Scotty will have to deal with Olivia's brother in an upcoming episode of Brothers And Sisters. Matthew Rhys will also direct another episode as well.

- Will Ferrell will be guesting in an upcoming episode of the US version of The Office.
- Paul Wesley has promised an upcoming episode of The Vampire Diaries will feature a new flashback. Joseph Morgan has been cast as Klaus.

My Review of Brothers And Sisters 5x02: "Brief Encounter"

Written by Molly Newman
Directed by Jonathan Kaplan

Nora: “You think I’m gay?”
Kitty: “Yeah. Aren’t you?”
Nora: “No, I’m not a lesbian, I’m a florist.”

Without a doubt the above quote comes from one of the most amusing scenes we’ve ever had on this show but as funny as it is, I just gotta face palm (Picard style) Kitty for a bit. Nora’s gay? The show barely focuses on Saul’s homosexuality, so why would they make Nora gay at all?

Of course, it’s all a rather stretched out misunderstanding. Nora spent too much of the time acting evasive about her new job, Kitty overheard and misunderstood a phone conversation and came to the wrong conclusion after she decided to follow her mother to a mystery woman’s house.

Also in typical Walker style, Kitty then decided to tell everyone her theory about Nora having a girlfriend before actually asking her mother what was going on in the first place. It’s the type of thing that the show’s done to death at this rate and while it was funny, it was also very stupid as well.

Kitty had the flimsiest of proof going and made a blunder. Not the worst going though but still pretty bad. Nora’s protests of her heterosexuality in response to Kitty’s false findings though were brilliantly acted out but the thing I don’t get was why she felt the need to hide her florist job in the first place?

There’s no shame in working in a florist, though realistically with a house like Nora’s, I’m not sure if working in one would keep her afloat but every little helps I guess. However, I do find this Zoe woman a pain in the arse and this week we only had to put up with her on the phone and it’s a little too contrived that Nora would bag a radio gig opportunity with Zeke in the manner she did.

Zeke might have liked Nora giving her children a verbal dressing down in public but I reckon he’d quickly change his mind if he made the mistake of getting on her bad side, which would be a likely plot point. I’m going to assume that Nora will take the job – if not by next episode then soon enough, because it’s definitely clear that working with Zoe is going to drive her nuts pretty soon.

As for Nora’s dressing down of her kids again, I agreed with most of her comments but I think the ones with Kitty were a little harsh. Kitty’s just buried her husband, I think she’s entitled to a little moping and to be fair, Kitty did spend more of this episode house hunting and prying into Nora’s private affairs than she actually did mope.

Also I do want to see Robert’s death affect Kitty. I don’t need scene after scene of her lamenting about Robert, but I don’t want his death swept under the carpet either. He was a crucial part of the show and there does need to be a certain level of respect attributed to him as well, that’s all I’m saying.

Speaking of respect, there’s a reason why I’m glad that Paige does not appear in every episode of this show and this episode sort of reinforced that point. She’s not the worst kid on TV but she can be a little annoying and her teen rebellion storylines aren’t that much interesting to watch. Like Nora, I also don’t think Sarah should’ve let her gone to that celebrity launch for Luc’s underwear either.

Some of those scenes actually focused more on the Walkers than women gushing over Luc, so I have to commend the episode for that but Paige getting drunk made me laugh because compared to the likes of Skins, it looks so lightweight and tame by comparison. I did like the later scenes with Paige and Sarah connecting a little more and it’s nice that Luc is sort of taking a Scotty type calm role within Sarah’s chaotic family world. For that alone, I will commend him as a character.

However when it comes to commending, I actually am finding myself oddly engrossed in Holly’s amnesia storyline. I don’t know why because in the back of my head, I don’t have much investment in her and David as a couple and now really is the perfect time for the show to get out of both of them but for some reason, this storyline is working.

Maybe I should cite it to Justin’s involvement and the fact that Holly’s lack of feelings towards Rebecca is both sad and kind of chilling. Plus, it’s also Justin in a noble type of role, even if he is desperate to be back with his wife but overall this plot is a lot better than I thought it would be.

As for the Kevin and Scotty segment of the week – Kevin, you dolt. I probably would have some similar mistrust about Matteo as well but without Nora’s powers of perception, it was blindingly obvious that the lad broke into Scotty’s restaurant because he wanted to reach to him and Kevin. Sometimes Kevin doesn’t really think and he’s usually one of the smarter Walkers.

I did like the later scenes where Kevin actually did listen and allowed Matteo to talk about his father. Also, even though I was surprised that Matteo didn’t end up living with Kevin and Scotty, I don’t mind the twist of him being sent to his grandmother. I think I really do need a few more episodes of Kevin and Scotty together without a child being added into the mix for the time being.

Also in “Brief Encounter”

We’ve been there and done that over Sarah being critical over Paige’s choice of attire. Remember Season 3, writers?

Sarah (re Nora): “Where would she go so early?”
Kitty: “Well, I’m thinking that maybe her bed wasn’t slept in at all.”

I had to laugh at Paige picking Luc’s suit, if only for Sarah’s reaction. Now that was one thing I did agree with Paige in this episode about.

Kevin (to Matteo): “You had a good lawyer. I can’t be your lawyer anymore, now I’m your victim and you’re about not getting any money. Intent is intent, so don’t think you’re so smart.”

Nora: “I’d love to go house hunting with you. Anytime, you name it.”
Kitty: “Tomorrow.”
Nora: “Tomorrow’s not good for me.”
Kitty: “You busy all day?”

If this show has jumped a year, surely Nora has to be older than 63, right? Also where the heck was Saul this week? I also found Justin and Kevin’s reactions to the idea of Nora being gay more amusing than Scotty accidentally downloading granny porn on Kevin’s phone.

Kitty: “Why are the police calling you?”
Scotty: “Maybe your phone’s tapped.”
Kevin: “Scotty, it’s not illegal to look at grandmas doing it.”
Justin: “Are you sure?”

David: “I can show you these and give you a sense of who our daughter is.”
Holly: “I can’t feel something I don’t feel. Sorry.”

Standout music: Simon Lynge’s “The Future”, which was played at the end of the episode.

Nora: “No, Kitty, living in limbo and avoiding the future is not going to help you one bit. Neither is inventing a fictional life for your mother. You need to take the first painful steps for your new life.”

Chronology: No specific time has been mentioned since “The Homecoming”.

“Brief Encounter” wasn’t a bad episode but it’s definitely not one of my favourites. The Nora mishap was amusing but the show has done funnier and I could’ve done without the Paige plot as well. Other than that, the rest was fine.

Rating: 7 out of 10.