Recap/Review: American Horror Story: Freak Show - Monsters Among Us

Come one, come all, you must be this tall to ride at the carnival!

And the Freak Show is officially opened for business with this slightly longer than usual opening episode. So let's get this crazy show on the road, shall we?

Written by Ryan Murphy And Brad Falchuk
Directed by Ryan Murphy

The Ringmaster On Mars: Meet Elsa Mars - a German ex-pat/chanteuse who is desperate to save her freak show from closing down and more importantly is desperate for the spotlight as she confessed to right hand woman, Ethel at the end of the episode. It's only one episode so far, but with Jessica Lange's past characters, there's something already about Elsa that I wouldn't trust, even if my life depended on it. She definitely had no problem being a killjoy with Jimmy's flirting with women and also the way she manipulated both conjoined twins, Bette and Dot Tatler into joining her show. As for her version of Life On Mars - it wasn't a match on The Name Game but I have a feeling that's somewhat intentional. On the plus side, Elsa is kind of likeable but clearly manipulative and I'm not entirely sold on Lange's German accent either.

Sweet & Surly: The main attraction of the episode however was Sarah Paulson, this time taking on the dual role of conjoined twins, Bette and Dot. While one may appear sweet and innocent and the other one something of a mood killer, both ladies have murder on their hands and are now forced to be a part of Elsa's troupe of freaks given that the authorities have deduced that their mother died at their hands. Between the two, I found myself like Dot all the more, even if she was relentlessly scathing throughout the episode. However, at least one person managed to dent her frosty demeanour but I like that she's not instantly trusting of Elsa, which will undoubtedly lead to bigger problems as the season progresses.

Freaks Among Us: While Bette and Dot were the obvious attraction of the episode, there was still the fact that we had lobster hands Jimmy (who made use of his hands in this episode), his bearded lady mother, Ethel (Kathy Bates's accents kept struggling here), Ma Petite, Pepper from Asylum (which seemed to be foreshadowed at), a guy who bites the heads off animals called Meep, a cortortionist as well as a drugged out candy striper named Penny to name a few. You think with this crowd, the shows wouldn't be dying out but the episode made it clear that residents of 1952 Jupiter were not happy with them and the episode ended up with Jimmy getting everyone to make a deadly stand against any future oppressors while a certain someone looked on. Leading to my next point.

The Clown: Yup, let's meet Twisty, shall we? I'm not gonna say he's the scariest clown I've ever seen in popular culture but he's certainly menacing enough to make an impression. In this episode alone, he killed one family and an unfortunate bloke named Troy while keeping the former's son and latter's girlfriend hostage in a caravan. Physically he looked gruesome enough with John Carroll Lynch being creepy without uttering a word and the fact that he's made it onto Elsa's patch should be very interesting in the next few weeks.

Money Can't Buy A Freak: But seriously spoiled brat Dandy Mott (Finn Wittrock) and his coddling mother, Gloria (Frances Conroy) certainly tried to when it came to acquiring both Bette and Dot. I'm not sure how they're going to factor into the rest of the season but there's already something rather off with Dandy (his fascination for freaks didn't seem like it was out of sympathy), which means that he could become seriously unhinged or annoying as the season progresses or likely both. Also likely to be killed off within the first half as well.

A fun, enjoyable enough opening episode that did what it needed to do. Next week, we're meeting Ethel's ex-husband and his new wife.

My Review of Revenge's 4x02: "Disclosure"

Written by Joe Fazzio
Directed by Kenneth Fink

Charlotte (to Emily): “Goodnight sis.”

Okay, I wasn’t expecting that. I knew with nearly everyone else being privy to whom Emily really was by now that of course Charlotte would find out but I didn’t expect it to be in this episode. I actually thought it would’ve been left for the sweeps episode but what the hey, right?

So, how did Charlotte take the news about her former sister in law being her actual sister? Not very well, which by now we all know is Charlotte’s default setting. I expected the rant about choosing revenge over embracing family and actually agreed with it but then Charlotte hit a new low this week.

I get that she’s pissed off with Emily lying to her for so long but knocking her out and leaving her to burn in the Stowaway was a bitch move on her part. I think the annoying thing that despite the fact Emily will of course survive being nearly burned alive, Charlotte will suffer no actual consequence for her murder attempt on her sister. Unless Emily decides to initial some tough love and I certainly hope that she does.

For a lot of people, this episode probably wasn’t the most enjoyable because of all the focus that Charlotte got in this episode. Even before her little murder attempt, we had to endure scenes of her whining over Gideon cheating on her (aside from Declan, Charlotte continues to show bad judgement with blokes) and that almost laughable suicide attempt.

The thing is a few seasons ago, I would’ve felt bad for Charlotte but I ended up being more disappointed that Emily didn’t push her off the balcony and spared us more of Charlotte’s whinging. When are the writers going to realise that Charlotte in either ‘woe is me’ or superbitch doesn’t work because Christa B. Allen cannot pull either off with any real conviction? It’s an overdue lesson by now.

Speaking of lessons, I will praise both Daniel and Margaux this week by banding together and getting rid of Gideon. Planting drugs on him was a smart enough move and if we never ever have to see the character again, then at least Daniel will have done one decent thing in the last while. As for his renewed partnership with Margaux, that I’m less bothered about. In general, both of those characters seem disconnected from the important plot strands of the season so far.

Getting back to the important bits, the David and Victoria scenes were such a mixed bag. At least unlike Victoria’s other lovers (Conrad excluded and is it wrong that I miss him?), the chemistry with her and David is solid but I don’t like the idea of David buying into her bullshit so readily and I already hate that Victoria is setting him against Emily. I really hope there’s going to be a reveal that David is actually double crossing Victoria and is far savvier than he’s letting on, otherwise this plot is going to disappoint a lot.

Also in “Disclosure”

Nolan has had fuck all to do this season of real interest. This worries me, especially when characters like Gideon have gotten more to do.

Nolan: “I don’t like being on the defensive.”
Emily (re Victoria): “Then find her and I’ll end this for good.”

I noticed there was no opening or closing narration in this episode.

David: “This isn’t a dream, Victoria.”
Victoria: “But you were murdered. I’ve seen your grave.”
David: “This is my grave.”

Emily: “I’m your sister, Charlotte. I’m Amanda.”

Another thing that Charlotte did to annoy me – smashing the Infinity box. Right now, that means only Daniel, Margaux and David are the only main characters left to know that Emily is Amanda Clarke.

Charlotte (to Emily): “You spent three years fighting for a family that was right in front of you and instead of embracing me, you used me and lied to me.”

Ben’s interest in Emily isn’t coming across particularly well. I did like that Jack told him to back off a bit though.

Victoria: “What have you done?”
David: “I killed Conrad.”

Emily (to Nolan): “Charlotte was right. I chose revenge over her.”

Standout music: “Up In Flames” by Icon For Hire.

Daniel (re Gideon): “You got rid of him first.”
Margaux: “I didn’t have a choice.”

Chronology: From where “Renaissance” left off.

This wasn’t the most exciting of episodes and that is a shame because between Charlotte finally knowing who Emily really is and the Victoria/David stuff, this should’ve been a far stronger episode than it was.

Rating: 7 out of 10

My Review of Gotham's 1x03: "The Balloonman"

Written by John Stephens
Directed by Dermott Downs

Davis (to Gordon): “There will be more like me, detective. You know that, don’t you?”

Our first vigilante episode and it was certainly a quirky enough tale. To be honest, I’ve never really given a great deal of thought to weather balloons, so the fact that they were used as a weapon of choice against corrupt Gothamites was actually pretty inspired as well.

Davis had a point though – there will be more of him and I’m clearly not referring to Bruce, who seemed opposed to the killing aspect of the Balloonman’s mission. He was just the beginning of certain people who will take the law into their own hands and dish out their own brand of justice but at the same time, Davis was an interesting start.

I liked the contrast between victims here as well – one was a shady con artist (Ronald Danser) and the other was a corrupt cop (Lt Cranston), but it was only when the latter was attacked that both Bullock and Essen even bothered to take the Balloonman’s actions seriously. Before then, only Jim was bothered, which he told both Bullock and Barbara about in various scenes.

I did side with Davis in this episode but at the same time, I like that Bruce was able to see the flaw in the Balloonman’s actions when he wasn’t attempting to do some detective work of his own. We may be a long way away from Bruce donning a certain cape and cowl but the seeds for his future are still being planted and I did like his scenes with Alfred in this episode as well in relation to the case of the week.

Keeping with seeds being planted, Selina herself was only relegated to two scenes but she made sure to use them wisely. She gave Gordon enough information about the Waynes murder but at the same time managed to also give him the slip as well. Even in brief moments, this version of Selina is fantastic to watch yet again.

However, it’s Oswald who once again was the highlight of the episode though. I loved that he didn’t waste time in getting back to Gotham and I certainly loved how he managed to endear himself to Sal Maroni (nice introduction/welcome aboard David Zayas) and the last scene where he showed up at Jim and Barbara’s place was a brilliant way of ending the episode.

With Oswald resurfacing quickly and Maroni making himself known, it might be time for both Falcone and Fish to put their passive aggressive dynamic behind them and band together. On the other hand, I did sort of like Fish getting her own back on Falcone and his veiled threat to her was effective enough.

As for the rest of the episode – I really like Renee Montoya a lot but her hostility towards Gordon is going to wear thin very fast if she doesn’t snap out of it. Why was she so quick to believe Fish about Gordon and Oswald? I certainly wouldn’t take what Fish was telling me as gospel. I’d make sure I had my facts before publicly accusing a man of murder in his own work place. Renee dropped the ball here big time. She’s going to have egg on her face when she does realise that Oswald is actually still alive.

On the plus side, at least this episode did give us some insight into her and Barbara’s past relationship though. Unfortunately it seemed that when they were together they used to do mostly drugs and lie to each other. It also seems that along with keeping her past relationship with Renee from Jim that Barbara also does some weed on the side. Suddenly both Barbara and Jim are looking less and less ideal as a couple.

Also in “The Balloonman”

That frat boy from last week wasn’t seen in this episode. Oswald also killed another bloke, bought a tuna sandwich and got a job in a restaurant that Maroni frequents. Plus, shoe theft.

Gordon (re mugger): “You saw him here in the dark?”
Selina: “I can see in the dark.”

Arkham was mentioned several times in this episode. It’s a good thing we’re actually seeing the place in the next episode then.

Fish (to Renee, re Oswald): “He’s dead but I didn’t kill the little snitch. Word is Jim Gordon pulled the trigger.”

Alfred (re police reports): “Why would you want to look at these? They’re horrible. They’ll give you nightmares.”
Bruce: “I have those anyway and I’m looking for clues.”

All Lazlo did in this episode was express concern for Fish and she decided to have one of her cronies take care of him. Boo.

Bullock: “For the last time, Gordon, let it go.”
Gordon: “Or what? Am I gonna be the next person taken out to the pier to get a bullet in the head?”

Barbara: “You’re lying but I guess I should be used to that.”
Renee: “True. When we were together, I did lie to you but you always knew.”

Both Butch and Nygma were missing from this episode. Also we still don’t know the name of Fish’s bar? Unless I keep missing it that is.

Maroni: “I was a lot like you, started from nothing but I kept my head down, worked hard and look at me? Gotham is the city of opportunity.”
Oswald: “Yes sir, I believe that too.”

Oswald: “Hello James, old friend.”

Chronology: Not long from where “Selina Kyle” left off.

Possibly the weakest of the first three episodes to air but at the same time, “The Balloonman” did give us our first taste of a vigilante and while I’m sure there will be more interesting ones to come, this was still a good start though.

Rating: 7 out of 10

Atlantis - Series 2 Returns In November

Yup. I was expecting it to be pushed to early 2015 (still think it should've been) but over the weekend, BBC1 confirmed that Atlantis will be returning sooner than expected.

A brief trailer released on Saturday certainly hinted that the show might be adapting a darker turn than it's opening year but I have a feeling it won't be as dark as the BBC are trying to hype it up to be. If the can tone down some of the more juvenile jokes about Hercules weight that would at least be a modicum of an improvement. I'm not sure if I'm going to review this episodically again or just do brief recaps/relegate it to TV jumble blogs/do a series overview but I guess I will watch it again as it is getting Doctor Who's timeslot again.

Series 2 Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2KD3D0RzqA

Series 2 of Atlantis will air on Saturdays 8.30pm on BBC1 from November 15th.

My Review of Doctor Who's 8x07: "Kill The Moon"

Written by Peter Harness
Directed by Paul Wilmshurst

Lundvik: “How do we kill it?”
The Doctor: “Kill the moon?”

I took longer than usual with this episode. Both in terms of rewatching it and posting thoughts about it online. It’s not that I hated the episode, I actually didn’t but unlike “Listen”, I’m not sure if this episode will become a classic in spite of it’s controversial moments.

The premise of the Doctor, Clara and Courtney landing on the Moon in 2049 with a suicide mission crew there to blow it up had a good general concept. I think it’s the bit where the Moon turned out to be an egg and a creature being hatched from it is where things might not have worked in this episode’s favour.

Aside from the pro-life/pro-choice analogies that seemed to rub a certain segment of fandom up the wrong way (I saw them but I don’t think they were meant to be deliberate), the debate as to whether or not a living creature should be allowed to live, even if there’s a risk to humanity is hardly new for the show. The only thing is that it’s been somewhat better handled in past stories.

I liked that the Doctor wanted to let humanity decide their fate. It’s not entirely out of character for him to do that every once in a while (hence the not remotely subtle Hitler comparison) but at the same time, this was a time when that sort of thing could’ve easily blown up in his face. In fact, it almost very nearly did.

Although Lundvik’s misanthropy became grating at certain points (Hermione Norris was playing something of a joyless character, minus at least two small moments), her desire to blow up the Moon and kill the creature was kind of understandable and when Clara gave Earth the choice, pretty much all of them had the same idea as Lundvik really.

As for Clara and Courtney – both of them were against the idea of killing the creature and both of them came up with pragmatic reasons to spare it’s life but at the same time, neither of them had that certain that the creature would simply just move along and pop out another Moon/egg in it’s place. I hate to admit it but in some ways, I was kind of on Lundvik’s side here, even if she wasn’t the most likeable of guest characters we’ve had.

Also the fact that another Moon was just added in it’s place, while lovely, did sort of undermine the danger that the previous forty minutes was trying to portray at breakneck speed. We even had some nasty looking spider bacteria creatures who massacred a previous crew and all of Lundvik’s crew as well. Horrible as it might sound, but the loss of her crew weren’t a great loss to the episode given that they barely had anything interesting to do before they were all wiped out.

As for the other major points of the episode – I have to admit it, I actually liked Courtney. While I’m in no rush to see any more of the character again, I do think she was well utilised in the episode – asking the right questions, showing the right levels of fear, compassion and common sense and even defending herself from one of those spider creatures. Even the reveal of her future was a little neat, if odd at the end of the episode.

However, the argument between the Doctor and Clara – both of them were right and wrong and while Clara isn’t gone just yet from the TARDIS, it’s pretty obvious the seeds to her eventual exit are being sown here. I don’t think Danny was particularly helpful during the last scene but perhaps a little distance just might help the Doctor and Clara as well.

Also in “Kill The Moon”

You have to give Courtney her due – she brought cleaning stuff and those bands to prevent sickness as well. Still can’t believe she ends up as a US president though.

Clara (re the Doctor): “Maybe he’s not coming. In fact, I really don’t think he is. We’re on our own.”

This episode was filmed in Lanzarote and despite the original title of “Return To Sarn” it bore no connection to a certain Fifth Doctor story.

Lundvik (to the Doctor): “That’s what we do with aliens, isn’t it? Blow them up.”

Courtney (to Clara): “I’m really sorry but I’d like to go home.”

As many people have pointed out, Courtney is most definitely not the first woman on the Moon but I got the impression the Doctor was humouring her.

Lundvik (re the Doctor): “Will he? Will he be back?”
Clara: “If says so, I suppose he will.”

The Doctor (to Clara): “I’ve never killed Hitler and you wouldn’t expect me to.”

The blackboard was seen again in this episode before the Doctor and Clara had their fight. I couldn’t make out what was on it though.

Lundvik (to Clara): “Listen, I don’t want to do this. All my life, I’ve dreamed about coming here but this how it ends.”

Wouldn’t Lundvik herself been of an age where she would’ve used Tumblr, rather than her grandmother? Technically, she’s younger than both Clara and Courtney.

Clara (to the Doctor): “You go away, okay? You go a long way away.”

Chronology: Mostly 2049 on the Moon as well as 2014 in Coal Hill I guess.

I’m not sure if “Kill The Moon” will go quite down as the classic it was hoping to do so, but it was certainly an interesting, character driven piece nonetheless with the Doctor and Clara’s relationship probably at an all time low as well. While the trailer for the next episode seem to indicate that Clara isn’t part of the main action, her time with this particular Doctor isn’t quite done yet.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Supergirl - CBS To Develop Series

Yup, it's happening. A series focusing on Supergirl that is aka Superman's 24-year old cousin, Kara Zor-El.

And on CBS of all places, which is what I find more shocking, considering they don't exactly branch out that much in this particular genre but over the last few weeks, it was confirmed that Arrow's executive producer Greg Berlanti will be taking on the show and just like Fox with Gotham, it seems that CBS have decided to go past the usual pilot stage and commission a series outright, which is something of an unusual precedent on their part. A brief description for the project has been revealed ...

The upcoming television series – which has no official title announced just yet – will feature Kara who, like her cousin Kal-El/ Clark Kent/ Superman, managed to escape the devastation of their planet, Krypton. But unlike her famous cousin, Kara kept her powers hidden for over two decades. But then, she finally "decides to embrace her superhuman abilities and be the hero she was always meant to be."

Given that we haven't had much of the character in a live action setting aside from the Supergirl movie with Helen Slater and Lara Vandervoot's take on the character in the last few seasons of Smallville, it'll be interesting to see if Berlanti and Ali Adler can make a success with this series. Casting for the role has yet to be revealed.

Press Release: http://www.christiantoday.com/article/supergirl.tv.series.set.for.cbs/41051.htm

Supergirl will probably air on CBS in the 2015-2016 television season. I'll post more details as they become available.

My Review of Revenge's 4x01: "Renaissance"

Written by Sunil Nayar And Sallie Patrick
Directed by John Terlesky

Nolan (to Emily): “Look at you solving conflict without a red sharpie.”

Last season Emily managed to actually achieve her goal – her father’s name was cleared, Conrad ended up disgraced and killed (though that had nothing to do with her) and Victoria was locked away. Typing that out, it makes me wonder why this show is even airing a fourth season and it occurred to me – Emily isn’t done with revenge.

Not only did she decide to buy Grayson Manor and remodel it in her own image, but she openly lied to Nolan about being done with the sharpie antics only for the episode to reveal that she was now helping other people without their permission achieve some vengeance too. Not only was Nolan pissed off with her actions and called her out on being an addict but the woman in question – Nancy, that Emily got revenge on behalf of wasn’t exactly grateful either.

If there’s one thing this episode had in it’s favour, it was the guest characters. I liked that Nancy wasn’t initially charmed by Emily’s offer to repair the car she crashed into and I also liked that she told Emily that hate was a useless emotion. It gave Emily the wake up call she needed and motivated her into apologising to Nolan, though their whole fight/make up scenes weren’t exactly a first for either of them.

However while Emily realised that she was wrong to take revenge on behalf of other people who didn’t ask for it, her anger towards Victoria remained as burning as ever. She gloated over Victoria’s helplessness at Claremont and when the latter escaped and confronted her, Emily was more than happy to let Victoria rant away and vow revenge.

The Emily/Victoria now with the addition of the latter truly knowing the former’s identity certainly had a renewed spark to them but aside from Victoria’s almost too easy escape from Claremont (both Louise and Phyllis turned out to be useful allies to her), I can’t get behind her desire for revenge. Everything that has happened to Victoria has been of her own doing and her attempts of trying to justify a revenge mission against Emily is kind of laughable as well.

However I did like the last moment where she reunited with David, only to be knocked out by him. I’m surprised that Victoria was the first person who came into contact with David (aside from Conrad, may he rest in hell, lol). A part of me was hoping that would be Emily but mostly I’m concerned with how David’s inclusion is going to change the show’s dynamics overall. I’m still not sold on the idea of him not actually being dead.

As for the rest of the episode – it was a bit of borefest. Jack suddenly becoming a cop, despite some onscreen explanations still felt a bit off and Charlotte’s millionth self destructive bout didn’t exactly prove to be riveting viewing. The inclusion of Margaux’s irritating brother, Gideon is also not something I’m enjoying either. It doesn’t help that the actor playing him is pretty bad as well.

As for Daniel – it’s a little hard to feel bad for him when being poor for him is still being well off for any regular person. Not to mention the fact that he’s still an obnoxious jerk but at least the whole fiasco with him, the redhead and Gideon was quickly dealt with and I suppose Margaux probably deserve a medal for not wanting to kill him. Or an award if she actually does but either way, I’d happily take more scenes of her than either of the Grayson kids or Gideon.

Also in “Renaissance”

Will all of this season have the narration from Victoria? It’s not like she actually justifies having a revenge plot.

Nolan: “So there won’t be any poisonings?”
Emily: “Afraid not.”

Nolan being escorted by some hunk sailors on Emily’s ‘throne’ was delightfully camp as was Victoria in a black dress holding an umbrella as she strolled out of Claremont.

Ben (to Jack): “Just remember two things – why you became a cop and I got your back. Why did you become a cop?”

Phyllis (to Victoria): “I haven’t had this much fun in years without acid.”

Phyllis was voiced by Lisa Simpson herself, Yeardley Smith while Victoria seemed to take on a maternal/manipulative role with Louise, the latter we’ll be seeing again soon.

Victoria: “I’ve hurt you, I admit it but you’ve hurt me too. I just want this cycle to end please.”
Emily: “I want my childhood. I want Aiden.”

Louise (re Conrad): “I’m sorry for your loss.”
Victoria: “I’m not. That man was a tyrant.”

I quite like Jack’s cop partner, Ben, who seemed to instantly smitten with both Margaux and Emily. Speaking of Margaux – that hairdo is not a good look. Nolan’s also looks a bit crazy too.

Emily (to Nolan, re Amanda): “Everyone she loved is dead. The Graysons killed them all. They left me nothing to go back to Nolan. This is all I have left.”

Standout music: Iggy Azalea’s “Fancy”.

Nolan (to Emily): “You’re a special snowflake. A unique, bloodthirsty snowflake.”

Chronology: Six months since the events of “Execution”. This season did a first by not kicking off with a flash forward.

“Renaissance” talked about a rebirth for the show and I think that while this episode certainly attempted it, I’m not sure if the show should go past this upcoming season. As an opening episode, it was engaging enough in parts but I can’t help feeling that creatively, this show could be done. Even David’s return and Victoria’s own quest for revenge aren’t sustainable for further seasons than this one.

Rating: 7 out of 10

Family Guy/The Simpsons - The Simpsons Guy (Crossover Episode/Spoilers)

I am over the Simpsons.

Well on Sunday night in the US when people weren't watching the worlds of Once Upon A Time and Frozen crossing over, there was also this crossover event to behold - Family Guy met The Simpsons and the results were surprisingly a lot better than I actually expected them to be. And all because Peter wrote a sexist article, which then resulted in the Griffins ending up in Springfield and somewhat bonding with the Simpsons before also falling out with them and then bonding again.

I was surprised with how much I actually enjoyed this crossover episode. I was pretty much dreading it and didn't think the worlds would work so well together but the chemistry with the characters, the series of in-jokes (Brian pointedly telling Stewie that Bart's catchphrase was more iconic than his own made me laugh) and various references from both shows actually worked pretty well. Even Peter and Homer together weren't as grating as I dreaded them to be, though their chicken fight lasted too long (don't those fights always last too long?) and the carwash sequence was nothing short of vomit inducing but other than that, the two of them managed to compliment each other well. There were even the odd time where I didn't find myself wanting to cave Peter's brains in with a blunt object. I still loathe the character though.

Of course, while the Peter/Homer scenes were better than expected (if a tad predictable - of course those two idiots would clash over beer), it was really the Stewie and Bart scenes that were the highlight of the episode. Stewie going to extreme lengths to impress Bart by holding the latter's enemies and tormentors captive only managed to freak the spiky haired lad out and the last scene where Stewie lamented the loss of a potentially destructive friendship was both a little sad and somewhat funny. It seems that even Bart has his limits after 26 seasons of unbridled chaos.

Another highlight from the episode was bonding scenes with Lisa and Meg, only because it gave the latter a moment of self worth, which the show will inevitably forget yet again. Personally after 13 seasons, I'm beyond bored of Meg being terrorised by her family. It's just not funny and if Family Guy ever ends, I want the last episode to result in Meg kicking the living shit out of Peter before killing him off in the worst way possible. At least Lisa was nice to her, if initially a little bitchy though. Of course while the crossover was fun and had a few cameos from other shows and a delightful compare/contrast scene in a courtroom, it did struggle to give Lois/Marge anything meaningful to do and the subplot with Chris, Brian and Santa's Little Helper wasn't that great either. However while the best days are behind both shows, this was a fun meeting of worlds, though not one that would need repeating though. As Peter said, let's keep a half hour distance between both shows.

My Review of Gotham's 1x02: "Selina Kyle"

Written by Bruno Heller

Directed by Danny Cannon

Selina (to a boy): “Go for their eyes.”

It’s only two episodes and I’m already both impressed by Selina Kyle and a tiny bit afraid of her too. Not only did she give a scared little boy some deadly advice but the episode made sure to show that she can take her own advice pretty well too when one of the thugs of this week’s crime plot ended up having his eyes scratched out in a grisly manner – by a thirteen year old, I should point.

The main crime plot of the week – a child trafficking storyline with creepy duo Patti and Doug kidnapping homeless kids and having them shipped off courtesy of the Dollmaker. Some truly brilliant casting with both Lili Taylor and Frank Whaley who managed to make their characters both genuinely sinister and oddly charming to a degree as well. Of course, Gordon and Bullock ended up being their downfall but not before Selina managed to mostly give them the slip as well.

Speaking of Selina – while this episode was named after her and certainly gave her more to do than the opening one did, she still only appeared in a couple of scenes though. Mainly to facilitate the child trafficking plotline but also to establish a somewhat tense connection with James Gordon as well.

I liked that Selina was able to spot that Gordon was the least corrupt member of the GCPD and I also liked that she openly told him that she knew Mario Pepper didn’t kill the Waynes and that she knew who did. I’m not so sure how, considering the shooter was masked and all but the fact that she’s willing to help Gordon with the case is excellent nonetheless.

In terms of performance, this was a great one for Camren Bicondova. I definitely believe in her as a younger version of the girl who would become one of Gotham’s most infamous of thieves and I certainly like that she will go out of her way to help people as well. With this episode, she’s easily shaping up as one of the best characters in the series at the moment.

Of course, not far behind her though would be Oswald Cobblepot. After seeing him kill a man for a fecking sandwich, it wasn’t too shocking that he murdered one frat boy with a beer bottle and kept the other bound and gagged for an unsuccessful ransom as well. Oswald might not be a success at extorting money just yet but he’s certainly proven to be as dangerous and unpredictable as Selina and Taylor’s performance continues to impress in this one as well.

Also while Oswald might be regrouping, Fish got something of a horrible reality check in this week’s episode. It seems that Falcone doesn’t much like the idea of being potentially usurped and went to some interesting measure to keep Fish in line. The dynamic between those two was certainly something else to watch and with Maroni about to be added into the mix, the criminal world of Gotham is certainly getting more and more interesting to watch unfold.

As for Gordon and Bullock – this episode wasn’t as great as the first one for them but it worked well enough though. We saw them being antagonistic to each other and also impressed by their respective methods. I imagine this formula will continue with the show until one of them really does step out of the party line and either endangers or truly irritates the other. That being said though, I do enjoy their grudging partnership a lot.

Last but not least – the Bruce plot of the episode got dark almost pretty fast. With elements of self harm/testing himself, it was interesting to see Alfred (really loving the gruffer version here) reach out to Gordon in an attempt to get Bruce to see some sense. Like Bicondova, I have to praise David Mazouz. I was initially wary about seeing a younger Bruce in this series but he’s exceeding my expectations and his scenes are fantastic to watch.

Also in “Selina Kyle”

If Selina has gotten an episode named after her, then is it a safe assumption that other characters will do as well down the line? Selina also wants to be referred to as Cat, which might be laying it on a bit thick.

Bullock: “Listen, Mackey. We’re grown ups. We’re smarter than you.”

Both Renee and Crispus were briefly seen talking to Oswald’s mother, Gertrud Kapelput (Carol Kane), who looked like she had stepped out of a Tim Burton movie. I hope we see more of her.

Frat Boy: “Dude, anyone ever tell you when you walk, you look just like a penguin?”
Oswald: “No, nobody’s ever told me that.”

Falcone: “Men who are about to die are very honest. It pays to listen to them.”
Fish: “That’s some toast.”

What exactly is the name of Fish’s nightclub? Also, too bad poor Lazlo had to get beaten up by Falcone’s men just to teach Fish a lesson. FOX also released a new trailer which revealed that another Rogue member will be showing up soon.

Fish (to Butch): “I just wish that Penguin was still alive. I didn’t make that punk suffer near badly enough.”

Gordon: “Trust you? On women?”
Bullock: “Damn right. Whole varieties. From house frows to movie stars, I love them all.”

While both Essen and Mayor Aubrey were a little more developed in this episode (though not in a favourable way), Barbara, Nygma, Renee and Crispus only had a scene each in the episode. We also learned that Arkham Asylum has been closed for fifteen years.

Patti (to Selina): “Sit down, young lady like now.”

Gordon: “What’s your name?”
Selina: “Why is that any of your business?”

Standout music: Portishead’s “Roads” and there was some female rock band also playing in Fish’s club as well.

Gordon: “You’re hurting yourself.”
Bruce: “I’m testing myself. Different but I appreciate your concern.”

Oswald (to Frat Boy 1): "You must be quite the scamp."

Chronology: Not only where the opening episode left off. I think perhaps a few days.

It’s definitely not a fluke. With the pilot episode being impressive, there was the fear that following episodes wouldn’t hit the mark but if “Selina Kyle” is anything to go by, it looks like this is going to be one show that no-one should be missing. The music might still be distracting in some parts and perhaps the idea of a prequel for Batman isn’t everyone’s cup of tea but so far, the handling has been superb.

Rating: 8 out of 10

My Review of Doctor Who's 8x06: "The Caretaker"

Written by Gareth Roberts And Steven Moffat
Directed by Paul Murphy

The Doctor (to Clara, re Danny): “Well, you’ve explained me to him. You haven’t explained him to me.”

Okay, let’s get this thorny issue out of the way – since when does the Doctor hate soldiers? The answer – always I think. He might have been friends with the Brigadier and worked for UNIT in his third incarnation, but it’s not entirely out of character that the Doctor hasn’t always been fond of regimental types, which might be a tad hypocritical on his part but with this episode, it somewhat went to a whole new level.

I honestly do think the Doctor was more than a little harsh towards Danny Pink when he realised that the maths teacher (not PE) was Clara’s boyfriend but at the same time, there was also a mutual distrust between him and Danny. It wasn’t one sided and both were somewhat as harsh as each other with the officer/sir scene in the TARDIS being one of the most antagonistic scenes we’ve had to date in the series.

I don’t know if the Doctor’s more harsher standpoint on soldiers will lead to something dramatically (I hope it does) or if it’s just there as part of a triangle of sorts between him, Clara and Danny but I do know that Peter Capaldi, Jenna Coleman and Samuel Anderson all played off each other extremely well in this episode.

Danny probably wasn’t right to give Clara that ultimatum at the end of the episode either but I didn’t get the impression he was trying to be a controlling boyfriend (sorry social media) as such, just more that some of his past experiences with dealing with authority figures was somewhat clouding his own judgement. Clara can certainly more than take care of herself as we’ve seen for long enough.

As for Clara and Danny’s relationship – it might be a little early to throw out the ‘I love you’ and perhaps they don’t have the same spark that Amy and Rory did in previous series, but either way, I do like them well enough as a couple and given time, I’m sure both Danny and the Doctor will probably find some way of actually getting along with each other too.

Keeping with Danny for a bit longer though – I can understand the Doctor’s annoyance at him blundering in and wrecking his plan to stop the Skovox Blitzer but even that was an accident and Danny did manage to actually help both the Doctor and Clara send that killing machine on it’s very way in the end.

As for the Skovox – it just killed a random police officer, waddled about the place, shot a few chairs and generally was sent on it’s way. Design wise, it looked neat enough but it didn’t really do much and was more a prop to have the Doctor try and pass himself off as a caretaker at Coal Hill (where this episode was predominantly set) and learn about Clara and Danny being an item.

In a lot of ways this episode wasn’t that dissimilar to Roberts last two efforts where the domestics were more the focus than the actual monster itself. It’s not strictly a bad thing as the Doctor at Coal Hill produced some great scenes and even the dreaded Courtney from earlier in the series was actually a lot more likeable to watch. She even earned herself a trip in the TARDIS as a result.

Also in “The Caretaker”

The opening sequence with Clara hopping between dates with Danny and adventures with the Doctor is now one of my favourites.

Danny (to Clara, re the Doctor): “Bit intense looking. Did you see the eyebrows? Did he wink at you?”

Another point of this episode was that the last few minutes were set during Parents Evening. Courtney’s folks didn’t seem that concerned that she was a disruptive influence.

Clara: “Human beings are not otters.”
The Doctor: “Exactly. It’ll be even easier.”

Clara (to a student): “Who asks for homework? Amateurs!”

The in-joke with Adrian dressed as the 11th Doctor and having the current Doctor mistake him for Clara’s boyfriend was amusing enough.

Courtney: “You’re weird.”
The Doctor: “Yes I am and how about you?”

The Doctor: “I used to have a teacher exactly like you.”
Clara: “Well, you still do, pay attention.”

Ozzie Loves The Squaddie – juvenile but believable enough. I also want my own invisible watch too.

Danny (to Clara): “Oh my God, you’re from space. You’re a spacewoman. You said you were from Blackpool.”

Danny: “Why do you do it? Why do you go off in the box with him? The truth, please just this once.”
Clara: “Because it’s amazing. Because I see wonders.”

The police officer that was killed by Skovox ended up consulting with Seb (Chris Addison) in the Nethersphere. He seems to be Missy’s right hand man – the latter who appeared but said nothing this time.

Danny: “Is there anything I can do?”
The Doctor: “Yes, yes and this is very, very important – leave us alone.”

Seb (to police officer, re Missy): “Sorry, she’s a bit busy today. So any questions?”

Chronology: Mostly present day Coal Hill.

A fortnight ago, a certain episode provoked a certain amount of discussion over what could and couldn’t be done/shown with the Doctor’s past and “The Caretaker” seemed to generate similar heat over the current dynamic with the Doctor, his companion and her boyfriend. Overall, I found this episode pretty meaty in some parts, funny in others, a mash up of some past hits but at the same time, also one that I really enjoyed for good measure.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Revenge - Season 4 Preview

I apologise for not doing a blog in relation to the upcoming season of Revenge much earlier but I was hoping that we were going to be getting some nice cast shots for the new season. It seems apart from ones promoting both James Tupper (David) and Karine Vanasse (Margaux), ABC haven't exactly pushed out the boat here.

It seems this season's tagline is "what goes around comes around" with Victoria setting Emily in her sights. Here's the problem - unlike Emily back in the first season, not enough has happened to even justify the idea that Victoria is entitled to any revenge at all. Still though, aside from Nolan, Emily and Victoria's ongoing hatred for one another will continue to keep the show going but here's a question though ...

 .... isn't actually having David Clarke in the show alive somewhat undermining to the show's general mission statement? I mean, I like Tupper as an actor but having David be alive and not actually bothering to contact Emily/Amanda after all these years is a pretty douchey thing for the character to do. More to the point, it does kind of fly in the face of the last three seasons as well. I'm not sure how his overall presence (despite his named being cleared) will actually work in the show's favour to be honest.

As for the trailers for the new season, too many of them focused on recapping the previous seasons and showing very little in the way of new footage but the most recent one did seem to offer some interesting bits - such as new character Ben (Brian Hallisay0 shirtless, Jack as a cop (huh?), more Emily/Victoria moments (the latter getting handy with a shotgun), David lurking about the place, Margaux with an unflattering haircut, Nolan, Daniel and even what appears to be Charlotte unconscious. I can't help thinking that perhaps ABC have fallen a little out of love with the series, considering that the promotion has been far less than lead in show, Once Upon A Time. That's a shame, isn't it? The titles for the first six episodes are Renaissance, Disclosure, Ashes, Meteor, Repercussions and Damage.

Season 4 Trailer: http://www.spoilertv.com/2014/09/revenge-season-4-new-promo.html

Revenge's fourth season airs Sundays 10pm from September 28th on ABC and will premiere on both E4 and RTE2 from January 2015.

Fire In The Estate

We're getting to that point now where there are so many shows returning that only some I probably will talk about at least once. Three of them mentioned here of course.

Bad Education: Back for a third and rumoured final series, BBC3 and Jack Whitehall's comedy remains one of the more funnier programmes with the opening episode largely focusing on a teacher's strike while introducing some new characters (mainly Cleo). Alfie might be a lousy educator but he's an entertaining character, even if you're given the impression that Whitehall is possibly playing a heightened version of himself at times.

Downton Abbey: Returning to 8 million viewers on Sunday (down but not dangerously so), the fifth series of ITV's cosy period drama was something of a mixed bag. On the plus side - more delightful quips from Violet, Baxter's secret finally being revealed (a little better than expected) and Edith and the local fireman coming up with a plan for her to see her daughter along with Bunting vs. Robert as well. On the not so good side, the fire was an anticlimax and lasted for about two minutes of screentime, the episode plodded too much at times and there's a worrying lack of chemistry between Mary and Gillingham to boot. Still, the episode was an improvement on most of the previous series.

Scandal: Nearing the half way point of this third season (really hope SkyLiving don't waste too much time airing Season 4), the show seems to be hotting up a lot. I wasn't too shocked about Olivia's mother actually being alive because seemingly dead characters never stay that way (looking at you, David Clarke), but the moment where her and Olivia reunited was a genuinely punch to the gut moment that the show seems to be capable of delivering in spades. Also, while I wasn't too fussed about Olivia hooking up with Fitz again, I did enjoy Mellie and Cyrus's scheming against Sally and the whole Huck and Quinn plot has been absorbing to watch as well. Oh and more Lisa Kudrow please.

The Leftovers: Perhaps I need another episode or two but having watched the opening episode of this latest HBO drama, I couldn't for the life of me get into it. Possibly something about a rapture, maybe - I could barely keep up with the show and I sat through Lost for six seasons. It just came across as a dull, plodding, lifeless show and not even some of the cast - Justin Theroux, Liv Tyler, Amy Brennerman or Christopher Eccleston could keep my attention.

The Strain: Somewhat better but not yet something I'd class as addictive or gripping was this programme, which offered a genuinely different take on the vampire genre. Anyone hoping for something sexy as the antics in Bon Temps or Mystic Falls might be somewhat disappointed with this show as it's take on the genre is as removed from those series as you can possible yet. The pilot episode was a bit long and slightly slow in parts but the concept is interesting enough and there's a good rapport with leading characters, Ephram and Nora and I certainly can't wait to see more of David Bradley's mystery pawn shop owner and there were some decent scares too. It's got potential.

The Vampire Diaries: Nearly finishing up with the fifth season of the show, the following episodes have most been alright. The usual Damon and Elena angst certainly made itself know as he admitted to bumping off Aaron while Enzo seems to be a decent character and a pot stirrer to boot. The Travellers stuff has been okay to watch as well, but it does feel like it's treading way and do we really need another doppelganger plot so soon? I do like the additions of Liv and Luke though, character wise.

- Gillian Anderson has been confirmed as a regular for Hannibal's third season, which will air April or May 2015 on NBC. Series 2 of The Fall will air in November on BBC2/RTE1.
- Colin Farrell and Vince Vaughn have been announced as the lead cast for Season 2 of True Detective.
- Shea Whigham has joined Agent Carter as the chief of the Strategic Scientific Reserve, Roger Dooley.
- Channel 5 have moved the third season of Dallas to late nights and the recent finale saw the death of a major character.
- Yeardley Smith will appear in an episode of The Mindy Project.
- Sally Pressman will be appearing in Once Upon A Time. Her role has yet to be confirmed.
- Jim Sheridan's movie In America is being developed for TV by HBO.
- Brian Benben will be appearing in Scandal in an undisclosed role for now.
- Scott Glen has joined Daredevil, taking on the role of Matt Murdock's mentor, Stick.

My Review of Gotham's 1x01: "Pilot"

Written by Bruno Heller
Directed by Danny Cannon

Gordon: “I know how you feel right now and I promise you, however dark or scary the world feels right now, there will be light. There will be light, Bruce.”

I’ve been anticipating this show for nearly a year and have certainly been discussing it just as much and now that it’s finally here, I watched the opening episode as early as I could and I have to say that a few niggles aside, this was a pretty on point way of opening the series up.

Starting with the murder of Martha and Thomas Wayne as a helpless Bruce looked on and Selina Kyle observed from afar set a great tone as their deaths generated the right amount of consequences and tone that Gotham is truly a city on the brink of disaster – from both sides it seems too.

On the good guy side, you’ve got both the newly recruited detective James Gordon and the lackadaisical Harvey Bullock both at odds with each other throughout the pilot episode as well as coming to realise that the other has a valid point in dealing with the criminals of Gotham City. Already there’s a strong chemistry with Benjamin McKenzie and Donal Logue and it’ll be interesting to see how their different methods affect their partnership throughout the series.

Gordon himself spent most of the episode vowing to catch the killer of the Waynes and when he realised that Mario Pepper had been used as a fall guy, the only thing he managed to accomplish was Fish Mooney’s wrath and Tom Falcone forcing his hand into bumping off Oswald Cobblepot for good measure.

Except that Oswald didn’t die and Gordon later wasted no time in informing Bruce that the wrong person went down/died for his parents murder. I do like that Gordon is trying not to be a corrupt cop in a city that seems to be scattered with them but he’s going to have tread very carefully if he really wants to achieve anything in his career.

As for Bullock – the show’s seems to have gotten to a good balancing act with him as well. He’s got no problem with flirting with Fish Mooney, looking the other way at some of her gang’s less savoury activities but at the same time in spite of his conflict with Gordon, he stuck his neck out for him and nearly got killed as a result. That already did a lot to portray him as more than a generic corrupt cop, which was good for me.

Keeping with the other cops of the episode – we got to see Gotham’s Police Captain, Sarah Essen for a scene as well as both Renee Montoya and Crispus Allen from the MCU, both of whom managed to rub both Gordon and Bullock up the wrong way. However aside from taking some information from Oswald, the most interesting thing was the brief scene shared between Renee and Barbara, implying a previous romantic history between the two.

As for the baddies of the piece – Butch seemed like a regular enforcer but could become more interesting as the show goes along. I didn’t much care for Mario Pepper, other than who his daughter turned out to be (hello, future Poison Ivy) but Oswald was a delight from start to finish with Robin Lord Taylor well and truly shining in all of his scenes while Falcone proved to be far more interesting in one brief scene with Gordon than he was in Batman Begins if I’m being candid.

As for Fish Mooney – I think we’ve got a winner here. Jada Pinkett-Smith managed to successfully bring the character to life, giving her the right amounts of flirtation, charm, campiness and menace all in an effortless swoop. Her scenes with Gordon, Bullock and Oswald all proved that as an up and comer, Fish is a force to be reckoned with but at the same time, there’s also a chance that her hotheadedness might get her in trouble with Falcone in later episodes. Either way, I’m intrigued by her.

Also in “Gotham”

Edward Nygma (Cory Michael Smith) popped up in one scene and Bullock made it clear that he didn’t tolerate his riddles. He's a forensic scientist with the GCPD.

Renee: “Come on, Bullock, you know you’re scared of this case.”
Bullock: “You’re damn right I’m scared.”

Bullock implied that Renee might have a drug problem. Given what he was glugging at the cafe, he might have some problems too. I also get the impression that he and Fish have a lingering history as well.

Bullock: “Jim, you seem like a nice guy but this is not a city or a job for nice guys. Do you understand?”
Gordon: “No.”

Edward: “What’s nowhere but everywhere, except when something is?”
Gordon: “Nothing.”

Barbara has an art gallery and Falcone has history with Gordon’s father as well. We also saw the Mayor showing more enthusiasm for catching Thomas and Martha’s killer than GCPD themselves. Having Selina intertwined with Bruce so early is an interesting move too.

Oswald: “Sorry.”
Fish: “If you let my hair go frizzy you will be.”

Ivy: “You don’t want to talk to daddy.”
Gordon: “Why’s that?”
Ivy: “He’s mean.”

I don’t think I saw a single computer in this whole episode and more to the point, everyone seems to be using flip phones as well.

Renee: “Why snitch on your own boss?”
Oswald: “I confess that poor orphan boy prickled my conscience.”

Barbara: “I know him.”
Renee: “Does he know you like I know you?”

Kudos to Sean Pertwee’s gruffer version of Alfred for this show and the child actors playing Bruce, Selina and Ivy are all extremely well cast too.

Fish: “You have a little danger in your eye. I wonder what you plan to do with that.”
Gordon: “You’ll have to wait and see.”
Fish: “I hate surprises.”

Gordon: “Thanks for trying to help.”
Bullock: “Wish I hadn’t.”

I wonder what happened to the poor stand up who had to witness Fish beating the shit out of Oswald. He may also be a future Joker but also may not.

Fish: “Prove it. Prove your loyalty my little Penguin.”

Oswald (to Gordon): “Listen to me, there is a war coming. A terrible war. Falcone is losing his grip and his rivals are hungry. There will be chaos. Rivers of blood in the streets. I know it, I can see it coming. I’m clever that way.”

Chronology: I guess 2014 but it certainly doesn’t feel it like, though I did read that Heller and company were trying to create a timeless feel to the series.

For an opening episode the pilot did everything it needed to do. It set up the right characters, introduced a great partnership with Gordon and Bullock, hinted at a certain future for the orphaned Bruce Wayne as well as the future rogues that he will end up squaring off to and had some gorgeous cinematography to boot, especially during the opening sequence. It wasn’t by any means completely perfect or without it’s flaws (some characters less utilised than others, music being distracting in certain parts) and while I certainly hope this doesn’t become a series that outstays it’s welcome, it’s already a show that I want a good number of years getting to know the residents of. Fox, I think you definitely have a hit on your hands here.

Rating: 8 out of 10

My Review of Doctor Who's 8x05: "Time Heist"

Written by Steve Thompson And Steven Moffat
Directed by Douglas Mackinnon

Clara: “We’re actually gonna do this? Rob a bank?”
The Doctor: “I don’t think we have a choice. We’ve already agreed to it.”

And for this week only, here was an episode that probably had more in common with former BBC stable mate Hustle than either the original or modern version of Ocean’s Eleven. The Doctor, Clara and two new teammates robbing the most secure bank in the universe – or were they?

Playing around with a bit of timey wimey and of course, the memory worms from a previous adventure, this was never going to be a straightforward enough caper as trying to break into the banks of Karabraxos meant dealing with Ms Delphox, the Teller and the actual owner of the bank itself. Not to mention some death fake outs and trying to remember what originally set everything into motion in the first place.

However for an episode that seemingly could’ve been overly complicated, there was something actually breezy about the whole pacing. Clara had to put her date with Danny on hold as she joined in the adventure, the Doctor gave his number to a person who waited a while in their own timeline to use it and then of course, there was the new recruits with Psi and Saibra.

As guest characters, both Psi and Saibra were a delight to watch – the former an augmented human/walking computer and the latter a mutant human/shape shifter, both of whom had their abilities put to reasonably use within the episode itself and were charmingly brought to life by both Jonathan Bailey and Pippa Bennett-Warner. More to the point – they also fitted effortless in with the Doctor and Clara, which of course certainly helped matters.

It’s because of this that I almost forgive the episode for tricking viewers into thinking that both of them were initially dead when the Teller came after them and given the banter with the characters and the Doctor and Clara, it would be something of a missed opportunity for Moffat and Thompson not to at least bring the characters back for one more caper as well.

However while both Psi and Saibra worked extremely well as guest characters, it’s a shame to report that Keeley Hawes, despite some fun moments in this episode wasn’t as well utilised. Ms Delphox the clone and the original, Madame Karabraxos weren’t necessarily bad as such but at the same time, they did feel a little too much of a mash up of Miss Foster, Kovarian and Kizlet with not nearly enough to make the characters stand out on their own.

On the plus side, Hawes does extremely well with Peter Capaldi as the Doctor finally pieces everything together (who didn’t see the reveal about him being the Architect coming a mile off?) but Karabraxos’s sudden bout of guilt towards the end of her life didn’t exactly ring that true.

As for the Teller – well, this went the same way that Hide sort of did with the Crooked creature in a way. It looked bad, could detect guilt and reduce people to soup – it very nearly did with our gang at different points in the episode but ultimately it was working for Karabraxos under duress and once free from her clutches was able to go back to it’s own world and live with it’s mate.

Also in “Time Heist”

Danny’s appearance at the start of this episode was clearly added at the last minute. Samuel Anderson isn’t even credited for the episode.

Psi: “Ever try not thinking of something?”
Saibra: “You may have to.”

This is the second of three episodes that Steven Moffat has co-written this series. He also previously co-wrote with Thompson this year on Sherlock.

Ms Delphox: “We’ll be fired. Fired with pain.”

The Doctor (to Psi): “Picture the thing you want most in the universe and decide how badly you want it.”

Thanks to Psi we got to see images of characters such as John Hart, the Androvax and Abslom Daak for good measure.

Saibra: “When you meet the architect, promise me something – kill him!”
The Doctor: “I hate him but I can’t make that promise.”

Psi: “Clara, for what it’s worth and it might not worth much, when your life flashes in front of you; you see people you love and people missing you. I see no-one.”

Much as I don’t mind Clara not travelling full time with the Doctor, it does seem that sometimes she might not always be enthused when he calls for an adventure. I’m guessing this will lead to something as well.

Madame Karabraxos: “My clone and yet, she doesn’t even protest. Pale irritation really. I should sue.”

The Doctor: “Don’t go robbing any banks what?”
Clara: “Without me.”
The Doctor: “Course not, boss.”

Chronology: A few weeks after the events of “Listen”.

“Time Heist” is unlikely to go down as a future classic but considering Steve Thompson’s less than stellar history with episodes, this one was a step up for him. A fun caper that isn’t without it’s flaws but enjoyable no less.

Rating: 7 out of 10

Doctor Who - Christmas 2014 Cast Announced

We might be nearly halfway through the eighth series of Doctor Who but casting for the Christmas special has finally been announced. Details on the actual episode, not so much though.

Nick Frost, best known for his roles in Spaced, Hyperdrive, Mr Sloane and a lot of things with Simon Pegg will be appearing in the special and joining him are both Nathan McMullen (Misfits) and Michael Troughton (The New Statesman). Of course, they're not the only ones joining both Peter Capaldi and Jenna Coleman for the latest festive edition of the series.

Also joining frost and company will be former Coronation Street/Strictly Come Dancing star Natalie Gumede as well as Faye Marsay (Fresh Meat, Glue), also in roles that have not yet been revealed. executive producer Steven Moffat however has said “Frost at Christmas – it just makes sense! I worked with Nick on the Tintin movie many years ago and it’s a real pleasure to lure him back to television for a ride on the TARDIS.”

Meanwhile rumours seem to be rife that Jenna Coleman might be making her last appearance in the Christmas. Originally this was just speculated online, then the rumour started appearing in some tabloids and even a few weeks ago, it was even speculated on BBC3 news. Could this year's Christmas special see the exit of Clara Oswald? Even Coleman herself has been somewhat cryptic when quizzed about it but given that spoilers for some of the later episodes of Series 8 (in particular Kill The Moon) have thrown some hints, I think it's quite possible that Clara may be leaving but until an actual source properly confirms or denies Jenna's involvement in the ninth series, we won't know for certain. If she is leaving though, then she will have left a great impression in the two series and 25 episodes (and various splinters/echoes) she's appeared in.

Press Release: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/doctorwho/articles/Nick-Frost-to-guest-star-in-Doctor-Who-Christmas-Special

Doctor Who's eighth series continues to air on BBC1 Saturdays at 8.30pm (next week onwards) and will be released on DVD from November 17th. The Christmas special continues to film and will air on Christmas Day.

Batman - Top 20 Rogue Gallery Members Part 4

Now it's time for the last of my Rogues Gallery list and while my Top 5 is arguably predictable as anything, there's a reason why these five members have stood the test of time and popped up in the most of media - four of whom will be prominent in the upcoming series, Gotham.

1: The Joker (Jack Napier?)

The Clown Prince of crime and the man who always has a permanent smile on his face. The Joker is the most iconic villain in all of Batman's lore and he's always appeared in some capacity in nearly every Batman related media and will always continue to do so. The Joker might have once quoted that "without Batman, crime doesn't have a punchline" but without him, the same can also be applied. I can't imagine a Gotham without him either.

2: Catwoman (Selina Kyle)

Like the Joker, it's hard to imagine a Gotham where the most infamous cat burglar and all round morally grey, Catwoman isn't prowling. Just like Clown Prince himself, Selina Kyle has cropped up in nearly every Batman related media and continues to make an impression in all of them. While some parts of her backstory (Frank Miller, I'm looking at you), don't always work, it's hard to deny that the character has something of an enduring appeal over the years.

3: Poison Ivy (Pamela Isley)

An eco-terrorist with a difference as Ivy's connection to Mother Earth has been quite literal, given the fact that she's got an immunity to toxins as well as an affinity to plant life as well. One of the most interesting members of the Gallery and definitely but a run of the mill criminal or femme fatale either, Ivy has proved to be as deadly as she looks in various incarnations.

4: The Riddler (Edward Nygma)

Riddle me this, who managed to get to number four on this list? Actually, you don't have to as it's pretty obvious, isn't it? One of Gotham's most perplexing of villains, the man's love for a good riddle and quest to show off his smarts has certainly made him into one of the trickier Rogue members to deal with, but also one of the most stimulating ones as well, intellectually.

5: The Penguin (Oswald Cobblepot)

Bringing a certain level of sophistication and class to the table and earning his position in my Top 5 would be this bird themed gangster/nightclub owner. The Penguin might be a short, portly fellow sometimes with flipper hands (depending on the incarnation), but he's also a tough bird who can cause mayhem with the best of them.

I hope you enjoyed the list. I'll be reviewing Gotham from next week onwards and there will be other Batman verse related blogs every now and then as well.

Batman - Top 20 Rogue Gallery Members Part 3

My penultimate look of the best rogues and we're into the Top 10 when it comes to the villains that have proven to be worthy adversaries for the Dark Knight.

6: Harley Quinn (Harleen Quinzel)

This character might be less than thirty years old having made her debut in Batman: The Animated Series first before transitioning into the comics (and popping up in shows such as Birds Of Prey and Arrow) but she's certainly turned out to be a far more interesting and endearing character and her genuine friendship with fellow Rogue member, Poison Ivy has probably been more interesting than her destructive relationship with the Joker but either way, Harley has proven to be quite a force to be reckoned with in various mediums.

7: Two-Face (Harvey Dent)

Scarred by Sal Maroni and popping up in movies such as Batman Forever and The Dark Knight, Harvey Dent might have once been a strong force in trying to get the criminals off the streets of Gotham but he soon became every bit as dangerous as many of the criminals he took on and his ongoing rivalry with Batman has kept many of us entertained for years. However outing Montoya was not one of his greatest moments.

8: Ras Al Ghul

Also known as the demon and a man who has lived for centuries. Also known as the father of Talia (and Nyssa), grandfather to Damien (ugh) and someone who original wanted the Detective (Batman) to become his natural heir. While Ras is certainly a dangerous presence and one that was nicely brought to life in Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy by Liam Neeson and will be appearing in Arrow soon, he also one of the more complex of Batman's adversaries as well.

9: The Scarecrow (Jonathan Crane)

He might not look physically threatening and I won't lie - in general scarecrow don't really generate much in the way of fear for me, but Crane is one of the nastiest and creepiest members of the Rogue Gallery and with his fear toxins, he can certainly put the frighteners on anyone unlucky to be around him.

10: Bane

The man who literally broke Batman's back and a far more interesting character than I was previously led to believe in Batman & Robin. Luckily both the comics and The Dark Knight Rises have been more than enough to showcase how much of a physical and strategic threat this particular character can be when he has gone up against Batman and because of that, he just about manages to get into my Top 10 list.

The last of this list will be up tomorrow.

London Spy - Ben Whishaw Cast In BBC2 Thriller

A couple of months ago, BBC2 announced that they were going to commission a five episode spy drama named London Spy by gay writer Tom Rob Smith and now it's leading man has been revealed ...

Ben Whishaw, best known for his role as Q in Skyfall and of course, the short lived BBC2 series The Hour will take on the role of Danny, describe as a“a gregarious, hedonistic, but ill-equipped spy”. Danny falls in love with Alex, described as “anti-social and enigmatic,” but who later goes missing forcing Danny to attempt to find him.

On the casting announcement, Smith said: “Ben Whishaw is quite simply one of the best actors in the country. It’s an extraordinary privilege, as a writer, to have him play the lead.”

While casting for the role of Alex and other characters in the upcoming series have yet to be announced, I have to admit that this does sound like it's going to be an interesting take on the genre and Whishaw is a superb casting choice for the role of Danny.

Casting News: http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2014/09/18/ben-whishaw-cast-as-lead-in-new-bbc-gay-spy-drama/

London Spy begins filming in October and will air on BBC2 in 2015.