H.G. Wells vs Jack the Ripper In ABC’s New Drama

H.G. Wells (Freddie Stroma) & Jack the Ripper (Josh Bowman)

H.G. Wells goes head to head with Jack the Ripper in ABC’s new television series

Time After Time is an upcoming American drama set to air on the ABC network sometime in 2016, created by Kevin Williamson ( The Following, Scream, The Vampire Diaries and I Know What You Did Last Summer) and directed by Marcos Siega (Blindspot, The Following, Dexter and The Vampire Diaries) is based on the book and film of the same name. The series is set to star Freddie Stroma (UnREAL, Pitch Perfect, Harry Potter) as H.G. Wells, Josh Bowman (Revenge, Make it or Break it) as John Stevenson/Jack the Ripper, Genesis Rodriguez (Entourage, Identify Thief) as Jane, Regina Taylor (DIG, The Unit) as Vanessa Anders.

The series is set in London, 1893, H.G. Wells destined to become a famed science fiction author, however on this evening he is just a little known writer struggling to get his work published. Wells invites his intellectual friends to show off his new invention – a time machine, but never suspects his late arriving guest, surgeon and good friend John Stevenson, is the infamous serial killer Jack the Ripper. When the police arrive looking for him, John sneaks into the time machine and flees to modern-day Manhattan with Wells in hot pursuit. It’s there Wells meets Jane Walker, a charming museum curator, who’s about to die in the hands of John if Wells doesn’t stop him in time.
Wells has a fascinating point of view on today’s society but in order to fit in he needs to be able play the game, as a dreamer and a huge believer in utopia, Wells is terribly disappointed to find out that the world in 2016 is in fact nothing like he had imagined in his novels.

I have always had a keen interest in all things Jack the Ripper and have seen many documentaries on him but there has never really been a tv drama about him so it has really peaked my interest and H.G Well is a great added bonus. For me its a must watch even before I had seen the trailer and having watched the trailer it has only heighten my interest, if you’re a fan of H.G Wells and/or fascinated with Jack the Ripper then I think this will be a must watch show for you.

Here is a little teaser for you all.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out Of The Shadows Preview

We are about two weeks away from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows everybody! I have been excited to talk TMNT ever since I started writing for this site and you should  expect more articles regarding TMNT once the show comes back for the second half of its fourth season soon. That’s in the future though. For now, lets take a look at TMNT 2 and what you should expect to see in it!

For me and many other fans of the Ninja Turtles one thing we are looking forward to most is the first appearances of Bebop and Rocksteady in a live-action film. Bebop and Rocksteady were two characters first introduced in the original Ninja Turtles cartoon. They have also been featured in the most recent cartoon series.

They are two henchman of Shredder who just happen to be a rhino and warthog. They actually were originally human though, similar to Master Splinter. I would be excited to see these characters in any form but I am even more excited to see a person I am a fan of play one of them. If you have read any of my articles for this site before, you know I am a giant wrestling fan. Rocksteady will be played by former multiple time champ, Sheamus. It will be an exciting time to finally see these two on the big screen together.

Two other frequent villains of the Turtles will also make their live-action film debuts. Those two being Baxter Stockman and Krang. Stockman is an evil scientist and Krang is essentially a brain in a body but Krang is arguably number one on the list of people you don’t want to mess with in the world of TMNT. It could be argued that Stockman was in the last film but I don’t believe he even had a line.

These two characters actually worry me quite a bit. Brad Garrett is playing the role of Krang. I enjoy Garrett’s work but I don’t think he will make a particularly good Krang. They have recently used Roseanne Barr and Gilbert Gottfried as Krang Prime and Subprime, so they could have chosen worse than Brad Garrett. Fred Armisen would have been interesting in the role, but I don’t think he would have been a particularly good Krang either. In my opinion, nothing will ever beat the 80’s version voiced by Pat Fraley.

As I mentioned previously, I am also a bit worried about the actor playing Baxter Stockman. Tyler Perry will be the one playing Stockman and I can’t think of a time where I have seen him not play an elderly woman in a dress. That being said, I enjoyed the little pieces we’ve seen of Stockman in the trailers. He looks like he may be playing the role a bit overboard but he seems to be having fun with it.

We are also getting Casey Jones in this film. Casey Jones is the best friend of the Turtles that isn’t named Splinter or April O’Neil. I use the term friend somewhat loosely though. Him and the turtles have their arguments but he is a great ally to them on many occasions.

Stephen Amell will be playing Jones. Amell is best known as the Green Arrow aka Oliver Queen. I loved the first season of the show but did not enjoy the second season and have not watched since. Amell is the star but is rarely the best part of the show in those seasons. I’m highly intrigued to see him play the role of Casey Jones. I think he can knock it out of the park. I think he’s a talented actor. It’s just for whatever reason I don’t love the character of Oliver Queen.

Aside from that, almost everyone from the first film will be returning and we will also see an increased role for Karai, the daughter of Splinter who thinks she is the daughter of Shredder.

I loved the first film in this series and expect to enjoy this one even more. Not only do we get Shredder, Stockman, Bebop and Rocksteady. We also get Krang coming down from Dimension X to fight the Turtles as well! You can’t ask for much more than that!

Harley Quinn Set To Star In An All-Female Superhero Film – Go DC!

Hey all you ‘pumpkins’ and ‘puddins’ out there, check it: Margot Robbie, Suicide Squad’s very own Harley Quinn, is producing and starring in an all-female superhero movie!

It’s about freaking time, amiright?

This won’t even be the first female-led superhero film. DC’s Wonder Woman is set to release next year, with Israeli actress Gal Gadot reprising her role from Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice.

Despite the fact that Marvel had a ridiculous head start on this whole superhero movie trend, DC continues to pull ahead in terms of diversity and mold-shattering.

Meanwhile, Marvel is frustratingly dragging their heels on their one female superhero film: Captain Marvel. Production has been delayed twice, with the estimated release date now tentatively set for 2019. Marvel doesn’t even have an actress lined up to play the powerful and popular Carol Danvers – or, if they do, they’ve stayed mum on the subject. Shoot, they don’t even have a director.

Setting that aside, the thing that really gets my goat is the lack of a Black Widow film. I mean, seriously? Yes, Marvel’s been making some ‘noises’ about finally creating one, about how a film starring Scarlet Johansson as Natasha Romanoff is at the ‘top of their wishlist’.

Frankly, the fact that Marvel has the next eight male-led films lined out, but we’re only getting vague whispers of a film for one of the most hard-hitting, dynamic, powerful, brilliant, clever, intriguing, backstory-rich characters of the MCU – shoot, the entire Marvel-verse, period – is incredibly frustrating.

C’mon Marvel, you’re doing great almost everywhere else! Jessica Jones, Daredevil, Agents of SHIELD… why do you continue to fall short on the big screen? (I’m not going to give you Agent Carter… dropping her is an unconscionable mistake and tragedy. Shame on you, Marvel. Shame.)

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Whew. Sorry for that rant. Now lets talk about what DC is doing right.

Even though Dawn of Justice got mixed reviews from fans and critics alike, Warner Brothers and DC continued to produce and film Wonder Woman.

When Margot Robbie pitched the idea for an all-female super- and anti-hero film, Warner Bros picked it up right away, despite the fact that Suicide Squad hasn’t even been released in theaters.

Basically, DC and Warner Brothers have realized something that Marvel has yet to comprehend – that female superhero films shouldn’t rely on whether or not their male-counterpart films are successful. They should be allowed to stand on their own, because they’re heroes and bad-asses in their own right.

And what a line-up of bad-asses, too. Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy, Batgirl, Birds of Prey, Katana, and Bumblebee.

For those who aren’t complete tenth-level geeks, lemme give you a brief description of each super-heroine.

Harley Quinn: an incredibly complex, unique anti-hero. Her story is fantastically layered. Yes, she is a young woman who fell in with the wrong guy. And yes, that guy frequently beats, puts down, and nearly kills her. And yes, like the battered-wife cliché, she always returns to him. But she’s so much stronger than just that. She does have a set of morals (even if they’re easily screwed by her ‘Mistah Jay’). She does often want to do the right thing. She has a close (if complicated) relationship with Batgirl and Poison Ivy. She does eventually stand up for herself and metamorphasize into an amazingly strong, dynamic anti-hero. I will always love her, and I have high hopes for Margot Robbie’s portrayal of her. She clearly not the version from the original Batman show that I came to know and love, but Margot has the potential to make her own, unique version of the ever-famous harlequin.

Poison Ivy: although she’s often drawn very scantily clad, Ivy is an environmentalist at heart. Well, more of an eco-terrorist, but you get the idea. She loves the earth and wants to protect it from all those who are destroying it. She’s a brilliant scientist, who uses a combination of toxins and pheromones from her plants to commit her ‘evil deeds’ – although most of those selfsame deeds are to protect endangered species and the environment. She has an extremely close relationship with Harley Quinn, a sort of very-close-forever-friends-with-benefits-sometimes. Ivy also sometimes has a relationship with Batman, but we won’t get into that right now.

Batgirl: does she really need an explanation? I will say that I hope she’s the Barbara Gordon incarnation of Batgirl. Daughter of Commissioner Gordon, she has an incredibly unshakable sense of justice and right and wrong. She pushed herself to become a crime fighter all on her own, without the Bat-training that Robin had. And, of course, who doesn’t love a redhead that can kick ass like a boss?

Birds of Prey: this is a comic book team that has a long and complicated history, with a wide range of different female members. The team was originally founded by Black Canary (Dinah Lance) and Barbara Gordon (called Oracle at the time), although two other potential main characters we might see are Huntress (Helena Bertinelli) and Lady Blackhawk (Zinda Blake). There are a ton of possibilities, here.

Katana: another character from the upcoming Suicide Squad film, Tatsu has an intricate and incredibly sad ‘origin story’. Two brothers loved her, but she loved only one, Maseo. When she married Maseo and had two children with him, his brother, Takeo, become consumed with jealousy, and killed Maseo with a magical katana. In the fight, a fire was started, and while Tatsu was distracted defeating Takeo and taking his swords, her children were caught in the blaze. Encouraged to flee by the soul of her husband within the sword, Tatsu barely escaped with her life, and began training under a samurai master. Shortly after her ‘graduation’, she moved to the United States to become a superhero.

Bumblebee: she is DC’s first African American superhero. I knew and fell in love with her during the show Teen Titans (the original, amazing version, not this new baby-fied monstrosity). She is absolutely brilliant, and although she has no superpowers of her own, she created her own super-powered battle suit. It enhances her in every way, and gives her the ability to fly and shoot electrical blasts that mimic bee stings. She’s all kinds of sassy, and I can’t wait to see who’ll play her.

And that’s it. Sorry for the long nerd-splosion, but I wanted to be sure that you’d appreciate how fantastically awesome this upcoming film is.

An all-female super- and anti-hero film, pitched and produced by Margot Robbie, picked up by Warner Bros, and directed by an as-of-yet-unnamed female director… this has all the makings of something new and revolutionary and perfect.

It’s about time we got a carnage film where chicks get to blow a bunch of stuff up.

Bring. It. On.

For those who are interested, here’s the trailer for Suicide Squad, starring the fantastic Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, who’s now my absolute hero. Here’s hoping that the tone of her film is just as fun and violent as this one.

Daniel Craig ‘Done’ Playing 007

Despite being offered a two-film deal of £68 million, Daniel Craig has confirmed he will not be returning to play James Bond.

This news follows on just a few days shy of bookmakers calling off bets for British actor Tom Hiddleston to be next in line on the throne that is the James Bond franchise.

Daniel Craig has been playing the iconic role since 2006 when he featured in Casino Royale, and has pulled in over £2billion in box office revenues during his time.

Inside sources said Craig had intended for some time that Spectre (2015) would be his last time stepping into the spy’s shoes, and that MGM hoped a large sum on a contract would help persuade him. However, an LA film source said; “Daniel is done – pure and simple – he told top brass at MGM after Spectre.”

Overall, this shouldn’t come as a surprise – Daniel Craig has always held criticism’s for the franchise, including a public interview in which he said he would rather “slash my [his] wrists” than take on the Bond role again.

Now, after nine years in the role, film makers need to once again search for an actor to fill those very big and most likely gadget riddled shoes. Whilst Tom Hiddleston has been the name thrown around the most, Idris Elba is a name that’s been thrown around for some time. He would also be the first non-white actor to play the role.

EDITORS NOTE:- Sorry guys and gals but I can’t be more excited about Daniel Craig leaving, I for one will welcome Hiddles if/when he gets the role 😉

‘Iron Man 3’ Reveals Main Villain Was Re-Written as a Man – For Toy Sales.

Yep. Yep, yeah, you read that correctly.

Iron Man 3, the first movie in Marvel’s Phase 2, and the third Iron Man movie, was supposed to star a female villain, namely, Maya Hansen. And this would have made a lot of sense – she created Extremis alongside Aldrich Killian. He then stole it and sold it on, resulting in his suicide.

Shane Black was excited about this too – having the whole world focus on the formidable “Mandarin” – and then it’s a small brunette woman who’s been running the show the whole time.

Being a character who was so important to the original plot, and who also you know, was a key factor in Extremis existing, you think that would earn her the spot as the Big Bad, right?

Well, according to Shane Black, Marvel execs didn’t think so, and figured toy sale success was much more important, and that a female villain toy would not sell. Thus, Shane Black was made to re-write the script.

Yeah. Because of toy sales. Because I sure remember the shelves being stocked with Killian toys, and kids begging their parents for the Aldrich Action Figure for Christmas.

Shane Black said in a statement;

“All I’ll say is this, on the record: There was an early draft of Iron Man 3 where we had an inkling of a problem. Which is that we had a female character who was the villain in the draft. We had finished the script and we were given a no-holds-barred memo saying that cannot stand and we’ve changed our minds because, after consulting, we’ve decided that toy won’t sell as well if it’s a female.”

He continued, “So, we had to change the entire script because of toy making.”

Now, given that there weren’t really any Killian Toys outside of the mini-mates double pack (pictured above), most are a little unsure about the logic behind this statement beyond the mere “that is a ridiculous and outdated point of view .” Black did, however, go on to say that the powers-that-be that made this decision are no longer at the head of those decisions.

These statements came shortly after backlash towards toy companies for not including Rey in the initial release of toys for Star Wars: The Force Awakens. You know, Rey – the main character.

But hey, I suppose now the ending isn’t the only awkward thing about that movie now.*

Hopefully, Marvel and other large franchises will continue to take fans comments on board, to help improve, impress and expand their fanbases.

(*Just a note – I like Iron Man 3 – I’ve watched it multiple times. However, the ending made no sense to me because of the whole “Yay I just got my arc reactor removed!” – did no one remember Iron Man 2? When it was literally killing him from the inside out? Surely that whole movie would have been solved if he could just cut it out? Or the Avengers, when he called it his Terrible Privilege and used it to bond with Bruce Banner? Because I do. And I am still so deeply confused.)

 

‘Kingsman: The Golden Circle’ Starts Filming In The UK – As Elton John Confirms Role!

Kingsman: The Golden Circle began filming in the UK this week, with locations such as London and Birmingham on the map. Leaked set pictures show Channing Tatum looking incredibly dashing as he walks by a classic London black cab.

Credit: WENN.com

Not much is known about Tatum’s role in this movie, but it is highly likely he’ll be a spy.

Elton John has also confirmed a role for the movie – again, we know nothing, but we do know he posted this pretty sweet Instagram photo;

This is not only exciting because it’s Elton John, but also because John hasn’t starred in a main role of a movie since 1975 – it’s an absolutely huge deal.

Birmingham residents were treated to viewing (and hearing, loudly) the filming of stunt scenes involving a high speed chase with a black cab and gunshot fire, which startled many and had them taking to Twitter.

Kingsman: The Golden Circle is the sequel to the surprise box office hit Kingsman: The Secret Service. The first movie, staring Taron Egerton as the leading role of Eggsy,  Colin Firth as his mentor Harry Hart, and Samuel L. Jackson and Sofia Boutella staring as villains Valentine and Gazelle respectively, drew in $412, 368, 455 world-wide, as a hilariously goofy and over-the-top action/spy movie.

Kingsman: The Golden Circle will follow on from the first movie with Egerton reprising his role as Eggsy, and Mark Strong to return as Merlin, as the team have to turn to an American secret service agency for help. More on the plot details can be found here.

So far, the sequel looks to be as insane, over-the-top and wonderful as the original. Fingers crossed for an awesome follow up!

Kingsman: The Golden Circle is currently scheduled for release on June 16th 2017 in the UK.

Game Of Thrones SN6 E4 – ‘Book of the Stranger’

Valar morghulis my friends. My name is Jessica and I’ll be recapping your episodes of Game of Thrones from now on, as our previous writer has been swooped away by a dragon. Just to give you a short background on myself: I’m a huge Game of Thrones fanatic, to the point that I founded my university’s own Game of Thrones Club. I’ve also read the A Song of Fire and Ice series from cover to cover, and am not so patiently awaiting the ending book(s).

The episode I shall be recapping is episode 4 of season 6 — “Book of the Stranger.” Rather than going character by character, I’ll be going place by place.

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The Wall

Jon decides that he wants to head South, which Edd dislikes after what previously happened at Hardhome. Jon and Edd are interrupted as Sansa, Podrick, and Brienne enter Castle Black. Jon and Sansa share a heart-warming hug , and then recount their journeys since the day they both left Winterfell. Sansa wants  Jon to help her take back Winterfell, their only true home, but after all the fighting at The Wall Jon says he can’t. Sansa declares that if he won’t help her, she will do it herself, as there will always be Houses in the north loyal to House Stark. Concurrently, Brienne finds Ser Davos and Melisandre and tells them that after Stannis admitted to using dark magic to assassinate his brother Renly, Brienne killed Stannis. Later on in the day the group enjoys a hot meal, while Tormund and Brienne share some #Torienne eye ogling moments. A letter arrives from Ramsay Bolton, now Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North. The letter boasts about how Ramsay has Rickon Stark in a dungeon and Shaggydog’s skin on the floor. He demands that Sansa be returned or else he and the Bolton army shall ride North to slaughter all the wildlings. He also threatens some other gruesome things towards Jon, Sansa and Rickon in classic Ramsay Bolton fashion. Jon finally agrees with Sansa, they must take back Winterfell, hooray! Hopefully, through a combination of wildlings and Northern Houses they will take Ramsay Bolton down and save Rickon.

Runestone 

Robin Arryn has grown since the last time we saw him in Season 5, unfortunately his archery skills have not. As we watch him practice, Littlefinger (a.k.a. Petyr Baelish) arrives with a pet falcon for Robin. The Lord of Runestone, Yohn Royce, begins asking Littlefinger how Sansa ended up married to Ramsay Bolton instead of getting to the Fingers for protection. Littlefinger replies that Bolton soldiers attacked them on their journey and kidnapped Sansa. He also implies that Yohn is guilty because he was the only other person to know where they were heading. Petyr manipulates Robin, who plays with the falcon, into considering executing Yohn unless Yohn swears his absolute loyalty —which he does. Littlefinger then tells Robin that Sansa escaped and is currently under protection at Castle Black, but she won’t be safe there unless she has help. Robin tells Yohn to command the knights of the Vale to protect his cousin. Anyone else feel a war brewing? Hopefully Ramsay Bolton is about to get sandwiched between an attack from the south and the north.

Meereen

Tyrion Lannister is quickly finding himself in hot water. He arranges a meeting with the slave masters of Astapor, Volantis and Yunkai, against Missandei and Grey Worm’s wishes, to discuss a deal. Tyrion proposes that all the cities, excluding Meereen, will have seven years to end slavery allowing them an easier transition opposed to abolishing it in a day. They will be compensated for losses, and the masters must stop their support of the Sons of the Harpy. Tyrion then leaves the masters with time to deliberate his offer, however he is met by former slaves of Meereen who disprove on any negotiation with the masters. The former slaves ask Grey Worm and Missandei their opinion, and they reluctantly side with Tyrion on the matter. They continue to ask when their Queen will return, but Tyrion can only assure them “soon.” While Tyrion sees the issue from a Westerosi-scholarly perspective, Grey Worm and Missandei see the issue from their first-hand experience with the masters; thus in private they warn him that the masters will try to use him and the situation to their benefit.

King’s Landing

Margaery finally makes some progress with the High Sparrow and gets to see her brother, Loras. Margaery sees an immobile Loras on the prison floor (I actually thought he was dead), and tells him to be strong. Meanwhile Cersei is told by Tommen that Margaery’s walk of atonement will happen soon. Cersei meets with Kevan Lannister and Olenna Tyrell at the small council chamber to plot how they will overthrow the High Sparrow before Margaery’s walk.

Iron Islands

Theon arrives at the Iron Islands to hear the news that his father Balon Greyjoy has died. Upon being reunited with his sister Yara he explains that he will support Yara’s claim at the Kingsmoot.

Winterfell

Osha, who was Rickon’s protector after fleeing Winterfell, is brought before Ramsay. While she attempts to seduce him in order to reach a knife, Ramsay tells her that Theon mentioned her using the same tactic to escape Theon. Osha quickly tries to stab him, but Ramsay stabs her in the neck.

Vaes Dothrak

Daario discovers that Jorah has greyscale upon arriving at Vaes Dothrak. The duo infiltrate the city, and wait for an opportunity. Meanwhile Daenerys becomes friends with a young Dosh Khaleen. When they go outside they encounter Jorah and Daario. Rather than sneaking out of the city, Daenerys comes up with a different plan. That night, Daenerys awaits judgement before all the great khals inside the temple. She accuses the khals of not being the leaders the Dothraki need, telling them that she instead will lead them. She begins tipping braziers and the whole temple is consumed in flames, the khals cannot escape because the door was barred by the young Dosh Khaleen. Daenerys emerges from the fiery temple, unburnt and naked. The thousands of Dothraki outside bow down before her. (Total bad-assery as usual, “Fire cannot kill a dragon.”)

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Well that’s a wrap! What are your thoughts on this episode? Anything you liked/disliked? Like, share, comment below or tweet me @sohodoll. And as always, “Winter is coming.”

Supernatural SN11 E22 – ‘We Happy Few’

SN11 E22:  We Happy Few

Written By:  Robert Berens

Directed By:  John Badham

OK, so my daughter is home from college for the summer, and she joined Lucy and I to watch The Show on Wednesday night.  The three of us were huddled up on the couch ready for The Battle Royal that was scheduled for the night.  It was a championship bout, winner takes all.  First, in the red corner was the upstart challenger, The Darkness… Sister of God… Amara!  In the blue corner was … well… everyone else.  Let’s get reaaaaaady to RRRRRUUUUUUMMMMMBLE!

They didn’t immediately throw everyone into the ring and let ’em duke it out.  There was a little bit of story stuff beforehand.  I particularly liked the scenes with Lucifer being all Emo teenager hiding in Sam’s room playing his music too loud until his Dad (Chuck/God) was willing to give him the apology he’s been waiting for ….well…. ever.  And, Sam and Dean playing “Dr. Phil” trying to work out the problem.  That’s right… use your “I feel” statements.  ‘I feel’ like this was probably the best thing all season.  I loved watching The Boys and Casifer going around and rounding up all of their ‘help’ for the bare-knuckle brawl for the Championship Title.

But, then they got down to the business at hand.  Chuck said that he was going to transfer The Mark to Sam; that’s when Lucy and my daughter sucked in enough air to bend the sides of the house inward.  I was just like… Really?  Ya’ll didn’t see this coming?  Somebody had to take The Mark to lock her up.  And let’s be real, it IS Sam’s turn for the sacrificing crap.  (Yeah, I’m aware that I just pissed off all the Sam girls out there.  Now, ask me if I care.)

So, back to the Championship Bout…. It didn’t exactly go as planned.  Amara kicked major ass once she realized they weren’t going to kill her, they were going to lock her up again.  She even knocked Chuck for a loop.  It was Dean that finally slowed her down when he pleaded with her “don’t do this”.

Now, I have a theory, and I’m gonna share it with all of you.  I think that Chuck/God left the “Chuck” vessel and went into Rowena to make good his escape from Amara so that he could come back and fight another day.  We’ll see if I’m right next week.

What do you think?  Tell me in the comments below!

Bates Motel SN4 EP10 – ‘Norman’

Firstly I just want to apologize for my tardiness in getting my review written and live on our site, but I do have a good excuse and no I wont bore you with the details. So this week was the season four finale and I for one was greatly anticipating it with all sorts of scenarios going through my head but the way the finale ended was definitely not one of the may different scenarios I had in my head that’s for sure. Ok so let take a quick look at last weeks episode before we sink our teeth into the finale episode.

Last week we seen Norman’s crazy train pull into the station as he and Norma try to reconnect and make plans for the future. Romero frustrated by Norma being blind when it come to Norman, reaches out to Dylan for help. Norman again gets his was as Norma sacrifices her own happiness and pens a letter to Romero telling him she is sorry and that she will always love him and places the ring in the envelope and places it on her dresser. Norman plans to be with mother forever and lights the faulty furnace and closes all the vents in the house except Norma’s room he lies beside her and goes to sleep, he wakes to find Romero giving Norma CPR and utters Mother?

SN4 EP10 – ‘Norman’

Norman is being loaded into the ambulance and as he looks out the window we get a glimpse of his point of view with the Bates house on its side and so to is his world now, we also see him delve into memories of him and his mother playing hide and seek but he loses her briefly “Promise, Mother? That you will never leave me alone? She has left him physically but she is clearly cemented deep into his tormented little mind. Romero still visibly shocked is being interviewed and tells the Detective he and Norma had only been married for two-week, she slides a letter towards him that Norma wrote containing the wedding ring and the note saying she will always love him, Detective Chambers (Molly Price) believes it’s a clear-cut murder suicide and yes to outsiders it would appear as if Norma was extremely distraught over her failed marriage tried to end it and takes Norman out with her, but of course Romero and anyone who knows Norman, knows he’s is the right amount of crazy to pull this off and Romero tells her “if I were you, I’d speak to her son Norman Bates”.

Norman gets released from the hospital, when Romero tells him he knows he did it, but Norman goes along with the suicide theory and blames Romero for Norma’s death. Romero pins Norman against the wall with his hand around his throat and says ” I’m going to prove you did it, you piece of shit” releases him and walks out. Norman is no longer untouchable, and without Norma’s protection he is now going to have to watch his back. Norman comes home and calls out “Mother?” With no answer he goes to her room as though she is still in bed, but alas she is not so he lays in the bed that he had shared with his mother so many times before, Norman for the first time is now truly alone, he sets his mother a spot at the table and eats alone.

Romero goes to see Norma at the morgue, but the employees think it’s not a good idea but he looks untill he finds her body as he pull back the sheet he sobs and my heart broke for him he is truly in love with her and in an instant she is taken away from him, he places her wedding ring on her finger, kisses her and tell her that he loves her wherever she is and he always will. Norman still denial that Norma will come home, is looking into the mirror and asks what do I have to do mother? As though he was waiting for her to answer him, he starts emptying out the meds he has been taking since his time at Pineview, which is not a good move considering his already delusional state of mind. When the phone rings he rushes to it thinking it may be mother calling, but it was the funeral home looking for Alex Romero, Norman quickly tell him Romero no longer lives there and he will have nothing to do with the ceremony. Norman is told to bring an outfit he would like Norma to be buried in.

Norman has had it in for the big screen TV Romero had brought so it only makes sense to destroy it, while he is in the process of destroying the same Detective that questioned Romero pulls up that as Norman is going to town on the TV. Norman is quick to cast suspicion onto Romero as he claims Norma was upset over leaving Romero, he also claims he didn’t know much about their relationship because he was in Pineview. He claims that Alex wasn’t a good guy and the he only married Norma to get him locked up in the Pineview Institute. Norman can be quite convincing, but I don’t think he has managed to convince Detective Chambers, it seem she suspects something is not quite right with him or his story. At the funeral home Norman seems to at ease and quite comfortable in that environment, could it be a new job for him perhaps? Romero learns that Norman may have been in the room when the repair guy told Norma that furnace could kill them if its lit. Dylan reaches out to talk to Norman because he knows Norma won’t speak to him for a while due to their fight but when he say that she probably won’t reach out to me, Norman neglects to tell Dylan that Norma is dead and will never be reaching out to him. As heartbreaking as it will be when Dylan finally knows the truth about Norma, I think he and Emma are safer being in Seattle.

Norman didn’t tell anyone about Norma’s funeral, he gets up and starts his eulogy to an empty church he says Norma was like a miracle and she wasn’t supposed to leave me, clearly still in denial that she died by his hand. Romero enters the church and Norman gave him the ring back defying Romero last wish for his wife, Romero lands a few good ones on Norman that sends him into the church pews bleeding from his nose. Alex is on a mission and heads to the station to get his gun, as he leaves the DEA turn up and arrest him for perjury for lying about his relationship with Rebecca, they are really clutching at straws but it may have saved our favorite little psycho’s life. Norman is becoming increasingly convinced that his mother with be coming home soon, he is becoming more delusional and thinks it’s a good idea to go and dig Norma up and bring her, he lays her on the couch and shakes her to wake up and open her eyes and when she doesn’t he glues her eyes open and scream “look at me mother”. Norman is teetering on the edge of grief, desperation and delusions which is a very dangerous combination.

Chick finds the door open walks in Norman meets him before he gets to the couch that Norma’s body is laying on, he tells Norman he has come to pay his respects and he brought Norman a chicken enchilada casserole, he sees Norma’s body lying there and says “you do what you have to do, but you know she is dead right? He tells Norman that he will come back in a few days to check in on him, but that could become potentially dangerous for Chick. With it dawning on Norman that she is not coming back he loads a gun to finish off what he started, he put the barrel in his mouth and just as he goes to pull the trigger he hears ‘I’ll Be Home for Christmas’ playing on the piano, its Norma in a red dress happily playing the piano he sits with his arm around her while she plays and the camera pans out to Bates Motel neon blue sign.

I definitely didn’t see that ending coming at all, one thing I have been thinking about is maybe Norma has never really been there? Could she have just been the other side of Norman’s split personality? Season 4 has been outstanding, the writer, the actors and the rest of the crew are just insanely talented and I am very much looking forward to what season 5 will bring.

Russell T. Davies’ “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” BBC One Trailer Review

Hear Ye! Hear Ye! All ye Kings and Queens, Knights and Nobles! I implore thee to lend thine ears to this most glorious news, straight from the halls of BBC One itself!

Whovians, perk your ears.

Russell T. Davies, the brilliant writer who returned the joy of Doctor Who to millions of fans, both old and new (and borrowed and blue), has now decided to reboot another classic – albeit a little bit older than the idea of a mad man in a blue box.

Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

That’s right, you read that correctly. Rather than giving us nightmares of the dark, gas masks, and angel statues, Davies will now be dabbling in faeries, donkey-men, and walls named Snout.

Speaking of Snout, guess who’s playing him? Lemme give you Whovians a few hints: he played a companion in the 1966 Doctor Who film, he (sadly) knocked three times, and he’s the brilliant granddad of the illustrious Doctor Donna. That’s right, Bernard Cribbins will be reuniting with Davies, as he plays the hilarious ‘wall within a play’, within the play (I know it doesn’t seem it, but that sentence makes total sense).

It’s a straight up Whovian reunion, as the crew that worked with Davies to reboot Doctor Who is the same crew that’ll be working with him on A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Basically, it’s guaranteed to be amazing.

Or, rather, worked with him, as the 90-minute reinvention of the hilarious, iconic Shakespearean play is already in post-production. It’ll be released on BBC One at the end of May (THIS MONTH!). As a matter of fact, pre-screening of this film was on May 6^th in Cardiff (tickets disappeared ridiculously fast, I’m told). I can’t believe Davies snuck this up on us like this.

Wait… yeah, actually, I can.

Interesting note, there’s also a couple more things that Davies is sneaking in his reimagined version of this love-struck comedy – like a lesbian kiss between Titania, Queen of the Faeries, and the Amazonian Queen Hippolyta.

When questioned regarding this ‘controversial’ decision, Davies had this to say:

“My feeling about the end of the play is that Titania is submissive to Oberon and he gets away with his tricks. It’s very male-female, male-female, so I wanted to have a man with a man, a man who was dressed as a woman with a man, and a woman with a woman because it’s 2016, so that’s the world now … The plays reinvent themselves constantly, every generation does them differently, so if there’s a problem kiss me instead!”

I think I’ll pass. But setting aside the ‘modernization’ fuss that old Shakespearian fogies are trumpeting, the play is set in Greece. As a matter of fact, it revolves around the marriage of the Duke of Athens and the Queen of the Amazons. And Greece is a notoriously sexual and open culture. I mean, you’d be hard pressed to find a society more sexually open and accepting than ancient Greece.

Anyway, setting that aside, I’m super excited for this newest adaptation of what is definitely my second favorite Shakespeare play (I don’t care how cliché I sound, Hamlet is and always will be my favorite).

There is an all-star cast of characters. Maxine Peake (Criminal Justice, Silk, Theory of Everything) is starring as Titania, with her on-stage, tempestuous husband to be played by Nonso Anozie (Zoo, Cinderella, Game of Thrones). Their human-world counterparts, Theseus and Hippolyta, will be played by John Hannah (Spartacus, The Mummy, Atlantis) and Eleanor Matsuura (Alan Partridge, MI-5, Cuffs), respectively. Hiran Abeysekera (Lion in the Tent) will star as the ever-mischievous Puck, and Matt Lucas will be the hapless and hilarious Bottom (Alice in Wonderland, Little Britain, Pompidou).

But it’s not just a bunch of hard-hitting, ‘the most British Brits that ever Britished’ that will star in this fantastic film-adaptation. There’s a whole bunch of new talent that will be taking to the stage – erm, screen.

Outside of Kate Kennedy (Catastrophe) as Helena, the other three love-befuddled youths are all completely new faces. Paapa Essiedu is the ever-determined Demetrius, Prisca Bakare is the fourth-wheel Hermia, and Matthew Tennyson will play the besotted Lysander.

About his unique, hodge-podge cast, Davies had this to say: “This is such an exciting range of actors from stage and screen, from wild comedy to high drama, and some making their first ever appearance on camera. The Dream is coming to life like never before.”

And for Russell T. Davies, this truly is a dream. When the drama was first announced, Davies admitted that remaking A Midsummer Night’s Dream with BBC has been a dream of his for his entire adult life.

In his words: “…only the BBC can put on a play like this, for all the family, smack-bang in the heart of primetime. With a riot of prosthetics, CGI, magic and action, it needs the brilliant Doctor Who team in Cardiff to bring it to life.”

With such a perfect combination of passion, talent, and skill, how can this be anything other than fantastic? I’ve got high hopes, and can’t wait for it to air.

Knowing my luck, it won’t release in the US for another six months. Oh well, there’s always iTunes…

UPDATE: Here’s the teaser trailer for A Midsummer Night’s Dream, directed by Russell T. Davies: