Live Action “Beauty and the Beast” Photos Show Iconic Ballgown

Ever since the trailer dropped for the live action version of Beauty and The Beast (directed by Bill Condon), Disney fans have been waiting for shots of Belle and the Beast in full. As the trailer gave so little away, with only shots of the castle and a glimpse of Belle’s face, fans have been eagerly awaiting to see what the Disney classic couple will look like in full for the animation.

Disney fans can now rejoice, however, as images have surfaced not only of Emma Watson (Harry Potter Franchise, Ballet Shoes, The Perks of Being a Wallflower) in Belle’s first blue and white outfit, but also one of her in the iconic yellow gown, dancing with the Beast – Dan Stevens (Downton Abbey, The Guest, Sense and Sensibility) himself.

From what we can see so far, Watson really is Belle come to life – brunette, immensely intelligent and stunning in the gown for her dance with the Beast. The Beast himself also looks impressive, with his blue jacket and black trouser ensemble.

Other images have been released, including one of the bar scene from the number “Gaston” (No one shoots like Gaston…) starring Luke Evans (Dracula Untold, The Raven, Fast & Furious 6) as the misogynistic and over-the-top protagonist  of the tale.

An image of the infamous Lumiere and Cogsworth has also been released, who will be voiced by Ewan McGregor (Star Wars Franchise, Moulin Rouge, Trainspotting) and Ian McKellen (X-Men Franchise, The Lord of the Rings, Gods and Monsters) respectively.

Overall, this live action adaptation of Beauty and the Beast looks absolutely stunning, with so-far incredible cinematography and CGI, and promises of the original soundtrack with a remastered score are also forthcoming.

Beauty and the Beast is due for release on March 17th 2017.

The Expanse Picked Up By NETFLIX International

Netflix will be bringing the hit SyFy TV series of the year to the world!

Why is this awesome news? Because now all of you across the world will finally get to see the show I love and (more importantly) get to weigh in on my episode breakdowns! Stay tuned for Ep 9 and EP 10 soon.

The Rundown

Being an American (and Texan) I pretty much figured if it happens here, it must happen in the rest of the world. It never occurred to me that most of y’all have not had a chance to see the series yet. Hopefully, I haven’t ruined anything for you.

I can tell you that if you’re even a passing fan of sci-fi, you’ll like the show for the imaginative plot and side stories that intertwine and immerse you in the TV series’ universe. Plus the spaceships, cool future tech, lasers, etc…

So, starting on November 3rd, 2016 Netflix will make the first season of The Expanse available for streaming to members outside of the U.S. and New Zealand. The second season of the show is wrapping up production now and is set to premiere sometime in early 2017 on SyFy and Netflix. I’m a bit jealous of my international Expanse fan friends. Y’all get to marathon the whole series when you get it. I’ll have to watch week to week.

The Why

Producing The Expanse is a costly undertaking for SyFy. The scope of the show is definitely one of the bigger undertakings that the channel has gambled on to date. Unfortunately, ratings for the show declined towards the final episodes of season 1. This, combined with the big budget, was most likely the cause behind the decision to license to Netflix. The good thing is the show has a large cult following and I’m sure SyFy hopes to tap into it and expand on it when the show goes out to the rest of the world.

For now, I can tell you that Season 2 of The Expanse is highly anticipated here (in my house) and for fans across the country. Head to SyFy.com to catch up on episodes from Season 1 and subscribe to SKATRONIXXX to stay up to date on this and all your favorite geeking, gaming, and nerding news.

See you soon!

Ada Lovelace Bio Optioned for Movie Adaptation

Geek girls celebrate! The grandmother of computing could be making her big screen debut!

11th October is Ada Lovelace Day – a day to celebrate and remember one of the pioneering women of computing. If you’re a fan of awesome AMC series Halt and Catch Fire, you’ll remember that coding genius Cameron  Howe (Mackenzie Davis) named her first program after her. While today, Ada Lovelace Day is a great time to promote the value of women and girls working in STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths), back in the eighteenth century, Lovelace was being overlooked because of her gender. Ada was the eighteenth century Willow from Buffy… without, you know, the lesbianism and dark magic.

James Essinger’s biography of Ada Lovelace “Ada’s Algorithm” has recently been acquired by Monumental Films. They’re aiming to make a biopic in the same vein as awards darling The Imitation Game, which starred Benedict Cumberbatch. The film aims to tell the story of the woman who joined forces with Charles Babbage – the man generally credited with inventing the computer. Although little is known about her life, the biography (and film) covers her early fame as the daughter of Lord Byron, her education (which was unusual for women at the time), her flair for mathematics and her eventual legacy of the first computer programmer.

If this gets through development hell, it’ll be great to see how Lovelace’s profile will look after getting the treatment Turing got a couple of years ago. And the lucky actress who gets the leading role could find that she needs to invest in some awards ceremony gowns. It’s the perfect story for Oscar season! 

Ada’s Algorithm: How Ada Lovelace, Lord Byron’s Daughter, Launched the Digital Age Through the Poetry of Numbers by James Essinger has just been released in paperback and is available from Amazon

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Luke Cage SN1 EP11-‘Now You’re Mine’

The show is back on top form as Diamondback turns the world against Luke.

After two unremarkable episodes, Luke Cage hit it out of the park during a tense and thrilling episode. Picking up immediately where the previous episode left off ensured there was no drama lost in the transitions, as every moment was fully explored. The decision to leave Mariah Dillard out of this episode was a smart one, keeping the focus mostly on Diamondback’s vendetta against Luke, as opposed to the power to be gained from the situation.

What a vendetta it was! Diamondback treated us to a full blown hostage situation, giving us the second best action sequence of the series. Whereas the one back in Episode 3 demonstrated the raw power Luke possesses, this one here showed how a more calculated Luke approaches things, weighing the risk of innocent lives being taken against Diamondback’s clear taunts to aggravate him. We got a glimpse of a different Diamondback here, one truly haunted by the neglect of his childhood. It was a powerful moment that showed how easily a life can be ruined, but was also a refreshing break from the usual loud, psychotic way Diamondback carries himself. We’ve seen plenty of villains like that before, and we’ll see plenty again, so it’s the quieter moments that make or break them.

This episode also saw the truth start to unravel, as the façade Mariah and Diamondback created saw scrutiny from the police. The new police captain has been an interesting character. Her clear past with Misty, and early actions, suggested she would be more of an antagonistic force. However, what outwardly appears a more hostile relationship, is actually very trusting, as the captain begins to believe Misty. Unfortunately, with one dead cop, two injured and a whole lotta hostages, the rest of the force doesn’t feel the same. It’s frustrating knowing Luke’s innocent but he’ll still take the heat, yet that will make his ultimate release all the more satisfying. In any case, the captain is starting to hone in on the actual suspect Mariah Dillard, but with Diamondback’s plan already in play it may be too little too late.

The episode stood out most in the way it finally tackled the relationship between Luke and Misty. For much of the season Misty has been more of an annoyance than anything else due to her insistence on pinning everything on Luke, so to see them finally on the same page is such a relief, and make’s her character all the better for it. What’s more is that in her blood drained state we saw a softer side to Misty. One who was afraid of dying. So often in movies and TV shows, characters aren’t actually afraid of dying, which disconnects them from the audience some. So whilst we did find her cracking jokes, the way she was afraid of death stood out as a uniquely human moment in a show about someone more than that.

In such an awesome episode there are bound to be a lot of great moments, so other notable highlights are:

• Claire continued to amaze this episode. She is hands down the best character in the Marvel/Netflix shows, maybe the best in the wider MCU. The way she acted her way out of the hostage situation and then took down a goon, she’s just full of surprises. As Misty said, she’s got skills.

• It was great to see the both of them build bridges as well this episode. There’s a strong friendship to develop there, and it was clear they’re both of the same mindset. Them taking down Shades together was a treat to watch because of how raw it was. It didn’t feel choreographed; it was just the three of them fighting however which way they could.

• Speaking of Shades, is that really it for him? I enjoyed him this episode, as he kept a cool head. He’s been the calm, intelligent one since his introduction back in episode one, and you can always rely on him to think things through, so it was a shame to see him so easily taken out of the game. I expect we’ll see more from him, if not now then later in the show’s lifespan, but he didn’t really have much impact this season.

• I also hope we get to see more from Candace going forward. She seemed truly sorry for what she did to Luke, and the way she calmed down and fought through her pain in order to help Claire out was worthy of a true hero.

• A character from Daredevil Season Two made a worthy appearance this episode. After seeing the devastation caused by Frank Castle with normal bullets, it’s understandable as to why he wouldn’t want Judas bullets getting onto the streets. Something tells me he won’t have succeeded.

So Episode 11 saw a triumphant return to form for Luke Cage, as everything started to come together. Whilst the city might now be against him, Luke finally has Misty and the police captain on his side, who will no doubt be instrumental in his ultimate defeat of Diamondback. Mariah Dillard may have been absent from the episode, but she was still causing chaos. It’s the sign of a truly great villain if they can disrupt the protagonist without even appearing onscreen. We’re heading into the final two episodes now, it’s still not exactly clear where things are headed. Both Diamondback and Mariah need taking out, but there’s no idea of how that will happen yet.

 

Fraggle Rock Returning To HBO

For those living under a rock or for youngster let me begin to tell you what Fraggle Rock is. Fraggle Rock is live action puppet show about Muppet like creatures, which ran from 1983 till 1987. The show is also known as Jim Henson’s Fraggle Rock or Fraggle Rock with Jim Henson’s Muppets.

As you might have guessed it by the aliases of the show names this series was created by Jim Henson. Who is also the man behind the Muppets. But that is a whole other story.

The show is set in a natural cave system where we follow the adventures of the Fraggles and other creatures living near and in the caves, while dealing with serious issues like prejudice and social conflict mixed with music and silliness. So it is a series for all ages.

I have spent many Sunday mornings watching this show and its catchy theme song. Although I haven’t heard it in its original version, until now, because like 94 other countries mine was dubbed (For those of you who are curious here is the version I grew up with: https://youtu.be/KSHHms6A9Oo). But that does not change that it is catchy. Once you hear it, it is stuck in your mind. (You’re welcome.)

 

And now for the good news. We can watch the original show again. No remake or what so ever. HBO has remastered the show and it will be available at the end of the year via HBO and for streaming via HBO GO, HBO Now and HBO On Demand. So we don’t have to wait very long to enjoy the 96 adventures from our favourite Fraggles.

Gotham S3 E4 ‘New Day Rising’

After the villainous Mad Hatter Jervis Tetch made his appearance and was scared off by his sister we find her talking to Bullock. Tetch is going to find her and she knows it, he really is far worse then anyone knows. We next see Tetch hypnotizing a man surrounded by carnival props.

It’s election day with the former mayor and the crime lord Penguin running even. Riddler is so happy to be free from Arkham and helping Penguin. Penguin has even had their release certificates framed.

They are taking Alice Tetch’s  blood to test it. She tells Lee all about Tetch and how if he gets into your mind you are done. Clearly he is affecting Gordon as he causes him to walk out into the street in front of a barreling truck.

One of Bruce’s cars was totaled of course because 5 can’t drive. 5 and Selina are still together and he doesn’t understand what she is doing when she says she is robbing a place. She is quickly caught in the act, I do hope she gets away.

Penguin is actually quite the charismatic figure when he is led by the Riddler. Butch is paying of members of the election board. Gordon is off to see Babs to find out where Tetch is. I do love how mad Babs is, she is so perfect for Gordon. Tetch is looking for muscle and easily wins over two bruisers.

Selina is trapped, when 5 busts in and takes out the guys in a flash. Gordon goes to speak with Alice about his suicidal thoughts. Barnes and Gordon surprisingly have a heart to heart and he allows him to talk to her.

Selina realizes 5 is not Bruce. Riddler is annoyed Butch is paying people off when Penguin is winning people over with his charisma.Alice knows Tetch is still in Gordon’s head and helps him figure out that ticking will set him off. Suddenly the bruisers come into the GCPD ready to take Alice. Not a good day for anyone at the police station today. When Tetch comes before Gordon and hypnotizes him Barnes saves the day maybe Barnes isn’t so terrible.

5 and Selina are talking as she stitches his wound up. 5 has never had anyone to call a friend and clearly hopes Selina will be a friend or more as he kisses her which is a shock. Gordon wakes up in the office with Lee, they need to talk. Gordon has no words for her, and she is rightfully upset. Gordon is under a 48 hour suicide watch, will he find a way to free himself to beat Tetch?

Butch promises his men if Penguin wins they will run the city, his two men have lost Nygma. When Bullock interrogates the last of the bruisers he tells him where Tetch is. Meanwhile Tetch has dressed Alice, as well Alice from Alice in Wonderland and is ready to punish her for leaving him. He injects her with something terrible I presume.

Gordon is off to the hospital when Bullock gives his guards a break and he is set free to get Tetch. Bruce finds 5 angry with him, or really angry with himself for not spending time with Selina. 5 is going to leave Gotham and jumps off the roof running to safety. This clone certainly is superhuman.

Tetch is planning to inject Alice’s blood into the drinking water to create a few monsters. Gordon comes into face Tetch who sets off a ticking metronome. Gordon overcomes it and breaks his spell. Soon after Alice falls from the pier and is stabbed by a spike causing Tetch to scream.

Penguin feels betrayed by Riddler taking back the money Butch bribed the officials with, but is overcome with joy when he wins nonetheless. In the aftermath Butch is demoted and Riddler and Penguin go to celebrate.

Bruce and Alfred talk of Selina because Bruce just wants Selina truly. Gordon and Lee talk as well and finally put things to rest. 5 is walking alone when he is taken in by the Court of owls, phase 2 of his story begins now.

Penguin speaks out for the first time as Mayor introducing Gotham to his Chief of Staff Mr.Nygma. At the crime scene a drop of Alice’s blood falls into Barnes’ eye, shit is about to go down.

With Penguin as Mayor the city of Gotham is definitely not going to be so peaceful as the underbelly will definitely come to the surface. Really ready for next week’s episode ‘Anything for you’

Doctor Who: Dead Planet; William Hartnell years review

Welcome Back!

 

We last left our friend and the Doctor on a new planet. They had just escaped the numbskulls and landed somewhere new. The doctor asks Susan to read the radiation level on the TARDIS console before exploring. At first glance she says “Its reading normal, grandfather.” But then we see the little knob rise to the danger level.

 

The heroes are walking around the forest, which looks like a fire had gone through.. They pick up some dirt off the ground to inspect it. Ian mentions, “There is something else that’s strange. There is quite a breeze blowing, but look at the branch and things…” Susan then responds, “Nothing seems to be moving.” As they look up at the tall forest, all the dead life lye perfectly still. This disturbs them. Ian places his hand on the tree he is standing next to, a piece comes off in his hand. “Huh” he observes, “like stone, very brittle stone. It crumbles when you touch it.” The Doctor examines the piece in Ian’s hand, “petrified, how fascinating. Petrified jungle..” The Heroes ponder then as to how this happened to the jungle. The Doctor and Susan start to venture further. Barbara asks Ian “Why doesn’t he just take us back home?’ Ian responds, “I don’t think he can.” “Maybe we should stay by the box then,” replies Barbara. “The ship is no good without him. We better keep an eye on him, he seems to have a knack for getting himself into trouble.” Ian continues. (Buddy, you have no idea.) “Do you think there will be any trouble?” asks Barbara. “Not necessarily,” Responds Ian. Barbara wishes to be back home but figures they should follow on with the others.

 

Meanwhile, Susan and the Doctor have wondered further, Susan has found a lovely flower on the Dead forest floor. As Ian and Barbara catch up, Susan calls for Ian to come look at the lovely treasure she has found. Barbara walks past, not really to caring to much for the small wonder. Barbara then stops and gasps. “Ian! Ian!” she cries out. Ian having come to his feet with the flower in his hand, pretty much throws it back at Susan as he hurriedly rushes toward Barbara to see what has startled her. “Honey coming!’ He calls out, not realizing that the flower he just tossed at Susan, has not crumbled…

Barbara stares at the object that has startled her, a look of sadness and fear in her eyes. “What is it, what’s the matter?” Asks Ian. Barbara just points in front of her. Ian’s eyes follow that gaze of her finger, and find a giant lizard looking creature, about the size of a medium sized dog. Slowly Ian starts to venture toward the creature, the Doctor not far behind. As he gets closer, Barbara grabs his arm, in attempt to stop him from getting to close. “Hahahah, its alright,” Ian observes, “its solid stone,” proclaims as he taps on the creature. This creature definitely proves to Ian and Barbara that they are not on Earth. As the Doctor inspects the creature, he then realizes that the creature has solidified but not naturally, and made of metal. “You mean when it was alive, but that’s impossible!” exclaims Ian. “Can’t you imagine an animal less its flesh, blood and bone? “ asks the Doctor. “It’s some pliable metal, held together by a magnetic field or in a magnetic field rather, and it may have had the ability to affect its victims.” Barbara is staring up at the sky, “we are not on Earth then.” She states. (Duh woman, that’s what the Doctor and Susan have been trying to tell you.) Barbara and Ian look at each other, “Are you sure?” Ian asks (really dude… like the mechanical lizard and dying forest isn’t enough to convince you that you are no longer on Earth… geez man…) Susan and the Doctor continue on their adventure to explore more of the forest, but Barbara just sits down, saddened. She wishes to be back on Earth with the sites she is accustomed to. Ian tries to be comforting, and bring a smile back to her lovely face.

 

Ian is then pulled away by Susan to see something neat… Barbara asks Susan “Susan, is there anything on the ship that records the journey?” “Oh yes…” She replies, excitedly explaining the items on the ship that does the recording. “Then why don’t we know where we are?” Barbara asks. “It’s a matter of knowing the right information,” Susan replies, “its not that grandfather doesn’t know how to run the ship, but he gets so forgetful. Then he will go off.. Well he likes to work on his own…”

 

The Doctor after some more convo between the ladies, comes back to them. He seems to not have an idea of what has happened to the planet, but comes to the conclusion that everything is totally dead. Ian then hollers for them. They run to see what the commotion is all about. “We really must get back!” exclaims the Doctor as they rush to Ian, Only to find that what Ian has located what looks like a small village! (or a huge city I guess according to Barbara, though it looks small to me.. must be that 60s TV magic) The city looks pretty futuristic with dome tops and pointy roofs… lots of spheres and such. “Well Doctor can you see anything?” Asks Ian. “No no no no no, no sign of life. Just buildings, magnificent buildings.” Susan takes the spectacles from the Doctor to get a better look. She to is in awe of the magnificent sight. The Doctor is puzzled. No sign of life, yet what has caused the damage to the forest has not affected the city. “I will know more once I am down there.” Exclaims the Doctor, but Barbara is not up for this plan. “Oh no, we are going back to the ship,” she tells the Doctor. “Now don’t be ridiculous, that city down there is a magnificent specimen to study, and I don’t plan to leave here until I investigate.” Ian decided its to late to discuss this now, they will talk more when they get back to the ship. The doctor, being stubborn, thinks he will go alone then, yet Ian informs him that the Doctor is the only one who can manage the ship so he is not wondering off.

 

Zooming in to the city… dark music playing in the background, informing us that this is a bad place

 

The heroes are now wondering back to the ship, appearing to be lost. Susan stops and has found another flower. She hears something getting closer to her, and she is all alone. “Who is there?!” She cries out, Super freaked out of course. (That’s what you get for stopping to pick flowers.) The noise gets louder. Suddenly she is touched on the shoulder, she cries out and runs, running into Ian.

 

Back in the ship, a bit later, Barbara and Doctor are discussing what has happened to Susan. The Doctor asks Barbara to go talk with Susan, to connect with her in a way that the Doctor cannot. Barbara agrees.

 

Barbara goes to Susan. She tries to find out what has happened. Susan explains that someone touched her on the shoulder, yet upset that no one seems to believe her. She is more upset that her grandfather does not believe her.

 

Ian and the Doctor are now reading the ships computers. Trying to figure out where they are. Ian is getting upset with the Doctor, arguing with him about taking them away from their home. Ian wants to know what the next step is.

 

Susan has a cup in her hand, sprinkling something into water, while Barbara is leaning against the wall, holding her head. “What’s the matter?” asks the Doctor. “Suddenly I got this terrible headache.” Barbara replies. “OH, how drastic for you.” Responds the Doctor. Then sees that Susan is mixing some powder in water and informs Barbara that this stuff should help. She drinks the concoction and is feeling better quickly. They all venture over to a panel of buttons, the Doctor is asking them what they would like for breakfast. I’m guessing this is some sort of high-tech futuristic gadget on the TARDIS that makes food. Which is nice to know he had this going on in the 60s. The Doctor shows Susan how to make bacon and eggs with the machine. She pulls out some shiny object from the machine, which do not appear to be what they had ordered. “What is this?” asks Ian. “Try it, try it first,” urges the Doctor. Both Barbara and Ian try a bite of the square protein bar looking object, and are pleasantly surprised that this tastes of what they had ordered. (And now I am thinking about the gum from Willy Wonka and the chocolate factory.. hopefully they don’t want blueberry pie…) The Doctor explains what the food bars are. He inquires if Susan wants food, but she declines. Then they hear knocking outside the TARDIS. They all rush to the console and check out the monitors. Outside they see nothing… Which puzzles them. Barbara urges for them to leave the planet, but the Doctor wants to stay and investigate. Susan also helps in the urging of them to leave. The Doctor complies and starts the engines (ya I know, its not a car) He inspects something on the ground of the TARDIS by the console, looks like a gem or something. He places this back and stands up. Barbara does not notice what the Doctor is doing as she walks closer to the monitors, blissfully dreaming of going back home and being rid of the dead forest. Then the TARDIS starts to shake… they are all startled. “What’s going on?” asks Barbara. The TARDIS calms down, now they have to find out what caused this. The Doctor asks Susan to check out another monitor looking thing. She inspects and informs the Doctor of the number showing. “K7” “Ah yes,” he responds, then picks up the item on the ground he had picked up earlier, “There we are, the end of it has unscrewed itself and the fluid has all ran out. All we have to do is repair it.” States the Doctor. Ian seems happy with the answer, feeling it to be an easy fix. The Doctor tells him it’s mercury that is needed for fluid… but they don’t have any. Ian is dumbfounded as to how they don’t have any extra fluid on board. The Doctor informs him that they have never ran into this problem before so there was never a need for more. “Seems we shall have to get some from outside’ informs the Doctor. “But where, there is no place outside accept for, the City” exclaims Barbara, “Then we have no other choice but to go to the city” Ian observes. “Yes the city, of course. We are bound to get mercury from there.” Confirms the Doctor “Then we shall go at first light.“ announces Ian. (I’m pretty sure the Doctor set this up)

 

Now its light, they are making plans to head to the city. They venture out of the TARDIS and find a shiny thing on the floor. (SHINEY!) They all stand back as Ian pokes it with a stick. Then Ian picks it up and find it’s a box full of glass vials. They take the box inside the TARDIS for inspection. Then back out again to the city.

 

The heroes have made their way to the city. Tall triangle walls, I’m guessing made of metal, (being black and white makes it hard to tell). The Heroes are feeling a bit ill as well. They stop to rest; the Doctor sits down for a moment. Barbara inspects the wall trying to see if there is something, and the wall opens. Ian decides that they all separate and meet up shortly, Barbara calls dibs on the opening she just found. Doctor and Susan walk a different direction, while Ian looks for his own wall opening.

 

Barbara wonders down the corridors unaware of the doors that close behind her. She walks into a room inspects the walls for openings, the whole thing seems like a big maze. She tries to turn back and realizes that a door has closed behind her, trapping her in.

 

Susan and the Doctor soon find Ian. He inquires them to if they found anything. “No, how about you?” asks Susan “No.” Ian responds, “Barbara should be her by now” Ian calls out for her, deciding to give her a couple of minutes before they go looking for her.

 

Barbara is running around the Maze of rooms trying to find a way out. She is out of breath, panting and startled now as another door closes. Now she is officially trapped as a second door closes. The room moves, it’s an elevator! It then stops and the door opens. She cautiously makes her way out. She stops suddenly, pressing her back against the wall as a scope looking object makes its way toward her, and she screams

 

Next episode, the Survivors ^_^

Once Upon a Time SN6 E3 – The Other Shoe

ONCE UPON A TIME – “The Other Shoe” (ABC/Jack Rowand)

So far, I’ve been complaining about the episodes this season.  They’ve left me saying … meh.  But, this week they finally finished a story that I’ve been wondering about since Season 1 Episode 4!  I wanted to know how Cinderella … Ashley ended up in Storybrooke and (like Paul Harvey always said) ‘the rest of the story’.

So, even though I’ve been anxiously awaiting the Aladdin – Jasmine story line that they’ve teased us with all Summer, I was happy with last night’s episode.  And also… they gave us a really romantic Captain Swan scene which I may or may not have been watching repeatedly since last night.  Go ahead… judge me.  I don’t give a f … oh sorry, the boss doesn’t let me say words like that … OK.  I don’t give a flip.  I mean, come ON.  She’s gonna move aside some of those red leather jackets and make room for his black leather.  It doesn’t get much more romantic than that.  I wanna see her move the yellow bug over to make room in the driveway for The Jolly Roger!

I do have one criticism though.  I wanted an evil Evil Queen.  So far, she’s just been kind of comedic relief.  This whole thing with Regina trying to stay one step ahead of herself is just … well…. hilarious.  Give me some evil.  Ya know, like Gold in the first season.  Hell, like Regina in the first season.  But, her wardrobe is (as always) awesome AF.

Hook teaching Henry how to sword fight was beyond awesome.  It was really kind of sweet and cute.

In the upcoming attractions portion of the program, they said we’ll get Aladdin and Jasmine in TWO weeks.  YAY!

MacGyver SN1 E3 – Awl

Photo: Guy D’Alema/CBS ©2016 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved

I’ve decided not to call Lucas Till’s character MacGyver.  I just think of him as Angus (which is Mac’s given name).  That way I can enjoy this show without constantly comparing it to the original show.  There.  Easy peasy.

Because in reality, other than the glaring absence of RDA as Mac, this is a pretty good show with lots of action and cracking dialog.  And, the music’s pretty awesome too.  Also… b-t dubbs, I love the new and improved version of Jack Dalton.  George Eads totally makes this show for me.  Riley’s pretty kick ass too.

This week, the Phoenix team (see how I did that? No reference to Mac) had to go into Malaysia and extract an “asset”.  Ralph was the guy that handled the money for a terrorist group.  The Phoenix team hoped that he’d have some kind of intel that would help stop whatever the terrorist group was planning next.  Ralph was a pretty funny guy… well, I laughed at him a lot.  No… not with him.  AT him.  After getting shot, Ralph became the albatross around Angus’ and Jack’s neck while trying to get to their extraction point on time.  Angus even had to perform major surgery  with the windshield wiper fluid tube from Ralph’s SUV… after bandaging his wound with a driver’s license and some black electrical tape…. all while being directed by a surgeon that didn’t speak English that Riley grabbed off a golf course.  Thank God for translator apps.

All that and then Angus had to play the monster in Bozer’s indie film.  But, it’s all in a day’s work for … oh,  OK… MacGyver.

**please notice the bowl of paper clips on the table in the picture above… that is probably the best running gag in this show!

Luke Cage SN1 EP10 -‘Take It Personal’

Harlem descends into chaos as Luke Cage heads into the final stretch.

This episode should have been a big one for Luke Cage, and in many ways it was, however there were several things that dragged it down. The episode certainly picked up in the second half. Nothing gets an episode going like a rousing speech (no matter how misguided it is) and a big action sequence, but most of what came before Mariah rallied Harlem in front of the police station was utterly forgettable.

For instance, the removal of the shrapnel from Luke’s body. It wasn’t a tense moment as we knew he’d survive, so the only enjoyment that came from the scene was through the (limited) humorous interactions of Claire and Dr Burnstein. Even the drama that followed wasn’t satisfying as it was so predictable. Luke doesn’t want what happened to him to happen to anyone else, so in a fit of rage he destroys Burnstein’s lab. It’s something we’ve seen plenty of times before, so it wasn’t exactly exciting to watch here. The only good moment to come from all this was the revelation that Reva had lied to Luke. Her motivations for doing so remain unclear however. Reva was such a lovely character, that it’s shocking that she has all this mystery surrounding her, so I look forward to finding out just why she did what she did.

Elsewhere, Mariah and Diamondback’s plans came into focus. I don’t think I’ve ever been more upset at a character with barely a minute of screentime dying, but the writers managed it here. Maybe it was the fact that he was older, maybe that he had a wife, or even that he was obviously so well liked by the community, but something about his death got to me. In any case, this set a whole load of events in motion, leading to another standout political moment for the show. There have been several of these scattered throughout the season, one just last episode, but it was this one that felt most connected to today’s real life events. A young black boy gets beaten by police for no other reason than that the officer involved was angry. It’s the kind of story we hear all too often, and usually without even the anger part, and Luke Cage gave it due justice.

It also tied into Mariah’s story, which was the highlight of the episode. We’re finally seeing some action from her, both on the political and criminal front, and it’s fascinating to watch her spin her web. There was an indication that her murder of Cottonmouth would ignite something within her, but there’s not yet any kindling for that fire, so clearly we’ll have to wait on that. However, her insistence on clinging to legitimate power is respectful and only enamours me to the character even more. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Mariah is such a refreshing break from the traditional psychotic villains (like Diamondback) that we usually get, and it really elevates the show.

A short review I know, which means there are bound to be moments I’ve missed, so other notable highlights include:

• Luke and Claire’s false moment of intimacy was fun. I could see them becoming a couple, but at the same time I don’t really want it to happen. They’re good as they are, and as has been clear so far, the show doesn’t really need a romance subplot to thrive.

• Hot off the heels of a superb episode for her last time, Misty has taken a significant turn for the better. Her focus, unlike everyone else’s, is on the clear criminal Diamondback, and it’s great seeing her so driven. I was also pleasantly surprised that her captain supported her decision to go after Diamondback. Both are characters I’m now starting to warm to.

• Dr Burnstein copied Reva’s files! I don’t see anything emerging from this until the inevitable second season, but it could be a hint as to who Luke’s next foe might be. Someone with powers to rival his own would up the tension so much more, so I look forward to seeing where this goes.

• Even after being dipped in a tub of boiling acid Luke’s sense of humour prevails. It’s an indication of how much the introduction of Claire has changed him. Moody, broody Luke is mostly gone, say hello to ‘Sweet Christmas’ Luke.

• The montage of cops hunting down innocent people was strangely chilling. Most likely because it’s not far from the truth of what’s happening in the world.

As you can likely tell from the length of this review compared to my others, I didn’t have much to say about this episode. The most I can say is that it was good. The latter half really picked things up, with the social commentary and exciting action sequence saving the episode from mediocrity. Unfortunately, much of the episode was sub-par, consisting of various forgetful moments. That’s two episodes in a row now where the show hasn’t fully delivered. Considering we’re now heading into the final few episodes, where things are supposed to be at their most exciting and climactic, that’s a worry indeed.