Is It A Bird? Is It A Plane? No, It’s Grant! – The Doctor Teams Up With A Superhero This Christmas

Some more details were revealed on the 2016 Doctor Who Christmas Special at New York Comic Con today. This year’s Special will be called ‘The Return of Doctor Mysterio‘ and will see the Doctor (Peter Capaldi), Nardole (Matt Lucas) and an investigative journalist (Charity Wakefield) team up with a superhero called Doctor Mysterio (real name: Grant, played by Justin Chatwin) to save New York from an alien threat.

As with the other Christmas Specials, the Steven Moffat-penned episode will be 60 minutes long and air on Christmas Day on BBC1.

One thing that’s sure to geek out our readers is the revelation that Steven Moffat is a comic-book nerd.

“I’ve always loved superheroes and this Christmas Doctor Who dives into that world,” he said. “My favourite superhero is Clark Kent. Not Superman, Clark Kent,”

Doctor Mysterio himself had the following to say about his time on the show:

“Working with the amazing people at Doctor Who has been one of the most fun and rewarding projects I’ve ever had the pleasure of being involved with,”

The Return of Doctor Mysterio will also star Adetomiwa Edun (Bates Motel), Aleksandar Jovanovic (Treasure Island) and Logan Hoffman. You can watch the behind the scenes teaser below:

 

Here’s hoping Doctor Mysterio will be revealed as the son of The Karkus from the 1968 Doctor Who Serial The Mind Robber.

Luke Cage SN1 EP07-‘Manifest’

A shocking episode saw a significant shift in the status-quo.

Oh my. As we entered the halfway point of the season there was a sense that it was the calm before the storm, as everyone figured out their moves before the real war started. Though Cottonmouth promptly entered and exited jail, his operation was on the rocks. As a result, Mariah’s career hit a wall, and Luke was allowed a moment of relative piece…that lasted all of two minutes. From the very beginning this episode felt like a transitional period. Everything before was fluff compared to what’s coming next, and boy did that ring true.

Rather than skip to that shock ending, let’s discuss some of the other key moments from this episode. Misty was given a strong showing throughout this episode, but her character still continues to conflict. The material with her new captain, though limited, was great as it became clear we were viewing two women of very strong character. Their obvious shared past will no doubt be explored down the line, but for now it was fun viewing two people with such clear animosity towards one another. It’s just a shame then that her new captain pushed her to pursue Luke. As great as Misty can be as a character, all her material to do with Luke is frustrating. In a show about a vigilante, seeing fellow protagonists go against him is more of an annoyance of anything else. It’s possible that Misty’s insistence on trusting the system is rooted in events from her past, but until such time a proper explanation for her attitudes are given, the character will continue to be a problem.

Whilst Misty continued to push for justice, Luke was quite ready to run away. With jailtime off the table, Cottonmouth put everything he had into finishing Luke once and for all, revealing facts about Luke’s past in order to blackmail him into working. It was an interesting move on Cottonmouth’s part as it didn’t guarantee Luke would fall in line, however it did help conclude a running thread from episode one. Ever since we met him Luke’s wanted to hide away from being a hero, to stay in the shadows. Here then, Claire finally pushed him in the right direction. Her role in the series is larger than I thought it would be, but it’s paying off dividends. The problem with Luke is that he’s quite happy to run away from a bad situation if it will affect the little bubble of secrecy he’s created around himself. Claire then acts as the guiding hand he so desperately needs. This first came in the form of Pop, then Bobby Fish, and now Claire. It stresses that Luke is still human. He’s just as reliant on others as the rest of us, maybe even a little more so, and it adds yet another layer of depth to an already layered character.

Luke’s ultimate decision to stay despite the consequences means we’ve likely seen the last of his brooding, non-committal days, and the hero for hire is about to come out in full force. Or at least he might’ve had he not been shot with the only bullet in the world that can harm him. I expected this to come into play at some point in the future, but certainly not yet. There’s a whole other villain yet to appear in the series, and given the rather ominous way he lurks in the shadows, his introduction had to be big. This moment here then acts as the prelude to the inevitable horror Diamondback will rain down upon our heroes. The first time actually seeing Luke get hurt was always going to be a pivotal moment for the series, and given the seriousness of the way in which it was done, there’s the chance for things to get crazy before he’s fighting fit again.

Speaking of crazy, let’s move over to the meat behind this episode, and the reason I’ve seen so many people proclaim it as the best one. We were finally given a rather surprising backstory to Cottonmouth this episode, and in a trope that has become all too common in TV, he died soon after.

Yup. I’m still processing that too.

I always assumed Cottonmouth would stick around, at least until the final episode, with Diamondback taking his place during a stint in prison. After all, Cottonmouth was billed as the main villain. However, it turns out that the true villain was lurking in the background all this time, and her name is Mariah Dillard. The moment she snaps and starts beating Cottonmouth was one of those truly shocking moments of television. There was no real build-up to it. The audience had been conditioned to believe Cottonmouth would be staying put. It was just plain shocking.

Through the terrific flashbacks we got to witness first-hand the somewhat disturbing and notorious legacy the infamous Mama Mabel built for herself, as well as how this shaped both Cottonmouth and Mariah. There’s been hints throughout the season that Cottonmouth isn’t all that comfortable with what he does. It was interesting to learn then that he was once a musical prodigy, but he let the wrong people influence him and he turned to a life of crime. It was surprising to her him say all that out loud before he met his ultimate demise, but it was clearly something he had always kept bottled up. At the end of the day, Cottonmouth knew he could’ve been something better, and that realisation is tragic in its own right.

It’s the same realisation that Mariah came to this episode, just with a little help from Shades. Her brutal murder of Cottonmouth was the beginning of what promises to be a very raw, but very powerful transformation. She was clearly shaken by what she did, but her actions have made the character more exciting than ever. Now that we’ve seen her commit such a violent act, it will make her political spin all the more interesting to watch, and promises more of the same going forward.

In such a shocking and eventful episode there are bound to be moments that are looked over, so other notable highlights include:

• I love the casual way Luke just walks up to criminals now. It’s a true reflection of his power, and it also helps that it’s hilarious.

• This episode was actually big on the funny. Some exceptional quotes: “I’m really tired of buying new clothes” and “*Pointing at hoodie* Do you have this in double XL?”

• Shades continues to be such an intriguing character. His role was stepped up this episode, but he’s just that one character that always simply seems to be there. No big purpose, he’s just there. I wonder what his end game is?

• I feel like it’s been a while since I commended the music, which is wrong of me because the music continues to be epic. The way they tie it into the visuals is just so unique.

• The brutality of Cottonmouth’s murder has to be commented on again. Whilst Mariah might have always been shielded from what Mama Mabel had going on, you got the sense during the flashbacks that she was silently noting everything that went on. And wow did it mess her up!

So Luke Cage’s most shocking episode yet marked a significant shift in power going forward. With Cottonmouth well and truly out of the picture, it’s time for Mariah to step out of the shadows, whilst the ever ominous Diamondback inches closer towards and appearance. Luke seemed to finally accept his role as hero with some pushing from Claire, but contending with a serious wound, Harlem is up for the taking.

 

Is Coal Hill Academy The New Hogwarts? Class Episodes One And Two Synopsises Revealed

A pair of synopsises have been revealed for the first two episodes of Class and it al sounds a bit Harry Potter.

For Tonight We Might Die

It’s a new term at Coal Hill Academy, and students are preparing for their Autumn Prom. But when the school comes under attack from the monstrous Shadow Kin, four alienated students must form an unlikely alliance to defeat them.

Charlie (Greg Austin) , April (Sophie Hopkins), Ram (Fady Elsayed) and Tanya (Vivian Oparah), assisted by their physics teacher Miss Quill (Katherine Kelly), are now charged with a great responsibility by the mysterious alien known as ‘The Doctor (Peter Capaldi)’: to guard against the creatures of nightmare, who want nothing more than to find a way through to Earth and take it for their own.

And this incursion is only the beginning…

Teachers assisting against an alien menace? Does that remind anyone else of Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2? And then there’s the shadowy force attacking the school, which bares obvious similarities to the Dementors.

Of course, in the context of the Whoniverse this isn’t the first time teachers from Coal Hill have fought an alien menace. Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright travelled with the First Doctor from 1963 until 1965. There was even an agent of the Black Guardian  called The Shadow, whom the Fourth Doctor and Mary Tamm’s Romana encountered on the final part of their quest for the Key To Time in 1979’s The Armageddon Factor. 

Whether the Shadow Kin has any connections to The Shadow remains to be seen, however it is perhaps unlikely.

The Coach With The Dragon Tattoo

Following the tragic events at the Prom, a devastated Ram isolates himself from the other three as he struggles with his new reality. Desperate to hold himself together on the football pitch, when he thinks he witnesses someone getting skinned alive he’s convinced he’s cracking up.

But when Tanya, Charlie and April are all confronted with the same thing: a horrific, monstrous, skin-peeling dragon, they know that they’re under attack. The gang must pull together to fight against the monster, and try to keep Coal Hill safe.

The synopsis mentions a ‘football pitch’, which makes me wonder if Football will play a similar part to Quidditch in the Harry Potter series as a sport that Ram (like Harry with Quidditch) excels at.

Also: could the skin-peeling dragon be a species from the planet Raxacoricofallapatorious (the home planet of the Slitheen, who are well-known for skinning their victims)? It is certainly within the realms of possibility, given that The Sarah Jane Adventures introduced the Raxacoricofallapatorians known as the ‘Blatheens‘.

The first school term at Class will start on 22nd October 2016, with the first two episodes made available on BBC3 Online. You can see the teaser trailer (which features a tear that looks significantly similar to the Crack In Time from Series 5) below:

 

 

Luke Cage SN1 EP06-‘Suckas Need Bodyguards’

Cottonmouth hits rock bottom as allies become enemies in a thrilling episode.

Detective Scarfe has been one of the standout characters of Luke Cage. His blend of sarcasm and genuine care for Misty despite his wrongdoings highlighted him as a character you immediately warmed to. Unfortunately, being the partner of one of the leads, and then a corrupt one at that, his days were clearly numbered. As a side note, I find that with each subsequent Marvel/Netflix show it’s getting easier to spot who will die. The shows have fallen into a realm of predictability that can become slightly distracting, so I hope they shake things up with Iron Fist. Regarding Scarfe however, his path to redemption turned out to be rather unpredictable.

From his solo meeting with Cottonmouth at the start of the episode it was clear things were never going to go well for Scarfe, but something about his motivation seemed off, especially as we learnt more about his backstory. In a moment that’s all too common on TV shows nowadays, we learnt a heck of a lot about Scarfe right before he died, primarily that he had a son who had also died. It was in learning that, that Scarfe’s motivation of made less sense. Before it was easy to assume Scarfe was just greedy. It was in trying to squeeze Cottonmouth for an extra $100,000 that resulted in his untimely demise, but as soon as it was revealed he had a son, the pieces fell into place.

From the beginning, Scarfe’s behaviour towards Cottonmouth has always been pretty reckless, something which made even less sense in learning he wasn’t the only Detective on Cottonmouth’s payroll. In a brilliant feat of subverting expectations then, it became clear that Scarfe almost wanted to die. As Misty noted “He’s always cracking jokes, but never smiles.” The death of his son, partially caused by him, left Scarfe living an empty existence. It explains his recklessness with Cottonmouth. The want for money in an attempt to fill the void in his life. And why his relationship with Misty was so strong. In a way, she was a surrogate son. Whereas everyone else in the precinct treated her like a girl, Scarfe initially treated her like the son he never got to help grow. What seemed like just another run of the mill dirty cop story, turned out to be a moving reflection of the effect of loss upon a person. It all came together as in an easy to miss moment he uttered he would see his son again. Scarfe didn’t necessarily want to die once it came down to it, but he always had the hope that his death would bring with it another chance to be with his son, and that was a truly touching moment.

Whilst Scarfe may now be gone, his partner Misty is finally developing into a stronger character. Before now, her obsession with Luke has sapped the character of everything that made her great in episode one, so it was great to see her focus finally shift back to Cottonmouth. She got to be a detective again rather than stalking the streets after Luke, and the way she figured out and ultimately overpowered Detective Perez placed her as a force to be reckoned with. Her bond with Scarfe really shone through this episode, and showed a more intimate side to her that we hadn’t seen before. Sure we saw she was sad at Pop’s death, but there was an indication that Scarfe was an even more powerful figure in her life. He was the only one that believed in her to begin with, so I’d hate to be anyone who gets on the wrong side of her now. On the other hand, with Cottonmouth now in jail it’s possible she’ll set all her sights on Luke, something that really should be left alone.

Much of this episode embraced the form of a thriller. There was always the chance that Detective Scarfe could survive, so the chase sequences were exciting to behold. The locations used emphasised the excitement, with the busy road chase creating a sense of chaos as the stakes were raised, whilst the darkened, narrow, twisting hallways of the building they escaped into created a claustrophobic, hopeless atmosphere. It helps that there was a character present in these scenes whose safety truly hung in the balance. With Luke everything-proof, and Detective Scarfe on his way out, there had to be a defenceless character around to make the scenes worthwhile and exciting. Which is where Claire came into the story. She continues to be an awesome character that connects the otherwise isolated worlds of the Netflix shows. Her time in this episode pushed her closer to becoming the Night Nurse, as she displayed some terrific skills, whilst also pushing Luke to embrace his inner hero. She’s the kind of person who can get through to people, show them a better way, and if she sticks around on Luke Cage for any length of time, could be the catalyst Luke needs to push him that one step further.

There were some pretty significant goings on in this episode that I didn’t even touch on, so other notable highlights include:

• The breakfast scene between Luke and Fish was a fun little moment, as Fish brings out a different side to Luke that is all together more fun. As such it has me severely worried for Fish’s safety. I don’t think I could handle it if they killed him off too.

• After lurking in the background for a couple of episodes, Alfre Woodard’s Councilwoman Mariah Dillard made a significant comeback this episode. I say comeback only in the most general of terms, as her political career actually hit quite a speedbump. It’s terrific to see the two sides to her, as both politician and Cottonmouth’s cousin, but there were hints of a deeper character going on here. It seems the character is not quite stable, and you can see that behind her eyes is something just waiting to snap. She’s not your conventional villain, in that whilst most villains like her just think they are doing the right thing, the ambitions she has would actually be the right thing. With the impending struggles in her political career though, we might just be about to see the beast snap.

• These Marvel/Netflix shows really don’t shy away from highlighting corruption do they? I swear if real life was actually that corrupt, which it no doubt is, it’s a wonder everything isn’t just a wreck!

• Loved how Claire turned down Luke’s suggestion to ‘get coffee’. She knows what you mean Luke, don’t go try playing that.

• We saw a rather dark side to Luke this episode as he got close to killing Scarfe himself. I didn’t get the notion that Chico meant that much to him, but I suppose it was the fact that Pop died trying to protect him that sent Luke over the edge. Still this was unsettling to watch, and says that there’s maybe more to Luke than we know.

A thrilling episode of Luke Cage saw the unfortunate loss of standout character Scarfe, but a loss that will hopefully propel Misty forward to becoming an altogether better character. An exciting chase scene provided the thrills of the episode, whilst the continued appearance of Claire Temple pushed her closer toward the Night Nurse mantle, as she herself pushed Luke to do more with his powers. With Cottonmouth now in jail, the series has truly reached the point where the heroes are victorious, so I wonder just how long that will last?

Lucifer SN2-EP2 ‘Liar, Liar, Slutty Dress on Fire’

Hello, Devils! As you know there was no episode last week due to the presidential debate. It’s been a long week but I’m very glad Lucifer is back this week, my Mondays are again complete Below is a quick recap of where we last left Lucifer on the 19th September.

SN2-EP1 ‘Everything’s Coming Up Lucifer’

We could see that Lucifer was clearly distracted by his mother’s escape from hell, while he and Chloe investigated the murder of a stand-in actress. Lucifer was convinced his mother was back to kill him and every lead he interpreted as a message for his mother. Chloe’s faith in Lucifer was tested by the new medical examiner, Ella. Amenadiel hopes to rein in his brother’s wild side as the both try to deal with the absence of Maze.

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SN2-EP2 ‘Liar,Liar, Slutty Dress on Fire’

As we all know Lucifer (Tom Ellis) has monumental mommy issues, so when he comes face-to-face with mommy dearest Charlotte (Tricia Helfer), Lucifer has mixed feelings about her and her intentions on earth. Charlotte explains what has happened to her, but Lucifer suspects she is lying to him. Charlotte tries to convince Lucifer, that she is not on earth to harm anyone, however, Lucifer doesn’t buy her story nor does he trust his mother. Momma Morningstar is sporting her new flesh bag and is smoking hot, but she is one dangerous and no doubt a master of manipulation.

Chloe (Lauren German) and Dan Detective “Douche” (Kevin Alejandro) interrogate their daughter Trixie (Scarlett Estevez) over the maiming of her doll, in order to get the new doll that girl wants. Lucifer is amused and somewhat proud of the offsprings (Trixie’s) exploits and buy her the expensive doll she wanted. Obviously, Chole is not happy with Lucifer for buying the doll and tell him as such. I am still not convinced on the addition of the medical examiner Ella (Amiee Garcia), it really feels awkward and forced, she is clearly there to be “team God” but is we really need that?

Lucifer is having trouble calling Amenadiel (D.B. Woodside), and in the last episode, we saw that Amenadiel was starting to lose his powers. Is that part of the reason why Lucifer can’t call him? Amenadiel is researching something, which I am guessing has to do with the loss of his powers, when Dr Martin (Rachael Harris) approaches him and lets rip, she is hurt that he had lied to her about being a therapist, and she is used to her clients lying to her but not her colleagues and friend. But Amenadiel has big problems, he is losing his powers, and his wings are not looking very healthy at all, but why? Is it from what Maze (Lesley-Anne Brandt) did to save him, or is it because mommy dearest is in town?

Charlotte believes she has convinced Lucifer that she is harmless and he allows her to stay on earth, however as soon as he leaves the room she has a devilish smirk and an F U look on her face, but who is the F U too? Ex-husband or lucifer? Mommy dearest definitely can’t be trusted and she definitely has something brewing, I wouldn’t want to be on the receiving end of whatever Charlotte is brewing!

Join me for the recap of next weeks episode SN2-Ep3 ‘Sin-Eater‘ only on Skatronixxx.com you can also find me on Twitter: @Presh81

Lucifer airs Monday 9/8c on FOX 

James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy Named ‘Deadliest Movie’

Not content with being peddlers of insurance and an irritating opera singer, price comparison website Go Compare has conducted a study of the deadliest movies (there are 653 on there in total!!). Blood and gore classics like A Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween and Scream don’t make the top 10 at all – in fact, a lot of family favourites grace the hot spots, which is topped by tongue in cheek superhero jaunt Guardians of the Galaxy.

Director James Gunn took to Facebook to share the accolade, explaining that the reason the film topped the chart with a whopping 83,871 on-screen expirations was due to one of the final scenes where a swarm of Nova Corp pilots are destroyed trying to defeat Ronan. The impressive scene shows over 80,000 ships being blown up, resulting in the deaths of their crew. As Gunn says “it’s individual, ONSCREEN EXPIRATIONS, not implied deaths through seeing planets or cities exploding.” GotG is in no danger of being overtaken soon – it had 78,184 more on-screen fatalities than its nearest rival, Dracula: Untold.

If on-screen deaths on a grand scale are your bag, check out the top 10:

1. Guardians of the Galaxy  (2014) 83,871 bodies
2. Dracula: Untold (2014) 5,687 bodies
3. The Sum of All Fears (2002) 2,922 bodies
4. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) 2,798 bodies
5. 300: Rise of an Empire (2014) 2,234 bodies
6. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) 1,741 bodies
7. The Matrix Revolutions (2003) 1,647 bodies
8. The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014) 1,417 bodies
9. Braveheart (1995) 1,297 bodies
10. Avengers Assemble (2012) 1,019 bodies

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Luke Cage SN1 EP05-‘Just To Get A Rep’

A fan favourite joins the series, as Luke becomes the hero Harlem deserves in a rousing episode.

Five episodes in, we’ve reached the point where things are turning around for Luke and his allies. With the initial rage caused in Luke by the death of Pop finally subsiding, an air of hope has returned to the series. This may seem a strange thing to say given much of the episode was about Cottonmouth shaking Harlem down for everything they’ve got, but his actions finally resulted in Luke taking up the mantle of a proper hero.

A puzzling part of the episode though was that not everyone seems to know Luke has ‘abilities’. Given his impressive appearance on TV, one would think most people would recognise the truth, but we still got moments where characters seemed surprised at what he could do. As Luke continues to protect Harlem, these kinds of encounters will no doubt subside, but something about those moments felt off. Nevertheless, it was certainly fun seeing Luke traverse Harlem, collecting back what had been stolen. All we’ve seen from Luke so far is his personal vendetta against Cottonmouth. This is a fine story in its own right, but there’s something uplifting about him just wandering round helping people in need.

Equally fun was the actual montage of robberies. The scene itself ranged in tone from serious to at times funny, but worked to show how desperate Cottonmouth had become. Despite how unhinged he may be; you get the sense from previous episodes that he truly cares about Harlem. Resorting to petty daylight robbery in a misguided attempt to recoup his losses therefore shows someone on the brink. The effect Luke has had on him in such a short amount of time is actually pretty intriguing. In the first episode of the Season, we were witness to a Cottonmouth boasting of his empire, with some pretty nifty imagery to back that up. This episode gave us a realisation of just how fragile his operation is, and his fall from grace is spectacular to watch. With each passing episode Cottonmouth becomes that little bit more unhinged. Killing his own men for petty reasons. Robbing the place he claims to want to make great again. They’re all the actions of a desperate man, and it’s fascinating to see just how easily Luke got under his skin.

In regards to Luke, his past began to unravel throughout the episode. With Shades no aware of his true identity, and Misty in possession of Reva’s picture, I daresay it’ll be long before his past comes back to haunt him. Misty herself continues to be a hard character to pin down. Her staunch need to abide by the system in order to catch Cottonmouth is admirable, but annoying behaviour on a show about a superhero vigilante where just about every other character is doing the exact opposite. Her character should feel refreshing amidst all the others, but her obsession with Luke detracts from her positive qualities. Were she just pursuing Cottonmouth, her character would be all the more likeable, but the way she has targeted Luke makes her character annoying. It’s a shame to because there is such promise within her. Her first appearances portrayed a no-nonsense, wisecracking, badass woman, determined to protect her home. With each subsequent episode though we’ve seen less and less of this behaviour, and it’s starting to make her character feel like a drag.

On the plus side, this episode saw the return of a character whose appearances in both Daredevil and Jessica Jones have turned her into a fan favourite. Yes, that’s right, Rosario Dawson returned as the always awesome Claire Temple. The character gets better with each appearance, and this time was no different, as we saw she herself has some pretty badass fighting moves. We’ve only ever really seen Claire within the context of the characters around her. Her appearances have always been tied to that of the main heroes, and as such this is a side to her we’ve never had to see before. It was nice then that she was given her own subplot this episode.

The time spent with Claire this episode was used to properly develop the character. Before this we didn’t really know anything about her, other than that she is a skilled nurse with a habit for meeting powered people. Now we know that she originated from Harlem, and the introduction of her mother makes the character feel more human in a way, as before she existed in a bubble of superhero strife. It was a particularly exciting moment when Claire revealed she wanted to aid powered people. She’s been known as the Night Nurse to fans ever since she was first introduced, but it’s satisfying to see this start to develop into something real. The way she has evolved across several shows is not something I’m sure has ever been done before, but it continues to make her one of the most interesting characters around. It helps that outside the main protagonists, she feels like the least likely to be killed off. You have to be really special to survive two seasons of Daredevil, an appearance in Jessica Jones and time in Luke Cage.

There was many an interesting moment scattered throughout the episode, so other notable highlights include:

• Cottonmouth now potentially has a way to kill Luke, courtesy of Hammer Industries. My reaction to the delayed bullet was similar to that of Cottonmouth’s. That thing is awesome! Though of course horribly tragic should it be used on Luke…

• Detective Scarfe is under suspicion which was a development that happened surprisingly quickly, but even more surprising were his actions toward the end of the episode. He chose not to deliver weapons to Cottonmouth, signalling a potential change of heart. If so, unfortunately for him redemption never lasts long on these shows, so I imagine his days are numbered. This is a shame as he’s actually a really fun character.

• Luke needs to invest in some vigilante clothes. A perfectly good shirt ruined, and it was tailor made!

• Luke’s interactions with Fish are turning into a great part of the show. Fish will never quite replace Pop, but he brings his own unique character. The writers have brilliantly transformed what I assumed would be a background character into one of the show’s highlights.

• Pop’s memorial was surprisingly rousing. I didn’t think the writers would have Luke actually one-up Cottonmouth, but I suppose they have to build him up before he eventually comes crashing back down again.

Another stellar episode of Luke Cage saw Luke drop his selfish vendetta in order to become the hero that Harlem deserves. The return of Claire Temple saw the character come in to her own, away from the shadow of the heroes. With Cottonmouth’s empire crumbling, and Luke at the best place he’s been all season, we’ve now entered the period of calm before the storm. As Luke’s ego grows with each passing victory, it can only be a matter of time before he comes tumbling down to reality.

This Is The Day You Will Always Remember As The Day The Pirates Of The Caribbean 5 Teaser Was Released!

Grab yer bottles of rum, ye scurvy seadogs as the new Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (or ‘Salazar’s Revenge’ here in the UK) teaser has been released.

The new teaser doesn’t reveal a great deal, although it offers us how first glimpses at Javier Bardem (Skyfall) as Captain Jack Sparrow’s old enemy Salazar and Brenton Thwaites’ (Maleficent) Henry. 

The teaser contains a nice Curse of the Black Pearl vibe that will hopefully carry across to the film, however the absence of Johnny Depp (Edward Scissorhands) is strange. Hopefully the first full trailer will make up for the lack of Jack Sparrow with plenty of shots of everybody’s favourite alcoholic pirate.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Salazar’s Revenge marks the return of Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow,  Orlando Bloom (The Lord of the Rings) as fan-favourite character Will Turner (who has been absent since At World’s End), Kevin McNally (Doctor Who) as Gibbs, Geoffrey Rush (Finding Nemo) as Barbossa and Stephen Graham (This Is England) as Scrum. The first also stars Kaya Scodelario (The Maze Runner) as Carina Smyth, Golshifteh Farahani (Exodus: Gods and Kings) as Haifaa Meni, Javier Bardem as Captain Salazar,Brenton Thwaites as Henry and David Wenham (The Lord of the Rings) as Scarfield.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Salazar’s Revenge comes to our shores on 26th May 2017.

Elementary SN5-EP1 ‘Folie a Deux’

Sherlock and Watson  have once again graced our screens, with the premiere of season 5 airing last night (October, 2), and the dynamic duo didn’t disappoint. Oh, how I have missed the eccentric detective and his level-headed protégé Watson, who balance Sherlock out, however, I have noticed she is becoming more like Sherlock each episode. Let’s have a quick recap the last episode of season 4

 Elementary SN4-EP24 ‘A Difference in Kind’ Recap

Sherlock (Jonny Lee Miller) quickly disarms the bomb and deduces that it was no Vikner, but another member of his group who wants to dethrone him by killing them, thus not harming him and Joan Watson (Lucy Liu). The two of them find out with the help from Morland (John Noble) that the bomber is connected to an Iranian diplomat in the organisation, Hashemi, who is bent on deposing vikner as the leader. They meet with her only to realise the enormity of the organisation and to learn the reason why Morland was targeted by Vikner.

Some in the organisation, like Hashemi, wanted Morland as the new leader until Vikner played his hand. Sherlock, Watson, and Morland work together to frame Vikner for a federal crime, only to find out he was tipped off by a contact inside the FBI and is in the wind. Morland, in an attempt to protect his son, then contacts Vikner, who thinks he’s going to be able to kill off Morland, however, he has allied with Hashemi, so Vikner is killed instead by her men.

Morland meets Sherlock on the brownstone’s rooftop, telling him that he has taken over leadership of the organisation with the aim of dismantling the network from within and explaining to him that it was the only way to guarantee he would not lose his son. He also promises that the group won’t have a presence in New York and prepares to return to London.

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Elementary SN5-EP1 ‘Folie a Deux’

Sherlock (Jonny Lee Miller) and Watson (Lucy Liu) investigate when at bomb goes off in a crowded park. They believe it is the Bensonhurst Bomber, who was last active six years ago. He has become active again, but this time, his bombing spree is in Flushing. Sherlock spots a guy acting suspicious at the crime scene and gives chase, but he escapes when Sherlock is hit by a car. Not deterred from being hit by a car Sherlock gets his first break in the case while giving chase both men jump over a parked taxi, the suspect put his hand on the bonnet as he jumped over and left his fingerprints behind.

Sherlock is concerned that Watson is getting restless after five years as a private investigator, he points out that this is her third career, and can’t help but wonder if her wanderlust has subsided. Watson contemplates and agrees that life is short and that she hasn’t been “a construction worker yet or a biker or an Indian Chief” to which Sherlock replies “You think I don’t get the Village People reference, but I do“. They get a match to Nathan Resor (Matthew Del Negro), a land developer who was in jail when the bombing had stopped. Of course, Resor denies the claims he is the Bensonhurst bomber, and a search of his home turns up nothing.

Watson realises that she and Resor have a contact in common, Shinwell Johnson (Nelsan Ellis), a drug dealer whose life she had saved as a surgeon after he was shot by rival dealers. Johnson now on parole, is working in a boxing gym, emptying spit buckets. Johnson gets the name of Resor’s cellmate Cray Fielder (Lee Tergesen), however, they can’t get Fielder to flip on Resor. A second bomb goes off while Resor is under surveillance and couldn’t have possibly planted this bomb.

Sherlock and Watson begin to suspect that Resor and Fielder are working together, they break into Fielder’s house hoping to find evidence to tie Fielder to the bombings and it pays off, they find a bomb-making kit. They eventually get Fielder to flip on Resor and the pair will never see the outside of a jail cell. Watson visits Johnson at the halfway house, he opens the door a little, Watson asks if he wants to go for a walk and a chat, he agrees and says he will just get his coat, he has a gun in his hand which he hides and he grabs his coat and leaves. Would he have shot himself if Watson hadn’t of showed up?

What were your thoughts on the premiere of Elementary Season 5?

Elementary airs  Sundays 10/9c  on CBS.

Fear The Walking Dead SN2 EP15-‘North’

‘Fear The Walking Dead’ ended Season 2 on a high with its best episode yet.

Having a two-part finale is an odd prospect for a show such as ‘Fear The Walking Dead’. Due to its serialised nature, every episode links together anyway, but in watching this final episode I understand the decision. Things pick up immediately where they left off at the end of the previous episode and the show is all the better for it. Had there been a week break between the two, much of the impact of this episode’s cold opening would have been lost. Travis is now a completely broken man. No longer the moral compass of the group, he’s now (finally) just another survivor, doing what he needs to do.

Hit attitude throughout the episode was understandable. Following his brutal murder of what eventually turned out to be three people, nothing fazed him. Getting sprayed with broken glass? Nope. Faced with being killed? Not a thing. It places him in an interesting position going into Season 3. As we saw, he doesn’t mind being killed. There’s likely a part of him that wants it, but the only moment in the episode he sprung to life was when Maddison and Alicia were in danger. With Chris gone they’re his top priority, and now that he’s crossed the line I feel sorry for anyone that even thinks about threatening them.

Whilst Travis’s annoying behaviour is now a thing of the past, sadly Maddison’s isn’t. Her unwavering loyalty to Travis, however admirable, was a severe problem here. The way she defended his actions was pitiful, and she added fuel to an already fiery situation. Travis may not have been wrong to kill Brandon and Derek, but it was still a disturbing thing for him to do, and directly contradicted the rules of the Hotel that Maddison herself had laid out. What’s more is that Oscar was caught in the crossfire of Travis’s rage, an issue Maddison seemed to dismiss. Her behaviour throughout the season has been spotty. At times she can seem like the deadliest character on the show, whilst at others the most embarrassingly weak. She has the potential to be so much more, but the way she handles conflict, especially in relation to her family, weakens the character. It’s a trait I don’t ever see her evolving past whilst they’re alive, and so the people around her will always be in danger.

Unfortunately, Maddison’s loyal nature has somewhat rubbed off on Alicia. She’s been one of the strongest characters this season, receiving some brilliant development. To think that at the beginning of this season we were lambasting her for giving away the location of the Abigail, and now she’s developing into a leader with her first human kill under her belt. Whilst I don’t agree with her defence of Travis, I’m more of a Strand type myself, it’s no doubt in keeping with her character. Alicia has always had to help herself, so by nature she wants to help others. Unlike Maddison though she’s more thoughtful about things. She doesn’t immediately rush to defend Travis like Maddison does, instead taking time to mull over the best option for everyone. As such she’s grown into a strong intelligent survivor, willing to do what she has to in an effort to protect those she cares about.

So whilst this storyline had everything going for it to begin with, it stumbled towards the end. Strand’s decision to stay was given very little context. Sure he’s still recovering from his knife wound, and he said he didn’t want to go out into the world and die, but he’d just helped the Hotel’s most wanted escape, threatening several people with a gun in the process. It’s potentially a way to keep the Hotel in the picture, but I think the general gist of where that’s headed is that it’s all falling apart. It’s a way to further split up the group, and as such, reintroducing Strand into the story will have difficulty feeling organic given the direction everyone else is headed in. That’s if he comes back at all, and given he’s one of the best characters on the show, I hope he does.

In addition, Maddison, Alicia and Travis manage to track down the Colonia…somehow. They find the now deceased Francesco, root around in his pockets for a wallet, and his address just so happens to be near that of the Colonia. In the moment I echoed Alicia’s question of “What are you doing?” These people were tortured just a few episodes ago in an effort to find the Colonia, and then these guys look in their pockets and are all set. It was one of the laziest moments of writing the show has seen yet, and there’s been a fair few of them. The scenes where they find a dying Alejandro and learn where Nick went were good, as it gives them a direction for the next season, but there were some questionable moments amidst the excitement.

Speaking of the Colonia, this storyline didn’t have the spectacular ending we were all expecting, but it still had one. The ultimate demise of the Warehouse Bandits wasn’t exactly satisfying. It wouldn’t have made sense for the Colonia to fight them, but it also didn’t make sense that the ambling horde of Walkers killed them all. The bandits had the high ground, as well as a large supply of ammo, so the fact that they were all killed signalled another lazy attempt to tie up a loose end and move the story forward.

Still Nick and the Colonia were still in for a fight. There’s a sense now that Nick has evolved. His gullible nature has been pushed aside as a result of his care for Luciana, and it showed in the way he rejected Alejandro. He didn’t completely give up on his faith however, assuming the role of leader of the Colonia, leading them to a potential safe haven. It again signalled how he’d grown. No longer was he running. He’d finally become a man and was guiding his people to safety. Or so he thought. Upon crossing the border, the remaining members of the Colonia were shot at by what appeared to be some form of militia. The Colonia group quickly scattered, whilst others were killed, with Nick and Luciana being taken captive in one of the truly shocking moments of the episode. I say that, but seeing how happy they all were heading towards what Nick assumed was a refugee camp should have been a dead giveaway.

So much happened in this action packed episode, so other highlights include:

• After lying from the very start, Alejandro lied once more to the Colonia. His speech was actually quite rousing. With the fact that it was in Spanish I think increasing its effect. It was only right then that he committed one final act of nobility at the end, using his dying moments to rid the world of the Warehouse Bandits.

• The man who captured Ofelia in the previous episode seemed similarly dressed to the men who got Nick and Luciana. Maybe a reunion is on its way!

• How awesome were the scenes showing Oscar’s brother cutting into Oscar’s head? I’m assuming it was medically accurate, but after all that did they really expect him to survive.

• With the exception of Elena, the behaviour of the Hotel people really annoyed me this episode. No one took the time to talk anything over. Just a few episodes Elena and Hector were villains in the eyes of the Hotel guests, and now Hector is enraged over Oscar’s death? I get why they aren’t a fan of Travis, but Maddison and Alicia are the reason they’re all standing in a well-protected haven.

• With that border shooting it looks like ‘Fear The Walking Dead’ might be about to get political in its 3^rd It should be interesting if they do, as there’s a lot of potential for good material there.

‘Fear The Walking Dead’ ended Season 2 with an action packed episode that will see characters changed forever. Gone is nice guy Travis and good girl Alicia as they both triggered the kill switch for reasons of varying necessity. Maddison’s behaviour continues to be erratic and annoying, which doesn’t exactly enamour one to seeing her again in Season 3, whilst Strand’s place in the next season is just one big question mark. With Nick, Luciana and Ofelia sprung upon by a new set of villains, fans have some exciting developments to look forward to in the new season. For now though Season 2 ends on a high note, despite a lot of rocky moments along the way. ‘Fear The Walking Dead’ still has a long way to go to become must see TV, but the potential and excitement are there, so hopefully Season 3 will be when the show really hits its stride.