REVIEW - True Blood - S06E02

What’s on the menu for True Blood this week? A recipe of drama and complete chaos, of course.

The episode begins with Sookie tossing in bed, dreaming about a figure appearing from shimmering air. Assuming this must be Warlow.

Back to Jason’s storyline, he is in the car with a creepy man who he suspects is Warlow but with a strange twist he turns out to be his faerie god father.

Remember Patrick who tried to kill Arlene and Terry but ended up dead in season 5? His wife finally enters the picture looking for her husband in Merlotte’s . Arlene handles the situation by claiming Patick ran away with another woman.

We are then introduced to a new character (a half faerie) named Ben and Sookie takes him in, assisting him with his injuries caused by a fanger. Will he be Sookie’s new victim to fall for her Southern charms? Most likely. It seems just yesterday Sookie was in love with Bill and Eric. Then there is the unspoken feeling for Alcide and sexual attraction. Ben parts ways with Sookie to find the fairy safe house.

Sam is still recovering from his loss of his love Luna who recently died after saving her daughter Emma from Russell Edgington. The wolf pack come for Emma and a fight breaks out. Unfortunately, Sam loses and Alcide walks away with Emma over his shoulder.

Following from serious comments made the Governor that vampires are to stay inside after sun down. He has pretty much asked for a war between the humans and vampires. Eric goes undercover as a geeky lobbyist from the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries to visit the Governor. How does Alexander Skarsgard still look attractive even as a dork? Eric attempts to glamor the vampire hatin’ governor to let his vendetta against vampires go but little did he know that the Govenor was one step ahead. Apparently, people are now wearing contacts that prevent hypnotising. “Its time for humans to bite back,” the Governor says.

Returning back to Jason’s storyline, the faerie god father informs Jason and Sookie that Warlow is there. The new bad guy is not a force to be reckoned with and has been obsessed with their family for generations. He was the cause of many deaths before but faerie god father has taken on the mentor role. Also hes the king of the faeries which makes Sookie related to royalty. This could help them survive another season or lets just see what happens.

The episode also looks at Jessica and Bill’s relationship; it’s the whole ‘maker’ connection thing. Although, Jess is trying her best, Bill’s mind is elsewhere. One of best parts was Veronica (human) a walking meal delivers her blood to the Compton residence. Bill (or Billith) uses his new powers to twist and snap her body while sucking all the blood out of her. Has Bill really become some kind of god? Lost…without her real maker Jessica prays for all those she cares for (including Jason, Sookie, Pam, Tara, Eric, Sam, Lafayette, Nora, Bill and Hoyt wherever he is).

Bilith can see the future now and he foresees a group of vamps (Jess, Eric, Pam and Tara) in a facility with a large light burning them. I guess the question is will this new Bill do anything to prevent this from happening or has he completely changed?

This weeks episode was not overly exciting but provided us a more information on Warlow and preparing us for what is going to be one hell of a bloody fight. From what I can tell, the writers are running out of good ideas to keep the viewers from declining. As a fan of the truly gory True Blood, it would be nice to see it last at a couple more seasons.

What do you see happening next?

Review by Jessica Tisdell

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REVIEW - Burn Notice - S07E04

This week's episode was once again, of course, brilliant. The introduction of a new character, and the death of an old one, causes the mystery to deepen, while Sam and Jesse are still wrapped up in Michael's CIA undercover mission and Fiona again feels compelled to help Michael. The episode focuses around a kidnapping in Miami, and the escaping of a woman from a kidnapping in Cuba.

Throughout this episode, viewers begin to see this cover that Michael has taken on envelop him even further, and we are left wondering if the old Michael really still exists as he points a gun at a sleeping child. This change in Michael this season is unsettling and does not sit well, however, that seems to be the aim of this season. Michael's quick wit however continues to be everyone's saving grace as Michael, as always, takes one for the team and endures torture to keep the others safe.

This idea of selflessness is better used to describe Burke, oddly enough. Throughout this episode, viewers are shown a different side of this criminal that causes us to almost feel sorry for and admire him. His love for the people around him, including Michael, is brought out through one very courageous and selfless act.

When Fiona gets a call from Michael for help, she can't help but become involved, and even she doesn't know why. She hides her involvement from her boyfriend Carlos, and instead enlists the help of Maddie yet again. Maddie is getting a taste for the spy life, as a natural talent for this line of work shines through whilst she is helping Fiona kidnap a Russian man.

With the death of one character comes the introduction of another, however, a very brief introduction before she manages to slip through the cracks, with the episode ending upon yet another great mystery.

Review by Emma Laarkamp

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REVIEW - Pretty Little Liars - S04E03

Melissa is back and the girls have found a mask with Alison’s face on it. The mask leads Hanna, Emily and Aria to a cabin where a strange man creates props for horror films. He explains that Aly wanted to make masks for all of her friends but no one had ever received one.

Caleb finally makes his first appearance for Pretty Little Liars season 4 this week. Concerned for Hanna, he visits Mr Marin (her father) to ask him to support Hanna with the Wilden ‘situation’. Mr Marin shares with Caleb that he was visited by Ashley on the day and coincidently, his gun has gone missing.

A is slowly pushing each girl’s family to the edge by targeting their mothers instead. Emily’s mother, Pam had family services called on her due to a little incident she had with Emily in front of the high school. Not to mention, Emily’s injuries are severely suss and it had the doctor asking a lot more questions about Emily’s life.

Ashley is still behaving weird and omitting the truth, she lied about not attending a show in New York with her colleagues. To Hanna’s dismay she also discovers a map of everyone who is connected to Wilden in the police office which included lines drawn to her friends and mother.

A sends a text to Aria saying “Cleaning up Rosewood, one mean mommy at a time. Dig we must.” As a result of all the drama lately and A targeting their mothers. Aria decides to encourage her own mother Ella (played by Holly Marie Combs) to take a holiday with the guy she has been dating.

As for Toby and Spencer they have been playing detective to figure out what really happened to Toby’s mother the day she died and by visiting Radley. The files about Toby’s mother and the window made the pair suspicious of whether it was a suicide or not.

The girls manage to find a mask with Melissa’s face which is just more evidence proving that she is very much involved. Besides that, this week’s episode was not overly exciting but I guess its slowly building the drama for something tragic occur once again. Toby says A preys on you when you’re at your weakest. What do you think A will do next?

Review by Jessica Tisdell

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REVIEW - The Borgias - SERIES FINALE - S03E10

In Micheletto’s continued absence Cesare relies on the sneaky Machiavelli as he plans his next move to carve out a Kingdom of his own and become a ‘Prince’. Forli will be taken by force and under Cesare's own terms. The problem is the Pope is not quite ready yet to hand over the reigns and has his own designs for his surviving son.

Catarina Sforza's busy little spies inform her that Rome’s army is descending on Forli. This, she thinks, gives her 10 days to bunker down and protect her domain. However, she has no idea that Cesare had already dispatched his French Army and she is surrounded. Will she surrender or go down in legend as a women who never backed down, even in the face of death and destruction.

The finale we have all been waiting for is here. Cesare is well and truly out of his father's shadow, the Pope managed to survive multiple poisonings and assassination attempts and Lucrezia leaves another fated marriage. As you would expect, loose ends are tied up but not all. There needs to be a thread or two to the next season, if there is to be one.

Season 3 did not disappoint and is another classic series to add to the Borgia box set.

Review by JoAnn Duff

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REVIEW - Teen Wolf - S03E04

Last week I was pretty unapologetic in my disappointment but I’m excited to say that this week Teen Wolf is back on track. “Unleashed” was a fun and enjoyable episode that reminded me of all the things that made me fall in love with this show in the first place.

This week on Teen Wolf, Stiles is on a mission to prove his theory about the virgin sacrifices and gains a little help along the way from Lydia and the mysterious town vet, Dr Deaton. Isaac, Allison and Scott team up against the alpha twins and Derek gets a visit from Deucalion, it’s not exactly a pleasant experience.

While it wasn’t my favourite episode it was so much better than last week that I can’t bring myself to care, besides there was a lot to love. We finally got some character development for the alpha twins, Ethan and Aiden, who have up until now been walking gimmicks. The interaction between Derek and Jennifer Blake, which felt forced in the previous episode, was actually kind of sweet. And the developing relationship between Allison and Isaac is only getting more and more intriguing.

 

There was still an excessive use of slow motion in the fight scenes, it’s like they have a new toy and they don’t know when to put it down, but as it was accompanied by an interesting storyline it didn’t bother me as much. I always love the classic horror homages, like the cold-open death, and Deucalion’s over the top villain’s speech was just kitsch enough to be fun.

The introduction of Druid and Celtic mythology broadens the scope of this series significantly. It also asks an intriguing question, who is this mysterious bad guy giving Druids a bad name and what is their connection to Lydia? All kinds of theories are speculating already, popular picks include Sassy Uncle Peter Hale and Gerard “MOUTIAN ASH” Argent. But the truth is at the moment it’s anyone’s game.

I am still rather disappointed by the treatment of Erica’s death (and Boyd’s trauma). I’m not the only one hoping for a little bit of closure but as the season is progressing at breakneck speed that much needed closure looking less and less likely. Then there’s the small issue of the increasing number of plot holes that I’m desperately hoping are actually part of a magnificent master plan but maybe I am expecting too much from this silly little MTV show about werewolves.

All in all this was an entertaining episode that perfect-showcased Teen Wolf’s ability to mesh the superficial teen years with seriously traumatic adult issues like PSD. As long as the rest of the rest season has more of that and less menacing growling I’ll be happy.

Review by Yvonne Popplewell

More of Yvonne’s work can be found at her blog.   

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Review : Devious Maids S01E01

Marc Cherry is best known for Desperate Housewives, and what better way to follow up with a similar style show but substitute housewives for latino maids and you have his new show pretty much down pat.

The show revolves around four maids working in Beverly Hills. Marisol (Ana Oritz - Ugly Betty) finds employment at the home of the Westmore's, an insecure newly married couple as their maid while also looking after the Delatour family whose maid is killed in the opening scene of the show (it is one of the most amusing things I have ever seen!)

Carmen (Roselyn Sanchez) starts working for Sam (Wolfe Parkes) and is trying her best to kick start her music career but must fight against the personal assistant to get her music noticed.

Mother and Daughter Zoila (Judy Reyes - Scrubs) and Valentina (Edy Ganem) work for a vein, pill addicted mother and son. Valentina is in love with the rich son, but Zoila is intent to convince her that nothing will come of this.

The four stories sort of all link in together, delivering what has been one of the best pilots of the mid season. If you loved Desperate Housewives you will love this show. This show has Marc Cherry all over it, and with Eva Longoria as executive producer a lot of the humour rings true to Housewives.

There is murder, humour, deception, suspense and a whole lot of drama that will keep fans on the edge of their seats in every minute of this show. If you like these kind of shows you will really love this one.

This is my pick for the summer's hottest show! Catch Devious Maids on Lifetime every Sunday.

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REVIEW - Burn Notice - S07E03

This week's episode certainly didn't disappoint, with all the action and suspense of an end-of-season cliffhanger. We are only three episodes into this final season, and already another complex, mystifying and suspenseful plot line beginning to unfold.

Sam and Jesse are incorporated into the CIA mission that Michael is working on in the Dominican Republic, and the audience are, I'm sure, welcoming this renewal of the kick-ass trio that is Michael, Sam and Jesse. This resurrecting of the trio however leads to Micheal pulling the guys into his problems, problems which results in moral conflict, particularly for Sam, as he chooses what is more important - his best friend, or innocent bystanders. There is, however, the gaping absence of Fi that feels like the elephant in the room as she is never mentioned, although, there hasn't yet been the need for a huge, spontaneous supply of C4.

Fi is still a big part of Maddie's life however, and when Maddie calls with trouble from Nate's old 'bookie', Fi resolves the problem in the way only she knows best - a big explosion. There is an all time first for Fi however as she lets Maddie press the button, which results in a priceless look of satisfaction plastered all over Maddie's face.

When Michael is again in a sticky situation (when is he ever not, right?), he uses that good old cunning and connection with his friends that makes everyone laugh and admire him at the same time. There is however the revealing of yet another mystery, but not the mystery itself, just the fact that there is one. This leads to one hell of a cliffhanger that leaves you wanting so much more.


All in all, this episode starts to feel like the good old days of the earlier seasons, with the more prominent roles of Sam and Jesse, and the absence of Michael's facial hair. There is however the missing of Fi, as well as the Miami landscape, and the lack of small subplots that used to be in each episode - Michael is no longer helping people, and in fact, does more killing than helping, which we all know is not Michael Weston's style at all. The reason for this however, is revealed in this episode.

Review by Emma Laarkamp

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REVIEW - Pretty Little Liars - S04E02

The girls of Pretty Little Liars still have many questions. Why was Hannah’s mother’s (Ashley) phone in Wilden’s casket? Where has Melissa been all this time?

Mona is still trying to win the girls trust but as Aria says “This is Mona; she started lying when she was a foetus”. Mona takes them to the RV only to find its missing…of course. The other former member of the A team Toby is struggling to stay honest as well as A taps into one of his major weaknesses his mother. To find answers Toby has yet again been doing favours for A and although, we are supposed to have empathy for the poor guy, its hard to trust him.

Hannah is conflicted after she discovers her mother’s expensive heels covered in mud. While the police have come out with the news that murderer was wearing heels. Is murderer Ashley or red coat?

Spencer has finally received news from the University of Pennsylvania, a place she has been dreaming of attending as part of her family tradition but is not accepted. She reaches out to Ezra who offers to help Spencer write some essays and apply for other places. However, with A on the loose she is making it incredibly hard for any of the girls to build a future.

On a positive note, we are finally seeing Aria move on from Ezra. After Mona is attacked, Aria feels its about time she learnt to defend herself since she is a small girl after all. The audience is introduced to a possible love interest the attractive fighting instructor Jake played by Keven Santos. As Aria practices with Jake you can clearly see the chemistry and Aria impulsively kisses him during a session. Awkward! Jake later informs Aria he is interested but will there a future for them?

One of the minor developments of the storyline was the talking bird Tippy. According to Spencer the repetition of sounds Tippy was making was a phone number, possibly one Alison called often. This episode was not the most exciting moment of the season but these events are leading into some serious drama. Next week we will see the return of Melissa and more details on Ashley’s involvement in Wilden’s death may just be revealed.

Review by Jessica Tisdell

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REVIEW - Teen Wolf - S03E03

 

Last week’s episode was really good, like exceptionally good. Maybe my hopes were a little high but this week just didn’t quite make it. Don’t get me wrong, this episode wasn’t awful, it just wasn’t great and after last week’s offering it was sorely disappointing. That said there were some great moments hidden in what was a rather lacklustre effort as a whole.

Derek and Scott enlist some unlikely help to find Boyd and Cora who are still at the mercy of the full moon. Lydia and Stiles investigate a series of disturbing murders and Allison takes matters into her own hands. This episode is mostly snarling and running through the woods with a little bit of gore and a dash of harlequin romance.

Teen Wolf doesn’t really have filler episodes, but if it did this would be it. The search for Boyd and Cora could, and probably should, have been completed in half the time. While the secondary storyline of revealed significant information that furthers the overarching season mystery, the majority of the episode was spent watching the werewolves run through the woods in slow motion.

Speaking of slow motion, the director of this episode obviously had a fetish for attractive men in walking slow motion. Now, I’m partial to the occasional use of slow motion, especially on attractive men, but there comes a point when it’s time to speed things up and give us something relevant. When they were walking in slow motion they were performing excessive and unnecessary acrobatics. There is just so much that could have cut from this episode.

If you ignore the running and growling there were a few things that stood out in this episode. The classic horror elements, including a camping trip gone wrong and a surprise dead body, were really well done. I’m actually loving Teen Wolf’s use of classic horror tropes this season. Dylan O’Brien was exceptional as always, especially in a particularly poignant emotional scene.

Although the female characters were relegated to the background they outshone the testosterone filled hunting party. Especially Allison, who managed to achieve by herself, what Derek, Scott, Isaac and Chris had been unable to achieve as a team. The one highlight of the hunting storyline was Derek’s slow decent into despair, as he loses the last vestiges to his self-esteem but even that was undermined when he was gifted a romantic reward for his sacrifice.

Ms Blake (Haley Webb) was introduced in the first episode of season 3, and while we didn’t learn much about her she appeared capable and intriguing. In this episode most of what made her intriguing was ripped away from her so that she could be forced into the role of damsel in distress in preparation for meeting Derek Hale. While this episode didn’t introduce Ms Blake’s storyline particularly well, I am hoping that behind the romantic damsel is a dynamic character with a storyline of her very own as more than just Derek’s ‘love interest’.

It’s safe to say, that this episode was a bit of a let down but hopefully it will be the exception in an otherwise amazing season.

Review by Yvonne Popplewell

More of Yvonne’s work can be found at her blog.

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REVIEW - Futurama - S07E15 - Fry and Leela’s Big Fling

After the somewhat disappointing ‘2-D Blacktop’, the second episode in the one-hour premiere of Futurama, ‘Fry and Leela’s Big Fling’, reminded me of the many reasons I love this show. The story, the characters, the witty-one liners, they’re all back and true to form!

Fry and Leela try to spend a romantic evening together, but are constantly interrupted by their co-workers. Due to “targeted advertising” they get the idea to go on a holiday to a deserted island so that they can finally be alone.

Since Fry and Leela have taken a week off work for their romantic getaway, Amy and Zoidberg are asked to fill in for them. They go with Bender to “Simian 7” ("The Planet of the Apes... and other monkeys") where they run into an old acquaintance, Guenter, the Professor’s genetically engineered monkey. Guenter volunteers to show them around his new home-planet. While at the zoo, he explains that their zoo’s differ from the ones on Earth since the animals do not know they are captives, they’re given the illusion they are roaming around free in the wild.

This is where this episode gets really interesting: the zoo on Simian 7 has a human exhibit, and Fry and Leela are the humans! Turns out that the ‘deserted island’ they signed up to go to is actually the human exhibit where hundreds of humans have holidayed together before, unaware that their exploits are being watched by the residents of Simian 7. Amy, Bender and Zoidberg decide they must get Fry and Leela out before they make fools of themselves... that is until Fry and Leela start talking about them behind their backs...

The storyline of this episode was great, and what’s more, the episode was sprinkled with the witty one-liners Futurama has become known for. This episode has me keen for more episodes, though this is somewhat tainted by the knowledge these could be the last ever episodes of the show. If that is to be the case, hopefully there will be more Fry and Leela heavy episodes before things end... or the show gets renewed (again)!

Review by Heather Bale.

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REVIEW - Futurama - S07E14 - 2-D Blacktop

The second half of the seventh season of Futurama premiered with two episodes in a back-to-back one hour special, starting with ‘2-D Blacktop’. Although not the strongest episode to start the second half of the season with, it was good enough to remind me why I like the show.

After the Planet Express ship crashes one too many times, Leela decides they should get rid of it. Professor Farnsworth leaves and repairs the ship from parts he finds in a junkyard. As a result of his new faster ‘wheels’, the Professor inadvertently falls in with a street racer crew who are especially impressed by the “dimensional drift” of the ship.

Meanwhile Planet Express get a new, safe, slow ship. Although happy at first, Leela quickly becomes bored of the new ship as it does everything for them. While out driving it one day she runs into the Professor and challenges him to a race on the “Mobius Strip”. During the race, their two ships collide and the Professor, Leela, Fry and Bender end up in a two-dimensional world. It doesn’t take long before the four offend the inhabitants of this two-dimensional land and they must find their way home before they come to any harm.

Although story-wise this has been one of the weaker episodes of the season, the animation in this episode was quite impressive (Futurama seems to love trying out new styles and technologies). This was most notable as they transitioned from two to three dimensions. However, I think one of the biggest let-downs of this episode were the four members of the Professor’s street “crew” as the characters fell flat as two-dimensional stereotypes (and I don’t think such irony was intended). Overall I found the episode mildly enjoyable, even though it wasn’t up to the show’s usual standard.

Review by Heather Bale.

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REVIEW - True Blood - S06E01 - 'Who are you, really?'

The season six premiere of True Blood picked up right where season five left off, with the focus of this episode being on ‘Billith’, Warlow and the fallout from the loss of so many True Blood factories and Luna’s transformation on television. Minor subplots also focus on Andy and his faerie quadruplets, Alcide’s new role as pack-master, and the introduction of a new character, the governor of Louisiana, Truman Burrell (Arliss Howard).

After escaping from Bill at the Authority compound, Eric, Sookie, Pam, Tara, Nora, Jason and Jessica hear on the radio that Governor Burrell is practically declaring war on vampires. This causes some tempers to boil over, so Eric pulls the car over and they all get to have a big, err, ‘heart-to-heart’ before going their separate ways.

Information comes thick and fast in this scene, so that the audience is bought up to speed on who everyone is and where they stand. Eric tells Pam once again to leave him alone, so she and Tara go back to Fangtasia. Sookie confesses to Jessica that she still loves Bill, but that Bill is dead, and whoever this ‘thing’ is it’s not him. Jessica expresses a reluctance to harm her maker. Eric quizzes Nora on reincarnations, but she is more interested in asking Jason about Warlow, who according to the book of Lilith is her progeny. Jason goes on an anti-vampire tirade and tries to shoot Nora, but Sookie steps in. He walks off, claiming that Sookie is now “dead” to him. Jessica is summoned by Bill, and when Eric tries to stop her from going, Bill is able to cause her physical harm. Sookie decides to go with Jessica, and Nora and Eric fly off.

When Sookie and Jessica find Bill, he seems ‘normal’ and says he means them no harm. Eric and Nora burst in to try and kill Bill, but he is now stronger than he used to be, and Sookie stakes Bill to stop him from killing Eric. Bill is able to pull the stake out of himself, and it is clear that Bill is no longer an ordinary vampire, and that he could be unstoppable. Jessica flips out at Sookie for trying to kill Bill, so Sookie, Eric and Nora leave. Bill confesses to Jessica later that he is scared by these new powers he has, and needs her by his side. Bill then has another vision of Lilith, as well as two other naked blood-covered women, who all seem to step inside his body.

What is going on with this whole ‘Billith’ plot, I have no idea, and despite the fact that so much screen-time was dedicated to Bill this week, we still have no answers! I know they want to keep us watching by stringing it out, but this is becoming even to far-fetched for True Blood which means a lot of people may just start switching off. I just hope the writers haven written themselves into a hole they can’t get out of...

Anyway, Eric walks Sookie home and gives her the deed to her house back. Just when it looks like they might share a kiss, Sookie rescinds his invitation (why?!). Nora realises that Eric loves Sookie, and that she is his weak-spot. As Nora eyes Sookie through the window it seems she has a plan to use Sookie to get her brother to do something, it’s just unclear what that is at this stage.

Meanwhile Jason has hitched a ride with an elderly man who he tells his life story to. Jason then suspects this man might be Warlow and tries to kill him, but the man just disappears. Given the revelation that the actor who has been playing Warlow (Rutger Hauer), will also be playing one of Sookie’s relatives, Niall Brigant, it is unclear whether these characters will be one and the same. Until that is cleared up, I don’t know whether to think Jason was in the car with Warlow or Niall, so that has made what seemed like a relatively straightforward scene all the bit more mysterious.

The focus on the other characters is somewhat cursory in this episode, with just enough information given about each to catch the viewer up and open up room for story progression.

Andy is struggling with his new responsibilities as a parent, but after a pep-talk from Arlene he gives it a shot. Just when Andy thinks everything is under control he wakes up to find that his children are no longer newborns, they are primary school-aged kids. Although a good way to progress his storyline and avoid the problems of working with children, I’m assuming they are going to have to come up with a (hopefully interesting) reason to make them stop aging, otherwise they’ll be octogenarians within a couple of days.

Martha and Rikki worry that the power that comes with Alcide’s new role as pack-master will corrupt him. Of course the power does go to Alcide’s head, and just as he is about to have sex with a female member of the pack, Rikki walks in. They end up having a threesome, but Rikki reminds Alcide “I’m still your number one bitch.” Rikki’s role seems set to expand this season, but the drama with the wolf-pack just hasn’t been as interesting as the other plots in the show, so perhaps she is there to liven things up.

While all of these other things are going on, Sam, Luna and Emma escape the Authority compound as well, only to have Luna die just outside. Before she dies Luna begs Sam to take care of Emma, which he does, by taking her to Merlotte’s. At Merlottes they find Lafayette, and Sam swears him to secrecy. They haven’t yet established much of a storyline for Lafayette this season, but I hope they incorporate him somewhere, as he is one of my favorite characters.

Despite the rather lackluster treatment given to the series regulars story-wise, one of the most interesting parts of this episode was the new character, Governor Burrell. He asks to be a silent partner in True Blood, claiming he wants the vampires peaceful so that his people are safe. We know he has another agenda, and I am looking forward to finding out what it is. Since Bill doesn’t appear to be the ‘big-bad’ of this season, and not enough about Warlow/Niall and his agenda are known yet, Governor Burrell could quickly become a huge threat to our favourite supes and humans this season.

For die-hard fans of the Sookie Stackhouse novels, not just this episode, but the series as a whole may have wandered too far from the original source material to be enjoyable. But for those who, like myself, have only watched the show, or are able to consider the book and the series as separate entities, may still want to keep watching, even it is just to see how everything turns out... especially those Sookie and Eric fans who were disappointed by the ending of the books... Although this episode spent a lot of time rehashing old information, enough new information was given to keep me interested and ready to tune in again next week.

Review by Heather Bale.

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REVIEW - Burn Notice - S07E02

This week's episode of Burn Notice was the show's one hundredth episode, and it sure packed in all of the impact one would expect, with this episode possibly being the most heartbreaking in all of the series. The show starts with Madeline's desire to know if her son is ok getting in the way and making things harder, like always. Her determination is to be admired, but as all fans of this show would know, it is often very frustrating. Her determination however, does result in Michael having to make contact with her, which incidentally worked out pretty well for Madeline. The first heartbreak of the show however happens now when Michael yells at his mother. After Maddie is satisfied that Michael is ok, all she asks for is a hug, and then she lays low for the rest of the show. 

The same cannot be said for Sam, Jesse, Fiona, and Fiona's new boyfriend, Carlos, (who, by the way, looks to be a recurring character). They all begin an investigation into the man that is tracking down Michael, and even if both Fiona and Carlos are helping begrudgingly, they all once again put their lives on the line for a man who they have had no contact with in the past nine months, trusting that they are doing the right thing. The CIA however is following their investigation, sometimes more closely than they are themselves, using Michael's friends as bait and just sitting back and waiting for them to do all of the hard work. This does not sit well with Michael, but he is under orders, orders which eventually cause him to crack. Michael is put in control of surveillance, and watches his friends day in, day out, through a grainy camera lens. Heartbreaking moment number two occurs during this time, as Michael watches Fiona kiss another man and complain about having to clean up after Michael yet again. As Michael watches Fiona, the audience are granted a glimpse into the softer side of Michael, as he reminisces about when he first met Fiona, again adding more heartbreak to the show as we see his love for Fiona is as strong as ever. 

While watching his friends during an operation, Michael sees Fiona get kidnapped by the man who is after him. This causes Michael's burning desire to see his friends to cut more and more deeply throughout the episode, until he gets to the point where he can't take it any more. Once Michael learns that the CIA is planning to use his friends as bait, not caring for their safety or lives, he abandons the CIA and flees to stop his friends entering a death trap, which leads to yet another heartbreaking confrontation between Carlos and Michael. Michael then devises a plan which involves the cooperation of both the CIA and his friends, in order to save Fiona and kill the man who took her. It is at this point that the episode reaches its most devastating. Michael sends a code to Fiona in the form of a childhood anecdote that Fiona had shared with him many years before. Fiona remembers, and we see just a glimpse of that fierce, undying love Fiona has for Michael in her eyes as bullets fly around her. Michael then saves her, and she leaves him with just a brush of her lips against his cheek, and the knowledge that she has moved on, as she walks over to Carlos.

Overall, this was a great, yet heartbreaking episode, with all of the impact and tension that one would expect from the one hundredth episode of a show of this calibre.

Review by Emma Laaarkamp

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REVIEW - Teen Wolf - S03E02

Okay, I’ll admit it. The premiere had me a little worried. It was good but it was as good as it needed to be to live up to the hype. This episode alleviated most of my fears and I now completely on board with Season 3. This was a fantastic episode that had me on the edge of my seat screaming at the screen for forty minutes.

Stiles went to a party to get laid; it didn’t end well. Scott tried to get Allison and Derek to work together; it didn’t end well. Derek and Isaac are tried to find Boyd and Erica; it didn’t end well. Lydia and Danny are trying to get laid… it’s going well. Uncle Peter is still sassy with dubious intentions. Stiles has research fever and enjoys a good fisting (that might be an exaggeration). Also Derek had a blast from the past that could be a game changer.

There is so much to love about this episode but what stood out for me are the interactions between Derek Hale (Tyler Hoechlin) and Allison Argent (Crystal Reed). Those two have a complicated past and I hoped that when they finally got to talking that it would be fantastic and it was even better than I could have imagined. All I wish is for more of this dynamic in future episodes.

The other thing this episode showcased was the incredible cinematography. Last week I suggested that this was Teen Wolf all grown up and the look of this episode proved that sentiment. There was a scene between fan favourites Peter Hale (Ian Bohen) and Stiles Stilinski (Dylan O’Brien) that was truly beautiful with an innovative use of light and shadow. For a moment it made me forget I was watching an MTV show about teenage werewolves.

The performances were solid as usual, especially the wonderful Dylan O’Brien, who as usual added remarkable depth to comic sidekick Stiles. I was also surprisingly impressed with Tyler Hoechlin, who let’s face it is known more for his abs than his acting talent, but somehow managed to break my heart with just one word: “Cora”.

Some might be annoyed by the amount of what could be called fan service but the episode flowed really well and every scene appeared as though it had a place. While there were some fun fan winks nothing felt superfluous. There was not a moment to waste, there was a lot of information packed into just forty minutes, and for me at least nothing felt wasteful.

Part of me feels like I’m being far too unashamedly positive but then I watch this episode again and I’m reminded of just how entertaining it really is. This is the Teen Wolf I want see in Season 3 and I hope that it’s onwards and upwards from here. If the next ten episodes are half as good as “Chaos Rising” this will be the best season yet.

Review by Yvonne Popplewell

More of Yvonne’s work can be found at her blog.

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REVIEW - Pretty Little Liars - S04E01

Beginning straight from where Pretty Little Liars left off last season, Hanna, Aria, Spencer, Emily and Mona open Wildon’s car boot, only to find a dead pig? What was that supposed to mean? The only thing we know for sure is A is back and more manipulative than ever before.

Mona helps out Hanna by tampering with evidence to save Hannah’s mother and later hands over the memory chip with the footage. What is this girl’s angle?

Mona also spilled some goss on her secret life as a minion for A, like how she made Lucas and Toby do some of her dirty work for her. Mona was the one who placed Wilden’s car in Hannah’s garage, Shanna is in love with Jenna and they both are afraid of Melissa. For some time, Mona assumed Cece was red coat/Alison and she didn’t kill Ian. Not to mention, Mona takes the girls to her “lair” to gain their trust.

Strangely, Alison’s mother has returned to Rosewood and is moving back into her old house. In one particular scene, Spencer stares out the window only to realize Alison’s mother staring back from her own window. Ahh creepy much?

At school the vice Principal has been keeping a close eye on Aria since she claimed nothing was going on between her and Ezra. Aria is called to the vice Principal’s office and she panics. Luckily, everything was just in Aria’s head.

Paige proposes to Emily that they move away together to California and attend Standford University. Hesitant at first to move across the country, Emily accepts. While on another note, Toby is being caught in a new game with A to find out answers about his mother and a flashback is shown of Toby with Alison which shows they had a “thing”.

In true Pretty Little Liars fashion, the writers have the girls attending another funeral and their mission is to find Wildon’s body because something is in the casket. Spencer and Mona are sent the same message which leads them to the body and a phone rings from inside the casket.

Its also important to mention there was a mysterious woman with a black veil who attended the funeral and later is seen with a mask on playing with dolls that represent each girl. Was the woman with veil the new A?

With such a long wait, it was good to see PLL fans get some answers but at the same time, there are so many more questions.

Review by Jessica Tisdell

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REVIEW - Burn Notice - S07E01

Burn Notice, Season 7, kicked off with all of the excitement and action that has characterised this show since its beginning in 2007. Although there are a few noticeable changes, with the absence of the well-known, burn-notice-style captions and the extreme close ups on shirtless men rather than bikini clad women (don’t worry guys, they are still there too), the basic essence of the show still holds true. 

Viewers are shown a much different, darker side to Michael Weston. The show continues on nine months after the season finale, and Michael Weston has taken his ‘deep cover’ to a whole new level. Viewers are confronted with an alcoholic, disgruntled ex-spy who is based in Columbia and fighting to make a living. This, of course, is all a part of a government program which puts Michael in constant, serious danger. This cover has changed him though, with the merciful Michael Weston that we all know killing two people in the first episode. However, this exciting start to the show is not only set in Columbia. The tension is also felt back in Miami, with all of the characters we have come to know and love once again risking their lives to protect Michael. 

Once Sam gets wind of Michael, and the fact that he is in danger, he will stop at nothing to find his friend. This commitment however, almost gets Sam and Jesse blown up half way through the first episode of the season. The audience experiences a devastating blow in the first ten minutes as Fi kisses another guy, implying a long-term boyfriend. Despite this, she is just as fiery and loyal as always, and commits herself to protecting Madeline, who accidently secures Michael’s dangerous fate.


Madeline herself is fighting to get custody of little Charlie Weston (Nate’s son) and the audience is reminded of that gut-wrenching moment when Nate died in Michael’s arms. But don’t worry, it isn’t all sad and dark, there is still an impressive Hollywood explosion and the opportunity to see Michael with a beard. 

Overall, this has been an impressive start to great show…it makes you wonder how it ever got cancelled.

Review by Emma Laarkamp

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Showtime Renews Nurse Jackie and Axes The Borgias

In the same week that Showtime cancels period show The Borgias, it renews popular dramedy Nurse Jackie for a sixth season.

Season 5 of Nurse Jackie is currently airing, with the final on June 16. Showtime network president David Nevins said that they were thrilled with the series progress and "under the leadership of Clyde Phillips... this show is as sharp and compelling as ever."

However The Borgias previous season 3 finale will now act as it's series finale after an announcement was made yesterday. The two-hour wrap up movie that was also planned was scrapped with show creator Neil Jordan telling Deadline it was due to financial reasons. "I would have loved to bring all the characters to a conclusion. All of the actors were heartbroken we couldn’t continue, and so was I.”

Information was gathered from these articles.
Article by Sofie Kiriakidis

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REVIEW - Teen Wolf - S03E01

It’s back and it’s bigger and badder than ever. It’s been a long hiatus since Teen Wolf’s fantastic second season but it has finally come blasting back into our lives with an amazing season premiere.

The opening sequence, involving a mysterious girl and a motorcycle chase, represents everything that was right and wrong with this episode. It’s pretty clear they’re aiming for epic and while it doesn’t quite make it, they just don’t have the budget to pull off big CGI based stunts, it sets the tone for a season that is quite clearly going where Teen Wolf has never gone before.

Once it moved into more familiar territory, especially the turbulence of teenage romance, the episode really came into its own. Scott was more lovable than ever, which I didn’t think was possible, and it was nice to see Stiles back in his role as comic relief. Especially after the dramatic turn his character took towards the end on Season 2, although I doubt that the fun times will last much longer.

Without a doubt the star of the episode was Holland Roden as Lydia Martin. Lydia had a rough ride throughout the first two seasons and while she had some awesome moments she was often relegated to damsel in distress or romantic reward. It was nice to see a more confident Lydia, one that wasn’t defined by her interactions with the male leads. Roden stole every scene she was in and I can’t wait to see where they take her character this season.

The episode was a little hard to follow at times due to the amount of information they had to give us but over all I think it was a solid start to the season. There is clearly a lot going on, including a lot of new characters, but it was nice that despite a couple of moments the majority of the episode focused on Scott, Allison, Stiles, Lydia and Derek. It was especially great to see Scott and Derek working so well together.

Despite the tagline’s warning that “this might hurt” this episode was relatively pain free but the mysteries introduced were intriguing, and Deucalion seems like he will make a delicious villain. I wasn’t keen on the implication that Scott is the hero of a prophecy driven adventure (one werewolf to save them all) but as Teen Wolf has a tendency to take tired tropes to unexpected places I am going to give it the benefit of the doubt for the moment.

Although not without it’s problems, “Tattoo” was a great introduction to what looks like an exciting season but only time will tell if the many, many mysteries this episode set up are able to fulfill their potential.

Review by Yvonne Popplewell

More of Yvonne’s work can be found at her blog.

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REVIEW - The Borgias - S03E08

It is the start of the grand celebrations in Rome and for once Rodrigo Pope Alexander is seen to be doing Pope-ey stuff! He appears solemn and dressed in all the finery and grandeur you would expect of a Renaissance Pope. The crowd looks on while he addresses the people of Rome and opens his doors and offers forgiveness at a price. The sweet sound of jewels and coins for sins paid for fill the Papal House and the wealth amassed is plenty.

One lady is not celebrating, and that is Catarina Sforza. Benito’s body is returned to her and she is full of hate and hell bent on revenge at the loss of her only son. She wants the Borgia’s wiped out and will not stop until she gets her way starting by diverting the flood of Pilgrims to Rome by claiming to have the shroud of turin. However, the Borgia’s will not stand quietly and Cesare is dispatched to exterminate her and collect the shroud for authenticity back at the Vatican.

Meanwhile I cannot help but feel sorry for the cold blooded psychopath Micheletto. He thinks he has found love but all he has done is let a spy into the Borgia household. What fate will behold him and his lover when the web of lies comes undone?

Episode 8 cannot come soon enough as we head towards the final few episodes. The momentum is building nicely and that will be a grand finale no doubt.

Review by JoAnn Duff

More of JoAnn's works can be found at her blog.

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