Dexter: The Angel of Death

Dexter: "I understand the urge to end someone's life, but what is this fascination with ending the world?"

Several readers mentioned in the comments section last week that Travis was acting alone and hallucinating the existence of Professor Gellar. (I hadn't thought of that at all. It's probably obvious that I don't read other people's reviews.) Interestingly, nothing in this episode contradicted this theory. And if it's true, Dexter just let a serial killer go free to kill again. (I was saying no, Dexter! Don't let him go!)

Community: Horror Fiction in Seven Spooky Steps

“Trick-or-Dean!”

Imagine, for your entertainment, the concept of a door. You try to unlock it with a key of imagination but someone has changed the locks since the divorce so you kick it open instead, hurting your foot in the process. You limp through and beyond is another dimension: a dimension of sight, a dimension of mind, a dimension where the lights flicker all week because the Dean can't afford to get someone in to fix them. You're moving into a land of both time-travelling policemen and illiterate vampires, of horror movie references and surreal humour; you've just crossed over into... The Twilight Zone The Community Halloween Special!!!!

Ringer: She's Ruining Everything

"What the hell am I doing?"

Judging by episode two, the main thrust of Ringer will be Bridget slowly attempting to fix the lives of people that Siobhan presumably took for granted. And she's got a pretty big rap-sheet so far: She cheats on her husband, who seems like a great guy who at one point truly loved his wife. She betrays her best friend, who's clearly vulnerable and erratic. And she seemingly trashes her catty stepdaughter at every opportunity, instead of offering the guidance and support that she appears to be crying out for. Bridget improved as a character here, too. She's still frustratingly vacant at points, but I like that she decided to stick around and try and make a positive difference. There was no way that wasn't going to happen, but whatever.

All that and BRAIIINsss too: A Few Thoughts About Zombies

"Zombies are the new vampires, didn't you know that?"
- Arlene, True Blood

I have been thinking about Zombies a lot lately... a whole lot, almost a bit obsessively. Let me be clear, I am not too concerned about the dead rising tomorrow, but the dead sure have been shambling around here quite a bit lately, and I am not altogether unconcerned.

Doctor Who: The Time Monster

"Nobody and nothing can stop me now!"

There's something very Russell T Davies about this season finale. Like many of RTD's season finales, 'The Time Monster' is an epic story that sees the Doctor and his surrogate family working together to stop a recurring enemy from conquering the universe or something. And like so many of Russell's epic finales, it's an overblown mess of a story, remembered more for the emotional scenes between the Doctor and his companion than for anything else.

Person of Interest: Judgment

“You have two questions right now: Who are you and where is my son? Which one do you want to focus on?”

Kidnapping cases on TV are tricky. On the one hand, they’re really easy to relate to, because everybody is afraid of losing the ones they love and it plays on our paranoia, which is something Person of Interest does well; on the other hand, everybody knows they’re not going to kill the kidnappee, especially if it’s a kid, so it may become very predictable. As this one was.

Supernatural: Slash Fiction

Frank: "Well, I'll be darned. Psycho Butch and Sundance. You're on CNN right now."

Was that a record number of beheadings in a single television episode? I don't remember ever seeing that many, even in an episode of Highlander.

Star Trek: And the Children Shall Lead

Spock: "Without followers, evil cannot spread."

Apparently, lawyers are evil aliens plotting to kill us all. Or maybe this episode was a morality tale about respecting your parents and doing your homework, and the evils of ice cream and ring-around-the-rosy.

In Time

In Time is a slick, bright, and fast paced sci-fi action movie directed by Andrew Niccol of Gattaca fame. It falls into the dystopian future sub-section of Sci-fi, and uses a sort of Bonnie and Clyde meets Robin Hood framework. It is set in the near future, with a look that draws from different eras of clothing and style. This creates a solid atmosphere that isn't gritty like most of the other movies of this genre. This cleaned up style is reminiscent of a Michael Bay movie, but it manages to not lose the integrity of being a hard science fiction story. It asks hard questions of its viewers, and has an extremely relevant message of corporate and governmental corruption.

Vampire Diaries: Ghost World

“We’ll choose between boyfriend ghost dramas.”

It’s oddly reassuring that this episode of VD is not perfect. This is not to say that it was terrible—rather, it was very, very good. It just lacked the frightening impact of the previous five episodes. That’s a good thing: it’s a reminder that even at its least-astonishing, this is still a fascinating high-tension show.

Grimm: Pilot

Nearly two hundred years ago, two brothers wrote down true tales of the monsters that walk among us. Visible only to the Grimm family, the monsters look human to the rest of us, so the true importance of the tales “written” by the Grimm brothers is known only to their descendants, each of whom receives the curse when an older relative dies. Portland detective Nick Burkhardt is the latest in this tradition to be cursed when his guardian aunt edges closer to death, and he is struggling to come to terms with his new power while juggling an appropriate work/life balance and—I’m sure—missing sunshine, since Portland looks horribly grim (and an awful lot like Vancouver).

American Horror Story: Halloween, Part 1

"It's just a feeling I get... darkness."

I think the biggest hurdle this show has to overcome relates to the Harmon's and the fact that they're still living in that goddamn house!

The Walking Dead: Bloodletting

“Little girl goes missing, you look for her. It's plain and simple.”

How much of our civilized selves can we hold onto? What can we give up? Or must we give up and still call ourselves human?

Ringer: Pilot

"You have the wrong girl!"

It's almost fitting that a show all about identity and duplicity has some of its own identity issues. Pilot episodes are rarely flawless, but I was a little surprised at how Ringer's series premiere was more than a little frayed around the edges. Whether they want to or not, the specter of Buffy the Vampire Slayer hangs over the show. Not so much in trying to keep up with that show's immediate impression, but in the character Sarah Michelle Gellar has chosen for her return to primetime. I was shocked that what seemed to be the main premise of this series wasn't as omnipresent as I had presumed. Bridget and Siobhan are only thinly sketched so far, and despite playing two roles, series creators Eric Charmelo and Nicole Snyder don't give Gellar a whole lot to work with.

Person of Interest: Cura Te Ipsum

Andrew: “You're a good man.”
Reese: “Good? I lost that part of myself a long time ago.”

What does it take to be “good”? What does it mean?

It’s often been said that Person of Interest feels like Ben and Sayid’s time as a team during Season 4 of Lost. In this episode, the comparisons between Reese and Sayid, especially their concern about not being a good person, were intensified in that last very tense scene, which gave us some food for thought about the nature of goodness.

Dexter: A Horse of a Different Color

Dexter: "I guess there are some things even daddies can't fix."

Again with a specific religious theme. This time, surrender to something greater than yourself.

Doctor Who: The Mutants

"Un people, un-doing un-things un-together."

Dealing with themes of imperialism, apartheid, environmental issues and evolution, 'The Mutants' is certainly a story with ambition. In more skilled hands it could’ve been something of merit, but in Bob Baker and Dave Martin’s hands 'The Mutants' ends up being a great big plodding mess.

Once Upon a Time: Pilot

Emma: “Just because you believe something, doesn’t make it true.”
Henry: “That’s exactly what makes it true.”

That’s it, kids. All those characters you’ve known ever since before you can even remember? Get ready to know them again. This show, or at least the pilot, has achieved perfect balance between familiarity and freshness. It’s hard to avoid using words like “fantastic” and “magical” to describe it, because, frankly, those would be cheesy puns. But dealing with fairy tales demands cheesiness, don’t you think?

Supernatural: Shut Up, Dr. Phil

Dean: "Another physically impossible death. You got any ideas?"
Sam: "Cirque de Soleil?"

A tiny beating heart in the center of a cupcake. That's not something you see every day.

Red Lightning by John Varley

[This is a book review of Red Lightning by John Varley, first published in 2006.]

Vampire Diaries: Smells Like Teen Spirit

“Anyone else think it should feel slightly more empowering?”

How? What? How? Three very excellent questions. And here’s a fourth:

Damon, will you feed me s’mores?

Person of Interest: Mission Creep

“Not every ex-soldier meets a reclusive billionaire.”

If the last episode was all about Finch, this one was Reese’s turn under the spotlight. It was a sad week for him. Or sadder.

American Horror Story: Murder House

"We have to get out of this house."

I think by now it's been established that this is a polarizing show that you'll either love or entirely despise.

The Walking Dead: What Lies Ahead

Rick: “It can’t be harder than our journey’s been so far, can it?”

Good movies and shows haunt me. What I mean by this is that for days after, scenes pop up in my head. I remember little bits and mull them over. The Walking Dead is certainly one of those shows. The strong story lines, the great acting, the obvious skill of the directors make it fabulous TV, and the second season premiere promised that there wouldn’t be any momentum lost from the first season. The suspense was maintained with little rest throughout the whole ninety minutes. I can’t wait for the next episode.

Terra Nova: The Runaway

"They mostly come at night. Mostly."

Did they cast that little girl based on her resemblance to Carrie Henn? Why didn't they just give her a plastic doll head to carry around, too?

Ringer: The Poor Kids Do It Everyday

"I don't know you... and I never did."

So I guess Bridget is abandoning the concept of making this a 'short-term' deal. And I guess Siobhan is straight-up evil. I like both girls a lot (well, more than I did at the beginning of the series), but it would be foolish to claim that they were being written well. A problem with a show like this, one that depends on twists and cliffhangers, is that in the relentless pursuit of curve-balls to throw at us, the writers become susceptible to losing track of the protagonists involved. The Poor Kids Do It Everyday did a good job of adding new levels to both sisters, but I'm not sure they totally worked from a logic stand-point.

Fringe: Subject 9

“I never meant to harm you.”

Whereas last week’s episode left me—but not everyone—rather cold, this ostensible case-of-the-week was absolutely delightful. The difference? Although Olivia and Walter thought they were on the trail of a traditional fringy unsub, they were really pursuing their own destiny. That makes for good television, doesn’t it?

Eureka: What Goes Around, Comes Around

...in which random electromagnetic pockets begin wreaking havoc all over town. Meanwhile, Zoe learns that she’s been accepted for early admission to an undergrad pre-med program at Harvard.

Community: Remedial Chaos Theory

“Roxxxxannnnee!”

Far too many sitcoms are lazy. They play it safe by spoon feeding their audience predictable gags even a blind man can see the punchline coming from a mile away. Since we live in a unjust reality, these shows are often the more successful ones. This is why Two and A Half Men kicks off its ninth season with record ratings, while all three seasons of Arrested Development sit gathering dust on the dvd shelf (hurry up with that movie, already).

Dexter: Smokey and the Bandit

Dexter: "Is this what happens to serial killers at the end of their lives?"

In previous seasons, Dexter said more than once that growing old was not in the cards for him, that he would probably get caught or killed instead. But things have changed. Dexter is now thinking that he might very well live to grow old, and he doesn't want to be a nasty old man with a storage locker and no real relationship with Harrison. Maybe it's time to stop killing. Or at any rate, to get rid of his alarmingly full box of slides. Dexter should take them out on the Slice of Life and dump them in the ocean with Kenney's collection of teeth, where they belong.

Supernatural: Defending Your Life

"When did our black and white case turn to mud?"

Old ground for Dean. But interestingly, new ground for Sam.

Star Trek: The Paradise Syndrome

Kirk: "It's like discovering Atlantis. Or Shangri-la."

Kirk got more than his fair share of romantic interests during the original run of Trek. "The Paradise Syndrome" isn't my favorite, or even my second favorite, but it's far from the worst. It had a somewhat similar flavor as "The City on the Edge of Forever" (a woman in a place and time completely removed from Kirk's life on the Enterprise) and a beautiful musical score. And I liked that they addressed Kirk's emotional state and stress level because in fact, a man with such exceptionally intense responsibilities might indeed long to get away from it all.

Red Thunder by John Varley

[This is a book review of Red Thunder by John Varley, first published in 2003.]

Red Thunder feels a lot like a John Varley interpretation of a Heinlein juvenile. I love nearly all of Robert A. Heinlein's works, including his juveniles; they're science fiction classics for a reason. I love Varley's works as well. You'd think a combination of the two would ring all of my bells. And they sort of do now. But when I first read this book, I was very much entertained -- but I was also mildly disappointed and confused.

Vampire Diaries: The Reckoning

“The species has become such a broody lot.”

Senior Prank Night is all about memory-making: crazy fun, minor vengeance on loved and hated teachers, and a community of young people coming together despite their differences. Senior year is typically (on TV, that is) associated with putting the kid-stuff of petty rivalries and mean-girliness behind. It’s one last youthful gasp before the onset of adulthood, or at least college.

American Horror Story: Home Invasion

"Is everybody crazy?"

This episode toned down the supernatural insanity that made the pilot just as attention-grabbing as it was unbearable, but it's still clear that American Horror Story is focused on plaguing its central family with ludicrous levels of misery. It's something that too often affected Ryan Murphy's other series Nip/Tuck, which became over-reliant on terrible things happening to its core group of characters to keep things soapy and dramatic. But, if anything, the groundwork is being laid for a fascinating show mythology, and that ought to keep people tuned in for at least a couple more weeks.

Newsflash: Haven Renewed and Other Stories

Last week was all about cancellations (so long, The Playboy Club, Free Agents, How to be a Gentleman, we hardly cared to know you). This week seems to be all about renewals and pick ups. And for shows we give a damn about, too.

--Despite earlier rumours that the series was facing cancellation, Syfy have renewed Haven for a 13-episode third season. The network also announced that Christmas Specials for Eureka, Warehouse 13 and Haven will air 6th December, the fourth season of Merlin will start 6th January and the second season of Being Human and the first season of my favourite guilty pleasure, Lost Girl, will both start 16th January.

--The CW has picked up Ringer, Hart of Dixie and The Secret Circle for full seasons.

--The BBC have renewed Case Histories for a second season. Based on the books by Kate Atkinson, the series stars Jason Isaacs as Jackson Brodie, a former police officer now working as a private investigator in Edinburgh. The first season will start airing on PBS this Sunday. Watch it, it's great.

--Boardwalk Empire has also been renewed for a third season by HBO.

Merlin: The Darkest Hour, Part 2

“I look at you and I wonder about myself. Could I knowingly give up my life for something?”

Well, I certainly didn't see that coming, although I really should have.

Person of Interest: Ghosts

In this episode we were treated to a lot of mythology, which is a bold move to be made so early in the series. We’ve barely known these characters, and we’re already delving into Finch’s past. And it was good.

Ringer: A Whole New Kind of Bitch

"That's your excuse for sleeping with my husband? You're her twin?"

This was the strongest episode so far, if only because the writers are in the process of fixing some of Ringer's inherent problems. The biggest being that the entire premise of this show is more than a little, I don't know, silly: "Solution to my twin sister supposedly killing herself? I got it! I'll steal her entire identity!" The best moment here was Gemma's on-point put-down of Bridget's elaborate lie. As much as Bridget likes to claim that she's only keeping this charade up in order to 'fix things' in Siobhan's life, her actions are pretty self-serving.

Doctor Who/Torchwood/The Sarah Jane Adventures Crossover Guide

Doctor Who has spawned three spin-off series' since its return in 2005. Doctor Who sits at the heart of the franchise, with The Sarah Jane Adventures, Class and Torchwood catering for the children, teenager, and adult markets respectively. The question is: how does it all fit together? Below is a chronology of the show's main crossover episodes. It's by no means exhaustive, but what follows should be enough to give the new viewer a rough idea of what to expect, and the order in which to expect it.

Doctor Who: The Sea Devils

“He used to be a friend of mine once, a very good friend. In fact, you might almost say we were at school together.”

Growing up, watching Doctor Who was a lot like dating River Song; everything was in the wrong order. Since the BBC only ever showed repeats sporadically, and my parents couldn't afford a Sky package, I was reliant on whatever cheap VHS I could find in car boot sales for my Who fix.

Terra Nova: What Remains

"So you're going to tell her it's twenty years later than she thinks, and she's gone back in time eighty-five million years, but you think a husband is going to confuse her?"

I often find this kind of plot annoying, but not this time. This was the best episode so far. And why? Cute fun character development time.

Trailer for The Avengers

The new trailer for Joss Whedon's latest movie, The Avengers, is now available online. It has something to do with superheroes...oh, who cares? It's Joss Whedon!

Let us know what you think in the comments. Will His Jossiness finally get his vengeance on movie-goers and film studios for not liking Serenity enough to give us a sequel?

Dexter: Once Upon a Time

Deb: "God! Why can't things just stay the same?"

I kept thinking, serviceable episode. Maybe it was because of all the scenes in the service station.

Community: Competitive Ecology

“Offence taken!”

I've noticed a pattern emerging with this season of Community. Episodes will usually have a very strong A-story, one that features the various members of the study group, as well as a much weaker B-story that will focus on Greendale's other misfits like Chang and the Dean. 'Competitive Ecology' followed that pattern to the letter. The A-story was great, the best so far this season. As for the B-story... I'll get to that in a minute.

American Horror Story: Pilot

"Great. It's a real Addams Family house."

Ryan Murphy has always been criticized for pushing the envelope so much that his series become contrived and ridiculous. It's what he's become more or less famous for. Finally, Murphy has found the one genre which can survive such outlandish insanity, and unsurprisingly his new FX thriller American Horror Story is entirely batshit. This is a pilot that exaggerates the grotesque, filling every corner of an ancient California house with all kinds of ugly depictions of terror and menace. Most of this works in an off-beat, absurdist kind of way; but then there are elements which are so crazy that you can't help but cackle at how silly this show is.

Fringe: Alone in the World

“I need more time!”

It is interesting to consider the development of television narrative devices. I maintain that TV today is a place of subtle, radical developments in traditional narrative structure, just as much as Victorian novels (particularly the sensational ones) often addressed the grim realities hiding under petticoats and behind cravats. Those wildly popular novels incorporated radical critiques of law and tradition into suspenseful narrative; in the same way, TV today takes radical storytelling risks, trusting the viewer to follow multiple timelines, alternate realities, astonishing improbabilities, and deeply entrenched metaphors amid chase scenes, unrequited love, and everyday travails as experienced by telegenic people.

Supernatural: The Girl Next Door

Sam: "Nothing in our lives is simple."

This episode was like a classic novel about the nature of tragedy, but a lot shorter and without the dense prose.

Vampire Diaries: Disturbing Behavior

“So you’re not, like, switching Salvatores, are you?”

Episodes like this make me worry about the fate of the Vampire Diaries. No show should be this consistently, persistently, wonderful. They’re setting the bar way too high. There should, at the very least, be some sort of limit on how many jaw-drops the show demands of its viewers.

Haven: Sins of the Fathers

Duke: “Reunions are overrated.”

I had some trouble writing this review. I hate cliffhangers and I’m not sure how I feel about this episode. It is cruel and unusual punishment to make us wait until next summer. Audrey’s kidnapped and Duke and Nathan are ready to kill each other. Who got shot on the boat? It better be nobody. Nathan has one of those crazy tattoos and it looks fresh. The thing that has kept me involved in this show is the characters, but they all seem to be going off the deep end. I am really missing our Scooby gang.

Weekly Weirdness

Kyle can raise the dead but only if he buried them in the first place. And, as you might suspect, Haven’s dead are not a happy bunch. At least a few of them are out for revenge. Of course the Reverend had to come back and continue his vendetta against the troubled. And Simon, Duke’s father, believes he has returned to convince Duke to “save” Haven’s troubled by killing them. Again, the twisted logic of the bigot comes into play. They always have a grain of truth in what they say: a twisted grain, but just enough to make them almost sound reasonable. Newsflash, people: if the troubled would let their children and grandchildren know what they might have to deal with and train them, then maybe people wouldn’t die. For example, instead of throwing yourself on Duke’s knife and leaving your son fatherless, you might just caution him to stay away from digging graves!

Overarching Mystery

I did appreciate that we got some answers in this episode. Dave and Vince confirmed that Audrey disappears while the trouble are quiet and comes back every time they come back, with a different set of memories. She was Sarah before she was Lucy before she was Audrey. Nobody knows who she was before then although I imagine there might be something in the town records. Dave and Vince have been involved with Sarah/Lucy/Audrey in some way and they are at odds with how to deal with her now. Vince makes it clear that things have changed this time, particularly Audrey. Does this mean there is a chance to do things differently?

We also found out what Duke’s trouble is - erasing curses by killing those who have them. What a nasty place to be in and of course this would pit him and Audrey against each other if he decided to start killing the troubled. Is he supposed to kill Audrey before she kills him, or is she the ultimate trouble? Will killing her end the troubles? Audrey/Lucy/Sarah told Lucy that she knew what was causing the troubles, but I don’t believe she would have run away if it was her.

Relationships

Audrey and Nathan were adorable. Nathan’s awkwardness is endearing, and Audrey also seems to be tentative in expressing her affection. She sounded very happy to hear Nathan at her door. Too bad it wasn’t him. Duke has also made it clear that he has affection for Audrey although it seems to be more as a friend than a lover. If they end up on opposite sides I am going to be pissed. I also didn’t like Nathan and Duke being pitted against each other. Their fathers should have stayed out of things. Where are the moms in all this? Did they have cooler heads?

Bits and Pieces

Dave and Vince don’t know who Agent Howard is either. I wonder if we will see him again. It seems that there are larger groups involved in this mess.

Simon was played by Tahmoh Penikett, Helo in Battlestar Galactica. I’m always glad to see him but how was he old enough to be Duke’s father? He’s been dead for 27 years so was Duke a baby when he left or is he over 40?

Lucas Bryant did an amazing job of portraying Nathan in love. “You talking dinner or breakkk...fast?”

Another point for the "be careful which side you are on because you never know if you are troubled." Especially if you are part of a group that is willing to burn the troubled alive.

Nathan’s trouble came back because of Duke. No wonder they have a love/hate relationship.

Quotes

Vince: “She knows, what’s the point now?”

Dave: “You told her too much.”
Vince: “She needs my help and you’re not getting in my way this time.”

Duke: “You see I’m pretty sure that you’re the result of the brownies that this girl gave me last night.”

Simon: “You’re not imagining this.”
Duke: “Says the dead guy that I last saw 27 years ago.”

Audrey: “So what do you think? Clones, ghosts. Zombies are trendy.”

Chief: “What a waste of a good cooler.”

Dave: “It’s different this time. She’s different this time."

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