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Showing posts from May, 2021

REVIEW: Sherlock, Series 3 Episode 3 'His Last Vow'

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 REVIEW: Sherlock, Series 3 Episode 3 'His Last Vow' If there was ever an episode of Sherlock that felt like the show's take on James Bond , then 'His Last Vow' would probably be that episode. It's an episode that feels like you could easily substitute Sherlock for 007 himself, and it wouldn't feel too different from a standard James Bond movie. It's seems to be somewhat of a trend to write Bond-style narratives of other British properties, and it's no real surprise given the major influence James Bond has displayed over popular culture. From the beginning, we are introduced to a James Bond style of villain in businessman Charles Magnussen (Lars Mikkelsen), a man who can identify people's pressure points just by looking at them. The premise of this ability immediately draws you in as a viewer, as you're made to believe that his glasses are providing him with the information on people - until Sherlock (Benedict Cumberbatch) tries the glasses

REVIEW: Gotham Season Four

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 REVIEW: Gotham Season Four Gotham's fourth season, in many ways, feels like the beginning of the end. It's a season that features many call-forwards to future events within the famous caped crusader's life, as well as forwarding the journeys of many of the characters in preparation for its final season. Essentially this is a season that acts as a  segue  from this season to the next, a vital stepping stone into reaching that all important final season. It's an important task bestowed upon this season, and thankfully it largely succeeds. The previous season hinted at young Bruce Wayne (David Mazvouz) finally starting life as a vigilante, and the fourth season follows through on this to a significant degree. The writers do a really good job at showing this younger and more inexperienced Bruce trying his hand at being a hero; he's a vigilante who makes mistakes and accidentally puts lives in danger as a result, and it's clear he's not quite ready yet for the w

REVIEW: WandaVision, Season 1 Episode Nine 'The Series Finale'

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 REVIEW: WandaVision, Season 1 Episode Nine 'The Series Finale' Originally published in March 2021, here are my thoughts on WandaVision's season finale. The series finale is always a hard prospect for a television show. It's the episode where after hours of build up, the show is suddenly forced to provide a conclusion that satisfies the core audience. It's no easy feat, particularly given that by its very nature, a series finale is never going to please everyone. Everybody has their own individual idea of how a series should end, every perspective is unique - particularly with a show like WandaVision, which has sparked so many theories and speculation as to  what will happen.  For the most part, WandaVision provides a stunning job with its series conclusion. The battle between Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen) and Agatha (Kathryn Hahn) is just as spectacular as you would hope; the visuals are a delight to watch, and you can only begin to imagine just how ncredible it would ha

Whovian TV: 29/05/2021

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 Whovian TV: 29/05/2021 It's the end of another week at Whovian TV, but also the start of a new one, as we look ahead to the next seven days. So without further ado, open up your TV guide and take a glance at the Whovian TV listings for the upcoming week: Saturday 29th May: 18:00 - Catchphrase (ITV) 20:30 - Beat The Chasers (ITV) 21:30 - The Jonathan Ross Show (ITV) Sunday 30th May: 19:45  - Prank Encounters, Season 2 Episode One ' These Walls Can Talk ' (Netflix) 21:00 - Sherlock, Series 3 Episode Three ' His Last Vow ' (BBC iPlayer/Netflix) 23:05 - Batwoman (E4) Monday 31st May: 21:00 -  The Pact (BBC1) 22:00 - Coronation Street (ITV+1) 23:00 -  Whose Line Is It Anyway? USA (UKTV Play) Tuesday 1st June:  20:00 - Bates Motel, Season 3 Episode Nine 'Crazy' (BBC iPlayer) 21:00 - The Pact (BBC1) 22:00 - Coronation Street (ITV+1) 22:30 - LEGO Masters USA (All4) Wednesday 2nd June: 20:00 - Lost In Space, Season 2 Episode Four 'Scarecrow' (Netflix) 21:00

REVIEW: Invincible, Season 1 Episode Three 'Who You Calling Ugly?'

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 REVIEW: Invincible, Season 1 Episode Three 'Who You Calling Ugly?' Like any good superhero show, Invincible is a series full of people with secrets. Superheroes by their very nature always have something to hide, be it a secret identity, or who their loved ones are. It kind of comes with the job, which sees them making many enemies.  Omni-Man (JK Simmons), however, probably has the most deadly secret of them all. He is, after all, the serial killer behind the murder of the Guardians of the Globe. Which makes it all the more despicable when he makes a public address about how 'sad' he is about their deaths, at the funeral for this superhero team. This show does such a great job at making us truly despise Nolan Grayson; it seems like every episode we are given an additional reason to loathe the guy. He has to be one of the best villains in any of these superhero shows, as he is just fun to despise.  Sometimes even the heroes can appear somewhat unlikeable though, as we d

REVIEW: Bates Motel, Season 3 Episode Eight 'The Pit'

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 REVIEW: Bates Motel, Season 3 Episode Eight 'The Pit' The location of Bates Motel is, it's fair to say, a dangerous place to live. It seems barely a day goes by without some sort of criminal activity taking place, and you kind of have to wonder why anyone decided to open up a motel there in the first place. On the face of it, it certainly doesn't seem like the ideal place to stay, especially when in past seasons the motel has seen everything from drug addicts to rapists on its premises. The crime levels are certainly not showing signs of dropping anytime soon. From the very beginning of this episode, there are hints of sinister events afoot, as Norma (Vera Farmiga) discovers Bob Paris (Kevin Rahm) has sent construction workers to build a pool on the motel property that's just a little too deep. There's clearly something a little suspicious about this so-called 'pool', and the episode builds this really intriguing mystery around what its true purpose rea

REVIEW: Lost In Space, Season 2 Episode Three 'Echoes'

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 REVIEW: Lost In Space, Season 2 Episode Three 'Echoes' The end of the previous episode suggested things were moving at a rollicking pace. The Robinsons had escaped their latest remote planet, made contact with the Resolute and it seemed they were going to be a part of civilisation again. Things were looking up for the Robinsons, and after their series of misadventures it was about time. Of course, things can never be that easy though. For when they dock with the Resolute, it's clear things are not quite as they seem. There's a sinister energy to these scenes where they wander around the deserted colony ship, even before the evil robot shows up. This sense of isolation does a neat job at establishing that something has gone very wrong here, and that it won't be the welcome home party the Robinsons were expecting.  Something that seems to happen a lot in these stories where a place is deserted is the introduction of a character who was left behind - and this episode

REVIEW: Bates Motel, Season 3 Episode Seven 'The Last Supper'

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REVIEW: Bates Motel, Season 3 Episode Seven 'The Last Supper' There is something undeniably ominous about an episode entitled 'The Last Supper'. It suggests a calm before a storm, a final meal before someone pops their clogs. It's not helped by the fact that there are plenty of candidates for people in this series who could die sometime soon, either by natural causes or at the hands of Norman Bates (Freddie Highmore). It certainly seems something is brewing. Perhaps the most prime candidate to meet their maker is Emma (Olivia Cooke). She has cystic fibrosis which requires her to carry around an oxygen tank, and she is in dire need of a liver transplant. We get a touching moment in this episode where her Dad Will (Now played by Andrew Howard) opens up to Dylan (Max Thieriot) about how Emma doesn't have long to live, and seems to be in denial about her own limitations, and I just love the lengths Dylan is prepared to go to in order to secure Emma's future. He

REVIEW: Big Sky, Season 1 Episode 10 'Catastrophic Thinking'

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 REVIEW: Big Sky, Season 1 Episode 10 'Catastrophic Thinking' After the rather pointless mid-season enforced by Disney Plus, it's great to have Big Sky back. This series has provided some great TV thriller material over the past nine episodes, and offered many twists and turns in its tail that has kept me as a viewer captivated throughout. Truth be told, I've missed the series when it has been absent from my schedules for the past three weeks, so I'm glad to finally have a chance to catch up with the story now. A lot has changed since where we last left the show. For one, Ronald (Brian Geraghty) has changed his appearance again, and is assuming a new identity as 'Arthur'. Ronald has a family now with girlfriend Scarlet Leyendecker (Anja Savcic) and her daughter Phoebe (Zoë Noelle Baker). It's honestly quite unnerving seeing this guy who kidnapped and trafficked women posing as a family man, because no way should somebody like him be allowed around kids.

REVIEW: Batwoman, Season 2 Episode Six 'Do Not Resuscitate'

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 REVIEW: Batwoman, Season 2 Episode Six 'Do Not Resuscitate' It may seem an odd thing to say, but superheroes are at their best when they are at their weakest. It puts them on more of a level playing field with us, which means we can root for them greater, as they have to overcome great odds in order to save the day. Sure, seeing costumed vigilantes fighting crime and looking badass whilst doing it is a lot of fun, but it's nothing without that much-needed reminder that they are just as human as the rest of us. This is something that episode six of Batwoman's second season, 'Do Not Resuscitate', understands well. Over the course of the season, Ryan Wilder/Batwoman (Javicia Leslie) has been dealing with a Kryptonite infection which has significantly weakened her body. Here, though, she really struggles with her horrific injury, even to the point of barely being able to walk. The odds are firmly stacked against her, and so we find ourselves willing her to win m