The Walking Dead - Season 4 Finale - My View

SPOILER ALERT

*** The following article may spoil certain events shown in the season 4 finale of The Walking Dead. Please only continue reading if you are okay with this.

     The Walking Dead is a funny show. It's a show that when it's at the top of it's game, when it's really reaching it's potential, it is truly superb television. The trouble is that this quite often acts against it because the episodes that don't quite reach this potential seem all the more poorer. It's a shame that it's perhaps become a victim of it's own success because nearly every episode is great television when you take them on their own merits. Take a recent episode for example, the Beth/Daryl centric episode 'Still'. This episode is a superb episode that deals with how two characters, who couldn't be more different, form a relationship and bond.

Daryl and Beth in 'Still'

Daryl is the ex drug dealer, the strong, silent type who wouldn't look out of place in a spaghetti western. Beth is the sweet and innocent farmers daughter who's never had a drink before. In the normal world, these two characters would never interact but here, in the harsh reality of a zombie apocalypse they are forced to survive together and interact. Taken as a stand alone episode, 'Still' is a fascinating character dissection, an outstanding hour of television. Taken as a part of The Walking Dead though and it appears poor and boring which is a real shame.

     The Walking Dead quite often lives and dies by it's finales. Who can forget the explosion at the C.D.C. that brought to an  end season one, or the herd attack at Hershels Farm in the unbelievable season two finale. Last years finale fell a little short in my opinion and disappointed me. It didn't leave me wanting more which is what a good finale should do. The Season four finale ticked alot of boxes in my opinion. It gave us action, shocks and questions and the next seven months are going to be tough.

     Now, onto the dissection of The Walking Dead Season Four finale. The episode kicked off with the familiar face of Hershel. Seeing him again was a welcome sight as we saw events in the prison prior to the season four premier. From the idyllic sanctuary of the prison we cut to a bloodied and obviously shook up Rick Grimes on a deserted road before the opening titles kicked in. The flashbacks to the prison were great throughout the episode. They were scenes of safety and calm and punctuated the present day scenes as Rick, Carl and Michone survived in the wild on their way to Terminus. Far from being a backstory as to how Rick became a farmer, they were a contrast. They showed Rick as the man he used to be, as the man he probably could be again. They contrasted perfectly with the present day scenes of Rick as a man of desperation, as a man who would do anything to protect his family. 

Rick following the incident with
The Claimers

     We saw the type of man Rick now was when Joe and his gang of 'claimers' caught up with him on the road. Joe held a gun to Ricks head as Daryl (who'd joined the claimers in an earlier episode), pleaded with Joe. Joe was having none of it though and his men began to beat Daryl to death. That wasn't all though as Michone and Carl both faced rape as Rick was forced to look on, Joes gun to his temple. This was perhaps one of the most upsetting scenes ever featured on the show and I did wonder how far the potential rapes would go. Thankfully they didn't go too far though as Rick reacted. In a scene taken straight from issue 57 of the comic books, Rick tore Joes throat out with his teeth. The shock from the claimers meant that Daryl and Michone both got the upper hand on their attackers while Rick stabbed to death Carls potential rapist after saying chillingly 'He's mine!'. This was the scene in which Rick changed, possibly forever. The world is no longer safe, there are no longer any rules. It's survival of the fittest and Rick now knows that. 

     Ricks character arc has perhaps been the most complex in the show. He's developed in so many different ways from the man who woke up alone in hospital. He's lost so much, flirted with insanity and nearly been consumed by grief. It's a testament to Andrew Lincolns supreme acting skills that he has given this character such believability in the most unbelievable of circumstances. 

Rick and Carl meet Gareth at Terminus

     The journey to Terminus has dominated this second half of season four as our different bands of characters have made their way there. The internet has been rife with rumours as to what Terminus was or is and what kind of dangers lurked there for our characters. One of the main rumours has been that Terminus is in fact a colony of cannibals and that the signs and directions are a way of getting a food source. In the penultimate episode we were treated to a sneak preview of Terminus as Glenn, Maggie, Abraham, etc walked though unguarded doors to a scene of sanctuary as a mysterious lady called Mary cooked on a BBQ. This episode, Rick, Daryl, Michone and Carl arrived and they went through the 'backdoor', having grown suspicious of places that offered sanctuary after Woodbury and The Governor. They were met by their leader Gareth before being offered a plate by Mary at the BBQ. It was then that Rick spotted Hershel's pocket watch (the one he gave to Glenn) sticked out of one of the Terminians (that's what I'm calling them!) pocket. Then a chase ensued and Rick, Daryl, Michone and Carl ended up captive in a train carriage along with Glenn and company. 

     Ever since that first episode we've been told that The Walking Dead isn't about the zombies. It's a series more about the living than the dead. The human element has been responisible for the majority of dangers faced by our core characters, whether it's the prisoners in the prison, the governor or more recently Joes gang. The zombies are a side show, something to throw in every now and again. The walking Dead is a character driven show, a profile of human survival in a world gone crazy. It's about the relationships formed when the question of survival is on the line, when death is around every corner. Ultimately it's about a world where the fittest survive and as Rick realised, where only those prepared to go to the extremes will win out.

How I Met Your Mother - Series Finale- My View

***SPOILER ALERT***

***The following article may spoil certain events shown during the finale of How I Met Your Mother. Please only continue reading if you are ok with this!***

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 





 I felt it about halfway through, that feeling of dread, that this series finale would disappoint. In the end it didn't so much as disappoint, more gave me a huge slap in the face, a slap worthy of the slap bet itself! I'll be honest, I was a relative newcomer to How I Met Your Mother, only getting into the show about three years ago. In that time though I have watched it from it's beginning and I grew to love the characters in much the same way I loved Joey, Phoebe, Rachel, et al. Friends was similar to HIMYM in many ways. The need to be included in a group, the quest for love in the big apple, the interactions we all face in our search for the one and how fate can prove unbeatable in the end. I guess that I considered HIMYM to be the direct replacement for Friends and there were even times when Ted's tale of how he met the mother of his children matched the heady heights that Friends reached during it's own ten year run. Friends did something better though, something not that many shows achieve despite it seemingly appearing to be the easiest thing in the world. When all's said and done the writers of Friends gave the fans what they wanted. They gave Chandler and Monica a family and a house in the suburbs, they gave Rachel and Ross a future together, they gave the characters a good send off that avoided looking too much to the past. I so wish that I could say the same thing about HIMYM, I wish it more than anything. Maybe the show became a victim of it's own mythology, I don't know. One thing I do know though is that not many true fans would have wanted Ted to end up with Robin!

     I'll back up a bit as I attempt to dissect an episode that spanned twenty five years! The episode started with a flashback to 2005 with the group in Maclarens soon after they'd met Robin. It was a great nod to the past as Lily pleaded with Marshall, Ted and Barney to let Robin join their group. Maclarens is to HIMYM what Central Perc was to friends. It was a central part of the show, a place where (as Marshall laments to a random drinker) 'so many great things have happened!'. From that opening scene we move forward to 2014 and Robin and Barney's wedding day. Ted spots the bass player in the wedding band, she spots him, their eyes meet and........ we get our first fan pleaser. HIMYM has been about many things. It's been about love, interaction, hope, friendship, etc. One thing that has played a huge part has been the running joke. From the slap bet to the bro code, the running joke has played a huge part in the show and for many that has been it's big appeal. In the first episode of the show we were introduced to the 'Haaavvveee you met....' joke when Barney introduced Ted to Robin. Here we got a little nod to that when Barney attempted to persuade Ted to meet The Mother....

BARNEY-It's time to play a little game I like to call Haavvee you.....
TED - Barney I...
BARNEY - No! No! You are not getting out of Have You Met Ted! There's a girl that you have to meet. She is perfect for you and haass she met you? No she haass not. Think of all the sex you're going to haavvee.

     As I said, this was the first attempt at fan pleasing and it was well used. It almost acted as a direct comparison to that first episode. From there we kept going back and forth from present day to events in the future leading up to Ted telling the story to his kids. It was interesting to see how the characters moved on beyond the present day setting of the story. We saw Marshall and Lilly continue in their happy marriage and have three children. Marshall got his judgeship (or Judge-Fudge) then later on his Supreme Judge-ship (or Fudge-Supreme, which instantly trended on Twitter!). Lily and Marshall have been the guiding light for Ted throughout the series. In their marriage, they had what Ted desired most in the world. He wanted the wedding, the wife, the kids. The constant nature of Lily and Marshall provided Ted with the hope he perhaps needed that there was true love out there and that when you found it, it could be beautiful. For every Lily and Marshall though there's a Barney Stenson and I was a tad bummed out when he reverted back to his old ways. It was sad to see this man in his forties pursuing the perfect month (thirty one girls in thirty one days). Barney has been the provider of many of the shows quotable lines and jokes over the years and I can understand the writers feeling like they had to revisit some of his best. It was a shame that they did it in this way though. Don't get me wrong, I loved his Playbook and his never ending bro-code. His endless pursuit of women has provided HIMYM with some of it's biggest laughs over the years. It just seemed like a backward step to take him back to his old self. The last three or four seasons have seen a huge change in Barney. He grew and evolved with the show and it seemed like all of that was for nothing in the finale.

     Through the flash-forwards we learned that Barney and Robin got divorced after only three years of marriage. This was the moment when I knew where the finale was headed. It set up the opportunity for Ted and Robin to get together in the future. All that was remaining was The Mother and she was cruelly killed off in the final few minutes as Ted began his closing sentences of his nine year story to his kids.

Ted marries The Mother

TED - Lily wasn't wrong. It was at times a long and difficult road, but I'm glad it was long and difficult because if I hadn't gone through hell to get there, the lesson might not have been as clear. You see kids, right from the moment I met your mom I knew. I have to love this woman as much as I can for as long as I can and I can never stop loving her, not even for a second. I carried that lesson with me through every stupid fight we ever had, every 5am Christmas morning, every sleepy Sunday afternoon. Through every speed bump, every pang of jealousy or boredom or uncertainty that came our way, I carried that lesson with me. And I carried it with me when she got sick. Even then, in what can only be described as the worst of times, all I could do was thank god, thank every god there is or ever was or ever will be and the whole universe and anyone else I can possibly thank. I saw that beautiful girl on that train platform and that I had the guts to stand up, walk over to her, tap her on the shoulder, open my mouth and speak.

The Mother on her deathbed?

     For me, the show should've ended at that point. Ted had met the mother, we'd been given a hint as to her eventual death but this woman had been the only woman that Ted had ever really loved. Unfortunately that wasn't the end of the show though and it turned out that this whole story hadn't been about Ted and how he'd met the mother of his children, it'd been about how in love with Robin he'd always been. There had been hints to The Mother's fate dotted throughout the series and that was fine. It was still upsetting that she'd passed away but still, it fit in with the foreshadowing, etc. I just felt that for Robin and Ted to end up together, well it just didn't fit. It's as though the writers thought that's what the fans wanted so that's what they gave us.

Ted arrives at Robins complete
with blue horn.

The 'evil aunt' Robin greets
Ted.

     Robin and Ted have had their ups and downs and it's always been clear that Ted has always held a torch for her. For me though that wasn't love, not the love Ted described when talking about The Mother. It was an unobtainable love, a love that was quite clearly never meant to be. To suddenly put them back together kind of throws the whole show off kilter. It's makes Ted less of the person he grew to be as he finally met The Mother. It makes Robin appear as the evil aunt, taking the place of the dead mother. Sure, the kids gave Ted their blessing but the story was always directed at us, the viewer. It was as though Ted was telling the story to us and so The Mother became our mother. To think of Robin taking her place is kind of upsetting.

Ted meets The Mother!

     Taking the series as a whole I have hugely enjoyed it. It's been an epic story of one mans struggle to find the love of his life and the interactions and friendships he experience whilst trying to achieve that. The show was never just about Ted though. It was the love story between Marshall and Lily, the need for Robin to succeed and fit in, the growth of Barney. It was about hope, hope that our one and only is out there somewhere, on a train platform in the pouring rain. It was about the need to love and to be loved by those we care about the most. I just wish that it had really been about how Ted had met The Mother!

And The Next Doctor Is..........

So, the 12th/13th Doctor has been announced as the one and only Peter Capaldi! You have to hand it to Moffat and his team. For the last few months, well ever since Matt Smith announced his imminent departure from the show, they've been fanning the flames of rumour regarding possible choices for the new Doctor. A black Doctor seemed likely at one point with David Harewood and Idris Elba considered front runners for a while. In fact Harewood was considered a front runner right up until last nights big reveal! We also had a woman Doctor being rumoured with Miranda Hart and Dame Helen Mirren being championed by many a twitter user. Of course, the old names were also in the 'frame' with Russell Tovey (very nearly a David Tennent replacement), Benedict Cumberbatch (wanted for every role in the world ever) and Martin Freeman (one of my top choices) all being mentioned. Then we had the obvious choices, people such as Rory Kinnear, Andrew Scott, Stephen Mannagan, etc. In the end though Moffat went for his one and only choice of Capaldi.

Capaldi in 'The Fires of Pompei

     Now, Peter Capaldi is probably best known for his role as potty mouth Malcom Tucker in political satire The Thick Of It although Whovians will also recognise him for a previous appearance in the show! Back in David Tennents last full season he went to Pompei and Capaldi played Caecilius, the father of the family the Doctor saves at the end. Of course this isn't the first time an extra has gone on to play a lead part in the show. Colin Baker was in a 1983 episode before becoming the 6th Doctor a year later and both Freema Agyeman (Martha Jones) and Karen Gillian (Amy Pond) appeared in the show as different characters before landing the assistant gig. Infact Gillian actually appeared in Capaldis Pompei episode! It is therefore not unheard of for this to happen.

     As far as Peter Capaldi's twelth Doctor goes, what can we expect? Well I think it's safe to say that we can expect a different kind of Doctor. Capaldi is an amazingly versatile actor as his body of work suggests. He's also an older Doctor, the same age as William Hartnel when he got the part. I championed an older Doctor because I think it's what the show needed. It hails back to the original vision for The Doctor and I'm convinced that Capaldi will do a great job. Of course, with the ghost of Malcom Tucker still hovering we could get a few interesting encounters between The Doctor and his enemies. I can just imagine The Doctor telling an army of Daleks to f$%& themselves! On a serious note though, sure Capaldi's not as good looking as Andrew Scott or with the star quality of Idris Elba but at least he's not Miranda Hart!

The Next Doctor

William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton, Jon Pertwee, Tom Baker, Peter Davidson, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy, Paul McGann, Christopher Eccleston, David Tennant, Matt Smith (and apparently John Hurt which I'll get onto in a minute) have all played The Doctor during it's 50 years. All great actors and great Doctors in their own way. Now the Doctor will regenerate into it's 12th, or 13th incarnation after Matt Smith announced he was hanging up his sonic screwdriver recently.

Before I start discussing the next Doctor I think its important to discuss his forgotten incarnation who showed up at the end of the recent series finale episode 'The Name Of The Doctor'. Now my theory on this is that it's John Hurts Doctor who fought in the time war and made the decision which killed the Daleks and the Time-lords and destroyed his home world, Galafrey. Now, I'm not really versed on classic Who but this could place John Hurt between Mcgann and Eccleston. In any case it would make Matt Smith the 12th Doctor.

Now back to the most pressing of questions, Who will become the next Doctor? I've (with the help of Twitter friend and ex work colleague Mr Wayne Andrews) narrowed it down to 6 possibles. No doubt Moffat will completely disregard my opinions and go with an unknown (although that wasn't a bad idea last time), but hey oh, i can but speculate. In fact, talking about last time, I'd like to say a few things about Matt Smith. I was a huge fan of David Tennant. I guess he was my Doctor seen as he was why i started watching it! When he decided to call it a day I honestly didn't think he'd be surpassed. Matt Smith came bloody close, let me tell you. When you consider how complex some of Moffats plots are, it's testament to Smiths ability as an actor that he can still hold the viewers attention. He has proved to be a superb Doctor and will be a very hard act to follow, although I said that about Tennant!

Now onto the next Doctor.....

KEN STOTT

Now don't laugh, Ken Stott would make a great Doctor. He was great as Rebus and in Messiah and is currently somewhere in Middle Earth dressed as a dwarf! After the relative youth of Tennant and the obvious youth of Matt Smith (my age you know), maybe it's time The Doctor regenerated into an older, more wiser version. I also think it'd be interesting to see the dynamic between Clara and Stotts older and grumpier Doctor.

STEPHEN MANAGAN

You know, of Green Wing fame, currently starring in Episodes? Stephen Managan is my preferred choice for the role. He's not as young as Matt Smith and at 40 years old, fits into the ideal age of The Doctor in my opinion. He also looks a bit wacky which would hale back to the likes of Colin Baker and Sylvester McCoy. Although known predominantly for his comedy roles I.e. Green Wing, I'm Alan Partridge and Episodes that wouldn't be a bad thing as regards to Doctor Who. Correct me if I'm wrong!

MARTIN FREEMAN

Although he's currently on his way to the lonely mountain pretending to be a hobbit, Freeman would surely jump at the chance to portray the iconic Doctor. Freeman has proved himself as a versatile actor in the likes of The Office and Sherlock and also has experience on big budget productions such as Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy and The Hobbit. He's also well known to Moffat via Sherlock. Of course many are championing Benedict Cumberbatch as the next Doctor but they really are forgetting that Freeman would make a superb Doctor and could be just the tonic after Smiths manic turn.

JOSEPH GILGUN

In my opinion, one of the most under rated actors on the television he's perhaps best known as friendly skin head Woody in This Is England and its subsequent tv spin offs. More recently he's been plying his trade on Channel 4's Misfits as Rudy. He brings something different to the shows he appears in and I think he'd be a different kind of Doctor but in a good way. He has a way of injecting humour into lines without really trying. I think he may struggle abit with some of the technical jargon but I do think he deserves his opportunity in a big show.

JULIAN BARRATT

Now Barratt is an outside chance but Im quite intrigued by what he'd bring to The Doctor. He is perhaps best known as elbow patch aficionado Howard Moon in The Mighty Boosh which is why I think he'd be great as the thirteenth Doctor (I'm officially assuming Jon Hurt was the ninth). He'd offer a new kind of Doctor, a new direction. He wouldn't be as manic as Smith or as talky as Tennant and would instead take The Doctor back to the days of Hartnell or Pertwee.

RUSSELL TOVEY

Russell Tovey was talked about as a possible successor to Tennant and was championed by a lot of fans, myself included. Out of all of my choices I think that Tovey has the best chance and he wouldn't be a bad choice. He's well known enough whilst also being relatively unknown if you get what I mean. He was superb in Being Human and The History Boys and is well known to Doctor Who fans having already appeared in two episodes (Voyage of the Damned and The End of Time if you're interested).

Now you may have noticed that there are no women in my list and that's because I'm not sure I would be happy with a female Doctor. The Doctor is a man in much the same way that James Bond is. I'm all for equal opportunities and all that, I'm a woman myself, but The Doctor should always remain male. I have no doubt that Miranda Hart would do a sterling job and I can almost imagine the moment Smith regenerates into Hart with some humour. I do find it difficult to see how it would work though, I really do.

Anyway, all of that aside, there you have my choices for the thirteenth Doctor. What do YOU think?

Once Upon A Time, Season 2: First Look

Last year one of my favourite shows was Once Upon A Time. It had the right amount of mystery and drama with a nice amount of humour thrown in. It also had memorable characters which is so important to a successful show. You can have the best story in the world but if you don't have the characters to carry that story then you don't have a very good show. This 2nd season of Once Upon A Time has really hi the ground running in my opinion. In the first 7 episodes we've met Sleeping Beauty, Mulan, Captain Hook, The Giant from Jack and the Beanstalk, Lancelot and (perhaps bizarrely) Dr Frankenstein. We've also seen Emma and Snow White/Mary Margaret transported to fairy tale land, found out that Rumplestiltskin was the 'Crocodile' who took Hooks hand and found out what came of Jack the Giantkiller. It has certainly been an interesting first quarter to season 2. First I'll delve abit more into the new characters we have met. Mulan and Sleeping beauty were introduced to us in the first episode. Mulan is very much the warrior although her past is still very much a mystery. I think it may be linked in with Jack and the Beanstalk and the Giants. With the Giant (Jorge Garcia) coming back at some point, may it be in a Mulan-centric episode? Sleeping Beauty is perhaps a little annoying. I liked Sarah Bolger as Princess Mary in The Tudors but she comes across as a little annoying in Once. Saying that, next to Snow White it's nice to have a different take on the role of a fairy tale princess. Lancelot was different to what I expected. Being English myself, I was perhaps a little disappointed that Lancelot was given an American accent. The story of King Arthur and the knights of the round table is one of our most famous and enduring legends and I personally didn't like it being given the Americanised treatment. Saying that, the character actually came across rather well. He hinted at a troubled history so I have no doubt that we'll see him again.

My favourite of the new arrivals has to be Killian Jones, otherwise known as the infamous Captain Hook. His arrival in Once was hinted at in the various teaser trailers before the start of the season and it certainly has not disappointed. His origin story was linked in with a Rumple-centric episode with Rumple being revealed as the 'Crocodile' who took Hooks hand. This has provided us with a great revenge story as Hook is desperate to get to Storybrooke to kill Rumplestiltskin! This has already brought him into contact with Emma and Snow and his dynamic with Emma is brilliant. The most bizarre new character is someone who we actually met in Season 1. Dr Whales identity has been a closely guarded secret and was something that was heavily discussed on the various forums. He was the Whale in Pinnochio, Wizard of Oz, Peter Pan, Bellfire (Rumplestiltskins Son) and The White Rabbit. In the end (timed perfectly with Halloween) he turned out to be Dr Frankenstein. Now this annoyed me a bit but I can understand his inclusion in the show. To most people, Once is a show about fairy tales. Ultimately though it is a show about stories and this stretch beyond fairy tales. The writers have already said that they want the likes of The Wizzard of Oz, Mary Poppins and Sherlock Holmes to make an appearance so why not Dr Frankenstein. In my eyes it's the Horror element as well as the other characters we may now meet. If we've got Frankenstein, why not Dracula or The Wolfman or even The Mummy. Criticisms aside, it was nice to finally find out who Dr Whale was and he actually played the part well. Now onto the Story side of the show. The season begins at the moment Season 1 ended, with the arrival of magic to Storybrooke. I liked the fact that the 'flashback' we saw, of Sleeping Beauty being awoken, was actually a 'flash-sideways'. It provided a neat twist to start the season on. This shows main strength has been its ability to refresh and reinvent the stories we all know. I loved the Beauty and the Beast episode from season 1 for example. I loved how the beast was actually Rumplestiltskin. This season has kept up the standard and I loved the Rumplestiltskin/Captain Hook origin episode. It is great how the writers aren't afraid to take liberties with these centuries old tales, story's that are ingrained in our minds from childhood. It works though and I love it. Not many writers could get away with it, that is for sure. Despite the many new things we learn about the show one thing remind constant, it's themes. The opening scene in the pilot set the main theme for the entire show with Snow White being awoken by true loves kiss. True love continues in Season 2 with Rumplestiltskins relationship with Bella, Snow and Charming being parted again, Reginna and the dead stable boy and Emma and Henry's father. Another ongoing theme is that of heroes and villains. In season 1 we had Rumple and Regina. Rumple seems to be mellowing abit as his relationship with Bella progresses while Regina is undergoing her redemption. That leaves the door open for two more protagonists and so enter Cora and Hook. Cora will be the main baddie, I'm sure of it. With her being Reginas mother (and as rumoured, The Queen of Hearts) it should be exciting to see her in Storybrooke at some point. Hook is definitely playing Rumplestiltskins role. Like Rumple, he is firmly in it for himself and his 'side' still hasn't been properly revealed yet. I kinda hope he comes good but I don't think that that would be in keeping with his character. So there you have it, my first review of Once Upon A Time of season 2. I'll review it again in the new year as the season gains momentum.

The Walking Dead Goes Nuclear!!!

Recently, a number of big American shows have returned with their respective seasons. Once Upon A Time has really hit the ground running with its 2nd season while dexter is as good as it's ever been. One show which has really changed the game is The Walking Dead. This is a show which has been abit of funny one over the past couple of seasons. Season 1 was superb but lacked something. It was only 6 episodes long, which was kinda enough. It had plenty of zombie action while also having the time to focus on the human element. Season 2 took it down a notch as the group settled at Hershels farm. Many within the tv critic community have dubbed it as a post apocalyptic Emmerdale Farm. It had shocks, sure. It was too slow though and gave the impression that there were genuine sanctuaries within this world that had gone to hell. The moment it turned was (ironically) when Shane turned. That in turn led to the farm getting overrun forcing our survivors onto the road. This season began 3 months later with the survivors still on the road. They soon found the prison and set about clearing it out. Andrea meanwhile has found herself in a heavily defended town called Woodbury. Fans of the comic book will be loving this 3rd season. The Prison and Woodbury are both iconic settings within the comic book universe. The Governor (the man in charge at Woodbury) and Michone (Andrea came across her after getting split from the group) are also two hugely ionic characters in the comic. The great thing about this show though is that it only really uses its source material as a base. It would've been so easy to follow the comic story line to the T. It would've kept the the hardcore cult fan base happy while having enough about it to keep the rest of us hooked. In deviating away from the source material, the writers have done a very smart thing as it means that even the hardcore amongst us are often surprised. This season has been the most surprising yet, despite the presence of the most iconic features from the comic book. In the comic book the prison is a place of safety where the walkers are kept at bay outside of the prison compound. It's a place where our group live for some time before they are forced back onto the road. The governor is a genuine madman, an evil psychopath of the highest order. On screen, he is more of a thinker, more of a manipulator. You can see the man he may eventually become but he is very much a psycho in the making. The one thing that needs to be noted as regards to the comic book is that that universe is based in a different reality. The tv show is a reality that we can maybe relate to more, even though it's a reality few of us can really imagine and it is that which is the genius behind the show. So, onto this season and how the group has evolved. This season picks up 6 months after the end of season 2. In that time the group have moved around and got through winter as best they can. Andrea has been experiencing life away from the group who think she's dead. From the off we can see how the group had evolved in the way they go about the dispatching of walkers. Now they are more of a unit, more disciplined. They opt for the silent kills and make use of ambush techniques. They also know when to make a quick exit. They are a more together group too, no doubt in part due to the absence of Shane. I will actually take a moment to talk about Shane because for the first 2 seasons he was a pretty integral part of the show. Cult fans of the comic book will have known his days were numbered as he dies in issue six! For fans of the show though who aren't familiar with the comic book, his death will have come as a bit of a shock, especially so soon after Dale's death. Although his presence is still being felt in regards to Rick and Lori's marriage, his absence is pretty much unnoticed. That is yet more testament to the fantastic writing as you get the feeling that any character could die and the show could carry on. That feeling that anyone could die has certainly not been eased by the first 4 episodes, especially episode 4 and it's episode 4 that I'm going to talk about now.

T-Dog has been criminally underused throughout The Walking Dead. His imminent death has been the subject of speculation since the 1st season finale as he was essentially a spectator throughout season 2. His self sacrifice to protect Carol was a fitting end for the character although by the end of the episode, his death was quickly forgotten. Another character who's death has been widely expected is Lori. Many people will have cheered in the 2nd episode when it looked like Hershel had turned and attacked her. This cheer will have quickly turned into a groan when it turned out he was just hugging her. For some reason she had been hated by the majority of viewers. Saying that, she redeemed herself when she died in the way she died.

In the comic book, she dies in a shoot out when the prison falls. In the Tv show, she died in childbirth in a harrowing hark back to the Pre-modern era of child birth. Insisting that Maggie perform a caesarean to save her child she gave an emotional speech to her young son Carl. In the end It fell to Carl to shoot his mother in the head before she came back as a Walker, something that will surely affect the character for the remainder of the show. Ricks reaction when he realised what had happened was unbelievably heart wrenching. I've been impressed with Andrew Lincolns portrayal of Rick on numerous occasions throughout the show. His portrayal of a father who had just found out his wife had died then that his son had had to shoot her in the head was absolute brilliance of the highest calibre that should earn him an award or two. Of course, with the events at the Prison, as well as the addition of The Governor, it would be easy to overlook a major cast returnee. Merle was a guest character back in season 1. He ended up handcuffed to the top of a roof, courtesy of Rick, after being racist towards T Dog. When the group went back to rescue him he had gone, leaving behind his severed hand. Despite a brief dream appearance last season he was presumed gone

forever. He is back now though having been taken on by The Governor and his reunion with Daryl (his brother, now Ricks right hand man) is surely only a matter of time. It will be interesting to see where Daryl's allegiances lie then. It will also be interesting to see the confrontation between Rick and Merle. With this first 4 episodes packing so much in, it will be interesting to see where the season goes from here. We have maybe been spoiled somewhat and surely there has to be some respite. That may come from the mid-season hiatus which is a couple of weeks away although I'm sure that we'll be left with the mother of all cliffhangers!

The Inbetweeners U.S.A. - First Look

America has a habit of remaking some of our best shows. Shameless, The Offfice, Red Dwarf and Life on Mars are just some of those shows to experience the conversion treatment. The trouble is that there is a fine art involved in converting something so uniquely British into something the American public can appreciate. Shameless is so successful over here because we can relate to the Chatsworth Estate and lets face it, we all know a Frank Gallacher. Life On Mars triggered a nostalgic urge in us for the classic 70's Police series while Only Fools was just so utterly English. These things don't necessarily translate well to the American viewership which is why Life on Mars was cancelled after just one disastrous season and why Only Fools didn't get past a pilot. Shameless, on the other hand, is due to air it's 3rd season next year and The Office has just begun it's 9th season!

     The latest Brit show to receive an American makeover is The Inbetweeners. The UK version followed 4 friends as they negotiated 6th form life in a comprehensive. The 4 friends were different and each had their own 'thing'. Will was the geek, Jay the compulsive liar, Simon the hopeless romantic and Neil the stupid one. I guess that we could relate to them as they got into all kinds of scrapes and situations. The series is one of my favourite comedies of recent years and so I was slightly apprehensive when the idea was sold to the states. How could this series translate to the American audience without liberties being made with the idea. The answer is that it translates rather well.

The Yellow Car is a
welcome familiarity

     The basic premise is still the same and it does work in an American setting. It's very SuperBad in style and that's not a bad thing. There are one or two niggles I have with the characters though. Simon and Will are far too good looking and Neil is more stoner than lovable idiot. Jay is the best transfer of the 4 without a doubt which I'm pleased about because Jay was my favourite character in the original. Another problem I have is that some of the stories have been copied almost scene for scene. The theme park episode is almost an exact copy as is the one where the group go to a club. Despite these small niggles, the series does work and it has got legs (providing the American public stick with it). Some of the familiar things in the show (such as Simons yellow car) are very welcome. One off the arts required in a successful cross-pond conversion is the ability to strike the right balance. It's important to be familiar as not to take liberties with the original idea while being different. While The Inbetweeners U.S.A. strikes the right balance, just, it will need to up it's game and I believe it can. Whether it's got the ability to match the success seen by The Office remains to be seen. I'll write up a series review at the end of it's run.