The Walking Dead - Review

I can remember when I first started watching The Walking Dead. It arrived amidst a huge fanfare and many predicted that it would have the same effect on zombies as True Blood had on vampires. While The Walking Dead remains the only good zombie series on the telly (and few would claim that zombies are 'sexier' because of it) it is also one of the best things on the telly. I've reviewed The Walking Dead a number of times on this blog and I've always sung its praises because it is genuinely one of my favourite shows. It's true 'event' television at its very best and with record breaking numbers of viewers tuning in for the Season 5 premiere, I'm obviously not the only one who feels that way!

Slaughter of the 'cattle' at Terminus!

The season 5 premiere picked up just moments after the season 4 finale finished, with our main core of survivors trapped by the terminites (the people at terminus, see what I did there?) in a train carriage. The signs leading up to Terminus and said that it was a 'sanctuary for all! You arrive, you survive!'. Fans of the comic books upon which the series is based knew that there was obviously something not quite right about the folks at Terminus and I did have some inkling that they were probably bad people. I, much like the majority of geekdom, was proved right as Rick, Daryl, Bob and Glen were hog tied over a metal trough in a scene straight out of Hostel! The Walking Dead has never been a show that has shied away from showing some pretty gross scenes but even I found myself cringing at the sight of the 'torture porn' that seemed to be unfolding on screen. I also thought that Glen was a goner! The early trailers had all pointed to Glen being whacked over the head by a baseball bat wielding thug and he dodged THAT bullet a number of times. This The Walking Dead at it's very best, cranking up the tension to unbearable levels. What made it worse was that our main group of characters had to watch as three non-characters were slaughtered brutally in front of their eyes like cattle

Of course, we knew that all would turn out well for our survivors, didn't we? They managed to escape courtesy of a new kick-ass version of Carol. She has had the most extreme character arc from all of our main characters, surely. From domestic abuse victim in the first season to a female version of Rambo is quite an extreme change. Of course, it's been a complex change but also quite a welcome one. This is a world in which good people die, as said by a 'terminate' offed by Tyreese in typically brutal fashion! Carol has had to change in order for her own survival and, as it turned out, the survival of her fellow survivors.

Another character that's had an extreme character arc is Rick Grimes, de facto leader of our main band of survivors. Of course, he's a character that's been really put through the wringer and he's come out of it as a man without boundaries. When he tore the throat out of the leader of 'the claimers' in the

Rick Grimes, de facto leader.

season 4 finale, that was the start of a new Rick, a Rick that will do whatever it takes to survive and god have mercy on those who threaten him, his son or his 'family'! He knows (his experience with The Governor being a major lesson) that his world isn't only in danger from walkers. They are only an inconvenience with the real threat coming from the living! In his role as Rick, Andrew Lincoln is a revelation and the fact that he's English only makes me smile.

One of The Walking Dead's strengths is how it deals with issues we can relate to, issues of family. I've always said that the show is more than about the zombies, it's a show about the little glimmers of hope that appear when all faith is lost. It's about family, about the family you're born into and about the family you create as you live your life. It's about survival against the odds and about how people change, about how situations cause those changes and the effects those changes have on the ones you love. At its absolute core, The Walking Dead is a beautiful show.

Morgans back!

Another strength that The Walking Dead possesses is the element of surprise. How the writers manage to keep their secrets I'll never know yet at the end of the episode, in the shows first ever post credits scene, we got a glimpse of one of the shows true icons, Morgan. He's a much welcome return

to the show, despite only appearing twice before. As a character, he's undergone a transformation

akin to that of Carol or Rick. From father in mourning, unable to kill his zombified wife in his first episode to insane hermit in his second episode to the man on a mission he appears now. It will be interesting to see whether this is another fleeting appearance by Morgan or whether he's here to stay this time!

RATING

As a stand alone episode, the premiere stands amongst the shows best. It's got tension, guts and gore, action and emotion. It's also got the return of Morgan which earns it a star on its own. It will certainly be interesting where the show goes from here and hopefully it'll maintain the standard set by the premiere. 5/5

Gotham: First Look!!!

In 1997 Batman and Robin came to cinemas and for many, that film sounded the death knell for Bruce Wayne and his alter-ego, at least as far as live action was concerned. It took Christopher Nolan, nearly a decade later, to resurrect the series with his reboot trilogy which took Batman back to his very dark beginnings. As far as films go, Batman Begins, The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight rises set the tone for a darker, edgier superhero that has changed the way that comic books are adapted for the silver screen. The revived Superman series wouldn't have happened were it not for Christopher Nolans Batman in my opinion. His vision didn't only shape the way comics are adapted for the big screen, it also shaped the way they are adapted for television. The recent Arrow series as well as The Flash are great examples of this. Gone are the cartoon villains and surreal plots to be replaced by characters that could have a place in our own world. It's evident that Gotham is heavily influenced by these ideas right from the off!

The young Cat-Woman

     From the outside you may be forgiven for thinking that Gotham is a Batman origin story, that it's about how a young Bruce Wayne became The Dark Knight. The truth is that it's about much more than that. The basic storyline revolves around Detective James Gordon (played magnificently by Gary Oldman in the Nolan films) now a rookie cop with a desire to clean up Gotham City. He's hindered on all sides by the likes of the mayor, his fellow cops and some familiar names within the Batman mythology and thats what this series is really about, the bad guys. Comic book geeks will revel in the multiple easter eggs dotted about regarding some of Gotham City's best known villains. In the first episode alone I caught references to The Joker, The Penguin, Poison Ivy, The Riddler and Cat-Woman although I'm sure that a second viewing will reveal more.

Poison Ivy maybe?

     The casting directors have done a great job with their casting of some truly iconic characters. Ben McKenzie is a great choice for the 'lead' of James Gordon. He kind of makes the role his own although it's evident that he's been inspired by Gary Oldmans portrayal of the character. Robin Lloyd Taylor tackles Oswald Cobblepot and he is inspired casting. In the show, no secret is made of the fact that his character will one day become The Penguin with multiple references and he's an extremely watchable character because of this. He dominates the screen whenever he appears with a disturbingly beautiful performance!

The Penguin in action!

James Gordon wants to 'clean up' Gotham

     The feel of Gotham is spot on with a film noir kind of feel to it. Despite the fact that it's set in modern day it has a seventies kind of look to it and it's influences are pretty clear. This is more Nolan than Burton, more Arrow than The New Adventures of Superman. This is not a series that pulls its punches as is shown early on with the grisly murder of Bruce Wayne's parents! It's a series that has huge potential going forward and is a must for your Sky Planner this autumn. Whether you're well versed in the Batman universe or completely new to the character I'm sure that Gotham will appeal to you.

Rating

Oh, a very easy 5/5. Even though it's early days this series is more than capable of spawning multiple series's. With a great cast and a treasure trove of iconic villains at it's disposal, Gotham has a very bright future ahead of it.

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.