TV: Alien Allies Highlight Season Three of 'Falling Skies'

Originally published on TheFlickcast.com.  24 May 2013.

Fans of Falling Skies can expect more twists, a few answers, and plenty more questions from the third season of the TNT show. We had a chance to chat with series star Noah Wyle, newcomer Doug Jones, and executive producer Remi Aubuchon about the return of the aliens vs. humans drama this June.

Calling this the toughest shoot he has ever done, Wyle, who plays former history professor Tom Mason, is extremely proud of how the season has come together. Indeed, there is a lot of change this season with Tom, who at the end of season two wanted to stay with Second Mass. When we see him next, it is seven months later, he is the President of the United States, and he has formed an alliance with a new race of aliens, known as the Volm, and their leader, Cochise (Jones).

Tom and Anne’s (Moon Bloodgood) baby is also born, his sons Matt (Maxim Knight) and Ben (Connor Jessup) enjoy more independence, and his eldest son Hal (Drew Roy) deals with the eye worm that is causing him to lose control of himself and possibly be used as a spy for the enemy aliens.

But what happened in those seven months and can the Volm really be trusted? Wyle says audiences will have to tune in to find out.

First Look: 'Once Upon a Time' Wonderland Spinoff Coming this Fall to ABC

Originally published on TheFlickcast.com.  14 May 2013.

It’s been denied by everyone. It’s been speculated about and rumored. Oncers have been yanked around for months but finally there’s an answer. The Once Upon a Time Alice in Wonderland spinoff is real and we’ve got the trailer and pictures to prove it.

Written by Once creator Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz, Once Upon a Time in Wonderland begins with Alice (Sophie Lowe) recounting her adventure in the strange new land she discovered through the rabbit hole and with the mysterious genie, Cyrus (Peter Gadiot) with whom she in love.

Alice’s doctors and her father think she’s gone insane but before they can give her a treatment to take away all of her memories she’s saved by the Knave of Hearts (Michael Socha) and the White Rabbit (John Lithgow). They tell her Cyrus, who she thought to be dead, is alive. Together they return to the incredible and impossible Wonderland to seek him and new adventures.

TV RECAP: ‘Once Upon a Time’ Episode 222 – ‘And Straight on ‘Til Morning’

Originally published on TheFlickcast.com.  13 May 2013.

It's the second season home stretch Oncers! Let's dive in. We begin with our dear Captain Hook asking about the boy they fished out of the water. Smee says he’s fine and also smartly surmises that he was probably dropped by the Shadow. Smee recommends tossing the boy back ASAP. Below decks Hook and Bae have a heart to heart where within a minute the boy has told the Captain that his mother was killed by a pirate and his father abandoned him. Also, he hates magic.

Hook, proving to be more than a pretty face, puts two and two together and asks the boy his name. To my eternal disappointment he truthfully answers “Baelfire” instead of lying by saying “Peter Pan.” Hook is surprised by his good fortune and more than a bit pleased. He even hides the son of his dead lover from the creepy bounty hunters known as the Lost Ones (but really the Lost Boys) who come looking for him, presumably at the Shadow’s bidding. Hook hardly bats an eye when Head Lost Boy tells him the punishment for lying/disobedience is having your shadow riiiiiiipppped from your body. The band of not-so-merry ones departs and Hook’s impressed with Bae’s ability to stay hidden.

Storybrooke. Henry’s on a swing, all carefree, going higher and higher. Granny’s keeping an eye on him and is apparently not at all concerned about the cluster of large pointy rocks directly in Henry’s landing zone for when he does what everyone does on swings: launch themselves into the air. Someone who does notice this danger zone is Henry’s grandpa who is lurking behind a shrub. Mr. Gold is slowly magicking the swing’s rope to break so that the boy who will be his undoing will fall and die. Before he can succeed, Charming, Snow and Emma arrive. Emma goes to tell Henry about Neal and her parents do the same for Mr. Gold. He’s clearly devastated, even blaming himself for Neal’s death saying he brought magic to Storybrooke.  “Magic always has a price and this is it,” he laments. So deep is his grief that he refuses to help track down or stop the failsafe which is being activated by Oweg and Tamara.

Down in the tunnel the pair in question whacks the diamond of destruction into “on” mode with a handy nearby pickaxe as Hook looks on. Why are they willing to die with Storybrooke? “We have faith in the sacredness of our cause,” Tamara says. Hook may or may not roll his eyes but surely most Once viewers did.

Neil Gaiman Promises Scarier Cybermen in his Second 'Doctor Who' Episode

Originally published on TheFlickcast.com.  11 May 2013.

Neil Gaiman is a geek god. He’s the author of several award winning books and comics including the series The Sandman and novel American Gods. He’s a Doctor Who fan and if he could’ve traveled with any incarnation of the Doctor, it would’ve been Patrick Troughton’s Second Doctor.

“Doctor Who was the first mythology that I ever knew,” he said.

Tonight Gaiman returns with Nightmare in Silver, the second episode he’s penned for the BBC America show about all of time and space. In Nightmare, the Doctor, Clara (Jenna Louise-Coleman), Artie and Angie arrive at Hedgewick’s World of Worlds, once the greatest theme park in the galaxy but now home to strange creatures and a terrifying new breed of Cybermen.

The Cybermen are not only one of the Doctor’s greatest enemies but one of Gaiman’s greatest passions. His first Doctor Who experience was seeing the fourth season episode, Moonbase, as a child. Swift and silent Cybermen were at the center of the episode and those villains stuck with Gaiman.

TV RECAP: 'Once Upon a Time' Episode 221 - 'Second Star on the Right'

Originally published on TheFlickcast.com.  6 May 2013.

We open with young Bae going through the magic bean portal and dropping into a land without magic. He stares in wonder at old timey London. “What is this place?” he says. A whole new wooooorrrrrld! Credits.

Six months later and baby Bae is scrounging for food in the garbage. He uses an unattended ladder to sneak into a manor house through the window. Within a minute of scarfing down some tasty looking bread, he’s caught by a dog (Nana!) and a young girl. Taking in his street rat appearance and the stolen bread in his hands and pockets, she lowers her weapon (a candlestick) and offers Bae as much bread as he wants. We learn her name too: Wendy Darling.

In Storybrooke, grown up Bae awakens to find Tamara is getting ready for to workout. She’s training for a marathon (…of evil!). Neal says, “Come back to bed. I’ll give you a workout.” Ew. She declines, heads out, and meets up with Oweg in the, I’m assuming abandoned, canning factory. They’ve got Regina strapped to a table and at the moment Hook is talking with the subdued Queen. He tells her that Tamara and Oweg want him to kill Rumplestiltskin, which he’s pretty excited about it, but obviously not in any hurry to do. Regina questions why he trusts them and says he has no idea who they really are.

As the “they” in question enter the room, we learn that they’re not alone in their quest to rid the world of magic. There are more of them, even a “home office.” While Tamara is prepared to head out to give their info to the office, Oweg wants to know about his father so he’s going to stay behind and torture Regina. Hook wants none of it and departs. Even with electrodes attached to her, Regina sneers at Oweg. “Is that supposed to scare me?” Oweg tells her it’s going to hurt. A lot. Then he pushes the button.

Her Universe and Hot Topic to Debut Exclusive 'Star Wars' Apparel for May the 4th

Originally published on TheFlickcast.com.  2 May 2013.

In celebration of Star Wars Day on May 4th, geek chic merchandise line Her Universe will be debuting six new Star Wars fashion pieces exclusively on Hottopic.com. Included in the release are several new tops and, for the first time, dresses featuring a galaxy far, far way. Featured characters include Boba Fett and Darth Vader as well as the Rebel trio, Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, and Princess Leia.

This is the second year that Hot Topic has teamed up with the fangirl line created by actress and entrepreneur Ashley Eckstein. Star Wars is in fact very dear to Eckstein’s heart; she was the voice of Ahsoka Tano on Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

"I am thrilled to be working with Hot Topic again to celebrate May the 4th Be With You," said Ashley Eckstein. "I am also excited to debut a new design with one of our favorite guest designers, Denise Vasquez. Denise brought her unique 'Day of the Dead' inspired style to a new design featuring Boba Fett."