ABC Unveils S.H.I.E.L.D’s Newest Character Deathlok

Originally published on For Your Excitement.  20 March  2014.

Way back when Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. premiered we met a troubled, frustrated guy named Mike Petersen. Sixteen episodes later, Mike has made quite a transformation. Into Deathlok.

The new images released by ABC show Petersen’s (J. August Richards) Deathlok costume in full.

Petersen was first introduced as a part of the Centipede super solider program. He later switched sides and effectively joined up with Agent Coulson’s team before being blackmailed into handing Coulson over to the baddies. In a last act of heroism, Petersen tried to save the agent but was caught in an explosion, kidnapped by The Clairvoyant and converted into Deathlok via a robotic leg and an eye implant.

Personally, I’m thrilled that S.H.I.E.L.D. has kept Richards coming back as Petersen. I was disappointed to see him exit at the end of the pilot and this is a great role for the actor who is best known for his other Whedonverse character, Charles Gunn on Angel.

As for the state of the Deathlok costume, comic book fans may be dismayed to see a distinct lay of tech with IO9 saying, “He looks like an evil bounty hunter from a cheap sci-fi show from the ’70s.” Comics Alliance adds, “his costume looks a little bit like some leftover wardrobe from the Dune movie or a really fancied up seatbelt buckle,” but also points out, and I agree, that the costume is a step closer to the comics’ undead cyborg. Let’s remember that Petersen still has three of his four original limbs at this point. There’s plenty of time for the evolution to full cyborg, complete with a menacing red eye, later.

Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Deathlok episode will air April 1 on ABC. In addition to Richards’ return, the episode brings back Agents John Garrett (Bill Paxton), Antoine Triplett (B.J. Britt), Victoria Hand (Safron Burrows), Jasper Sitwell (Maximiliano Hernández) and Felix Blake (Titus Welliver).

Get Out Your Torches Oncers: It’s Time For A “Witch Hunt”

Originally published on For Your Excitement.  17 March  2014.

Where to start Oncers? Tonight we added a new branch to the far too crowded Once Upon a Time family tree. We also learned that last week’s preview for this episode completely spoiled us for the not-so-big “flying monkeys are people” reveal. But most importantly, in my incredibly biased opinion, we find out the fate of someone near and dear to my Rumbelle heart. Get out your torches; it’s time for a “Witch Hunt.”

What you need to know:

Regina and Robin, sitting in a tree…:In Regina’s castle, the Wicked Witch sends one of her monkey minions to get the Queen. He swoops upon the Storybrooke company and nearly snatches up Robin Hood’s adorable son. Regina saves the kid and makes the flying monkey into a cuddly stuffed animal for the boy. Belle rightly surmises that the person occupying Regina’s castle must be from Oz, hence the flying monkeys and green smoke. “The bookworm’s right,” Regina replies. She goes into the tunnels that run underneath her castle, which aren’t protected by the spell. Robin decides to join her as thanks for saving his son and also because he loves her! Alright, maybe not yet but very soon Oncers. They arrive to find Regina’s blood-magic-sealed door is open.

The usual suspect: The Queen, who is devastated by Henry’s amnesia, privately informs Emma that she didn’t cast this new curse. However, at a town hall meeting later, everyone gangs up on Regina and Emma joins with the mob mentality. The Queen (like me) is ticked about this because oh my gosh haven’t they suspected her enough?! So she creates an earthquake and vanishes. Soon after, Emma meets her in her office and we learn this was a “clever” plan to fool everyone into thinking Emma wasn’t looking at all of them as suspects. Hey maybe she should talk to the random new girl no one remembers from the Enchanted Forest! Zelena is just in Granny’s chatting up Mary Margaret about her baby.

George R.R. Martin Fills Game of Thrones Producers In on Series Ending

Originally published on For Your Excitement.  14 March  2014.

In what is clearly an attempt to make Games of Thrones fans hate and love them even more, the producers of the HBO show have revealed they know how the series ends. Showrunners DB Weiss and David Benioff told Vanity Fair that they sat down with A Song of Ice and Fire author George R.R. Martin to talk about the series conclusion.

“Last year we went out to Santa Fe for a week to sit down with [George] and just talk through where things are going, because we don’t know if we are going to catch up and where exactly that would be,” Benioff said. “If you know the ending, then you can lay the groundwork for it. And so we want to know how everything ends. We want to be able to set things up. So we just sat down with him and literally went through every character.”

Just the thought of this knowledge is enough to make most fans drool with envy. The TV series, just like the books, continues to leave many questions tantalizingly unanswered, such as the ultimate fate of the Starks, Jon Snow’s heritage, and which king or queen will take the Iron Throne.

The sit down with the HBO producers was certainly necessary as Game of Thrones rapidly closes in on catching up with Martin’s books. When the show returns for its fourth season, it will complete the adaptation of Martin’s third book in the series. This leaves two other currently completed books to pull from until the author, notorious for his slow writing, finishes more.

“It’s a little complicated, because we have the five books, but then we don’t have anything beyond that, because he’s still working,” Benioff admitted. “It’s sort of an unusual position in terms of adaptation because, you know, we’re catching up. It’ll be interesting to see what happens. And we’ve talked to George. The lucky part is that George works with us and he’s a producer on the show.”

The author still has The Winds of Winter and A Dream of Spring to finish writing in the seven book series so he couldn’t tell Weiss and Benioff everything just yet. “I can give them the broad strokes of what I intend to write, but the details aren’t there yet,” Martin said. “I’m hopeful that I cannot let them catch up with me.”

Whenever Martin does finish those last two books, it will mean the end of the TV series will be drawing near as well. Weiss stated the show will not “just keep on going because it can.” Rather he and Benioff recognize that the series has a natural end and they have to respect that. Speaking with the wisdom so many other producers lack, he said, “I think the desire to milk more out of it is what would eventually kill it, if we gave in to that.”

Game of Thrones returns to HBO on Sunday, April 6.

Adrian Pasdar To Bring Major Glenn Talbot To Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D

Originally published on For Your Excitement.  14 March  2014.

Adrian Pasdar is bringing Major Glenn Talbot and his glorious moustache to Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. The studio recently announced the addition of Pasdar as a new thorn in the side of Agent Coulson and his team.

The famously mustachioed Talbot is Hulk-hater General Ross’ right hand man. Talbot frequently appears in the Hulk comics hunting the green rage monster and his Bruce Banner alter ego. On Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., he won’t be engaging in his favorite pastime but he will remain, as Pasdar says, a “sanctimonious jerk.” The character is slated for one episode on the ABC show and Pasdar hinted there might be more.

“As willing as I am to jump when Jeph (Loeb, Marvel TV president) calls, there had to be a little bit more in it than just an episode for me,” he said to The Hollywood Reporter. “I can’t say much more but the mustache is in a locker and it’s being taken out and prepped as we speak for next week.”

Pasdar certainly knows a little something about supernatural powers. He played Nathan Petrelli on NBC’s Heroes and S.H.I.E.L.D. will hardly be Pasdar’s first outing with Marvel. He’s voiced Iron Man in several of the studio’s animated features.

His turn as Talbot on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. will air in April on ABC.

Paul McGann To Return To The TARDIS? The Eighth Doctor Opens Up

Originally published on For Your Excitement.  14 March  2014.


Whovians, we may not have seen the last of the Eighth Doctor. In an interview with Yahoo, Paul McGann said he would love to return to Doctor Who.

“If the same thing were to happen again and Moffat were to say ‘Would you come back and do it and I’ll write it?’ Why wouldn’t I want to do it? If it’s going to be that quality, why wouldn’t you want to do it?”

McGann had often been overlooked for his turn as the Eighth Doctor. The actor only appeared in the role once, in 1996’s Doctor Who TV film, which failed at the time to launch a new series of the show. All of that changed, however, when McGann donned his Time Lord clothes in The Night of the Doctor, a short that led up to the 50th anniversary special, The Day of the Doctor. That epic mini-episode reminded or clued Whovians in to McGann’s brilliant Doctor and left us wanting more.

As for whether we’ll get “more,” McGann says, “There’s always all kinds of rumors. Doctor Who is like a rumor mill, isn’t it? 'Yea, McGann is gonna do this, Matt is gonna do that, there’s going to be a spin-off, blah blah blah.'” He brushes these off, since it’s showrunner Steven Moffat who decides what direction the show takes. “And of course, now you’ve got a new Doctor in Peter Capaldi – I think it’s only fair that he gets a decent run on his own without any distractions so he gets his feet under the table.”

I must say though, McGann only fuels those rumors when he posts pictures of his Eighth Doctor self in the Eleventh Doctor’s TARDIS.

Doctor Who returns with Capaldi at the TARDIS controls later this year.

Lorelai Gathers Her “Yes Men” Army In This Week’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Originally published on For Your Excitement.  12 March  2014.

Hello Agents! In the words of our favorite genius-billionaire-playboy-philanthropist, “It’s good to be back!” Thank you to the lovely Special Agent Emmy Rivera for filling in last week. With the mystery of Tahiti getting more complex and crazy by the episode, we get a very welcome visit from our favorite female Asgardian warrior. Let’s join her on the hunt for Lorelei and her “Yes Men.”

What you need to know:

Skye is back: After receiving the injection of the uber secret T.A.H.I.T.I. serum, Skye is on the mend even if Simmons won’t let her out of the hospital bed yet. Ward drops by for some forced flirting and commends Skye’s stupidity in entering Quinn’s place alone. Her actions have alerted S.H.I.E.L.D. to Mike Peterson’s status as alive and owning a magical leg. Ward agrees to help Skye train harder so next time she won’t have to reply on a miracle drug to save her. In the lab, FitzSimmons is still baffled by Skye’s rapid healing and the drug that caused it.

Not Loki: While Coulson is off trying to track down Nick Fury, May briefs the team on some Asgardian activity S.H.I.E.L.D. wants them to investigate. Fitz, for one, is cool with this because Asgardians are their allies. Ward quips that Loki isn’t and for a brief moment I’m giddy with the thought that maybe Tom Hiddleston’s glorious villain will make a cameo. Alas, no. When the team reaches the site of the readings, the Bifrost opens and Lady Sif appears. And damn if she doesn’t look amazing! I do love Jaimie Alexander as Sif. She would’ve made a great Wonder Woman too.

The Lady Sif: Coulson is elected to speak with Sif, which he assures May he can handle because he’s “fine.” The Cavalry isn’t buying it though, saying “fine doesn’t look like this” and that she’s there for him. My heart sings with the Coul/May feels. SHIP IT AGENTS! Anyway, Sif fills the team in on Lorelei. The siren’s powers only work on men because “men have an inherent weakness we (women) do not share.” This makes Fitz and Ward stammer and shrug in disagreement while May looks on with pleasure.

Time To Say Goodbye: SyFy Cancels Being Human

Originally published on For Your Excitement.  26 February  2014.

Syfy’s Being Human will end with its fourth season. The network announced the show’s cancellation on Tuesday, noting that all of the final episodes will air.

“Showrunner Anna Fricke and the talented producers, writers, cast and crew have done an amazing job bringing this show to life over the past four seasons and we sincerely thank them and the series’ production company Muse Entertainment for their hard work,” Syfy said in a statement. “They’ve saved the best for last with the final six episodes that revisit the story’s beginning, leading to a not-to-be-missed send-off for Aidan, Sally, Josh and Nora.”

The cast responded to the news with a heartfelt thank you to fans.

An American remake of the UK show of the same name, Being Human will finish just one season shy of the five its UK predecessor ran before ending last year. Ratings for the US version, which premiered in 2011, started out at 1.8 million, making it one of SyFy’s most successful series. Recent ratings have hovered around 1 million, though Entertainment Weekly reports the number is closer to 1.8 million when DVR viewings are accounted for. The supernatural series will conclude on April 7.

The news about Being Human comes on the heels of announcements of the cancellation of two other Syfy original dramas, Warehouse 13 and Alphas. The Hollywood Reporter notes that Being Human’s cancellation comes at a time of reorganization at SyFy. Several top executives, including the Executive Vice President of Original Content, have departed and been replaced in the last three months.

The final episodes of Being Human begin airing on March 3 at 9 p.m.

A Surprise Visit From the Doctor: Capaldi Appears in Costume

Originally published on For Your Excitement.  25 February  2014.

Decked out in his Twelfth Doctor costume, Peter Capaldi appeared at the BBC Worldwide Showcase in Liverpool on Monday. Or should we say, The Doctor made a surprise appearance.

With his dark blue, red-lined Crombie coat, dark blue trousers and waistcoat, white shirt and Doc Martens boots, Capaldi looked much more like his Time Lord alter ego than himself. The delighted audience certainly thought so, as the newest Doctor took the stage. This is the first time Capaldi has been seen in the costume since the BBC released an official picture of the outfit in January. At the time the actor remarked on the clothes saying, “Simple, stark, and back to basics. No frills, no scarf, no messing, just 100 per cent Rebel Time Lord.”

Following the event on Monday, Capaldi spoke briefly about the upcoming series 8. “I’ve always been a fan of the show and I love that it’s now a global success,” he said. “I’m excited, and slightly daunted, about how far the new series is going to travel.”

Doctor Who returns later this year.

The Doors Will Re-Open For A Third Season Of ITV Hit “Mr Selfridge”

Originally published on For Your Excitement.  20 February  2014.

ITV’s Mr. Selfridge has been picked up for a third season. The Radio Times is reporting that ITV has ordered more of the period drama starring Jeremy Piven and Amanda Abbingdon.

The show documents the real life story of department store owner Harry Gordon Selfridge and his employees. Having revolutionized the shopping industry with his decadent store, Mr. Selfridge must now contend with a Britain that is on the brink of WWI. With a large ensemble cast, the series also stars Aisling Loftus, Polly Walker and Samuel West.

In the promo on PBS, Selfridge tells his staff, “It may be my name on the door, but you are the ones that matter.” He may as well have been talking straight to viewers.

Mr. Selfridge has struggled to lure viewers away from BBC1’s The Musketeers, which airs in the same 9 p.m. slot on Sunday nights. However with the BBC’s recent decision to cancel the rival show The Paradise and with season two set to premiere on PBS on March 30th, viewers may be starting to shop at Selfridge’s after all.

Mr. Selfridge airs on ITV Sundays at 9pm and will begin airing on PBS’ Masterpiece on March 30th at 9 p.m.

First Photo From 24: Live Another Day And Jack Might Return For Another Day

Originally published on For Your Excitement.  20 February  2014.

Jack is back and he’s bringing his friends and frenemies along for maybe more than just one extra day. If the above first photo from the season is an indication of what’s in store for us this May, I already want more.

In an interview with IGN, 24’s Executive Producer, Howard Gordon, said the show could continue beyond the recently announced 24: Live Another Day in a second limited-run series or even a feature film. However, that depends on the success of the newest installment and having more story to tell.

Live Another Day picks up four years after the end of series 8. While some of the 12-episode season will feel familiar (political unrest, plenty of shooting, Jack Bauer being a complete badass, etc), new elements are also coming in to play. The limited-run series will not document every hour like each previous season did and the setting has switched to the U.K. rather than America.

Anticipation is high for the return of Jack (Sutherland), Chloe (Mary Lynn Rajskub) and the brand of counterterrorism only 24 can offer, but Gordon feels they are up to the task.

“Look, [Jack] has a lot of scorched earth behind him as a character,” he said. “But we sort of embraced the mythic aspect of Jack’s character. The idea of him being a fugitive and also being somewhere else and wanting to come home felt like an emotional framework that we could work inside.” The four years haven’t been kind to Chloe either. Gordon describes her as now a cross between Lisbeth Salander and Edward Snowden, having spent the past years working for a WikiLeaks-type organization.

”I’m more hardened,” Rajskub told EW. ”I’ve seen more of the world. When you pick up with me, I’ve completely turned against the government.” Explaining her new Lisbeth-inspired look, she said, ”It’s a very dark, very damaged look. It’s a bit of an FU to the world.”

Joining Sutherland and Rajakub are 24 newcomers Yvonne Strahowski (who has espionage experience from her stint on Chuck), Stephen Fry, Benjamin Bratt, Tate Donovan, Michael Wincott and Michelle Fairley. We’ll also see the return of Kim Raver as Jack’s damaged former love, Audrey Raines, and her father, played by William Devane. There’s also the potential to see fan favorite, Glenn Morshower as the beloved Agent Aaron Pierce.

24: Live Another Day premieres May 5 at 8 p.m. on Fox.

For Your Love, SHIELD Style: Why We Ship Coulson And May

Originally published on For Your Excitement.  14 February  2014.

It’s Valentine’s Day and that means everyone deserves a little love, even tough as nails S.H.I.E.L.D. agents.

Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is one of those shows that doesn’t need a main “ship” to make it function. It gets along more than fine without two characters’ will they/won’t they at the center. But! If we were to play some speculation ball, the ship to get on board with is CoulMay aka Phil Coulson and Melinda May. Here’s why.

They have a history. Maybe they were just partners. Or maybe they had a secret relationship that was torn apart by the intensity of their work and S.H.I.E.L.D. regulations. May’s cheeky offer to “lay out the mats” and “go a few rounds with him” in “The Girl in the Flower Dress” could indicate either. This is for sure, knowing each other’s past makes it easier to build a future. Together.

Skye and Ward. We know that on some level S.H.I.E.L.D. is driving us toward this pairing. While this doesn’t work for me on a number of levels and mostly because I think they have no chemistry, what it means is Ward and May is doomed to fail (for many reasons). This leaves plenty of time for Coulson and May to happen.

No Jedi Mind Tricks Here: The Force Is Strong On Netflix And We Love It

Originally published on For Your Excitement.  13 February  2014.

Last year, Star Wars fans felt a disturbance in the Force when Disney cancelled the popular Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated series. But now the sixth and final season, called “The Lost Missions,” will be available on Netflix for instant streaming on March 7.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars fills the gap between the live-action films, Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith. The Emmy-award winning show follows Jedi Knights Obi-Wan Kenobi (James Arnold Taylor), Anakin Skywalker (Matt Lanter) and young apprentice, Ahsoka Tano (Ashley Eckstein) as well as various Jedi, Sith, and clones warriors.

The 13-episode sixth season will specifically deal with Ahsoka’s leaving the Jedi order. Yoda (Tom Kane) will also explore the nature of the Force and get a visit from Liam Neeson’s Qui-Gon Jinn. In addition to “The Lost Missions,” all other episodes, including director’s cut versions, and the feature film will be uploaded to the streaming service.

March 7 will mark the first time any Star Wars content has been available for instant viewing on Netflix but it is only the beginning. Thanks to a deal between Disney, who owns Lucasfilm, and Netflix, in 2016 first-run, live-action and animated movies from Disney properties will be available for streaming exclusively on the subscription service. This means Netflix will be home to Pixar, Marvel Studios, Disney and Lucasfilm productions.

“Star Wars is one of the most iconic franchises of all time,” Netflix chief content officer, Ted Sarados, said. “This series joins a long line of Disney content that Netflix members are and will continue to enjoy for years to come.”

Spoilers, Sweetie: Doctor Who Alums Join Cast of New British Crime Drama

Originally published on For Your Excitement.  11 February  2014.

Crime drama Chasing Shadows has three of their primary cast members set. ITV announced the addition of Reece Shearsmith, Alex Kingston and Noel Clarke to the four-part series, which will follow a missing persons unit hunting a group of serial killers.

Shearsmith plays DS Sean Stone, a brilliant investigator whose obsession with the deciphering codes and patterns of behavior comes in handy when pursuing serial criminals. However, his intensity and eccentric manner often lead him down the path to self-destruction.

Enter his level-headed partner, Ruth Hattersley, played by the always cool Alex Kingston. Ruth is assigned to work with Sean and though he first shirks her help, he finds that they make a great team. Whereas he lacks social skills, she connects with people easily, adding a new element to their investigations. Rounding out their team is Clarke as DI Prior.

Shearsmith’s credits include Psychoville and League of Gentlemen, which he co wrote with Who and Sherlock legend Mark Gatiss. He was also seen portraying Patrick Troughton in the recent Adventure in Space and Time, and Kingston is instantly recognizable as River Song on Doctor Who. Clarke is also Doctor Who alum famously playing tin dog Mickey Smith, more recently seen on the big screen in Star Trek Into Darkness. He is also a highly successful movie director with credits such as Kidulthood and 4,3,2,1.

ITV’s Director of Drama, Steve November, said of the production ”It’s a crime drama, but not a typical one as it is based around a missing persons unit. And it introduces two very individual and exciting new characters who we’re very much looking forward to seeing.”

Filming for Chasing Shadows begins this month. It is clear that ITV are looking for another highly successful drama after the worldwide success of Broadchurch, which starred The Doctor himself, David Tennant. Either Doctor Who is seen as a prime picking ground for awesome talent, which it is obviously, OR someone in the casting office is a Whovian.

Time will tell if the success of Broadchurch will be repeated, however so far the cast looks brilliant, and let’s hope the spoilers are kept to a minimum, sweetie!

Grant Gustin, Get Ready: Tom Cavanagh To Play Harrison Wells In The Flash

Originally published on For Your Excitement.  11 February  2014.

Photo: Paul Drinkwater/NBC

The man who has a hand in creating the Scarlet Speedster has been cast. Producers of The Flash have added Tom Cavanagh to the pilot episode as physicist Harrison Wells. Harrison Wells is the man who causes the particle accelerator explosion that transforms Barry Allen into The Flash.

Described as both the brains and the money behind S.T.A.R. Labs Particle Accelerator, Wells soon finds himself an outcast in his own community. The explosion will rip apart his reputation but he finds a glimmer of hope when Barry (Grant Gustin) is discovered to have super speed.

A spinoff of the CW’s Arrow, The Flash was introduced in two episodes during the DC show’s second season. Producer Greg Berlanti says the new series will be more science heavy, in contrast to Arrow’s crime focus.

“We’ve talked a lot on Arrow about the particle collider and Harrison Wells and S.T.A.R. Labs and so you’ll see S.T.A.R. Labs as an active part of the show,” he said on Digital Spy.

Cavanagh is best known from his lead role on Ed and his recurring guest role on Scrubs. He joins cast members Jesse L. Martin, Danielle Panabaker, Candice Patton, Carlos Valdes and Rick Cosnett. The Flash pilot is still in development by Arrow’s Berlanti and Andrew Kreisberg along with Geoff John, Chief Creative Office of DC Entertainment. If picked up by the CW, the show would likely air in Fall 2014.

Best and Worst Women of Downton Abbey

Originally published on For Your Excitement.  9 February  2014.
With only three episodes left in Downton Abbey series 4, American audiences are in full period drama mode. Having already listed the best and worst men of the series, it felt only right to also do the same for the ladies of Downton Abbey. Who is the finest and foulest of them all? Warning: spoilers through series 4, episode 6.

So let’s begin with the best of the Abbey

5. Sybil Crawley

Photo: PBS

We all know that she was the best sister. Sybil was unfailingly compassionate to all, confident and beautiful. She stood up for her beliefs and her man, even when her own family was (wrongly) opposed to both. We cheered for her and loved her like she was our own sister and her loss is still deeply felt.

4. Anna Bates

Photo: PBS

Whether it’s her adorable smile or her persistent yet sweet (and successful) pursuit of Bates, everyone has always had a soft spot for Anna. She makes us all feel as though she is our friend, which made her being attacked this season especially heartbreaking. There is no kinder, gentler and more loving soul in all of Downton, and I sincerely hope she gets her much-deserved happy ending.

3. Mary Crawley

Photo: Daily Mail

The eldest Crawley daughter has the kind of sarcastic demeanour that we all secretly admire. Plus, her determination, confidence and passion make her relatable to us 21st century women. While she’s had her momentary lapses, especially when it came to men, Mary has never failed to garner our respect, sympathy and highest regard.

Get Caught Up With The Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. In “Tracks”

Originally published on For Your Excitement.  5 February  2014.

Photo courtesy of ABC

Greetings Agents! Last time we saw our beloved Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., we had learned some shocking and heartbreaking details about Coulson’s death/resurrection. Also, Skye found out she was an 0-8-4 when she was a baby, and Mike Peterson is alive but has been forced into the Clairvoyant’s service via an eye implant. Oh and Ian Quinn is a big baddie funding evil technology. Got all that? Wheels up!

Quinn is moving a VIP (very important package) by train so naturally the team is going undercover to intercept it. This is mostly important because everyone is paired up including Simmons and Coulson. She immediately calls him her dad and it’s adorable. Elsewhere, Ward changes into a conductor’s uniform and May gets in position atop the moving train. Because she’s a badass.

Skye and Fitz sneak into the luggage compartment. Getting ready to be a distraction to Quinn’s Cybertek security team, Simmons launches into her character’s backstory. She goes into hysterics about daddy Coulson being too busy with his work and prostitutes to be there for her and her mum. Stan Lee pops up for a great cameo to chastise Coulson, and following straight behind him are the Cybertek men. Simmons spills her “mom’s” ashes to slow them down, and Coulson takes moment to say, “Prostitutes? Plural?”

The Team Takes A Tumultuous Train Ride On This Week’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Originally published on PopWrapped.  5 February 2014.

Hello Agents! Long time no see. When we left our favorite Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. peeps last we had learned some horrifying and heartbreaking details about Coulson’s death and resurrection. Also, Skye was revealed to be an 0-8-4 when she was a baby and Mike Peterson was kidnapped and given an eye implant to do the Clairvoyant’s bidding. Lastly, Ian Quinn is a big baddie funding evil technology. All set? Wheels up! 

The team is en route to intercept a package Quinn is transporting by train and under guard from private security team, Cybertek. Going undercover to get close to the goods, everyone is paired up, most adorably, Simmons and Coulson. She immediately labels him as her dad and it is perfection. Alone with May, Ward notes that Skye is more focused than before and wonders what changed. He’s concerned something personal might get in the way of her work. “We both know that personal urges can affect tactical decisions,” he says. May agrees, replying, “That’s why I don’t have any.” Heh. 

In their compartment, Skye and Fitz pickpocket the conductor’s keys in order to gain access to the luggage area. Elsewhere, Simmons has created an entire backstory for her character and her absentee father. Just as she goes into hysterics about how daddy Coulson was never there for her mother because he was busy with his work and prostitutes, Stan Lee pops up for a great cameo to chastise Coulson. Following behind Stan and his ladies are the Cybertek men. Simmons spills her “mom’s” ashes all over them to distract them. Coulson takes the opportunity to get in this line: “Prostitutes? Plural?” 

London Calling, Jack is Back in 24: Live Another Day Superbowl Advert

Originally published on For Your Excitement.  3 February  2014.

Better by far than most of the commercials during the Super Bowl was the trailer for 24: Live Another Day. The limited run series revives TV’s greatest counterterrorism agent, Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland), as well as his go-to partner and tech support, Chloe O’Brien (Mary Lynn Rajskub).

The 12 episode series puts Bauer in London four years after 24’s series finale wherein he, once again, had to go on the run. In a show of incredibly clever marketing, Fox aired four 15-second clips for the series throughout the Super Bowl. These clips gave away nothing, not even hinting at the link to 24, aside from the distinctive clock ticking heard briefly at each clip’s end. This amped up audiences and kept them glued to the screen when the trailer itself was finally revealed.

The trailer is impressively riveting in its 34 seconds. Starting with shots of a London street, the action slowly reveals itself as gunshots and explosions rain. The quiet music culminates as we get our first glimpse of Bauer carrying a very Girl With the Dragon Tattoo Chloe and a gun (of course). As Bauer starts to fire at an unseen enemy, 24 fans everywhere knew without a doubt that Jack was back.

Set to air on Fox on May 14, 24: Live Another Day began shooting, er, filming in London last week. The series also stars Benjamin Bratt, Yvonne Strahovski, Tate Donovan, and Stephen Fry.

Why You Should Catch up on Once Upon a Time in Wonderland

Originally published on For Your Excitement.  1 February  2014.

It has been a bumpy trip down the rabbit hole for Once Upon a Time in Wonderland. The spinoff to Once Upon a Time has received mixed reviews from critics and viewers and the ratings have been slowly declining. But that’s no reason count the fantasy/romance/adventure series out. After all, Veronica Mars only pulled 2.5 million viewers its first season and it has a highly anticipated feature film coming out next month.

The basic premise of the ABC show is this: Alice travels back to Wonderland to search for her lost love, genie Cyrus. The Knave of Hearts and the White Rabbit help her against the land’s many creatures and villains, including Jafar and the Red Queen. Just like on Once proper, we get flashbacks and bits of backstory as we progress as well as ties to classic fairytales and the writings of Lewis Carroll. Seems interesting enough right?

Whether you are already a Oncer, a Wonderer, or are uninitiated in either world, Wonderland is worth your time. Here are five reasons why:

1. It Gets Better

This is important to clarify right off the bat. I know some of you watched the pilot episode and were underwhelmed at best. It’s true that Wonderland’s first outing does not grab you the way its parent show did. At first glance Wonderland is clunky and exasperating but let’s recall that many of us initially felt this way about little shows like The Office. Keep with Wonderland through the slow moments and you’ll be rewarded with stellar episodes like “Forget Me Not” (Ep. 3) and “Bad Blood” (Ep. 7).

2. The Knave of Hearts

Arguably the most entertaining character on the show, the Knave aka Will provides most of Wonderland’s humor and action. As Alice’s partner and guide in searching for Cyrus, he routinely saves the day and the episode with his cleverness and charm. Michael Socha, with his delightfully thick accent, plays Will as a fighter, lover, smartass and all around adorable rogue. As we slowly learn Will’s backstory, I found I only loved him and his puppy dog eyes even more.

3. The Red Queen

It would have been easy for Wonderland’s creative team to just make their own Evil Queen aka Regina. Instead they opted for a character who you think is a mindless pawn but slowly unfolds to reveal an emotional depth and intelligence that downright surprised me. Thanks in large part to Emma Rigby’s controlled, simmering performance, by the midseason finale it was the Red Queen’s story I most looked forward to (sorry Alice).

4. The Laughs

I love a show that makes me laugh even if it’s unintentional. Sure there are funny moments when Will cracks a joke or the Red Queen delivers a snappy insult. But there are also moments like Jafar (Naveen Andrews) surfing away on his magic carpet like he’s catching a gnarly wave. Whether I am supposed to be as amused by this show as I am, I’m not sure. I do know that I thoroughly enjoy snickering and giggling through each episode and that’s enough for me.

5. The Excellent Midseason Finale

If you’re going to convince skeptics to stick with your show when it returns three months later you need a fantastic midseason finale. Wonderland delivers in spades, tying up some loose ends and providing us with the hint of fantastical new adventures ahead. For a show that often felt artificial in its sentimentality and poignancy, I was unexpectedly moved during the finale. I credit this mostly to a knockout performance by Emma Rigby (see above). While you could watch “Home” without seeing any other episodes and you would probably get along just fine, you’d be missing out on the true emotional punch it delivers.

So do yourself a favor and binge watch all eight of Wonderland’s episodes before the show returns on March 6th. Then tune in here for weekly recaps by yours truly.

BBC America Reveals Peter Capaldi’s ‘Doctor Who’ Costume

Originally published on The Flickcast.  27 January 2014.

New Doctor means new clothes. The Twelfth Doctor is getting into the Whovian swing of things by choosing an outfit all his own. BBC America has released the first image of Doctor Who actor Peter Capaldi in what will likely be his signature costume.

At first glance, Calpaldi’s look is old school with a bit of modern flair. While there is no bowtie or extra long scarf or Converse shoes to stand out, the clothes do fit the man. As Capaldi said, “He’s woven the future from the cloth of the past. Simple, stark, and back to basics. No frills, no scarf, no messing, just 100 per cent Rebel Time Lord.”

Of course all Whovians know that the Doctor’s outfit usually has a story behind it but fans will have to wait until later this year to learn how and why the Twelfth Doctor picked his costume. The specifics of the outfit, according to BBC America, are: a dark blue Crombie coat with red lining, dark blue trousers, a white shirt and black Doc Marten shoes.

“New Doctor, new era, and of course new clothes,” lead writer and executive producer Steven Moffat added. “Monsters of the universe, the vacation is over – Capaldi is suited and booted and coming to get you!”

Filming for Capaldi’s debut season, which will include returning companion Clara (Jenna Coleman), is currently underway in Cardiff.