This Week in TV - Game of Thrones; The Vampire Diaries; Revolution

This has been a great week in TV. Game of Thrones and Revolution return in style. I have started to watch The Vampire Diaries and I know I am four seasons behind (so, no spoilers please). So, here are my thoughts.

After ten months since we last saw White Walkers and zombie horses frightened the crap out of Samwell Tarly in the season two finale of Game of Thrones, the epic tale resumed.  To me, the Tyrion/Tywin scene and Dany/Barristan Selmy scene in Valar Dohaeris were the highlights. I cannot begin to tell you how much I love the dialogues and the emotions came out of the Tyrion/Tywin scene. You know what's going to happen, right? If you have read the book. I love how Tyrion was so misunderstood and remained to be so hated by Tywin and Cersei. 

I just love to see how much Dany's dragons have grown. I know a lot of people complained about Dany in season two and in the books. But I think ultimately she was a little girl who tried to learn how to be a Queen. She had a thing about slaves, like the way Hermione felt about house elves. Dany is one of my favourite characters and I really enjoyed seeing her grow on the TV series. I love the Dany/Barristan Selmy I have goosebumps watching that scene. Someone brought this up, and I agree that the writers skipped all that mystery about Arstan Whitebeard and revealed who Barristan Selmy was. To me, I feel that perhaps season three will focus on making Dany stronger sooner. 

Moving on the Revolution. I love a good post-apocalyptic dystopian drama. What I love about Revolution right now, is Rachel. I love Elizabeth Mitchell. She is like John Winchester in Supernatural, fully of mysteries and history, but Rachel is alive and we are seeing a lot of flashbacks and backstories about the blackout etc. I think her character is adding a lot of meat to the story. I don't find Charles annoying like other fans. I actually enjoy watching the character growth. I am a sucker for love story in story like this, Jason Neville and Charlie, just get on with it please? And my god, do I want to see Miles and Bass to confront each other again? When is it going to happen again? I love seeing the whole best friends turn enemies story. It's so dark. I love it! I think Revolution is planting seeds for future episodes and seasons. For more in depth reviews, visit my friend Nicole at TVForTheRestOfUs.

I finally gave in and bought The Vampire Diaries DVDs. They were on sales at the supermarket. I know a lot of tweeps on my timeline mentioned the show. I trust my tweeps and if people are talking about it, then it can't be that bad! My initial thought is that, The Vampire Diaries is better than Twilight because I think Nina Dobrev carries the show very well as Elena and Katherine. For a start, Nina Dobrev can act, unlike K-Stew. I think Nina is very likable as an actress. I think she got it! I think the boys are ok, I mean, people talk about how hot they are. Well, I think they are ok, but not super hot like the Winchesters. I do think Damon is more interesting than Stefan, who I think is a bit boring and too good. Vamps are supported to be bad. I think Damon is more intriguing, and I like how he doesn't pretend. He fully embraced his darkness and embraced who he is -- a badass vampire. I have only finished watching season one, so don't tell me anything! Although I could look up Wiki. But no! Don't tell me anything!

Another thing about TVD is that, it is not gripping television. But it's enough. The story has moments. At times, the football and cheerleaders thing are too meh to me and I don't really like it, but I get this is part of the high school culture in America. Some of the supporting characters are too similar -- the other pretty boys. There is no key point of differentiation and I feel they are there to fill the gaps. Bonnie and Caroline are ok, I do like the witch aspects but they are not fully investing on it yet. I see Bonnie as the Chloe to Clark in Smallville, but will see. The season one finale was pretty good! Woot! Woot! 

As far as genre shows go, between TVD, True Blood and Being Human (US), I love Being Human the most. I think it's the emotion take on it, and there is something about Being Human, you know? With True Blood, I just can't get into it, I don't know what it is, but I just can't get into it. So, yes, TVD not gripping and I've been told it won't get any more gripping, but there is enough for me to keep watching.

My review of this week's Supernatural 'Taxi Driver' is coming. I won't write a review without watching it at least three times. So, it's coming.

Revolution Returns - Kripke Speaks!

So, after how months, Revolution is back on Monday 25 March on NBC. It has been a long hiatus, but if I can survive the hiatus of Game of Thrones, I can survive any hiatus! I think the show is interesting and it has a lot of potential. I support genre, I support Eric Kripke, I love Elizabeth Mitchell. 

Kripke recently gave a great interview about Revolution and the possibility of bringing in Jim Beaver and Misha Collins in as guest stars. He also mentioned that Mark Pellegrino will be back. I am excited! Can he bring Rob Benedict, Matt Cohen and Richard Speight Jr to guest star too? Anyone who is dead on Supernatural basically! They can be the Ben Linus, Daniel Faraday and Desmond Hume on Revolution. 

You can read the interview on IGN.

Also a big shout out to my friend Nicole at TV For The Rest Of Us for her articles about Revolution and the recent webisodes.

Thank You 2012, I Was Entertained This Year

If you are reading this feature, it means the world didn't end on the 21st December and I have recovered from the family Christmas madness. I know some of you are disappointed about the end of the world -- especially one super X-Files fan who believes in Chris Carter for the past 20 years. The truth is most of us are happier to see other people saving the world from the apocalypse or living in one or killing zombies on TV shows and movies. I don't know about you, but my entertainment is set for the next few years! The world is not perfect, but at least we are giving the opportunity to escape into another dimension the moment we turn on our entertainment devices.

An affogato isn't the same without ice cream. When it's Supernatural, if there is no angst no drama, it isn't fun. 

One of the biggest changes that we saw this year was the changing of the guard from previous showrunner Sera Gamble to Jeremy Carver. I was very sad and worried to see Sera go but the announcement of the return of Jeremy Carver at the same time was comforting. Apart from Ben Edlund, I cannot think of anyone else but Jeremy Carver to helm the show I love so much.

I am very happy with the direction of season eight. The core of the show still remains the same -- it is about the brothers saving people hunting things, the family business! But Jeremy and the writing team are putting details under the microscope. We are digging deeper into details within details, just like when we write academic papers -- we dig, we research, we focus on different aspects, but the paper is still the same subject matter. On Supernatural, we are seeing our heroes -- Dean, Sam and Castiel -- gaining different perspectives about each other, family, life, friendship, hunting and monsters. These new perspectives are hovering over the core theme of the show -- the brother relationship. 

Off the set, the cast has a very busy and fun year too -- Jensen's Angeles is like one of the best songs I've heard all year; Jared and Gen became first time parents; Misha, Vicky and West welcomed a new family to the family; Supernatural was in Hall H once again at Comic Con; and I am proud to be an attendee at one of the conventions this year in Chicago. The magnitude and charisma of Supernatural is unbelievable. As Eric Kripke said, Supernatural is like seeing his kids growing up and going to colleague. We are proud to be fans of Supernatural. 

In terms of other shows, I was really sad to see the end of Lost, 24 and Smallville. I asked myself: what am I going to watch and blog about now? I was desperately looking for good new shows to watch and I was concerned that I won't find any. But time has changed! We live in the beginning of the golden era of the genre shows!

We are seeing a wave of awesome genre shows in recent years and most of them are worthy to stick around -- Arrow, A Game of Thrones, Once Upon A Time, The Walking Dead, The Vampire Diary, Grimm, True Blood, Revolution, Dr Who, Falling Skies, Being Human and Warehouse 13. With S.H.I.E.L.D is in development, television is going to be better! And I hope we will see medical dramas and procedural cop shows to die down a little, because I think TV viewers have enough of them! They are all the friggin same! And if anyone is looking for a new reality show idea, STOP! JUST STOP! Unless it involves the Ghost Facers or Derren Brown, I don't want to know! 

Eric Kripke's new show, Revolution, is kicking ass! Comparing the show with Lost and Supernatural is not unheard of, but Revolution is the new Lost in terms of the scale and epicness. I told myself, this show cannot fail! Kripke's work deserves to be seen by more people and people need to know he is very good at what he does! Now we have to wait until March to see the second half of season one of Revolution.

Apart from Revolution, I most look forward to the return of A Game of Thrones. I love a HBO show and I hate a HBO show. The hiatus of A Game of Thrones is as long as a season of Supernatural being on air. How is that NOT insanity? I am currently reading A Dance With Dragons, I probably will revisit A Storm of Swords soon to get ready for season three of A Game of Thrones. The TV series is known that the TV series will not follow the book chapter by chapter, in fact I am a little disappointed how little Dany's prophecies were covered in season two, but it is still more than acceptable for television. A Game of Thrones is a great show! The book series is much bigger than Lord of the Rings. It is the most epic thing I've read. I hope season three will be really epic. Mr GRRM, please hurry up and finish writing The Wind of Winter and A Dream of Spring.

Once Upon A Time is becoming a favorite show of mine. I really look forward to the arrival of Hook and Cora, and how things will develop with Emma. I hope we get to see Baelfire. Please! Please let Nail be Baelfire! I am rewatching season one now, and I want to get up to speed so that I can blog about theories and my wishlist.

2012 has been a game-changing year for Joss Whedon and Marvel going forward. The battle between DC and Marvel intensifies in 2013 as Superman, Iron Man III and Thor 2, and more to follow in 2014 and 2015 with Captain America II, The Avengers II and (hopefully) Justice League. Marvel's phase II is in place, and DC is playing catch up. But this battle will set the trend and define the entertainment business for the next decade. It will also be the decade that belongs to the geeks!

But who will come out as the winner? Let's not kid ourselves, it is war! Fans love Whedon, it was the best decision from Marvel to involve him for The Avengers and other projects such as S.H.I.E.L.D. What would the complacent DC do to compete? We will compare them, we will criticize them, we will see Comic Con as the main PR battle ground for the studios. This is exciting for fans! I cannot wait to see Twilight to get out of the way (and I wish the 50 Shades movie will never see the living daylight). I want more superheroes movies.

What do you most look forward to in 2013 and beyond? 

As this is the last post of the year, I want to take this opportunity to thank you all for sharing and caring this year. I wish you all a wondering New Year and a very awesome 2013.

TV Shows: Who Stays And Who Goes?

TVByTheNumbers has a great article about TV network's business model and which shows they think will go and stay. 

It's a very early stage, but any good signs are good signs! All my favorites are looking great for a renewal! These shows include Supernatural, Revolution, Arrow, New Girl, Glee and Once Upon A Time, plus The Big Bang Theory has already been renewed. HBO's A Game of Thrones should get a full ride to season four, I hope they have at least six seasons! The Song of Ice and Fire is a big series! 

Also by looking at this list, JJ Abrams, Eric Kripke and Ryan Murphy own/ create/ exec produce two shows each -- Supernatural/ Revolution for Kripke; Revolution/ Person of Interest for Abrams; Glee/The New Normal for Murphy. Abrams also has Fringe, which is on its last season and Murphy has American Horror Stories, which is apparently a mini-series. Whatever! Did you spot others? Let me know.

On something completely different, but depends on how you look at it. EW has named Joss Whedon 'Winner of the Decade". This is how they justify it. I do not disagree! I think Joss and his work are awesome. With the up-coming TV series S.H.I.E.L.D, Joss' cult status is going to go off the planet! He deserves it! Seeing I am also a big fan of the Kripke Master.. the 'Winner of the Next Decade' should be Eric Kripke. Just saying!

I cannot wait to watch S.H.I.E.L.D!

The Apocalypse Is Upon Us - So I've Heard

December 21 is the end of the Mayan Calender. If we are sitting in the writer's room of Supernatural, The X Files, The Walking Dead, Revolution, Falling Skies, Lost...you name it -- there is a LOT of things we can flash out that will look awesome on television. We are obsessed with the end of world scenarios in popular culture -- demons walk the earth, angels get involved, zombies eat brains, militia takes over, aliens colonize earth, cataclysmic events. Very cliche but we love the angst, the darkness and special effects that blow our minds. Our heroes will come to the rescue! Dean and Sam Winchester can pretty much handle all kinds of monsters, demons and zombies. We'll leave the aliens to Mulder and Scully, and Tom Mason. We'll leave the militia to Miles and Charlie. For everything else, there is Mastercard. 

While I am not too excited about this year's Christmas for some reasons, I am sure December 22 will see the dawn. My family has already wrapped all my Christmas presents and organised the Christmas menus. Those things cannot go to waste. Some of my friends start spamming my inbox with articles about the trending topic -- The Apocalypse. Unless it's a Supernatural or Revolution spoiler, I don't want to know! But they are interesting read! Here is one.

Business Insider has identified 14 places to hide out during the apocalypse. Great! It seems to me that some places are only for the rich and famous. But wait, the only Australia city that was mentioned was Perth. Oh Perth, you put the Dullsville in Dullsville, Dullsville! Two other locations caught my eyes. The first one is the concrete apartment buildings in Warsaw, which are like the ultimate safe houses. The second one is Mount Weather, Virginia, it is home to FEMA's National Emergency Coordinating Center. This is where they moved Dick Cheney to after 9/11. Wait.. they didn't use the Stargate? 

We are fascinated with the Apocalypse, for some of us it is our obsession with vampires and zombies. Principal Figgins thinks vampires are real. Our PM, Julia Gillard warned us about zombies. In an recent CNN article, it mentioned the work of a researcher, Jerry Piven. He said "an apocalypse almost embeds a tale of fantasy into reality and provides safe theater for exploring death." Robb Willer, an associate professor of sociology at University of California, Berkeley said "...the apocalypse can be a spectator sport and a reality show for some people." Perhaps, we hate our lives so much that we sit on our asses all day and secretly hope the world will end soon, so we don't have to go to work, pay our bills or tell our partners we want a break up because they like Michael Bublé.

But the reality is, the end of the humanity is not fictional. Global warming; an all out nuclear war between nations; the break out of an incurable disease; the low supply of resources and food; the universe can just switch itself off; and according to this website, "...a plague that wipes out 70% of humanity might actually ensure the survival of our species in the longer-term." The 'Doomsday Seed Vault' is a real place in the mountains of Svalbard and selling bunkers for people to survive the Apocalypse is not unheard of. There are things we can do individually to help prolong the life of Earth. And seriously, if our planet is suddenly hit by another planet, there is nothing we can do about it. It's not like we can evacuate everyone via space ships or a Stargate.

Natural disasters, however, happen all the time and they are happening more frequently than I've ever noticed. My household has one philosophy -- our pantry is always full, as in 'enough-for-zombie-attack-full'. And my brother actually has a bug out bag. Shit happens. Look at SuperSandy! Aussie summer can be dangerous with all the bush fire and stuff. So, it's not a bad idea to be prepared! 

I think whatever happens under whatever the circumstance, it reveals who we really are. We live in a very paranoid world, when shit happens, will we become heroes or will we become weak and selfish than we already are? Who are you likely to become if you are a character on Lost or Revolution?
 
And if the world does end on the December 21, what will happen to all of us? If you think demons will walk the earth, zombies will eat brains, militia will take over and aliens will colonize Earth, you can channel your inner Kripke and post your thoughts on Fanfiction.

This Week In TV - Revolution; OUAT; Smash; The Walking Dead

It seems that I've watched a lot of TV this week (more like last week) and I am also doing a Supernatural season two and Lost (from the beginning) rewatch.

Revolution -- Nobody's Fault But Mine

This mid-season finale is really epic. You can go read Nicole's review on this for more details. Nobody's Fault But Mine is a great way to wrap up a few storylines. It has the Kripke trademark and I think his team is mastering the arts of story-telling. Most important, this tells me the series is well planned. To me, this mid-season finale is the end of one chapter. While there are heaps to reveal, others things that should be wrapped up were wrapped up. Everyone who should be rescued, got rescued -- Danny and Rachel. Nobody died and nobody got left behind. Charlie is growing up as a strong young woman and learning to stand up for her family. And she finally found Danny. Thank you! Rachel helped Bass to switch the power back on. To what extend? Time will tell. The helicopter scene at the end was like watching a 'supposedly not operational Death Star' functional. The show down between two best friends -- Bass and Miles were definitely the highlight of this episode and the first half the season. We still don't now what made the best buddies to turn against each other, but the guys were bitter and angry. Bass is playing sympathy for the devil, but I am sure there is more to his past. David Lyons definitely has one of the best man cries on television, like Matthew Fox on Lost or Jensen Ackles on Supernatural. Lyons' tears have so much anger, you cannot help to feel his pain when Miles told him he meant nothing to him, he was not family...Ouch! This mid-season finale did not disappoint. I really enjoyed it! Bring it Georgia Federation! Whatever you're gonna do!

Revolution is now on a super long hiatus! It returns on Monday, March 25, 2013.

Once Upon A Time -- The Crocodile and The Doctor

I know! I am a few episodes behind! There are so many shows to watch, some of them will have to wait until they get fast-tracked to Australia. Channel Seven is treating OUAT pretty good this season, we get two episodes per week -- Tuesday and Thursday. I watched The Crocodile and The Doctor, which were aired last week in Australia.

The Crocodile took us back to the weak and helpless Rumpelstiltskin in the past, which I love to watch! And I really love to see the contrast of a character's past and present all in one episode. My bro finds it confusing, but I survived Lost, so OUAT is a piece of cake! The contrast helps me to understand the story and the complicity of the character. I think this is a great way to tell a story. A show has got to give viewers layers, otherwise it will be as boring as James Bond.

I was really looking forward to see Killian Jones (aka Captain Hook). I have heard nothing but great things about him. What I love about OUAT is that you get to see the backstory and transformation of the iconic fairy tale characters. I particular enjoyed Pinocchio and Mad Hatter, who are two of my favorite characters and now Captain Hook is growing on me. 

The Dark One, Rumpelstiltskin, continues to be one of the best written and performed character on the show. Rumpelstiltskin is a very mysterious character, but now we know he and Captain Hook had a history, it makes it more interesting. Don't you love it when you see two villains face off against each other? It's not the traditional good versus evil show down. It's like watching Alien versus Predictor. One question remains, where the HELL is Baelfire?

The story of The Doctor focused on Victor Frankenstein -- he is obsessed with science, not magic. The Doctor was directed by Paul A Edwards, who also directed last week's Hunteri Heroici of Supernatural, I thought I mentioned that! What I love about this episode is the visual presentation of Dr Frankenstein's lab, this kind of black and white, almost metallic look was awesome! It kinda reminds me of Dr Horrible too! Did I see it coming -- Dr Whale being Dr Frankenstein? No. But now that I know he is Dr Frankenstein, it makes his Dr Whales more interesting, because to be honest, Dr Whales was as boring as my cupcakes! I love that he is in the story but he is probably the only one who believes in science more than magic. Where is the bride?

One more thing, I thought Regina's not-so-evil-self in Storybrooke is weird. She is somewhat powerless and her power is limited. What will happen when her mother arrive? Regina is our Evil Queen. Be evil! I do feel sorry for Regina, her backstory is really interesting. Every girl can cry for a guy, Regina is no exception.

As for Emma and Snow, I miss them! We don't see them on every episode and when we do, there ain't enough! Also does Emma still call Snow as Mary Margaret? Will we hear her saying 'Mum' soon? 

Season two of Once Upon A Time returns on January 6, 2013 on ABC.

Smash -- Boomshell

I should know by now what to expect when it comes to Smash. This show could have been a smash hit. I get the theater business drama, backstepping, the girl next-door blah blah, the music and the story, the material was good, but it wasn't as well written as I expected. It's like my banana cake, I know I miss a step, I know I forget to add oil. I know there is something wrong with it, but it still looks ok and tastes ok. Just ok.

But I keep coming back for more! I secretly hope Smash to be a great show. It is just not! While there are heaps of WTF moments, but I still watch it! I still compare it with Glee. Now that Glee is following Rachel and Kurt to New York, every fiber in my body tells me "this is how Smash should be". I know they are different shows and of course the writers have different way of exploring the uniqueness of the shows. Anyway... 

Boomshell is a better episode of Smash. It was a good season finale. Everything was wrapped up and Karen was the chosen one to play Marilyn. I don't really care about a lot of them including Dev and Ellis. Whatever. I've learnt how to accept Smash, just watch it and don't yell at it. Don't expect anything! I particular didn't like the montage of the musical Boomshell, and we only got one full song in the end. The look on the faces of Julia, Tom and Eileen look relieved rather than proud. May be they are proud. But I see that as a relief to see the show begins and ends with no major problem on stage and off stage. As an audience, I feel relief too. Thank GOD this season is over! We can now move on to Jennifer Hudson! I saw the promo for season two the other day. Promo is always good even for The CW's Beauty And The Beast, but I think and I hope Jennifer Hudson's voice will at least move me the way Rachel does for Glee.

Smash season two returns on February 12, 2013 on NBC. Not sure how many episodes it will get. I guess depends how good or bad it is. Season one didn't exactly live up to the expectation.  

The Walking Dead 

I've started watching The Walking Dead! Yay! The first episode really grabbed me! I love a good nonsense zombie drama. It's not just zombies eating people or people kissing zombies -- who does that except Robert Carlye, right? It's one of those shows I need a break from it every two to three episode because it's so depressing! And because of the hot and sticky condition, I don't recommend watching it during a very hot Aussie summer day (or night). The show is into its third season, I am very behind. No spoilers please. Just let me enjoy it! 

It certainly has the I Am Legend vibe. But like IAL, I don't find one-man-show boring, Rick (Andrew Lincoln) is a very good actor, I've loved him since Love Actually! The story gets more interesting as more characters are introduced.

As 2013 approaches, apart from Supernatural and others, I am super excited about A Game of Thrones. I am half way through A Dance With Dragons, and I am starting to care about what Melisandra has to say. She is either very good at what she does or sucks at her craft. Either way, I think Jon Snow is the real deal in every sense of the word! 

On that note, see ya!

Kripke's 'Revolution' To Feature Led Zeppelin Tracks

We know Master Kripke is obsessed with Led Zeppelin. Supernatural references a lot of Zeppelin, the titles of their tracks and lyrics in the script, but their songs were never played. One of the most memorable references is when Dean channeled Kripke's obsession in episode 4.18 The Monster At The End Of This Book. Dean was asked about his favourite songs, and his answer was "a tie between Zeppelin's Ramble On and Traveling Riverside Blues." 

And now with Revolution, Master Kripke can finally get the opportunity to use not one but two Zeppelin's tracks -- Kashmir and Since I’ve Been Loving You -- in an upcoming episode which airs next week, November 19th. Apparently, an email was sent from Warner-Chappell Music to studio producers and see if anyone wanted to use Zeppelin's music on their shows. I can imagine Kripke's reaction at the time of receiving and reading this email. If anyone is writing a scene depicting this moment, please send link! 

This is part of the Led Zeppelin’s Celebration Day album initiative, a companion documentary on DVD will also be released next week. That's right, same week as the Revolution episode.

For more information, check out KSiteTV and Washington Post   

As a silly side note, I think Master Kripke can so do a Zeppelin themed karaoke night at any Supernatural conventions. Just saying....

This Week in TV - Revolution; Once Upon A Time

When it comes to television, Fall is truly my favorite season and summer is literally just around the corner (well, for the Aussies anyway). I miss the sunshine, but I miss my shows more. What does it say about me? If your answer is rude, keep it to yourself. ^_^

Apart from reviewing the season eight premiere of Supernatural, I also have some thoughts about a few other shows that I watched this week -- Revolution and Once Upon A Time. 

Revolution -- 1.02 Chained Heat and 1.3 No Quarter did not disappoint. I enjoyed it more than I expected. I thought they were really good follow up episodes. First and foremost, this is a new show and it is not crap, I have established that much. It's too early to tell if this is one of the best shows ever, but then again, it depends on who you are. My mum still thinks Hart To Hart is the best damn show on earth. My point is, give it time and keep an open mind! And most importantly, just enjoy the show! It takes time to build a story and its characters. Let Kripke work his magic! I know a lot of fans are watching it and comparing it with Lost and Supernatural. Kripke always has something to say about family and survival. It's his thing! 

One of the key themes that emerges from Chained Heat and No Quarter is the Militia vs the Rebel (the Resistance) story. I like this plot. What turns Munroe to the dark side? What turns a friend to go against another? What does Rachel know about it? What happen to Grace? And what exactly does Ben know about the power? All these questions are intriguing. In No Quarter, the biggest twist is that Miles was the general of the Militia, he set the rules and he started everything. His backstory in which Munroe and Jeremy were involved was cool. They seem like the innocent partners to Miles but what went wrong? What turned them into villains of the stories? I love Mark Pellegrino as Jeremy! I think his performance was brilliant in No Quarter and I hope he will be a regular on the show. We also find out Grace build a computer and the amulet is a power source that is enough to power up the music and the iPhone. That was cool. I think the amulet is solar, and is it like a Wifi charger that we have not seen in today's world yet? 

By episode three, I figure that we are getting answers to some questions, enough for the story to go on and keep us interested. Like Lost, we didn't find out what that black monster is until very later on in the series. But at least for Revolution, we are getting probably 1/4 of the answers about the amulet. Which makes me think that Revolution has a well-planned story to tell, we need to stick around for it.

Once Upon A Time -- 2.1 Broken. What a way to return for OUAT! I think it's on most fans' minds -- who is that mysterious man in New York? Could he be Baelfire? That's my first impression. First of all, the mysterious man knows about Storybrooke, he may know the magic too. Secondly, someone who knows about Storybrooke is communicating with the mysterious man, either from the inside or somewhere close to the town. I am guessing it's August. Thirdly, whatever this mysterious man in New York is, he could be the man August was talking to on the phone in season one. If this is the case, this mysterious man is working with August.

I think Baelfire and August are working together. We know so little about Henry's father, who could be just some random guy or not. He could be someone who planned this all along. While Henry isn't anyone magical, he is an important figure in Emma's and Regina's life, I don't think his existence is random. I think it makes sense that his father is something out of the ordinary. August does have a memory of Emma and is aware of everything. I assume Baelfire's memory is intact and he remembers everything from his childhood. Perhaps Baelfire knows about Emma, Mr Gold and magic, but obviously Emma doesn't know him as Baelfire. That's just my theory.

And how funny was it to see Charming, Snow (who are now grandparents) with Henry and Emma together! Also, how will Emma and Snow get out? My guess is either the Huntsman or Jefferson. Hopefully Emma and Snow won't be there for too long. The only thing that didn't really work for me is Sleeping Beauty and Mulan. That part of the story seem a little out of place to me and I find it a bit difficult to connect. 

It's no secret that Captain Hook is a regular this season. And Jefferson is still around in the modern day. I tell you what.. Jefferson and August are two of my favorite characters on the show. And I want to see them more! Speaking of August, I wonder when he will due back. Here are the clips for next week. When it comes to spoilers for OUAT, I can handle it. With Emma gone, looks like Charming is the new sheriff. Who's gonna stop him right? He is the Prince! 

In coming weeks, I will also blog about Derren Brown -- an English illusionist, mentalist, hypnotist, painter, writer and sceptic. I am very excited about this. I don't know how he does what he does, but he is damn good at what he does! 

Have a nice TV week folks.

Pellegrino, Ford and Stashwick To Join Revolution

Is Kripke doing a Joss Whedon by casting actors he's worked with previously? YES! Kripke has cast not one but three actors Supernatural fans are familiar with -- Mark Pellegrino, Colin Ford and Todd Stashwick. OH MY GOD! 

Mark Pellegrino is no stranger to television fans, this guy is an in-demand actor, he has appeared on show such as Supernatural, Lost, Chuck, Dexter, Being Human, Castle and Closer, to name a few. And of course, Pellegrino is one of my favourite actors. I love him as Lucifer (Supernatural) and Jacob (Lost). LOVE! And now he is going to be on Revolution. I am literally shaking with excitement. And of course, the excitement doesn't stop with Pellegrino, young Sammy Colin Ford and Funny Dracular Todd Stashwick are also joining Revolution. 

According to sources, we know little about Pellegrino's role. Ford will play a kid who's been taken by the militia and Stashwick will play a drug lord. I don't know if they will be in the same episode, but I am guessing they may not. Watch this space for more details.

Eric Kripke's Revolution - The Premiere Review

Revolution is a brand new drama created by Eric Kripke, who also serves as an Executive Producer with J.J. Abrams, Bryan Burk and Jon Favreau. The premiere is written by Kripke and directed by Favreau. The story takes place in the post-apocalyptic world without electricity. Revolution definitely reminds me of a number of recent dramas such as Jericho, Terra Nova, Falling Skies, Lost and Terminator Salvation. I have also previously blogged about the documentary Life After People which may or may not have inspired the theme and the landscape of the story. Despite the familiar elements, Revolution shows great promise and I will definitely keep tuning in. 

The premiere sets up a great journey for our group of heroes including the series stars Billy Burke as Uncle Miles, Tracy Spiridakos as Charlie, Graham Rogers as Charlie's brother Danny and Zak Orth as Arron. We then have the Militia soldiers Giancarlo Esposito as Neville and David Lyons as Monroe. We also have the 'not sure if they are the good guys or the bad guys' including Maria Howell as Grace and J. D. Pardo as a militia solider Nate. The cast is not as big as Lost, but there are enough there to build a great plot. A few characters definitely have some prior history between them, the story is set to give it a reasonable attention. The premiere raises a lot of questions which will be answered through out the season. Kripke is the kind of writer who doesn't just throw questions without answering them. He doesn't just create characters who serve no purpose to the bigger picture.

Revolution focuses on the 'WHAT IF' story -- What if the electricity is turned off? What kind of world would we be living in? And what kind of human beings would we become? How do we pick ourselves up after the apocalypse? The last scene of the episode contains one of the biggest questions of all "WHAT NOW?" which in itself contains a lot of other questions -- What causes the blackout? Who is behind the blackout? What is their agenda? What happen in the past 15 years? What is the relationship between Ben (Charlie's father), Uncle Milies and Monroe? What's with the amulet? What's the deal with Grace and her Dharma Initiative-like workstation? Who is on the other side of the communication? What happens to Charlie's mum Rachel? Played by Elizabeth Mitchell, Rachel is said to have died, but I seriously doubt that she is dead. Clearly, Rachel is aware of the big 'problem' and I can't wait to see Mitchell's return to the show. Of course, these are just some of the questions to be answered by Kripke and the team this season. No way I am letting this show off my radar.

In an recent interview, Kripke speaks of some of the similarities between Revolution and Supernatural, and everything else that influences hi such as Lords of the Rings, Star Wars and Joseph Campbell's concept of the hero's journey. While Favreau reckons Kripke's work goes beyond these influences, it is a post-apocalyptic version A Game of Thrones. I can only assume he is referring to the epicness and the complexity of the hero's journey, and relationship between characters, and how everything intertwines in the grand scheme of things. 

The premiere ticks a lot of boxes. The story is very well paced, well directed, well written and well performed. I enjoy the dialogues and the interactions between characters, there is a lot of good chemistry. The main characters are well defined and I think this show will be very heavy on character development. I love the fact that Charlie is this female version of Luke Skywalker or simply Arya Stark in A Game of Thrones, and Uncle Miles is the 'older version of Dean Winchester and Han Solo'. The way he takes down the entire team of Militia soldiers all by himself is like John McClane in Die Hard or Lara Croft in Tomb Raider or MacGyver. The post-apocalyptic landscape is believable and beautiful. The sword and bow fighting scenes are quite awesome. We are in the future but our tools are back to basic. The music is composed by Christopher Lennertz, who also did Supernatural. Revolution's soundtrack is not overpowering the main plot and it is very subtle. The closing credit music is definitely in the spirit of A Game of Throne. 

There are a few scenes which remind me of Lost -- the airplane Charlie and co discover in the field trip; the turned over bus that Charlie and Danny investigate at the beginning of the episode is like the hatch; the computer Grace uses in the last scene looks just like the one used by the Dharma Initiative; the journey across towns is very Lost-like. There are also a few scenes remind me of Supernatural -- the muscle car and AD/DC at the beginning of the episode is a treat for Kripke's fans, and the amulet in Supernatural went to the bin but the one in Revolution is established as an important piece of power source or a key. And then there is the family theme -- Ben is like John Winchester and Rachel is like Mary Winchester; the sibling relationship of Charlie and Danny is like Dean and Sam; and the whole "You're supposed to look after him" speech between Ben and Charlie reminds me of John Winchester and Dean. 

There is something for everyone. Personally, I love the post-apocalyptic kind of stories. I think Revolution is intriguing, it's mysterious, it has a lot of questions, it is character driven, it is about family, and it is about the near future we could find ourselves in. What would Apple and Google do?

Overall, I am very happy with Revolution. Having comparing the show with Lost and Supernatural, Revolution deserves to be viewed independently from the previous work of Kripke and Abrams. I think the show will prove its worth to fans and critics. I am a big fan of Eric Kripke's work and I will definitely keep watching it. There is so much there to keep me coming back for more. What do you think of Revolution? 

PS: Seeing Supernatural is the priority of this blog, I will review Revolution every few weeks rather than giving an in depth review every week. I hope you can come back and let me share my thoughts with you. 

Revolution Extended Preview; Life After People

It is like watching a movie trailer, except it isn't a movie trailer. It is the extended trailer for Eric Kripke's new epic baby. Although I am not sure if 'baby' can be epic.. but there is always a first time. So here it is, the extended trailer of NBC's Revolution, premiering on Monday, September 17th on NBC. Check your local guide for details.


I don't know Tracy Spiridakos who plays Charlie in Revolution, she was on Syfy's Being Human, but I don't remember her at all. It seems that Charlie could be similar to A Game of Thrones' Daenerys Targaryen (played by Emilia Clarke) in terms of the journey of becoming a strong female character. Charlie is prominently featured in the trailer, and for some weird reason I really like that take on the strong female character. Tracy Spiridakos, like Emilia Clarke, can be a superstar by the end of the season!

I have NOT watched the finale of Once Upon A Time, what does it mean to Giancarlo Esposito's character? Intriguing! I am three episodes away from the season one finale of OUAT, I may or may not start writing about it as fairytale is not my usual forte.

There is a documentary by the History Channel which I got into a few years called Life After People. It is probably one of the most intriguing documentaries I have seen ever! It is features a series of amazing computer generated footages on what might happen on Earth if humanity suddenly disappear. Real life scientists, structural engineers and other experts also talk about a number of scenarios, and the impact of human extinction on the environment and the civilization humans left behind. If you are really into the post-apocalyptic genre, I highly recommend this documentary. You won't be disappointed with the footages and the scenarios the document presents. I got the DVD from a local store, I am sure it is easy enough to find a copy.

PS -- I have been swamped with writing papers for my study, which is good in a way because I really want to do well and I am really a lot about writing process. I have a few fun special feature ideas which I would like to focus on in the next few months for the Impala's Trunk, and don't forget the Supernatural season seven awards feature (written by my Twitter friends and myself). So busy! Before we know it, season eight of Supernatural will be here!

Revolution - Mythology, questions and answers

I love Lost as you know, but there are unanswered questions. It is fun to let viewers' imaginations run wild and interpret anything they like based on what they know and see on the show. But it also gets frustrating for some viewers! But you can't deny the fact that Lost is one of the most talked about shows in recent years. It gets you talking about it!

When it comes to watching JJ Abrams's shows such as Lost, as a viewer I kind of half expect what Ron Weasley would call it "you're going to suffer but you're going to be happy about it."

To me, Revolution is about Eric Kripke. If you're too familiar with Abrams' works and you're kind of thinking 'oh jeez, it's Lost all over again.' Try look at it as a Kripke baby, and it is! Let's be honest, Master Kripke is driving the show's mythology, answers and questions. What I love about Kripke's style of story telling is that yes he throws a lot of questions to the audience but he always gives you answers, as he did in Supernatural. As a viewer, you think about the questions for awhile, it drives you nuts for awhile, but at the right moment before you go completely insane, he gives you answers. And then you worship him! Apart from Kripke's story telling style, if you are unfamiliar with his style, he is a big fan of epic storyline, everything plays a part in a grand scheme of things. Expect the 'family is everything, without family people can't survive" theme. Expect a lot of character driven stuff. For some reasons, I don't think his signature use of 'sense of humor', 'one liners' and 'pop culture reference' will be as prominently featured on Revolution as Supernatural, but we'll see.

And for Revolution, he has already said that he has lined-up all the questions and answers, which is AWESOME! I really cannot wait to watch the show. While I know very little about the cast, I do know Elizabeth Mitchell has joined the show. I like Juliet on Lost, which I thought was surprising considering her introduction wasn't that riveting, but once they'd gone back in time to Dharma time, her character grew on me. And, I kind like her performance in V. Anyway, I know the kind of performance Elizabeth Mitchell can deliver, so at least there is no powerhouse acting I can expect from the show.

When talking about Supernatural at Comic Con, Eric Kripke referred it as his 'child growing up and going to college" and he is so proud of it. Supernatural is in good hands and it is not broken, he trusts Jeremy Carver who he calls him as one of the best writers on Supernatural. The two has chemistry in the writing room and you can tell how impressed Kripke was during the In The Beginning commentary on the season five DVD. If you haven't watched the episode with their commentary, I highlight recommend it.

So, anyway, that's all I have for Revolution -- premieres on Monday, September 17th (10pm) on NBC.

Peace out!

[Update] Comic Con Reminder

[Sexy nerds, I have updated the below post, see orange. There are a few guest changes, main for the Game of Thrones panel. And also the Comic Con Goodie bags designs are out...check out the Supernatural one below. Not long to go!!!] 

Nerds, get ready for Comic Con 2012! Who is exciting? I am but too bad I am not going to be there. That means, I will be pretty much glued to Twitter to get the latest and the hottest from this year's event.

As a reminder, here are a list of panels that I'll be following in real-time:

At Comic Con

(In order of appearance)

Friday July 13 (12:30pm) -- Firefly 10-Year Anniversary

Guests: Joss Whedon, Nathan Fillion, Adam Baldwin, Gina Torres, Alan Tudyk, Morena Baccarin, Sean Maher, and Summer Glau. (Ballroom 20)

Friday July 13 (2:45pm) -- Game of Thrones

Guests: Alfie Allen, Emilia Clarke, Michelle Fairley, Kit Harington, Lena Headey, Richard Madden, *Rose Leslie, George R. R. Martin, and Carolyn Strauss (Hall H).

[*Update: Kit Harington and Lena Headey have unfortunately cancelled their appearance due to conflict of schedule. And Lord Snow has an injured ankle. Guess Ghost wasn't there to help. Rose Leslie (aka Ygritte) has been added to the panel. At least one Targaryen will be there.. and not one Lannister this year! You know they could bring Mamoa back..]

Friday July 13 (5:30pm) -- Joss Whedon 

Guest: The one and only, Mr Joss Whedon (Ballroom 20)

Saturday July 14 (11am) -- Once Upon a Time

Guests: Edward Kitsis, Adam Horowitz, Ginnifer Goodwin, Jennifer Morrison, Josh Dallas, Lana Parilla, Emilie De Ravin, and Meghan Ory (Ballroom 20)

*NEW! Saturday July 14 (1:00pm) -- Misha Collins, Jim Beaver and Mark Sheppard (Channel Surfing, the IGN TV podcast)

Guests: Misha, Jim and Mark will join other guests for this special live recording podcast session, hosted by the very awesome Eric Goldman of IGN.

Saturday July 14 (2:30pm) -- Ben Edlund

Guest: The one and only, Mr Ben Edlund (Room 8)

Saturday July 14 (6pm) -- Revolution

Guests: Eric Kripke and stars Billy Burke, Giancarlo Esposito, Tracy Spiridakos, and J.D. Pardo for a screening and Q&A. (Room 6BCF)

Sunday July 15 (11:15am) -- Supernatural returns to Hall A!!

Guests: Join Jensen Ackles, Jared Padalecki, Misha Collins, Jim Beaver and Mark A. Sheppard, as well as new executive producer Jeremy Carver and consulting producer Ben Edlund for Q&A. Fans will also see an exclusive video presentation featuring series highlights, as well as a portion of the special features from the upcoming Supernatural: The Complete Seventh Season DVD and Blu-ray release. (Hall H)

(Meaning? We may not get to see any clips from the episode that is currently directed by Jensen. I think because of the season seven finale cliffhanger, it will be a little premature to show fans anything. I kinda like that.)

[Update: WB has revealed their shows' goodie bags.. I tell ya, I would love to have the Supernatural.. think they may sell it at Supernatural Conventions sometimes.. hummm. Damn you Supernatural for causing damages to my wallet!! See all WB designs here]



For a full schedule visit the official website of Comic Con.

 Off-Sites Panels -- Nerd HQ

The nerds are back! The Nerd Machine will host a number of off-site panels -- Conversations for a Cause. Here are a few panels I will be keeping an eye on...

Thursday July 12 
12pm -- Chuck

Friday July 13
4:30pm -- Nathan Fillion

Saturday July 14 
3pm -- Joss Whedon
4:30pm -- Damon Lindelof

Sunday July 15
3pm – Jared Padalecki   
4:30pm -- Zachary Levi

Last year's panels were recorded, so look out for any signs of videos if you can't get tickets to attend.

For a complete schedule, you can visit Comic Con Geeks and Zap2It for more details.

Comic Con news -- Firefly reunion; Revolution

This is the moment Firefly fans has been waiting for you. It's been ten years since Joss Whedon's Firefly embarked on a journey that ended far too quickly, it was almost illegal for FOX to cancel it. Since then, the show became a hot topic attracting endless questions from fans whenever they get the chance to ask Joss questions at talks and conventions. For those who have seen the special feature on the DVD...how many times have you cried over it?

It's time to hug. Joss Whedon, Nathan Fillion, Adam Baldwin, Gina Torres, Alan Tudyk, Morena Baccarin, Sean Maher, Summer Glau among others will celebrate with fans its 10th anniversary on Friday July 13 in Ballroom 20 (12:30-1:30pm). Source: ACESHOWBIZ

In other news, here is the mock up of the Revolution banner on the Hilton Hotel building. Oh EPIC! The show is hosting two preview screenings and a panel session at Comic Con this year on Saturday July 14. According to report, the banner will be on the side of the Hilton Bayfront. If you're there, please tweet a photo. Source: EW

A mock up..