Pride & Prejudice Review: Episode 5

**Spoilers**

If you have not yet seen this episode, please go and do so before proceeding.

"My youngest sister has left all her friends, has eloped, and has thrown herself into the power of Mr. Wickham."

To a modern audience, Lydia's infamous elopement and the havoc it causes might seem a bit melodramatic. People live with each other before getting married all the time now. It's no big deal in the eyes of society. However, we must take ourselves back to another time period where this was very much a big deal. Virtue in a woman was irretrievable and if one sister from a family had behaved indiscreetly, it usually meant that the others were all considered tainted by association. This may not seem fair, but that was the way it was. 

Lizzie spends the episode getting to know the Darcy family better, and seeing that Darcy is quite a different creature at home with his sister and friends. Georgiana Darcy is not proud and full of herself at all. Instead she is almost painfully shy. Lizzie sets about drawing the girl out and encouraging her in a way that she never had to the chance to do for her younger sisters. Mr. Darcy is not oblivious to this and the two of them share smoldering looks over Miss Bingley's head. I think one of my favorite moments of all is whenever Caroline Bingley tries to abuse her rival to Mr. Darcy and he snaps back at her that it has been many months since he has considered Elizabeth the most handsome woman of his acquaintance. That was quite satisfying.

Mrs. Bennet was the highlight of this episode. The actress described the role as like looking at a big vat of chocolate that you just couldn't wait to dive into, and it's obvious that she was having the time of her life. Mrs. Bennet is taken ill with the hysterics and proceeds to weep and wail and require smelling salts, all while demanding that Lydia consult her about wedding clothes before anything else. I'm quite sure that Mr. Bennet was slightly grateful to get out of the house and go to London to search for Lydia.

One thing I really love about this episode are the additions. Just as Mrs. Bennet groans out about her "...poor, poor Lydia!" the episode cuts to Lydia sitting idly by a window in London, bored and lazy but decidedly not miserable. The added scenes with Lydia and Wickham help to enhance the story a lot and it is interesting that we are clearly shown how Wickham has already tired of the silly girl. 

Mr. Darcy becoming a white knight in shining armor and riding to Lizzie's sister's defense was a great part of the episode too (really, there are no bad parts) as he doesn't really think anything will come of it. He isn't doing this for his own benefit. He is quite sure that Elizabeth will never accept his proposal and that he is doomed to forever admire her from afar. He does it because he wants to help. That is the biggest change in his character of all and it is what will eventually turn Lizzie's heart around.

5/5

Supernatural Review: Season 8 Episode 22 "Clip Show"

By: Andrew Dabb

**Spoilers**

If you have not yet seen this episode, please go and do so before proceeding.

"Honestly, um... My, uh, my whole body hurts. I feel nauseous and like I'm starving at the same time, and everything smells like rotting meat."

Sam is getting worse and Crowley is on the offensive in their great game of chess. He has got hold of the 'Supernatural' books and, starting at the beginning, is systematically backtracking through the Winchesters' adventures and using witchcraft to pick off everyone that they worked so hard to save. That slimy politician...

This week finds him all the way up to 'Provenance' and so brings about the return of Sarah Blake, Sam's sort-of flame from Season 1. The reunion between them was very bittersweet and sad. They're no longer the boy and girl who met and bonded and fell in love. Sam's a hell-scarred, weary hunter now and Sarah is both a wife and a mother. But even after all of these years, they still clearly felt a fondness for each other and I think they could have been good friends. If Crowley hadn't gotten to her first.

The second story line of this episode involves Castiel and Metatron. Castiel, in an effort to win back the good graces of the brothers, goes out to buy toilet paper, beer, and pie for them. He becomes quite upset with a hapless minimart clerk whenever the poor kid tells him that they're freshly out of pie. Metatron comes in to save the guy from an impromptu smiting and offers Castiel another way to fix his mistakes and help the Winchesters. Apparently, along with the Hellgate Trials, there are three trials that one can undergo to slam shut the pearly gates too. Metatron takes our favorite angel out for crepes to discuss this test.

Sam and Dean also discover that the Batcave has a dungeon and they start seeking a way to cure a demon (which is what Kevin says is the last Trial). After a bit of digging, they find a set of old film reels in the Men of Letters records and, with Castiel, sit down for a rather weird movie night. They are distracted from this, though, by the phone call from Crowley where he gleefully tells 'Moose' and 'Not Moose' about his dastardly plan.

Sarah returns, as lovely and kind as she ever was, and tells Sam that she's married now and has a daughter. Sam and Dean set about painting wards and spreading salt to protect her from Crowley's demons, but Crowley still manages to get through all of this by planting a hex bag in Sarah's phone. Apparently Crowley's 'dear old mum' was a witch. 

As Sarah lays gasping for breath in Sam's arms (Crowley has a very sick sense of humor. He chokes her to death because "...Sammy took that bird's breath away.") Dean ransacks the room in search of the hex bag that will turn out to be in the phone while Crowley gives probably his most hard-hitting and evil speech ever. 

Just ouch.

There may have been a few pacing issues with this episode here and there, as the multiple story lines do sometimes bog it down a bit, but the emotions rang true, I think, and the actors were as on-point as ever. I really enjoyed it.

4/5

Supernatural Review: Season 2 Episode 10 "Hunted"

By: Raelle Tucker

**Spoilers**

If you have not yet seen this episode, please go and do so before proceeding.

"He just said that I had to save you, that nothing else mattered; and that if I couldn't, I'd...I'd have to kill you. He said that I might have to kill you, Sammy." 

Gordon is a most irritating man. In fact, he's so irritating that it is quite difficult to describe him. Emily said he is like an insect that is eating through your best begonias or that itch between your shoulder blades that you can't quite scratch, no matter how much you contort.

'Hunted' picks up right where 'Croatoan' left off with Sam and Dean standing by a lake, discussing John's final words to Dean. Sam, reasonably upset that his father said his brother might have to execute him, takes off on his own and meets up with another young psychic named Ava. She has come to Sam because she's been having visions of a man (Gordon) stalking and killing him. Turns out, Gordon was angry enough at Sam and Dean for outwitting him on the vamp case that he did a bit of digging and found out about Sam's destiny. Basically, he's convinced that Sam is the antiChrist and that it is his job to take this new monster and his army of fellow psychics out. 

His plan involves everything from sniper rifles to elaborate tripwire bombs to actually kidnapping Dean to use as bait for Sam. Gordon has gone full kamikaze. Unfortunately, he forgets to factor in the little fact that he is going up against a Winchester. Sam manages to outsmart Gordon and places a 911 call to get the obsessed hunter picked up by the police, who conveniently discover the arsenal in his car. Unfortunately, while all this is going on, Ava has been taken by demons and her finance slaughtered.

4/5

Supernatural Review: Season 2 Episode 11 "Playthings"

By: Matt Witten

**Spoilers**

If you have not yet seen this episode, please go and do so before proceeding.

"I never get to work jobs like this; old school haunted houses, you know? Fog, and secret passageways...sissy British accents. Might even run into Fred and Daphne while we're inside. Mmm, Daphne. Love her. "

Sam and Dean are off to investigate an honest-to-god haunted hotel, complete with an old lady in an attic and a suspicious little girl named Maggie. I thought this episode was a lot of fun. There was a very 'Shining' feel to it, especially in the scenes with the bartender and with the inclusion of Tyler and Maggie.

Almost as soon as the episode began, I had the dollhouse pegged as the culprit in the killings. I thought that it was either haunted or that maybe the dolls inside were some kind of voodoo dolls. I wasn't too terribly off. While I'm still not certain what exactly the connection between the dolls and the murders was, the hotel was indeed haunted. As it turns out, Maggie was not so much a little girl as she was a ghost. To be exact, she was the ghost of Grandma Rose's baby sister who had died as a child and never moved on. Becoming lonely throughout the years, she latched onto Rose's granddaughter (Tyler) and became an imaginary friend. But when the hotel was going to close, Maggie started to become violent in a desperate attempt to save her home and keep her new playmate. Eventually, it goes so far that she almost drowns Tyler in the hotel pool.

Enter Sam and Dean who have heard about the killings and arrived to try and sort the ghost out. Sam is still feeling incredibly guilty about the loss of Ava last episode and is fearful about what this dark destiny everybody keeps on talking about might mean for him. The revelation that their father warned Dean that if he couldn't save Sam the best thing to do would be to kill him has deeply shaken the boys, but also in a way brought them closer together. They are determined to thwart Sam's destiny, but in this episode we see that Sam is starting to believe that maybe he can't change fate. He ends up getting drunk and telling Dean that Dean is "...bossy. And short..." before begging his brother to promise to do the deed and kill him if he should go dark side. Dean doesn't want to agree, but eventually does so just to shut Sam up and get him into bed so he can sleep the alcohol off.

The episode ends with a great climax. Tyler is drowning in the pool while Sam, Dean, and her mother desperately try to break down the locked doors to save her. While this is happening, Grandma Rose calls the spirit of her dead sister back to the attic and offers to give her life for her granddaughter's. She still loves her sister desperately and is willing to die and remain as a ghost forever, playing and jumping rope in the hallways of the old hotel together as sisters. Though it is not clear what is going to happen to these spirit sisters once the hotel they call home is sold and possibly demolished, the episode does end on a positive note with Tyler alive and well and the two sisters merrily giggling and jumping rope together.

4/5

Pride & Prejudice Review: Episode 4

**Spoilers**

If you have not yet seen this episode, please go and do so before proceeding.

  "Be not alarmed, madam, on receiving this letter, by the apprehension of its containing any repetition of those sentiments or renewal of those offers which were last night so disgusting to you."

Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, but when Mr. Darcy is scorned he goes back home to write a long, involved, and incredibly soul-baring (not to mention brutally honest) letter. Through the words of the letter, we are given an important glimpse into Mr. Wickham's past that reveals just what a cad he is and how narrow an escape Lizzie had. It also starts to cast everything that we have seen in the series thus far in a totally different light. Suddenly all of Wickham's actions and insinuations start to make all too much sense.

We also get a rather painful outsider's look at the Bennet family as Lizzie has to concede Darcy's point about her mother, sisters (minus Jane), and even her father having a tendency to make spectacles of themselves. It is here that we begin to see the other side of Mr. Darcy and, while we'll never empathize with his rather extreme pride, we do begin to see the man behind the mask.

Also in this episode, Lydia takes off for Brighton with the militia (showing us just how spoiled she is in the process) and Lizzie meets up with her aunt and uncle Gardner (the ones Jane had stayed with in London) to take a tour of Derbyshire...including a visit to Pemberly, Mr. Darcy's estate. But only with the promise that the family is not at home. Little does Elizabeth know that Darcy, still in agony over his unrequited love, has rode ahead of his party of friends and is taking a refreshing swim in one of the ponds. The meeting between Lizzie and Mr. Darcy at Pemberly is another highlight of the series. It's just so painfully awkward and yet it gives Darcy hope because he is completely vulnerable, completely caught at an undignified moment, and is granted a chance to show Lizzie a more hospitable, gracious side of himself. He doesn't expect to win her back, but he does try to at least show her some courtesy. One thing that catches Lizzie's eye is the fact that he is all kindness and genuine graciousness to her relatives...the ones that she KNOWS that he knows are not gentlefolk and reside in Cheapside. Lizzie cannot imagine what has caused this change. Her aunt (who is a delightful and wise woman) smiles knowingly.

5/5

NuWho Review: Series 5 Episode 13 "The Big Bang"

By: Steven Moffat

**Spoilers**

If you have not yet seen this episode, please go and do so before proceeding.

"Okay, kids. This is where it gets complicated."

As Emily said in her review of 'The Pandorica Opens', this series finale is just epic. The first part had all of the end-all-be-all-to-end-all feel that season finales should have while this second part takes all of the themes and twists them around into a mind-boggling timey-wimey plot that will leave you scratching your head in wonder for days after you watch it.

I say that in a good way, though, as this episode can be confusing, but it's not ever to the point that things actually start breaking down. This is one of those episodes that you really cannot watch casually. It is so complex and so well woven together that any plot hole is explained with a clever line and every plot contrivance is neatly and quickly tucked underneath an original idea. Not to mention every single loose end is tied up and new ones are laid down for the new season. It's just an incredible series finale.

And talk about 'everybody lives'! In fact, in this episode, some people come back to life who had been dead. Amy comes back. Rory is un-plastic-a-fied. Amy's parents return. The Doctor jumps into the void but is remembered back into existence. Really the only person who does not chance is River, who is as much of an enigma as ever.

Personally, I think my favorite scene of all time is where Amy wakes up in the museum and finds the story of the Lone Centurion. I just get chills every time I watch it and the emotions are so poignant and powerful after all that we've gone through with these two. Especially after the gut-wrenching end of 'The Pandorica Opens'. I always cheer whenever Rory comes in to save both Amy's from the reanimated dalek. Go Rory!

The Doctor is rewinding through his life after he jumps through the cracks is one of the most understated and sad scenes ever. He quietly says goodbye to Amelia (How does an actor as young at Matt Smith manage to look that ancient and weary?!) and then resigns himself to his fate because, quote, "I've seen enough." Looking at the end of 10's life, I don't blame him for not wanting to finish the rewind.

But the episode is not content to end on such a depressing note, instead giving us the much-longed-for wedding of Amy and Rory where Steven Moffat turns the old wedding rhyme into a vital clue that Amy uses to call The Doctor back from the void.

5/5

Pride & Prejudice Review: Episode 3

**Spoilers**

If you have not yet seen this episode, please go and do so before proceeding.

         "In vain I have struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you." 

       

So Charlotte Lucas snagged Mr. Collins on the rebound, Wickham has set his sights on a rich young heiress, and Mr. Darcy finally can't take it any longer and gives Lizzie a very flustered and utterly insulting proposal. Poor Lizzie!

Well, actually I don't feel too sorry for her. She gives as good as she's got and royally dresses him down for being such a jerk. He had it coming...

That is the climax of the episode (and, I daresay, of the entire series). There's LOTS more that happens. For starters, we have the beginning of the rift between Jane and Miss Bingley. We've long seen that Caroline is a catty, rich snob who only tolerated Jane's company because it was the best to be had in Hertfordshire (aside from Louisa's belching, drunk husband, that is) but Jane was determined not to think the worst of the sister of her prospective husband. In this episode, Miss Bingley comes to visit Jane in London where she is (oh horrors) staying in Cheapside with her aunt and uncle. The uncle who is in (gasp) trade of all things!

Lizzie then travels with Sir William Lucas and his youngest daughter, Mariah, to visit the new Mrs. Collins in Kent. This also gives them an opportunity to meet up with the esteemed patroness, Lady Catherine de Bourgh. I am very glad that Mariah Lucas was included in this adaptation, as she is a fun character who - for some reason - is often cut. She gives Lizzie the chance to be the big sister to someone actually agreeable. Unlike Lady Catherine and her daughter, who are exceedingly unpleasant and rude. But, because they are rich, they can afford to be.

But all of this, including the introduction of Colonel Fitzwilliam, is all building up to the big reveal and proposal of Mr. Darcy and Lizzie's subsequent refusal. It is the highlight of the episode. No questions asked.

5/5

Pride & Prejudice Review: Episode 2

**Spoilers**

If you have not yet seen this episode, please go and do so before proceeding.

     "And you should take it into further consideration, that in spite of your manifold attractions, it is by no means certain that another offer of marriage may ever be made you."    

   

What a charmer...

David Bamber is the quintessential Mr. Collins. Nobody before him so perfectly managed to capture the mix of arrogance and self-abasement that this character ascribes to and now that he has played the role, nobody else can even compete.

In this episode, Mr. Bennet's cousin (the aforementioned Mr. Collins) arrives for a visit. He is the man guilty of the truly heinous crime of being the relative to which the estate of Longbourn is entailed, and so he has decided to make amends by marrying one of the Bennet girls. He's not particular as to which one. After finding out that Jane is already taken, he just continues on down the line and latches on Lizzie. Lucky girl...

Mr. Collins is really the highlight of this episode, particularly in the way that Bamber plays off of all the other actors. He gives us a toadying, bumbling, self-centered, patronizing clergyman who is utterly obsessed with his patroness, Lady Catherine de Bourgh and who has almost no original thought outside of what she has told him. I would not want to sit under his sermons, let me tell you!

There is competition for the affections of Elizabeth Bennet, though, as no sooner does Mr. Collins arrive on the scene then a dashing young officer named George Wickham also comes to town. Wickham is a charming cad, a romantic rogue, a simpering, smirking, handsome, conniving man who wastes no time in weaseling his way into Lizzie's affections by detecting and exploiting her willful feud with Mr. Darcy. In these early episodes (particularly if you haven't seen/read the story before) Wickham seems the very picture of wronged goodness. He seems like the everyman hero who is put down and crushed by life and yet pulls himself up by the bootstraps every time. Mr. Collins is utterly blown out of the water. He cannot compete with Wickham in Lizzie's eyes, though he certainly tries.

Really the climax of the episode comes with the Netherfield ball where Darcy finally gives in to his feelings and asks Elizabeth to dance in quite possibly the best scene of the entire miniseries.

Then the day after the ball, Mr. Collins (doubtlessly feeling the pressure from both Wickham and Darcy) proposes to her in a scene that is as uncomfortable and infuriating as it is hilarious. He manages to insult pretty much everything about her and then has the audacity to let her know that he is proposing, not because he loves her, but because Lady Catherine de Bourgh feels that he should find a wife. Then, when Lizzie turns him down, he smirks at her and assumes that she is merely playing coy and hard to get in order to further inflame his 'love' for her. Pardon me while I gag.

The episode ends with Lizzie's father staunchly refusing to make her marry Mr. Collins and Charlotte Lucas (Lizzie's best friend) swooping in to save the day by inviting the spurned lover to dine with her family.

5/5

Pride & Prejudice Review: Episode 1

**Spoilers**

If you have not yet seen this episode, please go and do so before proceeding.

"It is a truth, universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife."

This 1995 miniseries by BBC is, in my humble opinion, the best adaptation of Jane Austen's famous novel ever to be filmed. It sparkles with wit and charm and beautifully enhances the source material while also preserving the original draw of the book. It is a prime example of a book-to-film adaptation done right.

The first episode tells us of the arrival of Mr. Bingley at Netherfield Park and the flutter that this puts the Merryton society into. It is within this episode that the groundwork for pretty much all of the characters and relationships throughout the series is established. I particularly like the opening scene where the members of the Bennet family are introduced. There's very little dialogue, but through the music and some clever placings of the characters, all of the clashing personalities of this family are clearly seen and set in place. Mr. Bennet is a reclusive bookworm who spends much of his time hiding in the library and making sarcastic digs at everyone. Elizabeth (or Lizzie) is his favorite daughter and shares much of his wit and observations on life. Jane is the oldest daughter and the calming pillar of her family. Mary is plain and deadpan and more interested in her moralizing books than anything else. Kitty and Lydia are still nearly children and fight as often as they conspire together, often driving the anxious and hysterical Mrs. Bennet to distraction with their carryings on. Mrs. Bennet herself tends to favor Lydia over everyone.

Then we are introduced to the arrival of Mr. Bingley and to Mrs. Bennet trying to make plans and play her cards right in order to make a match between one of her daughters and this rich bachelor. While, from a modern standpoint, we may look back and be horrified at this culture of matchmaking and marrying like you're buying an insurance policy and looking for the best offer, really that was what happened. It was all about making a good alliance and about climbing the social ladder. And, as Lizzie and Jane observe, really a woman had little other options for security if she was not an heiress to an estate herself. The Bennet Estate of Longbourn is entailed (which means it can only pass down to a male heir) and so all of the Bennet girls must make a good choice of husband and marry for money.

Lizzie, though, is determined that nothing but the very deepest of love will induce her to matrimony. She and Jane have seen and observed daily through their parents what happens when one or both partners can't respect their spouse, and so the girls are determined not to let this happen to them. Lizzie tells Jane to marry for love but "...just take care you fall in love with a rich man."

Luckily for Jane, it's not long before she catches the eye of Mr. Bingley (the rich bachelor who has just moved into the local park) and the two of them begin to fall in love. Lizzie too has caught the eye of a rich young man. Mr. Darcy is Mr. Bingley's best friend and has an estate worth twice what Bingley's is (as Mrs. Bennet gleefully and loudly tells her daughters). Lizzie has an ill first impression of him, though, as the first time they meet he rather stiffly tells Bingley that Elizabeth's appearance is tolerable, at best, and that he is in no mood to give consequence to young ladies who are slighted by other men. Needless to say, Lizzie determines that Mr. Darcy is the worst sort of proud and disagreeable and swears that she will never even stand up to dance with him.

Already within this episode the tensions between the characters are already set in place. Lizzie hates Darcy. Darcy, despite himself, is beginning to notice Lizzie because she is the first woman not to throw herself at him. Jane and Bingley are falling in love, but Bingley's friends and family don't like Jane's connections and relatives...due in a large part to Mrs. Bennet's abysmal manners. We've learned that, for gentlefolk, the Bennets are poor and that Mr. and Mrs. Bennet do little to appreciate each other or to curb the behavior of their children. We've learned that the girls must make a good match. And there's been a lot of dialogue with so many good quotes that I could spend an entire review just listing them all.

5/5

Supernatural Review: Season 2 Episode 1 "In My Time Of Dying"

By: Eric Kripke

**Spoilers**

If you have not yet seen this episode, please go and do so before proceeding.

       "Why, John, you're a sentimentalist. If only your boys knew how much their daddy loved them." 

         

I was not prepared for this, really I wasn't. John's dead? John Winchester is DEAD?! WHAT? WHAT KIND OF A SEASON OPENER IS THAT????

After so much of last season was spent with Sam and Dean searching for their father, this episode could have really felt like a cheat and a let-down. We just found Daddy Winchester and now he's gone? What a scam! It could have been very disappointing. However, due to a clever piece of writing that sets Dean as an audience avatar and a disembodied spirit, the episode was both interesting and touching.

Tessa the Reaper was also quite interesting. I like that they're bringing back the Reapers from Faith and incorporating them into the recurring mythology of the show. The fact that at first she masqueraded as a fellow out-of-body patient in order to gain Dean's trust was interesting and certainly the scene where she is possessed (How does that even work if she's a spirit too?) and we see her yellow eyes was just chilling.

I really liked both Dean and then later Sam saying that all they have to do is "...find some witch doctor and lay some hoodoo on me/him" in order to cure Dean. Turns out, in the end, the Winchesters did have to resort to magic in order to save Dean from the Reaper sent to collect him...except it was John who ended up summoning the YED and trading his soul for Dean's. 

There actually wasn't a whole lot of action that happened in this episode. It really was just a whole lot of Sam and John looking sad/arguing and then Dean wandering around the halls, trying to figure out what was going on. I did like the scene where Dean and Sam talk through the board, but the rest of it has the family very much separated. John even goes off on his own little side quest where he summons the YED and demands that the demon cures Dean.

Of course, the feels really ramp up right at the end of the episode. Dean is mysteriously cured and he and Sam reunite happily, but then John returns and sends Sam off for some coffee so he can have some words with Dean. He whispers something in Dean's ear, tells him that he's so proud, and then leaves. We find out, mere moments later, that this was his last words to Dean because Sam, returning with the coffee, finds his father sprawled out on the floor. Dead.

5/5

NuWho Review: Series 6 Episode 3 "The Curse of the Black Spot"

By: Steven Thompson

**Spoilers**

If you have not yet seen this episode, please go and do so before proceeding.

        Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum! Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me! And all that jazz...

       This episode is definitely a guilty pleasure of mine. When it comes to the story, it's not very strong. There's lots of issues with pacing and all that, but it's pirates! HOW CAN WE GO WRONG WITH THAT?! Answer: we can't. There's nothing wrong with this episode if you just accept the shaky technobabble and hang on for the ride. We've got pirates, we've got sirens, we've got alternate dimensions, we've got The Doctor walking the plank, we've got Amy fencing, we've got alien snot, we've got just about everything that you could possibly want from a Doctor Who pirate-themed episode. It's definitely one that I watch again and again and it just becomes more fun with each repeated viewing.

Favorite Moments & Random Thoughts:

- This episode has one of the best openings ever with the pirates certain their shipmate was doomed for death that very night because of a small scratch on the hand. At first this seems very absurd and ridiculous (even the pirates from PoC weren't that cowardly) but then the titular curse is revealed and we hear the song of the siren for the first time. Then we know that we're going to be in for a wild ride.

- "Yo ho ho! ...Or does nobody actually say that?"

- It's Rory and Roman and Pond the Pirate! Implausible as Amy actually holding off a bunch of pirates with her fencing skills is, I do really enjoy this scene a lot. Especially since all of the pirates are so terrified of the smallest scratch. It's both funny and chilling.

- "If someone's going to kill you, it's nice when they drop a note to remind you." Man, The Doctor is so comforting to Rory.

- I really love the effect of the Siren leaping up out of the water. Lily Cole really gives a serene, ethereal performance as the seductive spirit. Is that really her singing? Because it's beautiful.

- "Look at these brilliant pirates. Look at their brilliant BEARDS! I'd like a beard. Amy, I'm going to grow a beard!" Why didn't Rory get enchanted on this show more? He's a riot!

- The Doctor equating the siren to a shark (and then the later revelation that she was a medical program) was a cool twist. What was so sinister makes an equal amount of sense as a helpful thing.

- Amy and The Doctor getting taken by the siren was quite a tense scene. It is, unfortunately, also the place where the episode starts to break down a bit logic-wise.

- The med bay was quite interesting. I do find it hilarious that the siren went all red-evil-eyes whenever The Doctor sneezed, though. She really did not like that he was leaving snotty handkerchiefs around.

- One of my issues with the ending to this episode is the question of WOULD the captain REALLY be able to pilot a futuristic spaceship? Really? There's quite a difference between a sailing rig and a rocket, just sayin'.

- Oh, and Rory died again...

- Rory's continued Kennyfication is starting to become a big problem, especially when it is used to force a climax like this. We don't believe that Rory is really in danger. Not really. We know that he's going to come back to life with little to no consequence, so why would we care if Amy saves him or not? It's not like he's going to be gone for good. 

- The scene where Amy saves him is either sad or annoyingly hilarious, depending on your level of attachment to the Ponds.

        This episode was a lot of fun. I do take issue with the ending, but it's harmless enough. I really, really enjoy all of the banter and jokes when they're on the pirate ship and (with the exception of the alien snot joke) all of the humor is very on point and funny. The Curse of the Black Spot is a 3/5.

What did you think? Do you agree with my rating? If not - what would you say differently?

Merlin Review: Series 2 Episode 10 "Sweet Dreams"

By: Lucy Watkins

**Spoilers**

If you have not yet seen this episode, please go and do so before proceeding.

         Well, at least now we know what happened to Jenny after she flew off at the end of The Doctor's Daughter; she went to Albion, got amnesia, and became a princess. A very beautiful, spoiled princess, no less.

         This was one of Merlin's more comedy-oriented episodes and it involves a very Puckish love potion. A very Puckish love potion that is given to Prince Arthur, no less, pulling his gaze away from Guinevere and onto the Lady Vivian. This would be all well and good, except Vivian's father is, quote, "...the most overprotective buffoon I've ever met" and is sure to skewer Arthur if he even gets wind that the Prince of Camelot is LOOKING at his daughter. Cue hijinks and humor...and thankfully no fart jokes.

Favorite Moments & Random Thoughts:

- There are few characters I have felt a stronger urge to kick than Trickler, King Alined's servant/magician. He is the most irritating little whiner of a man. Ugh.

- Though this is a story about Arthur being enchanted to fall in love with Lady Vivian, actually the episode has a lot of great Arthur/Gwen moments. I especially like the scene at the beginning with the two of them laughing over how ridiculous Vivian is.

- "Anyone insulting Gwen should do so at extreme peril." Arthur has his own vat of hot oil, you know...

- Merlin ribbing Arthur about his (very obvious) feelings for Gwen is always quite funny. And pretty cute, since he's so obviously over the moon happy for them.

- Okay, so HOW was Uther not suspicious whenever Trickler created butterflies out of nowhere? Live, flapping butterflies, no less! Did he think that Trickler had them in a pocket before or something? Because that looked like magic to me.

- The scene where Arthur wakes up under the power of the love potion and proclaims that his purpose is "To woo." leaves me cringing every time. Because Merlin thinks Arthur is thinking about Gwen. And it's just such an awkward, hurtful situation.

- "It is destiny, my love! Destiny and chicken!"

- Though, I must say, sulky!Arthur is almost adorable. Poor Merlin, though, having to deal with him. Merlin really deserves a day off and a pat on the back for the things he does for that clotpole.

- Okay, so question, did Merlin erase Vivian's memory or something? Because he hit her right between the eyes with that spell. There's no way she (silly though she is) could miss the fact that Merlin has magic. For a moment there I thought we were going to get a magic reveal and I'm still confused as to why and how exactly we avoided it.

- "I am in love! With a man more courageous than a lion, stronger than an ox, and so perfectly formed it is as if he has been sculpted by the gods themselves." Stop building up Arthur's ego, Lady Vivian!

- It is hilarious that Merlin stuffed her into Arthur's wardrobe, though, and Arthur was none the wiser.

- Bradley James makes some of the most hilarious faces.

- Georgia Moffet is an absolute charm to watch, as always. She just really strikes the perfect balance between bratty hilarity that makes her character fun to dislike and a joy to watch.

- "Every woman in the land is attracted to this boy! I'm almost attracted to him myself." Now, now...let's not build up Arthur's ego, my lord. It's big enough as it is.

- Even if Merlin hadn't found Vivian's hair under Arthur's pillow, the fact that Arthur fights so incredibly badly in the arena (he's too busy showing off to 'his love' to parry) would have been a clue.

- I love the scene where Merlin has to go and find Gwen and convince her to save Arthur. It's the combination of terribly sad and incredibly funny that this show does so very well and both Colin and Angel just sell it.

- Let's hope that Arthur apologized PROFUSELY for the downright prattish way that he treated Gwen all throughout his enchantment. That was just cruel.

-  I guess it really was a case of "...with true love's kiss the spell will break." Did Maleficent cook up this love spell?

- And the episode ends with Arthur threatening bodily harm on Merlin if he ever speaks of the these events again. Typical. Status quo is restored and Arthur gratefully waves goodbye to the still-enchanted Lady Vivian. Shame she never came back to the show...

        This episode is a lot of fun, if a bit awkward in places. There's some really great characters, but the story can be painfully awkward in places and it doesn't really contribute anything to the overall season arc or the story of Camelot in general. Trickler is also a grating annoyance that takes away some of my enjoyment due to his involvement. Sweet Dreams is a 3/5.




What did you think? Do you agree with my rating? If not - what would you say differently?

Pride & Prejudice Review: Episode 4

**Spoilers**
If you have not yet seen this episode, please go and do so before proceeding.


  "Be not alarmed, madam, on receiving this letter, by the apprehension of its containing any repetition of those sentiments or renewal of those offers which were last night so disgusting to you."


           Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned...but when Mr. Darcy is scorned he goes back home to write a long, involved, and incredibly soul-baring (not to mention brutally honest) letter. Through the words of the letter, we are given an important glimpse into Mr. Wickham's past that reveals just what a cad he is and how narrow an escape Lizzie had. It also starts to cast everything that we have seen in the series thus far in a totally different light. Suddenly all of Wickham's actions and insinuations start to make all too much sense.

         We also get a rather painful outsider's look at the Bennet family as Lizzie has to concede Darcy's point about her mother, sisters (minus Jane), and even her father having a tendency to make spectacles of themselves. It is here that we begin to see the other side of Mr. Darcy and, while we'll never empathize with his rather extreme pride, we do begin to see the man behind the mask.

        Also in this episode, Lydia takes off for Brighton with the militia (showing us just how spoiled she is in the process) and Lizzie meets up with her aunt and uncle Gardner (the ones Jane had stayed with in London) to take a tour of Derbyshire...including a visit to Pemberly, Mr. Darcy's estate. But only with the promise that the family is not at home. Little does Elizabeth know that Darcy, still in agony over his unrequited love, has rode ahead of his party of friends and is taking a refreshing swim in one of the ponds. The meeting between Lizzie and Mr. Darcy at Pemberly is another highlight of the series. It's just so painfully awkward and yet it gives Darcy hope because he is completely vulnerable, completely caught at an undignified moment, and is granted a chance to show Lizzie a more hospitable, gracious side of himself. He doesn't expect to win her back, but he does try to at least show her some courtesy. One thing that catches Lizzie's eye is the fact that he is all kindness and genuine graciousness to her relatives...the ones that she KNOWS that he knows are not gentlefolk and reside in Cheapside. Lizzie cannot imagine what has caused this change. Her aunt (who is a delightful and wise woman) smiles knowingly.

5/5

Merlin Review: Series 1 Episode 6 "A Remedy To Cure All Ills"

By: Julian Jones

**Spoilers**
If you have not yet seen this episode, please go and do so before proceeding.

        Am I the only one who finds the scenes with Edwin and Morgana to be incredibly creepy? Like, not just because of the bug in the ear, but unintentionally stranger danger type of creepy. Maybe it's the way he looms over her bed like that...

        If you have a phobia about bugs, I would advise you to enter this episode with caution. Because there's a LOT of nasty creepy crawlies going into people's ears and chewing on their brains. Disgusting!


Favorite Moments & Random Thoughts:

- I love how, when Gwen says that the flowers may be from Arthur, Morgana makes a face and says that would be quite disappointing.

- The scene where Merlin and Arthur are pacing in Arthur's chambers is supposed to be serious (I think) and to make us worried for Morgana, but I can't help cracking up every time I see it.

- "You seem too bright to be just a servant." "Oh, don't be fooled, I'm not that bright."

- Soooo, using a poultice to heal one's father is VERBOTEN and will land you a reserved place at the stake, but Uther is just fine and peachy with alchemy? Huh. Somehow that smells fishy...

- The scene where Edwin is tending to Morgana will never not be creepy to me. Just, ugh.

- Though I will say that the scarring make-up on Edwin's face is quite well done. It gives him a distinct, almost grotesque look like all of the hatred and evil inside of his heart (guess Yoda was right about fear being the path to anger and the dark side) was coming out on the outside.

- "A gift like yours should be nurtured, practiced, enjoyed. You need someone to help you, to encourage you." Y'know, it's really uncomfortable when you realize that you've been saying the same thing that the villain of the week does.

- I love the talk Gaius has with the dragon. But the overgrown lizard is as cryptic and unhelpful as ever.

- Uther gives indication that there was something fishy going on at Arthur's birth and that Gaius helped. Hmmm...

- So, um, did Edwin cast a spell over Arthur and the rest to make them so quickly believe his word about Gaius' work being riddled with errors? Or is it just another case of plot convenience swaying the characters this way and that?

- "My Lord. My Lord. It seems the drugs I gave you have taken hold. Your body is now paralyzed. Now, open your eyes, My Lord. I want my face to be the last face you ever see. You took my childhood from me. And now finally, I take my parents' revenge. Within a few hours, the beetle will eat into your brain. And you will suffer, as they suffered. And I long to hear you scream, as they screamed the night you gave the order for the fires to be lit. With your death, magic will return to Camelot. Bebeode þe arisan ealdu." Whoa...Edwin got a monologue. Syndrome would be proud...

- I absolutely love the climax of this episode where Merlin has to use MAGIC to save Uther. It's very tense and risky and pushes the characters in a new direction. Great stuff!

         This is a pretty standard Merlin episode; villain comes to Camelot, villain gets in good with royals, villain starts evil scheme, Merlin finds out, Merlin stops evil scheme, they all live happily ever after until next week. There's nothing particularly special about it (aside from the fact that this scheme involves super gross bugs) and I don't think it's very memorable. But it's not boring and there's some good stuff in there. A Remedy To Cure All Ills is a 3/5.




What did you think? Do you agree with my rating? If not - what would you say differently?

Pride & Prejudice Review: Episode 3

**Spoilers**
If you have not yet seen this episode, please go and do so before proceeding.


         "In vain I have struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you." 
       

           So Charlotte Lucas snagged Mr. Collins on the rebound, Wickham has set his sights on a rich young heiress, and Mr. Darcy finally can't take it any longer and gives Lizzie a very flustered and utterly insulting proposal. Poor Lizzie!

         Well, actually I don't feel too sorry for her. She gives as good as she's got and royally dresses him down for being such a jerk. He had it coming...

          That is the climax of the episode (and, I daresay, of the entire series). There's LOTS more that happens. For starters, we have the beginning of the rift between Jane and Miss Bingley. We've long seen that Caroline is a catty, rich snob who only tolerated Jane's company because it was the best to be had in Hertfordshire (aside from Louisa's belching, drunk husband, that is) but Jane was determined not to think the worst of the sister of her prospective husband. In this episode, Miss Bingley comes to visit Jane in London where she is (oh horrors) staying in Cheapside with her aunt and uncle. The uncle who is in (gasp) trade of all things!

       Lizzie then travels with Sir William Lucas and his youngest daughter, Mariah, to visit the new Mrs. Collins in Kent. This also gives them an opportunity to meet up with the esteemed patroness, Lady Catherine de Bourgh. I am very glad that Mariah Lucas was included in this adaptation, as she is a fun character who - for some reason - is often cut. She gives Lizzie the chance to be the big sister to someone actually agreeable. Unlike Lady Catherine and her daughter, who are exceedingly unpleasant and rude. But, because they are rich, they can afford to be.

      But all of this, including the introduction of Colonel Fitzwilliam, is all building up to the big reveal and proposal of Mr. Darcy and Lizzie's subsequent refusal. It is the highlight of the episode. No questions asked.

5/5