Falling Skies: "Love and Other Acts of Courage" Review

Note: Full spoilers for the episode follow.

After some questionable decisions soured last week's instalment of Falling Skies, smarter heads finally prevail. The pacing is a little slower however and there is a major focus on Maggie and Hal's relationship, which I didn't expect to like as much as I did.  The big bombshell, the potential of a Human-Skitter alliance, is the real highlight and should have a lot of people talking.

Maggie and Hal have been flirting with one another for quite some time now so it was good to finally see their sexual tension develop into something more, sort of.  There are a lot of barriers written into Maggie’s character and it seems like it may take Hal some effort to work through them all before they can have any sort of sustained relationship.  The car scene was cute and Hal did a great job of handling the situation.  Their first kiss ended up pretty much how I expected though, with Maggie throwing up a barrier and distancing herself from Hal.  It makes sense considering some of the things we know Maggie went through with Pope’s group.  Maggie and Hal did end on a strong note though.  I don’t think I need as much time devoted to their budding relationship again, we got a lot of scenes with them this week, but they’ve established an interesting dynamic between the two and I’m looking forward to seeing where it goes.  Will it end badly?  Probably.

It was good to see Tom getting pissed off at both Hal and Ben about keeping secrets regarding Ben’s strange behavior.  Ben has a reasonable excuse but Hal really should have known better.  Hal keeping Ben’s situation a secret almost seemed out of character last week so I’m glad he decided to do the right thing now, even if Maggie had to push him into doing it.

The big news this week is that the scarred Skitter is apparently the leader of a resistance group fighting against the Overlords.  This has the potential to be a huge turning point for the series but I get the impression we will see this storyline dragged out for a little while.  Especially with Ben planning on jumping ship and running back to the Skitters.  I loved how Weaver handled the situation and that he brought up the ruthless nature of the Skitters that we’ve seen in the past.  Allowing Weaver, Tom and the 2nd Mass to forget what the Skitters have done so soon would be disappointing.  Hopefully Tom continues to approach this proposed alliance with a healthy bit of pessimism.

Actually, an exciting twist would be to have the Skitters proposed alliance turn out to be a clever trick.  The alliance seems to be wrapped up a little too neatly and I’m starting to smell a swerve coming out of nowhere in the next few weeks.  I’ve seen some speculation that the Harness creatures may actually be the ones leading this invasion.  That’s an interesting idea but what if the Skitters are the ones really in charge and the Overlords are the slave race.  Ok, that’s just crazy, but I’m hoping for something a little more exciting than a simple Skitter/Human team up.

Rick’s return was a neat surprise.  Not much to his character though - he played the part of mouthpiece for a Skitter once again and ended up getting shot in the chest.  I swear that kid could never catch a break.

There’s a great scene between Tom and Weaver at the end of the episode.  Their candid conversation about what may have to happen to Ben if he proves to be a liability had some strong emotion to it.  Tom was on the verge of breaking down at the thought of his son being a potential traitor and Weaver wasn’t handling it much better either.  I like that their tackling the potential of this issue early and it was a good lead in to the final scene with Ben planning to leave the 2nd Mass.

What bugs me about Ben is that he likes to get his brothers into trouble.  Last week he asks Hal to keep a secret for him, now he’s asking Matt.  Hopefully Matt has the good sense to tell someone before Ben runs off.  I don’t need to see another episode with Tom tracking down one of his missing kids.

While one less Maggie and Hal relationship scene might have helped with the pacing, “Love and Other Acts of Courage” was an improvement over last week.  A little less action but the developments this week could have huge repercussions over the course of the rest of the season.

Source : ign[dot]com

Return Dates Set for Boardwalk Empire and Treme

Return dates have just been announced for HBO's Boardwalk Empire and Treme, which are both back for their third seasons.

Boardwalk will debut its 12-episode season on Sunday, September 16 at 9pm ET/PT. Treme, meanwhile, launches its 10-episode season the week after that on Sunday, September 23 at 10pm ET/PT.

Stay locked in to IGN TV for more info on HBO's upcoming fall lineup.

Source : ign[dot]com

The Walking Dead: First Michonne Scene Revealed

During a special episode of AMC's Talking Dead last night, the first clip from The Walking Dead: Season 3 was shown. The clip was a short one, but it highlighted the zombie-fighting skills of Michonne (played by Treme's Danai Gurira), a major new character in Season 3 - one fans of the comic books have been excited to see for some time.

AMC have not posted the clip themselves as yet, so for now, here's a version posted by a fan (hence the less than broadcast-worthy quality).

Talking Dead also had a video of Walking Dead star Steven Yuen ("Glenn") taking host Chris Hardwick on a tour of the show's new prison set.

Source : ign[dot]com

The Newsroom: "112th Congress" Review

Note: Full spoilers for the episode follow.

Not unlike the previous two installments, tonight's episode of The Newsroom focused on fantasy – a sort of what if scenario -- as Will McAvoy's rebooted News Night 2.0 launched, with a rousing opening speech from McAvoy that rivaled his rant from the pilot in both brilliance and passion.

McAvoy immediately begins targeting groups attempting to confuse and corrupt politics and news media. This week, in particular, the episode set its sights directly on the Tea Party, a controversial political power that emerged quite quickly within the Republican party, and took the world by storm during the November 2010 elections.

It's really in “The 112th Congress” where The Newsroom establishes it's hardline, sometimes latching on to ideas, theories and facts that don't sit well with others, namely those with a fondness for the Tea Party or radical neocon values.

That's not to say the show is wrong or bad for taking the stances it does. As many characters reiterate throughout virtually every episode thus far, news isn't about appeasing both sides -- it's about presenting the facts, even the harsh ones. And the show's facts are actually pretty accurate, sometimes unfortunately so.

Fact checking the episodes has become a key part of prepping for these reviews, and the show's points largely hold true. With that in mind, anyone with a sweet tooth for the Tea Party, “The 112th Congress” is not going to be your episode – in fact, it'll probably be the last episode you watch, or at least enjoy.

It'll be interesting to see how this show will evolve as we inch closer to real time (this episode spanned about six months). Will The Newsroom lose it's edge, or will it go off air long enough to soak up a few fresh news stories and angles to dissect and analyze? For some, the focus on past issues has been a sticking point of this series, so perhaps moving the show into a fictional universe, where McAvoy is doing good and actually changing how we look at news, will be an interesting deviation. We'll cross that bridge when we get there.

There's a fine balance of Sorkin-isms going on throughout this series thus far, and episodes like “The 112th” define what people both love (and potentially hate) about his work. The execution, like the previous two episodes, is quite stunning, though. Performances remain sharp and focused, dialogue is top notch, and direction is tangible and entertaining.

The big highlight here was the scene between producer Charlie Skinner (Sam Waterston) and Leona Lansing, the head of the network (played by Jane Fonda). Fonda delivers a speech so staggering, so biting, cynical and tragic (for the whole of TV news journalism), it's likely to earn her some acclaim down the road. And Waterston's drunken, morally righteous fire matches her candid, frank nature. Their final scene together stands out among an already great episode, filled with wonderfully rich monologues and snappy dialogue.

But some of Sorkin's cliches do shine though. Again, the episode spends some time on romance, though it is dialed back much more than last week's episode. While the romantic elements are certainly well written, each subplot continues to feel borrowed from other Sorkin shows.

This series would be better served to perhaps drop one of these subplots, unless of course it's attempting to draw a parallel between Will and Mackenzie and Maggie and Don. Regardless, there is more to life outside of work than romance and dating. It would be nice to see the show step outside that arena for its human interest segments.

So, after all the Tea Party bashing and “leftist” theories the show has explored thus far, are there are any Republicans left? Naturally, The Newsroom is going to be a bumpy road for both sides of the fence, but with sketchy politics corrupting the playing field, that's to be expected. Let's hope McAvoy and his news team can fend them off long enough to actually make a difference (in their tragically fictional world).

Source : ign[dot]com

The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes - "Infiltration" Review

Note: Full spoilers for this episode follow.

This week's installment of Earth's Mightiest Heroes tended to wear its influences on its sleeve, drawing material from a number of comics involved in Marvel's Secret Invasion storyline. As in the Black Panther story  "See Wakanda and Die," Panther was charged with repelling an invasion of his homeland. As in several issues of Mighty Avengers, Nick Fury struggled to uncover which of Earth's heroes had been replaced. And as in Secret Invasion itself, a crashed Skrull ship revealed an entire crew of what appeared to be escaped Avengers. It was a packed episode, but luckily the end result was less choppy than might be expected.

Ms. Marvel of all characters proved to be the star of the show this time. She served as the voice of moderation between the crashed "Avengers" and Black Panther's forces. Her ongoing struggle to reconcile her duties to S.W.O.R.D. with her status as an Avenger is serving the show well. And seeing Carol unleash her powers later in the episode is a treat. As much as the character has suffered a rocky history in the comics, Earth's Mightiest Heroes continues to do right by Ms. Marvel.

The battle for Wakanda was also enjoyable, albeit not quite at the scale I was hoping for. What should have been a siege of a massive and highly advanced city instead played out as a brawl between a handful of Skrull impostors and Wakandan footmen, with a few tanks and cannons thrown in for good measure. One area DC shows like Young Justice continue to dominate Marvel's efforts is in animation quality. It's hard not to wonder what this battle might have looked like with Young Justice-caliber animation. Still, the individual character match-ups were fun. The only thing cooler than one Black Panther kicking ass is two Panthers battling each other. There was also something strangely satisfying about seeing Wasp revert to full size in order to deck the Skrull Giant-Man. Call it payback for the infamous spousal abuse storyline in the comics.

Iron Man also returned to the spotlight briefly for an unexpected team-up with Doctor Doom. This episode expertly captured the uneasy relationship the two have always shared in the comics. Doom may have disdain for all humans, but even he has to begrudgingly respect Tony's scientific acumen. It's also nice to be reminded that this show isn't limited by the same character rights issues as the Avengers movies are. That fact was further emphasized with the glimpse of Nick Fury's Skrull candidate charts. These charts offered a who's who of Marvel cameos, including everyone from Wolverine to Magneto to Luke Cage. Aside from fan service, the Fury scenes worked nicely as a means of tying some loose threads together. Fury revealed the myriad ways in which Skrull agents like Captain America and Mockingbird have been manipulating recent events towards the Skrulls' end. Unfortunately, Fury was taken down before he and his remaining allies could go on the offensive. Hopefully we'll get a chance to see his abbreviated Secret Warriors squad in action before this storyline wraps up.

Much in the same way Secret Invasion itself did, I felt this episode missed some potential with the impostor Avengers. It would have been exciting to see at least one of the characters revealed as the real deal. But with the invasion plotline still unfolding over the next couple episodes, there's plenty of time yet for more Skrull-related shocks and surprises. I only hope these next chapters do a better job of capturing the full scale and scope of this conflict.

Jesse is a writer for IGN Comics and various other IGN channels. Follow Jesse on Twitter, or find him on IGN.

Source : ign[dot]com

True Blood: "Let's Boot and Rally" Review

Warning: Full spoilers for the episode follow...

I'm glad we actually got to see Russell at the end of "Let's Boot and Rally," as I was half-expecting - what with the arbitrary time limit placed on Eric and Bill's hunt - that they'd come up empty handed and the episode would end with their stake-vests flashing red. That being said though - what did happen at the end? I mean, I guess I know. Alcide wolfed out. But it was shot so weird. He just kind of bent down behind Sookie, who was blocking the whole shot, and then we heard a wolf growl. Kind of awkward. Plus, hasn't it been established that wolves are no match for vamps unless they're in a pack?

Anyway, this episode was still a bit better than the previous four and although it's no longer fun to watch the characters on True Blood meta-out and call attention to how insane their lives are, Sookie was more fun to watch back in the saddle with Bill and Eric. It's funny. They make her more interesting, but she makes them less interesting. Strange dynamic. Also, she was extra pissy and still partially drunk, so her sass made it feel like a "Scooby Gang" reunion, True Blood-style. Also, given that we've all known for a while how much Alcide's been in love with Sookie, it was amusing to see Bill and Eric show up right as she vomited on his shoes.

Kiss me deadly...

I really liked the Jessica/Tara scene at Fangtasia. It seems as though they didn't decide to soften Pam as Tara's maker, but instead had Tara bond with another baby vamp. Jessica's "It gets better" speech was a well-intended, in not obvious, allegory and I liked that the two of them were bonding over the fact that being immortal isn't a completely terrible concept. It helped distract me from the fact that Tara was bartending at a vampire nightclub a mere two days after being turned. Too bad the two of them had to have that silly super-speed bathroom brawl at the end. And too bad for Hoyt that the latest in Fangbanger fashion is dressing like the drummer from Spandau Ballet. I noticed too that Jessica had to tease up her hair, Lita Ford-style, to go out on the prowl. It reminded me of how Buffy was able to spot a vampire, in the pilot episode of that series, based on the a guy's outdated clothes.

So things were better here, even though we still had to spend an extended amount of time with Terry and Patrick. Who now seem to be victims of a curse that invokes a vengeful Ifrit (yes, I googled it like the soldier dude did). And even though I don't care about Terry, or this side story, at all we at least got to see a big smoke demon frizzle-fry someone to death. And who doubts a curse on True Blood? How can Patrick think that a giant fire demon is fake when vampires exist out in the open? He lives in a world where unholy monsters walk freely among humans.

I suppose my least favorite part of "Let's Boot and Rally" was Jason...once again hating vampires! Oh, and seeing things that aren't there. Also "once again." But instead of bullet holes in between people's eyes, it's fang marks on their necks. It's as if he's only got two or three stories and he just keeps cycling through them. On the flip side of that, things took a more dramatic turn with Sam and Luna; the two of them getting gunned down in front of her house. Yes, Sam is fine, but I'm not curious to see if the show's getting rid of Luna. Someone in the comments last week pointed out that these "shifter murders" were also a part of the Charlaine Harris books, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't a redneck posse committing them. So it's been changed, and for the better, I think. A major theme of this series since the beginning has been prejudice and it sort of vanished for a while. I'm curious to see what has humans filming themselves killing shifters and not vamps. Is it just less dangerous?

Oh, and while the Lafayette/Brujo stuff is a waste, I wasn't expecting to see Alfre Woodard back as Ruby. Or Kevin Alejandro back as Jesus' head. It's still not good, mind you. But sometimes, on True Blood, all I'm looking for is a few "WTF?" moments to push me through an episode

Matt Fowler is a writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter at @TheMattFowler and IGN.

Source : ign[dot]com

Louie: "Telling Jokes/Set Up" Review

Note: Full spoilers for the episode follow.

First off, I was very happy to see Lilly and Jane back this week. This show gets a tremendous amount of wonderful material out of the scenes between Louie and his two daughters, with none of the cloying, saccharine crap regular sitcoms use when it comes to cute little kids. Young Ursula Parker is especially funny and natural, and had me cracking up as Jane exclaimed, “I don’t get it! I just don’t get it!” at a knock knock joke that went over her head.

The way we first heard Louie talk about her “Who didn’t let the gorilla in the ballet?” joke early in the episode in his standup routine and then actually saw her say it at the end was a really nice touch. The standup bit was hysterical, as he analyzed her thought process when she said this joke, while the payoff was just a sweet scene between father and daughter.

Of course, the main story here was Louie’s friends trying to set him up with a woman named Laurie (perfectly played by The Fighter’s Oscar-winning Melissa Leo), without bothering to tell either of them about it. What followed was an expertly-done Louie scenario – and a much more typically strong episode for the show than the season premiere. The way Louie and Laurie were both pissed off, but then had a sense of shared bemusement about the situation seemed to be heading towards a, “Hey, maybe there will be some sparks here after all…” situation.

Her then matter of factly giving him a blow job inside her truck was a surprise (to Louie as well), but it’s what followed that brought this to that special hysterical and yet pretty messed up place Louie can go.

Her proclamation, “I just sucked your d**k. You’re gonna eat my p**sy” was just one small segment of their very funny, very on point back and forth, as she demanded satisfaction, and Louie made things worse by saying stuff like, “If I had done what you did, I would feel like a whore,” while saying that going down on her would be too intimate. This was a classic male double standard of course (he had no objections to him doing something so “intimate” to him), but made all the more direct and graphic (and amusing) by the specific acts they were so openly discussing.

But it got really messed up when she went from calling him gay (seemingly to goad him into going down on her to prove his sexuality) to simply smashing his head into the window and forcing his face into her crotch. It’s one of those fascinating things… I have no doubt if the situation were reversed with a male character doing those exact actions to a female character (the initial sex act included), it would play as a ghastly, brutal sexual assault. But when Melissa Leo does that to Louis C.K., it’s a very funny moment… even though it still is, you know, a ghastly, brutal sexual assault. In fact, it’s funny almost because it’s so f**ked up. Damn if Louis C.K. doesn’t know how to tap into that weird place others wouldn’t think of going for humor. “Lick it! Lick it!”, indeed. This is a show not afraid to go to very uncomfortable and even twisted places, and I continue to admire it for that.

Despite Louie saying he’d be up for “going out” with Laurie again, I’m guessing that he won’t be seeing her again… But this is Louie, so you never know.

Eric Goldman is Executive Editor of IGN TV. You can follow him on Twitter and IGN.

Source : ign[dot]com

The Walking Dead: Episode 2 Having Issues on PSN

Today, The Walking Dead: Episode 2 launched on PlayStation Network. But unfortunately for many players trying to get into the experience, they’re unable to. IGN users rhoadesclark informed us of a thread on Telltale Games’ message boards chronicling the issue. As of the time of this story’s publish, the thread spans 14 pages.

The problem is associated with trying to launch the game. From dozens of accounts on Telltale’s message boards, when the game is downloaded, installed and launched, the game refuses to load and kicks gamers back to the CrossMediaBar (XMB). So the problem isn’t somehow in-game; the problem literally doesn’t let people play the game at all.

Telltale Games employees are trying to get to the bottom of the problem by asking users on the message boards questions, including if the game was deleted and then reinstalled and by which method the game was purchased (either individually or as part of the season pass). But there’s still no word on a fix, or when it might be forthcoming.

The problem isn’t only concentrated on Telltale’s forums. I put out a Tweet asking if any of my followers were having issues. They are. We’ve reached out to Telltale Games for official comment and, hopefully, a word on when these issues may be fixed. We’ll update when we hear back. In the meantime, let us know in the comments if you're having issues with The Walking Dead Episode 2 on PSN, and what the nature of your particular problems are, if any.

Colin Moriarty is an IGN PlayStation editor. You can follow him on Twitter and IGN and learn just how sad the life of a New York Islanders and New York Jets fan can be.

Source : ign[dot]com

Tron: Uprising - "Identity" Review

Note: Full spoilers for the episode follow.

Imagine that everything you know, every memory, everything that makes you you, was contained on an external storage device. Now imagine that device was stolen. That's the situation Beck finds himself in when he's duped by a small-time thief and nearly loses everything. You have to feel sorry for him as his memory begins to fade, but it was a pretty dumb mistake for someone who is supposed to be a freedom fighter in the mold of Tron. And considering how important identity discs are in the world of the Grid, and the dire consequences of being without one for any length of time, they're surprisingly easy to steal. But let's overlook that little plot convenience and get right to the heart of the story. Which, as it happens, had a lot to do with matters of the heart.

Since the beginning, Tron has kept Beck at a distance, relating to him solely as the cool, reserved mentor, even at times when Beck really needed a friend. As he explains in a rather exposition-y scene near the end of the episode, Tron once let his friendship with Clu cloud his judgement, and that experience has made him cautious about forming new emotional ties. But in "Identity" he puts it all on the line and risks exposure to bring Beck back from the brink of oblivion. It's an important turning point in their relationship. It's also worth noting that Tron's knowledge of strays and the process of memory loss was too thorough not to have come first-hand. We've seen in the first few episodes that Tron is badly damaged physically, now we know he's got some internal scars to match.

What the creators of this series seem to understand in developing Tron: Uprising so far is that you can have all the ultra cool light cycle chases through spectacular digital landscapes you want, but none of it is going to connect with an audience unless they care about the programs riding those bikes. I appreciate that the writers are taking the time to explore the characters' motivations, even one-shot characters like Lux. Her sacrifice wouldn't have meant as much without the insight that her actions were rooted in her love for Cobol. That she would betray him after learning of Tron's survival is a testament to Tron's power as a mythical figure.

Zed is also turning out to be more than just a minor character whose only purpose is fill out the B story of each episode. Though he hasn't yet had much impact on the greater story arc, he has had some difficult choices put before him. His desire for recognition and respect from guys like Bartik and Hopper clash directly in this episode with his feelings for Mara. Luckily for Beck, love wins this round, but I was a bit disappointed that Zed walked away from the chance to join Paige's task force. I would have liked to have seen him go up against Beck as the Renegade.

All of this character stuff goes hand in hand, of course, with the slick visual design, which continues to impress. By now, it's easy to take the look of the show for granted, but the style is really distinctive from anything else on television. In "Identity" we got more thrilling action, including a cool sequence that climaxed in Beck jumping through a window, and some pretty fluid fight scenes. We also visited a new location, Pergos. It wasn't quite as gritty as I expected from Tron's description as a rundown "garbage heap," but it did have a different aesthetic from Argon City and the other locales we've seen so far.

In just four episodes, we've had a chance to explore more of the Grid than in either of the films, and I look forward to more of that world expansion in the show's future. Based on past experience, I fear that Tron: Uprising is bound to let me down sooner or later, but I'm happy to say that it hasn't happened yet.

Source : ign[dot]com

The Walking Dead Episode 2 Release Date

The wait is over. The Walking Dead: The Game Episode 2 is coming this week. Yes, in a bit of last minute news, Episode 2: "Starving For Help" will land on Xbox Live tomorrow. PC and PS3 versions of the second of five downloadable episodes will arrive on Friday. Those dates are international with the exception of PS3; European PS3 users will have their own date to be announced later.

Developer Telltale Games just makes it in the "June" release window the creators targeted back in May. A company spokesperson said the announcement of the dates comes so late because Telltale had to wait "until all of their platform partners confirmed their publishing schedules."

The Walking Dead: The Game -- Episode 2: Starving for Help picks up the tale of Lee Everett, a convicted murderer, living in the first days of the zombie apocalypse featured in the comic book series.

Look for the full review here on IGN tomorrow, but until then, catch up on everything The Walking Dead: The Game.

Source : ign[dot]com

Young Justice: "Bloodlines" Review

Full superhero sidekick spoilers follow.

It's good news/bad news with the latest Young Justice episode, "Bloodlines." The good news: Impulse has joined the show. The bad news: Impulse has joined the show.

It's an ongoing issue with Young Justice and one that clearly isn't going away. The show's creators insist on continuously adding new characters to the roster, which inevitably means that main players get short shrift (cough, Wally, Artemis, cough) that the newly inducted players are never fleshed out (hack, Rocket, Zatanna, hack).

Having said that, it is undeniably fun to see a character like Impulse in animated form. And the writers and producers more often than not handle these new faces with humor, faithfulness to their comics inspiration (even when reinterpreting them to fit into the YJ timeline, as with Impulse/Bart), and a general kick-ass-ness.

Anyway, "Bloodlines" is a fun Flash Family adventure, and how can it not be when it features not just Impulse -- arriving from the future allegedly to visit his eventual-granddad Barry Allen -- but also Barry himself, Wally's return to the Kid-Flash costume Jay Garrick -- who must be pushing 90 here -- donning the old metal skullcap again, all in a bid to save good old Central City!

Aside from the banter and geek thrills that come from a Flash grouping like this, there are several other nicely handled bits. Among them: Barry's slow-motion (from our perspective) quasi-POV, complete with heartbeat thumping, as he chugs along at "near lightspeed" to stop Neutron; Wally's inability to keep up with Barry and Impulse, including his admission that he can only make out "every fifth word" of their super-fast conversation; and Flash's costume ring, complete with a kinda-musical-callout to the live-action 1990s TV show.

Of course, this is all in service of an ever-deepening puzzle surrounding the Season 2 "Invasion," which it now seems clear is going to take some time to actually get to the real invadin'. Metagene experimentation is taking place, we learn here, supporting several of you alert readers out there who speculated last week that Tye Longshadow and the rest of those kidnapped kids were actually going to be modified to become super-beings. But still, it's all with the mystery and shadowy figures when it comes to who is masterminding this plot. We viewers continue to know more than our heroes, but still not much at all. Ho-hum.

Elsewhere, Red Arrow has cleaned up his act -- being a husband and father will do that to you -- and, together with his nuclear family, actually tracks down the original Roy. Though this is the B storyline of this episode, it definitely has some well-played moments, as when Cheshire tells her husband, "I need you be real. Our daughter needs you to be real." Damn straight! I also love how Cheshire brings their baby with them on a covert op -- and still manages to outfight the bad guys with the kid in a Bjorn the whole time. Mainly, though, it's great that the real Roy has finally been found so that this storyline can move forward now. But wait… that means another new character on the team, doesn't it?

The episode finale is pretty creepy too, as we realize that Impulse actually knew he was on a one-way trip to the past, all in an attempt to save the devastated future world he's from. Perhaps his glib attitude is more of a front than it at first seems. And seeing Neutron in that future, actually working with Impulse to alter the past, is also a nice touch -- though I'm not sure I get why he would remember that Impulse had to alter the past once the past was altered so that, from his perspective, said past never happened in the way that would've Impulse to alter it in the first place. Time travel!

Some notes: Can anyone explain to me what "crash the mode" means? "Such a Dick Grayson thing to do." Very cool how Neutron kind of pulls a Doctor Manhattan when he reconstitutes his body (and who said Watchmen wouldn't show up in this show?). "Your name's Tim? And yours is… Dick?!" Comic-Con is full of people from the future. It all makes sense now!

Source : http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/06/04/young-justice-bloodlines-review

IGN AU Pubcast Ep: 46: 'Twas The Night Before E3

As the wait for E3 2012 grows all the more agonising, why not kill some time while we kill a few brain cells in Episode 46 of the IGN AU Pubcast? This week we're getting (relatively) serious in our divided discussion surrounding the recent Hitman: Absolution trailer. Long story short, there's nothing funny about punching a nun in the face.

Although Whoopi would have made it work.

Here's what else we bleat about in Episode 46:

• Borderlands 2 - Cam and Jem have played it, now you can find out what they think! Also, find out what they *didn't* drink. CONTROVERSIAL!

• Snuggies - yes, no one's debating their inherent coziness, but how exactly does one have sex while wearing one? With winter upon us, this is one debate that southern hemisphere-dwellers can't afford to miss!

• Dirt Showdown - Luke's reviewed it, and evidently in this case the titular "Dirt" means shit. It's a Shit Showdown.

• FACE-EATER UPDATE - indulge us while we talk briefly about the drug-induced face-eater that dominated news headlines last week. We promise not to . Ahem.

• 'Twas The Night Before E3 - listen to the team's E3 dreams brought to orgasmic delight in our intro sketch. Things are gonna get sticky!

• The team answer of your questions from our Facebook page!

Don't delay, listen today! Episode 46! Make sure you rate us on iTunes, follow us on Facebook and write to us!

IGN AU Pubcast, Episode 46 - 130MB

Questions? Comments? Hit us up at The Outreach!

Source : http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/06/04/ign-au-pubcast-ep-46-twas-the-night-before-e3

Mad Men: "Commissions and Fees" Review

Note: Full Spoilers follow for this week’s Mad Men episode! If you haven't seen it yet, beware...

“I feel a bit lightheaded.

“That’s relief. I’ve started over a lot, Lane. This is the worst part.”

If only Lane Pryce were as strong as Don Draper. Look, it’s not like Don is Superman (jokes aside both on and off the show) and we’ve seen him at very, very low points… But it is also true that he’s been resilient and he’s been nothing but determined when he’s needed to reinvent himself. But Lane didn’t see any options. He couldn’t possibly look at this as the “new door opening” that Don was going for.

This was a sad, ignoble end for Lane Pryce, in the midst of another terrific episode of Mad Men. All season, as things got crappier for both Pete and Lane, it’s been hard not to wonder if one of them would hit their breaking point. And we got our answer with Lane here.

Lane tried to give his death a bit more symbolism by killing himself inside the Jaguar his wife had just got him – and while it was predictable that the car wouldn’t start (there had been so many references this season to them being great looking but unreliable), on another show, that failed attempt might have resulted in Lane’s wakeup call and ultimately saved his life. Not here. It was just a cruel final joke on Lane, who simply went to the office and finished the job there – and yes, he “finished the job” in a very literal way, as he left his letter of resignation as a suicide note.

It’s brutal that Don will, presumably, now have guilt over this. Yes, you could argue that he could have looked the other way about what Lane had done, but he really was being pretty damn fair with a man he just found out had embezzled from the company – letting him resign rather than be fired and offering to cover the money Lane had stolen. But considering Lane said the reason he simply didn’t ask Don to loan him the money in the first place (that it would be a “humiliation”) and you have a guy who just couldn’t face looking like a failure, even a temporary one, to his wife, son, father and anyone else of importance in his life.

I’ll certainly miss Lane Pryce and the excellent Jared Harris on this series. It’s easy to forget Lane wasn’t even around until Season 3, as he became such a natural part of the series.

Obviously, Lane’s death dominated this episode, but there was other events going on…

It’s funny how uneasy I get whenever Glen is around, thanks to the creepy scenario he was involved in with Betty years ago. But this episode did a nice job of reminding us that he is a kid – even if he might be a screwed up one. Him confiding in Sally (via attempted nonchalance) about some rather horrible bullying was very well done and helped add some layers to his little insults at her earlier, as he said she looked the same and that his friend had a bigger and better apartment than Don’s.

It was also oddly entertaining to simply have Glen and Megan in a scene together, as they represent very different eras of this show. Of course, that being said, the second Megan started being kind and comforting to Glen, I wondered if he would begin to transfer his revolving door crush on the women in Don Draper’s life to her. But at least this episode ended with a nice moment for Glen, as Don – in the midst of his grief over Lane – let the kid drive his car, after being told that was what Glen wanted to do more than anything.

I’ve noted a couple times this season Mad Men feeling a bit more “TV” than it has in the past, and I’d say that again about Sally getting her period. No, I’m not saying doing a story about Sally getting her first period was what felt a bit contrived, it was more it happened – during her secret date with Glen, as they snuck off together after having not seen each other in over a year.

It’s a minor quibble in an otherwise excellent episode though – and yes, it was amusing to see the continually-thinner Betty first get a semi-sweet moment with Sally, as she comforted her daughter… and then be predictably Betty by lording it over Megan - “I just think she needed her mother.”

The follow up to what happened with Joan last week was very interesting, despite not being a huge part of the episode. Don’s snarky, “Should I leave, so you can all do whatever you want?” during the partners meeting was the most direct reference. But what really intrigued me was the scene with Ken that evoked it…

Ken remains a supporting character on this series, often only popping up for a scene or two. And indeed, he was only in two scenes this week (one of which – the discovery of Lane’s body – he was merely an observer in). But his one big dialogue scene, with Roger, was fascinating.

Ken seems like a really nice guy. Perhaps one of the “best” guys left in the increasingly morally bankrupt Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce. And last week, think about the couple of notable scenes Ken was involved in: He was there when the Jaguar guy made his “I bang Joan or you don’t get us as a client” proclamation and then later, his buddy Peggy was incredibly cruel to him, while she was dealing with her own crap – and then went and quit to go to another firm, obviously not honoring their “pact” to stick together. So it was good to see a tougher-acting Ken this week, as his line, “No, I don’t want to be your partner. I’ve seen what’s involved,” to Roger clearly let us know he could put two and two together based on what he’d seen happen with Joan. And then he played some real hardball when it came to how to deal with his father-in-law, including some old-fashioned blackmail and specific demands about leaving Pete out of any dealings. It was very cool to see, and hopefully is setting up some big things for Ken down the line.

Also, the horrible nature of how Jaguar was landed as a client, mixed with the discovery of Lane’s embezzlement, clearly was weighing on Don as he was hitting a “Why do we do this?” crisis he unloaded on Roger. And then… He began to get his fire back again. He talked about how much he wanted to go after true big fish clients and then played things incredibly tough in his meeting with Ed Baxter (Ray Wise) in one of those could-torpedo-things/could-totally-get-them-hooked big moves. But with what happened to Lane, who knows how he’ll process it and whether it will strengthen his resolve to make SCDP more worthwhile or simply make him want out. But I sure am curious to find out.

Lastly, I want to mention the complete lack of Peggy this week. I was talking about Peggy leaving SCDP with IGN’s Matt Fowler the other day and I theorized that while I still firmly believe Peggy will be a part of Mad Men going forward, I could see Matt Weiner leaving her out of these last two episodes of Season 5, as she begins her new job. We’ll see if that continues to be the case next week – though perhaps if Lane’s funeral is a part of the season finale, we will see her. I would certainly hope so, at least…

Source : http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/06/04/mad-men-commissions-and-fees-review

Game of Thrones: "Valar Morghulis" Review

Warning: Full spoilers for the episode follow...

Such a big, sprawling season ender. Where to begin?

Oh, I know. ZOMBIE HORSE! ZOMBIE HORSE!  ZOMBIE HORSE! How about that? Yeah, three blasts of the signal horn really does suck, doesn't it? And even though we've all gotten our fill of roaming zombie hordes on AMC's The Walking Dead, there's something to be said about the undead slowly marching through the stark, white blizzard-y conditions that lie beyond the wall. It really does make them seem more ghoulish. Plus, at the heart of the White Walkers (which we also got to finally see atop the mangled horse) and their undead legions is dark magic. Which seems a bit more sinister than a biological plague. And seeing the bone brigade slowly close in on the Fist of the First Men made for a very powerful image to leave us with until next year.

"I miss me mother's farting."

"Valar Morghulis," named after the words Jaqen imparts to Arya, was a great way to close out the season. And much of the finale's format mirrored the Season 1 finale, "Fire and Blood" - with a ton of fallout scenes that dealt with the aftermath of a big penultimate episode, coupled with a big moment from Daenerys. Yes, so far it seems that the big King's Landing stuff goes down in episode nine, leaving Dany to finish off her story, with her biggest moments, in the final chapter. Which is fine. And the Dany bits of "Valar Morghulis" were great. The best of the entire season, in fact. Her trek into the House of the Undying, including her unexpected reunion with Drogo and Rhaego, was fantastic. It really helped remind us of the woman she was back in Season 1, which I think is important given how strong and boastful, to a fault, she's had to be this year. Watching her walk away from the two of them, following the shrieks of her baby dragons, made a powerful statement. Plus, who doesn't love watching three dragons spit fireballs at a creepy old Warlock?

But just because Dany now realizes that Jorah was right, and that Xaro's empty vault was a perfectly-timed metaphor for all his empty promises, that doesn't mean she's gone soft. Locking Xaro and, of all people, Doreah, inside the fault was proof positive that she won't suffer traitors - even ones who merely sleep with the enemy.

One of the Game of Thrones pairings that I was hoping wouldn't get short-sheeted this year was Jaime and Brienne, who only had one brief scene back in "The Prince of Winterfell." But their scene here, as they ran into three Northern soldiers, was great; antagonistic, yet supportive. With both of them willing to protect the other in order to survive the trek to King's Landing. And while Brienne claims to be "no lady," you can see that she does have a soft spot for violence against women. Which I suspect, seeing as how she lives in freakin' cruel-ass Westeros, has made her an extremely angry, unfulfilled person. Her slow, brutal kill of the third soldier ("Two quick deaths" for the others, like the hanged girls) showed us just how vengeful she can be. And it was great to watch Jaime see her do it. Wonder how much sass he'll have to dish out after seeing her do that?

Given the scope and scale of an episode like "BLackwater," you had to wonder just how big things would get in the finale? And so when Theon, surrounded by Northern forces, began to speechify his men into what seemed to be a suicide mission, it seemed unlikely we'd see another battle. Especially given the fact that we haven't even been introduced to Lord Bolton's bastard, come down from The Dreadfort, on the other side of the Winterfell walls. So to see Dagmar knock out Theon, right at the peak of his fervor, was fitting. And yes, it was a good speech.

YOLO!

And while that scene was great, the one between Theon and Maester Luwin that came right before it was even better, as it did a great job of creating even more sympathy for Theon ("Do you know what it's like to be told how lucky you are to be someone's prisoner?") and acted as a great swan song for Luwin. Luwin, who after all that had happened was doing his best to help Theon escape and find a new life in the Night's Watch. ("You're not the man you're pretending to be.")

There were many heartfelt moments in "Valar Morghulis," but Luwin's death was the one that got me. This show did a great job of building up this man's relationship to Bran and ever since Ned and Cat left Winterfell, Luwin had become "the one who stayed." It was very sad to watch him slowly die in the Godswood and his death, eventually at the merciful hands of Osha, personified the destruction of Winterfell itself. A place that, as it turns out, Theon worshiped and identified as being a home to honorable and beloved men.

I'm sure it was a great relief to many of you who haven't read the books that Tyrion was still alive after "Blackwater," even though he's been handed a bit of a demotion. Oh, and his father's getting all the credit for defeating Stannis. Oh oh, and he's now got a nasty diagonal sword slash running across his face. And even though Varys said that the two of them can no longer be seen together, it was still tremendous to hear him tell Tyrion "There are many who know that without you this city would have faced certain defeat." Still, as low as Tyrion is right now, his scene with Shae was first time that I really felt like the two of them were in love. And maybe it was good to save this kind of emotional clarification for a time like this, when he's hit rock bottom and has no Bronn, or Hill Tribes, to protect him. Because even though he tried to, in his grief, push Shae away, she chose to stay. Even though they're both still in danger.

On the other side of the war, and in keeping with the flames-reflected-in-eyeball motif, Stannis almost strangled Melisandre to death ("Where's your God now?") for what he believed to be false visions. And while he eventually became entranced by a flame, and maybe saw some visions of his own, the thing I remembered most about the scene was the regret and guilt Stannis felt, finally setting in, over killing Renly.

Meanwhile, Sansa, thanks to Magaery Tyrell's queenly ambitions, is off the hook and Joffrey, at least in public, is acting fairly King-like. Oh, don't get me wrong. He's still a monster through and through, but it looks like he at least now knows how to act the part in court. Maybe Tywin's presence has something to do with it. And as for the Stark girl who managed to escape Winterfell? Well, Arya's now out and about with Gendry and Hot Pie, taking a mysterious coin from Jaqen - who finally revealed himself to be a "Faceless Man." Which is a person from Braavos that is apparently even more lethal that Arya's old "dancing teacher" Syrio Forel. And with that, Jaqen was no more; magically creating a new face for himself.

"Valar Morghulis" nicely set us up for next season (Jon Snow, now "The Man who killed Quorin Halfhand," seeing Mance Rayder's enormous army, Littlefinger vowing to help Sansa escape, Brienne and Jaime headed to King's Landing, Bran and Rickon headed to the Wall) but it also gave us a cliffhanger with a certain amount of immediacy - the zombie attack on the Night's Watch. And because if that, I believe, the long wait until next Spring will be even more excruciating than is was after last year's finale. The (and this isn't from the books) that I wished had happened was a small scene where Tywin had come to some sort of realization that his cup-bearer girl had been Arya Stark. And then maybe even a small smile could have curled across his lips. I guess I was just looking for something to put a stamp on all those great scenes they had together.

Warning: No BOOK SPOILERS on the comment sections for our Game of Thrones reviews. Please do not post anything that will ruin the series for others. You will be banned. And for everyone else, beware of trolling jerks.

For those who want to talk about the books, with regards to the TV series, why don't you head over to section of IGN's Game of Thrones Wiki Guide focused on the book and TV show differences. Feel free to add to the Wiki while you at it!

Source : http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/06/04/game-of-thrones-valar-morghulis-review

Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode II Review

On the surface, Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode II gives you pretty much everything you'd want in a followup, and a lot more than you've probably come to expect. New modes, a new character, cooperative play, revamped graphics, and plenty of new levels to run through build on the original game. What they don't do, though, is fix the core issues that made Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I a rather lackluster experience. Gameplay is still slow-paced, level design is still too linear, and boss battles are just plain boring. To be sure, most of the time that you're playing Episode II you'll enjoy yourself--the game is thoroughly amusing, even if it isn't very exciting--but those folks hoping Episode II will transform Sonic 4 into the wild-ride action of yesteryear's Sonic games will be disappointed.

That robo-fish is blocking your sweet, sweet air bubble. KILL IT.

Case in point: the addition of Sonic’'s buddy/annoying hanger-on Tails. Having two characters means you can play co-operatively (both locally and online), and even when you play by yourself, the AI that controls Tails is good enough to make him a useful ally. But much of the time, Tails' role is relegated to combining with Sonic to form a super-powerful rolling ball (useful for breaking through large objects) or rescuing Sonic from a fall with his whirling appendages. He has no real part to play on his own, and aside from a few obvious puzzles here or there, no levels feature or even require his skills. Indeed, due to linear, unimaginative level design, even Sonic himself fails to feel Sonic-y. Levels lack boosters, loops, alternate pathways, and other series trademarks, which makes the game feel more like a traditional, unassuming platformer an honest-to-goodness Sonic game.

Nevertheless, jumping around, bounding off bumpers and walls, is a fun way to kill a few minutes. In addition to the redone graphics, which bear a much closer resemblance to early Sonic games than Episode I's did, Sonic's air slam ability (allowing him to dash at a target in midair, damaging and ricocheting off of it) returns in Episode II. The air slam allows for some nifty air combos and provides one of the game's two real chances to feel some momentum. The other comes in Episode II's "3D" stages, where Sonic and Tails run continuously along chutes and loops, collecting rings and dodging (or killing) bad guys. These bonus stages are far too few in Episode II, but when they do come around, they're a huge pleasure to dash through, especially if you've got a buddy along for the ride.

What isn't much of a pleasure, though, are Episode II's boss fights, which continue their predecessor's predilection for simplicity and repetition. Now, however, because there are two of you, and because rings (which double as Sonic's life meter) are so plentiful, it's almost impossible to die. This makes such encounters (especially the ones with Sonic's evil doppelganger, Metal Sonic) little more than time-wasting chores. It also allows clever players to cheese up their extra lives by collecting tons of rings and just not fighting the bosses at all. While some might chalk this up to meta-gaming, you quickly find yourself yawning and hoping against hope that after whatever boss fight you're engaged in is another segment.

These bonus stages are a nod to the similar stages in Sonic the Hedgehog 2.

Even though the console versions and the PC version are largely identical, you might have a great deal of difficulty finding partners to game with on PC, simply because no one seems to be playing Episode II. The best medicine for this is just to have a buddy come over and play locally, but it's disappointing--although not really the fault of the game itself--that PC gamers can't find anyone to jump in and out of games with at random. Other than that, though, the games play and look (and sound) identical across platforms. And while the look is now considerably easier on the eyes than it was in Episode I (ugly, prerendered backgrounds have been replaced with layered, moving ones, for example), the sound is still subpar. Sure, the trademark sound effects you've come to know and love are here, but the music is mostly forgettable and at times (like Dr. Robotnik's boss battles) is incredibly repetitive and annoying.

A good follow-up doesn't just add new content--it improves on the original. In that critical sense, Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 2 disappoints. While the addition of cooperative play is a big step in the right direction, the core elements that made Episode 1 a tepid experience persist here: mediocre level design, slow pacing, and erratic levels of fun. Like its predecessor, this is a functional "time waster" of a game, but should you spend too long in its world, Episode 2 reveals its feet of clay.

Source : http://www.gamespot.com

House "Everybody Dies" Review

SPOILER ALERT: If you haven't seen the final episode of House, please watch before reading this review. Full episode spoilers follow.

One of the most difficult things in television is to deliver a series finale that summarizes the message of an entire show, ties up loose ends, and gives a satisfying conclusion to the folks who have poured hundreds of hours of their lives into following the story. With that much pressure on a single episode, it's no wonder that many series finales are often divisive or mediocre.

That said, it's doubtful that the final episode of House will inspire much controversy, and that's a bit of a shame. For a show that often pushes buttons and boundaries (or at least features a title character that does), the series finale played things very safe. It didn't ultimately betray the time investment of its audience, but it didn't take any risks, either.

After a prank that threatens to put House back in jail after violation of his parole, House finds himself in a burning building next to a dead body. The episode constantly returns to this location as we flash back to find out what put House in this situation. The gist of the main story is that House takes one last case, a drug addict (James LeGros) who finds more joy in taking drugs than living. House saves the addict (momentarily) even though the man, thinking he has nothing left to lose, offers to take the fall for House's prank. In saving the patient, House damns himself, proving he is less selfish than he claims... at least for the time being.

House takes up with the addict and eventually ends up waking from a heroin haze to find himself in the abandoned building with the dead addict. The main problem with this story line is that ultimately, House's bad behavior end up killing the patient, which undercuts his sacrifice back at the hospital (a main motivating factor in his decision making later in the episode). Of course, it's all just set-up to put House in a life-or-death situation in the burning building (it's never explained why the building is on fire), so he can start reflecting back on his life as the flames creep closer.

This allows the show to trot out a litany of familiar faces in a Scrooge-esque analysis of House's life: each ghost emerges to dig deeper into House's motivations for self-destruction in light of Wilson's impending death. The carousel of guest stars has long been a series finale cliche, but here it feels unnecessary. For some, it may provide closure to see Kal Penn or Olivia Wilde or Andre Brauger return, but it feels like a move that is made purely because this is the last episode of the series, and not because it is essential to bring these characters back to tell this story.

Having everyone back also puts a harsh light on the absence of Cuddy (Lisa Edelstein) in this finale. She exited the series between seasons and never got a satisfactory farewell, so it was disappointing that among all of the characters we see, the one who needs her story wrapped the most, and one of the folks who could have helped explore House's fractured psyche the best, does not get a swan song of her own.

Then there's the matter of the ending. Again, if you do not want to be spoiled, do not read further. Just as House has chosen to live, and change his life (it's Scrooge's revelation without the happy running through the streets hugging Tiny Tim bit), the building he is in explodes. Wilson and Foreman have tracked House to the warehouse and are there to see it go up, and by the time all the flames are out, virtually the entire staff is collected outside the smoking building waiting to hear House's fate. Eventually, a stretcher is wheeled out and later House is identified as the body. Dental records confirm it. But it's a little too coincidental that there was another body in the building that is never discovered, and so by the time we get to House's funeral, it's already pretty obvious he is pulling a Huck Finn.

Of course, there is nothing fundamentally wrong with the false ending, or with House faking his death to avoid jail time and hang out with Wilson in his last days... it all just feels a bit tidy and safe. There is a braver ending out there, but not one that is as audience-pleasing, perhaps.

And the mere fact that the episode is safe does not make it bad; it just does not make it transcendent. But it does cap a comeback season; after getting bogged down in some wacky, wayward episodes last season, House snapped back to form this season and delivered a solid suite of farewell episodes.

This show has been a great success due to clever writing and great performances, especially the anchoring presence of Hugh Laurie, who has been excellent throughout the show's run. House has become one of the most memorable and unique characters in TV history, in large part due to Laurie. Despite a somewhat disappointing finale, the show will be missed. There's nothing on TV quite like it.

Source : http://www.ign.com

Game of Thrones: "The Prince of Winterfell" Review

Warning: Full spoilers for the episode follow...

"I will hurt you for this. A day will come when you think you're safe and happy and your joy will turn to ashes in your mouth. And you'll know the debt is paid."

Somehow, I felt as thought we were bound to get an episode like "The Prince of Winterfell" before we headed into the endgame of Season 2. An episode that wasn't bad (this is Game of Thrones after all) but an one that had a lot of moving parts and exposition. And while there's nothing wrong with exposition or dialogue-heavy scenes, this chapter felt like it had a lot of stories that simply began and didn't finish. And I mean actual "episodic stories." Because besides Robb finally forsaking his vow and getting busy with Talisa, and Tyrion's tense scene with Cersei when he thought she might have been holding Shae as a prisoner, everything else felt a bit incomplete.

Even Arya's story, and great scene with Jaqen where he finally lost his smile after she threatened him with his own name, felt too much like a fragment. And yes, I will definitely mourn the loss of Arya and Tywin as a scene-stealing duo. They didn't even get any final words with one another before he impulsively rode out to meet Robb in battle. And even though Tywin clearly likes her, one would think that he'd think of a better fate than leaving her behind with The Mountain. Tywin should know that the odds of her surviving that servitude would be extremely low.

Sure, there were some great moments to be had here; a furious Robb placing Cat under arrest for treason, Tyrion and Bronn quibbling away like an old married couple while trying to come up with a way to defend King's Landing, Yara proudly pleading with Teon to abandon Winterfell ("Don't die so far from the sea"). But there was also a lot of stuff that teased us and gave us no resolution; Jaime and Brienne setting out on a boat, Qhorin wanting Jon to go undercover in Mance Rayder's camp, Sam and Grenn discovering a stash of dragon glass, and that one scene toward the end with Dany and Jorah. So unlike the great, extended sequences of "The Old Gods and the New" and the tremendous one-on-ones from "A Man Without Honor," this episode hopped around a bit too much. Save for Sansa and Melisandre, I think it touched on every single character's story.

Last week, I found that a lot of you who hadn't read the books were able to predict that those two burned corpses were not Bran and Rickon. Just the fact that the murderous act happened off screen was enough to tip some of you off, while others noticed the few mentions here and there of the two orphans that Bran sent to the farm. So I'm not sure how much of a revelation it was to most of you to find out that Bran and Rickon are alive and kicking (well, Rickon's kicking at least). I think, possibly, the bigger surprise here was that Osha had doubled back with them and that they're now sort of hiding right under Theon's nose, in Winterfell. And then there's Theon himself. Still trying to do the respectful thing by offering gold to the farmer only to find out that Dagmar already killed off all the witnesses. Way too little. Way too late.

And so Lord Bolton's bastard is just a few days out from Winterfell and Stannis is a few days out from King's Landing. Which just made this episode feel like a grand set-up for bigger things to come. A bridge episode. And I suppose a lot of your personal enjoyment of it will depend on how invested you are in Robb and Talisa. And Tyrion and Shae for that matter. Again, Shae's portrayed as such a tough, argumentative nut on this show, it's been hard to determine how much Tyrion actually cares for her. But here, after he discovered that Cersei had nabbed the wrong whore, he opened up to Shae, confessing his love. Perhaps it was even the first time Tyrion himself realized he loved Shae. "I would kill for you, do you know that? And I expect I'll have to before this is over."

And poor Ros. Not having the greatest time in King's Landing, is she? The scene between Cersei and Tyrion was, of course, great; with Tyrion having to try and hide the fact that she'd hurt someone he actually cared for. But the best part of the whole thing was how well it all played considering the fact that Tyrion and Cersei sort of bonded in the last episode. But with Cersei now thinking that Tyrion purposefully wants to Joffrey to die in battle, her claws came out once again. And we got to hear Tyrion deliver one of the best, threatening lines of the entire series.

And while "The Prince of Winterfell" might not have been this series' best outing, we did get to:  Meet a dude named the "Lord of Bones" who wore a freakin' awesome skull on his face, hear the tale of how Davos saved Stannis from starving at Storm's End during Robert's Rebellion and see Tyrion use the word "pigs***" as a secret code for wild fire. Now, I know that a lot of you who've read the books have some gripes over certain characters being left out of Season 2, but please don't fill up the boards with the names of people who show up on the series. If you didn't get the chance to read my pre-Season 2 interview with Thrones producer David Benioff, he basically said that, after Season 1, they're no longer doing straight book-to-season adaptations. So things that happen in Clash of Kings might show up in Season 3 while things that happen in Storm of Swords might be moved up and show up in Season 2. They're now more interested in adapting the "saga" itself.

Source : http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/05/21/game-of-thrones-the-prince-of-winterfell-review

Supernatural: "Survival of the Fittest" Review

Note: Full spoilers for the episode follow.

The seventh season of Supernatural wrapped up with "Survival of the Fittest", an apt title when you look at who was left standing at the end of the episode.

"Carry On Wayward Son" launched us into the episode with a montage of what had happened earlier in the season. Using that song as the intro to each season finale is one of Supernatural's best traditions; the Leviathan storyline itself may have faltered this year, but the song managed to pick up some of the slack in raising the excitement level as the finale began. And for me the level of anticipation needed to be raised from about zero, so that was a very good thing. If the opening song wasn't enough old-school Supernatural for you, the return of the Impala was another great moment with "Born To Be Wild" blasting as Dean's car roared back into the action. It was a short-lived return since it was only used as a distraction, and Meg crashed it almost immediately, but they have fixed that car up from much worse accidents.

James Patrick Stuart as Dick Roman, head of the Leviathans, was the best element of the Leviathan storyline all season, and it was no different in the finale. The scenes of him hammering out the contract with Crowley (the excellent Mark Sheppard) were great; I loved the juxtaposition of modern businessman Roman working through old-school demon Crowley's contract that rolled out on the floor in a long scroll.

Although the Leviathans had been built up at the beginning of the season to be super-powerful villains, in the end, dispatching them wasn't all that difficult for the Winchesters and their allies, something that was a real flaw with the storyline. A simple distraction at the office and Sam and Dean were (apparently) easily into the building. Even chopping the Leviathan heads off didn't seem to be that difficult once the Winchesters discovered that a simple Borax solution would disable them. And although they had to gather a few supplies to make a weapon that would get rid of Roman, even that didn't turn out to be too difficult for them. As for the rest of Roman's plan, Crowley seemed to think that the rest of the Leviathans just needed to be rounded up and Kevin told Sam that they needed to blow up the lab. As unsatisfying as that was as a way to wrap things up, I will take it if it means that we don't need to do anything more with the Leviathans in the future.

All of that aside, where the Leviathans really missed the boat in being effective Supernatural baddies was that there was no sense of an emotional connection for the Winchesters, something that previous villains on the show have had in spades. Maybe the producers thought that having Castiel be the one to bring the Leviathans out of Purgatory would make it personal, but it didn't. The fact that Roman killed Bobby helped to give the Winchesters a direct connection, but even with that there was never the same sense of emotional high stakes that we have had in the past.

Supernatural: Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki Look Towards Season 8

Crowley, on the other hand, did not disappoint. His sarcastic comments were great as usual, a favorite this episode being "text me when Sparkles here retrieves his marbles" after seeing the state Castiel was in. More importantly, Crowley behaved as a "proper psychopath": he betrayed all sides to his own benefit. He worked with the Winchesters to get rid of Roman and also managed to screw over Sam and Dean in the process while getting his minions to collect Meg.

Where the emotion was missing in the fight against the Leviathans, it was present in the goodbye to Bobby. I had not been a fan of the decision to turn Bobby into a ghost, but at least they made the gutsy decision to take that storyline to its proper ending, with Bobby recognizing that he was doomed to turn into a vengeful spirit unless Sam and Dean burned the flask that kept him from crossing over. Jim Beaver was an integral part of the Winchester family and he will be missed, but I was glad they said goodbye rather than ruining the character by having him hang around longer as a helpful spirit sidekick. The scene itself was nicely done - a somber, but not overly emotional goodbye.

I also appreciated the focus that was put on Castiel and his relationship with Dean. Misha Collins and Jensen Ackles have always been great together and while Collins put a new spin on the character of Castiel with his stream-of-consciousness thought process and inability to engage in the battle, his connection to Dean remained strong. "Nobody cares that you're broken Cas, clean up your mess" was a great line.

With a change on showrunners next season (Sera Gamble is out and Jeremy Carver is in) hopefully Supernatural can get back to how good it was a few seasons ago. They left things at a good spot, the betrayal by Crowley may not have been that surprising, he is a demon after all, but what he did was a shock. The weapon that killed Roman also tossed Dean and Castiel into Purgatory, leaving Sam bewildered and alone. Jared Padalecki did a good job conveying Sam's confusion and fear at what had happened. Purgatory was effectively creepy and Dean's predicament was only made worse when Castiel poofed away. That ending was the biggest success of the episode: where they left both Sam and Dean made me want to see what happens next. That is a major accomplishment after the tedious nature of most of the season.

Source : http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/05/20/supernatural-survival-of-the-fittest-review

Mad Men: "Dark Shadows" Review

Hey guys, apologies for this review going up so very late – a full week after the episode aired! Thanks to my time in New York covering Upfronts, I only just was able to watch it.

This was an interesting episode for Don. All season (but it began earlier, of course), he’d been so checked out of work. And here he is, getting back into things, but obviously also very insecure. He was inspired to pitch his own take on the Sno Ball campaign when he snuck a look at Ginsberg’s pages in the first place – but clearly didn’t like the fact that while everyone genuinely liked his devil idea, Ginsberg’s played a bit better.

Don had a great, cold retort to Ginsberg at the end – “I don’t think about you at all” – but it was a lie of course. He’d been thinking about him the whole episode. This is a very interesting new side of Don, as he is trying to prove he’s still got it, and has his (valid) concerns about these young hotshots who may be on their way to surpassing him.

Insecurity was a big theme in "Dark Shadows" (yes it was funny timing to have this air the weekend the Dark Shadows movie opened), as we saw it also explored with Betty. I felt the moment where she saw Megan changing in her bedroom was a bit too convenient – We already understood how uncomfortable it was for Betty to see this oh-so modern new apartment of Don’s and be in the presence of his young, beautiful wife, while she was struggling with her weight. But Betty’s response was oh-so Betty, which is to say, awful.

Betty throwing a bomb into Don’s life by revealing who Anna was to Sally was “Classic Betty.” And while I feel like we have a good handle on who Betty is and how and why she does a lot of the cruel things she does, it still was pretty satisfying to see it ultimately backfire on her. Sally realizing it was true that Betty was trying to sabotage things and calmly telling her mother, “Yes. Daddy showed me pictures and they spoke very fondly of her,” was gratifying. I don’t hate Betty, but I don’t want to see her win this petty battle either, that’s for sure. Betty’s final hollow, boastful Thanksgiving dinner thanks was both amusing and sad, as she struggles to convince herself she is happy "And no one else has anything better."

I wish the story with Roger and Joan had resonated a bit more. I did like the continued look at the “new” Roger, as he said he was over hating Pete and we learned he will not stop bringing up his LSD experience. But we’ve never known Jane well enough to really feel her pain when she told Roger he’d ruined her new apartment by seducing her in it. I guess the question is whether Roger truly learned something from what happened – he obviously was motivated by his jealousy at her semi-flirting with another man – since he’s the character we’re invested in of the two.

Pete didn’t appear a ton in this episode, but when he did, it was all about his continued (and increasingly worrisome) obsession with Beth (Alexis Bledel), despite her having ended things. I find myself very nervous where this is going…

Meanwhile, Lane Pryce continued to be MIA this week – a very odd, long absence from the show. I’m very glad to see him in the previews for the next episode!

Source : http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/05/20/mad-men-dark-shadows-review

Touch: "Tessellations" Review

Warning: Full spoilers for the episode follow...

"Dammit!" count: 4

"Tessellations" was a bit of a dud as far as Touch episodes go if you consider that the main strength of this series, and the tipping point regarding whether you're going to get a decent episode or not, resides in its ability to pull together those "global connectivity" stories in clever, unexpected ways. Unfortunately, the show misses way more than it hits in that department, and even when it does hit the chance is more than likely that you've had to endure some insufferable characters along the way.

The most interesting things that this episode had to offer involved the reveal that someone inside Aster Corp, where Jake's aunt works, is behind the sinister plot to keep Jake away from Martin, and test him with numbered blocks in order to bring out his special abilities. That, and Avram's (Bodhi Elfman) explanation of Teller's block test to Clea; the five platonic solids (each shape representing a classical element) and a dodecahedron to represent the universe.

Other than that though, "Tessellations" was filled with more dumb characters and a rather unbelievably dangerous situation for Martin. I know they did their best to explain , but it still seemed like a bit of a stretch, even for this show, to buy that Martin would risk dying and no longer being around for Jake. And what was the point of making Joey, the Mobius shipping employee who lost his job and had the wife with MS, get singled out as a hero on the news if that's not what got him his job back? Martin still had to go talk to Nelson (Stabone from Fast Times!) and threaten him in order to get him to rehire Joey.

Plus, there wasn't even a vast, intricate web connected people here. There were, really, only two stories; the shipping yard and Israeli Tomer with his Palestinian girlfriend. And that story played out in an even more cornball fashion than the heist scenario. Once again, we get a "dreamer." A guy in love who constantly aggravates the girl he loves. A girl who's cold and practical only up until the guy floors her with a grand romantic gesture. But never the first grand dramatic gesture, right? It's always the second one. Didn't we just go through this last week in "Music of the Spheres?" And so, because the girl always winds up sort of just "caving," it becomes hard to believe that the girl really loves the guy at all.

Also, we got another scene where Avram himself has a brief, somewhat inconsequential connection to the "B" story when Tomer called him to randomly ask him about numerology. And since the "B" story, like last week, also involved a man looking for a gift for his girl, Avram was strangely mixed in. The trouble here was that as soon as Avram told Tomer that his message regarding "9808 becoming 2545" meant that something good was going to come from something bad, we knew everything would turn out just fine. Not that we couldn't assume that anyway, with this being Touch and all, but the whole scene felt forced. And it made me roll my eyes at Tomer even more for calling Avram to ask him whether or not the message was a good one or not based on the numbers.

Source : http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/05/20/touch-tessellations-review-2