Adventure Time Creator Dishes on the Season One DVD and More

Mathematical! Fans have been asking, and Warner Home Video and Cartoon Network have finally answered. Adventure Time: The Complete First Season will come to DVD this week (look for our review tomorrow).

In honor of this exciting release, we sat down with Adventure Time creator Pendleton (Pen) Ward to discuss what it takes for young prospective artists to break into the industry, the direction of the show, as well as Ward's amusing contribution to the DVD bonus features.

Before Ward was famous, he visited Simpsons creator Matt Groening to discuss what it took to make it in the animation industry. While Ward could not recall what transpired during that chat, he did offer some inspiration for young artists.

“My advice comes off as generic, but I think it's important advice – and that's to keep drawing.” Ward suggests. “I think if you persist, you keep drawing, you're already one step ahead of anybody who's quit. And that's probably the biggest challenge when you're learning, whether you're drawing, or really anything at all – is to keep doing it.”

Even in the show's early days, Pen Ward was always working hard at the series, attempting to craft a show that was not only fun and funny, but also refreshing and original.

“Every day I'm just focused on trying to keep the ideas fresh and interesting.” Ward states. “For example, I wanted to put a monkey in an episode, and one of the writers, Jesse Moynihan, told me not to. He thought it was jumping the shark, that is was just cheap humor. I told him, you're right, you're right. So we took it out.”

It's this sense of originality that's turned Adventure Time from a cult series into something of a phenomenon. But Ward isn't really phased by the show's new found mainstream stardom. “I don't have a real concept of it, honestly,” Ward said. “We just work on the show every day and keep doing it. But I see how much people really like it at Comic-Con, which is a lot of fun.”

Instead, Ward spends his time focused on the story. “We're always trying to top ourselves and make each episode better than the last,” Ward said. “We don't want to become stale.”

Ward is currently putting the finishing touches on season four, while also drafting episodes for the show's upcoming fifth season. While he remained mum on all the juicy details, he did offer hints as to what fans can expect. “In future episodes you'll get to see more of the history of Ooo.” Ward offers. “There's also a few more origin stories for some of the characters. There's going to be another Fiona Cake episode coming up, which features Marshall Lee more.”

In the meantime, fans can explore the various bonus features found on the season one DVD. One special feature was actually shot on Ward's own iPhone, using a handy $150 Steadicam unit. “I wanted to put something cool on the disc,” Ward explains. “I wanted to interview everybody and put it all in one shot. Then we decided to put animation on it.” The end results are nothing short of bizarrely humorous, with the featurette almost playing like a bonus episode of the show.

But the featurette isn't the only goodie Ward was excited about. Playing as sort of a complement to the “Mom-entary” from the Will Ferrell/Mark Wahlberg film, The Other Guys, Ward sought out another helper to add some flavor to the supplemental material. “There's a commentary from my mother with Polly Lou Livingston, who voices Tree Trunks,” Ward admits with a laugh. “It's pretty funny.”

Obviously, because this first season took quite a while to make its way to DVD, fans might be worried it'll be a few more years down the line before future seasons arrive, but Ward attempts to put those worries to rest. “I'm positive they'll be coming,” Ward assures. “I'll have to stay up and do some more special features, too.”

With the release of Seth MacFarlane's Ted in theaters, naturally the thought of doing something live action came up. Ward was fascinated by the idea of doing a feature-length movie. “I think it would be great.” Ward said. “I want to do a live-action movie with the Adventure Time characters, actually. That would be interesting.”

We certainly hope he gets the chance to do that in the near future. But, in the meantime, you can check out Adventure Time on Cartoon Network, or pick up the show on DVD or digital download.

"A long time ago, when I was a baby, I went boom boom on a leaf. Then I fell backwards and sat in my own boom boom and cried for a day, but no one came to help me. That day I vowed to help anyone in need, no matter how small their problem! And that's why I need to go." Follow R.L. Shaffer on Twitter, Facebook andMyIGN for quotes, rants, reviews, news and more!

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

Telltale Plans More Episodes of Walking Dead Game

Telltale has announced that a second season of The Walking Dead: The Game will follow the first five episodes. The announcement comes hot on the heels of Activision’s announcement that it will release a Walking Dead first-person shooter, but to clarify, The Walking Dead: The Game is the downloadable adventure game that first released in April.

Telltale originally announced that The Walking Dead: The Game would feature five episodes. Episodes one and two have already been released, and episode three is currently slated for mid-August.

While release dates for episodes four and five haven’t been announced yet, Telltale is already planning for what it will do next. According to a statement from Telltale senior vice president of marketing Steve Allison, "Following the digital release of our fifth episode we will also be coming to North American retail shortly thereafter and this will not be the last The Walking Dead game series that we do."

Allison also revealed that the first episodes of the game have “sold nearly 1.7 million episodes to consumers in just our first 8 weeks with no signs of slowing down.” As for Activision’s announcement about the other Walking Dead game? Allison had a comment about that, too. "Regarding today's announcement of a project based [on] the AMC TV series coming in 2013, as huge fans of the franchise and the show, we're looking forward to seeing Terminal Reality's game when it comes out."

For more on The Walking Dead: The Game -- including a full walkthrough for episodes one and two -- be sure to check out our The Walking Dead: The Game wiki guide.

Source: Polygon

Andrew Goldfarb is IGN’s associate news editor. Keep up with pictures of the latest food he’s been eating by following him on Twitter or IGN.

Source : ign[dot]com

Comic-Con: The Walking Dead Season 3 Poster Revealed

First debuted at EW, the Comic-Con poster for The Walking Dead: Season 3 has been revealed, showing a new image of Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln), along with two major new characters being introduced this year: Michonne (Danai Gurira) and The Governor (David Morrissey). And, while we’re analyzing the poster, hmm, interesting they made sure to include that helicopter, no?

The Walking Dead panel will be held Friday, July 13th at Comic-Con in Hall H. Lincoln, Gurira and Morrisey will be in attendance, joined by Sarah Wayne Callies, Laurie Holden, Norman Reedus, Steven Yeun, Lauren Cohan, Executive Producer and Showrunner Glen Mazzara, Executive Producer Gale Anne Hurd, Executive Producer Robert Kirkman and Co-Executive Producer and Special Effects Make-up Supervisor Greg Nicotero.

Check out our full list of all the TV series coming to San Diego Comic-Con.

Source : ign[dot]com

Spartacus: War of the Damned - Behind the Scenes Video

Now that we know the next season of Spartacus, called Spartacus: War of the Damned, is the final one, the stakes are raised considerably regarding what will occur when the show returns next January.

Spartacus Creator on Why the Series is Ending

A new video has been released showing the cast and crew hard at work filming War of the Damned, while discussing what's to come. Check out what Spartacus regulars like Liam McIntrye and Manu Bennett had to say, along with newcomers like The Cabin in the Woods' Anna Hutchison and Simon Merrells, who plays the final Spartacus villain, Marcus Crassus.

Source : ign[dot]com

Star Trek: TNG Second Season BD Includes Extended “Measure of a Man” Episode

With the Blu-ray of Star Trek: The Next Generation - The First Season on its way in July, fans are already chomping at the bit, eagerly awaiting future seasons of the hit show. TrekMovie.com managed to dig up an interesting tidbit about the forthcoming second season of TNG on Blu-ray, which is expected to hit shelves this winter.

Writer Melinda M. Sodgrass has confirmed, via her Twitter account, that she's currently prepping an extended cut of the episode "Measure of a Man" which will run 20 minutes longer than the current broadcast version. Fans will get a sneak peek at this episode during the one night Fathom Event, where episodes of the first season Blu-ray will screen at select cinemas.

It's not known just yet if "Measure of a Man" is the only episode getting an extended cut. Even if it's the only episode to be extended for these Blu-rays, it's a welcome addition. "Measure of a Man" is a fan-favorite that illustrates just how smart, intelligent and awesome The Next Generation series really was.

Be on the lookout for a review of Star Trek: The Next Generation - The First Season on Blu-ray in the coming days. If you haven't already, you can pre-order the Blu-ray on Amazon. Also, check out our review of Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Next Level, the first TNG Blu-ray -- a sampling of great things to come.

R.L. Shaffer wants you to "make sure that history never forgets the name...Enterprise." Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and MyIGN for quotes, rants, reviews, news and more!

Source : ign[dot]com

Star Wars: The Clone Wars - The Complete Season Four Blu-ray and DVD Info and Trailer Reveal

Star Wars: The Clone Wars – The Complete Season Four is coming to Blu-ray and DVD on October 23rd, and IGN has your first look at what to expect.

This was a big season for the series, featuring epic battles beneath the sea, Obi-Wan undercover among Bounty Hunters, a dark storyline focusing on a rift between a squad of Clone Troopers and their Jedi leader and of course… the return of Darth Maul!

“Season Four allowed us to expand the series on many levels and achieve things that once were impossible,” says Supervising Director Dave Filoni. “It all culminated in the return of one of the most exciting characters from the Star Wars Saga – Darth Maul. To bring a classic character back to life, and know that his future is not yet defined, is really exciting.”

Check out the exciting trailer for the set below and then read on for more info on what to expect!

The Complete Season Four set includes five video commentaries featuring supervising director, cast and crew.

The Battle of Mon Cala: Dive into the depths of animation production as Supervising Director Dave Filoni and key members of his crew discuss the challenges of creating this complex series of episodes, full of underwater warriors and deep sea action.

Darkened World of Umbara: Supervising Director Dave Filoni and key members of his crew shine a light on the shadowy battlefields of Umbara, discussing the technical hurdles in creating this epic arc, as well as the storytelling challenges of placing Captain Rex and his loyal soldiers in this most difficult of situations.

Obi-Wan Undercover: The truths behind the deception are revealed as Supervising Director Dave Filoni and key members of his crew chat about the creation of this storyline full of betrayal, reversals, and shady underworld figures.

Slaves of Zygerria: Supervising Director Dave Filoni and key members of his crew discuss the development of a story that began life as a comic book before being transformed into an action-packed animated drama.

Darth Maul Returns: Darth Maul is resurrected to become a new menace in The Clone Wars, and Supervising Director Dave Filoni and key members of his cast and crew discuss how this shocking turn of events came to be, and what it took to bring the Sith warrior back to the screen.

The Clone Wars’ Dave Filoni Looks Back at Season 4

Those who purchase the Blu-ray version will also get an exclusive extra feature.

The Jedi Temple Archives: An extensive database exploring special effects footage, early concept art, 3D character and object turnarounds, early animation and more than 20 deleted/extended scenes. The Archives is a rare look at the assets in various stages of creation for The Clone Wars, with a wealth of surprises and never-before seen moments sprinkled throughout

Star Wars: The Clone Wars The Complete Season Four is presented in widescreen with English, Spanish and French 5.1 DTS audio and English, French and Spanish subtitles.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars – Season 5 Trailer

The series features the voices of Matt Lanter (90210), Ashley Eckstein (Her Universe apparel line), Dee Bradley Baker (American Dad), James Arnold Taylor (Johnny Test), Catherine Taber (The Old Republic) and Tom Kane (Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes). The fourth season also features a formidable line-up of guest stars – including Jon Favreau (Iron Man), Simon Pegg (Star Trek), Sam Witwer (Being Human), Clancy Brown (The Shawshank Redemption), Katee Sackhoff (Battlestar Galactica) and Jaime King (Sin City).

Source : ign[dot]com

Next Spartacus Season, War of the Damned, Will End the Series

He’s defeated Batiatus and Glaber, but it turns out that the end is almost here for Spartacus. Yes, the next season of the hit Starz series, which we can now reveal will be called Spartacus: War of the Damned, will be the final one, as the show comes to an end after four years, three “regular” seasons and one additional prequel season.

It’s a surprising move, given how meaningful Spartacus has been for Starz, where it is easily their biggest hit and has been crucial in getting the cable channel established as a destination for original series. I spoke to Spartacus’ executive producer and showrunner, Steven S. DeKnight, for an exclusive chat about the decision to end the series after a relatively short run, why the time was right and what we might expect when War of the Damned begins its ten episodes in January 2013.

IGN TV: So let's just start with the first and foremost question: Why end the show right now?

Steven DeKnight: Starz always does the unexpected. This show has been challenged, to say the least, in many, many ways. We’ve faced many difficulties and tragedies on the show. My original plan was to attack the show in a five- to seven-season arc. Once we got into it and after Andy’s passing and looking at the historical story of Spartacus, we came to the decision to basically end on a high note. We certainly could have continued for a few more seasons and stretched it out, but we really wanted to end high and not feel like we were treading water - and really just condense the rest of the history into one amazing ten-episode, badass final season. You know, the whole show was a huge risk from the start for Starz, and it was another huge risk when I decided to try to keep the show going after Andy’s passing. Any normal studio would have just cancelled the show at that point and not risk the financial downside of it not working. But Starz, thankfully, really stuck by the show, and they really wanted it to be told all the way to the end. They didn’t want to cheat the viewers and just suddenly pull the plug. So they gave us this opportunity to wrap up the story, and we’re certainly taking that opportunity and running with it. This is by far the biggest season we’ve ever attempted.

Liam McIntyre in
Spartacus: War of the Damned

IGN: I have to ask – Did Starz simply tell you, “Next year is your last,” or was there a lot of conversation about it and about what would work best for the story?

DeKnight: There was a lot of conversation. We knew towards the end of making the last season - we were 90 percent sure that we would be wrapping it up. And then there were a lot of questions and back and forth about do we do ten episodes, do we do 12, do we do 16, do we do 20? Ultimately, when we looked at it from all angles both financially and creatively, we decided, “Let’s do ten. Let’s take history, take the best parts of the story and really just try to end this as strong as possible.”

IGN: I think it will surprise a lot of people because it has become Starz’s flagship show and is their biggest success. After last season, I’d personally figured you’d probably go at least two more years.

DeKnight: Yeah, I think the last thing Starz would want to do is, because it’s a success, drag it out and then have it end when it’s on the downslide; when people start to get tired of it and less interested and we start repeating ourselves. That would just be a horrible way to go out. But the thing about this show is, I think it is an incredibly risky thing to end it now. We’ll have to wait and see if that’s a good way to go or a bad way to go. But with Starz, they’ve taken such a big risk on every season. They took a huge risk greenlighting the show, and then once Andy [Whitfield] fell ill, they took a gigantic risk doing the prequel.

And it’s funny with this show... After each season, it seems like what I read a lot on the message boards is people ringing our death knell. When they found out Andy was sick and we were doing a prequel, everybody hated the idea of a prequel. “What are they doing? It will never work.” Then the prequel was a success. And then, unfortunately, when Andy passed away we had to recast Spartacus. Everybody was saying it would never work. And then last season we had even bigger numbers than the previous two seasons. So this show had been one constant risk, every single season. And Starz is throwing the dice one more time. It’s a little unprecedented -- in fact, I think it’s very unprecedented to take your one big hit show on your network and end it earlier than people expect.

IGN: This title of this new season, War of the Damned, certainly doesn’t seem to be very optimistic for either side in this battle.

DeKnight: No! [Laughs]

IGN: Should we extrapolate from that?

DeKnight: You certainly can. I hatched this “brilliant” graphic novel idea of, “Let’s subtitle each season,” instead of Season 1, 2, 3… “We’ll have different subtitles!” Which was the best/worst idea I’ve ever had in my life. Because after Blood and Sand -- which was something I just threw out in a meeting and it just kind of stuck, and we rolled with it until the end -- each of the next seasons, it been very difficult to get everybody to agree on one title. Months and months and months we’ve gone back and forth. This one was eventually… It was kind of the same process, but it really stuck. We wanted something that was epic, but also, quite frankly, as you point out, it also gives that uneasy sense of doom. It is the War of the Damned. And like you say, it is very much about both sides, the Roman side and the rebel side.

One of the things I really wanted to explore this season was the cost of war. Not just physically and financially, but the cost of war emotionally. And both sides take serious, serious damage this season. The flip side of that is I wanted to play with what really is victory and what really is defeat. Can you win and still be defeated? Which is something I think in the Kirk Douglas version of Spartacus that they did so well - that even when Spartacus is up on the cross dying, there’s the ray of hope with his wife and with his newborn son, who will live a free man. But that’s one of the big challenges of this season is everybody kinda-sorta knows how the story ends -- although most people think that Spartacus was crucified, which historically isn’t quite accurate -- but it’s how do we get there? And once we do get there, how do we end the season so that there is some of form of an uplifting message? I think it would be a mistake to just have it be, “Aaaand Spartacus and all of his people were murdered, and the Romans won!” after following the story for four years.

Continue to Page 2 to learn much more about what to expect in the final season of Spartacus, including info on the new villains in War of the Damned. Plus, is a spinoff possible?

Source : http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/06/04/next-spartacus-season-war-of-the-damned-will-end-the-series

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

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

Fringe: Season 4 Review

Season 4 was not Fringe's best.

I wanted to get that out of the way early. What follows is a somewhat lengthy exposition into the many wonderful and not-so-wonderful elements of this odd season, but essentially what I'm going to be telling you is that this season as a whole, though it had many bright spots, was only "good enough" to justify renewal for a fifth and final season.

This season of Fringe had an unusually lofty and perhaps unfair expectation to live up to – it had to provide a resolution to the Season 3 finale bombshell that Peter was erased from time and space and "never existed". Many critics and fans (myself included) worried that "The Day We Died" may have been Fringe's "jump the shark" moment and only a brilliant resolution in Season 4 could save the show from collapsing under the weight of its own massive plot twist.

The season opener, "Neither Here Nor There", didn't do much to answer the burning questions left from its predecessor. Instead it focused on showing us a world without Peter – a world drastically different than the one we knew and had come to rely on. The episode set the stage for the continuous redefinition of Fringe lore that would mark the entire season and leave Fringe fans uncertain about the future and whether the events of the previous three seasons really mattered. But a lot of the material was presented quite well, and even though this new look at the old characters wasn't necessarily welcome, it did often prove very interesting.

But the show suffered without Joshua Jackson in the mix, although Seth Gabel did an admirable job stepping in to fill the void. Even though it only took 4 episodes for Jackson to return, it felt like the series was dragging its feet on the Peter issue, and the method of his return was a bit disappointing and it was explained in a barely adequate manner that seemed anti-climactic after the huge bombshell that Season 3's finale dropped.

Once Peter was back, he spent much of his time trying to leave. Just like many of the viewers, he didn't feel the world he found himself in was "right". This created yet another quandary for the series as the viewers couldn't be sure if emotional investment in this incarnation of our characters was even worth it because it was quite possible they'd be irrelevant once Peter got back "home".

So the first third of the season was inconsistent and the episodes often felt aimless. The ratings were in the tank, with "Wallflower" and "Back to Where You've Never Been" being back-to-back episodes with viewership considerably under 3 million. The cancellation rumor mill started churning at full speed.

But Fringe is too good of a series to flounder for too long, and soon the quality of the episodes improved dramatically. Things started to turn around with "Enemy of My Enemy", the episode that re-introduced David Robert Jones as a threat to both universes. This was a great episode that was full of excellent writing, special effects, and a feeling that the show was starting to get back to its roots. Then there was "The End of All Things" which I felt was probably the best episode of the entire season with absolutely brilliant writing and clever plot twists. The dastardly deceptions of David Robert Jones and Bad Nina were excellent, and paired with equally excellent portrayal of Olivia.

The series continued with a number of high-quality episodes that gradually put the weird "timeline" play to rest. Once we hit "A Short Story About Love" Peter and Olivia were truly back together, it was clear that Peter was home all along, and the series could finally move into more consistent material. But the threat of cancellation still loomed large, and it seemed more likely than not that Fringe could no longer escape the chopping block. The producers could feel the axe being lowered, and just to hedge their bets they threw out a vision of what the series could be if they were given the chance to wrap things up. The result was "Letters of Transit".

This episode came out of nowhere and totally caught the viewers off guard, but no one could deny that the material was intriguing and bold, and interest in a shortened final season skyrocketed. This story also put William Bell back into the fray, which seemed like it might just be a CG job until Leonard Nimoy appeared in the flesh shortly afterward – the biggest and most welcome surprise of the season despite the wonky script kludges that surrounded the return of his character.

The two part season finale wrapped up the late-coming William Bell plot adequately, but the finale's greatest success was setting us up for the world we got a glimpse of in "Letters of Transit". For the first time, Fringe didn't end a season with a major cliffhanger. We know where we're going, and we're certain that it's the end.

Season 4 didn't do a lot of favors for the series, but it was not without monumental moments. However, it's important to note that the most important developments of this season revolved around making things the way they used to be. David Robert Jones came back, William Bell is back in action, Peter is back in "existence" and back with Olivia, and there's no bridge to the alternate universe. Season 4 could be seen as a long, arduous, wandering journey back to the stuff that made Fringe popular in the first place, and for fans who weren't too happy with the developments of the past two years, this could be an additional reason to have faith in Season 5.

Source : http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/05/20/fringe-season-4-review

Nikita: "Homecoming" Review

Note: Full spoilers for the episode follow.

Nikita fittingly capped off a sensational second season that began with "Game Change" by turning the canvas on its head yet again. "Homecoming" was a bold and satisfying season finale, daring in its unexpected hopefulness and lack of a traditional cliffhanger. Make no mistake about it though, the new balance of power places Nikita and her friends in very real danger - from outside and from within.

The hour's most pivotal event was obviously the death of Xander Berkeley's cruel and vainglorious mastermind, Percy. It's hard to imagine Nikita's world without him in it, even though we know his dragon's head is only one of many. He went out in grand style of course. I particularly loved when he confessed to his faithful Division recruits how he betrayed and used them all and that he wasn't sorry in the least because they were all "pathetic street trash." Ah, Percy. You will be missed. Nikita did deserve this hard-fought victory though, and it was truly thrilling to watch him plunge to his gorgeously gory death, breathing his last word before the end, as she once predicted, "Nikita."

The title "Homecoming" refers to Nikita and Michael's return to Division both as star dropouts returning to campus as well as Percy's prodigal progeny returning to the fold. All season we've been teased with Percy's "Luke, I am your father" comments to Nikita, but Percy's last was so over-the-top that it seemed to me to close the door on any literal interpretation of these allusions. Instead, he seemed more like Dr. Frankenstein intent on killing his monster. Once Percy was dead though, Nikita was finally able to stop running from the truth she's been battling all season: Division made her who she is today. Maybe it's just easier without anyone around to say, "I told you so."

"Homecoming" brought the audience back full circle to the beginning of the season as well as the beginning of the series. Starting in "Game Change" and continuing throughout Season 2, Nikita has wrestled with the concept of finding a home, and whether she'd deserve to finally rest there if she could ever find it. Here, she finally accepts that, like it or not, dreaded Division has always been her home. Taking over the organization she once sought to destroy sounds crazy at first, but it actually takes her back to her original mission. In the pilot episode, Nikita said she was the first recruit to get out, and she was going to make certain she was not the last. Now she's been presented with the opportunity to make good on that vow on a large scale, and bring "immunity, identity, absolution" to Division's masses. How could a girl with a guilty conscience matched only by her savior complex ever resist it?

Before he died, Percy also got to demonstrate his magnificent genius one last time. The elaborate satellite particle beam plot turned out to be a con, while his real plan depended simply on his most loyal soldier, Roan, physically placing the plutonium inside a nuclear reactor. This also gave me yet even more respect for last week's layered "Crossbow". Why was it so laden with references to science fiction? Because that's exactly what Percy's "Star Wars" satellite Death Star plan was. Roan's death was also a nice, ahem, shock, though the bigger and more welcome surprise was his moment of genuine grief when he realized that Percy was dead. There a heart beating under that Terminator facade all along.

Michael is my kind of spy... fearless and inventive.

Despite its general awesomeness, I did have a few problems with the episode. First of all, Nikita and Michael blew the hatch open last week and I don't believe anyone had time to reseal it, so why were the Marines struggling to cut through the hatch in this episode? Did I miss something? Also, Sean and Alex got from New Jersey to Maryland in no time. I'm not saying I need to see them chatting in the car or whatever, but there just didn't seem to be any suspense in regards to their tracking down Roan. Even terrific Nikita episodes often feel like they need maybe five more minutes to completely pull off everything that was attempted. I would've rather had one more "Where the hell is Roan?" scene between Sonya and Birkhoff and/or Sean and Alex than the Amanda scene at the end, which felt like an unnecessary reminder of things we all already know: Amanda has a black box, she's still one of the Big Bads on the canvas, she's super evil and so forth.

The almost-happy ending between Michael and Nikita was absolutely beautiful. The sun has come up and they've once again somehow survived the impossible. They're in plain clothes in a pretty pastoral setting, but it's phony. It's a fake farm that recently housed the trained killers who gave their lives for Percy's lie and it's a perfect metaphor for the life-after-espionage fantasy that they've been contemplating all season. Michael would still like to chase after it, but Nikita is not yet capable of believing a real happy ending awaits her, so she'll keep working on that atonement thing.

It was a finale without real cliffhangers, yet everyone's in flux. Can the government really be trusted to let Division sort itself out when killing them all is so much simpler? Will Division's power bring out Nikita's dark side? Can Ryan maintain his integrity? Will Alex be able to pursue a future with Sean or will her painful past continue to haunt her? Can Michael and Nikita's relationship survive this latest major life change? Season 3 (yay!) holds the answers to these questions and many more and I can't wait until fall to see how it all plays out.

Source : http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/05/19/nikita-homecoming-review

The Office: Season 8 Review

Note: Full spoilers for The Office: Season 8 follow.

Looking back at my review of The Office's Season 7, I concluded with the hope that the writing staff would plan the next year out ahead of time because having a destination in mind (in last year's case, sending off Michael Scott) seemed to have done the show some good. Too bad they didn't take that advice. Instead of a heading in a single, coherent direction in Season 8, the stories and the characters were all over the map.

Season 7 ended without revealing the next branch manager of Dunder Mifflin Scranton, but the question was answered soon enough in the season premiere, "The List," with Andy sitting in the corner office. The choice wasn't out of left field, and it had some potential to bring a new flavor to the show – the insecure manager who is in over his head and knows it, rather than the incompetent manager who desperately wants to be one of the guys – but instead of properly cultivating Andy as a manager, they decided to have him share the spotlight with James Spader's Robert California, who wore out his welcome early on (as I feared he might). Even when Andy did try to flex his managerial muscles, as in "Garden Party" and "Gettysburg," the storylines were too absurd to accept as legitimate character development, yet not funny enough to make it worth pushing the reality of the show to an ever more extreme degree.

Speaking of "Garden Party" and "Gettysburg," there were quite a few outings that took the characters away from the office this year, including an entire arc set in Tallahassee, Florida (more on that storyline later). I suspect the motivation behind this was to change things up and keep them fresh, but it didn't always work. There were times, like in "Pool Party" when it felt like I was watching a different series – an Office spinoff, maybe – instead of the show I know and used to love. It wasn't always a problem with the locations themselves, but with the writing. By the time Andy and Erin crashed a stranger's bachelorette party to break up with his bland girlfriend, I wished they'd been part of a different show.

I haven't made it a secret that I'm not much of a fan of the Andy and Erin relationship. Last season, Andy pined for Erin while she was dating Gabe, so I guess it was Erin's turn to carry the torch. The writers fell back on the old love-triangle trope, giving Andy a girlfriend, but they didn't bother to give her any personality or defining characteristics. So I wasn't rooting for either side, really. There was also a potential romantic entanglement between Andy and Robert's wife (guest star Maura Tierney) in "Mrs. California," but that went nowhere. The last few episodes of the season devoted a good deal of screen time getting Andy and Erin back together, which proved to be a bit of a letdown after a run of some of the best episodes in a long time.

Those episodes made up the previously mentioned Tallahassee arc, which demonstrated that there is life, and laughs, left in this show when they get it right. Beginning with the 14th episode, "Special Project," we got a great business-related arc centered around the launch of the Sabre Store down in Florida. It was a silly idea, but the characters involved made it interesting and fun. Dwight got a chance to experience both the thrill and the stress of leadership while Jim had his hands full fending off the affections of crazy Cathy. That little drama resolved better than I'd hoped. I enjoyed seeing Jim squirm and being forced to turn to Dwight for help (their scenes together were some of the best of the whole season). Poor Cathy was punished for her actions by being banished from the show, never to be mentioned again. Ryan was true to character, talking a big game but ultimately choking when his big moment came. And of course, we'll never forget you, Florida Stanley.

For everyone else in the Office, the stories were relatively minor. Pam and Angela both had babies named Phillip, but the origin of Angela's pregnancy had much more intrigue to it. There were hints all along that the father of Angela's baby was not her possibly gay state senator husband, but the issue resided on the backburner for the majority of the season. It wasn't until the finale, "Free Family Portrait Studio" that Dwight finally took the initiative to get the kid tested. And we still don't even know the outcome (though they left little room for doubt).

The only other plot of note was the subdued and sweet courtship of Darryl and the new warehouse forewoman, Val. Grounded in realism, Val was one of the better new characters introduced this season. I also appreciated the expanded role of Nate, Dwight's former handyman who became a warehouse worker in "Lotto." He's like the Creed of the warehouse, stealing entire scenes with just a line or two (Creed continues to reign supreme in that regard, though).

While we're talking about new characters, I can't avoid mentioning Nellie (recurring guest star Catherine Tate), who first appeared briefly interviewing for the manager job in "Search Committee" and returned as the head of the Sabre Store project in "Tallahassee." I had hoped that Tate would be a colorful addition to the cast, but either the material failed her or she failed the material – I'm not sure which, but there was definitely some fail involved on some level. Hopefully the writers will tone her down next year and make her part of the ensemble rather than trying to make her into the new Michael Scott. And then they can focus on Andy as manager, which they should have been doing all along.

To be sure, every season of The Office has had its ups and downs. It used to be that the peaks were steeper than the valleys; now, it's the opposite. At this time last year I didn't think the writers and cast had another season in them, and yet here we are heading into Season 9. At this point, I'm too invested in the characters to give up on the show entirely – and I am looking forward to seeing David Wallace in charge again – but with the big changes in store and potential departures both in front of and behind the camera, it's hard to imagine that the show will recover the ground it's already lost.

Source : http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/05/18/the-office-season-8-review

Supernatural: Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki Look Towards Season 8

Just a day before Friday’s Supernatural season finale, I had the chance to speak to both of the show’s stars, Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles about what to expect as Season 7 wraps up and the series gets ready for Season 8 in the fall.

Season 8 will find Supernatural going through some big changes, including a move from Friday nights to Wednesdays -where it will be paired with the new series Arrow. There will also be a new showrunner, Jeremy Carver, who previously wrote for the series before departing to launch Being Human a couple of years ago.

About an hour and a half after I spoke to Padalecki and Ackles, I attended a press conference with CW’s president, Mark Pedowitz. While anything can happen in TV, Pedowitz’s remark about Supernatural – “I’m not looking at Season 8 as the final year in any way, shape or form” – makes it clear The CW certainly has no specific intention right now of wrapping up the series next season. You’ll see what Padalecki and Ackles told me about their thoughts on going beyond Season 8 below.

IGN TV: So, you’ve got this Dick Roman guy to deal with in the finale...

Jared Padalecki: Yeah, yeah. He’s an ass***e!

IGN: [Laughs] Yes, he is! So what can you tell us about the finale?

Padalecki: True to Supernatural form, we don’t avoid the issue or press it on ad infinitum. We do an episode where we confront him. So you will see the boys, with some help, confronting Dick Roman tomorrow, and we’ll see how it turns out -- some good, some bad. It can’t just be, good guys win, drive away. It never is in Supernatural. We’re certainly going to leave you hanging a little bit. But it’s a very exciting cliffhanger for Season 8.

But we didn’t know. We had a good inkling that we were gonna go to Season 8, so we left it in a sense -- it would be very bad for the show to end tomorrow. So we set it out with a good launch pad for Season 8. Once again, true to Supernatural form, we’re not just gonna, like, “Oh, what’s going on now?” One of the brothers is left in a pretty sticky situation. So I hope that Season 8 can start where Season 7 left off. We had a few opportunities in Supernatural where we could start where we left off. And sometimes, I think there were a few seasons were like, Sam’s been hunting with the family, or Dean’s been alive for however long. So I’d like to pick up where we left off. And I’d like to see the brothers do their own thing for a little bit. I love the brothers together -- I think it’s a great dynamic, and I’m great friends with Jensen. I know how we act, and it’s easy to work together. But I love when the characters get to go out on their own and do their own thing.

IGN: You got Bobby back, but again, true to the show, there was a price. He’s not doing so hot.

Padalecki: Yeah, he’s not doing so well. But we don’t want Bobby’s character to be cheapened, either by killing him and bringing him back, killing him and bringing him back, killing him and bringing him back - nor by letting his character literally deteriorate into this ghost he is. So we also have some stuff to deal with tomorrow.

IGN: Your character went through a lot of mental angst for a couple of years on the show.

Padalecki: Yeah, they’re killin’ me!

IGN: Are you happy to be in a better place with him, or is it fun to play the screwed up version of Sam?

Padalecki: Both, I guess! The new dad in me is happy to not have the angst-y character, because it has to go with you a little bit. When you’re 12 or 14 hours a day of playing this messed up character, you go home and have a glass of wine to get it out of you. So the new father in me is happy that Sam’s a little more balanced right now. But Sam will always have a couple screws loose. He’s had too much going on in his life to just be a perfectly balanced human being. So he’ll always be a little angst-y.

IGN: I love Mark Pellegrino’s Lucifer. Do you think the writers will continue to figure out some ways to use him?

Padalecki: Yeah, he’s awesome. I hope so, because I like him a lot -- also, as a person. And he’s a great character. He brings a great dynamic to the show. So I hope we get a chance to bring him back. I learned a long time ago to try and not figure out what the writers are going to do because I’m always wrong. So I’m not gonna throw a wild guess out there, but I hope he does come back.

IGN: When are you guys thinking this show might hit an ending? Do you think Season 8 might be the final one?

Padalecki: I haven’t heard any inkling of it. There’s no news that this is the last year. We feel like Supernatural can go as long as our fans are excited. We have a new showrunner now too, and Jeremy is a fantastic writer, a great mind. I can’t wait to see where he takes the show. And I’m imagining if he just came on, he probably has more than 23 episodes in his head. So hopefully they’ll keep us around. I mean, we’re having a great time doing it. Eight years of my adult life have been spent in Vancouver as Sam Winchester, so why not make it nine or ten?

Continue to Page 2 to see what Jensen Ackles had to say about the end of Supernatural: Season 7 and his thoughts on Season 8.

Source : http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/05/18/supernatural-jensen-ackles-and-jared-padalecki-look-towards-season-8

X-Play Summer Games Preview Week Starts Tonight 6:30/5:30c Ads By Google » Blog Tags Today's Most Popular Videos »

Tune in tonight 6:30/5:30c as X-Play kicks off Summer Games Preview Week, our ultimate guide to all the season's hottest games. Tonight we'll start it off with Ghost Recon: Future Soldier, Diablo 3, Max Payne 3, and more. Get full show details below:

Watch the X-Play Summer Games Preview tonight and all week at 6:30/5:30c!


Source : http://www.g4tv.com/thefeed/blog/post/723725/x-play-summer-games-preview-week-starts-tonight-630530c/

Fringe: Season Finale Review

Note: Full spoilers for the episode follow.

The Fringe: Season 4 finale was fun and fulfilling, but it was far from flawless. If this had been the end of all things Fringe, it might not have been as satisfying. But as it stands this is just a transition point for a future we've already seen, and that casts the events of this story in a much more favorable light.

The opening minutes contain all sorts of interesting, mysterious nuggets to suck us into this episode. Bell's slick little hologram of a world without humans is an odd but compelling start. Then we have September getting stuck in a ground trap, which was a nifty idea, although the explanation as a "stasis rune" seems more like it would be at home in World of Warcraft than Fringe.

And Astrid's alive! It may have been unlikely that they'd kill her off (especially given her appearance in "Letters of Transit"), but the producers uncertain about the future of the series when they filmed the season finale, so it wasn't a far-fetched idea. But she's not dead, just bed-ridden, and Jasika Nicole does a great job of pulling at the heartstrings with an emotional scene full of tears and reddened eyes.

Then our girl Jessica Holt (Rebecca Mader) appears and shows her true colors as one of William Bell's pawns. Excitement abounds when she starts busting caps at September, finally giving him the wound he's had for the past few episodes and answering at least one mystery from this season. Too bad Jessica didn't get the memo that Olivia's gotten pretty good at killing bad guys with her superpowers.

Then Fringe does that thing they do fairly often... you know, talking to the dead. But I have to admit, this was the best of all the dead body interrogations. Crazy Eyes Jessica was a brilliant touch, and of all the scenes in the episode this is the one that's getting the most buzz on the Interwebs. It's strange and disconcerting, but in the best possible ways.

So that concludes my first gushing session for this episode. Now things get a little more critical, so gird your loins.

- FOX

In the past few weeks I've felt like Fringe has been getting a bit goofy/cheesy with its storytelling. The villains were becoming more comic bookish and less nuanced, and the dialogue has started to get stilted. That's still the case in this episode. Some of the lines border on extreme cheesiness, like "you had the power all along" from Nina. In fact, a lot of questionable lines came out Nina's mouth this week, although I still loved her role in setting up the chat with Crazy Eyes Jessica.

Then the climax arrives, and everything culminates with the showdown on Bell's ship. William Bell is there ranting and patting himself on the back as classic supervillains often do, and he's telling all the secrets of his master plan in long expository sessions so that there's only one logical conclusion: Olivia has to die.

So I wasn't really that surprised when Walter shot her.

That doesn't mean the events were any less entertaining. It was just that I was expecting it to happen since it seemed the only logical direction. I was still sitting on the edge of my seat when these events played out, but these great moments were still tinged with disappointment. Bell's reaction to the foiling of his carefully laid out plans is weak. There's barely any dejection at all. Bell's final moments in this story basically boil down to "Oh... Well, that sucks. Anyways, peace out!" Then he disappears in suitably convenient manner that seems like the equivalent of a puff of a smoke.

And for all this to pass the "suspension of disbelief" test, you have to assume that Bell, the mastermind that he is, wouldn't have considered that Peter or Walter or might have offed Olivia to save billions of lives. Hell, she might have even done it herself. It's just not airtight storytelling that holds up to scrutiny.


Leonard Nimoy Discusses Returning to Fringe


We didn't get the anticipated tie-in between William Bell's plans and the impending Observer invasion which, though predictable, would've been freaking awesome with the right execution. Instead, all these happenings were just the plan of a brilliant man gone insane and mad at the world. It's very cliche and seems like an inadequate end to a season that spent so much time building up complex plots, but it is saved by the gravitas of Leonard Nimoy and John Noble. Without them, this plot might have been laughable, at best.

Okay, let's go back to gushing now.

Once Olivia is "dead" Walter jumps into action and does what only he can do: save the day with genius. The tie-in to Walter's regenerative lemon cake was a nice touch, and the images of him having to do all sorts of gruesome impromptu surgery are charged with emotion and concern about the aftermath of all this craziness.

After all that, Walter is still just his usual self as we see at the end of the episode when he confuses urine samples for lemon jello. That was beautiful. Then the scene switches to a tender moment between Peter and Olivia. After the events of "Letters of Transit", it wasn't hard to figure out that Olivia's big news was a bun in the oven but it's still another nicely done tie-in that keeps things going flowing into next season. And that bullet that popped out of Olivia's brain is surely the same one we saw Henrietta wearing on her necklace.
Broyles getting promoted is a nice touch too, and adding Nina to the R&D division could make for some interesting moments later as well. Everything is coming together rather nicely.

Serving as a bridge for next season is ultimately the great success of this episode. It's entertaining TV, but it certainly wouldn't have been a great end to the series if it had come down to that. Questions that Fringe fans have been waiting for answers to forever (like the identity of Mr. X) were left untouched and Bell's final plan felt a little disappointing after all that build-up. But fortune and benevolent TV executives have smiled upon Fringe, and the show will have a chance to wrap up everything next year. We've seen a glimpse of what's to come, and this episode just helps to get us there.


Source : http://tv.ign.com/articles/122/1224617p1.html