Being Human - S02E01

Season 2 starts out a whole lot darker than Season 1. There were still some lighter moments, but between setting up the tensions for this season and sorting out those that remained from last, there wasn't a lot of time for those simple moments when George (Russell Tovey), Mitchell (Aidan Turner), and Annie (Lenora Crichlow) could just relax together on the couch and have a laugh.

When the episode begins, we immediately learn that Nina (Sinead Keenan) has moved into the house, but that she and George are not getting on well. They aren't having sex, they aren't talking to each other, they are both just harbouring building resentment. We know that Nina's issue isn't so much that George is a werewolf, but that he scratched her and she may well be one too, but George has no idea about this.

He's also basically going on a bender, enjoying the part of himself that is the wolf, and becoming more and more aggressive, less and less the George we've come to know.

If tensions at home aren't bad enough, two vampires - old friends of Mitchell's - show up to see the chaos that they believe will ensue after the death of Herrick. I still haven't quite got a read on the man and what he wants, but the girl is vulnerable and violent and does everything on a whim. She seduces George, offering sex (which he has been missing) and permission to give into his violent side. And he does give in. Later, however, when he finds her in the hospital preparing to kill an old woman he learns is her daughter, we discover that she hasn't been able to get over everything about the life she had 80 years ago, and George finally realizes what's important to him.

Mitchell and Annie did get some lighter moments. Mitchell's met a new colleague who's got a life about as shitty as his and could use a friend, while Annie decided to get a job in a pub. I really loved her 3-year-plan for the pub, and the negotiations to hire her. Gave me the laugh I needed at that point in the episode. But most of the time it seemed as though the 4 friends were simply lashing out to hurt each other because they couldn't contain their own hurt.

Nina, it turns out, is also a werewolf. The morning after her transformation, she and George really get into it, and most of what they are saying is trying to hurt. Finally Nina plays the trump card and tells George he's infected her with the curse. She hadn't wanted to tell him because the news would have destroyed the old George but this new George is such a prick that it doesn't seem to matter anymore.

In the end, though, they make up. There's something typical and tragic about the image where George is bawling his eyes out over his grief of having done what he did to Nina while she holds him, comforting him, but it's really a necessary step for him to be able to help her. She needs to grant him permission to try to repair what he has done, something that he can't ever undo, and he can't do anything for her until she allows this.

By the end, all seems well as George has returned to us, he and Nina are together again, and Mitchell, Annie and George pledge to help her figure out how to be part of this world. But there is an image from the night of the transformation which is burned in my mind, one of a werewolf not transforming but bleeding out throughout some sort of medical experiment. It doesn't matter how happy our heroes look, staring up at the sky surrounded by joy, because something ominous is lurking nearby.

All I can say is that I hope that we don't lose the lighter moments. While I appreciate the darkness, we need a reminder of what it is they are fighting for - the chance to watch Casablanca and see where Mitchell knocked over a bench.

White Collar - Need to Know, S02E02

I am absolutely loving Diana (Marsha Thomason). Although I truly enjoyed Season 1, Diana brings in an element which I loved in the pilot but which was lacking in the rest of the season. For Peter (Tim DeKay) to have a partner at work the same way Neal (Matthew Bomer) has one in Mozzie (Willie Garson) just evens everything out. Now all we need is to see a little bit more of Ellie (Tiffani Thiessen).

The political angle brought a new spin to the series. Sure, having Neal infiltrate a corrupt company is fairly standard, but the way he manipulated the press was delightful to watch, and who doesn't appreciate that amid everything else, he managed to create a park for the kids of the city. Neal is so very much the perfect man.

Then, the scenes leading up to Diana being thought to be a prostitute were even more fantastic. First, when she showed up at Peter's looking so fantastic, there was a hint of the illicit meeting. I remembered that she was a lesbian, but if viewers had forgotten, Peter almost immediately asked after her partner, killing any true consideration of the idea. But, naturally, the corrupt politician had no idea about this. Afterwards, when Neal and Diana shared the hotel room to give the illusion that they were sleeping together, we got to see Neal vulnerable and thinking about Kate - a necessary step to him eventually getting over her. But the best part is that Diana does not fall for Neal's charm, unlike every other women we see him interact with.

Also, Peter knows that Diana has the music box, so the consideration that she might have been corrupt is out and we know that she is absolutely loyal. Which is great, because I would hate for them to lose her again.

White Collar has stepped up its game for season 2, giving us more banter, more hilarity, more conning, and fantastic episodes. How are you enjoying it?

White Collar - Withdrawal, S02E01

What an aptly named episode. Withdrawal - it refers to both the bank heist case which Neal (Matthew Bomer) and Peter (Tim DeKay) were working and the pain Neal is suffering over the loss of Kate. Although audience numbers weren't super for this premiere, the quality was up there and the banter was worthy of the pilot episode.

Kate's death and the complications of the last few episodes of season 1 were not forgotten or neglected in this premiere, although matters were resolved so that the normal episodic development of Neal and Peter solving a case every week could be resumed. I loved that in the first few moments of the sequence starting 2 months later, one couldn't be sure if Neal had decided to work with the FBI once more or if he was busy robbing a bank for his own financial gain. It was a great fake out.

I also adored Mozzie (Willie Garson) and Peter's illicit meetings where they discussed how Neal was doing in the wake of Kate's death. Mozzie's hilarious spy techniques and Peter's inability to deal with them gave us the first real connection between these two, and they work as well together as both do with Neal.

I was pleased to have Diana (Marsha Thomason) back. She has a far better connection to Peter than Lauren did, and she's smart. That she is the one who now has the music box only makes me like her all the more because she is playing somebody, my heroes or the bad guys - I can't be sure, but she is playing someone and that just makes her even cooler.

Finally, Bomer's portrayal of Neal, still shaken by Kate's death but recovering and moving forward without losing too much of his charm, makes Neal just as attractive as he was last season. Plus, no more Kate means that he has the chance to find love with someone we are actually interested in him hooking up with.

Where all this will go, I cannot say, but I want to know why Diana has the music box, and who killed Kate, and how much danger Neal is still in. Don't you?

Covert Affairs - Walter's Walk, S01E02

Second episodes tell you a lot about where a show is going to go. The pilot was so carefully worked on, the script rewritten who knows how many times, the best lines used, plus the characters are being introduced which makes for more material which is easy to make interesting. Once the pilot is complete, then comes the rest of the season, inspired by the dynamics, but with far less time.

Walter's Walk gave us a terrific second episode. First of all, I was terribly impressed with both how the set was changed and how new characters were introduced, while others were carefully brushed aside.

When Annie (Piper Perabo) arrived at CIA headquarters, Auggie (Christopher Gorham) immediately escorted her to a new office base of operations. The old one, presumably no longer available to them since the filming of the pilot, was called obsolete and we get a new set without any questions asked. Then, Jai Wilcock (Sendhil Ramamurty) was quickly noted as a new member of their division, and we quickly realize that Conrad (Eric Lively) has been positioned elsewhere.

So, fresh slate with no issues regarding the changes. Well done.

Next, we get a decent spy tale, reminding us that the classic spy story should revolve less around the mystery and more around the trials of the spy's personal life. Of course, the best ones combine the two, as this episode did, perfectly. Annie is still reconciling herself to her new life and what that means in regards to the people she cannot tell. I'm not sure if the government should really sanction the sort of perspective on how difficult it might be to live the lifestyle, but then, you don't want people coming in expecting the wrong thing either.

So we have an episodic nature, with the over-arc of whatever the deal is with Annie's ex, plus a little bit of the personal thrown in. It worked for Alias, and it will work for Covert Affairs.

Merlin - The Gates of Avalon, S01E07

In this episode, we got not so much a look as at least a proper mention of Avalon when Arthur (Bradley James) finds himself being seduced by a woman who only wants him so that she can sacrifice his soul for her own immortality.

I continue to think that Uther (Anthony Head) is a wee bit extreme and hardly very consistent. Merlin (Colin Morgan) finds himself repeatedly taking the blame for Arthur's absences, earning him a stay in the stocks each time. Although Uther tells him that the error would have earned him a flogging in times of war, he never ups the punishment as it continues. Meanwhile, when Arthur comes to ask permission to wed, and ignores his father's wishes on the subject, Uther threatens to have the young woman and her father killed if Arthur does not behave himself more appropriately. It is a confusing time in Camelot, where the only thing one can be certain of is that if Uther finds out you have magical abilities, that will cost you your life.

I particularly liked the banter between Arthur and Morgana (Katie McGrath) in this episode. You certainly get the impression that Uther, at least, expects them to eventually marry, and there is a sense of romantic expectation surrounding the pair, but neither of them ever really buys into it. Certainly, Morgana is greatly concerned over Arthur's welfare and would willingly let something bad happen to him, and Arthur would protect her just as strongly, but love? I have yet to see it.

As for Morgana's dreams, I love that we are finally seeing signs of her magical ability. I thought last week when Gaius (Richard Wilson) was giving her the sleeping draft to prevent bad dreams that perhaps there was something there, and indeed I was right. Morgana's dreams do tell the future, and Uther would not be able to tolerate such a thing, though I do question Gaius finding it so important to keep it a secret, particularly from Morgana. How is she supposed to protect herself if she does not know what threatens her? Still, I'm glad that we are getting more than a pretty lady who's a little surly but otherwise not particularly involved.

But, the real question is - Did Arthur really forget what happened to him, or was it just easier to believe that Merlin had struck him hard on the head rather than admit having been ensorcelled?

Warehouse 13 - Mild Mannered, S02E02

Warehouse 13 certainly got its geek on in this episode which centered around comic books and guest starred two actors from the beloved series Firefly. Seems like the show has gone from a more historical approach to one of major pop culture, but I'm not complaining as long as history isn't completely removed from the mix.

There's certainly something charming and humourous in the use of lines like "Who was that masked man?" and "With great power comes great responsibility," or "And so the city was safe once again." I'm sure most young men can relate to Pete (Eddie McClintock) and his obsession with comic books, while I understand Myka (Joanne Kelly) and her books a little better. Still, I do enjoy most of the main superhero stories and appreciate their value.

What I did not appreciate was Pete's hair. What is with his new hair cut? It looked absolutely ridiculous; I hope it grows out soon. Also, I'm not sure I exactly understood the point of Artie (Saul Rubinek)'s plot line. Hopefully it will resurface in the future, giving it more meaning.

The question I have for you was whether teaming up Sean Maher and Jewel Staite, who played Simon and Kaylee on Firefly, made this episode even better, or took away from it. On the one hand, seeing them reunited and as a couple certainly made me happy, but on the other hand I couldn't help but be as excited about seeing them as I was about the rest of the episode. What are your thoughts?

True Blood - Trouble, S03E05

Although True Blood is always busy weaving a thousand story lines, I never lose interest for a minute. As soon as one is dropped, another I find equally important is picked up, and it is only at the end of every episode that I find myself terribly upset about all the things I have yet to learn, yet to figure out, and concerned for all the characters who remain in imminent danger.

I think my favourite arc in this episode was that of Franklin (James Frain) and Tara (Rutina Wesley). Franklin's insane obsession with Tara took on a humourous quality for me when he indicated that one of the main attractions was that Tara was as screwed up as he is. Plus, I loved her horror at the end, when she had finally accepted and begun manipulating him, beginning to feel safe, and he made her realize that her danger was all the worse because he planned to vampirize her. There would be no turning back for her after that.

Otherwise, while I am a little curious about this girl whom Jason (Ryan Kwanten) is pursuing, and I really want to know what the deal is with Sam (Sam Trammell)'s family. I don't know what sort of abuse his younger brother has been suffering, or what exactly the father meant when he said he owned him, but I want to know the answer and I want Sam to make it stop.

But the main people we followed were our favourites - Sookie (Anna Paquin), Bill (Stephen Moyer), and Eric (Alexander Skarsgard). Bill has been playing such a dangerous game, trying to keep Sookie safe and sacrificing almost anything for her. Curious why exactly he has files tracing her family tree though. In the end, when he realized that his bluff was lost, the first thing he did was run to her to try to get her to go to safety. Whether he believed she was sleeping with Alcide (Joe Manganiello) or not, he didn't really care. His concern was for her, believing that he was already lost. The last few moments of the episode, my heart broke as Sookie's mysterious light attack saved her from a werewolf one moment, and exposed her, putting her in even more danger the next.

My heart broke the most for Eric. Terrified with concern for Pam, he cannot bare to wait on the whims of a King, though he must, but when he learned that that same King was the man behind those Nazi werewolves, that was even worse. And the most awful part was learning that that insane hatred for this enemy started back before Eric had even become a vampire, before he had even become a man. Utterly devastating.

I'm really hoping for a lot of violence and blood next episode. I was terribly pleased that someone finally shoved a vampire up against the silver doors, though also quite glad it was Bill who did the shoving, rather than being the one to suffer. I can't wait to see Eric go full out, both in vengeance for his father and mother and baby sister, but also for her progeny, Pam. I hate having to wait a whole week to find out the next part of the story.