Monday, March 10, 2014

The Walking Dead, Season 4, Episode 13: Alone



This episode begins with a flashback. Bob is walking by himself through the woods.  He seems completely despondent as he makes his way forward with a large sword in his hand.  He builds himself a shelter and sits and drinks.  A walker tries to reach through his shelter and Bob simply looks at it.  He finds a truck and even sleeps on the roof, as the walkers pass by him.  Bob walks forward without rhyme or reason, until  Darryl and Glenn pull up.  Bob says that he has been  alone for awhile and that neither of the groups he has belonged to have survived.  Bob asks about  their camp and Darryl asks how many walkers and people he has killed.  Bob admits to killing one person and says that he did it because she asked him to.  Bob says that it doesn't matter who they are and that he will come with them.  Bob hops into the back of the pick up and the three men drive away.

It's foggy and Maggie, Sasha and Bob have formed a triangle to protect themselves.  The walkers head towards them and they kill them. Sasha ends up saving Maggie but Bob gets bitten.  Fortunately, the walker bit Bob where he had a bandage and it did no break the skin. Sasha hugs him in celebration, as Maggie looks on smiling.

Darryl is teaching Beth how to track in the woods.  Beth says that she is doing so good that soon, she won't need Darryl at all.  They come across a walker feeding and Beth moves closer but before she can shoot the arrow, her foot gets trapped and she goes down.

Sasha says that they need visibility before moving onward on their search.  Maggie pulls out the compass and discovers that it is broken.  Bob reminds them that the sun comes up in the east and sets in the west.

Beth is now limping and when the come across a cemetery, Beth asks for a moment to rest.  Darryl tells her hop on his back and comments that she is heavier than she looks.  When they see house in the distance, Beth wonders if there are people still there and Darryl promises to handle them because  he doesn't think the good ones survived.  They stop and put flowers on the grave of someone who died in 1874, whose tomb stone says beloved father. I think that this is probably a tribute to Hershel.

Sasha, Bob and Maggie come across the message for sanctuary.  Maggie says that they should go because the map shows tracks in different directions leading to the same place.  Sasha is worried that it sounds to good to be true. Bob questions the sense of making the same circles from the bus and asks about taking a vote.  Sasha starts walking down the railroad tracks and Maggie and Bob follow.

Darryl and Beth enter the house and notice how clean it is.  Darryl suggests that someone is taking care of the house.  They head downstairs and find more bodies waiting on a table. Beth comments that this is a good thing because it means people remembered how it used to be and thought that these people deserved a funeral.

Sasha and Bob build a fire, as Maggie goes to get more firewood.  Bob adjusts his bandages and asks if they should stop, and Sasha replies yes so they can avoid dying. Sasha suggests that what happened this morning is warning and that chances are that Glenn is dead and that they will die soon because they have six bullets.  Sasha suggests that they look for higher ground, if they can talk Maggie into it.

Beth and Darryl look through the cupboards for food and Darryl calls it a "white trash brunch," when he notices the pigs feet.  Darryl notices that there is no dust on the food and realizes that  it's someone's stash. Darryl says that they will take some and leave the rest, then claims ownership of the pigs feet. I doubt Beth was going to argue about the pigs feet.

Beth is playing the piano by candlelight as Darryl watches.  Darryl announces that he has secured the building and then hops into a coffin to sleep, calling it a comfy bed.  Darryl asks Beth to sing and play some more. Beth obliges him and Darryl listens.

New Releases 9th March - 15th March

I always feel intimidated when I pick up a book and see that it’s a part of a real long series. There’s a part of me that always feels that if I start I am committed to read the next however many books and when it comes to certain writers that means a lot of books.  I am far more interested in starting a new series when it’s fresh.  To that end, once again we are giving you a heads up about all of the books which either constitute the first in a series.  Please share the comments which books you are interested in checking out and why.


Soul Meaning Seventeen Book # 1 AD Starrling





‘My name is Lucas Soul.

Today, I died again.

This is my fifteenth death in the last four hundred and fifty years.’

The Crovirs and the Bastians. Two races of immortals who have lived side by side with humans for millennia and been engaged in a bloody war since the very dawn of their existence. With the capacity to survive up to sixteen deaths, it was not until the late fourteenth century that they reached an uneasy truce, following a deadly plague that wiped out more than half of their numbers and made the majority of survivors infertile.

Soul is an outcast of both immortal societies. Born of a Bastian mother and a Crovir father, a half breed whose very existence is abhorred by the two races, he spends the first three hundred and fifty years of his life being chased and killed by the Hunters.

One fall night in Boston, the Hunt starts again, resulting in Soul’s fifteenth death and triggering a chain of events that sends him on the run with Reid Hasley, a former US Marine and his human business partner of ten years. When a lead takes them to Washington DC and a biotechnology company with affiliations to the Crovirs, they cross the Atlantic to Europe, on the trail of a French scientist whose research seems intrinsically linked to the reason why the Hunters are after Soul again.

From Paris to Prague, their search for answers will lead them deep into the immortal societies and bring them face to face with someone from Soul’s past. Shocking secrets are uncovered and fresh allies come to the fore as they attempt to put a stop to a new and terrifying threat to both immortals and humans.

Time is running out for Soul. Can he get to the truth before his seventeenth death, protect the ones he loves, and prevent another immortal war?

Fangs for the Fantasy Book of the Week



It's another Monday which means it's time for our next podcast - episode 9 of 2014 where we will talk about all of the shows we've been following this week (or as many as we can get to), our book of the week and whether Renee manages to carve through the permafrost to her home or not - all through our social justice lens. Feel free to join us, listen, ask questions or make suggestions

Like all  the Fangs for the Fantasy podcasts (archives here) we read a book and discuss it on the show. 

To give people a chance to read along with us we include a list of our planned books of the week for the next few shows, so people can get the books, read them and join in the conversation.


3rd March - 10th March: Murder of Crows by Anne Bishop
17th March - 24th March: Night Broken by Patricia Briggs
10th March - 17th March: Fall of the Governor Part 2
24th March - 31st March: Blood Passage by Connie Suttle
31st March - 7th April: Daughter of the Sword by Steve Bein
7th April - 14th April: Night Season by Eileen Wilks

Bitten, Season One, Episode Nine: Vengeance


Nick and Jeremy are sparring on the front lawn of Stonehaven and Jeremy tells Nick that they were unprepared when Santos attacked as a way to explain his father's death.  Jeremy keeps getting the upper hand and so he informs Nick that he is allowing his emotions to get the better of him, leaving him open to a counter attack.  They move on to discuss Jimmy Coneg and Jeremy warns that they cannot underestimate Coneg.

We get a flashback to Antonio and and infant Nick waiting to be picked up by Jeremy.  It seems that Antonio had left the pack in an effort to raise Nick with his girlfriend but in the end, decided that sons needed to be raised in the pack. Antonio tells Coneg that if he intends to kill him, to make it quick and give Nick to Jeremy.  Coneg informs Antonio that Dominic ( the pack leader at the time) has a job for him, which is part of the deal to re-enter the pack.  Coneg pulls a few mutt out of the trunck and teaches Nick how to strangle a man, saying that this is the only way back into the pack.  Antonio follows suit and kills the mutt, though he is clearly disturbed.  Coneg then hands Antonio a shovel.  In the present day, Jeremy adds that Antonio never spoke about Nick's mother ever again.  It seems that Dominic didn't order Antonio to kill anyone, and that was Conneg's idea for the sake of a little bit of fun. Jeremy asserts that Conneg is a very strong fighter and again warns Nick not to lose his focus.

Elena and Clay are now sparing on the lawn. When Clay tries to instruct Elena, she informs him that he doesn't have to teach her how to fight.  Clay says that he is showing her everything he was taught about fighting Conneg and then quickly takes Elena out. In frustration, Elena walks away and Clay is joined by Nick.  Nick tells Clay that Jeremy is still recovering but believes he is ready for someone like Conneg.

Santos is on the phone with Conneg, who says that he called Jeremy to settle things the old fashioned way. Coneg promises that he is going to clean up Santos's mess.  Leblanc is not at all happy that Santos has hired Coneg to deal with the pack and snarks about taking care of business himself. Santos tells LeBlanc that Clay skinned a man alive when he challenged the alpha.  Amber asks about Cain and Santos informs her that Cain is probably dead.  LeBlanc asks what he is supposed to do in the meantime and Santos tells him to have patience.  When Santos leaves, Amber cries saying that Cain should have trusted her and given her the strength of the rest of the wolves.  LeBlanc replies that Cain should have been smarter. Amber tell LeBlanc that he is indeed the smart one because it was his idea to poison the knife. LeBlanc turns on her quickly but Amber begins to flirt with him.  LeBlanc says that he can handle Santos, so Amber reminds LeBlanc that Elena humiliated him and suggests that killing Elena will make him the man he really is.

At Stonehaven, Nick questions whether Jeremy is ready for the coming fight, and Jeremy again assures him that he is just fine.  Clay enters asking about Logan and Jeremy replies that they are going to have to do this without Logan, who said that he would be there by nightfall.  Elena asks if this is a trap but Jeremy assures Elena that Coneg would consider an ambush beneath him. Jeremy reminds everyone that they are still a family and that he draws his strength from them

Logan and Rachel are at the OBGYN and learn that the pregnancy is completely healthy.  The doctor then informs them that the baby is a boy.

Philip is again looking at footage from the wolf ad when Diane knocks on the door to say that she has found gallery space for Elena.  Philip questions if Elena will return on time and Diana says that Elena is not returning calls at the moment and that she needs to book the show by this weekend.  Philip shows Diana the wolf footage, and points out the necklace that he gave Elena for their six month anniversary, along with her clothes and shoes. Rachel tells Philip that he sounds crazy and that Elena cannot be sleeping with her cousin.  Diana suggests talking to Logan, if Philip feels he cannot ask Elena directly.

Jeremy awaits, as Coneg arrives commenting about how long it's been since they have seen each other. Coneg says that this is about his shaking off the rust.  Coneg sniffs the air and smells the other wolves, so Jeremy makes it clear that they have been ordered not to get involved.  Coneg comments about the fact that only three wolves showed up, so Jeremy points out that this is just between the two of them.  Coneg promises to kill the other wolves the moment he is done with Jeremy.  The two men begin to fight and when Jeremy goes down, Nick intervenes.  Coneg takes off and Jeremy orders the wolves to split up and find them.

Sunday, March 9, 2014

Helix, Season 1, Episode 10: Fushugi



Day 10

Sarah is put into an MRI to scan her tumour now her secret is out – apparently a side effect is to hallucinate goo-zombies. The tumour has probably spread to her brain. She apologises for lying – but she wanted to go into the field, one last chance to do something meaningful with her life

Julia and daddy dearest Hiroshi are catching up. Her mother left him and took her when she found out about him kidnapping Inuit children – Julia is as unimpressed by his regret as I am. He tries to prove his love by talking about all the times he’s stalked her – which she condemns along with his “stalker book”. Nor is she impressed by him keeping things from her to try to “protect her”.

Julia decides to consult Alan who thinks she could be one of the kids Hiroshi kidnapped and experimented on. Alan decides he can actually achieve something constructive by storming to Hiroshi and stomping about on Julia’s behalf. Hiroshi has more pressing concerns – he’s found the footage of Dr. Victor Adrian heading out onto the ice with the Norvik, though Hiroshi thinks he’ll just die out there because there’s nothing around (except that Inuit village?) But looking at the maps they find an old base 50 miles away he could reach – possibly with a working radio

Julia and Alan decide to go, while Hiroshi fears for her, that it’s dangerous and that Victor will totally die anyway. They don’t listen, of course, and set off in the giant ice tractor thingy (I want one). Julia decides the journey is a good time to randomly talk about the night they broke up.

Back at the base, Peter the Goo Zombie King ransacks Hiroshi’s office. Sarah has a brief sadness moment over the euthanasia she helped, before deciding it’s time to get back to work. Hiroshi comes to help, full of regret of the terrible things he’s done “in the name of science”. And Sarah comforts him with the story of Edward Jenner testing his smallpox vaccine on a child –all the bad stuff totally doesn’t matter if you end up making something that works! No. No. No. Aw HELL NO. Hiroshi gives her a look which is, I think, supposed to be surprised revelation but I read as “what was that shit that just fell out of your mouth?!”

Hiroshi is sure there’s something in Julia’s blood to explain her surviving the virus and that they need broader testing; he throws in a big inspiring speech as well. He then returns to his office to find Goo Zombie King Peter fascinated by his Stalker Book. Hiroshi says he wants to help, that it’ll be all over soon and gets the reply “sooner than you think”. Ominous.

In the lab, Sarah has run the tests again and found something – science science science her telomeres have lengthened which is apparently impressive. Science science, this is a cure for cancer, science. Her cancer specifically. She throws in her own personal messages of goodbye if she’s dead before anyone finds this.

Julia and Alan arrive at the abandoned base and find Adrian using the radio to contact Ilaria (how? Does he have a frequency or other contact details? Or is he just transmitting and hoping?) – he grabs an ice axe when he sees them (did they think to bring a gun? No? What did they think would happen when they found him? Their cunning arguments would vanquish him?) After cunning argument fails, it’s time for violence – and Julia takes an ice axe to the face (ouch) but Alan wins and they restrain Adrian.

The After, Season 1, Episode 1: Pilot



A woman, Gigi, wakes from the rapid and disturbing flashes of a nightmare to the much happier sound of her husband and daughter on the phone, wishing her good morning and good luck. She’s apparently an actress getting ready for an audition (she’s not very good. She’s really really not), packing her essentials like the script – and a gun, but leaving her phone behind in the hotel room.

At the audition the gun turns out to be a water pistol. But she doesn’t get the role – she’s considered too sexy, too young and to have too strong an accent (she’s French). Instead they offer her the role of the daughter - a role as a drug addicted prostitute, naked and tied up which the guy leading the audition calls “so French”.

Uh-huh, cut to outside and her throwing the script in a bin. Alas, we did not see the righteous groin kicking he so obviously deserved, but I like to imagine it happened off camera. She goes to a big building that seems to have a lot of police presence – and ends up stuck in a dark lift with one of said police (Officer Muñoz), an older woman, a man who occasionally sounds Irish (McCormick), occasionally sounds English and always sounds awful (and he has a strange need to swear every 2 seconds. I think I’m leaning towards Irish) and a clown.

I think whatever the nightmare was that opened this episode, it’s nothing compared with being stuck in a lift with a clown.

After being stuck for 10 seconds, they resort to prying at doors. Getting them open they’re lowered out into a deserted parking garage – deserted and dark with a car alarm blaring away. The exits are all blocked. 2 more people come down the stairs – and the door closes and locks behind them.

They try to force the gate but it doesn’t work – and the one man they see just looks at them and walks away. Unable to get out they head to the car with the incessant alarm to at least cut the annoying noise – it’s Muñoz’s police car, the boot is open. A man runs at them from between the cars and Muñoz screams “stop” and shoots him. Ok…

While everyone’s focusing that way, another man appears behind Gigi and grabs her and holds her at gun point. Lots of shouting follows. Officer Muñoz recognises the man who she calls “Dee”, he’s an escaped prisoner, an accused murderer, but he protests his innocence. The guy from the stairs, Wade, speaks up probably to introduce him to the audience as much as anything, apparently he’s a lawyer, quite why that makes him a hostage negotiator I do not know. After a stand off he keeps his gun but pushes Gigi away to the group, again protesting his innocence. The man who was shot is apparently a prisoner who escaped with Dee, but there’s not much they can do for him.

And while discussing the tense stand off with guns and whether to try and get medical help, it’s revealed that all the other doors from the stairwell were locked when Wade and the woman (Tammy) came down to the parking garage. But then the next drama happens – the old woman (Francis) has wandered off to the lift and collapsed, barely conscious; they search in her bad and find a packet of sugar in her handbag and decide that she must be diabetic with low blood sugar so pour it on her tongue. Thankfully, they’re right and she comes round. In all the drama, Dee has scarpered.

Grimm, Season 3, Episode 14: Mommy Dearest



“I am going off to a house
And entering it like a snake…
I will devour their babies
And make their hearts ache.”

Well that sounds cheery.

Apparently Adalind and Meisner aren’t in Austria any more, they’re in the Swiss Alps. And Adalind is giving birth to her evil royal monster baby. And Meisner can cope with many things, all kinds of monsters and angry royal families – but midwife he ain’t. He tells her to breath though, all TV tells you to tell pregnant women to breath. Presumably they forget if you don’t. It doesn’t help that her telekinesis throws things at him. The baby is born and Adalind woges – a hexenbiest again. Meisner tells Renard about Adalind’s new baby girl and Renard has a little happy smile. But Meisner’s going to have to camp for a while since the cabin is unreachable by car – and Adalind is hardly up to hiking.

When Adalind is asleep, Meisner covers her with a blanket and brushes her hair – which coils around his hand, the creepy baby watching him with creepy purple eyes. Did I mention creepy?

In Portland we have a happy couple including one very pregnant lady going to bed. Outside a monstrous thing – like Gollum with better self-esteem – crawls up a tree to her upstairs window, nudges open the sash and stick a super-long tongue inside. It creeps under the covers, into the bed and stabs into the woman’s pregnant stomach. She, rather understandably, screams. She pulls it off her and tries to crawl off the bed but the creature crawls inside to attack again. She manages to slash the creature’s tongue with a shard of poverty, driving it off, as a passing neighbour hears her screams and rushes to help.

She calls the police which is picked up by Wu and his partner (I don’t know whether to envy or pity Wu’s partner for all the snark he must endure) – and they rush into action especially since the pregnant woman, Dana, is Wu’s friend. They arrive and try to help Dana while the EMTs arrive, she manages to gasp “Aswang” (a Filipino vampire/were-wolf-like creature that eats foetuses). Wu is also there to hold her husband, Sam back and offer what comfort he can.

Wu greets Nick and Hank and they realise Wu knows the family – Wu’s a little off because Sam and Dana came to Portland at his recommendation. At the scene they see the obvious blood trail out the window, the tree the creature climbed – and the claw marks on the windowsill. The neighbour who rushed to help describes a “ticking” sound.

At the hospital it turns out the foetus is ok – but most of the amniotic fluid has been drained; but she will be fine and replace it. The doctor describes the wound and that it was surprisingly careful to do as little damage as possible – but beyond stem cell research has no idea what amniotic fluid would be for. They question Sam with Wu’s help but don’t get anything relevant; wu is clearly upset and they agree to keep him informed.

Saturday, March 8, 2014

Once Upon a Time in Wonderland: Season 1, Episode 9: Nothing to Fear



After some terribly unspecific wishing last episode, Will, the Knave is now the genie in a bottle that is now hurtling down a river much to his annoyance. The bottle comes to rest on the bank and is picked up by Elizabeth – Lizard.

Will tries to leave to check on Alice and Anastasia – but is dragged back to Elizabeth when he gets too far from the bottle. He checks his pocket and he has 3 gems; wishes to give to Elizabeth and then recite the whole genie spiel. He’s a genie and Elizabeth is his master.

Alice and Cyrus are all being lovey dovey until Anastasia interrupts them. She and Alice snarl for a bit but Anastasia is not impressed by Alice completely forgetting that Will is in trouble. Alice doesn’t want to work with Anastasia but Cyrus can see Anastasia’s rather obvious love for Will – and, besides, her magic will be more than a little helpful

Over to the palace, Jafar has claimed the throne of Wonderland and mocks his caged father to look at his throne. His father, who is rather good at snark, hits back that a throne is made by someone worthy sitting on it – Jafar is just sat on a large chair. Jafar hits back at how his dad could be worthy since he tried to kill his own son, but daddy is a master at this and returns the rejoined “if only I had succeeded, the world would be a better place.”

Game, set, match to daddy there, methinks.

Removing his dad from the throne room since he can’t match his cutting wit, Jafar turns to the Caterpillar, his new fawning minion who he has given the task of finding the bottle. A task he and his many men have failed. He offers another option – a powerful, unstoppable magical beastie: the Jabberwocky! Get me my vorpal sword!

The Caterpillar doesn’t really want him to summon it. But Jafar asks his beheaded Tweedle (Tweedledee) to guide him to it – Tweedledee is also not enthused with the idea of releasing and unstoppable monster. But Jafar gives him a new body and also thinks threatening to unleash the Jabberwocky will make all of Wonderland rally against Alice.

He goes to the Jaberwocky’s prison and kills the guard who won’t be intimidated into standing aside – he’s not fighting to save the beast, but to save Jafar from it. There’s some nice foreshadowing here. He breaks into the prison full of bodies and hears a woman’s voice – the Jabberwocky, who enters into his head and threatens to open the door there, where people keep all their worst fears hidden and sealed.

Alice and Anastasia are still sniping at each other (mainly Alice) and Alice avoids telling Cyrus about the whole mental institution thing and how Anastasia is totally hashing their reunion. But when she disappears they worry about what she could be up to

She’s actually been kidnapped by a group of very disgruntled villagers who did not approve of her brutal, carless reign and are now ready to show her the violence inherent in the system. They drag her away and she begs, telling them she knows what it’s like to be poor and desperate – that doesn’t impress them since if she knew she should have listened to them begging her for help. And now they can feed her to the creatures that ravage their village.

Cyrus does a spell to find Anastasia (though Alice thinks they should leave her), he isn’t a genie but he still knows the magic his mother taught him. They find her tied to a stake and surrounded by angry villagers and Alice questions again why they’re trying to save her.

Anastasia protests she’s worth more alive for ransom than dead, she’s a queen after all. But when the villager asks her who would pay to save her life, she can’t name anyone. Which is when Cyrus steps up with a fluffy speech of goodness and human decency. No-one’s impressed. Alice draws her sword against the crowd…

And we cut to all three of them being tired to a post waiting for the beasts to eat – Anastasia thanks them for caring though. Beasties appear – the Moonrats. The monsters focus on light so they quickly kick over the fires – and throw away Alice’s glowing necklace, giving them chance to run… though Alice isn’t happy about losing it

In a village, Elizabeth asks Will why he’s even hurrying back to Alice and Cyrus – he went with them to reunite them, they’re reunited. Job done, he doesn’t even know they’re looking for him. Time to take some down time and use one of her wishes – though she’s disappointed when he tells her can’t make anyone fall in love. Instead she says she’ll wish for something he wants. Will is duly suspicious of wishing so wishes for something simple – beers for everyone!