On The Box This Week

Warning-TV Spoilers Ahead!

If there is one thing I hate its double bill finales!
Not extra long finales what I mean is when a channel shows the last two episodes of a show together and that's what Sky Atlantic done this week with Penny Dreadful.
So I Sky Plus the two episodes and watched them on two different evenings. I like to try process what has happened in each episode and enjoy the two separate episodes, so I will review both episodes individually.
In episode 8 The Perpetual Dark, a fog/mist has descended on London and as Sir Malcolm, Ethan, and Kaetenay arrive a lone dock worker tells them to get back on the ship and go far from this ghost town. The unholy fog has killed many of London's residents and we know our hero's are not going to stop until they find Vanessa, soon they are joined by Catriona and Dr Seward.
The scene stealer in this episode was Billy Pipper as Lily as Frankenstein battles with whether or not to use the serum on her. Lily gives her heartbreaking reason as to why she doesn't want her pain to be took away. She doesn't want to lose memories however heartbreaking of her baby daughter who died as an infant. In the meantime Dorian clears his house of the band of fallen women Lily has recruited, Justine tells him she would rather die they go back to the life she lived, a wish Dorian grants her. John Clare's happy ever after doesn't last very long as his son dies and his wife demands he takes him to Frankenstein to be reborn. He pleas with his wife not to make there son suffer the same faith as he did, she tells him leave with there dead son to go to Frankenstein or don't return at all.
The big reveal was that Kaetenay is also a werewolf and was the one who turned Ethan. I have to be honest and say I guessed this from the start, also this big reveal lacked a little as it didn't have the big impact of waiting another week to see what happened next.
 Vanessa was absent for this episode, I enjoyed the fact that she was absent as it build suspense to see her in the final.
The finale was called The Blessed Dark Lily arrives back at Dorian's house where Dorian explains he no longer can feel any emotions good or bad. Lily had made him feel something for a while but a lifetime out living his loved ones has left him numb. The last scene between these two was beautifully shot, with Dorian's paintings surrounding him, as she walks away from him for the last time. He stands in the window and tells her You will be back, and I'll be here....I'll always be here.
It was poignant scene which highlights the true loneliness and sadness of Dorian. I thought this was a fitting last scene for Dorian for all his charm and confidence, he is a man who can no long see the passion in life as he continues to outlive everyone around him. Lily's final scenes felt a little rushed for me with her storyline ended with her no longer needing men she strides out of Dorian's home without looking back.
Frankenstein who saved his humanity by letting Lily go, says goodbye to his friend Dr Jekyll and bumps into the gang looking for Vanessa and agrees to help them. I was slightly disappointed in the Dr Jekyll storyline a very good actor who was slightly underused this season, but then there was so much else going on. I would of liked another season to flesh out his character, we never got to really see how his serum worked, and each episode I was waiting to see him use it on himself, alas that never happened but I did  like the twist of how he comes Mr Hyde!
Dr Seward finds out through Renfield where Dracula and his vampires are and the battle ground is set for its final battle. I did enjoy the action scenes near the end of the episode, Patti LuPone and Perdita Weeks have been a delighted to watch and added to the strong group battle scenes. It is a shame that we didn't get to see more of these characters. Ethan's journey across this show has been to accept himself, as a person who has done awful things but also as the wolf who has done awful things. He accepted his wolf Father this episode but also accepted what he had to do to bring this good versus evil war to an end. As a show that has always been based around Vanessa and her battle against the evil that haunts her, it was a shame we didn't see much of her this episode briefly with Dracula all dressed in black at the start of the episode and then at the end dressed all in white. I would of liked to have seen more of her relationship with Dracula and to know what the relationship was to each other. The ending was heartbreaking as the wolf knows he alone has to release Vanessa from the arms of darkness and into the arms of heaven. These scenes mixed with the scenes of John Clare giving his son a water burial was heartbreaking and brought tears to my eyes. Seeing John Clare so heartbroken about not only the death of his son but also Vanessa, as he hid at her graveside until everyone was gone and wept while his character narrated the poem Intimations of Immortality. Actually see THE END appear on the screen also felt a little heartbreaking as we say goodbye to this amazing show. While I felt it was a little rushed towards the end, I will really miss this show, fantastic actors, amazing scripts and beautifully shot goodbye Penny Dreadful you will be missed.

Outlander is another show that is wrapping up lose ends with only two episodes left in it's current run but at least I can be happy with the knowledge that it has been renewed for two more seasons!
This episode was written for TV by the actual author Diana Gabaldon and it was a great episode that started to wrap up some of the storylines of the season.
The highlanders are camped in North England at a cross roads with lack of men to carry on to London they are forced to turn back, a thing that Jamie or Prince Charles do not want to do.
Jamie tells Claire the news and they more or less both know history will not be changed as they hoped as the Officers outnumbered Charles and Jamie and they start the long journey back to Lallybroch for the Winter.
The most beautiful scene in this episode and took straight from the book was when Claire is sleeping and Jamie says a pray in Gaelic over her. I really loved this scene quiet moments like this are sometimes forgotten when adapting a book to screen and I am really glad it was kept in.
Dougal tells Jamie that have been banished by the officers due to Jamie's influence on the Prince, the Prince and others have left for Inverness while Jamie and his highlanders make there way to Lallybroch. They never get there because a group of English soldiers start to fire at them, they take shelter in a church but are soon surrounded. Poor Rupert is having a hell of a time, lost his friend and now his eye as he is shot in the eye, Claire saves him and give his an eye patch!
The redcoats soon surround the church and treat to set the thatch roof on fire with no other option Claire pretends that the Scots have her prisoner and bargains herself for there freedom.
Poor Jamie and Fergus don't want her to leave, Jamie especially as he is nervous he will not get her back.
Claire and the redcoats arrive at a small tavern for the night when she see Jamie's beggar friend Hugo Murno where she is able to leave a message with him for Jamie. Where the redcoats bring Claire is no other than the wealsey Duke of Sandringham's estate! He sets a trap for Claire and she quickly falls for it believing every word he says. It also turns out the sweet little Mary Hawkins is the Duke's Goddaughter and staying with the Duke until he finds a suitor for her. Claire notices a birthmark on the Dukes servants hand and immediately knows he was one of the men who attacked and raped Mary back in Paris. The Duke reveals that it was the now dead Le Comte who wanted Claire murdered but the Duke bargained with him just to have her raped but Mary got caught in the crossfire. If I didn't already dislike him I really now hated him!!
Claire asks Mary to help her as she now knows Jamie is heading straight into a trap, but Mary says she is too frighted annoyed Claire heads to the kitchen to escape herself. The damn Duke has decided to have a bite to eat and is in the kitchen himself. Mary who has got over her fright also heads to the kitchen but is ordered back to bed, but runs to the front door and tells Hugo Muro that its a trap.
Suddenly Jamie bursts in and all hell breaks lose!! Claire tells Jamie and Murtagh that the servant is the rapist from Paris and it was all The Dukes doing, Mary listening to all this cracks and stabs the servant to death. Murtagh then chops the Duke's head off and lays it a Mary's feet, Mary being very cool about the whole thing suggests they leave!
Wow there was alot going on in this episode but I really enjoyed it and am also sad that there is only two episodes left this season!

Another of my favourite shows ended it's season run this week it was of course Game of Thrones.
This show knows how to go out with a bang literally!
While I wasn't a fan of some of the story arc's this season, and how some of the smaller characters have been forgotten, I cannot deny that this was a cracker of a finale, with shocks and twists I didn't expect.
The slow, elegant first ten minutes of the episode while accompanied by a beautiful piece of music slowly build to an amazing piece of television. Love her or hate her this was Cersei's episode just as last season's final episode was about her downfall and shame this was about her rise and power. As King's Landing was getting ready for the trail of the century, Cersei calmly dressed and drank wine. The high families gathered in the Great Sept along with the Faith Miltant and The High Sparrow. Loras admits to his sins and it looks as the trial is more or less over but then Margaery reminds The High Sparrow that neither Cersei or Tommen are there yet. She knows there is something wrong and The High Sparrow all too late also knows it. We soon realize that this is something Cersei has been planning for a long time. As she has anyone who has every wronged her killed, Grand Master Pycelle was the first to go by the hands of what used to be Vary's little birds. Then as her cousin and Jamie's stand in Lancel is lead down into a cellar under the city where there is hundreds of barrels of wildfire ready to blow and blow it does wiping out half the cast in it's process! Everyone in the Great Sept goes up in flames, The High Sparrow, Lancel, Loras, Kevan Lannister, Mace and my favourite Margaery all gone!
The scene I found the most moving was surprisingly when Tommen looked on in horror as the Sept burned realizing that his wife is dead he calmly took off his crown and jumped to his death. In a poignant silent scene for a character that never had his own voice, a puppet king who was used by everyone around him, and never given the chance to grown or make his own choices. I found it quite heartbreaking and moving. Cersei on the other hand has turned to the ash she has caused and didn't seem at all moved by the death of her last child, now she really has nothing to lose.
In the North Jon tells Sansa they must trust each other as they have enough enemies, Sansa agrees but later when Littlefinger talks to her he plans seeds of doubt in her head. I know everyone hates Littlefinger but he is actually one of my favourites in the show and a character I love to hate. He did open his heart to Sansa and told her his main aim in life is to be on the Iron Throne and he will not stop till he is. So later when Jon is announced The White Wolf and The King In The North Sansa looks at Littlefinger and we are not sure if she is feeling afraid for her brother or wanting to be Queen herself?!
We also saw Bran have a vision and it confirmed what fans have been saying for years. Ned Stark is not Jon's Father but his Uncle, as we saw Ned sister's Lyanna dying in childbirth and asking Ned to take her child as Robert will surely kill it. So it confirms that Rhaegar Targaryen is his father although we didn't hear everything that Lyanna said to Ned.
Meanwhile Jamie does his best to seem somewhat comfortable in the presence of the Freys, which isn't working as we can tell he wants to be anywhere but there!! Re-watching the scene where he and Walder Frey are talking about being honorable and the future I was paying close attention to the servant girl.
Which was the most shocking scene for me turns out to be Arya, later in the episode she kills the Frey sons and bakes them in a pie to serve to Walder and then quickly slit his throat!
Olenna The Queen of Thorns escaped the fiery death thanks to her Granddaughter who told her to leave King Landing a few episodes ago, is in Dorne makes alliances with the Sand Snakes to bring Cersei down.
Back in Kings Landing Cersei as named herself Queen and makes her entrance in the Throne room just a Jamie arrives back. I am guessing by the look he throws her, he isn't happy that she has burned most of Kings Landing to the ground and there last remaining child is dead. I think this may be the last straw for Jamie and he will finally see Cersei for what she is.
So we come to Daenerys who done what we all wished she would do seasons ago but I guess she had to buy her time before she left Meereen. She quickly dumps Daario, names Tyrion hand of the Queen and with her alliances with the Greyjoys, Dorne, Tyrells, Dothraki and Unsullied set sail for Westros.
In a beautiful shot final scene which gave me goosebumps, we see thousands upon thousands of ships and Daenerys three dragons stretch out across the ocean. Westros is not going to know what has hit it when she arrives!!

On The Box This Week

Warning-TV Spoilers Ahead!

Love Nina, finished this week on BBC and I really enjoyed this funny quirky mini series

This week Nina is questioning what is next for her, George brilliantly played by Helena Bonham Carter is annoyed that Nina is so awful at the household chores and hires a clearer. Nina quickly displeases the clearer and she quits more or less before she even started! Nina is under stress to pass her A level if she wants to go to college and her relationship with her boyfriend is also tested.

The episode ends on a high note with Nina passing her A level, George telling her even though she is useless at the chores the boys love her and she makes them happy and even her boyfriend comes around and is waiting for her after her exam.

This was my husbands favourite episodes of Outlander
Dougal had a real wake up call this episode and found out what a
soft, idiot loser Bonnie Prince Charles really is. The look on Dougal's face when after
riding his horse out into bog lands to see if the English troops could cross through it, Charles
hugs and kisses him was priceless! I think deep in his heart then Dougal knew this isn't the man to bring Scotland victory. The two men are fighting for something different Charles for the throne of England and Dougal for a free Scotland.
Claire was in full nurse mode, rallying her ladies the same way Jamie was rallying his men. She was so busy looking after the camp she forgot to give Fergus a job that would keep him out of trouble. He sneaks off and goes with Jamie's men when they plan an ambush on the English.
The scenes I loved the most this week where not the ones with Jamie and Claire
(although of course I loved them too)
but where the ones with Angus and Rupert there funny, crude, manly, friendship
made me laugh and cry this week. How Angus tells Rupert he can have his Scarlet the part time hoor if he dies and Rupert tell him she is not his to give!
The fog battle scenes were brilliantly done I loved everything about these scenes. Poor Angus carries his best friend into the camp hospital but the first thing Rupert asks about his Angus and how a canon exploded beside him. Claire who is outnumbered with wounded quickly checks them over and tells them both they should be okay, but warns Angus about falling asleep. Fergus turns up in shock and tells Claire he killed a man, she is not sure if she should box his ears or hug him! Claire finds Angus sleeping standing up but he is actually dying as he has been suffering from internal injuries, poor Angus dies a bloody death surrounded by his friends. The end of the episode was heartbreaking as Rupert sings mournfully Down Among The Dead Men for his lost friend.
This was a sad episode as one of the original characters died
our friends may have won the battle but they still have the war of Culloden to come.

Sad news for Penny Dreadful fans as this season has been announced as the last one
I for one am gutted as I LOVE this show and this season has been amazing
So next week will be my last review of this brilliant show!
The trio in America are on a boat home after Kaetenay has a vision that Vanessa is being seduced by Dracula. Ethan realises that he loves Vanessa and always has, in hindsight the conversation he has with Malcolm on the ship does has a hint of the end about it.
Lily has completely took over Dorian's home, and now he doesn't look frighted about it more
shall we say pissed off!! As he and Lily go for a walk her tells her how bored he has become with her and her plans, and frankly he is disappointed in her and the direction she has gone in. This speech showed us just how ruthless Dorian is and how he as survived for so long and added a depth the character which I had forgotten. Just as Lily is about to bite back she is quickly pulled into a carriage by Frankenstein and Jekyll who bring her to Bedlam to try change her back into the lady she once was.
John Clare seems to have got the happy ending he once dreamt off, after speaking with Vanessa he goes to his wife, who takes his back into her arms and tells him she loves him scars and all. They go to there son who is frighten but holds his Father's hand telling him without words that he loves him and accepts him. Not going to lie there where tears in my eyes at these scenes.
Finally Vanessa realises who Dracula is, and she goes to confront him in his creatures of the night museum. He tells her that he loves her for who she is, he will never try change her, and he just wants her to be who she really is. She gives in to him, he kisses her and then bites her neck and the creatures of the night close in....

So we come to episode nine of season six
Wow did this episode deliver the goods and live up to the hype of the now famous episode nine
I'll start with Meereen where Daenerys is looking on in horror as the masters destroy the city
She goes all burn everything to the ground mode until Tyrion has a word with her and suggests she plays a different card. The result is awesome when the masters met with her they think she has come to surrender but it is soon made clear that is not the case, when we see a dragon on the horizon. Soon she is flying out to sea on Drogon, when suddenly her other two dragons join her and wipe out the fleet of ships destroying the city. In the city itself the Dothraki take on the sons of harpy and Grey Worm takes out the masters.
Later in the episode the Greyjoys turn up at Daenerys feet offering there ships and an alliance, if she will name Yara as the rightful heir to the Iron Islands. The chemistry between Daenerys and Yara was great to watch and I am secretly shipping these two!
To the North where the battle of the two bastards was about to go down!
Sansa is trying to get Jon to listen to her about Ramsay she knows him and the games he plays, but Jon being a typical bloke will not listen to her and thinks he knows best. One thing I am not sure about is why at this time did Sansa not tell her brother about Littlefinger and the troops who would hopefully be there in time? Surely now was the time to tell him, maybe he could of changed his battle tactics if he had know more troops where on the way? It makes me wonder if Sansa is playing a game of her own?
The morning of the battle arrives just as Davos find Shireen's little wooden stag lying burned in the what remains of her funeral pyre, a nod to what happened in last season's episode nine. Davos loved that girl and by the look he throws Melisandre when he gets back to camp he knows it was her doing.
When Ramsay brings Rickon out on a lead we just know this isn't going to end well.
He plays a game of cat and mouse with the poor lad, telling Rickon to run to
Jon while Ramsay fires arrows at him, when Rickon is just seconds away from his brother Ramsay lands an arrow through his heart. The battle begins and what a battle it is, everyone who was involved in this show done a breathtaking job. It had me on the edge of my seat, the sounds, sights and suffocating feel of war had me sweating and thinking that maybe our hero's would not win. It did look like that as Ramsay's men surrounded what was left of Jon's band of hero's, death was surely closing in until, we saw the arrival of the troops from the vale lead by Littlefinger and Sansa.
Jon hunted down Ramsay and with the help of a Giant, Stark banners soon flew again in Winterfell
Goosebumps and tears all round!!
Jon smashed Ramsay's face in but then leaves what's left of him to Sansa. Who calmly waits for Ramsay to come around in his cell and released his own hounds on him.
She walks away with a grin on her face!
And with that the North was reminded.....

On The Box This Week

Warning-TV Spoilers Ahead!

Je Suis Prest was a brilliant episode of Outlander. This show was back on form after just an okay episode last week. Jamie and Claire met up with there men after the detour to Beaufort Castle
Dougal was back with his two men Rupert and Angus, I have missed these two funny, crude Scots. This episode was mostly training these farmers, labours and craftsman's into soldiers, with Dougal not agreeing with Jamie's strategy. Yet I didn't find it at all boring as the creators, writers and producers made it much more than that. Bear McCreary's arrangement and use of music was spot on and the montages of the men training with the beautiful Celtic singing made me patriotic of my own Irish heritage!
What I thought really added to the episode and story was showing Claire deal with her PTSD from World War Two. It showed us some of the Claire we haven't seen before the Claire before the time jump. We know Claire was a nurse during World War Two but nothing much else other than that, showing us that she was traumatised by what she witnessed and had to doing during the war, showed us that she more than anyone else there knows the horrors of war.
Jamie wants her to be safe and knowing what she is going through wants her to go back to Lallybrock, but Claire being the strong bad ass woman she is tells him no. She can't just go back waiting to hear news, not being able to do anything, feeling like being a dragonfly in amber.
This episode was also the making of Jamie, it showed us how much he has come since the first season. He is not the young men with scars on his back being used for his Uncle's cause, he is a man using his Uncle for his own cause! He is a leader now and thinks as a leader knowing his men are not ready, unlike Dougal who wants to rush in all guns blazing to get on Prince Charles good side.
The strong relationship of Claire and Jamie came across so well in this episode. Claire having Jamie's back when Dougal doubted him telling Dougal "My husband and I share everything" and Jamie knowing straight away there was something wrong with Claire as she was trying to hide her PTSD. It's wonderful to watch these two so strong together as they both seemed a little lost in there relationship in France.
Claire's quick thinking saved Jamie and the camp from the hands of the redcoats as a young English boy finds there camp. The boy will not give up any information until Claire pretends she is a captive and will let Jamie have his way with her if he lets the boy live. The boy spills about how many red coats there are and Jamie lets him go. He tells Jamie his name is William Grey and that he regards Jamie letting him go as a debt of honour. This episode reminded me of the first series how I felt when I watched it transported and that is when you know you have watched a good piece of storytelling.

Another show finishes up for the summer The Big Bang Theory finished up it's ninth season this week, with an episode that didn't feel like a finale at all! This season has been a little slow on the laughs and story lines. For me the whole Penny/Leonard wedding thing was done last season and in the season premier there was no need to rehash the whole thing again this time with Leonard's new divorced parents. While the guess actors are funny but aren't enough to base a whole season finale around. It's a shame that a storyline that was so big in the show in earlier seasons has now been the back burner to Amy/Sheldon relationship storyline which I do love but has been a little over kill this season. Amy who was my favourite character because of her quirkiness has been toned down to be the sensible one in the relationship and it annoys me. I loved the Amy of old who came out a little in this episode wanting to be maid of honour was a nod to past Amy who wanted to do anything to be Penny's friend. I am hoping a little of what made this show so great will return in season ten. 

This was another great episode of Penny Dreadful this show has been on top form this season
Eva Green and Rory Kinnear are amazing in this show but in this episode Eva was yet again brilliant.
Lily and Dorian recruit more women for there cause but its increasing looking more like Lily's cause as Dorian is starting to feel outnumbered. Justine is starting to hate Dorian as she tries to take his place in Lily's affections. She is starting to overstep her place where he is concerned and her blood lust is worrying him. When Frankenstein tries to kidnap Lily which goes terribly it shows us how outnumbered and isolated Dorian really is, and by the look on his face afterwards he now knows it.
The Jekyll and Frankenstein storyline is dragging on a little too long now, and needs to pick up the pace to match the rest of the storylines. John Clare manages to have a moment with his sick son before the child opens his eyes, and sees a pale, scared version of his Father before him and screams blue murder!
In the Wild West there is just about to be a show down! Ethan is becoming more and more bewitched by Hecate and her dark powers. Just as he is about to tell her to bring forth the dark powers of the night there is a shoot out, with Hecate shot and killed. Sir Malcolm and Kaeteny, Ethan's two father like figures who love him more than his own father, saving him from death.
In London Vanessa finds herself more and more alone and isolated, her final friend Lyle is being moved to Cairo, wouldn't it be great if this was a set up for a plot for next season! He gives her another name who might help her while he is gone, I was glad to see another strong woman Catriona Hartdegen who looks like she might be another ally for Vanessa. She is going to need it! As her friends are scattered around the globe she goes to the only friend she think she has Dr Sweet. He tells her he will be there for her and he doesn't think her mad, its the words she needs to hear and she gives into the seduction Dracula has been planing for a long time. The scene itself was done beautifully, the music and the over head shot of Vanessa's dress draped over them both like the wings of a bat is everything we have come to love about Penny Dreadful

The internet was a wash with theories about Ayra last week and how she could survive the Waif's stabbing. Yet none of these where even close to what happened in this episode, have fans started to over think or expect much more of this show? I don't know but I thought it a little weak that a cup of milk and nap was all Ayra needed to get over being stabbed in the stomach!
The hound was rampaging through the woods seeking revenge for his friends when he bumps into Beric (remember him from the third season) and his Brotherhood Without Banners they ask the hound to join them in going North. The hound isn't too sure, these scenes where very well done and as usual the hound got all the best lines of the episode!
It was great to see Pod actually get some lines in this episode. The scenes with Bronn and Pod have been whats missing from this season. The reunion of Jamie and Brienne was a good one. I feel like there is love and admiration there, Jamie sees Brienne for what he could of been a loyal and fearless Knight, instead of Cersei's pawn. While I loved the scenes with Jamie and Brienne, and also the scene with Jamie and Edmure (Tobais Menzies really stood out, again showing what good an actor he is) I feel Jamie's story arc is terrible. He seems to be right back where he started even reusing the line "the things we do for love" from the pilot episode and for me it felt sloppy. Jamie did take Brienne's advice and got the castle back without blood, while besides the death of Blackfish, but he choose death over running.
For me the highlights of these episode was in Kings Landing where Cersei choose violent over going peacefully to the High Sparrow. Her Mountain quickly took the head off one of the Faith Milant, but we knew the High Sparrow is clever and there would be repercussions. Tommen the puppet king announced the date of Cersi's trial and then dropped the bomb shell that trial by combat is no longer allowed. Giving the High Sparrow the upper hand as Cersei can no longer relay on her Mountain to save her.
The Meereen storyline drags on, Varys leaves Tyrion as he sails to Westeros to meet someone. Tyrion is in a great mood as he thinks his plan to work with the masters has worked. We soon find out otherwise as hundreds of ships start to fire apon the city. Just in time Daenerys arrives with her dragon! IMO Tyrion is another character this season who seems a little lost and not sure what to do with himself. Hopefully by the end of the season Daenerys and her crew will have left Meereen and there storylines will pick up.
Back to Ayra and after a good kip she is ready to run and jump for her life with the Waif hot on her heels. There was times watching it I was a little frightened for Ayra, but then I got the feeling she was leading the Waif justs where she wanted her. So after almost two seasons of training she rejects The Many Faced God and kills the Waif. She confronts Jaquen and tells him she is not no one she is Ayra Stark and she is going home, with a sly grin Jaquen makes us think that was his plan all along!

Online or Digtal Favourite

This was aired on BBC earlier this year, but with so many different TV shows on at that time we never got around to watching it. I knew there was hype around it so I set it to SKY Plus and forgot about it. It has been on our TV planner ever since so with alot of our shows finishing up for the Summer we finally had time to watch it.

It is amazing, the casting spot on, the scripts, acting and locations are fanatics. I now understand the hype around Tom Hiddleston as Bond!

We have two episodes left but so far this has been Delicious to watch and I am not just talking about Tom Hiddleston in swimming shorts! The plot is basely good versus evil, with Hiddleston as Jonathan Pine a hotel night manager who gets embroiled with arms dealer Richard Roper played brilliantly by Hugh Laurie. 

Throw in a list of fabulous actors Oliva Coleman, Tom Hollander, Douglas Hyde, and of course the big name in TV shows this year Tobais Menzies! The story telling is great and easy to follow, its filmed like a slick Hollywood movie which of course adds to the comparison to Bond. It was definitely a winner in our house as the hour long show went so quickly that we binged watched the first three episodes! It can be re-watched on BBC iPlayer and shown in the States on AMC

On The Box This Week

Warning-TV Spoilers Ahead!

I wasn't sure what to expect from Love Nina, haven't read the book but it looked good
and I love anything with Helena Bonham Carter so I gave it a go.
I'm so glad I did it's a witty, funny half our show about 20 year old Nina from Leicester who
becomes a Nanny in London for, two football crazy, very clever boys. She writes to her sister in Leicester telling her all what it's like living and working for a clever, brainy and eccentric family.
The highlights for me where Faye Marsay as Nina and Helena Bonham Carter as the boys eccentric Mother George. I am looking forward to more next week.

This was the first episode of the second season of Outlander when I actually thought
the storyline was rushed and I didn't understand what was happening.
Last week Claire and Jamie had the big bust up about saving Frank through Jamie not duelling with Black Jack. This week we saw Jamie still struggling with that decision. Himself and Claire are barely talking, when Murtagh intervenes and tells Jamie to eat and get ready for the duel. Jamie knows he has to tell Murtagh the truth the whole truth about Claire, the stones and her being from the future.
The storyline I had a problem with was the fake small pox in the wine. Claire was trying to make small pox appear on Jamie with various, herbs and potions. Then the whole poison wine and robbery, it felt rushed and I had to actually stop and think why they where doing it again. Of course it is to make sure that Bonnie Prince Charles doesn't get the money in his war chest to set sail for Scotland to try reclaim his Stuart crown and in doing so kill hundreds of Scots and the highland way of life. But in a episode that already fit so much into an hour it felt rushed and not explained well.
The scenes that I truly loved was Jamie talking to Claire's bump such a sweet scene and when he made her promise that if anything bad ever happens to them, if she has no choice she must go back through the stones. Just has he had promised her that he wouldn't fight Black Jack, a promise that at the end of the episode is broken, and it breaks Claire as it looks like she is losing there baby as she finds out and watches them duel. My heart broke as she tried to call for Jamie as she held her stomach and passed out.

After last weeks reveal that Dr Sweet is in fact Dracula

I was excited to see where this weeks episode could go.

Mr Clare (Frankenstein's Monster) is back in London after having a number of flashbacks of his life before he heads to the place he last remembers living with his wife and son. His story is always so tragic and brilliantly acted he is one of my favourite characters in Penny Dreadful. He finally find his wife and son living in a old run down room. His son looks like he his dying from tuberculosis to help them he robs a rich man and leaves the money in there room. He doesn't reveal himself to his family instead he looks through the broken attic floor quite like a ghostly angel.

From a character I love to one I dislike Dorian Grey while I really like Billie Pipper's portrayal of Lily the creature of Frankenstein's Brona. I feel Dorian adds nothing to the story, he just seems to appear in the sickly gruesome sex scenes! Justine became there willing disciple slaughtering her old pimp, of course nothing turns you on more than a good killing so they have a blood soaked threesome! While I'm all for sex scenes if there needed I think this scene was just for shock value which sometimes does annoy me with this show.

Ethan Talbot has reluctantly teamed up with the evil Hecate to try out run the police who are fast on there heels.

He doesn't understand what Hecate wants with him until she spells it out for him. She wants him to give into the beast inside him, the one he tries so hard to hide until the full moon outs him. Her goal is to tempt him into the darkness, she is the darkness to Vanessa's light and if he embraces the beast and darkness she want to rule at his side.

This season for me the storyline I am loving is the Vanessa/Dracula storyline. This Dr Sweet is a different kind of Dracula then we are use to. He doesn't hide away in the darkness, he can walk in the light, he has a job, he can see his refection in mirrors, he is slightly awkward, and he speaks of his dead wife with what seems like genuine heart break. Vanessa seems to be falling a little for him that is until one of his vampire minions speaks out of turn, and appeared to her to tell her that she had met his master before in a padded cell of white. Vanessa quickly retreats back into herself and breaks off contact with Dr Sweet. Which of course he is very annoyed about seeing the charmingly awkward Dr Sweet change with temper and kill the outspoken minion was rather chilling and I am looking forward to seeing him change from the soft spoken Dr Sweet to the powerful scary Dracula.

The big reveal this week was when Vanessa convinces Dr Seward to hypnotise her to go back into her thoughts to that padded cell to see the master once more. When an orderly comes to the room with her lunch we see it is no other than Mr Clare in his life before Frankenstein!

  

This season of Game of Thrones just seems to be getting better and better!
The Door was one of the most heart breaking episodes as another of our favourite characters is killed. This was an episode of huge reveals and some of the huge pieces of the Game of Thrones jigsaw where put together.
Bran gets some stick for being a "boring" character my hubby who is a huge Thrones fan was never a big fan of Bran, but I knew he was a major piece in the chess game that is Thrones. After a break from the character he is back this season and showing all the non Bran fans why he is needed. He is the link that is needed between the past and the future and with his flashbacks the history of the Thrones world is shown to the viewer. In this episode he found that The Children of The Forest needed a weapon against mankind and created The White Walkers. Which obviously didn't go to plan as now The Children of The Forest are all but gone and The White Walkers are building an army to kill mankind!
In Castle Black Sansa meets Little Finger and vents her fury at him for leaving her at the hands of Ramsay. She doesn't want his help and tells him to leave before so he reveals that her Uncle has gathered men and took back Riverrun. The side storyline of Brienne and Tormund is giving us the comic relief but poor Pod has barely had one line this season! There was a good few reminders of Jon Snow been illegitimate this episode wonder where they are going with this storyline? Will Sansa be Warton of the North due to Jon not being a Stark? Will Jon fight for more than just the North? Sansa brought him back into a sisterly hug when she made him a new coat with furs and the Stark sigil like the one there Father Ned wore.
Arya must make a decision if she is to become faceless is she ready to finally give up her Stark name? I don't think Arya will ever completely lose the pride and love she carries with her name. We could see that she was still visibly hurt and annoyed when the little play she was watching mocked her Father and Sister. Great little cameo Richard E Grant as one of the camp theatre actors.
This season for me is beginning to feel like the end of the over all series, certain storylines will be drawing to a close soon, there has been major deaths in every episode and there is only two Stark Direwolves left and one of them was last seen in season one!
The last few minutes of this episode showed us once again how George RR Martin is a master story teller, how he was sitting on this big secret since the first pages of the first book is amazing. Earlier this season we saw a flashback and found out Bran's gentle giant Hodor once had a different name and was a stable boy and friend to the Starks. In this episode we found out how he was renamed Hodor. Hodor is the shorting of the plea to Hold The Door which was what Meeran shouted to him as she tried to escaped with Bran while the army of the dead surrounded the cave where Bran and The One Eye Raven where warping back in time. The phrase ingrained on young Hodor's brain by a present day Bran as he warped into Hodor's body to try escape death from the White Walkers. The gentle giant was ripped to pieces by the walkers as Bran made his escape while in the past Bran watched on as the young Hodor became a shell of what he once was.
It doesn't look good for Bran next week with only Meeran with him now, as Hodor, The One Eyed Raven, The Children of The Forest and Direwolf Summer where all wiped out in this episode
But before all that I have to get through this week without crying if someone hold the door for me!

On The Box This Week

Warning-TV Spoilers Ahead!

La Dame Blanche was a good fourth episode of the second season of Outlander

I read a few reviews stating that you needed to have read the book to understand this episode

I don't agree and my husband who I watch this with and who hasn't read the books also didn't agree

The only two points he made was 1. what or who is La Dame Blanche which is okay as we aren't meant to know yet and it is funny when we do! 2. Mary Hawkins should of had more screen time if we are meant to care about her. I agree with this point as Mary is a bigger character in the book. Claire and Mary have quite a friendship in the books which hasn't come across as much on screen.

There was lot to take in this episode but my favourite was how Claire and Jamie seems to have come back to each other. It took Claire telling Jamie about Black Jack to do so. His reaction wasn't one she expected he tells her that he is happy Black Jack is alive as now Jamie came be the one to kill him. He knows he will have to buy his time but he will be the one to end Jack's life. 

Finally he has the state of mind to make love to his wife as the news has given him peace of mind

But I'm not sure the same can be said for Claire as some one poisoned her wine and she all most lost her baby. We found out Prince Charles and Claire's friend Louise have been having an affair and that Mary is in love with Alex Randall.

Then of course the dinner party. After Claire and Mary's carriage is broken (by someone) they have to walk home from the poor hospital where they are helping out. It soon gets dark and even with Murtagh they get attacked and poor Mary is raped. Instead of bursting in and telling the horror of what happend, Claire has Mary sent to bed with Alex keeping watch over her. Just as we think the dinner party can't get much worse Mary wakes thinking Alex is her attacker and bursts into the dinner party which her Uncle and much older Fiance are attending. How will our favourite couple explain this one?

The show I love but creeps me out was back on our screens this week

Episode one follows the dramatic season finale of last year

Sir Malcolm has left London to bring the body of his manservant home to Africa

so Vanessa is alone living in the big house in an animal like state. It's only when old friend Lyle turns up and gives her a card for Dr Seward who he thinks might help her does she appear human like.

Ethan is back in America with the British police to pay for his crimes that he did as a werewolf, that his until a gang of gun slingers have other ideas and whisk him off to see his father. Back in Africa Sir Malcolm meets a man who knows Ethan and tells Malcolm he needs his help, so it looks like Malcolm is off to America.

We met Dr Jekyll who it turns out is Dr Frankenstein old school friend. Frankenstein tells his friend all about his monsters he has created. Jekyll agrees to help Frankenstein turn Lily back to the innocent she was. Towards the end of the episode is where it really picked up for me Dr Seward's receptionist takes some money and goes down a back alley with a cheap prostitute when suddenly he sees something in the dark and is whisked away by group of vampires.

They gather around him ready to strike until they hear the voice of there master

he asks the man his name he tells him he is Renfield! The vampire asks him to spy on Vanessa and as Renfield shakes and sweats the screen fades to black and we hear the vampire say

My name is Dracula......

This third episode of the season was a slow burner but again alot happened

Jon is alive but doesn't understand why and the revenge he seeks to those who killed him are

know from the first minutes of the episode when he tells Davos "I done what I thought was right and got killed for it" he is not going back there he is different now.

Bran was given another flash back in time, seeing his now teenager Father fight outside The Tower of Joy. Bran knows this story his Father told him it a hundred times but reality was a little different than the tale Ned Stark told! It wasn't the brave tale he told his children, Ned got lucky when his friend Howland Reed stabbed the much better swords man Arthur Dayne in the back. The look on Bran's face when he realizes his Father lied and we wonder what else did Ned Stark lie about?!

Back in Winterwell a house once loyal to the Starks hands Ramsay a gift. Rickon who we haven't see since season three. The look of delighted on Ramsay's face when he was given Rickon's dead direwolf. I am really hoping this is the not another torture a Stark story line for Ramsay and this will be the story line that finally sees Ramsay get his comeuppances. 

Daenerys is handed over to the Vaes Dothrak once again she lists all her different titles

(getting a little fed up with the name listing) She is told she is not the only woman with a great Khal but they all end up here. They don't seem happy that she didn't come straight to to them after Drogo died and if she is lucky she will get to live out her days here with the other widows

Over in Kings Landing Tommen seems to have found someone to pull his puppet strings The High Sparrow! Cersei and Jamie made a play to take back some power this week but it didn't go to plain. They do have old dead eyes The Mountain and Vary's little birds now on there side will it be enough?

After hanging the men responsible for killing him the newly resurrected Jon tells his friend Edd his time as Lord Commander is done and his watch is over. I think it was when Jon saw the look of pure hate for him in Olly's eyes that he knew he was done doing the right thing!

What's next for Jon Snow?

 Does he remember there is a legion of white walkers heading his way?