Review - SOUTH PARK 16.09: 'Raising the Bar'

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232 episodes down, infinite number to go.

The question is, do I think they can keep things fresh and cool for another 16 seasons? And was this episode good? Find out after the blahblahblah.

ANALYSIS
Let me start off by saying that I have never watched an episode of whatever this Honey Boo Boo thing is and have only seen maybe 2 scenes by accident from that... thing. So I can't begin to tell you how accurate the portrayal on the show was to the real deal.  That also means I can't fully appreciate the idea behind it but I can at least view it from a perspective of pure entertainment.

In any event, what was this episode trying to say, in case it was trying to say something? Perhaps that the lunacy of modern-day fame extends beyond any notion of taste. Or that taste is truly unmeasurable and that anything can be entertaining. Would Honey Boo Boo's search for the perfect pig heart to blahblahblah be a ratings hit if it wasn't a spoof?

I bet it would.

Or was it actually just an episode about how out-of-control fat we have become as a country and how we are celebrating our obesity by catering to our elephant sizes with wider seats, scooters, and candy corn Oreos?

Yeah. That's the one.

The moral of the story is that fat people should all die. I think. Or exercise. Or that we should shame fat people more than we already do?

Or that James Cameron is an awesomely pompous douche who is smarter and more badass than all of us.

I don't think they had any clue what the moral of the story was when they made it (but I'm sure lots of people think it was "brilliant" because they want it to be). So, fuck it. It was just an episode that had some laughs.

QUOTING SOUTH PARK

Cartman: Dude, how come when we play baseball I always have to be the catcher?
Kyle: Well, because you've got good coordination, sharp reflexes, and you're fuckin' fat.

Cartman: [on his scooter] Yeah, no, this is a problem, Kyle. You gotta make your bathroom accessible for my mobility-scooter or else I won't be able to take a shit in your house.
Kyle: Then take a shit somewhere else!

Token: Kyle, Kyle, I'm trying to make compelling television.
Kyle: You got Randy Newman to do the theme song. You're not trying that hard.

RATING
If I had to rate this episode, and James Cameron's bravery song says I do, then I'd give it:

7.99 out of 100
It made me hungry.  I'm going to get one of those new Domino's pan pizzas, Mountain Dew, and a couple of heart attack sticks.

Bring me my mobility-scooter!
P.S. This review is me lowering my own bar...

Review - FRINGE 5.02: 'In Absentia'

To contact us Click HERE

Hardcore fans of any show can easily turn into ass-kissing douchebags or hate-everything assholes once it has been on long enough (my often mentioned post-season 2 phenomenon). And it is difficult, as someone who finds himself trying to be objectively critical, to not side with the haters more often than I do the ass-kissers. But being someone who prides himself on being able to maintain objectivity even when show writers make it difficult to not dive headfirst into negativity, I definitely root for quality.

In this episode, quality emerged with a vengeance.

Trying to shy away from the hyperbole of feeling blown away by something just watched, I am going to stop myself from proclaiming this "one of the best episodes in the series."

Fuck it, I just failed.

THIS WAS ONE OF THE BEST EPISODES OF THE SERIES! HOLY SHIT!

One of the things that made this show something of an addiction was the excellent acting and well written characters/dialogue. Throughout the history of the show, those things have trumped the stories, even when they were worthy of praise.  But something happened on the way to season 4 and everyone seemed to, more often than not, lose their focus. As I mentioned in the latest podcast, FRINGE had become a show with characters and situations I loved, but without the intrinsic quality that made me fall in love.

Somehow they rediscovered it in episode 89.

What made it so great? Let me just bullet point it because I am too exhausted from the intensity to recap shit.

• It's a break-in episode and those rule!
• It's a grand plan episode and the origin of those ideas are often so much better than the eventual payoff (yes, this probably means the resolution will suck but we live in the now people!).
• The individual interactions between Etta and her parents were pretty much perfect, with so much unshared pain and frustration between them, yet with love holding them in a bond.
• Walter being the Walter we all know and love with nutty and hilarious dialogue.
• A side-story involving an enemy that goes well beyond anything one could have expected (give that man an Emmy nomination!).
• A somewhat Star Wars like infiltration into the enemy base minus a wookiee and this time to turn the power on.
• One of the most powerful scenes in show history (when Etta loses her shit upon discovering what had happened to her partner) that is still giving me chills.
• A powerful ending that ran the gamut of emotions.
• And all the things I forgot to mention because I'm on such a high right now.

Bravo writers. Superb work. If this is what is to come this season, then I will weep when the show ends.

If I had to rate this episode, and I really want to, I'd give it:

98 out of 100
What did you think?

Review -- CASTLE 5.03: 'Secret's Safe with Me'

To contact us Click HERE

After last week's episode got HGF and some of the readers excited about 'Castle' again, I'm concerned this week's installment will have the reverse effect.

Take that back, I don't care what you people think, just that you read the review and maybe post a comment so it looks like people care what I think.

And while I didn't think there was anything terribly wrong about the episode, it didn't really generate much emotion or feelings in me to talk about here. Sure, there was a little fun and a little flirting, but there was some lame-ass shit in there that even got the pathetic-girly-sap that is yours truly, a bit annoyed.

I could have done without the Alexis storyline. How many times on how many shows do we need to see a kid go of to college a bit scared to be on their own? If I want to see that storyline and I want to see how it's done, I'm going to watch 'Parenthood', not 'Castle'. Monsters under the bed? Really? I'd rather see what she's doing ON the bed in college, than what's lurking underneath. (Hey now!)

Even as a lover of all things sappy and romantic-y, even I couldn't stomach the lame-ness of Castle and Beckett in the precinct talking about kissing while shaking hands. I think I'm going to puke now.

Last thing before I finish talking about an episode that really provided me with nothing to talk about: I predict that Esposito and/or Ryan will figure out about Castle and Beckett in the next episode.


QUOTES OF NOTE:

--CASTLE: "I'm a best-selling author, why wouldn't I have $2,000 in my pocket?"

--BECKETT: "Take your hand off your tool, Marco!"


RANDOM RAMBLINGS:

--As predictable as it was that there was something hidden in that doll all along, it led to a fun moment when Castle broke two of them in a row while whats-her-face watched in horror.

--Some bad police-work/logic skills: If that dude knew/thought that a $4 million bracelet was in the storage unit, why would he only bid up to $2,500? Methinks he would have brought a few more dollars to ensure he has enough for the winning bid.

--Memo to all criminals when confronted by police: NEVER say something like "It's an interesting theory, detective, but you can't prove any of it" or "I'd like to see you prove it." THEY ALWAYS PROVE IT. Just watch 'Murder She Wrote', dude.

--I like how Castle noted that they brought justice to their family .... umm, what family? They are all dead.

THE SCORE: 59 out of 100

Review - SOUTH PARK 16.10: 'Insecurity'

To contact us Click HERE

The mailman always rings twice. But what does the UPS man do? All is answered in this week's brand spankin' new episode of SOUTH PARK.

ANALYSIS
Last week some people got mad at me for writing a review that was essentially an analysis of bullshit because I hadn't finished watching the episode because I had to go pick up pizza.

I own that criticism. It was an awful thing to do especially when you consider how much I am paid to write these reviews. It will never happen again. I promise.

Now, this week we get a crazed Cartman (redundant?) putting together a security force to combat the evil USP guy. The subtext is that Obama's Amerukah is full of covert operatives who are spying on your every move.

No?

Shit.

I admit that I am writing this 4 hours before the episode. I apologize and will never do it again. I have turned over a new leaf on-the-spot like Mitt Romney in last week's debate. No one should call me on it and instead just pretend as if everything I said before never happened.

4.5 hours later

I am now actually watching the episode. I swear. And wow. This is pretty good stuff. Thrilling. Genius. So amazing guys. This part where Kyle and Stan makeout is so Obama. Way to go. Civil rights now! Civil rights forever!

For realz this time folks, 4.5 hours later

I will never lie again. Trust me. Everything I said before was just me on the review trail. I can't be held accountable for what I said there. The only thing that matters is what I say now whether I mean it or not. Sure, I could change my mind after you accept me as your reviewer of choice (spoiler: I will definitely change my mind later), but you should just take it on faith or whatever thing helps manipulate you most that this review and everything contained within it is an honest assessment of what I watched.

If I watched it.

Which I did because I wrote a review and you read it.

I swear to the Lords of Kobol that this is being written after watching the episode

When Ike catches his parents fucking like horsemonkeys while playing the old UPS-man game, Cartman decides it must have been rape and jumps into action and installs a high security system. And when the adult men mistakenly think the UPS-man is going around fucking all their wives, they overreact. Also, people order shit from Amazon all the time and then forget about it.

[Copy and paste someone's words from another review, don't cite the source but change a couple of words like you did all through college, don't worry because people are dumb and won't notice.. just remember to delete this note before you click "Publish"]

At some point Mitt Romney's company, Bane, shows up to kidnap the UPS guy and kick the shit out of him for banging wives.

The moral of the episode? That home security systems are a sham! And that Amazon is addictive. And that James Cameron has a song, or that was last week.

QUOTABLES

Announcer: Fake it, with Cialis. It won't make her any hotter but it'll make you not care for up to 3-hours.

Cartman: Think about it. What kind of sane normal person would want to have sex with Kyle's mom?

Cartman: What if I was someone who wanted to rape my mom?!
Dispatcher: You want to rape your mom?

Cartman: Hello? Did you hear me? A rapist is here. He's white.
Dispatcher: Okay. Should we contact the police?
Cartman: Yes you should contact the fuckin' police! My mom's about to get fuckin' raped!

Dispatcher: Try and stay calm. The police are on their way.
Cartman: Well that's nice. Maybe they can bring some cigarettes and Gatorade because the guy's gonna be pretty wiped out! What the fuck?!

Dispatcher Kevin: Wow, that just fucked my head.
Cartman: Yeah. I just fucked your head and the UPS guy just fucked my mom!

Kyle: The Jewish population isn't dying out, fatass, it's growing!
Cartman: (quietly stunned) What?

[type any kind of shit here, no one reads it anyway, it just helps with Google search --remember to delete this too]

RATING
If I had to rate this episode, and the man in brown shorts says I do, then I'd give it:

88 out of 100
It was good. Most likely. I bet it was. But if it wasn't, then the score is 55 out of 100. Unless it was mediocre in which case it is 76 out of 100.

For some reason, this episode made me think of the craziness in this video around the 6:15 mark.

Ike's little drawing sure made the rounds.

See? I watched it this week.

Review - FRINGE 5.03: 'The Recordist'

To contact us Click HERE

When the team goes out looking for clues to Walter's Observer-killing weapon, they meet up with people who have been keeping records of the history of humanity post-occupation. And stuff happens.

After last week's killer episode failed to really create much dialogue in the comments section about anything but Anna Torv, Joshua Jackson, and the amount of screen time each get versus which is a better actor (yeah, that happened), I wonder what argument either side will make this week.

Because both received a fair amount of screen time.

Both had a fair amount of good scenes.

Both delivered pretty good performances.

Granted, Joshua Jackson is the superior actor.

Oh shit. I just started it all over again!

I kid.  Well, not that Jackson is the superior actor or the one with better scenes, but that I was trying to stir up any shit.  Though, having said what I said it probably comes off a bit disingenuous for me to say that. Oh well.  Like it matters what I say anyway. Last week I just talked about how awesome the episode was and barely got a peep about that in the comments section.

Why the fuck am I writing about the comments section in a review about the episode?  I have been effectively trolled!

So this episode wasn't brilliant but it wasn't mediocre either.  It did move the story along. It did tackle some of Olivia's simmering emotional issues about abandoning her husband and his search for their daughter and her reasoning made sense. 

She had given up hope.  She couldn't see past her depressed outlook.  All she could see was that she had lost again.  All this the cause of a messed up childhood where she was used and abused by those who were meant to look after her. It is a good bit of believable writing.

Pacey Poof's moments were pretty effective too. Jackson has such a wonderful hold on his character's heart that he never fails to tap into that emotional side when he needs it. And with Olivia as the cold one, Peter needs to be the one who speaks for their relationship.  Otherwise the audience would be left wondering why they ever fell for each other.

Apart from those elements, the rest of the episode had some good beats like the mole who calls the rebels to warn them of the incoming enemy; Walter just wanting to get high; Astrid the laser surgeon and VHS fixer; freaky looking kid who made graphic novels out of the legends of the Fringe unit; creepy black stuff; a sacrifice; and a montage (I love a good montage!).

For an episode that surfed the line of significance and insignificance, it worked for me.

If I had to rate this episode, and Walter's suit of armor says I do, then I'd give it:

83 out of 100
So what did you think?  I mean, beside the obvious stuff of how much it sucked. Oh and see you in two-weeks!

Review - SOUTH PARK 16.09: 'Raising the Bar'

To contact us Click HERE

232 episodes down, infinite number to go.

The question is, do I think they can keep things fresh and cool for another 16 seasons? And was this episode good? Find out after the blahblahblah.

ANALYSIS
Let me start off by saying that I have never watched an episode of whatever this Honey Boo Boo thing is and have only seen maybe 2 scenes by accident from that... thing. So I can't begin to tell you how accurate the portrayal on the show was to the real deal.  That also means I can't fully appreciate the idea behind it but I can at least view it from a perspective of pure entertainment.

In any event, what was this episode trying to say, in case it was trying to say something? Perhaps that the lunacy of modern-day fame extends beyond any notion of taste. Or that taste is truly unmeasurable and that anything can be entertaining. Would Honey Boo Boo's search for the perfect pig heart to blahblahblah be a ratings hit if it wasn't a spoof?

I bet it would.

Or was it actually just an episode about how out-of-control fat we have become as a country and how we are celebrating our obesity by catering to our elephant sizes with wider seats, scooters, and candy corn Oreos?

Yeah. That's the one.

The moral of the story is that fat people should all die. I think. Or exercise. Or that we should shame fat people more than we already do?

Or that James Cameron is an awesomely pompous douche who is smarter and more badass than all of us.

I don't think they had any clue what the moral of the story was when they made it (but I'm sure lots of people think it was "brilliant" because they want it to be). So, fuck it. It was just an episode that had some laughs.

QUOTING SOUTH PARK

Cartman: Dude, how come when we play baseball I always have to be the catcher?
Kyle: Well, because you've got good coordination, sharp reflexes, and you're fuckin' fat.

Cartman: [on his scooter] Yeah, no, this is a problem, Kyle. You gotta make your bathroom accessible for my mobility-scooter or else I won't be able to take a shit in your house.
Kyle: Then take a shit somewhere else!

Token: Kyle, Kyle, I'm trying to make compelling television.
Kyle: You got Randy Newman to do the theme song. You're not trying that hard.

RATING
If I had to rate this episode, and James Cameron's bravery song says I do, then I'd give it:

7.99 out of 100
It made me hungry.  I'm going to get one of those new Domino's pan pizzas, Mountain Dew, and a couple of heart attack sticks.

Bring me my mobility-scooter!
P.S. This review is me lowering my own bar...

Review - FRINGE 5.02: 'In Absentia'

To contact us Click HERE

Hardcore fans of any show can easily turn into ass-kissing douchebags or hate-everything assholes once it has been on long enough (my often mentioned post-season 2 phenomenon). And it is difficult, as someone who finds himself trying to be objectively critical, to not side with the haters more often than I do the ass-kissers. But being someone who prides himself on being able to maintain objectivity even when show writers make it difficult to not dive headfirst into negativity, I definitely root for quality.

In this episode, quality emerged with a vengeance.

Trying to shy away from the hyperbole of feeling blown away by something just watched, I am going to stop myself from proclaiming this "one of the best episodes in the series."

Fuck it, I just failed.

THIS WAS ONE OF THE BEST EPISODES OF THE SERIES! HOLY SHIT!

One of the things that made this show something of an addiction was the excellent acting and well written characters/dialogue. Throughout the history of the show, those things have trumped the stories, even when they were worthy of praise.  But something happened on the way to season 4 and everyone seemed to, more often than not, lose their focus. As I mentioned in the latest podcast, FRINGE had become a show with characters and situations I loved, but without the intrinsic quality that made me fall in love.

Somehow they rediscovered it in episode 89.

What made it so great? Let me just bullet point it because I am too exhausted from the intensity to recap shit.

• It's a break-in episode and those rule!
• It's a grand plan episode and the origin of those ideas are often so much better than the eventual payoff (yes, this probably means the resolution will suck but we live in the now people!).
• The individual interactions between Etta and her parents were pretty much perfect, with so much unshared pain and frustration between them, yet with love holding them in a bond.
• Walter being the Walter we all know and love with nutty and hilarious dialogue.
• A side-story involving an enemy that goes well beyond anything one could have expected (give that man an Emmy nomination!).
• A somewhat Star Wars like infiltration into the enemy base minus a wookiee and this time to turn the power on.
• One of the most powerful scenes in show history (when Etta loses her shit upon discovering what had happened to her partner) that is still giving me chills.
• A powerful ending that ran the gamut of emotions.
• And all the things I forgot to mention because I'm on such a high right now.

Bravo writers. Superb work. If this is what is to come this season, then I will weep when the show ends.

If I had to rate this episode, and I really want to, I'd give it:

98 out of 100
What did you think?

Furycast 45 - Sexalogue

To contact us Click HERE

Jess and Magnus talk *breath* DOWNTON ABBEY, COPPER, NEW GIRL, THE MINDY PROJECT, PARKS AND RECREATION, FRINGE fan wars, ANIMAL PRACTICE, 30 ROCK, extras (that do stuff in the background of scenes), what the listeners want... oh hell, we talk a lot of stuff. Just listen. Oh and there are two outtakes at the end.

AUTOPLAY enabled for purely evil reasons.


You can also DOWNLOAD this podcast as an MP3 by right clicking on this link and saving it to your hard drive.

Click this link to subscribe to our podcast via iTunes.

If you have any questions, comments, or requests for a future podcast, feel free to call us at 201-639-GEEK (4335) and leave a message!

Review -- CASTLE 5.03: 'Secret's Safe with Me'

To contact us Click HERE

After last week's episode got HGF and some of the readers excited about 'Castle' again, I'm concerned this week's installment will have the reverse effect.

Take that back, I don't care what you people think, just that you read the review and maybe post a comment so it looks like people care what I think.

And while I didn't think there was anything terribly wrong about the episode, it didn't really generate much emotion or feelings in me to talk about here. Sure, there was a little fun and a little flirting, but there was some lame-ass shit in there that even got the pathetic-girly-sap that is yours truly, a bit annoyed.

I could have done without the Alexis storyline. How many times on how many shows do we need to see a kid go of to college a bit scared to be on their own? If I want to see that storyline and I want to see how it's done, I'm going to watch 'Parenthood', not 'Castle'. Monsters under the bed? Really? I'd rather see what she's doing ON the bed in college, than what's lurking underneath. (Hey now!)

Even as a lover of all things sappy and romantic-y, even I couldn't stomach the lame-ness of Castle and Beckett in the precinct talking about kissing while shaking hands. I think I'm going to puke now.

Last thing before I finish talking about an episode that really provided me with nothing to talk about: I predict that Esposito and/or Ryan will figure out about Castle and Beckett in the next episode.


QUOTES OF NOTE:

--CASTLE: "I'm a best-selling author, why wouldn't I have $2,000 in my pocket?"

--BECKETT: "Take your hand off your tool, Marco!"


RANDOM RAMBLINGS:

--As predictable as it was that there was something hidden in that doll all along, it led to a fun moment when Castle broke two of them in a row while whats-her-face watched in horror.

--Some bad police-work/logic skills: If that dude knew/thought that a $4 million bracelet was in the storage unit, why would he only bid up to $2,500? Methinks he would have brought a few more dollars to ensure he has enough for the winning bid.

--Memo to all criminals when confronted by police: NEVER say something like "It's an interesting theory, detective, but you can't prove any of it" or "I'd like to see you prove it." THEY ALWAYS PROVE IT. Just watch 'Murder She Wrote', dude.

--I like how Castle noted that they brought justice to their family .... umm, what family? They are all dead.

THE SCORE: 59 out of 100

Review - SOUTH PARK 16.10: 'Insecurity'

To contact us Click HERE

The mailman always rings twice. But what does the UPS man do? All is answered in this week's brand spankin' new episode of SOUTH PARK.

ANALYSIS
Last week some people got mad at me for writing a review that was essentially an analysis of bullshit because I hadn't finished watching the episode because I had to go pick up pizza.

I own that criticism. It was an awful thing to do especially when you consider how much I am paid to write these reviews. It will never happen again. I promise.

Now, this week we get a crazed Cartman (redundant?) putting together a security force to combat the evil USP guy. The subtext is that Obama's Amerukah is full of covert operatives who are spying on your every move.

No?

Shit.

I admit that I am writing this 4 hours before the episode. I apologize and will never do it again. I have turned over a new leaf on-the-spot like Mitt Romney in last week's debate. No one should call me on it and instead just pretend as if everything I said before never happened.

4.5 hours later

I am now actually watching the episode. I swear. And wow. This is pretty good stuff. Thrilling. Genius. So amazing guys. This part where Kyle and Stan makeout is so Obama. Way to go. Civil rights now! Civil rights forever!

For realz this time folks, 4.5 hours later

I will never lie again. Trust me. Everything I said before was just me on the review trail. I can't be held accountable for what I said there. The only thing that matters is what I say now whether I mean it or not. Sure, I could change my mind after you accept me as your reviewer of choice (spoiler: I will definitely change my mind later), but you should just take it on faith or whatever thing helps manipulate you most that this review and everything contained within it is an honest assessment of what I watched.

If I watched it.

Which I did because I wrote a review and you read it.

I swear to the Lords of Kobol that this is being written after watching the episode

When Ike catches his parents fucking like horsemonkeys while playing the old UPS-man game, Cartman decides it must have been rape and jumps into action and installs a high security system. And when the adult men mistakenly think the UPS-man is going around fucking all their wives, they overreact. Also, people order shit from Amazon all the time and then forget about it.

[Copy and paste someone's words from another review, don't cite the source but change a couple of words like you did all through college, don't worry because people are dumb and won't notice.. just remember to delete this note before you click "Publish"]

At some point Mitt Romney's company, Bane, shows up to kidnap the UPS guy and kick the shit out of him for banging wives.

The moral of the episode? That home security systems are a sham! And that Amazon is addictive. And that James Cameron has a song, or that was last week.

QUOTABLES

Announcer: Fake it, with Cialis. It won't make her any hotter but it'll make you not care for up to 3-hours.

Cartman: Think about it. What kind of sane normal person would want to have sex with Kyle's mom?

Cartman: What if I was someone who wanted to rape my mom?!
Dispatcher: You want to rape your mom?

Cartman: Hello? Did you hear me? A rapist is here. He's white.
Dispatcher: Okay. Should we contact the police?
Cartman: Yes you should contact the fuckin' police! My mom's about to get fuckin' raped!

Dispatcher: Try and stay calm. The police are on their way.
Cartman: Well that's nice. Maybe they can bring some cigarettes and Gatorade because the guy's gonna be pretty wiped out! What the fuck?!

Dispatcher Kevin: Wow, that just fucked my head.
Cartman: Yeah. I just fucked your head and the UPS guy just fucked my mom!

Kyle: The Jewish population isn't dying out, fatass, it's growing!
Cartman: (quietly stunned) What?

[type any kind of shit here, no one reads it anyway, it just helps with Google search --remember to delete this too]

RATING
If I had to rate this episode, and the man in brown shorts says I do, then I'd give it:

88 out of 100
It was good. Most likely. I bet it was. But if it wasn't, then the score is 55 out of 100. Unless it was mediocre in which case it is 76 out of 100.

For some reason, this episode made me think of the craziness in this video around the 6:15 mark.

Ike's little drawing sure made the rounds.

See? I watched it this week.

Watch Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 14 Episode 4: Acceptable Loss

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Watch Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 14 Episode 4: Acceptable Loss. Good News! If you are addicted for another NBC best episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Here’s your chance to witness their all new episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 14 entitled Acceptable Loss. This episode is schedule to air online this coming October 17, 2012 10:00 PM on NBC. Law & Order: Special Victims Unit “Acceptable Loss” is all about; sex-trafficking. See the complete episode summary below.

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 14 Episode 4: Acceptable Loss summary:
The detectives try to expose a sex-trafficking ring, but they run into interference from Lt. Eames, who worries that their case is compromising her terrorism investigation. Not backing down, Benson finds a creative way to proceed.

Don't forget to bookmark this page, remember to watch this very exciting episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit online. There are many ways to watch this video online. But for me, the only online streaming site that I can recommend is this. Be sure that you will not miss to watch "showtoepisode" online. Don’t worry it’s free!Share this article :

New DOCTOR WHO Companion's Full Name Revealed

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The full name of Jenna-Louise Coleman's character on Doctor Who has been revealed.

According to the Daily Mirror, the Eleventh Doctor's new companion will be called Clara Oswin and she will be a computer expert (Melanie Bush, anyone?) that is "feisty and flirty."  Coleman's first line of dialogue to the Doctor is supposedly "Rescue me, boy, and show me the stars" and the Doctor will initially refer to her simply as "Oswin" just as he called exiting companion Amy Pond "Pond."

In the article, actress Karen Gillan discusses Amy Pond's exit in the upcoming episode "The Angels Take Manhattan."  "I didn’t read the scripts because I didn’t want to make it real," she said.  "I think it was a few weeks before I read them.  I had read the rest of the episode just not that bit.  There is so much I am going to miss, especially as we have become good friends now.  I’ll miss all the running down corridors, that is so much fun.  It is such a life-changing experience, I can’t even describe it.  I didn’t even offer Jenna Louise any advice because I want her to have her own version of that and not follow any preconceptions."

Doctor Who is scheduled to return in "Asylum of the Daleks" on September 1, 2012.

Original Green Goblin Makeup Test for Raimi's SPIDER-MAN

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Oh, what could have been.

A second test video has surfaced on YouTube for the original Green Goblin makeup designed for the 2002 film adaptation of Marvel Comics' Spider-Man.  Amalgamated Dynamics, Inc., the special effects company behind the makeup, created a hybrid animatronic/makeup of silicone skin animated by servos and has Tom Woodruff, Jr. underneath the Goblin makeup.

The footage around the 1:40 mark is especially impressive, as Woodruff displays a look of sadness that quickly turns to a smile and then goes all kinds of uber-creepy.  But no, this fantastic piece of artistry was dumped, presumably when actor Willem Dafoe was cast in the role of Norman Osborn/The Green Goblin.  Dafoe rejected the initially bulky designs created beforehand and the final design focused on a more streamlined and athletic feel.  The mask was created to be an extreme cartoon version of Dafoe's face, focusing on his long cheekbones. 

Unfortunately, as we all know, said final design ended up being something less than uber-creepy and more like a cheesy villain from Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers:


Hopefully, if the sequel to this year's Amazing Spider-Man brings the Green Goblin back to the big screen, director Marc Webb will go back and incorporate some of the ADI makeup design into his Goblin.

Here's the second makeup test video, followed by the previous one that was posted back in 2011...

Returning Companions Rumored for DOCTOR WHO's 50th Anniversary

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Yep, we still have over thirteen months until Doctor Who's 50th anniversary on November 23, 2013 and the anniversary special rumors are already gaining steam.

The Express in the United Kingdom is proclaiming that "some of the Time Lord's most famous companions" (Sorry about your luck, Kamelion) will be making cameos in the show's 50th anniversary special.  That seems like something of a no-brainer given the occasion but The Express also throws out a few names to fuel speculation amongst Whovians.  Those listed in the article are:

Amy Pond/Williams -- Karen Gillan just ended her 2.5-season run as Amy Pond in "The Angels Take Manhattan" and even went on the record in August that she'll never return to Doctor Who, but it's certainly possible that could be just a smokescreen.  I mean, why would you leave so close to the 50th anniversary and not want to be a part of it?  And if she does come back, does that mean Arthur Darvill will be returning as her husband Rory? 

Rose Tyler -- Still the favorite of younger fans of the 2005 series, Billie Piper seems determined to make Rose Tyler this generation's Sarah Jane Smith with yet another return to Doctor Who after her last appearance in "The End of Time, Part Two."  The Express makes the not-so-bold statement that ultimate Whovian David Tennant will be returning as the Tenth Doctor, so reuniting him with Rose is natural enough.

Susan Foreman -- Now this makes perfect sense.  Carole Ann Ford was the Doctor's first-ever companion as Susan, so what better person to bring back for the golden anniversary?  We last saw Susan on television way back in 1983's "The Five Doctors," but she recently appeared in the Eighth Doctor audio adventure "To the Death," where she expressed her hope of being reunited with her grandfather again one day.

The article also mentions the recent tragic passing of Elisabeth Sladen and Mary Tamm, who played past companions Sarah Jane Smith and the first Romana respectively.  It remains to be seen if Fifth Doctor companion Tegan Jovanka, played by Janet Fielding, will be able and/or willing to return after the actress was diagnosed with cancer last month.

DAMN Good Television -- ARROW: "Pilot"

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2012 has been a pretty good year for archers, hasn't it?  Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games, Merida in Pixar's Brave, Hawkeye in The Avengers, and now comes DC Comics' Green Arrow in his very own CW network television series, Arrow.

When word of this series first leaked back in January, I was understandably concerned about what the final aired version would be like.  It wasn't all that long ago that Justin Hartley was appearing on Smallville as Green Arrow, and let's face it, other recent DC Comics TV series (the short-lived Birds of Prey, the Aquaman pilot also starring Justin Hartley, the Adrianne Palicki Wonder Woman pilot, and a number of others never greenlit) haven't exactly fared well.

So how did the Arrow pilot turn out?  Pretty damn good, actually.  The setup for the series is strong but easy for non-comics fans to follow.  Millionaire playboy Oliver Queen returns home after five years marooned on an island and being presumed dead by his mother Moira and younger sister Thea.  The thing is, his experiences on that island (whatever they may have been) affected Oliver so much that he's decided to engage in vigilante-style justice and work his way through a long revenge list of targets that wronged Ollie's dead father Robert.  Oh, and in case the series title wasn't enough of a clue for you, he does it in Robin Hood fashion with a bow and arrow.  Because he can.

This pilot episode directed by David Nutter, who also directed the Smallville pilot, borrows origin elements from Jack Kirby's "The Green Arrow's First Case" in Adventure Comics #256, Mike Grell's Green Arrow: The Wonder Year and Andy Diggle and Jock's recent Green Arrow: Year One.  A number of new elements are worked into this take on Green Arrow as well, such as expanding and developing Ollie's family to include a father with dark, tragic secrets yet to be revealed, a mother who is more than she initially appears, and a sister affected by her brother's presumed death.  Ollie's traditional love interest, Dinah Laurel Lance, is here but given additional dramatic tension because of her dead sister and her police detective father Quentin, who blames Ollie for his daughter's death while also hunting him as the vigilante Arrow.  And if that wasn't enough, there's the very Smallvilleian (Smallvilleish?) friendship with Tommy Merlyn, who presumably becomes his arch-nemesis Merlyn at some point down the road.

Unfortunately, there are a couple of minor tweaks to the mythos that seem to have been made for no discernible reason whatsoever.  Ollie's hometown of Star City is now "Starling City" because Star City rolled off the tongue far too easily.  Meanwhile, Dinah is called "Laurel" (apparently "Dinah" isn't hip enough) but her full name is stated as "Dinah Laurel Lance," so rabid Green Arrow and Black Canary fans can step back from their keyboards.

On the plus side, there are a few sly nods to DC Comics fans beyond the basics.  Ollie refers to his sister Thea as "Speedy," either as a shout-out to Green Arrow's sidekick or possibly hinting that Thea could become his sidekick at some point?  Legendary Green Arrow writer/artist Mike Grell is acknowledged by a reference to a "Judge Grell," while Ollie's bodyguard John Diggle is presumably named after the aforementioned writer Andy Diggle.  And in a quick blink-and-you-miss-it shot, the mask of supervillain/antihero Deathstroke can be seen in an early scene when Ollie's lights his signal bonfire to be rescued.

As for the cast, this series lives or dies on the shoulders of Canadian actor Stephen Amell, who thankfully has more acting range than Justin Hartley in order to sell the dramatic, less-superhero moments.  Amell is likeable and engaging, but able to convey the distinction between Ollie's playboy facade and the real traumatized man underneath.  It also doesn't hurt that he trained extremely well for the part, showcasing his fitness using a salmon ladder and various uses of parkour.  Among the rest, I think Katie Cassidy has potential as Laurel but it would nice to see her character expanded beyond legal aid attorney plot device and conflicted love interest.  I also enjoyed seeing British actor Paul Blackthorne again as Quentin Lance, using an American accent similar to his Harry Dresden in the Dresden Files TV series that ended far too soon.

All in all, a promising start for Arrow and hopefully, the ratings will be strong enough to allow the series to develop further.  There are a number of DC Comics characters coming up in future episodes, such as The Huntress, Deadshot and China White, so it's encouraging that Arrow is diving right into where it took Smallville several seasons to fully embrace.  Here's hoping that viewers keep embracing Arrow week after week in return.

Furycast 46 - Where is Jimmy?

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In this episode VladyGG and HGF discuss COMMUNITY, REVOLUTION, FRINGE, DEXTER, HOMELAND, ALPHAS, and play some listener phone-calls, plus more. All times and topics noted below.

Consider all discussions to have potential spoilers and only listen to that which you have watched or don't care to know about even if you haven't.

00:00 – 00:26 OPENING (Damned If I Do by Life Of Agony)
00:27 – 03:11 INTRO including talk of COMMUNITY premiere delay
03:12 – 10:33 REVOLUTION
10:34 – 16:24 FRINGE and the crazy Joshua Jackson fan(s)
16:25 – 19:07 DEXTER
19:08 – 19:11 HOMELAND
19:12 – 19:35 ALPHAS
19:36 – 27:19 Listener phone calls
27:20 – 30:49 End of podcast discussion including Eli, Jimmy, Plopper etc.
30:50 - 32:42 OUTRO (River Runs Red by Life of Agony)

AUTOPLAY enabled for purely evil reasons.


You can also DOWNLOAD this podcast as an MP3 by right clicking on this link and saving it to your hard drive.

Click this link to subscribe to our podcast via iTunes.

If you have any questions or requests for a future podcast, feel free to call us at 201-639-GEEK (4335) and leave a message!

Daredevil Movie Rights Reverting Back to Marvel

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The Man Without Fear is coming back to Marvel.

After 20th Century Fox had its extension request refused, the studio will have to allow the film rights to the Marvel Comics character Daredevil to revert back to Marvel.  Deadline and Variety are reporting that Fox is unable to have their planned reboot in production before the October 10th rights deadline.

This follows on last week's news that Joe Carnahan was being considered to direct the film reboot for Fox after David Slade left the project for the NBC TV series Hannibal.  Carnahan posted a comment on Twitter yesterday, remarking "I think my idea for a certain retro, red-suited, Serpico-styled superhero went up in smoke today kids."  He followed that with "We shall see.  Time is NOT on anyone's side."

Daredevil will be the second character reverting back to Marvel since the company's sale to Disney in 2009.  The first was The Punisher, which came from Lionsgate, and leaves Spider-Man (including Venom), The X-Men (including Wolverine), The Fantastic Four, the Silver Surfer, Ghost Rider, Elektra and Deadpool as characters unavailable to Marvel Studios until the other film studios currently holding the movie rights are unable to prove that projects are in active development featuring those characters.

Carnahan continued discussing his Daredevil film ideas on Twitter, saying "DD pitch was tremendous and everyone flipped for it.  The clock ticked down at Fox, that's why it went tits up."  He also posted two versions of the sizzle reel video he developed to promote his take on the character, which you can view below in "NC-17" and "PG-13" formats:

New DOCTOR WHO Companion's Full Name Revealed

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The full name of Jenna-Louise Coleman's character on Doctor Who has been revealed.

According to the Daily Mirror, the Eleventh Doctor's new companion will be called Clara Oswin and she will be a computer expert (Melanie Bush, anyone?) that is "feisty and flirty."  Coleman's first line of dialogue to the Doctor is supposedly "Rescue me, boy, and show me the stars" and the Doctor will initially refer to her simply as "Oswin" just as he called exiting companion Amy Pond "Pond."

In the article, actress Karen Gillan discusses Amy Pond's exit in the upcoming episode "The Angels Take Manhattan."  "I didn’t read the scripts because I didn’t want to make it real," she said.  "I think it was a few weeks before I read them.  I had read the rest of the episode just not that bit.  There is so much I am going to miss, especially as we have become good friends now.  I’ll miss all the running down corridors, that is so much fun.  It is such a life-changing experience, I can’t even describe it.  I didn’t even offer Jenna Louise any advice because I want her to have her own version of that and not follow any preconceptions."

Doctor Who is scheduled to return in "Asylum of the Daleks" on September 1, 2012.

Original Green Goblin Makeup Test for Raimi's SPIDER-MAN

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Oh, what could have been.

A second test video has surfaced on YouTube for the original Green Goblin makeup designed for the 2002 film adaptation of Marvel Comics' Spider-Man.  Amalgamated Dynamics, Inc., the special effects company behind the makeup, created a hybrid animatronic/makeup of silicone skin animated by servos and has Tom Woodruff, Jr. underneath the Goblin makeup.

The footage around the 1:40 mark is especially impressive, as Woodruff displays a look of sadness that quickly turns to a smile and then goes all kinds of uber-creepy.  But no, this fantastic piece of artistry was dumped, presumably when actor Willem Dafoe was cast in the role of Norman Osborn/The Green Goblin.  Dafoe rejected the initially bulky designs created beforehand and the final design focused on a more streamlined and athletic feel.  The mask was created to be an extreme cartoon version of Dafoe's face, focusing on his long cheekbones. 

Unfortunately, as we all know, said final design ended up being something less than uber-creepy and more like a cheesy villain from Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers:


Hopefully, if the sequel to this year's Amazing Spider-Man brings the Green Goblin back to the big screen, director Marc Webb will go back and incorporate some of the ADI makeup design into his Goblin.

Here's the second makeup test video, followed by the previous one that was posted back in 2011...

Returning Companions Rumored for DOCTOR WHO's 50th Anniversary

To contact us Click HERE

Yep, we still have over thirteen months until Doctor Who's 50th anniversary on November 23, 2013 and the anniversary special rumors are already gaining steam.

The Express in the United Kingdom is proclaiming that "some of the Time Lord's most famous companions" (Sorry about your luck, Kamelion) will be making cameos in the show's 50th anniversary special.  That seems like something of a no-brainer given the occasion but The Express also throws out a few names to fuel speculation amongst Whovians.  Those listed in the article are:

Amy Pond/Williams -- Karen Gillan just ended her 2.5-season run as Amy Pond in "The Angels Take Manhattan" and even went on the record in August that she'll never return to Doctor Who, but it's certainly possible that could be just a smokescreen.  I mean, why would you leave so close to the 50th anniversary and not want to be a part of it?  And if she does come back, does that mean Arthur Darvill will be returning as her husband Rory? 

Rose Tyler -- Still the favorite of younger fans of the 2005 series, Billie Piper seems determined to make Rose Tyler this generation's Sarah Jane Smith with yet another return to Doctor Who after her last appearance in "The End of Time, Part Two."  The Express makes the not-so-bold statement that ultimate Whovian David Tennant will be returning as the Tenth Doctor, so reuniting him with Rose is natural enough.

Susan Foreman -- Now this makes perfect sense.  Carole Ann Ford was the Doctor's first-ever companion as Susan, so what better person to bring back for the golden anniversary?  We last saw Susan on television way back in 1983's "The Five Doctors," but she recently appeared in the Eighth Doctor audio adventure "To the Death," where she expressed her hope of being reunited with her grandfather again one day.

The article also mentions the recent tragic passing of Elisabeth Sladen and Mary Tamm, who played past companions Sarah Jane Smith and the first Romana respectively.  It remains to be seen if Fifth Doctor companion Tegan Jovanka, played by Janet Fielding, will be able and/or willing to return after the actress was diagnosed with cancer last month.

NIGHTWING 101 Sale at DC Comics and ComiXology

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All right, Wingnuts...You've been fans and/or stalkers of one Richard "Dick" Grayson for years now, so it's time once again and step up to show your support for your favorite DC Comics character.

Starting today through 11 p.m. EST on Sunday, August 19th, DC Comics and digital comics store ComiXology are offering another of their terrific "101 Sales," this time focusing on classic stories featuring Dick Grayson as Nightwing and his previous identity as Batman's first sidekick/partner, Robin.

There are some must-have Nightwing/Robin comics here, including Robin's first appearance in Detective Comics #38, his evolution from Robin to Nightwing in the definitive New Teen Titans story "The Judas Contract," the first Nightwing mini-series, and dozens of issues from the first Nightwing ongoing series.

Even better, there are a number of great Nightwing comics that have never been collected in hardcovers or trade paperbacks, such as "Batman: Year Three" from Batman #436-439, Nightwing and Starfire's appearance in The Flash #81-83, Flash Plus #1, Secret Origins #13, Teen Titans Spotlight #14 and others.

You can see the full list of selections here and, as always, all titles are priced at 99 cents each...at least until Monday, anyway.

ARROW Casts The Huntress for Multi-Episode Arc

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Looks like Oliver Queen's love life is about to get complicated.

Entertainment Weekly has reported that DC Comics character Helena Bertinelli, also known as the Post-Crisis version of The Huntress, will be appearing on the upcoming CW series Arrow as a potential love interest for the emerald archer.

24-year-old Australian actress Jessica De Gouw has been cast in the role and the character will feature in a multi-episode story arc beginning around episode six.  The official description for the Huntress says that "Helena is a potential love interest for Oliver Queen; a fellow vigilante, set on destroying her father’s organized crime empire. But Helena’s blind pursuit of revenge will put her on a collision course with the Arrow."

The Helena Bertinelli Huntress debuted in Huntress #1 in 1989, based on the previous Helena Wayne character who was the daughter of DC Comics' original versions of Batman and Catwoman.  De Gouw will be the third actress to play The Huntress in live-action, after Barbara Joyce in the 1979 NBC special Legends of the Superheroes and Ashley Scott in the 13-episode 2002-03 adaptation of DC Comics' Birds of Prey.

While on the subject of Birds of Prey, it seems we now have Black Canary (sort of) and The Huntress together on TV again.  I don't suppose there's any chance of Barbara Gordon making an appearance during this story arc...?

SHERLOCK Teases Series 3 in Three Words

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A Sherlock wedding next year?  Looks likely, but will it be Watson's, Holmes' or someone else's?

Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss, co-creators and showrunners of the BBC series Sherlock, went on Twitter today and teased the three episodes for Series 3, which is currently expected to begin some time around August 2013.  "So," tweeted Moffat.  "The three tease words for the next run of Sherlock...Rat. Wedding. Bow."

Presumably, Series 3 follows the pattern of the previous two seasons by adpating three original Sherlock Holmes stories written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.  If so, the episodes could be adaptations of the stories "The Adventure of the Sussex Vampire," "The Adventure of the Noble Bachelor" and "His Last Bow."

"The Adventure of the Sussex Vampire" involves Holmes receiving two odd letters that make reference to vampires.  Mr. Robert Ferguson, who comes to 221B Baker Street the next morning, has become convinced that his Peruvian wife has been sucking their baby son's blood.  Holmes also mentions a previous case to Watson known as The Giant Rat of Sumatra, referring to it as "a story for which the world is not yet prepared."

"The Adventure of the Noble Bachelor" concerns the bride of the fictional Lord Robert St. Simon disappearing on the day of their marriage.  She participates in the wedding, but disappears from the reception.

"His Last Bow" could be a potential TV series finale, since this story is the last chronological tale in Doyle's series.  Set on the eve of World War I, Holmes is at the end of his career, going undercover as an Irish-American informant named Altamont, with Watson posing as his chauffeur, to feed the Germans some thoroughly untrustworthy intelligence.  After the story is over, we learn that Holmes has retired from active detective work.  He spends his days beekeeping in the countryside and writing his definitive work on investigation.

Here's hoping I'm wrong about this being a series finale, though...

Original Green Goblin Makeup Test for Raimi's SPIDER-MAN

To contact us Click HERE

Oh, what could have been.

A second test video has surfaced on YouTube for the original Green Goblin makeup designed for the 2002 film adaptation of Marvel Comics' Spider-Man.  Amalgamated Dynamics, Inc., the special effects company behind the makeup, created a hybrid animatronic/makeup of silicone skin animated by servos and has Tom Woodruff, Jr. underneath the Goblin makeup.

The footage around the 1:40 mark is especially impressive, as Woodruff displays a look of sadness that quickly turns to a smile and then goes all kinds of uber-creepy.  But no, this fantastic piece of artistry was dumped, presumably when actor Willem Dafoe was cast in the role of Norman Osborn/The Green Goblin.  Dafoe rejected the initially bulky designs created beforehand and the final design focused on a more streamlined and athletic feel.  The mask was created to be an extreme cartoon version of Dafoe's face, focusing on his long cheekbones. 

Unfortunately, as we all know, said final design ended up being something less than uber-creepy and more like a cheesy villain from Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers:


Hopefully, if the sequel to this year's Amazing Spider-Man brings the Green Goblin back to the big screen, director Marc Webb will go back and incorporate some of the ADI makeup design into his Goblin.

Here's the second makeup test video, followed by the previous one that was posted back in 2011...

Returning Companions Rumored for DOCTOR WHO's 50th Anniversary

To contact us Click HERE

Yep, we still have over thirteen months until Doctor Who's 50th anniversary on November 23, 2013 and the anniversary special rumors are already gaining steam.

The Express in the United Kingdom is proclaiming that "some of the Time Lord's most famous companions" (Sorry about your luck, Kamelion) will be making cameos in the show's 50th anniversary special.  That seems like something of a no-brainer given the occasion but The Express also throws out a few names to fuel speculation amongst Whovians.  Those listed in the article are:

Amy Pond/Williams -- Karen Gillan just ended her 2.5-season run as Amy Pond in "The Angels Take Manhattan" and even went on the record in August that she'll never return to Doctor Who, but it's certainly possible that could be just a smokescreen.  I mean, why would you leave so close to the 50th anniversary and not want to be a part of it?  And if she does come back, does that mean Arthur Darvill will be returning as her husband Rory? 

Rose Tyler -- Still the favorite of younger fans of the 2005 series, Billie Piper seems determined to make Rose Tyler this generation's Sarah Jane Smith with yet another return to Doctor Who after her last appearance in "The End of Time, Part Two."  The Express makes the not-so-bold statement that ultimate Whovian David Tennant will be returning as the Tenth Doctor, so reuniting him with Rose is natural enough.

Susan Foreman -- Now this makes perfect sense.  Carole Ann Ford was the Doctor's first-ever companion as Susan, so what better person to bring back for the golden anniversary?  We last saw Susan on television way back in 1983's "The Five Doctors," but she recently appeared in the Eighth Doctor audio adventure "To the Death," where she expressed her hope of being reunited with her grandfather again one day.

The article also mentions the recent tragic passing of Elisabeth Sladen and Mary Tamm, who played past companions Sarah Jane Smith and the first Romana respectively.  It remains to be seen if Fifth Doctor companion Tegan Jovanka, played by Janet Fielding, will be able and/or willing to return after the actress was diagnosed with cancer last month.

Matt Smith Wants Craig from "The Lodger" to be Regular DOCTOR WHO Companion

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You would think Craig's son Stormageddon Alfie would be a better companion, but whatever.

While in New York for the United States' premiere of Doctor Who Series Seven, star Matt Smith spoke with Forbes (Forbes?) about the series and his preferred companion for the Doctor.  "I really like James Corden, (who plays the character) Craig Owens.  I’d love him to be a regular.  James is on to Hollywood stardom, I’m afraid.  There’s no way we’d be able to get him." 

Craig debuted in the 2010 episode "The Lodger" and returned last year for "Closing Time," which featured the Cybermen.  On the related subject of male companions not being as popular with fans, Smith remarked, "I don’t see why it makes any difference, but I kind of think people want to tune in to see Doctor and Hot Chick."

Smith was also asked about the show's upcoming 50th anniversary.  "I feel very pleased and privileged to be a part of that year because it’s the biggest year in the show’s history," he said.  "It’s his birthday, so it’s my birthday."  He suggested that the episode may not be in the traditional format.  "It won’t just be a televised event, I think it will be a live event.  The way it’s transmitted on TV will hopefully be an inventive thing, something different."

On the show's future, Smith offered up a few thoughts about how it evolves over the years.  "If you look at the history and heritage of the show, it’s always changed significantly.  It could never be predictable.  It’s got to feel like it’s marking new territory every season…There’s a certain number of Doctors you can have.  I believe it will be twelve regenerations and thirteen Doctors and they’ll have to invent something then to keep it going, because why would we want to stop making it?…It’s a show that isn’t afraid of change, and I embrace that ultimately."

ABC Greenlights S.H.I.E.L.D. Pilot by Joss Whedon

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Don't yield...Back S.H.I.E.L.D.!

After considerable fan speculation over the upcoming Marvel Comics TV series for ABC, both owned by Disney, Deadline announced today that ABC has ordered a pilot for S.H.I.E.L.D., a live-action series from Avengers writer/director Joss Whedon, Marvel TV and ABC Studios.

The possible series is based on Marvel's espionage and military law-enforcement agency, currently known as the Strategtic Hazard Intervention Espionage Logistics Directorate in the comics and the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division in the Marvel cinematic universe.  The agency first appeared in Strange Tales #135 in 1965 and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.

The adaptation will be the second made for television, after the 1998 Fox TV movie Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. that starred David Hasselhoff as Nick Fury and was written by Batman movie screenwriter David S. Goyer.  S.H.I.E.L.D. will be written by Whedon, his brother Jed and Jed's wife Maurissa Tancharoen.  Whedon is also set to direct the pilot as long as his schedule permits and production is scheduled to begin immediately, presumably so Whedon can hurry up and start preparing for The Avengers 2 afterward.

DAMN Good Comics -- STAR TREK: TNG/DOCTOR WHO #4

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Okay, now we have ourselves a crossover.

After a few issues of introducing Doctor Who to Star Trek: The Next Generation fans and vice versa (as if there aren't plenty of us who follow both already), the central plot to "Assimilation²" is finally engaged.  The Eleventh Doctor, Amy Pond and her husband Rory Williams are, at last, working with Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise-D to stop the combined universal threat of The Cybermen and their illegitimate Star Trek offspring, The Borg.

Don't worry, there are still a number of indulgent moments for fans of both series to enjoy, starting with the ever-mysterious Doctor meeting the ever-mysterious Guinan in Ten Forward.  It's here that we get full confirmation that the worlds of Doctor Who and Next Gen exist in two separate universes, with Guinan telling the Doctor "You don't belong here.  You shouldn't even be here."  You know, with the same timey-wimey tone she used in the Next Gen classic "Yesterday's Enterprise."  A few pages later, we get the long-awaited scene of the Doctor, Amy and Rory beaming down to a planet using the Enterprise's transporter.  The Doctor remarks the experience is "Marvelous," without even a hint of a "Geronimo!" or even a cheeky nod to Whovians about transmats.

Thankfully, writers Scott Tipton, David Tipton and Tony Lee keep all the characters' voices consistent with their television depictions, apart from the Doctor calling Amy "Pond" a bit too frequently.  The issue's art, however, is more uneven.  Longtime Star Trek comic artist Gordon Purcell pencils this chapter with J.K. Woodward coloring to match the look with the previous three issues.  The resulting product ends up with panels where photo references are obvious and don't quite work with the panels drawn without them in order to convey the story.  It's not a dealbreaker though, thanks to the central plot moving forward and an interesting but not entirely unexpected twist involving the Cybermen's partnership with the Borg.

With four more issues to go, we still need to find out how the Cybermen managed to intermingle the two fictional universes and what their plans for the Borg are.  The cliffhanger with Captain Picard, the former Locutus of Borg, has him going all Team Cybermen and I'm guessing it's going to take more than a hot cup of Earl Grey to settle him down.