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Post by fenris on Apr 28, 2012 19:33:44 GMT
The Bridge, episodes #1 and #2
I tried watching BBC Four's hit Scandinavian imports The Killing and Borgen when both series started, and although they are undeniably well made, neither of them interested me enough to make me tune in for subsequent episodes. Recently, ITV attempted to jump on the bandwagon by screening Those Who Kill on ITV3, but hardly anyone seemed to notice. I watched a couple of episodes, and found Those Who Kill to be little different from most standard British police procedurals (Above Suspicion, for example). Now comes BBC Four's latest acquisition The Bridge, a Danish/Swedish co-production in which detectives from both countries embark on a joint investigation when a body (soon revealed as actually the top and bottom halves of two separate corpses) is dumped on the Oresund Bridge which connects the two nations. And I'll be sticking with this one.
One of the main attractions of The Bridge is that the culprit is no mere opportunist or run-of-the-mill serial killer, but a bona fide Evil Genius who has planned his actions down to the smallest detail. Amongst his achievements is hacking into the police computer system and creating a website (containing his manifesto) on the cops' own server. And in one of the show's most chilling moments so far, the killer goes public with an audio message, whereupon Saga Noren (the Swedish half of the show's investigating duo) is contacted by a professional voice-over artist who informs her that he'd recorded the scripted message, in the belief that it was just another job. Three and a half years ago...
Another memorable setpiece had an obnoxious journalist imprisoned in his own car, booby-trapped by the killer, and the bomb disposal team realising they wouldn't be able to free him before the countdown ended on a timed explosive device also within the vehicle. So they simply walked away, leaving the reporter shrieking in sheer helpless panic, one of the experts responding with an apologetic shrug. And if things couldn't get any worse, Noren then phoned the journo and offered her version of comfort by telling him a bomb that size meant he'd be killed instantly, so wouldn't feel any pain, and therefore he had nothing to worry about.
It's the Porsche-driving, leather trouser-wearing, higher-functioning autistic Noren who has attracted most media attention, and understandably so. She's a fascinating and immensely watchable character, a gift of a role for actress Sofia Helin. But Noren's Danish counterpart - amiable, unflappable, careworn family man Martin Rohde (played by Kim Bodnia) is almost as impressive in his quiet-yet-determined, non-showy way.
There is also several intriguing sub-plots, each centring on a specific individual, with (as yet) no indication of how they will impact or connect with the killer's schemes (alternatively, they may just be illustrating the unfairness within modern society that the killer claims to be raging against): a rich man's wife circumventing medical ethics & pulling the necessary strings to ensure her dying husband receives the heart transplant he desperately needs; a battered young wife with two infant children; an intense, driven social worker; and a homeless, thieving drug addict.
With eight episodes still to come, I'm looking forward to seeing where The Bridge takes us.
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Post by fenris on May 14, 2012 19:33:54 GMT
I tried watching BBC Four's hit Scandinavian imports The Killing and Borgen when both series started, and although they are undeniably well made, neither of them interested me enough to make me tune in for subsequent episodes. Now comes BBC Four's latest acquisition The Bridge, a Danish/Swedish co-production in which detectives from both countries embark on a joint investigation when a body is dumped on the Oresund Bridge which connects the two nations. And I'll be sticking with this one. I'm still enjoying the multi-layered, surprising and unpredictable The Bridge immensely. And Digital Spy reports that Kudos will be producing an Anglo-French remake for Sky Atlantic; Sky Atlantic is to remake Scandinavian crime drama The Bridge. The original series - starring Sofia Helin - is currently being broadcast on BBC Four. French broadcaster Canal+ have teamed with Sky and Kudos Film and TV for a new adaptation.
The Bridge focuses on a double murder investigation that follows the discovery of two dead bodies, sewn together and dumped on the border of Denmark and Sweden. The new version will reportedly transpose the scene of the crime to the point at which France meets Britain in the Channel Tunnel.
The original Bridge has proven popular on BBC Four, attracting a peak of one million viewers for the series debut.SourceHmm. I'm actually disappointed by this. Firstly, do we actually need a remake? We (the UK) are not like America, where - although some foreign movies and TV shows do achieve a cult following - the vast majority of Americans seem to be unwilling or incapable of watching anything that isn't American-made or has sub-titles (witness the inevitably-inferior US remakes of numerous non-American TV series & films). Secondly, if there must be a remake, I'd rather have one set in a possible near-future where Scotland has left the United Kingdom and declared itself independent, focusing on a joint investigation between Scottish and UK detectives. There's also apparently going to be an American remake (of course), set on the US/Mexican border. Again, why? There's already been dozens of TV shows & movies about that border region, exploring the tensions between the two countries. I'd rather have it take place on the American/Canadian border, as films and/or TV series about the relationship between the US and the True North are extremely rare. |
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Post by fenris on Aug 9, 2012 16:45:20 GMT
The second season of Luther was something of a mixed bag. It was a shame that Alice was written out after two episodes, having only appeared in four scenes. That said, she was namechecked in the season's final moments, and I'm convinced we haven't seen the last of her - if there was ever a character screaming out for their own spin-off, it's Alice. Sometimes, if you wish really hard for something... Though Ruth Wilson had to be written out of Emmy-nominated BBC America miniseries Luther, show creator and exec producer Neil Cross has big plans for her Alice character.
Cross said he has spoken to the BBC about creating a miniseries that would center on Alice, the beguiling serial killer with whom Idris Elba’s Luther tangoed in the first set of Luther episodes.
“The BBC is very interested in the project,” Cross told Variety today. “The only real question would be how many and how often we would do it — whether it would be a one-off miniseries or a returning miniseries, a co-production or not.”
The Alice project would come in addition to a proposed Luther movie that would follow the miniseries third and final set of episodes, which will air on BBC America (which co-produces with the BBC) at a time to be determined.
“The truth is I absolutely adore Alice,” Cross said. “I don’t like to imagine my life without Alice in some way or other. Even if I didn’t sell this thing, I would still end up writing the miniseries. It’s something peculiar, but she’s far more clever than me, far more witty than me, far more everything than me. I’ve got storylines going around in my head like trains.”
The subject originally came up in a discussion that Cross had with Variety freelancer Justin Shady for an post-nomination Emmy feature on how Cross moved forward without Wilson, whose time on the second season of Luther was limited because of scheduling conflicts. Wilson has moved onto films including Anna Karenina and The Lone Ranger. Cross said today that he hasn’t had extensive conversations with Wilson about the idea, though they are having dinner next week and figure to have the subject come up then. Noting that Luther showed Alice leaving London, Cross said he envisioned setting the spinoff project in the U.S., calling it her “natural habitat.”
“We’re kind of thinking very loosely of a mix between ‘The Talented Mr. Ripley’ and ‘The Last Seduction,’” Cross said. “I’d love to move between the London of Luther and America.”
Elba wouldn’t be part of the Alice project, at least initially, Cross added.
“The great thing is they can survive independently of each other,” he said. “Each of those actors is so kind of secretly magnetic. … He’s able to pull that intense relationship out of many, many actors he’s worked with, and I think Ruth as Alice would be able to do the same. I think the first one would probably be a Luther-free zone, because their stories have diverged to a large extent, but there would be nothing to suggest they couldn’t come together again — either by this vehicle or a Luther movie.”
Taking Luther to the big screen is also more a matter of when than if, Cross said.
“We’ve got lots and lots of movie interest, and Idris and I (are being) very careful about what kind of movie we choose to do,” Cross noted. “We’ve got all kinds of criteria of how and when we should do the movie, and we just need to pick our offer carefully. But I’d love to do it next year.”Source (Variety) |
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Post by fenris on Sept 3, 2012 15:46:02 GMT
To be honest, Channel 4's coverage of the London Paralympics - which started last Thursday (30/08/12) - was somewhat stilted and disappointing for the first couple of days. Quite a few of the team of presenters assembled by Channel 4 for the event (many of them disabled themselves, and new to television) seemed uncomfortable in front of the camera. It also didn't help that although Channel 4 outbid the BBC for exclusive screening rights (£9 million to the Beeb's £5 million), they don't have anywhere near the kind of budget that the BBC spent on their Olympic coverage. For example, while the Beeb's main Olympics studio had been situated on top of a tower block overlooking Olympic Park, with floor-to-ceiling glass walls providing spectacular views of the main Olympic Stadium, Channel 4's Paralympic coverage is coming from a bland, anonymous studio that could easily be home to any daytime chat-show. There was simply something missing from the proceedings. A lack of any spark or genuine excitement.
However, by the time Saturday arrived (01/09/12), things started to come together, and the coverage began to gel in a satisfactory manner. Most importantly, the new presenters had managed to relax and visually gained in confidence. Daraine Mulvhill is a major find, Australian comedian Adam Hills's daily late-night capper The Last Leg is must-see viewing, and pool-side interviewer Rachael Latham (a Paralympican swimmer who competed in Beijing in 2008 and was forced to retire in 2010 due to injury) has joined my list of Top TV Crushes.
My niggling worry is that after the London Paralympics end, parathletics will become like Wimbledon. For fifty weeks a year, we in the UK don't give a stuff about tennis, but then Wimbledon begins and for fourteen days everyone goes absolutely tennis crazy. But the moment the tournament ends, we immediately stop caring again, until it comes around the following year (admittedly other Grand Slam events are screened - usually on BBC2 - but to little media or public interest).
It would be hugely disappointing if the 2012 Paralympics conclude and parathletics/disabled sport then proceeds to completely disappear from our screens until the Rio Paralympics in 2016. Coverage of the 2013 Parathletic European Championships and World Championships - on either Channel 4 and/or the BBC - would be a welcome step in the right direction.
(By the way, it's often remarked upon that America shows little interest in the Paralympics, but this is hardly surprising considering they're a nation obsessed with physical perfection. The United States has embraced cosmetic surgery and body building like no other country, and given us jogging, gym membership, steroid abuse, face-lifts, eye-lifts, brow-lifts, nip & tuck, liposuction, botox, etc. Want further proof? While writing this post, I discovered that the board's made-in-America spell checker does not recognise the word 'Paralympics'...
Despite the fact that the first Paralympic Games took place over half a century ago in 1960, there's no such word as far as our friends across the pond are concerned. Says it all, really.)
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Post by fenris on Sept 11, 2012 16:25:33 GMT
To be honest, Channel 4's coverage of the London Paralympics was somewhat stilted and disappointing for the first couple of days. Quite a few of the team of presenters assembled by Channel 4 for the event (many of them disabled themselves, and new to television) seemed uncomfortable in front of the camera. However, by the time Saturday arrived, things started to come together, and the coverage began to gel in a satisfactory manner. Most importantly, the new presenters had managed to relax and visually gained in confidence. Daraine Mulvhill is a major find, Australian comedian Adam Hills's daily late-night capper The Last Leg is must-see viewing, and pool-side interviewer Rachael Latham (a Paralympican swimmer who competed in Beijing in 2008 and was forced to retire in 2010 due to injury) has joined my list of Top TV Crushes. My verdict on the London Paralympics; Best Sporting Moment: the final of the Women's 4 x 100 metre medley relay. When the last leg began, Britain were way back in fifth place, but Louise Watkin swan the race of her life and won Silver, finishing just three hundreds of a second behind Gold-winners Australia. Watkin's time would have won Gold in the individual 100 metre freestyle. Best Media Moment: Ellie Simmonds being interviewed by Rachael Latham after winning Gold in the S6 400 metre freestyle. The public expectation that Simmonds would retain the two Golds that she'd won in Beijing was immense, but she faced new competition from American Victoria Arden, who'd broken both of Simmonds' world records earlier this year. Having beaten Arden by the narrowest of margins, a relieved Simmonds was in floods of tears throughout the interview (Arden went on to win Gold in both of her other two events racing against Simmonds). Favourite Quote: double Gold-winning wheelchair racer Hannah Cockroft discusses being voted 'Sexiest Paralympican' in a FHM magazine poll, on Channel 4's The Last Leg: " People keep telling me it's degrading, and I'm going 'No, it's quite cool actually'." Most Visually Exciting Sport: Wheelchair Fencing. Seeing the competitors furiously lunge and parry, while also dodging and weaving (from just the waist up) to avoid their opponent's blade, both sitting in wheelchairs fixed to the floor and just a couple of feet apart, was truly something to behold. Biggest Disappointment: the most talked-about sport before the Paralympics began was Wheelchair Rugby, aka 'Murderball', but it was sadly a considerable letdown. I suspect it's an event in which you actually have to be there, hearing the impact of metal upon metal close-up, in order to really appreciate and enjoy it. Favourite Paralympican: all those who won medals deserve to be applauded, but it's easy to forget that just competing in the Olympics and Paralympics is itself a massive achievement. There are plenty of dedicated, hugely talented, world class athletes who fail to quality. So my Favourite Paralympican is someone who didn't win an event, but represented her country, competed to the best of her ability, and did us proud. Making her Paralympic debut, sixteen year old Sophie Kamlish ran in the Women's T44 100 metres and 200 metres for Team GB. She first caught my attention due to the fact that she runs wearing her glasses (fellow glasses wearer here - solidarity, sister!), but what really won me over was the flower she wore in her hair during the T44 200 metre final. She clearly knew that realistically she had no chance of finishing amongst the medals, but was still enjoying and saviouring the experience. That's the true Paralympican spirit right there. |
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Post by fenris on Oct 5, 2012 15:50:05 GMT
Clare Thomas, who plays Ingrid in Young Dracula, has stated on her official website that a fourth series of the show will be filmed in the summer of 2012. Some welcome news, courtesy of actress Clare Thomas's official website; Young Dracula 4 Episode 1 will be premiering on the CBBC channel on 29th October at 5:45pm followed by Episode 2 on 30th October.[url=http://www.clarethomasonline.com/# ]Source[/url] Young Dracula continues to be British telefantasy's best kept secret. As I've previously commented on this thread and elsewhere on the forum, because it's deemed to be 'a children's show', it's routinely ignored by the UK genre press. But it's third season contained - amongst other things - torture, siblings trying to violently murder each other, Sapphic vampirism (Ingrid siring an entire girls netball team), and an impressively high body-count. If the Daily Mail - which never knowingly passes up an opportunity to bash the Beeb - ever gets wind of Young Dracula, it'll have a field day (' PROTECT OUR CHILDREN FROM THIS VILE BBC FILTH', etc). |
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Post by fenris on Oct 12, 2012 17:00:08 GMT
Finally! A staggering six years after it originally aired, the first season of Young Dracula is being released on Region 2 DVD in the UK. It'll be available from Monday (15th October 2012). Link to Amazon.co.uk entry.There's currently no word on a DVD release for the second and third seasons. The Beeb are probably waiting to see how many units they shift of the first season. |
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Post by fenris on Oct 21, 2012 0:01:45 GMT
In the run-up to it's fourth season, Young Dracula has spawned a spin-off series, Young Dracula Files, which Clare Thomas has described on Twitter as being ' a clip show, catching up on series #1 - 3.' One on-line source states that Young Dracula Files has six episodes in total, but so far I can only find listings for two: first instalment 'Parents' is being screened on CBBC at 17:45 on 22nd October 2012, and explores Vlad and Ingrid's upbringing, while second episode 'Strategy' airs at the same time on 23rd October 2012, and examines Vlad's reasoning & actions as The Chosen One. So far Young Dracula has never had even a single mention in SFX magazine. Will wonders never cease: Young Dracula has finally been deemed worthy of being mentioned in SFX magazine. The recent DVD release of the show's first season receives a tiny, thumb-nail review in the current issue (#228). |
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Post by fenris on Oct 24, 2012 14:23:02 GMT
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Post by fenris on Nov 2, 2012 2:00:12 GMT
A proposed Luther movie will follow the series' third and final set of episodes, which will air on the BBC at a time to be determined.Source The BBC have taken the slightly bizarre step of releasing a video announcement about the forthcoming third season of Luther; Link to the video.Hmm. I suppose some bright spark in their Publicity Department thinks that standard press releases just don't cut it any more. But at least the third question (in the video), and the wonderful enigmatic response, prove that the Beeb are receptive to the show's fanbase. |
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Post by fenris on Nov 11, 2012 17:24:56 GMT
Young Dracula episodes #4.1 'The Good, The Bad, and the Undead' and #4.2 'Revamped' SPOILER WARNINGYoung Dracula returns, making no concessions for first-time viewers whatsoever, the initial two episodes heavy with plot, incident and intrigue. In order to maintain the fragile truce that was hastily organised in the closing moments of Season 3, Vlad, Erin, Betrand and Jonno are being run ragged, spending each night curbing the activities of rebellious vampires and stake-happy slayers. Meanwhile, the Vampire High Council and the Slayers Guild are mutually suspicious, each believing that the other side's acceptance of the ceasefire is just a ruse. During 'Revamped', the distrust has increased to the extent that both groups are trying to sabotage the agreement so they can get back to the business of killing each other. There have been a few changes to the cast: vampire elder Ramanga (who previously appeared in third season episode 'Bad to the Bone') has become a regular, mostly acting as a sounding board for the Count. And a brand new addition is nosferatu troublemaker Malik, who roars about on a motorbike and is never seen without his studded leather jacket. There's a pleasingly post-modern moment when Ingrid sets eyes on him for the first time and (speaking for the audience) dismisses him as a " bad boy cliche." Sadly, following his decreasing presence as the third season progressed, Zolton appears to have vanished altogether. My guess is that Young Dracula's producers believe he's longer compatible within the more mature direction that the show has taken. A pity, as I liked the inherent quirkiness that he brought to the party. This opening duo of instalments concentrate so much on events that there are only a handful of scenes concerning character development and relationships. 'The Good, The Bad, and the Undead' begins with a dream sequence in which The Count imagines Miss McCauley declaring her love for him. As the very first scene of a new season, it's ill-conceived and quite jarring. Thankfully, there's a wonderful segment in 'Revamped' when the Count sees that Miss McCauley is attending Garside Grange's Staff & Pupil Halloween Party dressed as the Bride of Dracula, and is rendered speechless in delight. Elsewhere, Ryan breaks free of Ingrid's control and joins Malik's bloodsucking street gang, the irony being that he's merely stopped being one vampire's lapdog and become another's. Ingrid herself is angling to become the first female member of the Vampire High Council, and this indirectly leads to the best moment of Season 4 so far, when Ramanga reneges on the deal and she retaliates by foiling his plan to have Malik bite & vampirise Jonno (" I couldn't have someone biting Jonno" she murmurs, as he and Vlad offer their thanks, " I'm saving him for a rainy day"). Erin and Vlad remain happily loved up, but an intriguing cliffhanger at the conclusion of 'Revamped' reveals that the High Council's latest scheme to scupper the truce is an arranged marriage between Vlad and Ramanga's daughter... Young Dracula has spawned a spin-off series, Young Dracula Files. First instalment 'Parents' explores Vlad and Ingrid's upbringing, while second episode 'Strategy' examines Vlad's reasoning & actions as The Chosen One. It was originally announced that episodes of Young Dracula's fourth season would debut each week on both Monday and Tuesday, but so far they've been shown on Mondays only, with the same timeslot on Tuesday being filled with instalments of Young Dracula Files: Episode #3 'Romance' focuses on the Dracula clan's relationships (The Count with Magda and Miss McCauley; Vlad and Erin; Ingrid and Season 2's Will), while Episode #4 'Lies' remembers Vlad and the Count's attempts to deceive each other, and Ingrid's attempts to deceive everyone.
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Post by fenris on Nov 25, 2012 0:58:26 GMT
The BBC have taken the slightly bizarre step of releasing a video announcement about the forthcoming third season of Luther: Link to the video.Further news about the third season of Luther, courtesy of the CultBox website; The BBC has announced that Sienna Guillory (Resident Evil: Apocalypse) has been cast as the new love interest in Luther’s third series, which began filming this week and sees Luther 'under intense pressure, with two conflicting crimes to investigate and a ruthless ex-copper determined to bring him down'.
The synopsis reads: 'Luther’s life is his job; that is, until love crosses his path and offers him a chance of happiness'.
Guillory will play a character named Mary, who works in a vintage clothes shop and meets Luther in a chance encounter. The Eragon actress commented: "You realise why Luther is so good when you read Neil Cross’s scripts, and then you meet Idris and understand what 'untamed' means. There is no other set I'd rather be on, and I love the disastrous fun of being Mary Day, the right girl in the wrong place."
Idris Elba, who plays Luther, added: “I want to thank the fans for waiting so patiently for the new season. We’re thrilled to deliver it to you. Here comes John!”
Alongside returning cast members Warren Brown (Good Cop) as DS Justin ‘Ripley’, Nikki Amuka-Bird as DS Erin Gray, Dermot Crowley as DSU Martin Schenk and Michael Smiley as Benny Deadhead, guest stars will include Lucian Msamati (Game of Thrones) and Ned Dennehy (Parade’s End).
It was confirmed earlier this month that Series 3 will comprise "four perfectly dark, chillingly-formed episodes". The four 60-minute episodes will air on BBC One in 2013.Source |
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Post by fenris on Nov 27, 2012 17:33:35 GMT
Young Dracula episodes #4.3 'Storm in a Blood Cup' and #4.4 'The Crown of Ludlow Erant' SPOILER WARNINGPlot, plot, and more plot. Ramanga's daughter Adze arrives at Garside Grange for her arranged marriage to Vlad, and this acts as the trigger for practically every character to start forming secret alliances and planning covert schemes, while - more often than not - intending to betray their co-conspirators at the earliest opportunity. There are actually so many overlapping plots and counter-plots across these two episodes that a chart would come in handy to keep track of who's in league with whom, scheming to do what (and why), and planning to stake whom in the back. If this sounds like a compliant, it's not - instead it's evidence of how far Young Dracula has come from it's initial 'children's show' roots. Presented with it's current level of complex, interwoven storylines, any young kiddies watching must surely be totally lost. It's entirely in keeping with his character that Vlad doesn't consider Adze's arrival as being particularly serious. As far as he's concerned, he's in love with Erin, certainly isn't going to marry anyone else, just has to derail the marriage (believing this to be straightforward & easy to achieve) and that will be the end of the matter, everything will carry on as normal. However, it's not proving to be as simple as he thought, and his various attempts at sabotaging the approaching nuptials have all failed miserably. It'll be interesting to see Vlad's response as the realisation of his situation starts to kick in. Unfortunately, considering that she's at the centre of all the current proceedings, Adze herself is a bland, colourless creation, completely lacking the strength and fire that exists in abundance within Young Dracula's other female characters (Ingrid, Erin, Miss McCauley and Magda). The Count believes that the marriage is merely a device to keep Vlad in line, but the viewers have been made aware that when Vlad bites Adze - as part of the wedding ceremony - some of his powers as the Chosen One will pass to her, whereupon Ramanga intends to overthrow the Draculas and install his daughter as leader of the vampire clans. However, the most intriguing development has been the disclosure that there's considerably more to Malik than the leather-jacketed thug that he initially seemed to be. He's actually working for a supernatural entity (presumably the fourth season's Big Bad) which debuts in 'Storm in a Blood Cup' as a Predator-style heat shimmer, and by 'The Crown of Ludlow Erant' has started taking on the guise of others - appearing to Vlad as Betrand, and to Renfield as Miss McCauley - in order to commit acts of sabotage and spread mistrust & disinformation. However, I suspect the writers have indirectly revealed the entity's identity much too soon, with the revelation at the conclusion of Episode #4.4 that in addition to Ivan (seen in the second season) the Count has another brother, which comes as news to Vlad, Ingrid, and the entire vampire community. Erin's brother Ryan is killed off in the closing seconds of 'The Crown of Ludlow Erant', but the intended surprise of his death is unfortunately spoiled by being heavily foreshadowed by the still image chosen to represent the episode on both BBC iplayer and Young Dracula's page on the CBBC website. It was originally announced that episodes of Young Dracula's fourth season would debut each week on both Monday and Tuesday, but so far they've been shown on Mondays only, with the same timeslot on Tuesday being filled with instalments of Young Dracula Files. Episode #5 of Young Dracula Files was entitled 'Feuds' and explained how many, many centuries of illustrious vampire history basely just consists of the various clans bearing petty grudges against one another. Episode #6 'The Future' speculated about what awaits the Draculas by looking back at their recent past (cue more clips).
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Post by fenris on Dec 11, 2012 18:01:01 GMT
Young Dracula episodes #4.5 'Murderer in the Midst' and #4.6 'Bloodbound'
SPOILER WARNING
'Murderer in the Midst' is a rare Betrand-centred episode, as he is assigned the task of discovering who's responsible for Ryan's death. Meanwhile, Vlad is running out of both time and ideas about how to avoid his forthcoming nuptials to Adze, a situation not helped by Erin being outed a breather to the wider vampire community (interestingly, even after being exposed, she continues sleeping in her coffin, presumably because she's either become acclimatised to slumbering in a velvet-lined box or just finds it comfortable). Ultimately giving up, Vlad suggests to Erin that the two of them simply do a runner, but as the wedding is vital to maintaining the ceasefire, she tells him to marry Adze for the greater good, then departs Garside Grange on her own.
Although a solid instalment, 'Murderer in the Midst' is sadly saddled with two major plotholes: the surprise revelation at the conclusion of previous episode 'The Crown of Ludlow Erant', that the Count secretly has a second brother, has seemingly been forgotten about by all and sundry. And when Betrand finds proof that a shapeshifter is active within Garside Grange, he goes to fetch and inform Vlad, only to discover upon his return that all the evidence has been destroyed. Now, considering that (1.) the only other person who knew that the evidence existed was Malik, and (2.) Betrand left Malik alone with said evidence when he went to find Vlad, you'd think the list of possible suspects responsible for destroying the evidence would be very short indeed. But instead, Betrand acts as though it's a total mystery (?!!).
Acting on his own suspicions, and with confirming information supplied by Erin, Betrand interrupts Vlad and Adze's wedding in 'Bloodbound', exposing Ramanga's plan to assassinate the groom immediately after the vows are exchanged and then install his daughter as the new Chosen One. Meanwhile, in the episode's B plot, Ingrid and Malik cautiously circle each other, clearly both recognising a kindred spirit (A personal theory: if I'm correct that the shapeshifter is the Count's second brother, then I suspect Malik is the Count's nephew, and cousin to Ingrid and Vlad. This would explain why Malik rejects Ingrid's advances in this episode - it seems even bloodthirsty, murderous vampires draw the line at incest. Or at least they do in a CBBC show).
There are some wonderfully striking moments in 'Bloodbound': Vlad on his motorcycle in search of Erin, only to be confronted by a psychic projection of her, instructing him to return home; Erin bursting out of a gift-wrapped coffin (having been placed there by Ramanga, who intends her to be the wedding feast), stamping on a floorboard so hard that it horizontally upends, then splintering off part of it to act as a makeshift stake; Malik picking up Ingrid and whirling her around in glee, after she's turned down Ramanga's marriage proposal, only for her to slam him against the wall (after he rebuffs her) then lift him off the floor with just one finger placed under his chin; and finally, Erin being struck by Adze's energy blot on the roof of Garside Grange, twirling (with a glorious full moon filling the sky behind her) and falling lifeless into the courtyard below.
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Post by fenris on Dec 15, 2012 23:38:29 GMT
Young Dracula episode #4.7 'Do The Bite Thing'
SPOILER WARNING
The biggest game-changing instalment since Young Dracula's third season revival, 'Do The Bite Thing' sets it's stall out early: in the opening scene, Erin's dead. Well, for a few seconds anyway, then her heart inexplicably starts beating again, and Betrand theorises that her emotional bond with the Chosen One - Vlad - is keeping her alive (just), but this will only last until dawn, as a vampire's powers are weakened by daylight.
Meanwhile, the Count tracks down Ramanga to extract revenge, with Malik tagging along. In the resulting confrontation, the writers remember both Ramanga's ability to create multiple duplicates of himself (which he'd displayed in his third season debut) and also the often-forgotten part of vampiric lore which states that the undead are vulnerable to running water. However, the most noticeable aspect is that after three-and-a-half seasons in which Young Dracula has constantly depicted the Count as a paper tiger, a slightly pathetic figure of fun, for the first time he's portrayed as being truly formidable: the powerful Dark Overlord of legend.
This is swiftly followed by Surprise Revelation #1, Malik claiming to be the Count's son, the result of a liaison with the wife of his recently-disclosed brother. And in quick succession, Surprise Revelation #2 is the unveiling of the identity of the shapeshifter, whom Malik secretly meets with and addresses as "Mother."
And while we're taking all this on board, the writers bring back one of Young Dracula's more pleasingly memorable character arcs, Ingrid's genuine fondness for Wolfie, her little brother, which had previously been overlooked this season (it's worth bearing in mind that Ingrid's affection for him is almost certainly conditional upon him being the only member of her family whom she believes poses no threat to her). There's a well written and performed scene in which she and Wolfie sit on the stairs within Garside Grange, and she tries to explain to her younger half-sibling the complexities and irregularities of being in love. Thus bolstered, Ingrid decides to do the right thing for once, and she advises Vlad not to turn Erin in order to save her life, because (following Erin's experience with Ryan) it's not what she would want. "Eternity is a long time to be hated," Ingrid warns him.
Despite those wise words, Vlad continues to dither, and with dawn just seconds away, he pushes his abilities as the Chosen One to the limit in order to wake Erin from her comatose state and ask her permission to bite her. Erin looks up adoringly at the man she loves, and (as Ingrid predicted) answers in the negative, then peacefully expires with a contented smile... whereupon Vlad ignores her dying wish and turns her anyway.
And as the audience collectively pick themselves up off the floor after that little development, the writers throw in a codo, as Erin awakens and looks around in anger & horror as she realises what this means, gazing at her hands as she turns them over & over (emphasizing that she feels different).
"I couldn't let you die", Vlad bleats wetly. In response, Erin - fragments from Adze's supernatural gem-weapon still embedded gleaming in her shoulder - bares her newly acquired fangs and snarls "I WILL NEVER FORGIVE YOU for this!"
No going back, folks.
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