The Walking Dead - Season 4 Finale

When I reported on the mid season break I thought it would be difficult for this series to get better. I was wrong, very wrong. When we left the group just before the break they had been fragmented into small groups trying to survive the fallout from the Governer's attack on the prison. Throughout the last few episodes the groups have headed in the direction of the Terminus with the promise of sanctuary. During this journey the survivors develop new relationships that earlier we thought would not have been possible, but it has been the reason for their survival.

In the finale Rick's group unexpectedly meets up with Daryl and his new "friends". Faced with certain death on Daryll and his group Rick turns "Walker" and bites out his attacker's throat. Even more blood flows but the outcome is positive with all the good guys staying in the game. As they reach Terminus Rick is ever cautious entering by the back door to check for anything dangerous. After introductions to they are offered a meal when Rick recognises a fob watch, and demands an explanation. This is when all hell breaks loose, coming under fire from their new hosts but importantly not getting shot. In the chase through the buildings and rooms we get a very brief glimpse of the problem with a pile of freshly butchered bones, human bones. Yes the hosts have turned cannibal, offered lunch was probably another arrival at Terminus. Cornered they are forced to enter a old railcar where they meet Maggie and Glen's group who are receiving the same hospitality. The show ends with Rick saying " they are screwing with wrong people"

Again I am left in suspense by the best show on TV and we have to wait until the Autumn for season 5, I hope.

Salamander

This Belgian subtitled TV detective drama has been slated by various TV reviewers and I fail to see why. It is different to our usual British fare and for me that is an excellent change. I am a fan of the recent trend to show subtitled dramas like The Killing and The Bridge, with subtitles you tend to get drawn in more because you have to read them or you may miss out. The main character Inspector Paul Geradi (Filip Peeters) is also very different to our usual. A maverick cop who will not let politics or his boss get in his way of solving his case.

A private bank vault is robbed of possions and documents of the high level society in Belgium, or one quote puts it "They run half the country". Paul is drawn into the consipracy deeper when his informant runs into trouble, and others connected with the robbery are also in danger. After the first two episodes it is clear his family and himself will also be in danger. It seems some people have too much to lose. Excellent drama.

Oblivion

Set in the future, when earth has albeit been abandoned, due to the Moon being nearly destroyed by an alien race. Jack Harper ( Tom Cruise) is teamed with Victoria ( Andrea Riseborough ) to secure and maintain the drones that are sucking up the remaining resources on the earth, to send to Titan the Saturn moon, where the remaining humans have evacuated to. Jack begins to think things are not quite what they seem, when a spaceship crash lands in the area.

Other notable actors are Morgan Freeman and 007's Olga Kurylenko.

The storyline is good and Tom Cruise is Tom Cruise, but the real star of the movie is the effects and creative genius who designed the CGI. The vision of the New York area is outstanding. Most is buried under ash and debris caused the moons destruction but glimpses of landmarks give the clues to the location. This movie won't be for everyone but any Sci Fi or Star Trek fans will love it.

Death in Paradise - BBC1

A new inspector on the island paradise and yet still the murders come. This series is set on a fictious island in the Caribean but you could be forgiven if you thought it was Midsommer. Yes every week there is at least one murder and in some there are multiple violent deaths including tourists. So I wonder why people still visit as it is more likely you will be murdered than having a good holiday.

Away from the plot Kris Marshall cast as the new inspector is a great choice and provides a total refresh for the series following the murder of the first inspector Richard Poole played by Ben Miller. The Richard Poole character was totally different and personally I did not like the tea drinking and briefcase elements. Now with Kris Marshall the DI Goodman character can develop throughout the series.

Overall I like the series as it is a light look at serious business of murder investigation even although the circumstances are a bit of a stretch. They might want to loan the team out to another island to get another dimension to the story lines and some new characters. 

Star Trek Into Darkness

It is always the problem with reworks of a treasured series, you always make a comparison. In this case JJ Abrams has succeeded big time. His first adventure Star Trek was outstanding, capturing many of the features we loved from the TV series. This film is no different except it has made everyone more human even Spock. The gentle humour is retained without distracting you, and as ever nowadays the CGI is fantastic.

The Doctor McCoy character played by Karl Urban is superb, close to and even exceeding the relationship between the originals. I was unsure about Benedict Cumberbatch playing the bad guy, would he be able to convince us that he is not Sherlock. I should not have worried he was fine.

The plot has some good twists and close shaves with death that you would expect, the best was Robocop ( Peter Weller ) as Marcus going power crazy, promoting war with the Klingons. This of course gave us the introduction to Carol Marcus played by Alice Eve ready for the crew in the next movie.

For Star Trek diehards I think the treatment of the Enterprise internals, warp engines and the mechanics of the ship is one of the biggest successes of JJ Abrams. In the original and subsequent series we were never shown any of the space below decks, 
this allows us to believe even more. Before we saw glossy control panels and everything operated as if by magic. Now we know there is something down there propelling the ship.

A great addition to the film series, go watch it again.

Mad Dogs : Finale

I am not familiar with drug use but after watching the finale of Mad Dogs on Sky I was beginning to doubt myself. Was this another episode of Lost or what? This ending has to be one the strangest on record for what has been an excellent series. Sadly though it started a lot better than it finished.

Woody, Rick, Quinn and Baxter are back to conclude their adventures which started by visiting an old friend in Majorca. From one freakish mishap to another the four wind with a lot of money but isolated from their previous lives. The money was not come by legally nor was it made legally. They thought the owner was crushed under their car and no longer a threat. Yet again they get it wrong and chased all over Cape Town by Tony Blair masked villains - scary!

Eventually the four mates are cornered on the beach by their now paraplegic pursuer. A mock execution kneeling at their gravesides follows serving only to teach them a lesson. Now the weird bit - driving along the motorway a Tony Blair shows himself, is it Baxter, a dream, drugs or just an overworked imagination? Lastly they are in the end terminated by a terminated motorway. Is this really the end or is there going to be a soap opera style escape, who knows?

Strike Back : Shadow Warfare

Current season concluded with a bang, literally, gratuitous sex and violence all round, excellent. The writers have been getting better and better with each season Scott and Stonebridge escaping from more and impossible situations. 

The storyline of this series revolves around tracking down terrorists and stopping their plots, which are fuelled by greed, religious mania and revenge. There are plenty of twists to keep hold your interest (even without the sex and violence), the best is saved for the end, with Kamali double crossing section 20 to gain revenge for the killing of his wife.

Scott and Stonebridge are amazing the way they can soak up the punishment handed out to them in every episode. From beatings, bullets and weaponised virus they have had it all and survived - how do they do it?

The new commander of section 20 Locke played by Robson Green is great addition, following the killing off of Dalton. She was beginning to get a little whiny and obsessive. This sets it up nicely for a season 5. Great, cannot wait.