In Season 3, the BBC series ‘Merlin’ became a little darker, a little more epic, a little more cinematic and a little more… good. As Tony Head put it: ‘The chickens come home to roost.’ Now if they could drop the silly comedy stand alones completely for Season 4, I’d be ecstatic. I mean… farting, seriously?

Rob Brydon and Steve Coogan’s “The Trip” was one of the best TV comedy experiences this year. Here they riff off of costume drama dialogue.

Funny little recap of Season 1 of Caprica so far. The second part of the season starts tonight on SyFy. Huzzah!

I’ve been rewatching Buffy the Vampire Slayer from Season 2. I didn’t have S4 and 5 on DVD yet so I got them 2nd hand a few days back. I never bought them before because I’m an S1-3 person and in my mind things started falling apart from S4 on.

However, this time I am enjoying S4 and 5 it a lot more. More than S6 and S7 anyway, both of which I really didn’t like at all. It’s still the core Scoobies most of the time and while they’re falling apart, at least Giles is there full time. The actor decided to become recurring from mid season 6. One of the reasons the show became less enjoyable to me.

I can watch S1 – 4 back to back now without skipping much. It’s during S5 where I start to disengage from the storyline. It’s not Dawn (who at the time wasn’t a fan favourite and that’s putting it mildly), she’s actually pretty cool now that I’m watching it again. It’s the season’s Big Bad. Glory/Ben, and Ben in particular. Was the actor – and his Donny Osmond hair – on valium? What a snooze-fest. I actually fastforward through his (and Glory’s) scenes. Thank goodness Giles strangles the character at the end of the season.

Giles has always been my favourite character on the show, but he wasn’t much to look at in the first few seasons. That all changes in Season 5 when he’s supposedly having his midlife crisis. The clothes improve vastly, as does the haircut. I don’t really find the actor attractive and the silly specs don’t help – it’s the character and the job that he does that I love, I too am in a way, a watcher – but Giles is pretty sexy in this season. He also gets what’s probably the actor’s best scene on the show: when he tells Spike to get over his ‘thing’ for Buffy:

Giles: Spike … listen to me.
Spike: It’s just … I’m trying to explain. She might have said some things that sounded like I expressed some kind of feeling-
Giles shoves Spike backward. He stumbles into a bookshelf. Giles walks slowly up to him, glaring angrily.
Giles: (softly) We are not your friends. We are not your way to Buffy. (Spike stares at him) There is no way to Buffy.
Giles leans over, picks up the blanket and slams it into Spike’s chest. He leans in close and looks Spike in the eye.
Giles: Clear out of here. And Spike, this thing … get over it.
Spike: (small smile) I don’t know what you mean.
Giles: Yes, you do. Move the hell on.

Unfortunately, the threat is pointless. In the next season, Buffy takes up with Spike. Meh.

More random thoughts:

• I still liked Spike in these two seasons. Right up until the end of S5 he’s brilliant. Then I went off of him and his storyline completely in S6. Now that’s all I remember. Too bad.
• I cannot stand the character of Tara. Honestly, I want to punch her in the face the minute she shows up. I can’t put my finger on why this is.
• I love Alyson Hanigan (Willow) when she’s playing funny (funny/happy and funny/sad). Any other emotion is less believable because of that weird breathing thing she does.
• Doug Petrie’s commentary on “The Initiative” (not the greatest episode) is entertaining and hilarious. Joss Whedon’s commentary on “Hush” (one of the greatest episodes) is a little dull. I think Whedon masks a rather dark personality by being self-deprecating (c’mon Joss, embrace your inner bastard!), while Petrie’s just naturally funny.
• Nick Brendon (Xander) is so lovable, I wish he got more work. And of all the male actors on the show he’s the best at playing sick or wounded.
• Emma Caulfield (Anya) had big shoes to fill (Cordelia, who went over to the Angel series), but does so brilliantly. She’s probably my favourite female character of all seasons.
• ‘Hush’ is probably the episode I’d show first time watchers. It’s funny, scary and poignant.
• ‘Beer bad’ is the one I’d never let anyone watch. After school special bullshit and crap acting.
• Why did the costume department dress some of the guys (Xander, Giles) in such loose, ill fitting clothes? They’re not supposed to be sexy? Unlike all the female cast, as well as Spike and Riley?
• Riley’s really not so bad. I suppose you could think of him as ‘dull’ compared to tall, dark and brooding Angel, but at least Marc Blucas has more facial expressions than, um… constipated.
• Such a shame S4 is the last season in which Ethan Rayne appears. Maybe they’d have brought him back if Giles hadn’t taken a back seat in the following seasons. Boo, ASH!
• I never want to hear the word ‘empowering’ again.

Justin Timberlake guested on “Late Night With Jimmy Fallon” last night and teamed up with the show’s host and house band The Roots, performing a rap history medley that starts out with the Sugar Hill Gang’s Rapper’s Delight, then pays homage to Digital Underground, The Beastie Boys, Dr Dre, Missy Elliott, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Soulja Boy, Kanye West and ends with Jay-Z’s Empire State of Mind. Did I miss any?

New clip from Caprica 1.10, “Unvanquished”, the start of Season 1.5. The episode airs next Tuesday at 10pm on Syfy. Which is a good thing.

It’s got more James Marsters as Barnabas. Which is a bad thing. Hope the character meets a big ole Cylon death soon.

Another hero of my childhood gone. Tony Curtis was Danny Wilde in The Persuaders opposite Roger Moore’s Brett Sinclair, two crime-solving international playboys. The iconic theme music of the show was composed by John Barry.

Junior Masterchef Australia kicked off today. No download available as yet as it’s only just aired on the other side of the world, but this promo has me excited. Not keen on kids, but what they put up on the plate is what I’m insterested in. Plus… Gary, George and Matt (the judges) are always great to watch. Bring it on, as the young man in the promo says.

First I heard of this. Boardwalk Empire, a new series on HBO from Terence Winter (writer, The Sopranos) and Martin Scorcese based on a book by Nelson Johnson. It is set in Atlantic City, New Jersey during the Prohibition era and stars Steve Buscemi. Starts September 17.

via Vandenb

Series 3 of Merlin starts September 11th. After an eye-rollingly bad first season, the second season was surprisingly good. Fingers crossed.