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Just because I had to share the awesomeness that is Matt Smith.

Kingdom of the Dead, Parts 3 & 4

Finishing up the second season of Dark Shadows full-cast audio dramas, Part three of Kingdom of the Dead sees Lysette Anthony's villainous Dr. Rankin return and set her sights on the inhabitants of Collinsport. Having been drawn together, Barnabas, Angélique, Quentin, Maggie, Willie, and David are all assaulted by their worst fears. It's a harrowing an effective sequence, especially when an old telephone appears in David's hands and his trauma at the hands of Quentin's ghost returns.

Cleverly, Rankin is ultimately defeated by unleashing a creature upon her that cannot feel fear: the werewolf. Although I've often found that using Angélique to cast a spell and defeat a villain has been used too often in the audio plays, here her powers are put to clever effect. Having Angélique bypass the power of Quentin's portrait and transform him into the werewolf again is something I could easily see happening in the TV series.

Once the enemy is finally defeated, events hurtle to a climax in Part four. Quentin, having fallen in love with Susan Griffin, co-owner of the Blue Whale with her husband Ed, discovers she has become a victim of Barnabas'. Meanwhile, Angélique has enlisted Ed to be her servant.

Interestingly, as Maggie learned the truth about Barnabas earlier in the storyline, so David is also afforded the chance to discover that Angélique is, in fact, his former stepmother Cassandra. David makes a ruthless deal with her in order to rid Collinsport of the creature from the point between life and death that Barnabas and Quentin first encountered in Part one. Reverend Trask does the job for them, however, by murdering Susan and the being is banished.

With things back to normal--or as normal as they can possibly be at Collinwood--a distraught Quentin decides to leave town again just as Carolyn Stoddard returns. Barnabas, meanwhile, after a blistering confrontation with Maggie, also departs... Albeit not for good. His mission is to find Dr. Julia Hoffman with the hope that she might cure him of his vampirism again.

Kingdom of the Dead finishes on one hell of a cliffhanger as David and Carolyn are reunited, with the former carrying a familiar disembodied hand. Both Carolyn and David have been possessed by Count Petofi!

Over the second season has been a can't miss success. It's one hell of a ride, with the actors giving it their all and bringing these beloved characters back to life so brilliantly. I'm excited about the prospect of the malevolent Count Petofi returning, which was an idea bandied about for the final TV storyline. I do wonder if season three will see recasts for Elizabeth Collins Stoddard, Roger Collins, and Dr. Julia Hoffman, all hinted at to be coming back.

Also, it's worth mentioning that Kingdom of the Dead sees the first blatant continuity nod with the first Dark Shadows audio drama, Return to Collinwood, with Willie Loomis meeting his wife from that play, Jessica, portrayed by Marie Wallace.

Kingdom of the Dead, Parts 1 & 2

Having finally had a chance to listen to the second season of Dark Shadows full-cast audio dramas, I thought I'd post my thoughts about the story. The first part deals with the ramifications of the previous season's cliffhanger, in which the ship The Lorelei sank with Barnabas Collins and Quentin Collins still on board. The pair find themselves trapped in the halfway point between life and death, where a new villain awaits them. Angélique manages to find her way there, however she can only rescue one... and she chooses Barnabas. This creates a rift between Barnabas and Quentin, opening up old wounds and creating some very tense moments between the characters.

Meanwhile, Maggie Evans finds herself in peril after remembering the ordeal she suffered when Barnabas kidnapped her back in 1967. Her confrontation of Barnabas is a moment we were never granted in the TV series, and Kathryn Leigh Scott clearly relishes sinking her teeth into the wealth of emotion she's given to play. In order to protect her from Barnabas, Willie Loomis has no other choice but to hide her at Windcliff Sanitarium, which does not sit well with Maggie after having endured two previous stays there (first, at the hands of Barnabas, and then later, Roxanne Drew). But, Maggie finds herself in even more danger as the Sanitarium has been taken over by the sinister Dr. Rankin, played by Lysette Anthony, in reality a creature that feeds off of fear.

Maggie isn't alone, however, as she finds an ally in the mysterious orderly, Patient D, played by Alec Newman. In a surprising move, it turns out that Patient D is, in fact, an older David Collins, suffering from amnesia. David, having attempted to use magic in order to forget the horrors of Collinwood, has made himself vulnerable to Dr. Rankin's machinations. Although Rankin is seemingly defeated, things are not well in Collinsport, as a descendant of Reverend Trask appears on the scene, and, to put it mildly, all hell is about to break loose.

Halfway through the story, and it's been a fantastic ride so far. Part 1 largely deals with the aftermath of The Rage Beneath, and Kingdom of the Dead itself doesn't properly get going until Part 2. I've had a couple of minor quibbles while listening, most glaringly being why Angélique, determined to protect Barnabas at all costs, doesn't simply erase Maggie's renewed memory?

Looking forward to Parts 3 & 4 tonight!

Heroes of Sontar

The first in a second trilogy of adventures for the Fifth Doctor, Tegan, Turlough, and an older Nyssa, Heroes of Sontar sees the debut of the Sontarans on audio. As with the most recent TV adventure, A Good Man Goes to War, this story makes novel use of the Sontarans by presenting the most inept platoon ever cloned. Although I'm not a fan of characters taking the piss out of baddies--particularly Tegan's constant putdowns here--it makes for some surprisingly humorous situations.

What I liked best about the play was the interactions of the time travelers with the Sontarans, especially Turlough, as well as the combined threat of Rutans and the terrifying-sounding Witch Guards. The only real downside was Nyssa's problem, which never felt as if anything terrible might happen to her.

Overall, it was a good story and a promising start to a new series of adventures for this reuinted team.

Curse of the Pharaoh

The first Dark Shadows dramatic reading to feature Nancy Barrett, she recreates her role of Carolyn Stoddard as if no time whatsoever has passed by. In this two-hander, she is joined by Marie Wallace, who plays a new part as the villainous Dr. Gretchen Warwick.

Set some time after we last saw the present-day characters (there is a reference to David Collins being away from Collinwood studying), things have been relatively quiet until Egyptologist Dr. Warwick, whom Wallace portrays with relish, appears on the scene. Warwick and her recently deceased husband have discovered a box which is frighteningly familiar to Carolyn: one which bears the seal of the Naga. Lured into aiding Warwick with promises of reuniting her with Jeb Hawkes, Carolyn finds herself an unwitting pawn of the Leviathans once again.

Although the Leviathan arc is often derided by many fans, I have a certain fondness for many aspects of it and tip my hat to the Dark Shadows writers for bringing a touch of H.P. Lovecraft into the series. Here, Curse of the Pharaoh plays on that storyline's strengths beautifully and actually adds to the mythos.

I was enraptured throughout, and I found myself pleased with how the plot tied neatly together in the end. It's an incredibly strong story for Carolyn, who, in many ways, finds peace and is able to close an unpleasant chapter of her life.

A superb release, which wins a well-deserved 10/10 from me.

True Blood: Season 3 Review

Having recently finished re-watching the third season of True Blood, I thought I'd post with my thoughts on it. Although just as enjoyable as the previous two runs, the third year is wildly uneven at times. I don't know if this is due to jumping from one character's storyline to the other, or something else entirely. But, it can be a little frustrating especially when you consider how more cohesive everything could be.

Sookie Stackhouse
Sookie goes through quite an emotional journey, picking up where the previous season left off with her determined to find the kidnapped Bill. Unfortunately, her quest borders on blind obsession with Sookie heedless of the danger she puts those around her in. Interestingly, the series decides to bring forward the revelation of Sookie's half-faerie heritage from the novels. And this actually becomes a far more interesting development than her rushing mindlessly into danger.

Bill Compton
As much as I want to like Bill, I find the character tedious and dull. At least there's the excitement of learning the truth about his pursuit of Sookie, and the betrayal she feels is powerful and intense. However, I do find it more than a little aggravating that she doesn't take him to task beforehand over not helping Tara during her imprisonment.

Sam Merlotte
Nice, dependable Sam is revealed to be not all he seems when flashbacks show him in a darker and surprising light. That's about the most exciting aspect of his character, as the story of him tracking down his seedy birth family could not be any more predictable.

Eric Northman
This really felt like Eric's season as we learn even more about his past, as well as seeing hidden depths only hinted at the previous year. Alexander Skarsgärd plays the role to perfection with his presence alone electrifying every scene he's in. Eric is a far more dynamic character than Bill, multilayered and mysterious. It is little wonder Sookie begins to think more of him throughout the season.

Jason Stackhouse
Poor Jason. He starts out tortured over having shot Tara's lover Eggs, only to find himself in the middle of an inbred Redneck soap opera when he falls for the enigmatic Crystal. I actually found the whole love story a bit on the boring side. The only time it perked up for me was when Jason discovered that Crystal was, in fact, a were-panther.

Tara Thornton
If Tara had a bad year being pulled into Maryann's malignant orbit, then nothing could have prepared her for Franklin Mott, a psychopathic vampire with designs on her becoming his bride. Kidnapped, raped, and on the verge of insanity, Tara actually comes out of her ordeal a much stronger character than we've seen previously. Her hatred of all things supernatural (and with good reason) and reeling from a truckload of emotional shit ultimately leads to her leaving Bon Temps.

Lafayette Reynolds
Strangely, it's the characters on the periphery of Sookie's story that get the most interesting plotlines. Here, we learn more about Lafayette (brilliantly played by Nelsan Ellis) including his ailing mother and that he might be supernatural himself. Introducing a love interest for him in the form of Jesus, who turns out to be a witch, leads him on a path that seems destined to open him up to powers he never realized he had.

Jessica Hamby
One of my most favorites characters (played by the lovely and talented Deborah Ann Woll) continues to impress and be more engaging as she and Hoyt Fortenberry finally reconnect despite the machinations of his mother, Maxine. I find Woll imminently watchable, with a charisma that few actors have to draw you in.

Alcide Herveaux
A standout addition to the cast, this hunky werewolf finds himself drafted into protecting Sookie and ultimately falling for her despite still having feelings for his cheating, white-trash girlfriend Debbie.

Pam Swynford De Beaufort
I always find myself wanting to see more of Pam, as Kristin Bauer brings the character to life so deliciously. Pam herself is put through the emotional wringer, first being tortured by the sinister Magister and then showing a rare tender side when it seems as if Eric might sacrifice himself in order to dispose of Russell.

Russell Edgington
Last but not least is season three's main villain, the King of Louisiana and a 3000 year-old vampire. He turns out to be quite a formidable foe, particularly after Eric kills his lover, Talbot, and Russell's mind snaps. Denis O'Hare is amazing in the role, as you really do believe he is capable of anything. And I have to make special note of the gruesome and realistic burn make-up utilized in the finale.

As I prepare for the fourth season, a lot of questions are left hanging: particularly the double cliff-hanger of Bill vs. Sophie-Anne, while Sookie disappears with Claudine...