Love the shot of Tyrion's sellsword, 'Bronn' fighting in the Battle of Blackwater' :
Jerome Flynn is exactly as I would have pictured the character from reading the books and he certainly acts the part. I'm going on record as wanting Bronn's fate in the Battle of Blackwater be exactly like that of the book. It worked very well there and will here as well. Seriously. It's a very bloody battle.
Right: Varys and Tyrion Lannister (Conleth Hill and Peter Dinklage) Credit: Helen Sloan/HBO
Click through the thumbnails for the full-size HQ photo & wallpaper.
GAME OF THRONES' penultimate Battle of the Blackwater episode is just a little over a week away and HBO has just released the first image from the game and life-changing bloody battle.
Here’s Bronn (Jerome Flynn) taking aim on a cliff, with what appears to be part of Blackwater Bay and King’s Landing behind him FYI 'Blackwater' will take place at night as, executive producer David Benioff stated, “Flaming arrows at night look gorgeous.”
'As much as I like the idea of Dexter, the collateral damage he causes due to his code deviations are too high. I guess it could be attributed to human error, but is it worth the loss of innocent life?
Kills shown in chronological order.
The kill count of each of Dexter's victims is the minimum amount known, there's definitely a lot more deaths that he has avenged.'
"The explosively popular DEXTER® is back with a vengeance for a sixth season of startling suspense and unexpected twists. It's been a year since last season's shocking and heartbreaking conclusion, and mild mannered criminologist-cum-grisly serial killer Dexter Morgan has come to terms with who he is. But his existence is shattered when he crosses paths with an enemy unlike any he's faced before. A delusional religious zealot with unflinching convictions, this new adversary soon draws Dexter into a dangerous game that could well end in disaster."
Brit Morgan as were 'Debbie Pelt'. I'm really surprised she is not shifting and showing big fangs at this moment as the subject is her husband, 'Alcide's' obsession with "Sookie."
True Blood Season 4, Episode 7 - 'Cold Gray light Of Dawn':
Original Air Date—7 August 2011 With Marnie empowered by spirits of the dead, Bill issues an unpopular order to save vampires from the light. Eric embraces his amnesia; Luna discovers Sam is not the man she thought he was; Lafayette expands his consciousness; Pam gets a body peel; Andy's date with Holly doesn't go as planned; Jessica has doubts about her future with Hoyt; Alcide and Debbie join a new pack.
From the looks of the promo for True Blood Episode 4.06 "Cold Gray Light Of Dawn,' the vampires are going to take a real beating--and that is if they are lucky!
Throughout the clip we see vamps in silver, vampires with the bleeds (due to extended periods of awake-ness) and vampires either attempting to go into the full sun or actually blazing away in it.
The burned-at-the- stake-witch, 'Antonia' has taken possession of Marnie's (Fiona Shaw) body and she, in her words, is seeking 'vengeance.'
It's pretty clear that vampire King Bill of Louisiana's (Stephen Moyer) solution to stopping the vampires from being compelled by the witches to walk in the "light of dawn' is to order them to SPOILER/speculation chain themselves in silver. Pretty harsh but Bill is obviously out of other options--and things only look to get worse in the coming weeks. Can't wait-- because it looks fangtastic!
SNEAK PEEK VIDEO UPDATE 8.04.11 - Alcide and Debbie Get Initiated - Jason and Hoyt Talk Jessica:
True Blood Season 4: Debbie and Alcide Get Initiated (HBO)
Alcide is stoking the flames of jealousy in Debbie with his obsessing over Sookie. Even off 'V' (vampire juice to which she was addicted), Debbie is a loose cannon and he knows that. He needs to 'wolf up' and either follow his heart or put thoughts of Sookie on the shelf...because there's a bad moon rising if he does not.
True Blood Season 4: Jason Counsels Hoyt (HBO)
Hoyt has been Jason's best friend forever. Arguably, he is smarter that 'Jay' (isn't most of Bon Temps?) so how is he NOT going to see that Jason's innocent act is just that? (SPOILER) The promo shows a shirtless Jason being knocked around. I think buddy Hoyt has had just above enough--of everything-- and Jason's prevarication regarding Jessica is the last straw.
After the jump: The Buzz: True Blood Season 4 - Comic Con VIDEO & SCREENCAPS (SPOILERS)
Weeds Episode 5 - Is Nancy Capable of Going Straight?:
A surprise awaits Nancy and Silas in the new episode of Weeds.
Weeds fans are speculating that in this episode, Nancy & Silas seek out Heylia who with Conrad, taught Nancy the ropes when Nancy first started dealing 'weed' back in her bucolic-seeming Agrestic days. Things literally went up in flames and Nancy beat a hasty retreat from what was left of Agrestic so it's quite a mystery as to how, if she indeed is seeking Heylia out, Heylia will react to Nancy showing up on her doorstep.
Weeds: 'Character Witness'
Nancy asks Silas to be her character witness in the custody hearing.
A couple of observations about Weeds: Season 6 thus far. The show has again radically changed it's tone and along with it Nancy's sons Silas and Shane, from whom she been seperated by both an ocean and 3 years behind bars.
Shane initially presented as the Shane of old but he's catching on quickly that his mom has not been 'reformed' as he previously optimistically/naively put it, by her three-year stint in the pokey and further, she is rebuffing every loving gesture he puts forth.
Just prior to Nancy's arrest, elder brother Silas found out that his mother had deceived him about his parentage--Juda Botwin was NOT his real dad. Silas, who was able to support himself quite nicely as a model while in exile seems to relish seeing his mother at the mercy of the prison system, which has seen fit to transfer Nancy to a halfway house to serve out the rest of her sentence. Since everyone's face time with Nancy is quite constrained by her circumstances, most of the family interactions are fraught with tension. True, this is nothing new for Weeds but there's been a significant shift in the family dynamic from Nancy's bumbling through and the family following almost lock-step, to a splintering among them which seems to get more painful with each interaction with the utterly unreformed Nancy.
Next on Episode 5: Nancy travels to California for a court hearing.
Weeds Season 6 Episode 5 : 'Fingers Only Meat Banquet':
With help from her lawyer and Silas, Nancy returns to California to continue her custody battle against Jill; Andy's relationship takes a bizarre turn; Shane gives college a try by enrolling in classes; back on Wall Street, Doug makes do without Nancy.
Screencaps: Weeds Season 6 Episode 5 : 'Fingers Only Meat Banquet'
I can't even believe how fast the season 4 premiere of True Blood has come! (pause) Kidding!
True Blood Fans have endured the sucking, waiting since August 2010 for a fresh full-length episode of True Blood to savour. But here we are, teetering on the very brink of the Sunday, June 26 9pm E HBO offering of a brand new episode and (if you signed up for HBOGo) the second episode shortly thereafter! It should pack one helluva one-two punch in the space of 24-hours or so and with any luck, the sky-high ratings will shake up 'talks' between the most brilliant Alan Ball and the 'one true premium cable network,'HBO, so that our man remains on board with the show for season 5.
I'll have more on that later--in the next couple of days--but if you have not read it before be aware this could be Alan Ball'slast season at the helm of True Blood! (again, quote attribution from the source--Ball himself) a bit later. I have both a spousal birthday and other deadlines that must be attended to ASAP!
OK. Here we go with the fishing contest in the pool full of Spoiler-ish/ True Spoilers material that Source: TVGuide has unleashed upon us! 'EDIT's are MINE!
"True Blood has brought witches, werewolves and vampires to life over the last three seasons, but everything you think you know about the supernatural beings will be upended this season.
"Everything you thought you can count on, you can't," executive producer Alan Ball says. "Vampires are not stronger than certain humans, shapeshifters can do things other than shift and there are ghosts."
Here are 10 things we TVGuide knows do know about what's coming up, straight from the cast of True Blood:
1. It's all about the witches (EDIT: Duh!): A band of witches tap into a new form of power, causing Eric (Alexander Skarsgård) to lose his memory. At the head of the coven is Marnie (Fiona Shaw), a (formerly mild-mannered, now possessed by a 1700's) vengeful witch coming into her powers and out for revenge. Unfortunately Lafayette (Nelsan Ellis) will be dragged into the increasing vampire vs. witch tension. "Lafayette loves his boyfriend, [Jesus, a practicing brujo], so he's trying to deal with [magic] in stride, but it keeps sucking him in and he doesn't know what's going on," Ellis says.
"He discovers who he is in the middle of all this stuff."
SPOILER: You knew already that Lafayette is a witch, right? There have been no clues or anything. (snicker)
2. Sookie, independent woman: After discovering that Bill (Stephen Moyer) was working for (his) Queen Sophie-Anne, to gain information on her, Sookie is "learning to stand on her own," Anna Paquinsays. "At the end of last season, she was at a point where she was willing to walk away from everyone and everything, particularly those troublesome boys. It's not that she doesn't want or need anyone, she just isn't dependant anymore." That's OK for Bill, though. "Bachelorhood kind of turns out all right for Bill," Moyer says. "He's decided to enjoy it while he can."
3. Vampires in trouble: Eric's unfortunate run-in with the witches will send his lieutenant, Pam (Kristin Bauer van Straten), into a downward spiral, which is bad timing in the current vampire climate. "The post-Russell Edginton world is hard for Pam," Bauer says. "It's a political environment this year, so she's supposed to be doing what the other vampires are doing — holding babies and shaking hands — but she's incapable. So we see her cause some trouble."
Pam in a downward spiral? Our vicious, beautiful, font-of-sarcastic quips Pam?! Progeny of Eric Northman, Pam? I have not been privileged as the Almighty (j/k)TVGuide to get the first three episodes of season 3 to watch but if Pammy wasn't 'downward spiralling last season when she thought Eric Dead for Sure (I suggest this as the final title in the SookieStackhouse series) and after she'd been horribly tortured by the Magister, I don't believe she's gonna 'spiral downward' in the human sense. She may act out. And when vampires act out...look out!
4. Tara returns as a new woman (EDIT/ Sorry: snooze): After getting out of Dodge in the season finale, Tara (Rutina Wesley) will return to Bon Temps hoping to turn over a new leaf, but will immediately find herself in a mess of trouble. "She gets swept back into the world of vampires so quickly," Rutina says. "She doesn't want it, but she has no choice." Fortunately, there may be hope for her yet. "If there was to be love for Tara, I think she's ready for it because I think she's learned to love herself and has opened up in a way."
Holy double-entendre, Batman! As my favourite source, "Spoiler TV" put it, (a character) is 'turning gay.' True Blood could step on a landmine with this one but I'm going to assume, given the open-mindedness in portrayal on the show of the sexual preference spectrum that this will not feel forced or cliche.
My one concern as far as I can care about the character of Tara and TBH, I don't really (but I do care about the True Blood narrative) is that in three seasons she has shown no hint at all in being attracted to women. Also, she's not particularly at an age (late 20's) where one discovers this. On top of all that she's been written as having a not-so-secret crush on Sookie's brother, Jason for most of her life. Maybe 'turning gay' is the right term but oh, they'd best be careful in making this seem, as they like to say, 'organic.'
5. Shifty shapeshifters: The days of Sam (Sam Trammell) turning into a dog or bird are child's play compared to what he'll do this season. "My character explains the full-range of capabilities that shapeshifters have, and a lot of people that she's talking to at the time don't even know some of that," says Janina Gavankar, who'll be a love interest, 'Luna,' for Sam this season. "There's a really dark side to shapeshifters as well and that's something we'll explore this year. There's potential wrongdoings that can happen."
6. Jessica, domesticated? Jessica (Deborah Ann Woll) and Hoyt (Jim Parrack) will make a go of living together, but a human and a vampire cohabitating isn't going to be easy. "Jessica is a vampire and I'm not quite sure that domestic life is really what she's in for or what she desires," Woll says. "She's still gotta figure that out because they moved into this very quickly." Helping her navigate this life is Pam, who acts as a "big bad" older sister, says Bauer. "Pam is a very different kind of mentor for Jess than Bill is," Woll adds. "The things you might not want to tell your dad, you may tell your cool aunt."
7. Jason's growing up: Once the older slacker brother of Sookie, Jason (Ryan Kwanten) has now stepped into a role of responsibility that will get him into even more trouble. "This is the season of the biggest growth for Jason, where the young boy turns into a man," Kwanten says. "He's forced to try and raise a tribe of people and eventually fight for his life."
8. PD's into V: The end of last season teased impending trouble for Andy (Chris Bauer) when it comes to V, otherwise known as vampire blood, an addictive drug that can ruin your life (See: Jason Stakchouse, Debbie Pelt and the rest of the werewolves from Season 3). "It's like old demons, new problems," Bauer says of Season 4 for Andy.
"At first V does a lot of good. He had that cast on forever, but after a couple of drops, all of a sudden he's ready to box. He's a guy who we know has issues with substance, and he keeps saying he's done, but he's not done."
I love Chris Bauer so I'm hoping that the 'V' that he gets into (he's a semi-recovering alcoholic) gives him many juicy scenes in S4! (Get the pun? Wasn't even on purpose!)
Arlene and Terry tackle parenthood: As if Arlene (Carrie Preston) could ever be the voice of reason, she's especially on edge this season. "I wouldn't be playing Arlene correctly if I wasn't playing her fully, fully stressed out," Preston says. "When you're talking about a child or potential child, and you're talking about it having a father that was a serial killer, in Arlene's mind, she's absolutely justified in freaking out. Luckily, Arlene has found Terry [Todd Lowe], who will put up with all her insecurities." On a possibility related note, Preston adds, "Arlene is going to come face-to-face with something that we haven't even seen on the show yet." (EDIT/ Common-sense?)
10. Debbie's back, baby: Alcide's psychopathic, V-addicted ex-girlfriend, Debbie Pelt (Brit Morgan), will return this season with a new prerogative. "You're going to get to see a different side of Debbie," Morgan says, adding that Debbie will attempt to make amends with Sookie and find some normalcy. But the werewolf in her isn't gone. "You're going to get to see cool things with some of the wolves that you didn't get to see last season," she says."
Father Frank: John Wells Executive Producer John Wells discusses the season one finale of Shameless.
One of the crucial aspects of a TV show isn't just how you react to it while you are watching, but what you think of each episode upon its conclusion. I found Showtime's new series, Shameless, which just finished a 12-episode first season, very conducive to some lively discussion afterward. My spouse and I watched the show at home in real (Chicago) time, taking our dogs for their nightly walk as soon as it was over. Our neighbourhood, though only 25 or 30 miles from the Gallagher's, may as well be 3000 miles away. Even so, this fictional family, first introduced on British television (with a British cast) has issues that most any family can relate to on some level. Nothing about the Gallagher's seems truly foreign, as loyalty and love of family are something (hopefully) everyone knows and understands. And so love of family and sacrifice for them amidst rather dire circumstances, despite all the far-out situations in Shameless, is the show's core theme, some aspect of which my spouse and I came 'round to discussing frequently.
Another commonality that non-TV families have with the Gallaghers is what we like to call 'dysfunction.' Essentially, a 'dysfunctional family' is one whose behaviour deviates from normal families--whatever they are.
Some folks say there is no such thing as a 'normal family' and the older I get, the more I think the saying, 'We are all dysfunctional in our own way,' is on the money. It's really about how we cope with the dysfunction, don't you think?
Episode 12 of Shameless, 'Father Frank, Full of Grace' was about coping with the fallout of some highly dysfunctional circumstances that impacted every family member as well as those involved with the Gallaghers (rock-steady neighbours 'Vi' (Shanola Hampton) and 'Kev' (Steve Howey) excepted--they literally played supporting roles in this episode).
In the video I've included (above) showrunner John Wells discusses two of the main dysfunctional aspects of the Gallaghers in this episode.
The foundation of the show, perpetually drunk father 'Frank Gallagher' (William H. Macy) has lived with 'accidental' girlfriend, 'Sheila' (Joan Cusak) for most of the season. Her situation includes having debilitating agoraphobia and anxiety, an almost ex-husband (Joel Murray) living in her basement, and a very sexually active older-teen daughter who is dating the eldest Gallagher son, 'Lip' (Jeremy Allen White).
Daughter 'Karen' (Laura Slade Wiggins), and her father, who she once referred to as 'f*ck-face,' causing me to forget his character's real name, have a very strained relationship due to 1. her furious sexual activity and 2. his outrage about her behaviour coupled with his lack of a filter when he shares his opinion about it. Most commonly, Karen's dad calls her a slut. He's managed, by this episode, to have called her a slut in front of a roomful of people as they were supposedly 'making up,' sending her into a tailspin of self-destruction while seeking revenge against him.
Videos: Shameless: GREAT William H. Macy Interview, Sneek Peek ('Don't Even Know Him' )
In the video embedded in this post (above), William H. Macy, in describing the show, opines that: 'there is nothing else like (Shameless) on TV.'
I agree with Macy completely. It's rare when you watch a new show and after just one episode ('Pilot') you know you love it and can't wait to watch more. But it's totally like that with 'Shameless.'
Emmy Rossum-- OMG. She knocks it out of the park as eldest daughter, Fiona. Love her. And Joan Cusak (Sheila) is so perfectly cast, too! This is a role that must be fun for her to play 'cos she's so delishishly fun to watch, especially in her scenes with Bill Macy (Frank Gallagher). The kids are really great, too, as is Justin Chatwin as Rossum's new love interest, 'Steve.'
I love William H. Macy. He has such integrity (see video)! I 'extra like' him because he is I believe, an 'actor's actor,' who directs and writes and act and acts and acts(!) He's just a gifted man in a number of areas--I so enjoy his work-- and I am glad he's landed, for a least a while,* at premium cabler Showtime.
*Meaning the season is short like 'series' are in the UK. I hope it runs forever. :)
(I'm also blown away that William H. Macy originated one of the roles in a David Mamet play that did so to great acclaim, 'American Buffalo.' Macy & Mamet have collaborated otherwise as well which endears him to me further. Plus, I loved ER back in the day of Julianna Margulies and George Clooney when Bill Macy had a recurring role as chief of (everything?) 'Dr. Morgenstern.'. If none of these fine moments in the career of William H. Macy ring a bell, how 'bout in the film in which he co-starred, Fargo, 'as 'Jerry Lundergaard?'
...when you have a classic True Blood scene from season 2 to remember fondly.
Love the range of emotions 'Jessica' (Deborah Ann Woll) especially, goes through. Mortification, anger and incredulity. Embarrassment, relief and puppy love eyes when Hoyt (Jim Parrack) says he believes Jessica, not Bill (Stephen Moyer). Indignation and anger, when she tells Bill off first for turning her and feeling "like shit" for it--an insightful call for a 17-y.o.--then for not being fair by assuming she was "hunting" Hoyt, when she was having her very first kiss, and then embarrassment again when she complains to Bill that she did not know that her fangs came out when she got turned on. Nicely played by Deborah Ann Woll. Of course we have the ever-lovely Anna Paquin in her classic Fangtasia shirt, too. A win all 'round!
Episode 1.10 - I Don’t Wanna Know Caught in a compromising position, Sam shares a secret with an incredulous Sookie. Thinking she’s been purged of her demon, Tara celebrates with Lettie Mae - but goes off the deep end when she uncovers Miss Jeanette’s true intentions. Sookie has a disturbing revelation during Arlene (Carrie Preston) and Rene’s (Michael Raymond James) engagement party at Merlotte’s; Jason and Amy debate what to do with Eddie; and Tara speeds into a bizarre roadside encounter that lands her in jail. At a vampire tribunal to decide his fate, Bill faces a harsh penalty for his offense, but the magister (Zelijko Ivanek) decides on a more creative sentence involving a young human named Jessica (Deborah Ann Woll).
This week's episode actually surpasses last week in the thrill and chill department with the vampire tribunal being among the most disturbing scenes thus far in True Blood (!)
'I Don’t Wanna Know' picks up where last week left off with Sookie (Anna Paquin) screaming upon discovering a nude Sam (Sam Trammell) curled up, sleeping at the foot of her bed. Sam hastens to explain that he is in fact, a "shifter" and that he means no harm. After he proves it to her by shifting to "Dean" right in front of her Sookie seems overwhelmed and shuts Sam out from any further conversation about his "issues."
Dean the dog (Sam)
Meanwhile, Bill (Stephen Moyer) is at a vampire tribunal where he is facing the consequences of having staked the thieving Longshadow to prevent him from killing Sookie.
Many vampires are gathered round anxiously awaiting Bill's punishment as rendered by the magister (Zeljko Ivanek). After another vampire has his teeth ripped out as commanded by the magister, things are looking bleak for Bill.
Bill attempts to explain to the magister the circumstances in which he staked Longshadow. Surprisingly, Eric (Alexander Skarsgård) vouches for Bill about the veracity of Bill's statements. The fact that business was involved seems to move the sadistic magister to reduce Bill's punishment from five years locked in his coffin bound in silver, to "replacing" Longshadow by siring a new vampire.
The magister pointedly refers to the fact that Bill has not yet ever sired a vampire in his entire existence as a vampire. A terrified teenage girl named 'Jessica' (Deborah Ann Woll) is brought in at the behest of the magister. Bill is commanded to sire her and he first glamours her to attempt to calm her but is admonished by the magister--no glamouring.
Meanwhile, back at Merlotte's, a engagement party for Arlene (Carrie Preston) and René (Michael Raymond-James) is in full swing. Sookie is in attendance, sitting glumly by herself at a picnic table, watching the festivities in the converted parking lot. She goes to fetch some ice from inside the bar. Within moments the lights are cut and Sookie quickly realizes that she is in mortal danger. She has a vision through the
killer's mind of his prior victims. Sookie evades the killer, whose face neither she nor we ever see and as she runs to the entrance she crashes into Sam who is on his way in (now, quite obviously not the Bon Temps killer). Sookie appears to forgive Sam for being a shifter.
While this is going on Tara (Rutina Wesley), still worried that she has a demon inside her, pays "Miss Jeanette" the $800 to be exorcised. Later, after tripping on the peyote Miss Jeanette gave her and puking her guts out because the peyote was mixed with Ipecac, Tara discovers that she was in fact, used by Miss Jeanette. She visits the party, drinks too much, and is turned away by Sam after she tries to make out with him. While drinking and driving on a lonely road Tara loses control of her car and plows through a picket fence. We briefly see the face of the actress Michelle Forbes.*** scroll down
At the engagement party, after discovering evidence of Jason's (Ryan Kwanten) involvement in vampire Eddie's disappearance, Lafayette (Nelsan Ellis) verbally lays into Jason, telling him that he is mortally endangering everyone with his loose lips.
Jason seems to take this to heart and listening to the advice of René on how best to get his woman in line he goes home intending to release vampire Eddie. This terrifies Amy (Lizzy Caplan), who picks up part of a broken picket fence in the basement of Jason's house and plunges it into Eddie as Jason is trying to free him... Much like Longshadow, Eddie dissolves into a pile of mush./end scene
Meanwhile back at the tribunal, Bill wrestles the shrieking Jessica and plunges his teeth into her throat, rising up and howling and then ripping again into her throat continuing his feast of blood.
***Michelle Forbes is said to be playing a Maenad [MEE-nad] a female worshipper of Dionysus, the Greek god of mystery, wine and intoxication. The word literally translates as "raving ones."
Episode 1.11 - To Love Is to Bury Bill fulfills the conditions of the tribunal’s sentence, although he and Eric (Alexander Skarsgård) find that Jessica doesn’t quite turn (out) as expected. Trying to solve the mystery behind her most recent vision, Sookie heads to a pie shop with Sam and later puts the squeeze on a philandering police officer to get info. Jason helps clean up Amy’s mess, worrying about their future, but unable to break away. Tara’s anger over Lettie Mae’s refusal to bail her out of jail is tempered when Maryann Forrester (Michelle Forbes), a wealthy “social worker,” comes to her rescue. Disgusted by the hypocrisy of a vamp-bashing state senator, Lafayette (Nelsan Ellis) decides to pay him a visit on the campaign trail. In Bill’s absence, a vulnerable Sookie finds comfort in Sam. A distraught Jason finds himself in hot water with Bud (William Sanderson) and Andy (Chris Bauer), again.
Anna Paquin ... Sookie Stackhouse, Ryan Kwanten ... Jason Stackhouse, Rutina Wesley...Tara Thornton, Jim Parrack... Hoyt Fortenberry, Carrie Preston ... Arlene Fowler, Michael Raymond-James ...Rene Lenier, Stephen Moyer ... Bill Compton, Alexander Skarsgård...Eric Northman Nelsan Ellis...Lafayette Reynolds, William Sanderson... Sheriff Bud Dearborne, Sam Trammell ... Sam Merlotte, Chris Bauer ... Andy Bellefleuer, Kristin Bauer ... Pam, Michelle Forbes ... Maryann, Amy Burley... Lizzy Caplan, Todd Lowe ... Terry Bellefleur, Deborah Ann Woll... Jessica, Stephen Root ... Eddie,
