Tag Archives: Featured

Bitten, Featured

Bitten’s Laura Vandervoort says goodbye to the fans … for now

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Laura Vandervoort refuses to concede this is the final goodbye for Elena Michaels and Bitten. Yes, Season 3—returning Friday—is the last run of 10 episodes on Space. But whether it’s because she senses an impending announcement on the horizon (perhaps playing a werewolf for three seasons has heightened her sense of smell) or is encouraged by the continuing wave of #howl4more on Twitter, the Toronto native refuses to throw in the towel.

“Anything can happen,” Vandervoort says over the phone. “We never want to say goodbye. I still want to leave the door open, because you never know.”

If this truly is the end, Bitten is going out on a high note. Right from the get-go with Episode 1, “Family, Of Sorts,” the werewolf pack is off and running with blood, action and one heck of a mind-eff by the storyline’s closing moments. New character Sasha Antonov (John Ralston) and his children Alexei (Alex Ozerov) and Katia (Sofia Banzhaf) have a lot to do with that, a trio of human and wolves who deliver an emotional curveball that leaves Elena stunned.

Equally stunning? Jeremy Danvers’ (Greg Bryk) plan to hunt down all mutts and present them with a choice: join his growing super-pack or be killed. That, Vandervoort explains, rubs everyone in her group the wrong way, especially Elena. The former Smallville and V actress—who will recur on CBS’ Supergirl—says this season is all about family both in front of and behind the cameras. The cast has never been stronger as a group, while their small-screen alter egos are struggling to remain united under Jeremy’s rule.

“Elena hates this new Jeremy,” she says. “She sees that he is becoming more like his father and, because of that, it causes tension between Elena and Clay [Greyston Holt] because Jeremy is very much Clay’s father and to go to Clay and complain about how Jeremy is handling the pack mentality causes trouble for everyone.”

This season represents a major departure from the book series created by Kelley Armstrong. Showrunner/executive producer Daegan Fryklind and her writing team have built a dramatic, visually stunning world for these humans, witches and werewolves to frolic in, a melding of what Armstrong conceived and what the actors bring to the table. Vandervoort teases fans may think they know what’s coming, but not this time around.

Yes, she refuses to say an all-out goodbye to Elena and Bitten, but Vandervoort does have a message for the loyal fans who have tuned in for the weekly adventures.

“Thank you so much for your loyalty and continued encouragement every season,” she says. “Thanks for staying in contact with us at conventions and set visits and on social media. We wouldn’t be able to do what we love without you guys watching, and you know the hard work that we put into it.”

Bitten airs Fridays at 10 p.m. ET on Space.

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Featured, Schitt's Creek

Review: Schitt’s Creek – “Moira vs. Town Council”

My favourite part of the show was the scene near the end between David and Alexis where she’s telling him that she and Mutt have split up and it’s the first time she has ever felt anything, “I mean nothing – I’ve been to doctors about it.” The interaction was funny and touching. David’s facial expressions are priceless.

The part about David at his job selling off mannequins and using the corporate card fell flat for me. I can understand how someone like David would get confused (and excited) by the concept of a tax write-off. As a kid I thought the idea of Santa giving free stuff was an opportunity of a lifetime. And David is childlike, but the owner of the store let him take over and that seems out of character.

Moira stole the show for me again. Yes, she is over the top in her clothes and her affectations, but that is the character of Moira. I didn’t laugh as much as I would expect, but my appreciation for her acting skills and the writing are enough. The writing…the writers…are so clever.

Moira sets out to beautify the town but it’s not going to be her who does it, as she says to Johnny after he suggests she plant her own peonies, “These are dark times, John, but not that dark.” She takes on the town council and she wins, impressing council member, Ronnie (Karen Robinson) who tells her she’s a pain in the ass, but she gets things done. She does indeed.

There are some great scenes in this episode, and the humour is smart and witty. I just don’t know why I wasn’t laughing until my stomach hurt.

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Featured, Masterchef Canada

MasterChef Canada home cooks prep for competition

OK, I admit it, Mary Berg does have some competition in Season 3 of MasterChef Canada. Though I’d love it if Berg—the competitor I shadowed during the audition process—won the title, there are 39 other home cooks aiming to take her down. Two of them are Woodbridge, Ontario’s Michelle Nault and Vancouver’s Travis Petersen, who sat down with TV, Eh? back in July to chat about the road to MasterChef Canada, their game plan and what they think of the competition.

Judges Michael Bonacini, Claudio Aprile and Alvin Leung return Sunday, Feb. 14, at 7 p.m. ET/PT on CTV to oversee Season 3.

Here’s what Michelle and Travis had to say:

Michelle Nault, teacher
How did you end up auditioning for MasterChef Canada?
Someone that I work with suggested it to me. I talk about food a lot at work. Food makes me happy and my job makes me happy. The spark was there and my coworker suggested I try out. She watches the show and believed in me and to have someone validate that for me was important. I auditioned online and they contacted me and asked me to come out to the tryout in July.

At least you don’t have to worry about making school lunches.
I don’t but I did make lunches and dinners for my family to have while I’m on the show. It’s all packed up and in the fridge and freezer!

It’s one thing to try out, but it’s another to be on the set. What has the experience been like so far?
I’m impressed with every part of the process. The staff is wonderful and the people who work here are wonderful. The whole experience was a little overwhelming, but it’s exciting. I can’t wait to get going.

Do you view being from the Toronto area as a strength for you in the competition because of the diversity of ingredients that you have access to?
I enjoy all cultures of cooking. I have a good understanding of a number of cultures and basic ingredients from those cultures. I have fun blending them. I like taking an aromatic ingredient from one cuisine and mixing it with another and bringing them all together. I have the confidence to dabble in world cuisine.

What was the inspiration for your audition dish, pork tenderloin with fennel, mushroom and sourdough stuffing?
Home cooking. I am a mom of two and I believe firmly in cooking from scratch and sharing the experience with my kids and getting them involved. It’s a midweek meal that is stick-to-your-ribs and good for the soul.

What’s your cooking style?
I cook from my heart and my knowledge. I’m not so much about going into recipes and taking from other people. I think it’s wonderful and if you’re baking you should do that, but when it comes to my cooking I do it from my own recipes. My research comes from learning where my ingredients come from, the farming practices and things like that.

Is there a weakness you have in the kitchen?
Timing. Depending on the dish, you want to make sure you have enough time to complete all of the steps. In this type of environment, timing is everything.

Travis Petersen, manager in the oil and gas industry
Seeing one of your competitors be eliminated earlier today was tough to watch.
Some people aren’t taking this seriously. This contest is all about the food, but they want people who take it seriously. If they want a cool experience, a getaway and the chance to get on TV … there are 39 other people who want this.

What made you audition?
I’ve watched every season of the American version and the Canadian version. I’ve wanted to do it in the past and it took a friend of mine to tell me that I’m passionate about food and should go for it. Seeing John compete last year convinced me that I could do it. I’m glad I got that little push because I might have stayed content with what I was doing in life.

What’s your strength in the kitchen?
My strength is seafood. I’m in Calgary now, but I’m from Vancouver and have lived abroad twice. When I was 18, I left for Australia and my mom gave me a recipe book that was empty. She said, ‘Instead of writing a journal, why don’t you collect recipes?’ I wasn’t even a foodie yet. I took it, and anyone that I met I took a recipe from. It’s probably one of the most valuable things that I have now after all of the traveling that I’ve done.

What is your audition dish?
Brazilian Moqueca. It’s a white fish and prawn, coconut stew on top of basmati rice. It has beautiful colours and a great taste to it. It’s a good summer dish.

What has the experience been like so far?
We’re all so different but two nights ago a few of us sat together and talking about cooking for an hour and a half. I’ve got friends who are foodies, but I’ve never in my life sat with two guys in a room and talking cooking techniques. I said, ‘This is really cool.’ I’m so excited to see where this journey can go.

MasterChef Canada returns Sunday, Feb. 14, at 7 p.m. ET/PT on CTV.

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Featured, Murdoch Mysteries

Murdoch Mysteries tackles racism in Toronto

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Canada may have been the end of the line for the Underground Railroad and a haven for slaves escaping from the United States, but African Americans suffered from racism here too.

That point was driven home during “Colour Blinded,” which was as much about the struggle of African Americans at the time as it was about murder. Mary Pedersen’s script—directed by one of last week’s guest stars, Leslie Hope—shed light on a not-so-wonderful truth about Toronto the Good through the eyes of Rebecca James. Rebecca is one of the lucky few treated with respect, but she’s certainly not the norm. Most African Americans worked as low-paid drivers, gardeners and labourers, and were viewed with distaste.

Chief Constable Jeffrey Davis was a summation of that, eager to make an arrest in the murder of a white man in an African American church and fingering a parishioner simply because he had a cut on his hand. His directive that every church member have their fingermarks taken because it’ll save time when they commit crimes in the future was awful to hear, but was likely commonplace at the time.

Yes, Crabtree was there to offer some levity regarding raccoons (“I don’t trust anything that has hands for feet!”), but for the most part “Colour Blinded” was an education, including featuring real-life Toronto alderman William Hubbard, who was the city’s first black councillor. Though Hubbard only appeared in a few minutes of Monday’s instalment, he left a large footprint in Toronto’s history. As outlined in Mark Maloney’s 2011 piece in the Toronto Star, Hubbard’s parents escaped to Canada from Virginia. Born in 1842 near Bloor and Bathurst streets, he became a baker, created a commercial oven and was working for his uncle’s livery service when fate stepped in.

Hubbard saved George Brown—newspaper editor and father of Confederation—from drowning in the Don River. Brown hired Hubbard as his driver and the two became friends. Eventually, Hubbard entered politics, eventually winning a council seat in Ward 4. By the time Murdoch Mysteries catches up with Hubbard in 1903, he’s on the verge of becoming Toronto’s first controller, pushing forward plans to improve waterworks, road upgrades and having the authority to enact local improvement bylaws.

Murdoch Mysteries is, at its core, a TV whodunnit. But by addressing actual events—and people—from history, it’s one heck of an entertaining and important lesson about Toronto, this country and the people living in it.

Murdoch Mysteries airs Mondays at 8 p.m. on CBC.

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Featured, Heartland

Heartland’s rise of Llama Boy

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“Risky Business” dealt with some very serious horse and human issues on Sunday night, but can we take a moment to revel in the crowning of Llama Boy? Heartland has featured storylines about the evils of social media in the past, so it was nice have Georgie’s gaffe at allowing Olivia into her public mailbox turn out all right. Rather than let what I’ll call “The Spitting Incident” derail Adam’s quest for class president, he and Georgie turned it into a political success, giving him the win and handing Olivia a defeat. (Olivia’s cut eye at Georgie was so worth it.)

Of course, Georgie’s plot to turn spittle into votes wouldn’t have happened at all if not for the return of Tim’s former flame, Janice. Yes, she helped the grade-schoolers, but threw Tim and Casey’s whole relationship into the toilet. I’m glad her horse, Danger, is going to have surgery to cure Wobbler’s Syndrome, but it meant Casey and Tim had a sobering heart-to-heart. (That chat was preceded by one of the greatest family dinner scenes ever, when Casey and Janice double-teamed making fun of Tim.) By the end of the chat, Casey admitted she was afraid she couldn’t live up to Tim’s relationship expectations and it looks like he might take that job in Dallas. Will Chris Potter really leave Heartland? Doubtful, but the brake pedal has been put on Tim-Casey for the time being.

Janice’s visit threw Cassandra and Amy’s lives into disarray too. The pair teamed to diagnose Danger and in the process confirmed Cassandra is pregnant with Caleb’s baby. Unfortunately, the well-meaning Caleb thinks Amy is with child. I’m sure that’s going to lead to highly comic/dreadfully dramatic scenes in the future. Note to Amy: always throw out the pregnancy test ASAP. You never know who might find it.

Speaking of finding things, Katie found herself in hot water with Jack. With Lou away, the littlest Fleming scooped his cell phone and ended up breaking the screen. Luckily for her, she’s got the best grandfather ever; Jack used the opportunity to snag a plate-sized steak from Lisa after she accused him of losing the phone on purpose.

Heartland airs Sundays at 7 p.m. on CBC.

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