Tag Archives: Featured

Featured, Vikings

Vikings storms onto DVD and Blu-ray & win a trip to Ireland

I don’t normally cover DVD and Blu-ray reviews for TV, Eh?, but when Season 3 of Vikings was sent to me, I had to give it a look. Aside from being in my wheelhouse—it’s history—Touchwood and Momentum Pictures have teamed with Tourism Ireland to offer Vikings fans a pretty cool prize: a trip to Dublin and a visit to the Season 4 set (the details on the contest are at the bottom of the page).

Season 3 of the Canada/Ireland co-production—on sale Tuesday—was the most expansive and dramatic so far. King Ragnar Lothbrok (Travis Fimmel) led his troops to Paris where he plotted to take over the city and its riches while Floki (Gustaf Skarsgård) planned to unseat Ragnar over his partnership with King Ecbert (Linus Roache) and fascination with Christianity through Athelstan (George Blagden). Throw in some truly killer battle scenes—the siege of Paris is incredible—and the death of two major characters and creator Michael Hirst is on a roll.

Aside from all 10 episodes contained in the DVD and Blu-ray sets are some great bonus features. There are the requisite Season 3 trailers that teased the broadcast and deleted scenes. While most deleted scenes and episode moments deserve to be on the cutting-room floor, these give some real insight into fringe characters like Porunn (Gaia Weiss) and Torstein (Jefferson Hall).

In celebration of the DVD Blu-ray release, Momentum Pictures partnered with Tourism Ireland and fans of the show can enter to win a trip to Dublin, Ireland, the home of the Vikings set. It includes airfare for two, seven nights’ accommodation, daily Irish breakfasts and a visit the Season 4 set. Enter here.

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Featured, Murdoch Mysteries

When Murdoch met Mark Twain: Five facts for tonight’s case

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William Shatner’s guest appearance on Murdoch Mysteries has been discussed almost as much as whether or not Crabtree would be freed from prison. Shatner portrays American novelist, essay writer and speaking Mark Twain in Monday’s new instalment, “Marked Twain,” and doesn’t disappoint. Here are some key facts about tonight’s case before it begins.

Margaret is back!
Fans of Arwen Humphreys rejoice, because Margaret is back and better than ever. Thomas is being considered for a membership at the exclusive Empire Club and Margaret is doing her best to make sure he gets in. The Empire Club is a real thing; established in 1903 (the year this season of MM takes place) and was created to keep ties with Britain strong. And while Mark Twain never really spoke there, several other notable folks did, including Winston Churchill, Ronald Reagan, A.Y. Jackson, Roberta Bondar, Indira Gandhi and Prince Philip.

Not everyone loves Mark Twain
He may have written beloved books in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, but not everyone liked Twain at the time. He was against the way countries like Britain had settled territory around the world through colonization and military force. Hence, Mr. Twain becomes a target.

A certain someone is Twain’s biggest fan

Murdoch_George

The Curse of the Pharaohs makes an appearance
In a very cool way.

Higgins goes undercover
The Constable First Class dons a top and tails, slicks his hair back, adopts a British accent and ingratiates himself with the Empire Club’s members to suss out the wannabe assassin.

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

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Featured, Heartland

Heartland’s hard lessons

I tend to give Lou a lot of grief in my Heartland reviews. Though she always means well, I’ve never been a fan of how involved she gets in other people’s lives and—last season especially—over-thinking how to best protect Georgie and Katie from the details of her eroding marriage.

But after watching Sunday’s latest, “Begin Again,” and thinking about it some more, I totally get her actions. Banning Katie from horse-riding lessons and quickly hanging up phone calls with Peter makes perfect sense in Lou’s world. Why involve the kids when separation is difficult enough for the couple? Every family is different, but I think they all want the same thing: to make the best of a bad situation. Resolving to allow Katie to continue her riding and her pledge to Georgie to work harder at making the transition more seamless is an important step. I certainly can’t fault Lou for trying her best … and admitting when what she was doing wasn’t working out. 

Kudos to Michelle Morgan for taking on a difficult storyline over the past two seasons, and for Heather Conkie and her writing crew for continuing to produce thoughtful, educational scenes that reflect real life and not what Hollywood tends to portray. Using Stephen, a.k.a. “Bacon Boy,” as an example for Georgie has gone a long way to showing things can work out when everyone tries.

Sunday’s new episode wasn’t all about Lou, however. After a night out partying, Ty graduated and is a professional veterinarian. It’s been great watching him grow as a man and a vet, and Amy’s gift of a plaque and fantastic desk was the perfect way to wrap up that story.

I’ve been a big fan of Shaun Johnston’s ever since I started watching Heartland. The man can do more with that moustache and craggy face than most in the industry, and that was never more apparent than his touching scenes with Paint. I don’t want Jack to stop being involved in everyone’s life, but his chat with Paint cemented it: he’s thinking of his own mortality and the legacy he’ll leave for family and friends. Paint has been put to pasture, and Jack realizes he’s headed that way.

I can only hope that’s still a long way off.

Notes and quotes

  • “I’m playing for a horse, because he appreciates talent.”
  • This week’s tune: “Wherever You Go” from Fortunate Ones

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

 

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Featured, Haven

Troubled Haven returns for last bow

Remember when the only thing Haven fans were concerned about was who Audrey Parker was?

Back in Season 1, the FBI agent showed up in that strange Maine town, had a crush on cop Nathan Wuornos and flirted with that scallywag Duke Crocker. Vince and Dave were the comic relief, bumbling around while keeping the town’s biggest secrets under wraps while Chief Wuornos quietly took care of folks with Troubles. I really miss that show, especially after getting a sneak peek at Sunday’s two-hour season return episodes, “New World Order” and “Power.” Listen, I still love the trio of Nathan, Duke and Audrey, but the ludicrous lengths the show’s storylines are going has me shaking my head, and that’s saying something for a guy who loves sci-fi and fantasy series.

Where past seasons were all about stemming the Troubles and perhaps curing them, it only takes minutes for the entire show to be reset back to square one when the Trouble slugs infect everyone in Haven. Throw in an impenetrable fog bank and it looks like Haven is royally screwed. Ending generations of secrecy, Dwight and Nathan reveal to their cop brethren Haven is full of Troubled folks and they need to be handled with kid gloves lest things get bad. I won’t give away any more plot points, but I will say there’s minor movement forward in the Croatoan story and Audrey tells Charlotte to “get out of my town.”

If I seem a little frustrated, it’s because I am. I’ve been a fan of Haven from the very beginning, and I have to say it’s becoming a bit of a slog. Each week finds the main characters going through the same actions and repeating the same lines. Nathan and Audrey go from smoochy to in danger of breaking up forever. Duke feels put upon until he emerges a hero. Dwight looks around with a mildly shocked look on his face. Dave and Vince bicker with each other. And, in the grand scheme of things, nothing is ever really solved.

With just 13 episodes left until the end—10 after this week’s twofer—some pretty interesting stuff better happen or I may skip it all and wait until the series finale.

And that’s coming from a fan of Haven.

Haven airs two back-to-back episodes this Sunday at 7 and 8 p.m. ET/PT on Showcase.

Haven‘s regular timeslot starts next Sunday is 8 p.m. ET/PT on Showcase.

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Dramas and Comedies, Featured, Forgive Me

Super Channel’s quiet, effective Forgive Me returns

Amid Super Channel’s pirates of Black Sails, aliens of Falling Skies and spies of Homeland there is Forgive Me. Written and directed by Thom Fitzgerald (The Hanging Garden), Forgive Me is quiet and spare. There’s no swashbuckling and no armed troops, but plenty to like.

Back for Season 2 on Sunday, Forgive Me stars Mike McLeod as The Priest, a young man who listens to the daily confessions of his Halifax congregation. The brain tumour that had been operated on hasn’t gone away (and may be causing angelic visions), but The Priest insists he go back to work, telling his doctor (Fitzgerald) perhaps it’s God’s way. After convincing fellow priests in the Prelate (John Dunsworth) and Father Gene (Jeremy Ackerman) he’s fine, The Priest heads back to confessional; and that’s where Forgive Me truly shines.

Rolling out like a two-person play, the camera is in the tight confines of the confessional as—lit by the muted light coming through plain stained glass—The Priest hears the confession of pedophile Johnny Smith-O’Leary (Hugh Thompson), who is considering suing the church because he was molested by a choir master there when he was young. There are funny moments amid the conversation. Johnny asks The Priest what circle of hell his group of sinners is confined to and learns Dante’s Inferno is a play, and not scripture.

“How the hell is that not in the Bible?” he wonders. “Do you have any idea how many hours of my life that I wasted finding out exactly what circle of hell I’m going to?!”

“Johnny,” The Priest counters. “I watched all seven seasons of Dawson’s Creek.”

“You win,” Johnny allows.

McLeod turns in a fine performance; he’s instantly likeable in the role, more coach and therapist than priest, as is Dunsworth, far removed from drunken Jim Lahey on Trailer Park Boys. Fitzgerald has attracted high-profile talent to appear, with Olympia Dukakis reprising her role as Novalea, The Priest’s grandmother and Season 2 guest stars in Wendy Crewson and Ed Asner.

If you’re looking for something a little different from your Canadian TV, give Forgive Me a look and let me know what you think of it.

Forgive Me airs Sundays at 8 p.m. ET on Super Channel.

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