"Plebs" Season 4 Vale Stylax

A block of marble, a dopey builder and Stylax is written out of Season 4.
After Joel Fry's appearances in "Game of Thrones" and BBC/Netflix's "Requiem", he has bigger fish to ... fry...I'll move on.
It was a bit sad seeing only 2 plebs romping around the pillars in the opening credits.

Stylax's replacement, Jason (Jonathan Pointing) looks straight out of TOWIE, a bit colourless in the opening episode, but he might grow on me.
Aurelius/Water boy... er man (co-writer Tom Basden) is going to have more to do in this season.
Robert Lindsay has fun as a dodgy property developer (Cassius) with a soft spot for his pet turtle.

Opening a new pub in a former "latrina" should ensure more potty humour.
In coming episodes, looking forward to seeing the versatile Aisling Bea (Mineva, the observational comedian) and the return of Maureen Lipman (Landlady). Anybody remember ITV's wonderful "Agony" (1979-1981)?

5 things I liked about "Ray Donovan" Season 4, Episode 4

This show has gone from strength to strength due to the screenwriters and ensemble cast. Season 4 could be its best. It's certainly the funniest, thanks to Micky (Jon Voight).

• Dabney Coleman (last seen in "Boardwalk Empire"?) as the movie legend with a secret.
• The motel owner (Diane Ladd) seducing the hapless Micky in the aging Cadillac.
• Ray singing Bob Seger - karaoke. Who knew Liev Schreiber could hold a tune?
• Abby's therapeutic bar session with Deb's "friend".
• Hank Azaria (Ed Cochran) returns!

The Doctor Blake Mysteries: A new game!

Don't get me wrong, I love the show. The recreation of 1960. The Ballarat locales. The warm characters. But occasionally my mind wanders and I play the "How many lampshades can I spot?" game. You will score big time in Lucien's lounge. I spotted 5 in one shot last night.

Rules are simple:

• Table lamps, standard lamps, desk lamps are all fair game.
• You can not reuse lamps used in the same camera shot.
• Mirror shots don't count.
• Lamps must be on (which they usually are, even though it's broad daylight outside).

You can see why the art director/set decorator uses so much indirect lighting like lamps and such. They do add to the period ambience. Compare with "Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries".  Both great Melbourne-produced shows.

Images Copyright Australian Broadcasting Corporation

"Bates Motel" Season 4 Review

Things are finally getting interesting in White Pine Bay. After a dull, hackneyed second season and a promising third, Season 4 could be a corker. Episode 1 had a terrific first scene with the scuttling of the fishing boat and a haunting aerial shot. The final scene with Norman/Mother (in mom's dressing gown) graciously serving Emma's mother coffee before strangling her knocked my socks off.

Lots to like in Episode 2:

• The fact that Norman is convinced Norma is a killer. Terrific acting between the two leads. Highmore is pulling out all the stops in this season. (Child star done good)
• The power/love play between mother and son. 
• The contrast between nightmarishly lit county hospital and plush, shiny Portland private hospital. 
• The use of Hope and Crosby's "Road to Bali" in a key scene. 
• Seeing Norman as the charming motel manager checking guests in at reception. Anthony Perkins would approve.
• Norman's use of the lamp in the cellar (precursor to the swinging lamp in key scene in "Psycho").

Episode 3 was fairly pedestrian. Highlight was the return of Dylan's creepy old hippy neighbour.
Episode 4 saw Norma smile a lot (for a change, rather than looking strained). Julian (Pineview's Andy Hardy meets Robert Morse) leads Norman to don a fetching black ostrich number.
Episode 5 notable only for the machinations of psycho-hippy "Chick" and a couple of intense sessions between Norman/Norma and the affable shrink. The rest was pure soap. Scars and Dylan's torso - yawn.
Episode 6: two things of note - Chick's blindfolded doll's head walking stick and a disturbing rape scene flashback to Norman's past.
Freddie Highmore has an impressive scene with Dr Edwards about two-thirds into Episode 7. Nestor Carbonell (Sheriff) directs this episode with flair, particularly the final scene.
Freddie Highmore wrote Episode 8. Lots of tension in the second half, starting with the Christmas tree market scene. The highlight was Norman boring into the motel wall to make his spyhole (to feature in the 1960 movie).
The creators wrote Episode 9 and it shows. Not a dud scene. The earring confrontation ( about a third of the way in) with Dylan and Norma was their strongest piece since the show started. The concluding "Mr Sandman" scene was chilling. The writers are playing with the audience here....so how does Mrs Bates die in the original movie?
Episode 10 was a tremendous return to form. Certainly the funniest in the series. The funeral home scenes with nonplussed mortician (Harvey Fierstein lookalike), goth daughter on the organ and Norman and stepdad slugging it out in the empty church. Then we get a dose of "Weekend at Bernie's", Norman wrestling with Norma out of the grave and out of the Mercedes. The glued eyelids was disturbing, though. In all, a most satisfying season final.

Observations:

• How long before I tire of the Emma/Dylan subplot? Please God, let's not have another S2 teeny soap opera.
• Those disturbing paintings in Dr Edwards' rooms are not helping the patients.

Lilyhammer Season 3: As quirky as ever

Warm, quirky characters (Roar and the lovable Torgeir are back), black humour, crazy crims, cartoonish violence (e.g. the flare gun scene) and great locales from wintry Norway to steamy Rio - it's all there in the third season of "Lilyhammer".
It's great when shows don't go 'off the boil' after return seasons (unlike "Banshee", "Bates Motel").
The final episode, "Loose Ends", features Maureen Van Zandt, Steven (E Street Band) Van Zandt's real wife, as Frank's ex-wife and Bruce Stringsteen, as Joey the Undertaker. Don't turn off during the closing credits, either.
Season 4 must resolve poor Sigrid's bathroom predicament with her dead ex-boyfriend (Milk pervert).

"American Horror Story - Freak Show" Season 4 The best bits - spoilers

• Creepiest opening titles (no mean feat)
• Jessica Lange (think Marlene Dietrich/Madeline Kahn in "Blazing Saddles")
• Fraulein Elsa's rendition of Bowie's "Life On Mars". Who cares if it was written nearly 20 years after this story is set (Sarah Poulson has 2 heads, Angela Bassett has 3 breasts, for crying out loud!)
• Lobster Boy (Evan Peters) spicing up a 50's Tupperware party
• Kathy Bates (with endearing Maryland accent) as the bearded lady
• Angela Bassett's unique rack
• Finn ("The Normal Heart") Wittrock as creepy momma's boy, Danny Mott. Liked his 'double date' at the movies in Episode 6.
• The use of John Morris's score for "The Elephant Man" in Episode 1.
• Hearing a new version of Siouxsie and the Banshees' "Spellbound" (1981) in Episode 2.
• The nifty black and white sequence in Episode 3, filmed like a German expression silent film.
• Roxy Music's "Avalon" in the 1952 gay bar.
• Wondering if Episode 5 is the most homoerotic episode of AHS to date.
• Elsa bombing bigtime singing "Life On Mars" to the rubes.
• Finn's unique puppet show featuring mom and the Avon lady (Episode 9)
• Finn's Tupperware themed pool party (also Episode 9)
• The recreation of two classic scenes from "Freaks" in Episode 12 (penultimate ep)
• Danny Huston playing a variation on Pinocchio's Geppetto with Crab-boy.
• "Noone gives a shit about Cole Porter" (Episode 13)
• The reprise of "Life on Mars" and the theme from the "The Elephant Man"
• Elsa wows Hollywood in 1960 and final scene freak reunion (to the tune of Bowie's "Heroes")

This season makes you want to rewatch all of Tod Browning's "Freaks" (1932).