Atticus

Just came in here......CONGRATULATIONS! Fabulous news!

Now that Channel 5USA have finally shown the season 3 finale, I can actually come into this thread. For the two weeks until season 4 airs in the US, then I'll be out for a year or so.

I can appreciate that they might have been wary of having another season end with our crew back on the road but a final climactic battle at Woodbury, leaving the place destroyed as a result of the Gov being batshit crazy would've proved a lot more satisfying and have given us a logical reason for the retreat back to the prison.

 

To end on a positive, I think we now have a clean break from the comic series so at least I've no idea what's coming next!

Aye, I actually quite liked that they didn't end the season with a big climactic devastating battle. It's a pleasant change of pace from the horrors of the season 2 climax and the resignation of season 1.

Nice to end on a bit of an upbeat note, with the group rediscovering their humanity and taking in the helpless after leaving that guy to the walkers on the highway the other week. And like John said, we have a clean break from the comic so anything can happen now (although I do notice that in light of Merle's departure a vacancy has came up for a one-handed cast member - Rick should be worried).

That said, I do wonder where they're going with this. Rick's group aren't exactly great in numbers, and now they've taken on board responsibility for all the folk from Woodbury who were too old, too young, or too weak to fight. And I'd have thought that the well defended Woodbury would make a better base than the prison.

Maybe I'm worrying unecessarily, and these points will all be addressed in season 4. Sometime in 2015 for me, probably.

Aye, about half an hour's drive north of me.

Don't know the whole story, but the abbey was restored in the 80s (I think) and the stonemasons had a bit of fun with the gargoyles. There are a few other freaky ones too.

Oh, while we're on the subject: much as I was happy to see a reappearance of Alastair Stewart, whatever happened to his lovely (certainly when Alan Davis was on art duties) twin sister, Brigadier Alysande Stewart?

The thing that takes me back most is probably this piece of music. Nothing fancy, just a radio jingle.

When I was a student much of my travelling was the National Express coach from Liverpool to Glasgow, usually on a Saturday. Can't quite remember the timings, but I always tended to be arriving in west central Scotland about the time the football was starting. The local radio station - Radio Clyde - would have their football reports show on, and this was the theme music.

I always knew when we were close to home because my radio would start picking up the show - and the theme music. For this reason, it always reminds me of coming home, even after all this time back in Scotland.

But that's only half the story.

From when I was little until I left home, Saturday evening was always my Dad's time to cook. Weekdays were always my mum's territory, even though she worked nightshift at the local hospital. But Saturday night was dad's turn and we had a regular Saturday night dinner (we were big fans of routine in my house). Usually we had a pick of any, or all, of the grilled and fried foodstuffs available. Minute steak, bacon, square sausage, fried egg, fried bread, black pudding....................you get the idea: all the healthy stuff that's made Scotland what it is today.

But it was always accompanied by the steadily spreading smoke from the over heated grill-pan and the sound of the radio in the kitchen while we were watching Playaway (oh, google it if you're not a UK TV viewer - it was brilliant kids' TV) or some black & western on afternoon TV .

This tune would pervade the living room along with the smoke, combining in a sense-memory that endures even to this day.

I hear this music now, if things are just right, and I can smell the smoke from the cooker, and hear my dad's comments on the results; the casual "ooh" or "och!" of minor emotions.

He'd have a tea-towel tucked into his waist band instead of an apron, piling the cooked food onto a plate that sat beneath the grill pan ("to keep it warm"), and pleasantly soiling the virgin whiteness of a fried egg white with the grainy goodness of the black pudding that was fried beforehand.

The atmosphere after we've all had a nice afternoon, the whole family together under one roof.

No distractions, no duty, just family.

My dad's been dead now for nearly 12 years. I still miss him.

Nice pic of the gargoyles at Paisley Abbey Slinker. Where'd you find that?

Just finished reading the first two tpbs of Captain Britain & MI13...... bloody great stuff.

I do like Cornell's very British take on superheroes. Cap's response to a Skrull sneering about how these tiny people don't know about grandeur & pride is a sarcastic "I think you'll find we do. We just don't like to make a fuss". Brilliant.

Have to say I don't know who Pete Wisdom is, or John the Scouse Skrull, but I'm happy enough to learn as I go. Or not, as the case might be, since there's only one other trade.

What else was surprisingly good? Oh aye, the scene where the flags all over Britain magically fly together to take the form of a new hero. Very well put together.

The rest of MI13 are interesting too. The Black Knight - who I know of, but not actually anything about him, is a good partner to new super-doctor Faiza. Its nice to see an Islamic presence in a story where it's just another facet of a character, rather than an 'issue' or a story in it's own right.

Anyway, looking forward to vol 3.

Ah. That would certainly be restrictive.

Avaunt: I played when I was in school for a couple of years, stopped at about 16. Wasn't particularly great, but good enough for the school orchestra. Whether any of it remains after the intervening decades is yet to be established.

Happy birthday young man.

At the very least the right wing government should give your paper plenty to write about?

Anyway, glad to see you back.

In other news: I just bought a saxophone on Ebay!

Batman Black Mirror and Batman Gates Of Gotham are both excellent IMO. Scott Snyder writing Dick Grayson as Bats - great stuff.

No. It looks like the official version. The rejected ones were displayed, and they all looked a lot like the old Lobo's design.

Well then, either Newsarama or Bleeding Cool is wrong.

BC have a different version as the new one, and lists that one as the 3rd reject

http://www.bleedingcool.com/2013/08/23/the-new-52-gets-a-new-lobo-and-its-not-what-you-think/lobo_d-_kr/

Is that not one of the rejected ideas for Lobo?

Bleeding Cool has some pics, and notes that one as a rejected design (I think - can't get the link here).

That said, the one they list as final isn't much better and still the same distance from the Lobo we know

But then again: I really couldn't give a toss about what they remake Lobo as.

That's very much my view too. But Affleck wasn't a particularly good actor at that stage of his career. Still an ok movie though.

My first reaction was one of disappointment, but now that I think about it he might do quite well.

He's big, dark & broody. His acting's improved since Daredevil. And he's now got the maturity and presence to look down on the noticeably younger Clavell as Superman.

Given the right script and direction he could do quite well. I'll reserve pre-judgement till we know a bit more.

Greg, my wife expressed great - and worryingly curious - surprise that I know a gorgeous male model (who likes comics).

I told her you were, obviously, a figment of my magination.

A non-Dexter, non-BB interlude.

I'm - surprisingly - enjoying S3 of Happy Endings. Was beginning to worry that the only thing keeping me watching was Casey Wilson, but it's crept to top of my comedy watchlist above New Girl and The Big C.

EDIT: Just saw that Yesterday's Enterprise's Lt Castillo is playing Jane & Alex's father. Geek YAY!

I hope he keeps it Glaswegian. And changes the writing on the Tardis to say POLIS BOX

.....and the Tardis will change from blue to red (police boxes in Glasgow were red, fact fans).

I think Capaldi is one of the most versatile and reliable actors we have in the UK today, and therefore I am most pleased.

If you even compare a sample of his previous roles - geeky scientist-type in Local Hero, transvestite in Prime Suspect, long-lost wandering uncle in The Crow Road, govt minister in Torchwood: Children of Earth and of course the iconic spin doctor Malcolm Tucker - it's clear he has the ability to fully inhabit and make real any role he takes on.

I read that it was heavily tipped in the tabloids but I never thought he'd actually get it.

The only downsides are that now we won't get Michelle Gomez next as the 1st female Doctor (can't see them casting 2 Scots in a row) and likewise Alan Cumming is forever out of the running.

Well well.

An Oscar-winning Doctor!

Great if unexpected choice. Good work Moffat.

I'm off on holiday tomorrow (well, in 11 and a half hours)!!

Adeus, suckers!

What if you removed all triggers for a food allergy (as diagnosed by the doctor) but new ones keep showing up anyway?

Maybe it's an allergy to something other than food? Might be one of those times the Doc says "well, that didn't work as well as I thought. Let's try something else"

Watched Die Hard 5.

It was not worthy of the Die Hard name. Mediocre plot, terrible dialogue, cardboard characters.

4/10

I prefer the simplicity of crossing it with a 1970s kids' educational show: Doctor How.

Decided to rent Die Hard 5. I know it's probably going to be shit, but I have to at least watch it once.