As we come to the end of the holiday season, the winter breaks for many of the current season shows has given us time to perhaps catch up on some of last season’s shows that Santa may have left under the Christmas tree. Or you may be considering a purchase with some cash or gift cards you received. If you’re a fan of television – and you probably wouldn’t be here if you weren’t – we have some reviews/suggestions of a whole crop of last season shows that might be worth your interest.

The Vampire Diaries: The Complete Fifth Season

After a sizzling summer with Damon (Ian Somerhalder), Elena (Nina Dobrev) leaves Mystic Falls and moves into a dorm with her roomie Caroline (Candice Accola), ready for new adventures and new friends. But dark thoughts gnaw at Elena, and soon familiar faces are back in the girls’ lives. There’s Stefan (Paul Wesley) with his shadow self Silas, plus Katherine, with a diabolical agenda and a jaw-dropping transformation. As the Doppelgangers test destiny, tearing lovers apart and pitting the Salvatore brothers against each other, the student body count rises, evidence of powerful forces on campus. Anchors, Rippers, Passengers and Travelers struggle to survive alongside witches and werewolves, teaching our favorite vampires painful lessons along the way.

Season Five of The Vampire Diaries arrives from Warner Home Video in a deluxe Blu-ray/DVD combo package that also includes a Digital HD version of the season. If you’re a fan of the show, you know the formula and season five is sure to not disappoint. The Blu-ray image is sharp and clear, looking as good if not better than the broadcast version with an outstanding DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround audio track. Dialog is clear, and surrounds are used to envelop you in the scene.

The 22 episodes are spread over 4 discs (5 on DVD). Disc 1 contains episodes 1-6, deleted scenes for episodes 2 and 5, and a 30-minute video presentation from the 2013 Comic-Con panel featuring the cast and creator Julie Plec.

Disc 2 contains episodes 7-12 and deleted scenes for episodes 8, 11 and 12. Disc 3 contains episodes 13-18 and deleted scenes for episodes 14 and 18. Disc 4 contains episodes 19-22 and the bulk of the sets Special Features:

• “I Know What You Did … In the Last 100 Episodes” (10:15) — The cast, producer and writer play a fun game of trivia to see how much they don’t know about the show capped by a thank you to the fans for watching.
• “The Vampire Diaries: To the Other Side and Back” (10:35) — Featurette exploring the mythology of “the other side.”
• “A Day in the Afterlife with Kat Graham” (7:02) — Kat Graham escorts viewers through a day on set.
• “Second Bite” (5:03) — Gag reel

(This post contains 4 pages. Please visit the website to continue reading. Thank you.)

Slowly but surely, things are starting to change at Syfy. The network that once eschewed its roots in science-fiction programming in a move to grab ratings – and admittedly stability – is finally coming back around. Gone are the days when there was more wrestling than shows like Stargate: Universe (admittedly the WWE still has a place on the network, but sci-fi fans will take their gains where they can). Continuum and Defiance begat Dominion and Helix which are shepherding in 12 Monkeys and The Expanse (!!!). Depending on your opinion of the Sharknado franchise, Syfy has done a solid job at creating event television; Ascension, a mini-series premiering this week, hopes to continue that tradition.

Syfy President Dave Howe told The Hollywood Reporter earlier this week that they don’t invest in miniseries programs without the potential backdoor for a series run, and what I’ve seen of Ascension thus far (the network has released the first two hours out of the six total), that is a really good thing. At San Diego Comic-Con earlier this year, I had the opportunity to sit down with the show’s creator Phillip Levens and members of the cast: Brian Van Holt (Ascension’s captain William Denninger), Tricia Helfer (Denninger’s wife Viondra), Andrea Roth (Doctor Juliet Bryce) and Al Sapienza (Councilman Rose). Between those conversations, and viewing the first two hours, this is what we’ve learned:

The Ascension and its crew are a product of their time

The ship was launched in secret in 1963, on a course for the Proxima System. The mission was intended as a post-Cuban Missile Crisis lifeboat for humanity: a 100-year journey to establish a colony that can avoid the threat of the world’s destruction in a nuclear war.

Levens quotes a line from the script that talks about how technology might have developed separately from “our” timeline, “If you take 600 of the best and the brightest and put them in a tin-can for 50 years, you’d be amazed with the things they’ll come up with.” But the culture on the ship maintains a distinctly 1960’s personality, most specifically evident in the way gender relationships have developed (or more-specifically haven’t) since the mission began.

The crew isn’t able to communicate with Earth; the challenges of time and space (and the plot convenience of their engine-technology’s interference) prevent it. They aren’t even aware if the planet survived the Cold War; but the story spends enough time on present day Earth to confirm that we all still exist in this universe. At home, the existence of the ship and its mission is fodder for conspiracy theorists.

There are many characters that question the mission

We find the Ascension as it approaches its metaphorical Rubicon, the point at which the ship’s resources wouldn’t allow for changing course and returning home. Fifty years into its journey, none of the crew is there by choice. Their parents and grandparents, in effect, made that decision for them. Some are beginning to doubt the mission, “Some people [think] maybe their grandparents made a mistake, maybe they were conned by the government,” Levens explains, “Maybe they bought into something that wasn’t real.”

In closed society, segmented classes are unavoidable

Inevitably, one of the themes of the story looks at the distinction between the ship’s leaders and the manual laborers. Denninger’s second in command, Oren Gault, is promoted from the lower decks. Instead of being the example that the society can rise above its stratification, seemingly everyone on the ship not named Oren Gault sees his position as a move to mollify those lower-level folks that want to do more than tend to the livestock.

Dr. Bryce expects her daughter Nora to follow in her footsteps and becomes the ship’s physician. The events of the first episode (a murder on board is the series’ inciting incident) change her motivations

There is 5-6 seasons worth of story to tell if audiences respond

Ascension is just six hours for now, but Levens and the team already have multiple seasons worth of story if audiences and the network respond favorably. “It was always designed to have a much larger, five or six year arc. It has lots of surprises … it’s not what you expect.”

Love triangles, relationships and threesomes, oh my!

Ascension isn’t family viewing – at least not in my family. The ship’s interpersonal relationships are a mess. While a computer chooses mates based on optimal genetic conditions (a death has to occur before a life is allowed to be conceived), the characters sure do get around. Helfer adds, “In Viondra’s case it’s not so much about desire, it’s much more about power.” Her relationship with her husband is one of love, but is as much a partnership invested in maintaining the power the captain’s position includes.

Ascension is in for a bumpy ride

Things aren’t going to be easy for the crew — admittedly, that would make for a crappy narrative. From the murder that kicks the story off, to the growing friction between the classes (informed by the desire of some — if not many — to turn the ship around and head home) to the mysterious entity that seems to haunt one of the crew’s children, a thread of danger weaves its way throughout the ship. Monday’s installment presents interesting questions about the motivations of the crew and the many secrets they keep from each other. Some of those questions are likely to be answered on nights two and three, but I hope the story will get a chance to develop beyond what we see this week.

Jason Rothenberg and the rest of The 100’s production team spent the entire summer dancing around questions about the fate of the myriad characters last season’s finale left in significant danger. Isaiah Washington, who plays Chancellor Jaha, was even more dodgy (remember the beginning of this video?). Last week’s premiere cleared up the disposition of Bellamy, Finn and Raven – to an extent – but this week covered the last man in space.

Unfortunately, I found the Jaha storyline to be a rare misstep by the writing team. It was obvious early on that the infant was a hallucination brought on by oxygen deprivation. Hell, even in the final scene last week Wells’ picture was up on his father’s monitor as we first heard the baby’s cries. It was a weak way to move Jaha beyond his “the captain goes down with the ship” mentality, and motivate him to finding a way to get down to the planet.

Despite his protestations at Comic-Con, I didn’t buy into Washington attending the convention to promote the show if he wasn’t going to be involved (Though Arrow and Caity Loitz have me rethinking that mindset). Regardless, Jaha now has two feet firmly planted on terra firma. He’s still separated from his people – the temp effects available in our screener gave no hint to his location beyond it being in a sandy desert – but that’s something that has to be resolved eventually (else why bother bringing him back?).

The 100 doesn’t seem to be the kind of show to shy away form the consequences of the tragedies that befall our characters. Raven’s operation left her without the use of her leg. Unless Abby Griffin has some miracle cure hiding in another part of the wreckage, Raven is going to have a great deal of difficulty adjusting to her new normal. And really, if some miracle occurs like Hal on Falling Skies (or Maggie on Falling Skies for that matter) we are all worse off for it.

You can take her legs, but you cannot take her spirit. Reminding Finn – and to a certain extent the audience – that the bond between the remaining 100 is more important than following the rules of a society that banished them to an unknown fate. We as an audience might like Abby or Jaha or even Kane to a certain extent (Though I wonder how he will react next week to the prison break) … but the core of this show has always been about the teenagers sent to the ground. Finn, Raven, Jasper, Monty, Bellamy, Clarke … the children that were cast into an unknown hell bonded and became their own dysfunctional family. There was never any doubt that they would go searching for the others, it was just a matter of time. That it was Raven who prompted them – and Abby that supplied them – was a nice touch.

Clarke keeps pushing and pushing, despite everyone around her urging against it. Jasper can say “someone’s got to keep her out of trouble” but he’s a bit busy with his new lady friend. Instead, Clarke discovers the Mountain Men’s secret (or perhaps just the first). I’m no doctor, but I am sure with years of research and experience, the inhabitants of Mount Weather could have found a way to buoy the immune systems or whatever they would need to do to develop a resistance to the radiation that didn’t include (medically) sucking the blood from Grounders.

Notes and Quotes

• That opening title sequence is amazing, isn’t it? Rothenberg promises that it is full of easter eggs, so I’m sure someone will have it uploaded and examined by the time I’m eating my cereal tomorrow morning.
• Felix Gaeta. Ellen Tigh. Tory Foster. The 100 has been filled with Battlestar Galactica alums from day one. This week introduced Ty Olsson (Captain Aaron Kelly) as a grounder friend of Lincoln’s.
• “Ai laik Okteivia kom Skaikru; and you have something I want.” – Man, Marie Avergopolous – and Octavia — certainly has become a badass.
• “Only patients are allowed in medical,” I’ve seen that scene twice now, and both times Clarke had me cringing and pulling myself into the fetal position.

Previously on The 100: What. The. Fudge. Critics can talk about Scandal, they can talk about The Walking Dead, or they can talk about a host of other much-hyped shows that provides shocking twists and turns, but for my money, The 100 has them all beat.

I was describing the show to a friend this summer, trying to explain how the show kept ramping up the action. I told her there was a big shocking moment at the end of the pilot that left audiences jaw-dropped. Then Clarke topped it at the end of episode two. Then Charlotte topped it once and then once again in the following episodes. There’s nothing like The 100 on television anywhere, and I’m damn glad the show is back.

I talked to the cast and crew at San Diego Comic-Con this summer, and I was particularly struck by something showrunner Jason Rothenberg said. The full quote is in the video below, but he basically didn’t think that the show deserved its reputation for killing off characters; other than Wells, none of the characters killed was portrayed as a regular character. Rothenberg implied that since the show received that reputation, they were going to attempt to live up to it in season two. Boys and girls, if that statement does not scare you, you are not paying close enough attention. There’s an influx of characters on the ground with the return of the Ark, the Mountain Men (People?) and more Grounders. More characters to track makes it considerably easier to chop off a couple here or there as the story allows.

The end of last season left most of our characters a scattered, battered, bloody mess, separated and in a heap of trouble. Clarke, Monty, Jasper and 45 others have found themselves in relative safety in the welcoming arms of the denizens of Mount Weather. It seems that some aspect of the American culture and government were saved from the holocaust, but are now trapped by the radiation their bodies were protected from. Mount Weather’s comforts – including power from Philpott Dam (which in reality is a three day walk from Mount Weather) – are too good to be true. Other than Clarke’s feeling of unease, it is impossible to pinpoint exactly what is off about Mount Weather, but something obviously isn’t right.

The finale and premiere have introduced a variety of game-changers, none of which are going to be as impactful as the landing of the Ark. Kane saving the boys was a hint of the safety that the returnees (can the show come up with a cool name for them stat?) represent, but Bellamy’s arrest proves that whatever trials they experienced on the Ark, they will likely never comprehend what the 100 experienced on the ground. The politics of the myriad groups now on the ground are going to play a major role in the story arcs this season, but none will be trickier than the reintegration of these two groups … if it is even possible.

One of the other things Rothenberg mentioned in our conversation was the possibility of learning more about Murphy, and how that might humanize him a little. He obviously was referring to his conversation with Raven in the drop-ship. Rothenberg was clear to say that Murphy wasn’t necessarily going to be redeemed, something I think is impossible. I don’t particularly care that he had a particularly good childhood; very few of the 100 did. Bellamy was hard on everyone early on for the right reasons without realizing it, but Murphy was a sociopath. It’s hard to embrace someone who urinates on someone who just wanted a water break. Raven wasn’t there for the worst of things. She might show a little mercy, but it is doubtful others will.

The return of the Ark, the mysteries of the Mountain Men, the savagery of the Grounders and the resolve of the 100; so much of what we learned last season will soon be disproven. Our heroes are going to face challenge after challenge that continues raise the levels of WTF in ways that the first season couldn’t even begin to prepare us for.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnrZ4Lzi4Qc

• I have seen the first three episodes of the season, so it is admittedly difficult to dance around what I already know. A smarter man would have stopped in between episodes, but I was too damn excited.
• One of the few truly “fun” things that The 100 gets to explore is the relationship between Jasper and Monty, and tonight’s cake/pie interchange is a great example.
• There were several WTF (and for the record, the F stands for “fudge”) moments, but Kane shooting Tristan through the head was the first of several times that got me off the couch.
• Speaking of which … how did a politician on a space station become such a great shot and a tactical leader?
• Some of the casting cross-over is due to where the show is filmed, but the show adds a Cylon tonight in Rekha Sharma (Kate Vernon appeared and was too-quickly killed last season) and will add another Battlestar vet next week.
• We’ll get more into Octavia and Lincoln next week, but I am really interested in where their story is going. Ricky Whittle was one of two recurring actors upgraded to regulars this year (Lindsey Morgan) and was extremely entertaining at SDCC – I’ll be sharing that video in a week or two.

The 100 was probably my favorite new show when I reviewed the 2013 pilots last summer. Nothing could have prepared me, however, for what was to come when the series got to Episode 3 (Or Episode 4 … or Episode 5; at some point I had to stop counting). Jason Rothenberg and his team are right up there with Shonda Rhimes’ Scandal in terms of telling a fast-paced, dark story that is less like a television show and more like — if you’ll forgive the cliche — a roller coaster ride (and a damn fine coaster, too. Not one of those kiddy-coasters, but one you lose your lunch just looking at from the bottom).

We sat down with the cast and crew at San Diego Comic-Con earlier this summer. They told us what they could about the upcoming season, which was unsurprisingly very little. Isaiah Washington was particularly obtuse (tongue-in-cheek … to an extent). If you had asked me this summer, I would have said that just by his appearance at the Con one could figure out his fate … but then I’m reminded of our conversation with Mark Guggenheim about how many episodes Caity Loitz was going to be in, and I start to hedge those bets.

Here is what we learned from our conversations:

Jason Rothenberg

• Rothenberg isn’t sure the show really earned the “Is Anyone Safe” reputation it received in the first season. “We didn’t really kill that many important characters … we killed Wells.” But the writers try to treat violence in a real way. Wounds are impactful, and characters don’t heal by the time the next episode comes around. “That said, this year? No one is safe. We got too much credit last year, so this year I need to earn it.”
• Managing what the writers and actors can say before an episode airs is tough. There’s a balance between needing to answer questions to media to help build hype and revealing too much. Rothenberg, “I know if I was a fan of the show and I read online, ‘Oh this guy’s going to live’ … I’d be like ‘eh, OK.’ I want to be surprised when I watch it.
• Murphy is a character whose backstory is going to be revealed a little this season. “We’re going to start to peel back the layers.” Rothenberg compares episode six that explained where Bellamy was coming from as something they are going to try to do with the most hated of The 100. “I feel like [Murphy] on some level was underserved as a character last year … There’s a reason why he is the way he is.”
• Rothenberg loves all of the characters, but particularly likes writing for Clarke, “Eliza is just so good, anything I write she shows me what it really means.”
• All of the characters are scattered. The survivors from the Ark have landed in different places; the original 100 – or what’s left of them – are separated. “One of the things that this season is about is figuring out ways to get the people back together. Reunions are a key storyline.” The adults from the Ark finding their children – and finding them changed – will be an important arc. Rothenberg stopped short of saying whether or not Clarke and Abbey will be reunited, but at least they’re on the same planet now.
• Rothenberg doesn’t think that they will ever show the story of the apocalypse on the planet, but is interested in showing how the people of the Ark came together. “It’s a big episode, where big = expensive, so I’m not really sure when it’s going to happen, but it’s something I’d like to do.”

 Eliza Taylor / Clarke Griffin

• Taylor “kinda knows where Clarke’s going,” but they’re only given scripts a couple of days in advance of shooting. Plus? The story is always changing.
• “Being able to play someone who is smart and strong and soulful is just fantastic.”
• Taylor has been focusing on her physicality this season, especially after watching last. “I’m a girly-girl really,” and that’s something that Clarke isn’t. There were scenes last year where she felt she put a little too much of that into play, and she doesn’t want to repeat it.
• She’s looking forward to the hypothetical reunion with her mother (she thinks it will happen, but again, she hasn’t read ahead). “There’s a lot of tension there, but also they’ve both changed so much individually, it will be interesting to see if they recognize one another.”
• When asked about whether Clarke will continue to evolve in the same direction we saw in Season One, Taylor was confident she would. “She’s on that path, there’s no turning back. She’s definitely blurring the lines,” doing those morally questionable things that being a leader forces her to take on.

 Devon Bostick / Jasper Jordon

• Bostick is really excited to explore “the new world that is Mount Weather.” It sounds like the mystery that is this new locale – which Rothenberg assures us we will understand in the first moments of the season – will change the fabric of the world these characters live in.
• Bostick loves playing Jasper. He took to the character immediately when he read the pilot script, though he was shocked to see him die in the end. “He was the only guy having fun, just enjoying Earth for the first time … he’s goofy, but there’s a lot of heart to him.” But playing the transition is interesting. Jasper has PTSD from being speared, and has become a very different person. He’s running into battle, when he should probably just stay in camp.
• Jacktavia: Octavia slipped out of Jasper’s hands, which did challenge how Bostick approached the character. “She was a motivation to be doing the crazy things, because ‘she’s gonna dig it.’” It was a good beat to play, that despite Jasper’s affection, she was taking advantage of him. But now, “She’s a Grounder-pounder as they say around camp.” You can tell that Jasper’s sense of humor is very much born in Bostick’s.
• No one will say if Bellamy is alive or if Jaha is dead. Usually, you get a pretty good indication of such things by the show’s marketing in advance of the season; for example Isaiah Washington attended the Convention where Bob Morley did not. In this case, I’m not sure that’s a definitive clue.
• The interactions of the various factions on the ground will be a big part of the season. “The politics of the different societies; we’re going to explore how they all relate and who stands where,” teases Bostick, who was walking a tight line on what he could say and what he should not.
• That Mount Weather was a big part of the premiere and the finale was done intentionally. It was their goal originally, as the adults on the Ark told them that is where they could find safety. In the season finale, they learned just how wrong they really were. Bostick tells us, “We were wrong about the Grounders; now we’re wrong about the Mountain Men.”

 Lindsey Morgan / Raven Reyes

• “If you think Season One was nuts, Season Two is definitely … ‘Get Ready.’” The intensity jumps off from the first minute back.
• Morgan appreciates how well the writers are in tune with what the actors are doing and what they bring to their characters: “They can see what we shine in, and what’s our strengths as actors. They’re also very curious … they always try to stretch us and surprise us.” They pushed Raven a great deal last year, exploring her character beyond just a normal guest star (the character and Reyes’ work was rewarded with a promotion to the regular cast this season).
• While talking about the writing surprising her, someone asked if there was a moment in a first season script that surprised her. “Bellamy … I mean, where did that come from?!?” Where the producers will give warnings about major plot points – most specifically to an actor if their character is going to die in a script, they let her find out this particular character beat on her own. “I was just reading the script going, ‘Oh, this is good! This is … WHAT?’” Raven was always intended to die, but the writers kept pushing that death back. When Morgan read scene where Raven and Bellamy hook up, she figured that such a shocking, raw moment would be an interesting final beat before the character was supposed to die in the next episode.

 Marie Avgeropoulos / Octavia Blake

• Avgeropoulos was able to enjoy Comic-Con this year much more than last year for several reasons. She explained that it is easier to talk about a show people have seen – and become a fan of – than last year, where she felt like they were promising that the show was amazing. Plus, managing the Convention while on crutches, as she was forced to do last year, is much harder than you’d think.
• While social media has been a part of the show’s early success, she hadn’t really participated much before. “It’s the only place you can get a marriage proposal and a death threat in the same day.”
• “Season Two? It’s much darker and will push the envelope and show viewers even more than Season One.” She tells us that what we think is happening is the exact opposite from what is actually going on. We will obviously be meeting new characters, who “survived – or not – the effects of the radiation.”
• Avgeropoulos is comfortable with the character at this point, “It’s like when you turn the key in a car and put it into drive and it’ll just do its thing.”
• “I think Jasper is desperately trying to get out of the friend-zone.” But the Lincoln/Octavia story is more dynamic. She identifies with Lincoln for several reasons, and that the 100 had wrongly accused him was one of them, as she has familiarity with that. “Her only crime was that she was born.”
• Octavia is separated from the 100, both physically and emotionally. Her time with Lincoln will be difficult once they encounter other Grounders who won’t welcome her with open arms, and how the 100 react if and when they reunite will surprise her as well.

 Ricky Whittle / Lincoln

• “Season One was really like Disneyland [compared to this season.]” His hashtag for the season is apparently, #justgotdarker.
• In preparing for this season, Rothenberg and Whittle’s discussions have lead him to doing a great deal of reading and research on “something,” which he obviously couldn’t share. “The material I’ve been given, I feel very honored to be trusted with … I’m going to have to go there, I’m going to have to ‘go there.’”
• Whittle has put a great deal of time and energy into crafting his performance. You can tell he has embraced not just the assignments the producers gave him, but everything that role entails. He obviously (yeah, ladies … it’s obvious) spent time in the gym, but it goes beyond that. He works with a vocal coach to get his accent right. His work with an acting coach lead him to lobby the writers to give him less dialogue, as he thinks that’s how Lincoln would be. “I don’t want dialogue. Keep that mystique, keep him silent. He doesn’t need to answer you.”
• The one assignment he would share with us? Horse training. He’d ridden before, but wants to take it to a new level. The stunt coordinator owns his own ranch where he worked with Joseph Gatt and Dichen Lachman last season.

Isaiah Washington / Counselor Jaha

• Talking with Washington was an interesting experience, much different from how he was last year. The whole conversation was, I hope, just tongue-in-cheek … cheekiness. Just a couple of quotes (which were repeated often) will sum up the experience (and I’ve left most of the beginning of the conversation in the highlight clip above):
• “I’m a walking cliffhanger, and I can’t tell you a thing.”
• “No, I can’t talk about it.”
• “Can’t talk about that.”
• “It’s so disappointing, I feel like I’m letting everyone down. I ran my mouth non-stop last [year].”
• “Yeah … it’s gonna be intense.”
• “You will be in alignment with Jason Rothenberg’s decisions on Counselor Jaha’s fate.”

Let’s get something out-of-the-way right now so there’s zero confusion.

Here’s what I’ll do: I’ll warn you with a “Ready? Here we go” when I’m moving on to the spoilers. Fair enough?

I saw “No Sanctuary” — the season 5 premiere of The Walking Dead — a week or so ago. Thrilled to get an advanced screening of it, I viewed it twice. I relished in it.

For Dead fans, it’s been a long haul since “A,” the season four closer that aired back on March 30th leaving us wondering the fate of the group corralled in that box car by the residents of Terminus. (And don’t tell me that was a spoiler — I can’t imagine anyone not being up to date on the series.)

So … here are several thoughts on “No Sanctuary.” Ready? Here we go …

Know what would have been nice? Had we lost a character of substance. (Not the nicest sentiment, I agree. But losing someone would have made the premiere infinitely more interesting.) Doing so would have shot a “no one is safe” reminder going into the new season.)

Of course, like anyone fond of the series, I don’t really want to see any character get offed.

Still … I lean toward the idea of the show living on the edge rather than the cushy feel-good warm fuzzies the episode left us with detailing the reunion of everyone (with the exception of Beth) free of Terminus, whole and hale.

Don’t get me wrong: Carol’s “homecoming” and her touching re-acquaintance with Daryl was pleasant enough. Same with Rick and Carl’s realization Judith was in good hands and back in the fold.

But … it was too comfortable, too complacent, too convenient.

Lord knows the group has contended with its trials and tribulations. And most recently with the events at Terminus. I expected a lot more from the opener, though. The truth of the matter is I was mildly disappointed with it.

More than not, it was a lot of same old same old. Blazing firepower against devious enemies and relentless walkers, a timely rescue courtesy of Carol (contributing to Rick gainsaying his previous thoughts and actions toward her), lots of coincidental circumstances “just in the nick of time” avoiding the demise of some familiar faces (Glenn, Rick, more) and the tough luck happenstances of others with which we’re not so acquainted (the many Terminans).

However it may appear, I’m not quite that heartless. I have soft spots here and there for many of the group. I just hope the writers got some of those television tropes out of their systems for the time being. (They won’t. They sure did fill the opener with stuff that seemed more filler and fodder than anything else.) But they will continue to surprise us unexpectedly as in the past. Those are the times I relish most.

Carol’s diversion — blowing up the propane tank at Terminus — was nice. (I guess.) Seeing various events taking place at Terminus, Carol naturally saw a call for action. But … you see what I mean about things being a little too convenient? Convenient and somewhat cheese-fest? Though, in the grand scheme of things, her efforts did set up reestablishing herself back in Rick’s good graces. But that was “safe” story telling. I want something more jarring and innovative. I’ve seen enough walkers blasted and stabbed and mown down with round after round after round of ammunition.

One of the biggest puzzles of Terminus is still up in the air. Were they cannibals? Those bins stenciled with “Burn, Feed, Wash” — what were they all about? Were the Terminans actually processing corpses for their own consumption? Surely they knew of infection, maybe not. Maybe they knew that eating fresh kills didn’t make any difference so filet of biter was on the menu. Or were they simply accommodating any who strolled into Terminus as a gesture of welcome? “Hey buddy … you look famished. Care for some nice BBQ?” Lots of questions going on there which we may still never learn the answers.

Or … do we?

There were a few nifty moments during the hour. The “then” segments in the show revealed much about the Terminans. They used to be “good guys,” untarnished and still discerning, still decent. We learned Mary is Gareth’s mother. Gareth’s mother?!? Who was right at home a few episodes back, flipping slabs of meat behind the grill for Maggie and Glenn and Bob and the others?!? Yikes! While that was a nice little jewel from the writers, did it solidify in anyone’s mind the Terminans are out and out cannibals? Still, thoroughly enjoyable bookends to the episode. (Plus … we’re not quite finished with Terminus just yet. *cue drama button*)

Best of all, the writers left Beth’s fate from last season wide open. Not everything was tidied up with a neat, clean red bow. Something to look forward to.

The Walking Dead is back. Finally. For me, this was somewhat a low key, *meh* chapter to start a season. But I know it will improve going forward. Later in the week I will publish talks with some of the cast from this summer’s Comic-Con that will shed some light on what’s to come.

Stay tuned …

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It is hard to believe that Arrow is now entering its third season. It seems like it was only yesterday that the Internets were abuzz with discussion of Stephen Amell and his salmon ladder. Today Arrow is a much different show than it was when it started: We’ve gained a Felicity and lost a Tommy. The Black Canary has come and gone (and will be back again) and Roy Harper has gone from street hood to Arsenal. In the meantime, Arrow has developed a rabid fan base and is the most watched show on The CW.

The show has always had a big presence at San Diego Comic-Con, and this summer was no exception. We had the opportunity to sit down with some of Team Arrow while we were there, including Stephen Amell (Oliver Queen), David Ramsay (John Diggle) Willa Holland (Thea Queen), Colton Hayes (Roy Harper), John Barrowman (Malcolm Merlin) and producers Greg Berlanti and Mark Guggenheim. As season three prepares to kick off next week, here’s what they told us to expect:

Oliver finally might have everything

Oliver will be – at the beginning of Season Three – a guy who is relatively at peace. “You’ll find a happy Oliver,” teases Stephen Amell. “Did you see me smile in the preview for season three? It’s like, ‘What’s that???’” Things are so different, that Amell and the premiere director had to figure exactly how Oliver smiled. “He got the baddie without killing him. He’s officially become a hero – that doesn’t kill and brings them to justice,” praises Ramsay. Oliver, at this point, wants to see if he can balance being a normal person and being the Arrow.

His relationships with those around him are changed as well. Amell highlights how things have changed mostly for the better – though not in all quarters – in the video. “Everyone’s in a good spot” says Amell. Most important to some fans, is his relationship with Felicity: “There is one woman in his life this year, and that is Felicity.”

But how long will it last?

“A large part of Oliver’s journey this year is dealing with whether or not he can have it all,” producer Greg Berlanti tells us. The previews that we’ve seen show us that Oliver and Felicity have a moment together, but it looks like it is interrupted. Plus his dynamic with Diggle will be altered by the latter’s new responsibilities as a father.

John Diggle: “Daddy Diggle”

“I always joke that he’s going to have a Bjorn and a Glock,” jokes David Ramsay. But the challenges of being a new father might not compare to trying to be a father and a member of Team Arrow. “Oliver is really going to have a problem with the idea that this guy’s a father and he’s risking his life everyday.” Being a father changes the dynamic between the two, especially considering what Oliver experiences in the first episode back.

“Diggle has always been the voice of reason,” continues Ramsay. Beyond fatherhood, he is also still involved with ARGUS and the Suicide Squad. “We’ll see what all of that means to the team.” ARGUS will be a big part of the story this season, especially considering Amanda Waller’s appearance in the Hong Kong-based flashbacks this year. In the present, Lila starts the season as the head of the organization, but Diggle teases a promotion might be in his future.

Balancing a “real life” in addition to their extra-curricular activities is something both Diggle and Oliver will face, but it sounds like the former will handle it better. Ramsay explains that “some of the things that Oliver wants to do, you’re going to see that happen with Diggle.”

Roy is a full-fledged member of Team Arrow

That being said, he doesn’t entirely trust everything around him (perhaps a lesson he learned from Thea). Not only that, Hayes says he doesn’t think Team Arrow should trust him. But he wants in: “the thing he’s been missing his whole life was his family, and he sees a sense of family in Team Arrow.”

He continues to deal with the fact that he is the reason Thea left, a secret he is not something going to share with Oliver or the rest of the team anytime soon. But he and Thea will cross paths sooner rather than later, much to the chagrin of Malcolm Merlin.

What about Roy’s “identity?” While he didn’t confirm Roy’s new name, he certainly stumbled over the word “arsenal” when describing all of the weapons he carries. Hayes seems excited to be going all in as far as crime fighting goes, including calling his costume “badass.”

No one was talking Thea, not even Thea herself

In a show like Arrow, you always expect a lot of vague answers when you ask certain questions. The cast here is particularly worried about saying too much (there’s a great run in the video above showing reactions when several think they may have slipped up), but to a person, everyone was steering clear of anything Thea Queen related.

“All I can say is that the Thea Queen you saw leave at the end of season is not the Thea Queen we see in season three.” Holland coyly hinted that she works with a personal trainer now and hits the gym everyday. The one thing she would say she’s not done (yet) is pick up a bow. “I’ve not … it’s something I ask about, I’m sure everyone asks about, and none of us get an answer.” She’s taken to the added responsibility, “being told to work out is great.”

But when the questions returned to the story, Holland clammed back up, “I can’t really give much information out about [Thea and Roy].”

The producers are excited about John Barrowman’s return

The producers wanted to get back the air of mystery that the first season had; one of the ways that they plan to do so is the reintroduction of Malcolm Merlin. Barrowman joins the cast full time this season, and that decision pays immediate dividends. Guggenheim explains, “we decided to re-inject [mystery] into the show, and certainly John’s character allows us to do that.” Malcolm’s agenda is mysterious, but we will get to see the second half of the scene between he and Thea at the end of season two. “A big part of the fun of season three is mystery of ‘Where is Malcolm and what is he up to?’”

Malcolm and Thea

“Her relationship with Malcolm is very interesting” says Holland. She explains that the decision to go off with someone – even if it was her father – who she knows to be a mass murderer, was a choice that said a great deal about where her character was. Considering all of the trust issues Thea has developed in the last two seasons, going with a character that she wasn’t going to bother trusting was different. “She trusts not trusting him.”

Malcolm has lost everything except Thea, and he’s going to try to control her – which might just be how he shows his love. Barrowman: “He’s got to control her by controlling her emotion … that’s the way he’s going to look at it now. He will love her, in a very different way.”

“Malcolm’s not evil … I say as I twist my ring like an evil-doer”

Speaking with actors who enjoy playing their characters is always a treat, and in a room where everyone loved being there, Barrowman stood out. He even went into character to explain his motivations, “If you think I’m bad, lets go back and look at what Oliver has done; we’re both doing the same thing and just going about it in different ways.” He is pissed about it: “I as Malcolm see myself as the hero; but goddamn it, no one is recognizing that.”

“Malcolm can control people with money, power and also his destructive techniques.”

It shouldn’t go without mentioning that the only reason I got to speak with him after a rotation or two went long, was that he offered to stay back after everyone had left and spent about fifteen minutes putting on a master’s class on what makes Malcolm Merlin tick. Since it was so good, I’ve added the entire video of that session at the bottom of this post.

Brandon Routh’s Ray Palmer shakes things up on several levels

Palmer is introduced trying to buy Queen Consolidated – which seems to be standard operating procedure for Arrow villains. Finding the right guy to do that while not coming across as such, at least not completely, was a challenge. Bertlanti:” We kind of had John Wayne with Oliver, that kind of essence, and we wanted Cary Grant.”

We’ve heard that Palmer might be a corner in a potential love triangle with Felicity and Oliver, but it doesn’t sound like things start out that way. Berlanti explains that the character is interested in, “this IT girl that went from being IT girl to being the assistant to the chairman of the company, and he’s particularly interested in her rise.”

How much will Arrow and The Flash interconnect?

To make life easier on the folks that are working on both shows, the production offices – including editing – are on the same floor of the same building. Berlanti, one those doing double duty on both shows, told us new shows end up taking more time, so the office arrangements will help.

But what about the stories? The universe is interconnected, and the characters know each other, so expect crossovers big and small. Sometimes, like in the second season episode “The Man Under the Hood,” and others where the stories – and the villains – are woven together.

This season’s theme is “Identity”

I asked Mark Guggenheim about the third season’s theme, and his answer was the most quick – and direct – answer of the day. He was especially excited that the question of identiy extended beyond just Oliver as previous year’s themes have focused mainly on the lead. But this year everyone is questioning who they are:

• Oliver: Am I Oliver or am I the Arrow?
• Laurel: Am I Laurel or am I my sister?
• Thea: Am I Moira Queen’s daughter or am I Malcolm Merlin’s daughter?
• Diggle: Am I a sidekick or am I my own man? Am I a father or a crime fighter?
• Felicity: Am I Oliver’s crush-object or do I have my own identity outside of him?

No really, John Barrowman is awesome

Since his conversation was so great, we’ve shared it all below:

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=u72B39titXw

Once you build a successful comic-book based series on a network that loves you, the natural thing to do is to build a spinoff. The Flash, along with “parent” show Arrow, represent much about what’s right on The CW these days. Grant Gustin is a perfect Barry Allen, and producers Geoff Johns, David Berlanti and Andrew Kreisberg have surrounded him with an outstanding cast, including Broadway star Jesse L. Martin (Joe West), TV heavyweight Tom Cavanagh (Harrison Wells), newcomers like Danielle Panabaker (Caitlin Snow) and they have even brought in someone who knows what it’s like to be under the cowl in John Wesley Shipp (Henry Allen).

We sat down with these folks at San Diego Comic-Con this summer, and as the show is set to premiere next week, we share what they told us is coming up in season one:

Grant Gustin

You can tell that Gustin really likes Barry, “He’s just full of hope and optimism. He’s easily relatable.” He’s played so many characters that he wouldn’t want to be in the same room with (we’re looking at you, Sebastian Smythe) that it is refreshing to play someone who people like. He grew up a big (very big, says the tattoo he showed us) Superman fan, so he’s had to learn a lot about the character he now portrays. He’d originally thought about reading the entirety of the run of Flash books, until he saw just how many there were. The New 52 series seems to be similar to what they’re trying to do, and Gustin points to just how knowledgeable and accessible the producers have been in helping build the character grounded in the canon.

Gustin is looking forward to delving into some of the Flash’s extended powers, specifically time travel. They tease it a little in the Pilot, but he wants more. “I think it just presents a lot of fun storylines.”

John Wesley Shipp

Shipp hasn’t yet felt that moment of weirdness seeing someone else in the suit, but the following week was to be his first scene with Grant in the Flash costume. If that moment of “weirdness” was to happen, he expected it then. But his Flash was much different tonally then this Flash. “I can’t imagine Emmet Walsh killing Priscilla Pointer [the actors who played his parents], you know?”

You can tell that Shipp is still disappointed that his show was cancelled after just one season. “Although for a one season show, it has had an incredible life … but how often do you get to come back?” He called it an extraordinary opportunity for healing.

When asked about watching the evolution of superhero properties in popular culture since 1990, Shipp talked about how audiences are more informed, “It’s a smarter sensibility … so we can address the fact that The Flash is about speed and needs to be aerodynamic.” But he kids that the landscape is saturated with comic shows and movies now. He joked with our table that we were too young to remember it used to be all about westerns, and lately it’s CSI and Law & Order.

Shipp is taken by Grant Gustin. “He’s really sincere … he’s very real.”

Shipp says he doesn’t want the character to be “Dawson’s dad thirteen years later.” Obviously prison has changed Henry, but he thinks that it is more important to demonstrate that impact in a nuanced way, “If you don’t [see how prison changed him] that’s my bad, that’s my failure.” One of the most difficult things he experienced in prison was that no one – save Barry – believed him, including specifically Joe West, his neighbor and friend … and the man who raised Barry in Henry’s absence. That’s a reunion I’m looking forward to seeing.

Shipp points to the audience’s thirst for darker shows like Constantine and The Walking Dead as to why there’s been difficulty getting another Flash property off the ground. And while this The Flash tends to be a little darker in some areas – specifically in the Allen family backstory – it is still very much rooted in the tone of the comics. Gustin’s sense of comedy: running into himself, tripping over his feet balanced with his power, demonstrates an everyman quality that is endearing.

Tom Cavanaugh

Cavanaugh was asked about what research he might have done with folks who are wheelchair-bound. He dodged the question specific to The Flash, but talked about the work he did for a little-seen independent film called Sublime. After that, he said, working in a motorized wheelchair was a big improvement. He said that the differences in the two wheelchairs were symbolic of the differences of working on a big-budget production like the show, and a much tighter-budgeted small film.

Cavanaugh was attracted to the different layers the characters portrayed, especially Harrison Wells. You could tell too, that he was a bit taken aback by fast-paced storytelling that occurs in the first nine episodes. If there is anything that The CW should get credit for, it is helping to usher in shows that tell stories at a breakneck speed, and it looks like The Flash is going to be one of them. “Things that you might want to keep in your quiver, they’re firing those things off in a hurry.”

Cavanaugh thought he had a pretty good understanding of The Flash’s stories from the comic books, but after taking the role, he realized he was a neophyte. But producers Kriesberg and Geoff Johns have been incredibly helpful, informative and – almost more importantly – welcoming to someone who wants to learn the canon.

Danielle Panabaker

Panabaker is excited to be a part of a superhero franchise with a preexisting fan base, “It’s so cool! It’s so great because people are excited about The Flash.” Playing Caitlin Snow, who brings a lot to the table, is a big part of that. “It’s great to have a really smart woman on board who also brings that emotional, sensitive perspective.” Snow is fresh from the trauma of losing her fiancé in the accident, so has that drive to keep Barry safe. That trauma has also made her much more serious than she was pre-accident (a side of her we will get to see in flashbacks early in the season).

It doesn’t look like Caitlin is being set up as an immediate love interest for Barry, but there’s a triangle dynamic that might develop with the two of them and Iris. “Barry has always pined for Iris but he can’t have her, so he’s got to figure out what’s next? The sad scientist over here?”

Andrew Kreisberg

Kreisberg was taken by one of the decisions that Smallville made early on, showing how Clark had trouble adjusting to his powers. There is something to be said too about having too much power and becoming god-like. “We’re going to try and keep [his powers] – at least early on – as limited as we can.” But there is definitely a desire (as is apparent in the Pilot) to eventually get to some of the Flash’s more dynamic powers like phasing through matter and (gasp!) time travel. Expect a Smallville-esque difficulty in learning to contain those powers.

There was a conscious decision early on on Arrow to ground the stories in reality as much as possible (thus the mirakuru storyline). The Flash, however, represents an ability to go a step farther and open the world up a bit. Berlanti came up with the idea of the particle accelerator as a way of “building” a group of super-humans all tied to the same event. “The thing that will keep it like Arrow is the way in which people view these impossible, miraculous things,” explains Kreisberg. “We’ll never have a show, especially early on, where people are just like, ‘oh yeah … guy’s flying.’”

Kreisberg doesn’t see a lot of competition between Arrow and The Flash and the other new DC Comics properties coming to television this season. “One of the things that DC did really well this year is for all of the shows they’re doing, they are so completely different. Even Arrow and Flash are two very different shows; one is a grounded, crime, revenge, Shakespearian drama and Flash is more blue skies, superpowers.” Their approach is that they are only in competition with themselves to make quality television. But a “rising tide lifts all ships,” and he’s looking forward to seeing Gotham and iZombie.

It’s been a couple of months since Comic-Con but we’re finally within reach of one of the most anticipated shows of the new television season: Gotham. The series, if you don’t know, tells of the story of a young Jim Gordon and his experiences and rise in the ranks of Gotham’s police force along with origin stories of many Batman villains. (It premieres this Monday on FOX.)

I got the opportunity to sit in at a filled-to-capacity press room with many of the notables in the freshman series.

And when I say filled to capacity, I’m not talkin’ turkey. I was one of the last media members allowed in the room; quite a bit of jostling was needed to accommodate the better part of the last dozen of us who squeezed in. Seating at the tables was tighter than tight — we were practically in each others’ laps. You cozyed up to your seatmate quickly and introduced yourself kindly so you could set up your recording equipment or you were out of luck. Real estate was at a premium.

But it was worth it in the end, even though not all the series’ stars in attendance were able to make each table (stars Ben McKenzie, Donal Logue, Erin Richards and Jada Pinkett Smith as well as executive producers Bruno Heller and Danny Cannon) but our table did host , Camren Bicondova (Selina Kyle), Robin Lord Taylor (Oswald Cobblepot), and David Mazouz (Bruce Wayne) — his video is coming soon.

The nifty thing about the three was the focus and enthusiasm they had for their characters. 13 year old David Mazouz (remember him as the emotionally challenged Jake Bohm from the short lived Touch with Kiefer Sutherland?) was especially articulate and impressive in what he had to say and had some interesting takes on his character:

Camren Bicoondova discusses a few tidbits on her audition for the role of Selina Kyle:

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_aFb1a_5NI

Someone who looked as if he was having a lot of fun — not only with the series but at Comic-Con itself — was Robin Lord Taylor who touched on some of the inter-relationships with others in the series and more:

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqG1PkC9BQA

Having sat down with these three, I couldn’t help but be even more pumped about the show’s premiere. At the time, it was still a long two months before it finally aired.

Now? It’s at the doorstep and we’re ready to be immersed in the fog and intrigue of Gotham.

TNT’s The Last Ship has been one of the surprise hits of the summer, drawing in over 5 million viewers in its premiere. The network brought the cast and creators to San Diego Comic-Con and even threw a big party on the deck of the USS Midway. We talked with the cast and writers of the show, including Eric Dane (Tom Chandler), Rhona Mitra (Rachel Scott), Charles Parnell (Russell Jeter), Travis Van Winkle (Danny Green) and producers Steve Kane and Hank Steinberg. This is what we learned about the show’s relationship with the Navy, the second season and more.

The Navy Way

Learning the “Navy Way” was an experience. Kane related a story where they’d written in a punishment for a character to be placed on kitchen duty, as they had seen in old war movies. One of the technical advisors, a ship’s captain, corrected that quickly. “The culinary specialists take that job very seriously … they are the ones that keep the troops fed, that keep morale up. If they saw you punishing somebody else by giving them their job, it would make their job feel like crap to them.” 

“The greatest thing about the Navy is that they’ve been studying leadership since 1775. They’ve made a lot of mistakes over the years and they’ve learned from them, codified them and are constantly updating it.” The producers wanted to make sure that history – in its own way – is represented in the show. They cannot get everything on this show perfect from a technical perspective, but they are proud of everything they get right, especially this. Kane shares a great story about the many different ways of saying “roger that,” that’s in the video.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=WrKeyii5lzo

Aboard the USS Halsey

Many of the actors were not particularly familiar with the Navy and how they do things. Dane’s father was an Ensign, and Baldwin’s father served in the Naval Air Corps in World War II, but everyone else received their first real Navy experience when they spent a couple of days aboard ship. The cast – and some of the crew … those that don’t get seasick – took a familiarization tour on the USS Halsey, experiencing torpedo evasion drills and shooting the 5-inch cannon fired. Dane spent time with CAPT Mike Weeldreyer and learned from him. “I got to see how he behaved when a couple things went wrong, how everything was a learning experience for him and his crew. He always asked his crew ‘what can we take away from this and how can we do it better next time?’”

Van Winkle worked with the members of the Navy’s elite fighting force that were advisors: “Michael Bay’s first request to me was, ‘Hang around the Navy SEALs on set; breathe them in.’” He expected them to be grizzled, war-heavy veterans, but was found them to be “tender, genuine and creative people.”

For Mitra, the research was different. Fortunately, she had taken an interest in virology before The Last Ship came around, “I was studying neurotoxins and their impacts classes of species … so I get the opportunity to talk to virologists every day and geek out.”

Baldwin also enjoyed working with the military. “It’s an honor to be aboard of Navy Guided Missile Destroyer … it’s been humbling and a great learning process for me … I just want to serve them well. And the virus? I ain’t worried about no fricking virus.”

Location shooting pros and cons

The entire pilot was shot on ship, but they’ve built sets after that. “You can’t ask the Navy to give you a ship for six months … they’ve got other things they’ve got to do,” kids Steinberg. They did two additional location shoots after the Pilot, for a total of two weeks. Filming obviously jumped around during those shoots, which made for production challenges. “We would doing episode two, episode nine, episode seven today … where are we?!? But we couldn’t have done that had the creators not kept so organized and had the backing of TNT,” added Baldwin.

Shooting on a ship, especially the interiors, presents challenges. Dane: “The geography of the shooting spaces are very tight. You can become a little stilted when shooting in that environment; you’ve got to learn how to stay loose.” The ships are tight quarters to begin with, but adding in camera crews, boom operators and the like makes things even more crowded.

The production incorporated the real crews of the ships they filmed on when they could. “We used the actual Navy enlisted and officers for certain roles when we need them … Who better to do their job than the guys that do their job” explains Dane.

Apocalypse Now-ish

Despite the continued efforts (at our table) to classify the show as being post-apocalyptic, the cast and producers weren’t buying it. “This is actually an apocalyptic environment; we get to see it as it’s unfolding. It’s like ‘Apocalypse Now’ … if anybody’s used that term before I’m not aware,” kids Dane. “It’s an interesting subject matter for me; I think it’s rich in story telling and the characters are great.” Steinberg adds, “The difference between our and any other show or movie is that our guys can stop it. That’s the key; the show is about the hope and these people hanging on and being heroic in the face of all odds. That’s what gives this show its urgency. It’s got a ticking clock. Every day they don’t come home with the vaccine is the day a half million people die.”

Despite the finality of the desertion story last week, it sounds like we might see another rift develop amongst the crew. Van Winkle: “We have more threats come at us, from unseen areas. The ship is its own culture, there are some rifts between power, and some rifts between what we need to do and how to do it … the typical drama that might come along with that.” This is a fairly important storyline in the book, and is ripe for adaptation.

When Dane was asked about the tension between Chandler and Slattery in the Pilot and whether or not it might come back up, “Absolutely. There’s always going to be friction between the CO and the XO because the XO is never going to fleet up and become a CO; there’s no government left. The only chain of command we have to preserve is the one that’s on the ship.”

The Navy’s reaction

The show knew that the Navy would bristle at the scene between Green and Foster in the Pilot. At the premiere in Washington, DC, the crowd definitely reacted. They had to have a couple of discussions with the Navy to share where their story was going. The point that they were trying to make, as we saw in episode six, was that is something that is detrimental to order.

Van Winkle is enjoying how the story is progressing. He particularly liked the moment in episode three, where he confesses his love to Foster, but tells her to stay away. “That’s actually become a hashtag on Twitter: #iloveyoustayawayfromme. It’s a complicated relationship and scenario, because all of us, within our fabric, there’s love … To have found love and be drawn to someone, it is hard when that is the one thing that gets in the way of my responsibilities.”

There’s a story told by several different people in the room that day about one Navy family’s specific reaction to the premiere screening. Look for it in the video above.

Command Master Chief Jeter: The Chaplin

As originally scripted in the Pilot, there was a separate character written for the chaplain (specifically in the funeral scene).  They didn’t envision the role to be one that would show up again, and saw the opportunity to cross-utilize Parnell. “We thought he’s got the gravitas, he’s got the voice and the demeanor, and it developed in the Pilot that he would become that guy and it’s become a great thing for his character to become the spiritual leader as well,” says Kane.

“Master Chief is a man of strong backbone, a man of deep faith and a great sense of duty.” He’s a stoic man, who is going through the same pain of loss that the rest of the crew is, but cannot afford to let it show, as he’s tasked with keeping the crew on the same page. He is responsible for the enlisted crew to the officers. Including the chaplain into his character makes sense.

A “loose” adaptation

The Last Ship is based on the novel by William Brinkley, which deals with a very different story. The virus epidemic in the show replaces a nuclear holocaust in the book. Dane sees very little connective tissue between the two, “We have two things in common with the book: the name of the ship and the name of the character.” A more detailed reading, however, shows a great deal more. The tension between the CO and the XO is a major part of the book. There’s also an (admittedly different) interaction with a rival Russian crew … even the excursion to the cruise ship was lifted.

Looking ahead to Season Two

“The cliffhanger for this season is going to throw everyone on their ass,” teases Van Winkle.

“The long-term plan is to save the world. There’s a lot of saving and repairing to do. That can take many different forms and shapes,” states  Time is obviously of the essence. The first season takes place over a condensed time period, but there not a plan for how much time will pass during the second season. There is a general blueprint for future seasons, but they’re open to the fluidity of the process and aren’t locked in to telling specific stories at specific times.

Would you like to know more?

The video highlights from our discussion are above, but we also have the trailer shown at The Last Ship panel, as well as the NerdHQ panel:

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yv7nZk6feG8

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6JjLuSi0pI