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Kate’s SciFi Wrap Up
by Kate Blake- editor Multipleverses

What else has been happening in science fiction and action TV this month? Our reviewer Michal has done a great job with Bones, Supernatural, Legend of the Seeker and Chuck- I will tackle some of the other shows we follow here on Multipleverses. As January comes to an end we have seen the premiere of a new show- Human Target, a new season of 24 is under way, Sanctuary ended with a bang and a huge cliffhanger, things are down and dirty in the ancient Roman Empire on Spartacus and Heroes is working toward a dramatic finish.

24 is all new this season with a new CTU and new intrigues – both political and personal. I am a couple of episodes behind thanks to idiot DVR technology- but am working on playing catch up. I like Katee Sackhoff’s character Dana and find her dual life to be interesting. FOX has gone a long time without an intriguing Dana in their lineup afterall. Annie Wersching is amazingly intense this season- you can see she is hanging by a thread. The plot against the president and his personal issues are interesting and in some ways more personal and believable than some of the previous 24 plot arcs. Catch up on HULU, FOX.com or download episodes on iTunes or Amazon ( links here on our site) if you haven’t watched so far.

Human Target is the new FOX offering. It has an old fashioned action feel with a combination of new world high tech gadgetry combined with tons of old school action and gutting it out fight scenes and drama. I am not sure how long the damsel in distress of the week will work though. This is not the 1980s. I like the team. Mark Valley as Christopher Chance is somewhat mysterious and so far his motivations are unclear. Jackie Earle Haley shines.

Sanctuary on the SyFy channel ended its second season with a BIG 2 hour finale which included many of the details that the cast spoiled us with back in July at Comic Con. The BIG BERTHA finale delivered. Smallville’s Callum Blue came in and stole every scene he was in with his charismatic and menacing presence. Loved his end shot. Am worried about Will and how our esteemed doctor will survive his ordeal. I think it is a given that the power play in the Sanctuary network will be squashed soon. I hope that Blue’s billionare madman escapes to come back later like the truly great Bond villains.

In more SyFy news- Caprica has finally premiered. Initial ratings were somewhat soft but ok considering it was up against the big Haiti telethon. We skipped tv and went to see Avatar again. The showing we went to at the Phoenix Desert Ridge AMC Imax 3-D showing was sold out with people cheering at the end. It was our third viewing and we were SHOCKED to see so many people still going to the movie- there was even a line outside the theater in the lobby with people queuing up for the next showing. I have Caprica on the DVR- will report back when I have viewed not only the pilot which was released on DVD almost a year ago but the first real new episode. Anyone else watch the trailers and think “Wow- Eric Stolz sounds like an uptight white guy”? Anyone? Really nasal and whiny. Still better than the BORING trips home on Stargate Universe.

Onto another premiere. Spartacus. Steven DeKnight who is the executive producer has had some ups and downs since leaving Smallville. He was briefly with the ill fated Hugh Jackman series “Viva Laughlin” and is now in charge of the most controversial show to come to cable in eons. Starz is thrilled – before the pilot even aired they ordered a second season of the new gladiator series. The show has a combination of familiar faces and fresh blood. And there is lots of blood. The series centers on a simple soldier – a man from Thrace. We never learn his real name but his enemies who capture him and force him into slavery and the gladiator ring call him “Spartacus.” The first episode shows us his trip from happy husband to soldier for Rome, to deserter, to captive to being forced to fight for his life in the ring. Andy Whitfield doesn’t have a lot of dialog but he does have action galore and uses his body language and facial expressions to convey emotion very effectively.

Craig Parker known around here as Darken Rahl on Legend of the Seeker is the weasely, ambitous Roman captain who first recruits Spartacus then goes against his word leaving the Thracian villages to be pillaged which is what persuades Spartacus and his men to desert their cause. Parker later captures Spartacus- ripping him out of his wife’s arms and condemning her to slavery and Spartacus to death in the ring. The episode is filled with blood and violence but if you have seen 300 and Gladiator it should not be shocking. It is more like a cartoon than realistic. There is plenty of sex and nudity. I do give Spartacus credit for bringing authenticity to thier storytelling. For the first time in a decade naked women have pubic hair. Hank Moody would applaud. Next week Spartacus moves to the training camp run by John Hannah ( The Mummy movies) and his wife played by Lucy Lawless. The political wrangling has begun and as the series moves on it will be as important as the fights in the ring. Starz has a success on its hands- they managed to pull in over a million viewers for the two nights that it aired. Remember- this is paid cable so you had to subscribe to view it. They got me to commit to $12.99 per month and so far I think I am getting my money’s worth.

From new series to series wrapping up for the year and possibly for good. Heroes is down to three episodes left and does not look good to return for a fifth season. This is too bad as the show has been stronger this year than it has since the first season. I have been enjoying the very Sylar episodes. Sylar and Matt and their showdown last night was brilliant. I like it when Matt gets mad. Claire and her dad need to figure out a way to stop Samuel and fast! Will Tracy be able to help? Will Hiro get his powers back and will he be able to find Charlie and set right what is so wrong before his brain tumor overwhelms him? Who else enjoyed the parade of dead heroes in Hiro’s coma dream from last week? Loved seeing David Anders. I really felt they got rid of him too early during the horrible Villains arc.

Dollhouse went out with a wimper. Its last episosde aired with very little fanfare. Watch online while you can- DVDs should be released by late summer/ early fall. Good news? Tahmoh Penikett is available for new work. I think he would make an awesome addition to 24- Freddie Prinze is ok but he is not tough enough. If the show is to go on without Jack- then bring in a new tough guy we can like. Being Canadian isn’t bad either as Kiefer Sutherland is also Canadian.

New this week- Smallville returns with new episodes this week and next and on Friday February 5 you will want to set your DVR for the star studded 2 hour Smallville movie event Absolute Justice with Michael Shanks guest starring as Hawkman. Do not worry if you haven’t watched in a while- you will get a previously on Smallville intro to catch you up. Watch for Shanks on an upcoming episode of Supernatural as well. I would love to see Shanks get a series where he is the primary lead- maybe the CW could cast him as the hot dad in a new show? I would definitely tune in.