Lip Service - Season 2 Review

And with the second series of the BBC3 drama just completed it's run on the channel, I have a look back at what the last six weeks have been like for viewers of the show.

Episode 1: It's been a new beginning of sorts with the addition of Sadie as a regular and the arrival of Australian doctor, Lexy while Frankie and Cat continued their affair and Tess became involved in a production of Uncle Vanya with some interesting-ish co-stars.

Episode 2: The big episode with the big character death, having something of a massive ripple effect for all our main players as well. This was also the episode which kind of saw Cat finally make a decision where her heart truly belonged to and also saw the exit of Jay as well.

Episode 3: After nine episodes, Frankie headed back to New York and Sadie moved in with both Tess and Lexy when she wasn't starting an affair with magazine editor, Lauren. It's also the episode that would foreshadow that Lexy's friends with benefits thing with Bea would blow up in her face.

Episode 4: Ed's dating the obnoxious Nora, Lexy's getting creepy calls while wine tasting and helping Sam with her panic attacks, while Sam learned about Cat and Frankie, Sadie met Lauren's wife and there was an interesting moment with Sam and Lexy as well at the end of the episode.

Episode 5: Ed's book launch thing where he dumped Nora and the writers teased a triangle of sorts with Tess/Lexy/Sam while Sadie and Lauren's relationship seemed to deepen a little. Oh and there were more sarky comments from Declan and the resolution to the stalker storyline.

Episode 6: Despite Nora and Hugh's interferences, it was amazing to actually see Tess generate the applause she deserved during her performance in Uncle Vanya but too bad the episode teased a possibility with her and Lexy, only to go down the Lexy/Sam. Also, I was a little disappointed that Sadie went back to her old ways when Lauren dumped her.

Overall, a solid second series with some good new characters added in the mix but the finale could've been better and the distances between series probably didn't do it much favours. I suspect also moving it to a Friday timeslot didn't help either.

Rating: 7 out of 10

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The Play's The Thing

Actually, there's more shows I want to discuss in the next few days, so um, look forward to a blog dedicated to The Bridge and another on some of the comedies airing on UK TV at the moment. For now though, a look at the stuff I've been watching in the last week or so.

Desperate Housewives: Before anyone spoilers it, I already know how the series ends but with two episodes left to go, the build up has been entertaining to watch. Of course Bree would develop feelings for trip, considering that he's stepped into the role of her white knight but it's a fun enough pairing, so I don't mind. I do however mind that none of the housewives are making any actual effort to really help Bree though, instead turning on each or making plans (Susan offering to help raise her grandchild, Lynette's scheming to get Tom, Gabby being her usual self) but overall, looking forward to the last two episodes.

Game Of Thrones: This has certainly been a wordier season than the last one with not much in the way of actual action happening. Cersei seems to realise that she's created a monster in Joffrey and while one minute, she's being sympathetic with Sansa, the next she's threatening Tyrion (whose confession to Varys of enjoying the game is a little worrying). Even Daenerys herself seems to be in perpetual entitled mode rather than being the more assertive self I would like to see but I do find her scenes pretty interesting to watch. And then there's the events of Blackwater, which I will definitely be watching later on today.

Glee: Okay, the prom episode was fun and the finale had it's moments but ultimately was a pretty unsatisfying experience (why couldn't both Kurt/Rachel go to NYADA instead of one of them?), though Gloria Estafan as Santana's mother was worth it alone. It's the middle episodes that were more interesting - Tina's body swap dream was a good source of comedy and partial insight and it was about bloody time the kids actually won at Nationals for once. I really do hope the 'show within a show' concept mapped out for the fourth season does work in the show's favour though.

Hit & Miss: I talked about this a while ago on my blog and thankfully SkyAtlantic are generous with the repeats because it took their third airing for me to catch up with this show. Chloe Sevigny as transgendered assassin Mia is utterly brilliant and having Mia father a son named Ryan and look after the kid and his siblings now that their mother Wendy is dead is a workable touch to the series. I hope the premise can be sustained for the next five episodes but I think it will. Definitely a hit more than a miss. I know, terrible pun, don't shoot me.

Lip Service: I liked the finale but it could've been better, couldn't it? I didn't mind the fact that Sam finally admitted that she was losing it and I didn't mind that both her and Lexy did the deed but at the same time, I kind of wish they hadn't intensified Tess's feelings for Lexy in the process either. Still, at least Tess got to pull a brilliant performance on her opening night in spite of Hugh and Nora being massive hindrances and Sadie proved yet again that a leopard doesn't change it's spots when Lauren dumped as well. If this show comes back for a third run, I will be pleased but surprised, considering how bad the ratings have been.

The Vampire Diaries: Warning: I might have two episodes left to watch but I already know what's gonna happen in the finale but don't spoil it in the comments though. Alaric's fate just made me realise that people really do drop like flies on this show and while Esther has a similarly fanatical bent that her annoying son, Klaus (please, can we get rid of him, already?) has, I actually do prefer her, even if she is possessing the likes of Rebekah and Bonnie to carry out her own acts of genocide. As for the usual Stefan/Elena/Damon stuff, where's Katherine when you need her?

- Kate Hudson will be appearing in six episodes of Glee's fourth season as Rachel's mentor in New York. Sarah Jessica Parker will be in one episode as Kurt's.
- American Horror Story's second season will be set in the 1960s with Evan Peters character being the hero of the bunch and Chloe Sevigny playing an antagonist for Jessica Lange's character.
- A prequel series for Silence Of The Lambs called Clarice is in the works for Lifetime.
- Touch will get an online spin-off named Daybreak, starring Ryan McPartlin.
- Vanessa Ray will be playing a mentor of the late Allison in the new season of Pretty Little Liars.
- Jaime Cepero, Raza Jaffrey, Brian D'Arcy James and Will Chase will all not be returning for the second season of Smash.
- Mark Hudis has been named as Alan Ball's successor for True Blood if the show gets a sixth run.
- Seth Gabel will not be a regular for the final season of Fringe.

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Where Are My Dragons?

And here's a look at some of the stuff I've been watching over the last two weeks.

Desperate Housewives: We're edging towards the finale and the last two episodes have been interesting enough, especially with the neighbours burying Mike and Susan trying to find her own way to grieve for him with MJ. I liked that Gaby managed to bag a personal shopper job without even trying (Christ, I wish it was that easy to bag employment nowadays) a heck of a lot more than Andrew being engaged to a woman, Bree looking like she's about to be sent down for murder and Lynette's ham-fisted attempts of getting Tom back. Not sure if I care about Ben and Renee's engagement either but enjoyable episodes nonetheless.

Games Of Thrones: This show is getting better and better at the moment. It's interesting that both Robb and Jon have been given love interests but Theon's treachery and Joffrey's realisation of how much he's despised as a ruler have provided better shocks to me. I was surprised the show went so graphic with a near rape attempt on Sansa though for once, the Hound really was the best person the poor girl could have in her corner. Cersei's warning to Tyrion about finding someone he loves doesn't bode well for Shae and Daenerys seems to be massively out of her depth with her new 'friends' as well. The only disappointment was that Renly was killed off too quickly and we haven't seen anything of Stannis and Melisandre in these two episodes.

Glee: Oh, sometimes I don't know with this show. If the Michael Jackson tribute episode this season was too late then surely the Whitney Houston one was too soon, right? And much as I love Blaine, that version of It's Not Right But It's Okay was criminally bad. Similarly, while I admire the show tackling the thorny issue of domestic violence with Beiste and Cooter, a bit more build up would've worked in that storyline's favour. On the plus side, I did enjoy seeing Whoopi Goldberg on this show and while Rachel may have blown her audition, it's pretty obvious that it's going to be a minor setback for her, isn't it?

Homeland: I absolutely loved these last two episodes. What an incredible series this has been and I can't wait to now see Prisoners Of War because of it. Carrie vs. Brody in the last episode alone was utterly brilliant and that ending was pure evil. With nearly 3 million viewers for the finale, Channel 4 really have finally bagged an American show that's done wonders for them and it's easy to see why. The writing has been sharp as a tack, the performances from both Claire Danes and Damien Lewis have consistently intrigued and the supporting characters have been wonderful to watch. I can't wait to see where this excellent series goes next.

Lip Service: And we get not one but two episodes where we lose three regulars. I'm not going to lie - I won't miss either Jay or Frankie but I am sad to see Cat leave the series in a body bag but them are the breaks sadly. Sam and Tess's grief was certainly affecting to watch and while Sadie is a mixture of headwrecking and amusing, I guess I can live with her expanded role in the series. Of course, Lexy right now is the best thing about this show while her gay best mate and Nora the actor luvvie cliche are not totally gripping me. I hope this show gets a third run but it's hard to tell if it will though.

Smash: I still have to catch up with the third episode but so far, I'm still pretty meh on this show. None of the characters are really that striking, except for Ivy and even she's a character that's been done better on other shows. The musical numbers are good though and at least they picked the right person to play Marilyn as well but the show is hardly appointment TV if I'm being honest. I'll stick with it for a bit longer though.

The Vampire Diaries: This show on the other hand continues to be appointment TV. Seriously, the last two episodes with the fabulous Sage (who wins points for actually pining over Finn rather than Damon) have been a blast to watch and this show managed to make me feel bad for Rebekah, despite her being a scheming little madam. I've also enjoyed the ongoing plot with Alaric becoming a crazed killer as well. I can't believe there's only five episodes for me to go. This season has been so much fun to watch.

- Lauren Socha will not be returning for the fourth series of Misfits. I'm not going to dwell into it but I'm sure people are aware of why she won't be returning by now.
- While the fifth series of Merlin is still currently being filmed, the chances of a sixth run are looking good. The producers are at least mapping storylines if they get one.
- Both Matt LeBlanc and Lisa Kudrow have ruled out a Friends reunion in the future. Thank goodness for that then.
- Matthew Lillard will be appearing in the upcoming fifth season of Leverage.
- James Cromwell will be playing a doctor named Arden in the second season of American Horror Story for a 10 episode arc.
- Channel 4 have confirmed they will air the second season of Homeland, though they haven't specified when exactly.
- The Borgias has been renewed for a third season from Showtime. SkyAtlantic will air the second season soon.
- SkyAtlantic have bagged the rights to HBO series Girls, which they will air in September.
- Both Supernatural and The Vampire Diaries have been renewed by the CW. Is anyone surprised?
- Mary Lynn Rajskub will be appearing in Grey's Anatomy as part of a couple with a mysterious illness.

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Save Your Lies For Court

And here's a rundown of some of the stuff I've been watching over the last fortnight.

Desperate Housewives: Okay, now that was an interesting episode. We've got seven episodes left until the series finale and they decide to kill Mike off now? Why? I've never been the biggest Mike/Susan fan but it seemed a rather cold thing to do, especially considering the ups and downs they've had during the series duration but it still made for an interesting final scene. Keeping with the interesting, there was also Orson's vendetta against Bree and Karen's attempts to kill herself, all of which are better viewing that Carlos's latest epiphany or the growing tedium with Lynette, Tom and Jane as well.

Game Of Thrones: A solid bunch of episodes we've managed to get over the last few weeks. We've had a slew of impressive new characters, Joffrey's cruelty towards Sansa intensifying and every scene between Tyrion and Cersei has been riveting to watch. Even the Loras/Renly/Margaery triangle has been interesting to watch along with Arya/Gendry's battle for survival and Melisandre giving birth to whatever that thing was in the last episode. A bit more of Daenerys would be nice though, considering how underused she's been this season but overall, the show continues to deliver in spades.

Glee: It's been an interesting two month wait and while the first two episodes haven't been amazing (Blaine's brother issues, a tribute to disco), they certainly haven't been that boring. They do feel more like an obvious build up to graduation with various people calling into question what they want to do with their lives, but highlight-wise, we had some sublime scenes with Quinn/Artie, a continued alliance with Will and Sue, an episode where Rachel didn't sing and Brittany using underhanded methods in order to point out to Santana that being famous for nothing isn't particularly good along with Mercedes/Sam finally getting it on.

Homeland: Now that was an episode. Okay, the one where we saw Brody in flashbacks bonding with a young boy and being conditioned to accept a political position but the one where Carrie nearly got blown to pieces was better. Carrie's becoming increasingly the best thing about this show and the closer she seems to get to a result, the more things seem to be going against her. Capturing Tom Walker in this one should've been a walk in the park but apparently not. I can't wait to see what the last two episodes are going to bring for the series.

Lip Service: And it's back. Like Sherlock, BBC3 decided that waiting nearly a year and a half for the second series of the Scottish drama was a great idea. On the plus side, this was a solid opening episode. I'm not keen on the Frankie/Cat/Sam triangle and I still don't like Jay as a character but overall, the episode was good. Tess's love life with the football fan Finn and her new co-stars (including bitchy Nora) are amusing and Lexy seems like she's going to be a good addition to the series, so welcome back ladies.

The Vampire Diaries: The arrivals of all the Originals and their mother en masse is certainly fun, up until a point, isn't it? I don't know why the writers are trying to soften Klaus by having him develop feelings for Caroline but I'll keep an open mind. Personally I love that Caroline continues to be progressively smarter than people expect her to be and as for Elena pitting Stefan and Damon against each other to learn Esther's true motives - I don't hate her for it, but it's still annoying to a large extent. I wish Bill's death and Abby's transformation had more of an impact but neither were on screen long enough for me to care and that's a bummer. Still the show is on fine form though.

Titanic: And so endeth this uninspired four parter. The more I think on this, the more Julian Fellowes and ITV should've just made it as a 90 minute special rather than four episodes. The repetition of scenes didn't help matters and the characters sadly didn't feel fleshed out enough to really engage. It's a bloody shame because this should've been so good and it really wasn't.

- If Ringer is picked up for a second season, the producers have promised that we will be getting less flashbacks and the consequences from the actions of Bridget and Siobhan will be addressed.
- House's final episode will be called Everyone Dies and Olivia Wilde will be one of the guest stars in it.
- An upcoming episode of Glee will deal with domestic violence while the 20th and 21st episodes will feature a body swap plot as well.
- Desperate Housewives last episode will be called Finishing The Hat and will feature James Denton, Dana Delany, Christine Estabrook and Brenda Strong.
- True Blood will feature an upcoming flashback to Alcide and Debbie as children.
- Adam Levine's character in American Horror Story will be part of a duo called The Lovers and it's a sexual role. It will be set in a criminal asylum.
- Upstairs Downstairs has been cancelled after two series but Prisoners Wives will be back for a second series of four episodes, according to the BBC.
- Carrie will be going under in Beirut and Brody will encounter a beautiful, Middle-Eastern woman in the second season of Homeland.

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Top 40 TV Characters Part 3

And here is the third part of my rundown of favourite TV characters.

26: Atia (Polly Walker) - Rome

Oh, Atia. Now here's a woman who would give Cersei Lannister a run for her money when it comes to devious/sociopathic matriarchal characters. No matter what crazy antics this woman pulled - pimping out her children, torturing/ruining her enemies, Atia remained a fascinating character to watch in the show's two year run.

27: Oliver Queen/Green Arrow (Justin Hartley) - Smallville

Yes, I was tempted to pick either Clark/Lois/Chloe/Tess/Lex but I guess Oliver wins out, simply from evolving into a rogue-ish typical playboy character into an incredibly honourable and interesting hero, especially in the show's final two seasons. As allies go, Oliver was definitely one of the best when it came to having Clark's back.

28: K9 (John Leeson) - K9

Come on - it's a metal dog and while this K9 isn't quite as interesting as the ones we've seen in both Doctor Who and The Sarah Jane Adventures, he's still interesting enough to merit being on my list. Long live the metal dog, no matter what show he ends up on.

29: Bridget Kelly (Sarah Michelle Gellar) - Ringer

This show might have many problems in it's way but the one consistently well written and brilliant character has been Bridget Kelly - the former stripper/alcoholic whose been spending the last few months pretending to be her bitchier sister Siobhan Martin whilst falling for Andrew and trying to avoid Bodaway like the plague. That role alone has been interesting for Gellar.

30: Tess Roberts (Fiona Button) - Lip Service

Anyone should've seen this one coming. After all, I chose Alice when the first part of my list touched on The L Word and Tess certainly has similar endearing characteristics to that infamous Chart creator and here's hoping in the show's upcoming second run, she's a little less unlucky in love.

Part 4 should be up on Sunday or Monday.

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Lip Service - Season 2 Press Release

Okay, I should've put this up last week but now at least a press release for Lip Service's second year has surfaced. Some of the main pointers ...

- Cat, Frankie, Sadie, Tess and Sam are all back for starters.
- Tess and Frankie are living together and take in a lodger - new girl/Aussie doctor Lexy.
- Lexy's got a gay male friend named Dr Declan Love.
- Sinead Keenan will be playing a fellow actor of Tess's called Nora and she's a manipulative one.
- Tess also gains a new down on his luck friend named Hugh.
- Neve McIntosh will be joining the show later as a magazine editor called Lauren.

More Details: http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/mediapacks/lipservice/ 

Lip Service returns to BBC3 Fridays 9pm from April 20th.

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Lip Service - Series 2 First Cast Picture

Okay, look what I just found today ...

With Being Human's fourth series drawing to a close (please can we have a fifth one?), BBC3 are finally making some effort to promote Lip Service's upcoming second season. No big trailers have surfaced yet but this cast shot with Sam, Sadie, Frankie, Tess, Cat and new girl Lexi is certainly a good way of getting things going.

Not to be outdone, the latest issue of Diva Magazine also has some interviews with the main cast, which should have some spoilers for the show's second series. I know we've got a slew of new characters, a triangle between Sam/Cat/Frankie to resolve as well as Frankie uncovering her past. However one thing that should be pointed out is that BBC3 are currently on an axing spree and between Lip Service, Being Human and The Fades, only two of those shows will be renewed. Tough times, eh?

Lip Service's second series will air on BBC3 from April.

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