We're still about five weeks away from seeing Doctor Who in the 2011 Christmas special, "The Doctor, The Widow, and the Wardrobe." But what about beyond that? Well, it's been confirmed today that Matt Smith will be returning for next year's thirteen-episode seventh series. Smith has also confirmed a return for the 2012 Christmas special and, most importantly, the 50th Anniversary Doctor Who  special.

The much-anticipated special, which will air in 2013, will mark a half-century since the show first premiered back in 1963. Not many details are known about the special yet, but rumored are returns from previous Doctor Who cast members, including previous Doctors David Tennant, Paul McGann, and others.

Read TVOvermind's review of Doctor Who: The Complete Sixth Series here.

News of Smith's return was broken by the official twitter of Doctor Who Magazine. Filming for the thirteen-episode seventh series will reportedly begin in February.

Smith's tenure on the show began in 2010 with "The End of Time, Part 2," and continued on through the fifth and sixth series. The 2012 Christmas special will be Smith's third, following 2010's "A Christmas Carol" and this year's "The Doctor, the Widow, and the Wardrobe."

With Doctor Who's seventh series slated to premiere in fall 2012 (as opposed to the spring, when it has typically premiered), the 2012 Christmas special might actually fall in the middle of series 7, if the show takes a midseason break as it did this year.

Series 6 left off with the Doctor going into hiding after faking his own death at the shores of Lake Silencio. With the rest of the universe believing him to have been killed by River Song, the Doctor intends to continue his adventures much less conspicuously.

Doctor Who will return on Christmas day with "The Doctor, The Widow, and the Wardrobe." Series 7 will premiere in fall 2012.

Doctor Who: Matt Smith Signs on for Series 7, 50th Anniversary Special

Much like last year's "A Christmas Carol," this year's Doctor Who Christmas special takes plenty of cues from a classic work of holiday literature. While that special was obviously inspired by the Charles Dickens novel of the same name, this year's special takes its cues from the C.S. Lewis novel The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe. The special itself is similarly titled: "The Doctor, The Widow, and the Wardrobe."

A promo for the Christmas special was released as part of Friday's Children in Need charity event, and it reveals that the episode takes more than just its title from the Chronicles of Narnia book. There's a wintry world that is quite similar to the snowy wonderland of Narnia, with some creepy-looking tree-figures that look scarily Christmassy. (Was anyone else reminded, just a bit, of the Weeping Angels?)

The Doctor looks like he's taking on the role of a Professor Diggory Kirke-like figure who takes in some children. He refers to the TARDIS as his 'wardrobe,' and it does serve in a similar capacity to the wardrobe of Narnia -- it takes these unsuspecting children to a strange new land.

"The Doctor, The Widow, and the Wardrobe" certainly does look like it fulfills writer Steven Moffat's promise: it will indeed be "Christmassy as hell." After all, as the children in the episode state, it might just be the "best Christmas ever." Check out the promo for the episode below, courtesy of DoctorWhoTV.

"The Doctor, The Widow, and the Wardrobe" is expected to air on Christmas Day in both the U.S. and the U.K., as "A Christmas Carol" did last year. Nothing has been confirmed yet, though. Stay tuned to TVOvermind for more Doctor Who news -- we'll keep you posted.

Doctor Who: Sneak Peek of the Christmas Special Revealed

CBS has had a great year with new series like Hawaii Five-O remake and Blue Bloods, but faced a storm with the whole Two and the Half Men debacle with Charlie Sheen. That doesn't mean that the network is tarnished in any way. Their other comedies such as The Big Bang Theory and How I Met Your Mother are still strong and growing, while dramas like the NCIS, CSI, and Criminal Minds franchises are still bringing in the viewers despite almost dominating the network's entire schedule. Survivor, Undercover Boss, and The Amazing Race are also not showing drastic signs of viewership erosion, so we wonder with a very reliable schedule how will CBS choose and pick their pilots for the fall. The Good Wife, while a critical darling, is facing possible cancellation since it's been reported as being a "bubble show," but with the accolades the show has won this year, will CBS toss it aside in favor for some new blood?

Among the new offerings in CBS's pilot pool, we have the return of Sarah Michelle Gellar to primetime TV since her departure from Buffy the Vampire Slayer and we have another J.J.Abrams/Bryan Burk produced television series penned by "The Dark Knight" and "Memento" co-author Jonah Nolan ready to have its chance to shine. Which shows should make the final cut? Take a gander at the pilot descriptions and decide for yourself.

Rookies

This pilot sounds like CBS's answer to ABC's summer hit Rookie Blue and Grey's Anatomy rolled all up in one, but for Robert DeNiro to sign up as an executive producer, the show might have something fresh to offer after all.. The premise revolves around the career and private lives of six new rookie NYOD officers who try to make it through the day, one beat at a time. The pilot is the brainchild of Richard Price and will star Leelee Sobieski ("Never Been Kissed"), Adam Goldberg (The Unusuals), Judy Marte (CSI: Miami), Stark Sands (Generation Kill), Tom Reed, Terry Kinney (The Unusuals), and Harold House Moore.

The Doctor

Created by Rina Mimoun, this drama involves a mother who reconnects with her children through the family's medical practice after a long period non-family bonding. Let the awkward holiday dinners commence! The cast for this pilot includes Christine Lahti (Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Chicago Hope), Kyle MacLachlan (Desperate Housewives, Twin Peaks), Michael Boatman (Spin City, Gossip Girl), Scott Foley (Felicity, The Unit), and Eva Amurri. David Nutter will direct the pilot.

Ringer

We wish we could only just describe this show by only saying, "Sarah Michelle Gellar is in it" and just leave it at that. But we know better here despite our love of everything SMG. Come on! She's Buffy! However, this might be the very reason why she hasn't been back on prime time TV in so long, so... Moving on.

Ringer tells the story of a young woman on the run from the mob who decides to hide in plain sight by taking up the identity of her twin sister. The plan would have worked if only her sister didn't have someone gunning for her own head as well. D'oh! Gellar seves as co-executive producer on the pilot which stars Kristopher Polaha (Life Unexpected), Ioan Gruffudd ("Fantastic Four" movie series), Nestor Carbonell (LOST), Tara Summers (Boston Legal), and Mike Colter. The pilot was created by Nicole Snyder and Eric Charmelo, who will also serve as executive producers along side Gellar, Pam Veasey, and Peter Traugott.

Person of Interest

J.J. Abrams has Alcatraz and Fringe over at FOX, but he's decided to stake claim on some prime CBS real estate as well. Teaming up with Jonah Nolan, the co-author of "The Dark Knight" and "The Prestige" (with his brother director Christopher Nolan) and Bryan Burk, the trio offers Person of Interest to the Eye Network. Presumed dead by the world, an ex-CIA agent is called out of hiding by a eccentric billionaire to take back the streets of New York City. Wonder if this will be a straight up procedural or will some complicated mythologies be introduced into the series at some point?

The cast includes Jim Caviezel (2009's The Prisoner), Michael Emerson (LOST), Taraji P. Henson ("The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," "The Karate Kid"), and Kevin Chapman (Rescue Me, Rizzoli & Isles). Pretty damn good cast, if you ask us...

Hail Mary

This pilot, which comes from writer Jeff Wadlow and has the backing of Joel Silver (Veronica Mars) and Ilene Chaiken (The L Word), revolves around Minnie Driver who portrays a mother, whose son was murdered, and how she trades in her status as a housewife in favor of becoming a private investigator with the help of her son's best friend KZ, who will be portrayed by Brandon T. Jackson ("Tropical Thunder," "Big Mama's House: Like Father, Like Son"). Another standard procedural, but with a twist. Hopefully, viewers won't be cheering for these two makeshift detectives to get it on, because that's kind of wrong... The pilot also stars Jet Jurgensmeyer, Stephen Tobolowsky (Glee), Noureen DeWulf, and Enrique Murciano (Without A Trace).

The Rememberer

Ever wish that you could remember everything? Well, there are people who are able to do just that, but it can be a double edged sword at times. This seems to be the plight of Carrie Wells, portrayed by Poppy Montgomery (Without A Trace), who has this catch-22 of an ability which is called hyperthymesia. It also doesn't help that Carrie is an ex-cop, who is lulled back to the NYPD for said "gift." If we were her, we would simply ask for a hefty sized raise in return for our services, but we digress.... Montgomery's co-stars include Dylan Walsh, Michael Gaston, Daya Valdaya, and Kevin Rankin. The pilot was created by John Belluci and Ed Redlich, who are adapting the story to screen from a novel by the same name by J. Robert Lennon.

Untitled Susannah Grant Project

The last drama pilot on CBS's development scale comes from Susannah Grant and will be directed by Jonathan Demme who will also serve as executive producer. The pilot stars Patrick Wilson as Dr. Michael Halstead, a super surgeon who doesn't know when to quit when it comes to his combative nature. When Michael's ex-wife Anna (Jennifer Ehle) - also a doctor - passes away, she returns as a ghost to help guide Patrick by teaching him a thing or two about a thing called 'life.' The pilot also includes Julie Benz, fresh off of her role on ABC's No Ordinary Family. Benz will play Michael's sister Didi, a "unfocused and overwhelmed" single mother with a heart of gold. Sounds like Rita Bennett from Dexter to us... Law & Order vet S. Empatha Merkerson also has a role on the show with Afton Williamson rounding out the cast.

Which of these dramas do you hope make it to CBS's 2011 Fall Schedule?

CBS 2011 Pilots: What Shows Do YOU Hope Make It?

The prequel webisode to the highly anticipated Doctor Who series six opener, "The Impossible Astronaut," has finally been released on both BBC and BBC America's Doctor Who web pages.

The webisode, which runs under two minutes, features the White House and introduces the monster(s) the Doctor, Amy, and Rory will be facing when they land in America. So now courtesy of BBC/BBC America, here is the webisode for your viewing pleasure.

This webisode is the first in three planned to run throughout the season and since the clips will be made available for American audiences, U.S. Who fans do not have to worry about being left out of extra content from the series. However, it is still up in the air whether or not those the next two webisodes will air during this block of episodes or if they will carry over into the Fall block of episodes.

The BBC didn't stop there in blessing us with tidings of great Who joy. The network also released the latest 'iconic' image for the show that will most definitely be downloaded on to the computers of millions of viewers. The image displays the Doctor, Amy, and Rory's reflections on the helmet of a U.S. astronaut. We're calling now that this might be this season's DVD cover as well.

Here's the photo for your consumption:

Awesome is it not?

So are you guys just as excited as we are about Doctor Who's upcoming season? How about the prequel episode? What did you think? Sound off below!

The Sixth Series/Season of Doctor Who Will Premiere on April 23rd @9/8c on BBC America.

Source: BBC America/BBC

Doctor Who: Prequel Webisode is Available NOW, Along With New 'Iconic' Image

It is now official, canon, in the bag, fact. However you want to call it, the BBC has officially declared the title from the long-running science fiction series Doctor Who as "immortal," according to the British paper The Guardian.

Long thought to have been capable of only 12 regenerations, Time Lords have are now free to regenerate into as many incarnations as possible. Not only does this solves the age-old debate of what will happen once The Doctor reaches his 12th regeneration, but it also solidifies the franchise's longevity for the network.

The new piece of information comes from the two-part Sarah Jane Adventures story called "Death of the Doctor", which features Matt Smith in his role as the Eleventh Doctor, helping Sarah Jane and her "entourage" fight the latest alien threat. In a passing line, the Doctor answers Clyde's question about his mortality by saying there isn't a limit. While a lot of people (mainly US fans) won't hear this revelation themselves, it could lead to a lot of debate in the future, especially with The Sarah Jane Adventures currently not slated to air again in the US anytime soon (SyFy aired the first series of the show a couple of years ago, but not during primetime). As The Guardian says,  the line "was a stroke of PR genius" that will surely get fans interested, although this isn't The Doctor's first appearance on the children's show. David Tennant's Doctor appeared in last year's two-parter, "The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith."

In the 1976 Doctor Who episode "The Deadly Assassin," Tom Baker's 4th Doctor established the 12-regeneration limit, which became a rule in the Doctor Who fandom. Now that this rule has been reversed, will old fans be be upset and think this is a marketing ploy or will they embrace this new opportunity? Plus, could this help solve the reasoning behind Captain Jack Harkness's own immortality? Just saying...

So what do you "Whovians" think? Are you happy for the regeneration extension? Or are you not amused? Vote in our poll over in our Forums and let us know why you voted the way you did!

Source: The Guardian

Doctor Who: 'The Doctor Is Immortal' says BBC

It's that time of year again. The ghouls and goblins are roaming the streets again, and porches are littered with pumpkins carved into the horrific visages of--

Dwight Shrute? The Doctor?

Not every pumpkin you carve for Halloween has to have triangular eyes and jagged teeth. People have been carving their pumpkins into totems of pop culture for years; with the advent of the Internet, talented carvers have begun to show off their gourdish creativity. For those who aren't as good with freehand, they've even offered up stencils of their fantastic carvings, which have delved into the realm of television. Ever wondered what Greg House would look like carved into a pumpkin? Hurley Reyes? Dexter Morgan? How about that lead trio from The Vampire Diaries?

The gallery below has twenty terrific pumpkins for you to ooh and ahh over, and cringe with jealousy. Some of the images below are actual pumpkins, while others are just patters for you to try out yourself.

Are you feeling the Halloween spirit? Well, keep your television sensibilities alive with the wonderful selections below.

Special thanks to Mark O. Estes, who contributed to this article, as well as to PinkRayGun.com, who created many of these fantastic designs.

Dexter Morgan

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This creepy serial killer from Showtime's 'Dexter' is perfect pumpkin material, and will scare off your neighbors.

20 Pumpkin Carvings for the TV Fanatic

A few weeks back, I posted about the upcoming Doctor Who graphic novel titled The Only Good Dalek. At that point, I wasn't sure what the cover was going to be -- it hadn't been released yet. Now that I've seen it, I'm just a little bit disappointed.

It doesn't have any real visual impact -- it just looks like a panel from the comic book. While the covers of the Doctor Who Adventures novels are at least catchy, the ambiguous expression on the Doctor's face is just about how I feel about the cover: "Oh, well, alright then." Also interesting to note is that there are several Daleks on the cover, not just the titular one. It looks like we won't be dealing with a storyline akin to series one's "Dalek" episode; we'll be dealing with a bit more scale. We'll also be dealing with the new Daleks introduced in "Victory of the Daleks," as shown by the striking red and blue of the ones featured on the cover.

Now, that's not to say the graphic novel won't be awesome. It has a very cool concept and I can't wait to read it when it is released in the U.S. on October 5 (September 16 for the UK). Here's the BBC synopsis of the novel.

Top-secret Station 7 is where the Earth Forces send all the equipment captured in their war against the Daleks to be analysed and examined. But somehow the Daleks have found out about Station 7 - and there's something there that they want back.

The Doctor and Amy arrive on the station, only to discover the terrible secret of Station 7. They don't just store captured Dalek technology, it’s also a prison. And the only thing that might stop a Dalek is another Dalek!

As with the synopsis, this cover lacks Rory, meaning that it probably takes place in between episodes of series five.

US readers can pre-order the book through Amazon by clicking this link.

'Doctor Who: The Only Good Dalek' Cover Revealed

There's been a burst of Doctor Who news today, but seeing as most of our readers are big genre fans, I don't think many of you will be minding too much.

In any case, Arthur Darvill still isn't confirmed as being a Doctor Who regular for series six, though the option is still open, he claims, and he's keeping his fingers crossed. Darvill, who appeared in seven episodes of Who last year, was last seen taking off in the TARDIS with his new wife Amy Pond and the Doctor for a new adventure aboard the Orient Express... in space.

Darvill's character, Rory Williams (or is it Pond?), certainly showed the most development of any character over the season, beginning as a slightly whiny nurse in "The Eleventh Hour," and evolving into a genuinely enjoyable character. Unlike Mickey Smith, a companion with whom he has been compared, he's shown little resentment toward the Doctor over the Doctor's relationship with his girlfriend beyond a bit of subconscious competition between them in the episode "Amy's Choice." In fact, Rory gave his life for the Doctor in "Cold Blood," though his death wasn't his last appearance in the show. He popped up once again in "The Pandorica Opens" as a plastic Nesteen duplicate created from Amy's memories, and waited alongside the Pandorica for 2,000 years while Amy healed inside in "The Big Bang." He later wed Amy in the denouement of the series after being restored by the Big Bang Two.

Darvill recently told Doctor Who Magazine that he was hopeful to be a series regular next year. "Fingers crossed! If that does happen, then I’m really interested to know what happens to Rory and Amy’s relationship... there’s obviously been a big change to Rory after waiting 2,000 years!"

Doctor Who will return on Christmas day for a special before coming back next spring for a sixth series. We can only hope that Darvill's name will be flashing through the time vortex alongside Smith and Gillan's next time we see it.

Darvill: Fingers Crossed to be 'Who' Regular

As soon as I finished watching "The Eleventh Hour," the series 5 premiere of Doctor Who, I immediately knew that I would be adding the following season to my collection. I didn't have any of the other seasons of Who primarily because they were way too expensive for my budget, but series 5 would definitely make me want to change that.I began anxiously waiting for the release date of the DVD box set so that I could add it proudly onto my shelf.

Now, we have a release date for the set. It'll be hitting shelves in the UK on Monday, November 8, while in the US the set will adhere to the Tuesday tradition and be released the following day, November 9.

The six-disc set will also feature additional bonus scenes that were filmed exclusively for the release, set inside the TARDIS featuring the Doctor and Amy in-between episodes. The set will also feature a video diary filmed by Matt Smith throughout filming, which I suspect will be a lot of fun, as well as "cut-down" episodes of Doctor Who Confidential and the Monster Files included with the UK's volumed releases of the series.

The sets are retailing in the UK for £69.99 (on DVD) and £79.99 (on Blu-ray). In the U.S., they're actually a bit cheaper, costing only $55.99 for the DVD and $62.99 for the Blu-ray. They're not the cheapest sets ever, but at least they're a slightly cheaper than previous sets.

The box art for the series has also been released, and in my opinion, it's much better than the previous art for the series. Sure, it is pretty much the wallpaper the BBC released (plus the TARDIS), but it's still pretty sleek. I wouldn't doubt that it has a sort of iridescence to it as previous sets have had.

American fans can pre-order the sets through the links below:

• Doctor Who: The Complete Fifth Series [DVD]
• Doctor Who: The Complete Fifth Series [Blu-ray]

Pre-Order 'Doctor Who: The Complete Fifth Series'

It's hard to believe that we're already an entire series into Matt Smith's reign as the Doctor. After last year's long goodbye to Tennant, it seemed as though the show would never go on after the Tenth Doctor's regeneration. Lucky for us, it did.

Series 5 of the show was, in my opinion, the strongest season of the show since its revival in 2005. I attribute that to the brand new production team, headed by former staff writer Steven Moffat, who really brought the show into a new light. While the first four series of Doctor Who was known for its famously bad special effects ("The Unicorn and the Wasp," anyone?), this year didn't really have any of those old groan-worthy moments of CGI. (Well, save for the Atraxi in "The Eleventh Hour." I hope to God those never come back, because they looked horrible.)

But why am I rambling on about special effects? This season was made by the brilliant cast, headed up by new Doctor Matt Smith (you can read all about why I love his portrayal here). His companion Amy Pond was portrayed wonderfully by Karen Gillan, who lit up the screen from her first appearance in "The Eleventh Hour," until that final shot of her in "The Big Bang." Sure, she didn't have a lot of character development, but her dynamic with every other character on the show was absolutely fantastic. The fact that she'll be the first companion to last more than one series since Rose Tyler is very fitting.

Playing the role of Amy's fiance (later husband) Rory Williams was Arthur Darvill, who might just be one of the best actors on television currently. His performance, though less of a focus than Smith or Gillan's, had a degree of depth to it that made even the oddest predicaments -- being killed twice, being reborn as a plastic soldier, and having an alien teleport into his wedding -- seem very human. His portrayal as a sort of everyman is so brilliantly understated that not many notice how solid of a player he is in the season.

Other than the Doctor, the only character from the past four series to return was Alex Kingston's River Song, an enigma of a woman who appeared in four episodes throughout the year, and left us wishing she'd appeared in more. Though her character died in "Forest of the Dead" back in series four, her interaction with the Doctor is an interesting dynamic -- his first meeting with her was his last, and they appear to be meeting in reverse. Each sequential time he sees her is a step back into her past. As such, she still knows more about his future than he does, but refuses to tell him, citing "spoilers." River Song's last appearance in the series was one of the funniest moments of "The Big Bang" -- and might have just been a marriage proposal from the Doctor.

The episodes were all so solid as well, though it's interesting to note that few of the episodes took place on an alien planet. "The Time of Angels," "Flesh and Stone," and "The Pandorica Opens" all have scenes that take place on alien worlds, though for the most part, the series had two settings: Earth, or spaceships. Not that I'm complaining about that at all -- perhaps this smaller demand for special features made the ones we did get much better. I would, however, like to see the Doctor, Amy, and Rory branch out more in the future, perhaps visiting some more exotic locales.

And finally, there are the monsters. The season was a mixed bag really, spanning the entire spectrum of the creature category. The Atraxi from "The Eleventh Hour" were the only really terrible ones, though Prisoner Zero did make up for that. The Daleks and Silurians make up the "not-that-threatening" category, while character-based episodes like "Vincent and the Doctor" and "The Lodger," really only had creatures to serve as plot points. However, some creatures were truly great. The Star Whale from "The Beast Below," was a fantastic parallel to the Doctor, while the Weeping Angels from episodes 5.04 and 5.05 were completely solid as they were in "Blink," and continued to evolve and flesh out as creatures. However, the best villain of the series was the Dream Lord, a manifestation of the dark side of the Doctor. His identity was totally guessable from the moment the Doctor realized that "there's only one person in the universe who hates me as much as you do." Toby Jones was absolutely fantastic in the role, and he's someone I'd like to see back come series 6. And the unknown villain who orchestrated the "Silence Will Fall" plot arc? I'm ready to see who he is too -- kudos to Moffat for not revealing everything in the finale.

All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this series more than any of the past four series, and even those I loved a lot. I'd even go so far as to call this season the second greatest season of television so far in 2010, right after LOST's final season. Am I anxious to see more? Of course -- but I'm going to have to wait until Christmas to do so. A

Review - Doctor Who, Series 5

I've titled this one "Internet Rumor" because I don't think it's true (and hope it isn't). However, Tor.com, a science fiction and fantasy website, is reporting that Johnny Depp will be portraying the Doctor in an upcoming American Doctor Who film. Written by Russell T. Davies.

God, I hope this isn't true.

Tor.com claims to have found the news item on PubArticles.com, an "article mill" that took the article down shortly after its publication. There's another notch against the news being true. Tor.com quotes the article, however, as saying:

Long-time producer of the television series Russell T. Davies reported that the reason he moved on from the show was due to the opportunity to transform the Doctor to the big screen. “Bringing the Who franchise to the theaters is a regeneration for the character beyond the usual one. A theatrical release has a greater range and can reach millions of more people than just the fans. There will be brand new concepts and the film will be just as adventurous, scary and humorous as the television programme. But none of us working the film will forget what makes the character great and interesting and the long-time fans will not be disappointed because yes, the Daleks make an appearance.

None of the quoted article mentions Johnny Depp, and since the article has been taken offline, it's impossible to even confirm whether or not it was ever put up. Davies was quoted as saying that the Doctor will begin to take on the role of a real doctor, sending him “on a journey through time and space with a crew of volunteers treating humanity’s illnesses brought on by invading aliens. He cures the bubonic plague and then goes to Africa to fight Ebola.”

Again, grain of salt. Maybe an entire shaker of salt, considering that Davies should be busy working on the fourth season of Torchwood right about now, and that Johnny Depp has eighteen films in development, according to IMDb. As one user on Tor.com commented, "Hollywood is reaching Depp critical mass. Serious saturation. Second, yes, he can be quirky. And the Doctor is all up in the quirk. But I’m kind of tired of all the [Depp] quirks... It’s all starting to blur into Captain Mad Hatter Sparrow Scissor Wood." The commenter went on to say that the last time American's tried to do Doctor Who, we got the less-than-great made-for-TV movie.

And that's really my whole point for writing this article -- not because I have any belief that there's much truth to it (though stranger things have happened) --but on the principle that it certainly, absolutely, shouldn't happen.

The Doctor is a British concept, and it's a currently-running franchise with brilliant actors and brilliant writers. Bringing in a film completely unrelated to the project would simply confuse newcomers and alienate fans. If anybody portrays the Doctor in a film, it should be Matt Smith, not a big-name American (well, Canadian) actor. I would not be opposed to a Who movie by any means: seeing the TARDIS finally get big recognition in America would be great. But I wouldn't want to see that happen at the expense of the series -- and right now, I can't see any way that a Johnny Depp-starring film would do anything much to help.

What do you think about this?

Internet Rumor: Johnny Depp as Doctor in 'Doctor Who' Film?

At the end of the Doctor Who series five finale, "The Big Bang," Amy and Rory finally sealed their vows and got married. The festivities were joyous for everyone but Amy, who eventually called the Doctor back into existence by remembering him, and he materialized with his TARDIS wearing a tuxedo and announcing that he was there for the dancing -- which he did delightfully badly. Though it was her wedding day, Amy still showed her attraction to the Doctor by telling him that he "absolutely, positively may kiss the bride," and later telling him that he couldn't leave because "we haven't snogged yet." Rory, obviously, met this with mild annoyance, but then again, he knew who she was when he married her, didn't he?

Anyhow, the two apparently had some wedding photos taken in between the scenes during their reception, since the Doctor is present in some of them (much to Rory's obvious, yet good-natured, annoyance). The photos obviously aren't plot-important, but they are quite funny and will undoubtedly prove to be avatars of some Who fans around the web.

wedding_02

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Photos - Amy and Rory (and the Doctor)'s Wedding Album

When you look at the brilliant darkness of "The Pandorica Opens," you're filled with despair about the fate of the Doctor and his companions. The Doctor was locked inside a giant box, Amy was shot fatally by plastic Rory, and River was trapped inside an exploding TARDIS. How could any of them have a happy ending?

In contrast, "The Big Bang" was that happy ending. The danger felt in the first part of the serial seemed to evaporate as soon as the Pandorica opened and Amy was revealed inside. It was all just a puzzle to put together, not a universe to save.

Of course, the universe did have to be saved, but it was done so rather quickly and with a lot of technical mumbo-jumbo between the Doctor and River. The entire universe-rescue plot was a little boring, actually, but the characters made the episode one of the best ever.

In a way, "The Big Bang," shows just how different Steven Moffat is from Russell T. Davies. In the Davies era of who, the entire episode focused on the plot, and the characters were just means to an end for the plot. There were some heartbreaking moments in every finale, of course, but that was the limit of Davies' writing's emotional range.

The difference between that and Moffat's writing, on the other hand, can really be summed up easily: scope. Sure, the stakes in "The Pandorica Opens"/"The Big Bang," were the same as they were in any Moffat finale: the end of the universe/world/time. That was typical of the show, of course. But while Davies chose to deal with his finales by showing devastation on a massive, epic scale, Moffat only ventured beyond his core cast one time, when showing the galaxies exploding around the Earth at the end of "The Pandorica Opens." The rest was entirely focused on the Doctor, Rory, Amy, and River.

Also unlike Davies, Moffat's finale showed that he'd known what he was doing for a very long time. While clues like "Bad Wolf" and "Vote Saxon" were shown throughout the season during the RTD era, Moffat actually included scenes in previous episodes that didn't come into play until the finale. Take, for instance, the scene with the Doctor and Amy in the Byzantine. Fans called continuity error when they saw that the Doctor was still wearing his coat for a scene. Gotcha! Of course he was!

And not all the mysteries were cleanly answered, either. Who was behind it all? We still don't know, but the Doctor's acknowledgement of this fact seems to mean that we'll be finding out in the future. Such lack of clean, tied-up-with-a-bow resolution also is a clear indicator of the difference between Davies and Moffat -- Moffat knows that not all mysteries can be answered in a two-part episode.

And don't even make me mention the wonderful ending to the episode. While Rory and Amy did eventually get married, they did not leave the Doctor as was expected. Usually, marriage spells the end of adventure -- "Amy's Choice" was an episode that seemed to say that after marriage, Rory and Amy would settle down in a nice cottage somewhere and live out their lives in mellow peace. Not so, it turned out, surprising even the Doctor. Having a married couple aboard the TARDIS will definitely change the dynamic of the show next year, and I honestly can't wait to see more. If Karen Gillan and (the fantastic) Arthur Darvill (as Mr. and Mrs. Pond, because that's how it works) aren't both credited as regular companions, I'm going to be very disappointed.

Overall, "The Big Bang" was a great conclusion to a great season, and you can expect to see a review of the season in the near future. A

Doctor Who 5.13 "The Big Bang" Review

Did you watch Saturday's Doctor Who episode? It was an absolutely fantastic episode, although it ended with all of our main characters in dire straits. Amy Pond had just been shot by a plastic incarnation of Rory (and apparently died), River Song was trapped in the TARDIS while it exploded, and the Doctor was locked into a giant box (the Pandorica) by an alliance of his greatest enemies, who believed that he was responsible for the cracks in the universe. Turns out, he wasn't. They found that out too late as the galaxies around the earth all exploded, leaving the earth alone in silence.

Of course, knowing Doctor Who that isn't the end. It's very, very far from the end -- there's still another episode for everything to be resolved! Cue "The Big Bang," the second part of the two-episode serial. Out of the three big questions above (Will Amy survive? Did River survive? How will the Doctor get out?), I have three answers for you.

Answer 1: Yes. I don't quite know how yet, but Amy Pond will indeed carry on. Was there ever any doubt, though, really? Karen Gillan has been confirmed to appear as the Doctor's companion not only in the 2010 Christmas Special but in series 6 as well, which is slated to begin filming next month (and trust me, we will bring you all the spoilers from the set humanly possible). So don't worry about Amy. Once these ugly cracks go away, they'll probably take her gunshot wound with them.

Answer 2: Yes. Now, don't act as if this is any surprise either. River Song had to survive in order for us to see her in "The Time of Angels" and "Flesh and Stone." There's no question there. But a new photo of River as well (above), and she's firing a gun at someone. Who? Your guess is as good as mine, but I'm thinking it might be at the "best man she ever knew," whom she mentioned she killed in "Flesh and Stone." What are your thoughts on this? Think I'm onto something here?

Answer 3: Amy Pond. It can't be her! She's dead? Right? Well, maybe she is temporarily dead in the current timeline, but don't forget young Amelia. She wasn't introduced in "The Eleventh Hour" for nothing! She'll be back in "The Big Bang," and it looks like she might just open up the Pandorica and free the Doctor, judging from some promotional photos released by the BBC. They have a nice chat in the museum where the Pandorica is being held as well. But does this mean that the Doctor was holed up in that box for centuries? It'd certainly make for a slightly crazier Doctor, I think. Let's hope that isn't the case -- he's crazy enough.

"The Big Bang" airs on Saturday, June 26 on the BBC. I can't wait to see how this plays out.

Share your Doctor Who theories, and read others, on our Doctor Who discussion board!

Doctor Who Spoilers - Who will save Amy, River, and the Doctor?

Doctor Who's fifth series has been undoubtedly the best series of the show since its 2005 revival. Matt Smith has been one of the best Doctors yet (I daresay he's topped Tennant's stunning portrayal), and Karen Gillan's Amy Pond has been one of the best companions yet. That's all thanks to Steven Moffat, who took over the reins of the series from Russell T Davies at the beginning of this year. Davies was a good writer in his own right, but his plots often became convoluted and his stories needlessly epic. Moffat, however, has learned from his predecessor's mistakes and created the first truly brilliant series of the show.

One complaint often directed against Davies referred to his overblown finales, which had hugely proportioned stakes and usually came out of nowhere (save for the easter eggs such as "Bad Wolf" and "Vote Saxon"). The first part of Moffat's first finale, "The Pandorica Opens," maintains the bigger stakes, but without the huge amounts of drama. There are no longer people crowding the streets of London and screaming at the disaster. That seems to have been done away with. Now, there is just the Doctor, his companions, and his enemies. The stakes remain terribly high, but we don't have it rubbed in our faces by hundreds of screaming Briton extras.

Moffat also improved on Davies' foreshadowing skills. While, as mentioned before, Davies simply used easter eggs to hint at the series finale, Moffat truly turned the series into one large story with the "cracks in time" subplot, which pervaded through almost every episode (save for "Amy's Choice" and "Vincent and the Doctor"). This made "The Pandorica Opens" feel like resolution, and not an entirely new story, making the viewer truly invest in the episode because they'd invested in the season.

Of course, "The Pandorica Opens" was the first part of a two-part finale, so it was much more conflict than resolution. However, questions raised throughout the series were answered. The Pandorica's purpose was revealed, and while I had been able to guess what it was from spoilers, that didn't make the revelation any less heartbreaking.

I also have to really stand up and applaud Moffat's use of villains in this episode. As promotional photos from the episode had long betrayed, there was a Rogue's Gallery of baddies in "The Pandorica Opens," all having gathered to stop the Doctor. There were the new Daleks, the Cybermen, the Sontarans -- all of the Doctor's greatest enemies (save the Weeping Angels, who were thankfully absent due to the "too much of a good thing" rule) gathered there, under Stonehenge. And the best part of it all? Their motives are completely pure. "We will save the universe -- from you!" cries one of the Sontarans, and you totally feel for them -- not because they're right, because they're very, very, wrong -- but because they actually have good intentions. They're not all bad -- just misguided. And nothing brings out the good in someone like the threat of a destroyed universe (except for the other Time Lords -- they proved in "The End of Time" that a destroyed universe is exactly what they want).

This episode marked the return of Rory (as well as some other characters from this year), and his plotline was the only one that I'm actually worried about. Doctor Who is family show; the universe will eventually be saved, and the Doctor and Amy will survive. But Rory's fate is very much up in the air, and I'm afraid that his very welcome return to the show will be brief, and that a tearful goodbye will be coming soon. After all, it's not really Rory, is it?

Overall, though, "The Pandorica Opens" is a wonderful set-up that, if finished well by "The Big Bang," next Saturday, may very well be one of Doctor Who's best episodes ever. And, when you look at the stellar rest of the season, that's sort of a fitting ending. A+

Doctor Who 5.12 "The Pandorica Opens" Review

Every season of Doctor Who has an overall arc, whether it's "Bad Wolf" for season one, "Vote Saxon" for season three, or, most recently, the cracks in time for season five. Nobody knows where the cracks came from, but they have the ability to erase people straight from history-- as if they never existed!

Take for instance Rory, Amy Pond's boyfriend. The poor guy was not only shot to death by a Silurian in the denouement of "Cold Blood" (part two of the Silurian episodes), but he was sucked into the time cracks and was forgotten by everyone but the Doctor (because the Doctor's a complicated space-time event).

These cracks have been linked to something called the Pandorica, which the Doctor seems to believe is just a myth, despite being reminded of the mysterious thing by Prisoner Zero in "The Eleventh Hour" and by River Song in "Flesh and Stone." But, as we know, the Doctor can be very, very, wrong, and in the case of the Pandorica, he most certainly is.

Why? Well, the penultimate episode of the season is called "The Pandorica Opens." I don't know about you, but that seems like pretty solid evidence to me. There are also some photos from the episode. Now, photos are usually placed in the gallery, but these were absolutely just too spoilery for me not to keep them all to myself.

The Pandorica appears to be a giant collection of all of the Doctor's worst enemies. That's right -- the Daleks, Cybermen, Sycorax, Silurians, Sontarans, pilot fish, Judoon, and the Hoix are all going to appear, as well as creatures from spinoffs Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures. You can see all these creatures in the photos below.

However, there appear to be Roman soldiers around too, and -- if I'm not mistaken -- that's the back of Rory's head in one of the shots. Could it be that the Pandorica comprises of everything that's ever been sucked into a crack in space? Could it be that Rory's alive and can be rescued? Let's hope so.

cybermen-pandorica

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Doctor Who Spoilers - The Pandorica Opens

Just when you thought Russell T. Davies was finished with The Doctor...

The BBC has released a press release for the upcoming series of The Sarah Jane Adventures, the Doctor Who spinoff staring Elisabeth Sladen as former companion Sarah Jane Smith, which is to include an episode featuring Matt Smith as the Eleventh Doctor reuniting with Sarah Jane to combat an alien foe. The episode will be penned by Russell T. Davies, his first project in the Doctor Who universe since stepping down as Head Writer and Executive Producer of the flagshow's revival. The press release also announced the return of actress Katy Manning to her role of Jo Grant, another former companion of the Doctor, who will appear in the episode, as well.

This isn't the first time that the Doctor made an appearance on Sarah Jane Adventures. David Tennant's Tenth Doctor made an appearance in the Series Three episode, titled "The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith", before passing the role over to Matt Smith. The character of Jo Grant hasn't appeared in the Doctor Who universe since her departure in the Third Doctor (Jon Pertwee) serial, "The Green Death."

Wonder if they will discuss the time lapse between the two shows' timelines, with SJA currently taking place fourteen years prior to the current series of Doctor Who's setting. Given that these shows do indeed feature time travel, it basically wouldn't matter. Although, it could provide a great clue to why the TARDIS is acting weird with its lapse in time currently, since the Eleventh Doctor thought he left Amy Pond for a few minutes to be surprised that fourteen years had past. Just a thought...

The episode is slated to air this Fall on CBBC in the UK.

Source: BBC Press Office

Matt Smith Will Appear As 'The Doctor' on "Sarah Jane Adventures"

Corpvandolay here with a recap of this week’s episode of Chuck. This week’s episode is a direct sequel to last week’s episode, "Chuck vs. the Beefcake." When that episode ended, British MI-6 agent Cole Barker (who knew Chuck’s identity as the Intersect) was kidnapped by FULCRUM. As a precautionary measure, Sarah and Chuck have to move in together to provide 24-protection should FULCRUM break Agent Barker and find out the identity of the Intersect…

Who Guest Stars?
Jonathan Cake is back as the “Beefcake,” Agent Cole Barker. However, this week he isn’t alone and is joined by the one, the only…yes, The Doctor (or The Cowboy if you prefer your 80’s movie references)! Robert Picardo guest stars as a scientist this week.


And Which Stars Are Here This Week?






 


What Does TV Guide Say?
When Cole Barker escapes Fulcrum with new information, Sarah and Casey go looking for a man that seems to be behind Fulcrum's plans to build its own Intersect, forcedly leaving Chuck and Barker in a safety bunker, as Fulcrum is still actively searching for them. Meanwhile, Morgan can not find a way of telling Anna that he wants to move in with Chuck instead of her, so Lester and Jeff are encouraging him to find a way of repulsing her.

What’s The Episode Really About?
We open with Agent Cole Barker being interrogated.  He is beaten up and in a pretty bad off spot.  However, he still has his British wit about him. His FULCRUM torturers ask him who the Intersect is and what the CIA knows about Perseus. Perseus?! This is a new thing that FULCRUM is after. Hmm…

Cut to Sarah and Chuck in Chuck’s old bed.  Chuck is wide awake, having not slept much at all from last night.  The alarm goes off and Sarah gets up and proceeds to go about her morning as usual.  She goes off to take a shower. We then catch up with our heroes as they brush their teeth in the bathroom. Chuck asks Sarah if she is worried about Cole. Sarah says yes, but only in a professional way. They then arrive in the dining room for breakfast, where Ellie is so happy for their move. She hugs them both and then proceeds to give Sarah some tips on helping Chuck clean out some of the old junk he has accumulated from his childhood, like the ‘Tron’ poster.  Chuck retorts that the ‘Tron’ poster was a gift from dad.  They both loved that movie.

At the Buy More, Jeff and Lester are having an insult-battle (ala our old-school ‘8 Mile’ variety), razzing Morgan about all of the sex that Big Mike is having with his mom. However, Morgan has the upper hand – he won’t have to deal with it much longer since he and Chuck are moving in together. Chuck needs to tell Morgan that they can’t move in together, but before he has the chance Casey grabs him and tells him Chuck needs to go to the office.  “When did John get an office?” wonders Morgan.

In HQ, the condition is red. They having found Agent Barker yet, so they are having to evacuate to a secure bunker. Then, the alarm goes off – it’s a security breach! Casey and Sarah grab some gun and head down the corridor towards the breach location. They are at the ready as the door open to reveal…Agent Cole! He is all bloody and Sarah rushes to help him as he collapses. Casey, snarky as ever tells Chuck he’s luck – he may not be going away after all. “Yeah,” Chuck says, “Lucky me…”

Opening credits.

 At HQ, Cole is recounting his interrogation time at the hands of FULCRUM. He had to take on nine guys to escape. Nine guys!  Chuck is a little dubious about this, and thinks he is bragging.  He also found out that they are working with someone named Perseus. But, the bottom line is that he didn’t break and didn’t tell them anything about the Intersect. Why did he come back to this location?  To make sure Sarah was safe. Aww…

At the Buy More, Anna comes up to Morgan with a 16-month anniversary gift.  It seems, she thinks she found Morgan’s gift for her – the lease contract on the apartment.  She thinks they are moving in together! Oops!  Jeff and Lester see the problem develop and give their usual sage advice: instead of telling her he is moving in with Chuck and risking bodily harm, he simply has to make himself too repulsive to her to move in with.

HQ. The general informs our heroes that Perseus is a leading scientist, working with FULCRUM to build their own Intersect. Apparently there is a consulate party this evening where he will be.  Sarah and Casey are going to go undercover to locate and identify Perseus.  Chuck and Cole both volunteer to go as well, but the General says no.  They will instead provide electronic support.

Meanwhile, back at the Buy More, phase 1 of Operation: Repulse is underway: the obscure and repulsive hobby. Morgan, Jeff and Lester have decided to take up re-creating historic tennis matches using the Wii Tennis.  Anna is befuddled by this hobby, but Morgan assures her: she can join in when they move together.  If this didn’t repulse her before, the shirtless Jeff next to her would do the trip. Ew!

We move over to the consulate party (which has The Puppini Sisters music playing – yes!). Sarah and Casey are dressed and inside, while Chuck and Cole at the computer banks, each having access to their earpieces.  To avoid confusion, Cole takes Sarah and Chuck talks with Casey. Cole is an expert at this, givng Sarah spot-on intel about the various party guests and possible agents (hey, he’s Tom Arnold from ‘True Lies’!). Chuck on the other hand, doesn’t know much, but helps Casey find some good hors dourves to eat. That’s when Chuck flashes on the one, the only…The Doctor. Yes, it looks like he’s Perseus.  While Casey and Sarah approach him, Chuck asks Cole if he really did escape from nine guys.  Yep. It’s simple really – go for the knee.  Chuck sees this logic, as he has heard it before: “You mean, sweep the leg?”  In the party, Cole’s FULCRUM interrogator steps in front of Sarah and Casey. Cole reciognizes him as the torturer, but the guy activates a device under his coat jamming all their communication.

Cole immediately jumps into action.  No time for anyone else; they have to go and be heroes.  Cole grabs two guns and checks them. A cool agent with two guns, right? Nope! One gun is for Chuck!

Outside of the consulate party, Chuck and Cole are approaching the gate.  Chuck wonders what their cover should be: dentists? Cole says they should just go as spies and knocks out the guard in stride. Inside the party, Sarah starts to chat with The Doctor. Just then, our FULCRUM agent pulls a gun on her and Casey.  It seems they’ve been caught.  Outside the house, Chuck and Cole see them being led upstairs through a window.  Cole immediately goes to the fire escape and tries pulling it down.  However, he’s hurt – bleeding from the side.  Chuck steps in and goes up to the roof instead.

Inside the house as they are led upstairs, The Doctor tells Sarah and Casey that he and the FULCRUM agents are CIA.  They are working to help the country.  Casey snorts and tell him that FULCRUM are actually terrorists.  The Doctor says he didn’t know anything of working for terrorists.  The FULCRUM agent says it’s a shame The Doctor had to hear, as now he has to die.  Casey then sees Chuck as the upstairs window, broad smile and a gun in hand.  Summing it up, Casey imparts: “We’re dead. Bartowski has a gun.”  Chuck enters the rom, but trips on the window sill and drops the gun.  It fires when it hits the floor, shooting The Doctor in the calf. This distraction provides enough for Casey and Sarah, as they move to subdue the guards.  The Doctor runs off, followed by the FULCRUM agent.  Casey goes to take care of Chuck while Sarah goes after The Doctor. As Sarah looks for them, FULCRUM has the angle and is about to shoot her when Cole dives in, knocking Sarah down and taking a bullet in the arm.

Outside, The Doctor drives off, escaping from both our heroes and FULCRUM.

Back inside, Chuck is complaining of his ankle as he walks over to realize that Cole took a bullet for Sarah. Never mind.

At HQ, Sarah is taking the bullet out of Cole’s arm. They banter a little bit and it seems like they might kiss when Chuck arrives to check on Cole. Does he need anything? A nice bisque? An issue of Us Weekly?  Nope, okay…

In the Buy More breakroom, Anna is looking at Ikea furniture for their new apartment.  Morgan comes in and apologizes for the Wii Tennis.  Anna doesn’t mind.  But, now we are into phase 2: Morganuptual.  Yes, Morgan has a ridiculous, long book of rules that Anna will have to sign and agree to if they are to move in together.  She thinks that it is nuts, but she loves him, so she’ll sign anything. Doh!

At HQ, the General informs our heroes that The Doctor is Perseus. It seems that he helped to create the original Intersect – the one that is inside of Chuck’s brain. This dawns on Chuck, as he asks if Perseus can help to remove the Intersect.  Maybe is the General’s response.

Later, Chuck is looking at surveillance footage from the party. Cole comes in and asks what he’s up to.  They banter a bit back and forth – Cole truly is the perfect, great agent.  He congratulates Chuck on all he did at the mission. Chuck demurs and tells Cole that he sees what Sarah sees in him – he is great.

Over at Buy More, the gang of Jeff, Lester and Morgan wonder if Anna could be “unrepulsive.”  Jeff vows that she is not and that they’ll find a way to get to her.  Chuck comes up and pulls Morgan aside to give him some needed advice. Why is Morgan trying to test Anna? She loves Morgan for who he is, which is great. She is truly the catch of a lifetime. He needs to tell her before it’s too late or he’ll realize he lost the catch of a lifetime.

At home, Chuck hobbles in and sits on the couch.  Ellie sees he’s hurt and calls Awesome into the room.  Chuck warns them not to go all doctor-crazy on him.  However, they tell him that he needs to get his foot x-rayed. At HQ, Sarah and Cole are together, talking. Cole asks Sarah if they are supposed to just walk away, even if they find someone who they acre deeply for?  Is it fair? No, she replies, but it is what it is.

Chuck is at the hospital, laid up in a wheelchair, with a cast on his leg/foot. Through the curtain, he hears Perseus.  Yes, The Doctor who was shot was also at the hospital, getting tended to.  Chuck calls Casey to tell him, and Casey orders Chuck to stay put – backup will be there soon.  Too late, as the Doctor won’t stay at the hospital and is leaving.  Chuck gets up and hobble after him.  They both pass in front of a man in the waiting room who speaks into his wrist: “I got both of them.”

After the commercial, a car rolls up.  It is The Doctor, getting out and going into a laboratory building.  He senses someone behind him and turns to see Chuck (having taken a cab), bending down to tie his cast – oops, uh, shoe. He turns back and goes inside, Chuck following.  In the lobby, the guard stops him.  Chuck uses his Nerd Herd outfit to BS his way past, being told that the computer lab is on the second floor.  Chuck hobbles up the stairs and just makes it to the lab door before it closes shut.  He sneaks in and sees Perseus packing up various papers and stuff.  It seems like he’s going on a trip. Perseus looks around and Chuck ducks as to not be seen.  He looks again and Perseus is gone, but not for long.  He is behind Chuck, with a gun!

In the lobby, FULCRUM shows up and shoots the security guard. They go upstairs to the lab.  Casey, Sarah and Cole show up soon after, and seeing the guard dead, pull their guns.  Casey sees the security screen, showing FULCRUM going up the stairs.  They follow.

Perseus is quizzing Chuck as to why he is following him.  It seems that Chuck wants to know about the Intersect .  Perseus is puzzled: how does Chuck know about the Intersect? Chuck looks over at some papers and flashes on the name Orion.  As Chuck does this, FULCRUM enters the lab. Perseus sees this and realizes: you’re the Intersect?  Amazing!  Chuck asks if it can be removed.  “Maybe.  Orion would know,” Perseus responds.  Who is Orion? Well, he’s the one who developed the whole idea of an Intersect. He – FULCRUM interrupts.  No!  Chuck wants to know who is Orion! Perseus tells them he said nothing, but FULCRUM shoots him.  Chuck goes to the downed Perseus.  FULCRUM then turn to Chuck just as Cole arrive and tussle with the bad guy.  Cole loses the battle and is down, shot in the arm (again!). As FULCRUM prepares to finish the job, Cole has one command: “sweep the leg.” Chuck is behind him and takes down the FULCRUM agent.  He is ecstatic and goes to Cole to celebrate his success. But the FULCRUM guy gets back up and now has them both in his sights.  And…BAM. The FULCRUM agent falls over dead, revealing Sarah behind him with her gun.

At HQ, the General informs us that Perseus is dead.  However, they captured all of his work, setting back FULCRUM’s plans to develop an Intersect. They thank Cole and will be sending him home to the United Kingdom. Casey asks him if he reall did defeat nine guys. Nope.  It was twelve, he just doesn’t like to brag. Cole then turns to Chuck and tells him what a “special, special agent” he is.  He then gives him this advice: if you want something bad enough, don’t take no.  Chuck then departs, leaving Sarah and Cole to chat.

In the Buy More break room, Morgan and Chuck need to talk.  Morgan decides to go first: he can’t move in with Chuck.  He is moving in with Anna instead.  Chuck is relieved and congratulates them.  This is great news!

Meanwhile, at the HQ, Cole offers Sarah to just drop everything and go away with him.  She refuses.  She’s just not the kind of girl to cheat on her cover-boyfriend.  Cole wonders if it is just a cover, because he saw more than that when she looked after Chuck.  She tells him “when you meet somebody you care about, it’s hard to just walk away.”

Back in the break room, Anna and Morgan are kissing. Chuck sees this and smiles.  He then heads home and meets Sarah outside of his house.  They sit and he breaks the news to her that he cannot move in with her.  It seems that he is crazy about her, and while being a fake-boyfriend is one thing, but living together is just too hard for him.  But, one day, he’ll get the Intersect out of his head and he’ll be with the girl he loves.  He won’t let it rob him of that.  Sarah hears this, and smiles to herself.

Inside of the house, Ellie is working on boxes and preparing for the big move.  Chuck moves through the living room telling her they’ll talk more later, but that he is not moving out.  Inside of his room, he closes the door and turns to the ‘Tron’ poster and removes it from the wall.  It’s mounted on foam-core board, making it easy to do this.  He lays it face down on his bed, revealing a matrix, showing the connections between all of the players in the Intersect saga.  Wait, did I just stumble into an episode of Life? He’s charting his own conspiracy wall!  He takes out a sharpie and writes “Orion” in big letters above the center Intersect room, that connects everything.
 
What are Casey and Sarah’s Covers?
Casey and Sarah are guests at a consulate party.  What does that mean? Well, really they just get to dress very nice and mingle in the crowd.  Sarah also has the cover of being Chuck’s now-live-in -girlfriend.

Is Awesome in This Episode?
Yes, but not very much. Awesome is here at the kitchen table, but not much else.  And sorry ladies, he is fully clothed.


And how does Sarah dress? Lingerie?
Yes and no.  We do open with her in some cute pink boy-short panties and stretch t-shirt.  Not as provocative as other episodes, but still, a nice way to open this week’s show. :-)

Does Casey get shot, poisoned, or otherwise injured?
Nope. Having Agent Barker around sure does improve Casey’s health.  This week and last he escapes unharmed while Agent Barker is shot (twice!) and tortured. Casey really should see about getting him a full-time position.

What’s the state of the Chuck / Sarah romance?
As the episode opens, Chuck and Sarah are rooming together at his old house (the one shared with Ellie and Awesome).  They discuss that the CIA will be getting them a new apartment soon.  Throughout the episode there is the love-triangle from last episode between Sarah-Chuck-Barker.  However, we clearly learn that Sarah has feelings for Chuck, and the triangle is caput by episode’s end.  At the end, Chuck confesses he has feelings for Sarah and that’s why he can’t move in together – it is too hard. A girlfriend is one thing; living together is completely different.  How will Sarah act on this info in future episodes?

Where is FULCRUM?
They are still front and center, trying to find out the identity of the Intersect.  This week they are led by a very diminutive, nebbish fellow.  Not as menacing as they have been in the past.

And the status of a new Intersect?
The CIA’s Intersect is not mentioned in this outing.  However, we do learn more about FULCRUM and their plans to create there own Intersect. We also get some clues about who actually created the original Intersect, which is tantalizing new plot thread…

Chuck 2.16 "Chuck versus the Lethal Weapon" Recap