***Following the review is a detailed recap of the episode. Note that there are many spoilers for episode 13.02 in both the review and recap, so please don't read any further until you've watched it.***

On tonight's episode of Doctor Who, written by Chris Chibnall and directed by Jamie Magnus Stone, the Doctor (Jodie Whittaker), Yaz (Mandip Gill), and Dan (John Bishop) end up on the battlefield of the Crimean War where they meet Nurse Mary Seacole (Sara Powell) and Lieutenant General Logan (Gerald Kyd). Only the British aren’t fighting the Russians, but the Sontarans - on horseback! Things continue to go wrong, however, when Dan and Yaz fall through time and the Doctor is stuck alone in 1855.

The Doctor must race against time to not only stop the Sontarans from turning the Earth into their outpost, but to save a captured Yaz and Vinder (Jacob Anderson) from Swarm (Sam Spruell) and Azure (Rochenda Sandall) and stop time itself from breaking apart completely and taking her friends with it.

This week’s episode of the series I felt was much more cohesive than the last. While there were some unnecessary complications that probably would have kept it more linear (such as a short scene where Yaz meets Williamson [Steve Oram]), it flowed together well. The episode was quick-paced and the pieces fell into place. I think the idea of time itself coming apart and it affecting the TARDIS is really interesting. We are so used to the TARDIS being a place of safety, and it’s a huge added danger when it’s not.

In the film Old, which SciFi Vision was provided on 4K for review, Guy (Gael García Bernal) and Prisca Cappa (Vicky Krieps) are about to get a divorce but decide to take one last family vacation before breaking it to their two children, 11-year-old Maddox (Alexa Swinton) and 6-year-old Trent (Nolan River). Prisca is elated to find such a great deal for a resort online, and when they get there, they are offered access to a secluded too-good-to-be-true beach. They are not completely alone, however, as another family, including surgeon Charles (Rufus Sewell), his wife Chrystal (Abbey Lee), their 6-year-old daughter Kara, and his elderly mother, Agnes (Kathleen Chalfant) are offered the same access. Things get a little odd when the driver taking them to the beach (Shyamalan) gives them way too much packed food and sends them the rest of the way on foot. They soon discover that this paradise is even less exclusive and that it’s already occupied by rapper Mid-Sized Sedan (Aaron Pierre), and later another couple, nurse Jarin (Ken Leung) and Patricia Carmichael (Nikki Amuka-Bird).

Everything is fine until a body washes up on shore and accusations start flying. Things go from bad to worse when the adults notice that the children have aged by about five years. They also quickly discover that they are unable to leave, as they black out and end up back on the beach. Time continues to pass, and they realize that if they can’t get off the island, they may die of old age in the space of a day.

As with other films by Shyamalan, who both wrote and directed the movie, it can be quite dark and chilling at times. As much of it takes place in an open area on a beach, the seclusion and using the rocks and cliffs the way they did gives it that foreboding claustrophobia. The director found ways to make the alluring also feel sinister.

***Following the review is a recap, and both contain spoilers for tonight's episode, so be sure you watch it first if you don't want to be spoiled.***

Today, Doctor Who premiered a special Halloween episode, “The Halloween Apocalypse,” written by Chris Chibnall and directed by Jamie Magnus Stone, that stands as part one of six of a season long story arc. The episode was fast-paced, but with a lot of different storylines intermingled it left me a bit confused about what the flux was actually happening.

I loved that the episode takes place during Halloween. The series is known for doing fun holiday episodes and the departure was nice. It also made for some great dialog between Dan (John Bishop) and Karvanista (Craige Els) when he thought he was simply someone dressed as a dog.

I really was pleased with Dan as the new companion; he brought some new energy to the group in the absence of Graham (Bradley Walsh) and Ryan (Tosin Cole). He seems to have a good sense of humor and will likely bring some of the comic relief that would be missing without Graham. I also think the Doctor (Jodie Whittaker), Dan, and Yaz (Mandip Gill) fit fairly well together as a team thus far.

***The following recap contains spoilers for Season Two Chapter 1 - There is also a spoiler-free review available. There is also a recap of the season one finale if you need a refresher.***

Orphan Black: The Next Chapter finally returned today for season two. The story picks up where we last left everyone. After Charlotte revealed it to the press, the world is now in the know about the truth about the existence of clones. However, it’s not going as she had hoped. A lot of the clones are not happy after being lied to and many people still do not accept them.

Charlotte is helping run a crisis hotline trying to help clones come to terms with what they are. A woman calls that has locked herself in a bathroom to get away from her significant other, who is screaming at her for lying and accuses her of not even being human. Although hesitant to do it for fear police could escalate the situation, Charlotte coaxes an address out of the woman and Felix gives it to the police.

Vivi meets with Arun to tell him she is going on vacation. He questions if she is going to see the clones, but she is angry with them – their “pretend family” broke her cover, and she even had to save them. Having such a recognizable face doesn’t make for a good spy, and she can’t get a field mission and has been relegated to disk duty. She gives Arun the excuse for leaving that she wants decent espresso and Cuban food. All he cares is that she comes back again. Not used to talking to him in person, she isn’t sure if he’s being supportive and really cares or is just pitying her – she’s bad at flirting. He tells her that there are people who know how good she is and they will figure out a way around it. She’s not so sure but tells him that she will be back in five days.

I was so excited to hear that Orphan Black: The Next Chapter is back again. I very much enjoyed finding out out what happened after the television series and was curious where it would lead. The first book surprised me in the fact that they revealed to the world the truth about clones, which is something I never thought they would do. It, however, opened up new story possibilities and also introduced new clones and left it of course open for even more.

Season two picks up eight months after the events of season one. Although season one did explore some of the fallout from the world finding out the truth, now the world has had time to ruminate, and as expected, many people still do not accept the clones or treat them as equals. The sestras bear some responsibility in those who weren’t self-aware being unprepared, but can they themselves even deal with being ostracized? The beginning of season two starts to delve deeper into how the characters are coping with it, as well as with the idea that it’s not just them against the world anymore.

Doctor Who: The Edge of Reality is advertised as an expansion to the original VR game Doctor Who: The Edge of Time. That game was available on virtual headsets, including Oculus, on which I originally played part of. The VR aspect I admit does make the game more immersive. It also makes the creatures seem more eerie when they can jump out at you. I, however, get motion sickness so I was never able to make it super far in the original game, so I was really excited when I heard the game was coming to other platforms. The game is still not super long, clocking in at about two to three hours, but with the $24.99 price tag, it’s well worth it. There is also a deluxe edition on some platforms which includes multiples sonic screwdrivers and different gloves. I, however, received the standard edition for review. If they ever have the bonuses available as DLC, I will be buying it.         

The game starts out with the Thirteenth Doctor (Jodie Whittaker) calling you for help in stopping the threat known as the Reality Virus, which has put all of time and space at risk, and you become her new companion. You start by investigating a London-based laundromat for clues, which eventually leads you to her TARDIS and other planets, where you help her find the Time Crystals and stop the villain known as The First.

The acting voices, sound effects, and music really make you feel like you are on the show, and it’s fun to get to wield a sonic screwdriver. Getting to not only enter and look around the TARDIS but hit buttons and levers was really thrilling as a fan. I do wish, however, that you could venture beyond the area around the console.

Last season on Big Sky, Ronald (Brian Geraghty) was finally arrested but talked the cops into bringing him to the crime scene where he was hiding a body. During return transport, members of the trafficking syndicate helped him escape with Scarlet (Anna Savcic), leaving Jenny (Katheryn Winnick) shot and Cassie (Kylie Bunbury) to give chase.

Tonight, on ABC, the series picks up after those events, but Ronald isn’t the only problem the duo will be facing this season, as another car crash outside of Helena will require their assistance, where teens get much more than they bargain for when they come into possession of some money.

Tomorrow, Netflix releases its new original CGI anime series, Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness, which is based on the hugely popular survival horror video game series by Capcom, which was first released in 1996 on PlayStation. The series centers around two characters from Resident Evil 2, Federal Agent Leon S. Kennedy (Nick Apostolides) and TerraSave staff member Claire Redfield (Stephanie Panisello), who unite to stop a zombie outbreak and the government from covering it up. The story also introduces new characters Jason (Ray Chase) and Shen Mei (Jona Xiao). The show, which is set between the events of Resident Evil 4 and 5, spans four episodes, which are about twenty-five minutes each.

At the start of the series, viewers learn of the civil war that has broken out in the fictional nation of Penamstan. Leon, working for the U.S. government after saving the presidents daughter, is investigating a hacking incident that was uncovered, when there is an outbreak of the T-Virus in the White House. Meanwhile, Claire, who has been working with refugees from the war and overseeing the construction of a welfare facility, gets drawn into the action while waiting for an interview with the press secretary at the White House.

FEAR, or Fear Everything and Run, which is now available to own on DVD and Digital, takes place in an apocalyptic landscape after a pathogen has been released and cities are zoned and sealed off. Ethan (Jason Tobias) and Josephine (Marci Miller), struggle to keep their family, including their daughter, Mia (Cece Kelly), who is on life support, and son, Josh (Danny Ruiz), alive while scavenging for supplies and keeping the dead at bay.

Things go from bad to worse when armed bandits raid their supplies. While defending their home, Joe is hurt, but so is the marauder’s matriarch, Desiree (Susan Moore). After a battle, there is a standoff, and an agreement is made that Ethan will go with Desiree’s brother, Lincoln (Justin Dray), to their camp to get medicine for Joe and Desiree, and everyone will go their separate ways. Of course, things don’t go according to plan, and no one can be trusted.

Lucifer - 5.09 - "Family Dinner"

**The following is a detailed recap and review of the episode, which means it's full of spoilers. Please don’t read any further until you’ve watched it. You can also check out my (almost) spoiler-free review for the second half of the season if you prefer**

Netflix finally dropped the anticipated conclusion to season five of its hit series Lucifer less than an hour ago. In the last episode, Lucifer (Tom Ellis) was about to tell Chloe (Lauren German) how he felt when Amenadiel (D.B. Woodside) accidentally stopped time, not in control of his powers. Lucifer’s twin, Michael (also Ellis), had got into Amenadiel’s head, revealing that his son, Charlie, was human. Leaving a frozen Chloe, Lucifer joined Amenadiel to battle his brother, as well as Maze (Lesley-Ann Brandt), who had sided with Michael, believing that he could get her a soul. At the height of the battle, the brothers’ father, God (Dennis Haysbert), appeared, putting a stop to the fight. Season 5B picks up in that moment.

Following the recap is a review of the episode.