PWR stands for Play, Watch, Read and if you look above you can see they are our three main sections on the site. Obviously with the wide scope of the site sometimes the things I am enjoying can be lost. 

The reason for these articles is to highlight some of these in order to let you in some of the treasures I have been consuming.

There will be times I point you towards reviews on the site from other writers. I may agree with the assessment but also I may have different views which I will put forward here.

For now though look out for the PWR list

By Paul Fiander

This episode seems full of two on two confrontations firstly we get to see Jamie continuing his training with Bronn. The Sell Sword is clearly the better fighter and now takes to teaching the Lord Commander about the way things in King Landing stand. This leads to a meeting with Tyrion that has the two brothers playing a small bit of verbal tennis in the name of bonding. Tyrion as always has the better of the encounter and this leads to Jamie seemingly questioning his brother's position.

The ranging to Crastor's has also taken on another twist with the arrival of Brann and his party. Could the Stark boys meet up? This is another move away from the book and I think it will hopefully be a good move however the way this season has gone so far I will take nothing for granted.

In this episode more than any other we have seen that the show will not worry about keeping book continuity Game of Thrones is a separate beast to A Song of Ice and Fire. I just hope that readers and watchers can respect each others mediums.

Knowing the way the game is played I'm pretty sure they will.

Episode watched via Sky Atlantic on the evening of the 14th of April 2014

Images courtesy of BSkyB

We do get to check in with Bran Stark on his journey through the North and realisation of his considerable power. This is essential to the further development of his story and he is moving along at a fair pace. 

This episode though is a celebration of the death of the king and although he was loathed he made a stand against all that is good and just in the world and for that we salute at Backwards Compatible salute him.

This is an episode that shows why a shortened season with higher production values is one thing but good writing can be as equally dramatic as advance CGI. I hope TV producers realise this especially the Gmae of Thrones producers......

Knowing the way the game is played I'm pretty sure they will.

Episode watched via Sky Atlantic on the evening of the 14th of April 2014

Images courtesy of BSkyB

Even though we always endeavour not to spoil there may be unintentional spoilers for season 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7 or 8. It may be worth your while looking at our synopsis of the first season or better still grab a visual copy of Buffy on DVD, or through Netflix etc and have some slaying fun of course from this point I will also add from Dark Horse Comics as well.. If you don’t mind learning a little more of the comings and goings centred around Sunnydale high then read on McDuff.

At the culmination of Season 8 some odd things were afoot in the Buffyverse, thanks to the destruction of the “Seed of Wonder” magic has now been removed from the world. As usual though things are not that simple as beings infused with magic still retain their powers. This means while Buffy remains the Slayer, Willow is now completely lacking of power. This change in the world resets what we know and helps Season 9 to remove some of the larger plots that weighed down Season 8. The back to basics principle serves Buffy very well and some of the stories in this run are much more human in tone. This is led by an abortion storyline that really shook up the media and readers alike, Whedon’s lack of fear in diving into an extremely sensitive area is one of the highlights in the lore of Buffy.

Much like the previous season this one has multiple arcs and one shot’s that together form the narrative at large. We do get multiple writers throughout the season and all bring their own subtle influences on to the world. This is coupled with more than a few pencillers; the art does feel pretty high throughout the run and some of the covers like the one above by Jo Chen are really something.

The new status quo is set by the end of the season and we can look forward to the continuing Buffyverse growing along these new lines. If we take Season 8 as a bit of a learning curve then this ninth season is the proof that the lesson has been learnt. It felt that bringing Buffy back to more realistic stories (realistic is taken with a pinch of salt), made the narrative have more impact. Season 10 is perfectly set up with more than a few twists in the tail form the ninth, we also have a side running storyline in Angel and Faith add these two together and what you get is a whole heap of Whedonverse goodnes

You can find our review of Buffy Season 10 #1 here

Even though we always endeavour not to spoil there may be unintentional spoilers for season 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6. It may be worth your while looking at our synopsis of the first season or better still grab a visual copy of Buffy on DVD, or through Netflix etc and have some slaying fun. If you don’t mind learning a little more of the comings and goings centred around Sunnydale high then read on McDuff.

We do get an action ramp up with a new breed of enemy to face, its good to see Buffy being in danger and having to rely on her friends. Again it points back to the strength of the gang and the way they all support each other, it has been one of the best things about Buffy in its entirety and in this seventh series we really get to the know the value of a collective.

Ultimately though Buffy is the key to victory and watching her grow as a character over the seven seasons was one of the best televisual experiences in my life. Thankfully watching Buffy back now the show pretty much holds up. The CGI may be a little dated but this show was more than about the way it looked. Its odd to think that over a decade later there has not been a show quite like this. The strong female lead is something we should not need to talk about but far to often girls/women are not portrayed as the carriers of shows. Buffy was a trend setting show but unfortunately TV failed to hang on to the coat tails of the phenomenon. 

The end of Buffy was a fitting end, the final season had a lot of depth and some great performances It was a fitting end but like we have seen in the past just because something ends does not mean its finished.

Even though we always endeavour not to spoil there may be unintentional spoilers for season 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5. It may be worth your while looking at our synopsis of the first season or better still grab a visual copy of Buffy on DVD, or through Netflix etc and have some slaying fun. If you don’t mind learning a little more of the comings and goings centred around Sunnydale high then read on McDuff.

In terms of emotional impact this series is filled with great moments the stories also see to get back to Buffy at her best. This is exemplified by one of the best episodes in Buffy history, its called Once More, With Feeling and is almost the exact opposite of Hush from season 4. Here we have Sunnydale being overrun with singing and dancing which on the face of it sounds nicer than the usual evilness that goes on in this town but what would Buffy be without a twist.

The ending of this season is especially strong as it has been building for through pretty much every episode, the intertwined story strands end up with an amazing finale where we have friends doing battle and this time the world is in danger. The biggest surprise though is the hero of the piece, the last stand is melodramatic with a great side dish of humour not to mention a big dollop of violence. 

The scene is set for Season 7..

Even though we always endeavour not to spoil there may be unintentional spoilers for season 1, 2, 3 or 4 It may be worth your while looking at our synopsis of the first season or better still grab a visual copy of Buffy on DVD, or through Netflix etc and have some slaying fun. If you don’t mind learning a little more of the comings and goings centred around Sunnydale high then read on McDuff.

The Season 4 finale was perhaps my least favourite episode. It felt like a mid season show and did not have the draw of previous end of series hootenanny's. Of course not every show can be a blockbuster but for a show to bring back watchers it needs either a grandstand finish or lots of goodwill. Thankfully Buffy was a strong enough show that many did come back but they were presented with he ultimate Vampire cliché Dracula. It has all the hallmarks of a weak episode with everyone falling for his spell. Well everyone but our newly house trained vampire Spike

This season will be most remembered for two of the most impactful deaths in TV history. But more of that later.

Even though we always endeavour not to spoil there may be unintentional spoilers for season 1, 2 or 3. It may be worth your while looking at our synopsis of the first season or better still grab a visual copy of Buffy on DVD, or through Netflix etc and have some slaying fun. If you don’t mind learning a little more of the comings and goings centred around Sunnydale high then read on McDuff.

The episode is probably the high point of the series and is one of favourite 45 minutes of television. Oddly the lack of voice just makes the whole situation feel creepier. Even though Buffy is a show about Vampires I never once felt scared but this is the episode that comes closest to elevating Buffy to a true horror event. It’s also compounded as there is still noise emanating from the rest of the world and environment. The lack of vocalisations does have on benefit for Buffy in terms of a new friend, or maybe this someone can be a little more than that.

On the positive side (maybe) there is an anti-vampire group on campus, the question is are their motives in line with Buffy’s sensibilities. Obviously as the show goes on you get to find out more about the world of the University of California Sunnydale and there are the usual missteps by the Scooby Gang along the way. Especially from Buffy as she finds that her early days on campus are filled with difficulty both in classes and on her nightly adventures. 

Even though we always endeavour not to spoil there may be unintentional spoilers for season 1. It may be worth your while looking at our synopsis of the first season or better still grab a visual copy of Buffy on DVD, or through Netflix etc and have some slaying fun. If you don’t mind learning a little more of the comings and goings centred around Sunnydale high then read on McDuff.

The season schedule was always intertwined with Buffy’s school years, it makes the whole aging process of the actors work and it also moves the story along. Of course she was expelled in the last season but some things do not last forever in the Buffyverse. There is a period mid season where this could not be truer thanks to Cordie and a mischievous demon. It gives the townspeople a chance to see what would happen if the Buffy we know and love never existed, it’s a chance to see alternate reality storytelling and is pretty well done albeit with an expected outcome although there are one or two twists along the way.

As this is senior year the obvious conclusion of the season would be graduation, however would it be a Buffy season without a sting in the tail.  

Even though we always endeavour not to spoil there may be unintentional spoilers for season 1. It may be worth your while looking at our synopsis of the first season or better still grab a visual copy of Buffy on DVD, or through Netflix etc and have some slaying fun. If you don’t mind learning a little more of the comings and goings centred around Sunnydale high then read on McDuff.

However mostly I would say the theme of Season 2 is relationships, whether they be existing or new the ties that bind can sometimes be inescapable. Perhaps the oddest coupling is our bookworm librarian Giles with the Techno pagan Miss Calander (who returns from the first series). Their match of new and old information is vital in helping Buffy understand the world around her but the opposite attract factor is played for laughs at every opportunity. Their relationship is also responsible for the best rugby related lines in television as Giles remarks;

Buffy has an unexpected new relationship to deal with in the form of Kendra a new slayer; she was activated (so to speak) after the events of the season 1 finale. It’s a great conceit and her introduction again shows Whedon and the creative team have a flare for the dramatic.

Overall the second season of Buffy is a step up from the first. We have more action and character development as well as a growing cast. The wonder of the cast growth is that we get to lose characters along the way meaning no one is safe not even the slayer herself if the finale of season 1 is anything to go by.

Being the new kid in school can always be difficult, however when your school is located at Hellmouth then things may get a little messy. This is where we meet Buffy Summers our reluctant heroine, although she already knows her role as the slayer it does take a little time for her to warm up to the name.

In these opening episodes we are also able to meet the Scooby gang as they are affectionately titled (by Xander). Although Buffy is a great central character the team around her are every bit as important in the shows narrative. The rag tag collection of a geeky girl (willow), a Librarian (Giles), a wise cracking want to be cool guy (Xander) and the dark and mysterious Angel. Each has their place of importance to the collective and will be the main stay of this series and some of what follows.

Although Buffy is called a Vampire Slayer she does have the ability to slay pretty much any evil creature and in this first season she will have to face monsters and witches and of course our fang touting bad guys. My personal favourite battle is from the episode entitled the Puppet show, I’ll not spoil the plot for you but the title should give you a pretty good idea of what to expect.

We do have a big bad in this series called the Master and as the name suggests he is the leader of the Vampires and although not in every episode he and his minions are always lurking. The Final episode is pretty epic and we really get see our lead performing at her best.

Ultimately Buffy was a great piece of pop culture. Watching the series again now, it still holds up even though the visuals are a little shaky. We will be taking a look at each season over the next few weeks but for now I’ll leave you with one of the most iconic quotes form the show from Giles

A slow moving shuffle of what we assume is shoes. Rick picks up on the sound at the same time as we do and investigates. Then he spots a little girl in a dressing gown and fluffy slippers he calls then and says the immortal line “don’t be afraid”….

At this point the girl turns and we get to see fear in the eyes Rick instead. His realisation that this young child is a zombie seems to affect him and that’s why I love this scene. The realisation that he is going to have to take on this girl seemingly hit him in hard in the few seconds of calm he has before she starts moving towards him. 

The creators of the show could have gone any way they wanted to with the zombie a man, a woman or a boy but a little blonde girl seemed to me a statement of intent. It meant no one is safe. How often have we seen children get shot on television in a brutal fashion? I’m not sure I have ever seen such a brutal execution of a child in any form of visual entertainment ever. The sound of the gun shot echoes in the surrounding environment and the bullet hit is shown in slow motion along with the blood splatter. As the body falls you finally get a brief soundtrack and the title scene kicks in. This is a bar setting scene if there ever was one.

Admittedly the girl is a zombie but the feeling of revulsion still remains as we are yet to find out what it means in this universe to be a zombie. She was a young girl and our feelings about child killers is something ingrained in to most people from a young age. I’m not sure however though if anyone would blame Rick for his choice as it was more about survival then about violence towards a child. For the life of me I can not even think about how many zombies I have seen killed in this show but this is the kill that I remember (and one other from Season 2). Maybe it's because I'm a father? or it could be the first kill always sticks with you? but I can not remember the death of an extra that has been so strong in any other show.

The whole opening was perfectly pitched and made more of an impact on me then any other TV show or version of The Walking Dead. The stellar opening means the rest of The Walking Dead has a lot to live up to. The question is can it? We will endeavour to find out as our shuffle around Kirkman's universe continues.

Whether your passion is Gaming, TV or Comics or a combination of these you can have helped but hear the name The Walking Dead. Robert Kirkman's along with Tony Moore (who was the original artist but he was replaced by Charlie Adlard at the 7th issue) creation has gone from strength to strength since initial comic release in 2003. Spawning books a TV show and now a hugely successful game franchise (along with a not so successful game but lets keep quiet about Survival Instinct).

I'm a fan of the three areas mostly thanks to the way they interweave with each other. Each can be appreciated on its own merits but as a whole they give a great insight into the post Zombie Apocalypse world. The varied characters are multi dimensional each with their own back story  and inner demons. This helps the narrative to flow and make something interesting come out of nearly every issue or episode. 

This kind of media is growing and thanks to the efforts of Telltale, Skybound (along with Image) and AMC it looks like the Walking Dead is destined to grow even stronger as time goes on.

We have a cunning plan in how we want to cover this type of media which we will be sharing more of in the coming weeks. So for now I leave you with this common question; who actually cuts the grass? 

In terms of the battle Westeros of the four kings that posed a challenge for the crown after Robert Baratheon's death only a defeated Stannis and the Boy King Joffrey remain. However the unknown threat across the sea in the Mother of Dragons Daenerys Targaryen could still prove to be a thorn in the Kings side. For now though she is far across the narrow sea and no real threat.
This does leave an opening for a antagonist and this is looking to be filled by Oberyn Martell the Red Viper of Dorne. If the writers are able to capture the swagger of the Viper from his book depiction then we are in for a treat.
Speaking of swagger Jamie's return to Kings Landing was shown in more than scene and his reconnection with his sister and the rest of the family already looks to be causing issues. This is especially noticeable in the brief scene he has with Joffrey where they are discussing war. Jamie is an interesting character and one I'm sure I will visit a number of times as I go through my Game of Thrones musings.
As for the rest of the cast we saw a few glimpses of the Stark Children, Yara Greyjoy and the Hound among others but the closing line and seemingly most poignant quote comes from Melisandre "There's only one Hell...the one we live in now.
It looks like Winter is Coming and so is Season 4.

A few years ago my wife in her infinite wisdom (have to write that in-case she reads this) got me a Lovefilm subscription as a Birthday gift. The package allowed for two disc rentals at a time but unlimited rentals through the month. The kicker was it could be games or films. This was astounding at the time, I had a solid game collection but thanks to the wonder of the rental service, my postman and a very sneaky way of manipulating the system I was able to get a plethora of games as day one rentals. I was also able to rent older games that I had missed out on. This second point is less of an issue with the monthly delights of PS+ and the (hopefully) soon to be released PlayStation now. (for two opposing views on this new service you can read Matt's article here and Jon's here)

The second and in some ways more important reason is my migration top the world of PC. With my new found inclusion in the PC sphere I am finding it increasingly easy to find great money saving deals some of which I will be sharing in this section. That being said I still do miss finding those Square white envelopes in my post box and diving in deep to find another new game.