Return of the Teenage Werewolves

What would the summer be without the werewolves to brighten it up?  And with the return of MTV's Teen Wolf tomorrow night for its fifth season, you get two hours of action with Scott and his friends, or at least those that have survived the show to this point.  The days of Buffy the Vampire Slayer are long gone when the regular crew stuck together until the bitter end, though I expect the bromance with Scott and Stiles will remain throughout the series.

So what does MTV have in store?  Here is the quick summary (which could have been written for just about every season):

On the eve of Senior Year, Scott and his friends find themselves facing the possibility of a future without each other, a next phase of their lives that might take them in different directions despite their best intentions. Little do they know that outside forces are already plotting to break the pack apart long before they ever see graduation. New villains that use a combination of science and the supernatural for a malevolent and mysterious purpose that will eventually pit Scott and his friends against their greatest enemy yet. 

This trailer for the new season provides a little more.  As usual, we have a completely different monster taking on the Scooby Doo crew.  Sometimes they show gets a little too creative with its foes, be it Japanese swordsmen or Mexican mystery curses.  This season it appears to be someone in a gas mask/scuba diving outfit. 

And just as characters die or go away on this show, new characters tend to pop up.  Last season we had the werewolf pup Liam, who will have a bigger role this season as Derek recedes into the background. 

Teen Wolf will have 20 episodes this season, with a mid-season finale as before.  So get ready for another dark romp with the gang.

Update:  The first episode introduced the insect-like enemy and flashed forward via Lydia to the dark events to come.  And we also caught a glimpse of departed Aidan, while meeting a new werewolf Theo who wants to join Scott's pack. So the senior year just got a little more interesting. You just wonder if Theo will make it through the season given the show's high body count.

Second Update:  Teen Wolf has been picked up for a sixth season.  Buffy the  Vampire Slayer, another great high school ensemble battling monsters, lasted seven seasons. Can Teen Wolf surpass this record?  

Sci Fi on Sunday: The New Humans and the Returning Falling Skies

Tomorrow (June 28th) will be a busy TV day.  In addition to all the shows I outlined from last Sunday, AMC will be showing its new series Humans while the SyFy channel will broadcast the final season of Falling Skies. 

So what is Humans about? It is an alternate world where robot servants, or Synths, are about as hot as iPhones.  Starring William Hurt and Colin Morgan from Merlin, the series discusses the blurred line between human and machines.  And where do you draw the line?  This is an open question that seems to confuse and concern more and more of us in this technology controlled world of ours.  

Here is a quick trailer for the series.  It reminded me a little of the recent film Ex Machina, another scary story about human-like "robots" trying to integrate with our world.  And who can forget Steven Spielberg's AI with the factory-bought Haley Joel Osment or Will Smith in I, Robot?  I guess the list is pretty long, and we have even seen it in a few recent television shows, including Extant and Almost Human.  So it is not new territory, but another entry is always welcome.  

In a recent interview, Colin Morgan attempted to sum up the show:

Without being too clichéd about it, it is genuinely more about the humans and the effect of that on them. It covers every sector of society, the domestic setting with the family, another domestic setting with a retired gentleman, the scientific side of it, the police force, the youth, the workplace, it kind of covers everything in a really unexpected way and that’s what draws you in.

And if you want to see the damage wrought by alien occupiers versus man-made machines, you should watch TNT's Falling Skies.  Now in it final season, you can watch the Tom Mason, his family, and the 2nd Massachusetts Militia Regiment fight their last battles with the alien invaders who have decimated the planet and enslaved the children.  This is a very bleak story with plenty of false hopes along the way. In the final episode from last season, Tom Mason (Noah Wyle) was part of a bombing run targeting the moon when he was set adrift in space.  It seems he is coming back to Earth as one angry alien hunter.  This clip from the new season with Tom Mason holding an alien head is all you need to see. 

HUMANS is set in a parallel present, where the latest must-have gadget for any busy family is a Synth –- a highly-developed robotic servant, eerily similar to its live counterpart. In the hope of transforming the way his family lives, father Joe Hawkins (Tom Goodman-Hill) purchases a Synth (Gemma Chan) against the wishes of his wife (Katharine Parkinson), only to discover that sharing life with a machine has far-reaching and chilling consequences. Through four concurrent story lines, HUMANS explores the emotional impact that comes as the lines between people and machines become increasingly blurred. The series also stars William Hurt, Colin Morgan, Rebecca Front, and Neil Maskell.

Under the Dome Continues

If you were not sure Stephen King's story Under the Dome could support two seasons, then you will be really surprised it is in its third season.  I believe the CBS series has outrun the book and all you have to do is take a look at this summary of season two to see the story is all over the place - plenty of murdered characters, big holes in the ground, and dysfunctional families. And now you have people running out of the Dome and back into it.  Very confusing. 

Season three begins tonight.  Are you up for this strange marathon or will you be sitting this one out?  My fear is that this will be a seven season debacle resembling Lost where the ending cannot support the lead up.  At least the book had a real ending, but will it be enough and will the producers stick with it or mess it up?  I am not sure I want to wait around in Chester's Mill hoping to find out. 

Coming to PBS: First Peoples

Tonight on PBS you can catch the premiere of the new series First Peoples.  The program discusses where we came from by sifting through the evidence left behind by our ancestors.  Here is the PBS summary:

200,000 years ago we took our first steps on the African savanna. Today there are 7 billion of us living across planet Earth.

How did our ancestors beat the odds and spread from continent to continent? What was the secret to their success?

This is a global detective story, featuring new fossil finds and the latest genetic research. It’s a story that revolves around a shocking revelation. In prehistoric times, we met and mated with other types of human – like Neanderthals, Denisovans and Homo erectus. This mixing of genes helped us survive - and ultimately thrive.

Scientists are beginning to realize that ours is not a pedigree species, but a patchwork. We are all hybrids.  

The first two episodes will appear tonight and the series will run through July 8th.  Episode one is called Americas and covers the initial colonization of the Americas as well as the role of the Kennewick Man.  Episode two is titled Africa and discusses the appearance of Homo sapiens on the African continent as well as the spread of early humans from this region. 

Do Not Miss Mr. Robot

Do not miss USA Network's Mr. Robot, officially premiering tonight.  If you have yet to tap into the earlier offering of the pilot episode, you will be pleasantly surprised with this new series.  It may tap some of your ongoing angst about this hyper-connected society of ours.  Rami Malek, the star of the series, does a great job demonstrating both his own ills as well as those of the society we have created.  And so far, my earlier concerns about Christian Slater have not been realized.  Check it out before the authorities decide to turn it off.

Update:  Before the first episode was officially broadcast, USA Network has ordered a second season of Mr. Robot.   I guess the 3 million people who tuned in via other platforms was an encouraging sign. 

Will Hannibal Return?

The executive producer of NBC's Hannibal, Bryan Fuller, seemed to be closing a door on his project after three seasons when he stated:

NBC has allowed us to craft a television series that no other broadcast network would have dared, and kept us on the air for three seasons despite (low) ratings and images that would have shredded the eyeballs of lesser Standards & Practices enforcers. ... Hannibal is finishing his last course at NBC's table this summer, but a hungry cannibal can always dine again. And personally, I look forward to my next meal with NBC.

Yet is Hannibal really gone? Emily Yahr at The Washington Post doesn't think so, noting:

If a program has a loyal fan base, cancellation truly means nothing. It’s more just waiting to see where it will end up next.  However, is that a good thing? (Except for the people getting paid to create it, of course.)

Yahr cites Community, Longmire, and The Killing as some examples of resurrected shows.  I am for some resurrections, but maybe not this time.  I thought Hannibal was a waste of talent for a great cast, including Hugh Dancy, Lawrence Fishburne, and Gillian Anderson.  I would like to see much more of them on television, but this time on more appetizing programs. 

A Very Busy Sunday: Loads on HBO as well as Masterpiece

If you thought you could relax now that Games of Thrones and Silicon Valley have completed their seasons, you had better get back into the living room.  HBO is rolling out two new series as well as the second season of True Detective tonight, and even Masterpiece is back in the game after the recent showing of Wolf Hall.  Yes, another busy Sunday and another busy summer. 

The first new HBO show is Ballers with Dwayne Johnson (aka "The Rock") as he plays the part of a retired football player who now mentors other players in this half-hour comedy.  David Hinckley The New York Daily News seems to like the show, but he notes, "Pro football itself doesn’t come off well here."  Are you surprised? 

The second new HBO show is The Brink, starring Tim Robbins as the Secretary of State and Jack Black as a foreign service officer trying to keep the world together.  Good luck.  It looks like a great way to discuss the insanity of politics today without being too serious as was the case with The Newsroom or shows set overseas such as Tyrant (which returned for a second season last week).

And not to be outdone, PBS's Masterpiece returns tonight with a remake of Poldark with Aidan Turner.  Mr. Turner plays the part of Ross Poldark, who has returned from fighting against the Americans in the Revolutionary War only to learn that everything he left is gone, including his family's wealth and his first love. The program has already run in the UK and been renewed for a second season. 

As far as True Detective, HBO lined up a whole new cast, including Colin Farrell, Vince Vaughn, and Taylor Kitsch: Here is the basic story (it was really too much to easily summarize):

A bizarre murder brings together three law-enforcement officers and a career criminal, each of whom must navigate a web of conspiracy and betrayal in the scorched landscapes of California. Colin Farrell is Ray Velcoro, a compromised detective in the all-industrial City of Vinci, LA County. Vince Vaughn plays Frank Semyon, a criminal and entrepreneur in danger of losing his life’s work, while his wife and closest ally (Kelly Reilly), struggles with his choices and her own. Rachel McAdams is Ani Bezzerides, a Ventura County Sheriff’s detective often at odds with the system she serves, while Taylor Kitsch plays Paul Woodrugh, a war veteran and motorcycle cop for the California Highway Patrol who discovers a crime scene which triggers an investigation involving three law enforcement groups, multiple criminal collusions, and billions of dollars.

By the way,  if you still have time tonight you can watch the second season of The Last Ship on TNT.  Last season the Navy crew thought they were bringing an end to the plague, but nothing is that easy (especially when you have a hot show and you need a way to continue it for another season).  Hence, stay tuned for more shipboard and land-based battles as the diseased and cured fight the immune - don't ask, just watch it for yourself.

Catastrophe at Amazon

Don't worry, that is just the name of British import now available for online viewing at Amazon Prime - Catastrophe.  This six-part series covers the effect of multiple one-night stands between and American business traveler (Rob Delaney) and Irish teacher (Sharon Horgan).  Oh yeah, did I mention she became pregnant as part of all of this? Well, that's the plot and you can imagine some of the issues that follow, though I expect this series will throw a few curves as well.  

All six episodes were available for streaming by Prime members starting yesterday (June 19th).  The series has also been very successful in the UK.   Take a look at this trailer and I expect you may want to see more. 

One More Space Show This Week: Killjoys

If SyFy's last show Dark Matter was not to your liking, you have another chance tonight with Killjoys (do you like that Star Wars-like poster above?).  

And what is this series about?  This one has a group of armed bounty hunters (two of whom are brothers) led by a strong-willed woman.  Of course, Dark Matter is also about a bad-ass, armed group who may be killers, or bounty hunters, led by a strong-willed woman.  But I am sure this one is different.  

And by the way, I did enjoy the first episode of Dark Matter, so I am not even looking for another show.  

Check out this trailer of Killjoys and see if you are interested.  

Update: Killjoys has been renewed for a second season. 

The Launch of the Astronaut Wives

What do we know about the wives of the astronauts who excited the world in the 1960s? The newspapers covered their stories, but they were expected to be supportive and equally proud of their daring husbands. But were they? And do we really want to know what was happening behind the scenes?  

If so, tonight's premiere of ABC's The Astronaut Wives Club is for you, warts and all.  Think of it as the "Real Housewives of NASA." Of course, ABC has a slightly different spin:

A new television drama series based on the book by Lily Koppel, The Astronaut Wives Club focuses on seven women who were key players behind some of the biggest events in American history. As America’s astronauts were launched on death-defying missions, the lives of their young wives were transformed, seemingly overnight, from military spouses to American royalty. As their celebrity rose, and tragedy began to touch their lives, they rallied together.

 

The trailer reminds me of the earlier show Pan Am, which did not last very long, rather than Mad Men, the master show that replayed the 1960s.  

US Magazine seemed to like it, noting:

With plenty of new faces and solid talent, the show is a stylish portrayal of life for women at home in the '60s — complete with gender stereotypes, sexism, and killer winged eyeliner.

That may be a little too much information.  I may skip this launch.

The Other Side of the Wall: Deutschland 83

A new series premieres this evening on Sundance that is different from most of the programming you will see this year, and the fact that it will be shown in German is just the start.  Unlike The Americans and other shows about imbedded spies in these United States, this series covers a German spy within the German ranks, though we are still dealing with the same East versus West dynamics.

The new show, Deutschland 83, sounds like a fascinating mix of history and espionage to keep everyone interested.  While it is fictional, it too can bring a historic period and a struggle to life.  Set in the 1980s in East and West Germany (remember those "two" countries?), the show puts us deep in the Cold War as two great powers continue to face off against each other on the eastern flank of Europe.  Here is Sundance's summary (and the trailer):

DEUTSCHLAND 83 is a gripping coming-of-age story set against the real culture wars and political events of Germany in the 1980s. The drama follows Martin Rauch (Jonas Nay) as the 24 year-old East Germany native is pulled from the world as he knows it and sent to the West as an undercover spy for the Stasi foreign service. Hiding in plain sight in the West German army, he must gather the secrets of NATO military strategy. Everything is new, nothing is quite what it seems and everyone he encounters is harboring secrets, both political and personal. 

And while all this historic context should make for a terrific show, The Hollywood Reporter calls it a "glossy soap opera," noting: 

Like most high-gloss TV miniseries, Deutschland 83 is not exactly subtle. The political complexities of the Cold War's final decade are sanitized and simplified into very broad strokes. The background chorus of cigar-comping military hawks, malevolent enemy agents, sexy female assassins and tree-hugging hippie idealists struggle are mostly cartoonish cyphers. Between the pop hits, the strident orchestral score is intrusive and bombastic. 

I expect "broad strokes" in most television drama, so we will be okay.  You can always flip over to another channel if you need a documentary.  As always, you be the judge.

GOT: A Horrible End, Yet True to Form

Have you recovered yet from the final episode of Game of Thrones (and leave now if you have yet to see it)? It is understandable that some might think the whole series is nothing but a snuff film given the murder of Jon Snow, and yet the seeds were sown in season one with the execution of Ned Stark.  Kit Harington understood this when he spoke with Entertainment Weekly recently about this character Jon Snow:

His major fault is a bit like Ned’s in that when trying to do the right thing he wasn’t observing the people around him. He had blinders on. All he could really see is this impending doom by the White Walkers and doing things for the greater good, and what he was missing was Olly and [Ser Alliser] Thorne and some of the men around him. He wasn’t seeing their discontent and dealing with the smaller issues. 

So did we walk into the final episode with blinders on as well?  No one is safe in Westeros.  No one.  So switch the channel if you need happy endings.  This has never been one of those shows and more disappointments are in store.  Winter may be coming, but the sword could take them all long before the ground freezes.   

Will it Prove Entertaining?

Are you ready for another show where the dead are not really dead, or at least willing to communicate with us? Yes, another spin on the ancient ghost story, though in this case a doctor rather than a priest is the medium. Tomorrow night (June 16) on TNT you can see it all on the new series Proof.  

Here is the story (and here is a trailer):

Jennifer Beals plays Dr. Carolyn Tyler, who has suffered the recent, devastating loss of her teenage son, the breakup of her marriage and a growing estrangement from her daughter. Carolyn is persuaded by Ivan Turing (Modine), a cancer-stricken tech inventor and billionaire to investigate cases of reincarnation, near-death experiences, hauntings and other phenomena, all of it in the search for evidence that death is not the end.

The 10 episodes were filmed in Vancouver, Canada, indicating the filming costs are cheaper or the ghosts are more plentiful. I usually find myself bored with medical shows (though I make an exception for Nurse Jackie) and ghosts are plentiful these days, so I may skip it, but go ahead if you need more shows to watch this summer.

Too Much TV?

How many television shows are you currently watching? In a recent article in the Wall Street Journal titled "How Many TV Shows Can Your Brain Handle?", the author notes: 

Scientists say there’s no limit to the number of narratives, televised or otherwise, that the human mind can keep straight, and that our predilection for stories probably evolved as a way to adapt to real-life situations and anticipate similar events. 

The same article noted that last year television and other platforms hosted 371 original scripted series.  Sometimes I feel I am trying to keep up with all of them to write this blog, but in fact I know I am hitting very few of them.  As a result, I have a long backlist of television series I hope to see someday. 

I am no more bothered by too many television series than I am by libraries (including my own) filled with too many books for me to read in a lifetime.  Life is about picking and choosing.  I try to watch the best of the bunch, but the media will always outpace me. 

But do not worry, I will share what I learn with the readers of this blog even if I am not a committed fan to each and every one of them.  And with that in mind, stay tuned this week because we again have a pile of new television series to ponder. 

Strange Programming on BBC America

Tonight BBC America's premieres Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell for America audiences. Are  you ready for a program about magic during the Napoleanic Wars?  With all the recent new stories about the anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo (June 18th), this timely seven-part mini-series may be a fun diversion.  Here is the basic story:

1806. England is beleaguered by the long war with Napoleon and centuries have passed since practical magicians faded into the nation’s past. However, scholars of this glorious history discover that one remains — the reclusive and skillful Mr Norrell (Eddie Marsan). His displays of magic soon thrill the nation. In London, he raises the beautiful Lady Pole (Alice Englert) from the dead and summons an army of ghostly ships to terrify the French.

Soon the cautious and fussy Norrell is challenged by the emergence of another magician: the brilliant novice Jonathan Strange (Bertie Carvel). While trying to secure his beloved Arabella’s (Charlotte Riley) hand in marriage, he meets a vagabond, the magician of Threadneedle Street, Vinculus (Paul Kaye, Game of Thrones, Stella), who tells him he is destined to be a great magician. Young, handsome and daring, Strange is the very antithesis of Norrell. A dangerous battle ensues between the two great men. Their obsessions and secret dabbling’s with the dark arts will cause more trouble than they can imagine. 

 

In an NPR interview, Eddie Marsan describes the show and his character in this way: 

 

Well it is a funny show, that's the thing ... Because Jonathan Strange is sexy and cool and does really admirable and exciting magic. And Mr. Norrell doesn't. Mr. Norrell is like a librarian trying to do magic ... That's the story of my career, really. I stand next to good looking men and make them look better!

You can see the trailer here as well as the first episode here.  The dark previews remind me a little of Showtime's Penny Dreadful (remember, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein was first published in 1818).  And while I have never read the 2004 novel of the same name, this may encourage me to do so. 

It seems to summer will be just as full as the rest of the year.  No time for catching up on the old shows.  

Dark Matter and the Return of Defiance on SyFy

SyFy has new space-based show, Dark Matter, that premieres on Friday June 12th.  It has some aspects that remind me of Firefly, which cannot hurt the show.  It is the tale of a six member crew awakening on a spaceship with no idea about themselves or the mission.  Over time they begin to gain some understanding of their past skills (ship-flying, sword-fighting, etc.) as well as the dangers of their new situation.  They almost look like pirates being chased by some strange government authority.  Sound familiar?  Check out this clip for a better understanding of the story and see if you agree with the overlap with Firefly.   

Update: Dark Matter has been renewed for a second season. I have enjoyed this show as it slowly unfolds and we learn more about the past of each character. And it continues to remind me of Firefly as this close-knit crew spends most of their time on the ship, though this ship seems endlessly large compared to the cramped quarters on Mal's ship. I am still not sure about the Seven of Seven ship droid who is eerily similar to Seven of Nine on Star Trek. She is a good character, but why this parallel (or maybe it is homage)?  All in all, it's been a solid and fun series that I look forward to following into its next season.
 
I know, I would rather Mr. Whedon return with a continuation of his series, but that is not being offered.  He seems to be spending all of his time with super heroes these days, so we need to take what is offered. Of course, this new show may be more like Stargate since it comes from the same creators of that series, yet it should be a unique story given it is based on the graphic novel of the same name. 

And if you are torn, maybe you should stick to Defiance, a SyFy classic, now in its third season and premiering on the same evening.  This Earth-based program has plenty of adventure (and alien races) to keep you interested.  You may think there is little story to tell after the considerable damage to the primary city of the Earth Republic government, but don't forget that last season ended with a kidnapping of Alak and a pregnant Christie as well as the unresolved fates of Nolan and Irisa.  Plenty more tales to tell, it would seem.  And if you need to catch up on the episodes, you can do that here.  

Different Families on ABC Family

I was not surprised when Amazon took a chance on the series Transparent since this was a controversial yet evolving issue for American television audiences.  Amazon brought television to the edge of reality and was rewarded for its efforts by the public and critics.  But I did not expect Disney's ABC Family network to be quite as bold. 

First, a few years back it premiered The Fosters, a show about two lesbian moms raising a mixed family involving the son of one of the moms as well as a number of adopted children.  The Fosters returns this Monday (June 8) with its third season, which indicates ABC Family has found an audience even with the initial controversy surrounding the program.  Not only is it a good show on its own, but it's been a great way to expand the definition of family to all viewers.

Now the network is tackling a new type of family also premiering on Monday in Becoming Us - an unscripted drama where the dad is going through his own transformation.  Here are the basics:

Ben is an ordinary Midwestern teenager, going through a unique situation. After his parents’ recent divorce, Ben learned that his dad is transitioning into a woman, Carly. In the series’ opener, “#WelcomeToMyWorld,” Ben is struggling in school, and his parents, Suzy and Carly, are not happy about it. Ben’s girlfriend, Danielle, would like to introduce Carly to her father, who is also transgender, leading to an awkward shopping trip for the four of them. And Ben’s sister, Sutton, returns home to Evanston to plan her upcoming wedding.

With the recent attention regarding Bruce/Caitly Jenner, this is another timely show, though I did not expect it would come from Disney.  Maybe I should start to expect it since the network has done well tackling tough issues and trying to integrate it into family viewing.  This is not your grandfather's Disney anymore.

Bloomberg discussed the new show with Tom Ascheim, president of ABC Family, who noted the advertisers have not bailed on the show:

The potential viewer response to “Becoming Us,” as judged by online polling, is positive, he said. And while there are some advertisers who take a wait-and-see approach to edgier programming, the network’s June commercial inventory is sold out, he said.
 
You can also learn more about Ben and his father from this ABC Nightline story. 

Hearing Even More Voices?: Sense8

Do you ever hear voices in your head? If so, this Nexflix show is for you. Premiering tonight (June 5), Sense8 by the Wachowski Siblings (formerly Brothers) highlights eight people around the world sharing the same thoughts. You might be sharing my thoughts as well - Aren't these the same siblings that just crashed and burned with the awful film Jupiter Ascending? Yes, but maybe this will be different.  Besides, the siblings did create The Matrix at one time (eons ago).

Here is the set-up from Netflix:

One gunshot, one death, one moment out of time that irrevocably links eight minds in disparate parts of the world, putting them in each other's lives, each other's secrets, and in terrible danger. Ordinary people suddenly reborn as "Sensates."

The 12 episodes were filmed in 9 locations (Berlin, Chicago, London, Mexico City, Mumbai, Nairobi, Reykjavik,  San Francisco, and Seoul) over a 100 day period.  That is quite an achievement.  And the main characters are a butcher, a baker, and a candlestick maker.  Okay, that is not true.  Instead, they are a cop, a banker, and a safecracker, as well as others.  See, not much better.  

Now we just need to see what Neflix put together.  Is this good programming ascending?  We shall see. 

Update:  While I have only watched a few episodes of Sense8, the characters have been varied and interesting so far.  It seems others agree leading to the approval of a second season on Netflix.  

GOT: Wow!

If you missed last Sunday's episode of Game of Thrones you missed an amazing episode (and I recommend you do not continue here until you see it). 

We finally saw up close why the approaching winter is such a threat to everyone in the south. In Lord of Rings fashion, we watched a horrendous battle between the Wildlings and dead army of the White Walkers. And while the Wildlings cut through the dead like Orcs, they kept coming  (including dead children, which eerily reminded me of scenes in The Walking Dead).

It was hard not to feel despondent as the live humans were eventually added to the army of the dead. And while Jon Snow killed one White Walker, it was clear there is a slew of them and they are happy to watch the dirty work from afar.

One knows the return of dragons and dragon -related weapons will help, and many Wildlings escaped to fight another day, but you wonder how many will never live to see the final battle.  Besides, the southerners have done well decimating their armies and killing off their best commanders. The Daenerys/Tyrion detente in that sense was the only hopeful story Sunday night.

With all of this it was hard to cheer the demise of Cersi, but that story was sufficient by itself to carry the show alone.  One cannot mourn those who play with fire and ignore the warnings. With two jailed queens and a child king, the south slowly collapses while Jon Snow attempts to hold back hell. 

Yes, the wandering are over and the story is taking shape. Winter is coming, and we now know most of the living will not survive to see the spring.

Update:  This YouTube clip provides some interesting background on filming the White Walker attack.