Your Evening Linc: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., KOTOR On the iPad, Doctor Who Twelfth Doctor & Series 8, and Red Wedding Reactions

Evenin' all. What better way to spend a cool summer night than reading up on the latest from the 'net?

1. Joss Whedon Talks "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." 

Who needs the Avengers?

The Tom Hagen of the Marvel Universe sat down with Entertainment Weekly to discuss his new, upcoming series "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." Among other things, Joss teased about the gravity of Agent Coulson's resurrection:

“Well, it’s a very interesting explanation… We’re gonna earn it, that’s not something you take lightly.”

He also stressed the importance that the show stand on its own, so as not to alienate new viewers or cheapen the show by over-referencing the movies. The Whe-Don (to continue the Godfather analogies) was also asked about the identity of actor J. August Richards, who will appear as the first new baddie of the series.

“I’m not going to say who he’s playing, but he’s certainly cranky as you can tell from the trailer. It’s great, he came in to guest star and he tears it up. He’s got that kind of energy, he’s so much fun, and such a lovely guy.”

 We'll see just how lovely (or not) he is when "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D" (I am getting way too good at typing that fast) hits the small screen in September.

2. liGht Side vs Dark: Knights of the Old Republic Comes to the iPad

In 2003, Knights of the Old Republic revolutionized gaming and paved the way for RPG's like World of Warcraft and Mass Effect where your choices had consequences for your character and the story. Now, to celebrate its 10th Anniversary, StarWars.com has announced that KOTOR is now available on the iPad. In a statement on the offical site, Aspyr VP of Publishing Elizabeth Howard said:

"Being able to bring one of the most beloved Star Wars games to iPad for such a momentous event is an incredible honor....We have a long history at Aspyr of bringing the best games to Apple platforms, and as bona fide fans of the original release, we've worked to ensure that Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic for iPad lives up to its prodigious reputation."

Set 4,000 years before the time of the Rebellion against the Empire, Knights of the Old Republic pits the armies of the Jedi and Sith in an epic struggle for the fate of the galaxy. It also introduced the immensely popular characters Darth Malak, Darth Revan, and Jedi Bastila Shan. So hop on your iPad (because who are we kidding, if you're reading this odds are you have one), download the game, and prepare to take control of your customizable character in an effort to save (or conquer) that galaxy far far away, a much much longer time ago.

3. Doctor Who Series 8 Confirmed for August 2014

Amid all the hubub regarding the departure of Matt Smith, the BBC has announced that Series 8 of Doctor Who will premiere in August of 2014. According to recent reports there will be twelve episodes the will run without interruption, giving fans the opportunity to become comfortable with the incoming Twelfth Doctor.

And speaking of Number Twelve, Radio Times has reported that we will know the name of the next Time Lord as early as next month!

"The new Doctor could be handed the keys to the TARDIS as early as next month, BBC sources have confirmed – with insiders suggesting Matt Smith’s replacement needs to be announced before the Doctor Who Christmas special begins filming next month.

It would be virtually impossible to keep the identity of the new doctor a secret even if the entire set went into lockdown during filming of the Christmas special, a BBC source told RadioTimes.com.

“The search has begun in earnest and is active now,” the source said, adding that the BBC has not ruled out hiring a woman to replace Matt Smith."

Series 8 begins filming this fall. Now, let's get ready to speculaaaaate!

 4. Nice Day For A....Red Wedding: The World Reacts

If you're like me and haven't read any of the books on which Game of Thrones is based, you are still trying to get over the horrific and deeply upsetting events of last Sunday's episode "The Rains of Castamere" which featured the plot-toppling event known as "The Red Wedding". No spoilers here if you haven't seen it, but this clip of various viewers' reactions should be a clue that you're in for something truly mind-bending, gut-wrenching, and scream-inducing:


I'm still trying to close my mouth. What a fantastic, bloody episode!


And that's all the news that's fit to blog for tonight. Til' next time.

- Joe

Your Morning Linc: S.H.I.E.L.D., Once Upon A Time In Wonderland, Harry Potter and Star Wars Theme Parks, Star Wars Returns to the UK, Doctor Who Leak

Congratulations, everyone! We've made it to the middle of the week, which means it's time for me to catch up on what's going on in the land of geekery.

1. Two New Shows For the Geek-Minded

I have a feeling that, starting this fall, this blog will be seeing a lot more recaps and reviews. ABC is delivering not one, but two enticing new shows for lovers of action, adventure, and fantasy. First up is a show about a group of friends who like to spend time together doing what all of us like to do with our friends: Save the world from super-powered, extraterrestrial, dangerous threats. Led by everyone's favorite resurrected agent,  this is Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Also on ABC, the folks behind everyone's favorite fairy tale drama are travelling down the rabbit hole to explore a world we've only seen glimpses of, and in a way that we've never seen before. Alice is not the doe-eyed, sweet youngster we've seen in the cartoon. She has lost her true love in a land where anything is possible. Forced to endure "treatments" at a mental facility, Alice doesn't think Wonderland never existed, but she no longer believes in it. When she is rescued by the White Rabbit and a new ally, they travel back to the mystical place to search for the one whose heart is intertwined with hers. And it all begins Once Upon A Time In Wonderland:



2. Booking My Flights in Advance: Harry Potter World Extension and Possible Star Wars Theme Park

It looks like the folks at Disney and Universal will be quite busy in the next few years. According to Universal Creative president Mark Woodbury, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter will be getting an extension...you just have to know which brick to push. That's right, visitors to the park will finally be able to walk the streets of Diagon Alley

Starting in the summer of 2014, not only will they be building this new attraction, but they will be building it in the main Universal Studios Park. How, then, will people be able to get from there to Hogsmeade and Hogwarts at Islands of Adventure? Why, the Hogwarts Express of course! As Woodbury explains:

 "After people climb aboard the Hogwarts Express at Universal Orlando Resort next year, as they exit that train, they're going to find themselves in an entirely different environment, in a completely different place. Whether they've journeyed from London to Hogsmeade or visa versa. And we've made sure that even your train trip aboard the Hogwarts Express will be part of the ambitious immersive storytelling experience that we're trying to create for our Guests with this Potter expansion."

If you need me, I'll be waiting on line for the next year or so. And, not to be outdone, Disney CEO Bob Iger has hinted at a possible Star Wars theme park in the future. According to the head of the House of Mouse:

"In addition to the Star Wars feature films that we’ve already talked about, we’re also working on opportunities for television and our parks...It’s still very early in the process. We’ll announce details as these developments evolve."

When the park is operational, it will be the ultimate attraction in the universe. I suggest we visit it.

3. Star Wars Returns to the U.K.

According to an announcement on the official site, it looks like filming and production of Star Wars will return to its ancestral homeland. Leaving behind the Land Down Under, Episode VII will be filmed in the United Kingdom. This continues a long tradition of Star Wars being produced in historic studios such as Elstree, Shepperton, Leavesden, Ealing and Pinewood Studios. Representatives of Lucasfilm met with George Osborne, the Chancellor of the Exchequer (which just sounds like something out of Star Wars) to make the proper arrangements.

"We've devoted serious time and attention to revisiting the origins of Star Wars as inspiration for our process on the new movie, and I'm thrilled that returning to the UK for production and utilizing the incredible talent there can be a part of that," said Kathleen Kennedy, President of Lucasfilm. "Speaking from my own longstanding connection to the UK with films like Raiders of the Lost Ark, Empire of the Sun and recently War Horse, it's very exciting to be heading back."

Shooting is set to begin sometime next year.

4. Doctor Whoops: Season 7B DVD Set Released Early in the U.S.

If ever there was a need for time travel, you can bet the people at the BBC are feeling it now. The DVD box set for Series 7B has been released early in the United States, which would be fine except that the season finale hasn't aired yet. You know, the one that promises to reveal the Doctor's greatest secret and solve the mystery of Clara Oswin Oswald?

Yep, that would be the one.

The BBC has pleaded with fans to keep spoilers off the Internet (and, in a joint statement, asked fish not to live in water) and showrunner Steven Moffat has stated if the finale remains unspoiled, that he will release a special clip from the 50th Anniversary Special featuring Matt Smith and David Tennant the night of the finale. Let's just hope this works, or else we're going to have to figure out how to grow a TARDIS. Speaking of the finale, here's a tantalizing (and spoiler-free) preview:

As well as the goosebump-inducing prequel: "He Said, She Said":

So we'll finally get to see the fields of Trenzalore...but what about the Fall of the Eleventh, the Question, and the Silence? Is the Great Intelligence behind all of this? And just WHO are the Doctor and Clara? Take a peak at the BBC-approved pictures here for more tiny bits of information (and note the appearance of a familiar, colorfully-clad person roaming the halls behind Clara).

Well, we certainly have a lot to expect in the coming weeks, months, and years. And all of it will be covered right here, at the Missing Linc!

Til' Next Time,

- Joe