Dork Adore » TV Reviews

Sherlock: The Reichenbach Fall – Dork Review

Nick Bryan — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 22:31:54 +0000

Ladies and gentlemen, it seems like only yesterday that series two of Sherlock started. Well, in fact it was two weeks ago, but it’s still been too brief a visit with the great detective. Already, it’s time for the finale, in which our hero faces his greatest challenge yet: a mobile phone app.

Well, looking back at the show so far, it was inevitable. So, can our hero navigate the iTunes removal process?

The Final Middle Episode Problem

As mentioned last week, I worried that this finale was coming from the writer of last year’s disappointing middle episode, but happily this is a massive improvement. There’s a lot of plot crammed in, it’s breathlessly fast at times – an impressive achievement when you’re working in a ninety minute time slot.

By the time Moriarty had slapped his fifth or sixth big twist on Sherlock, I was feeling as fatigued as the man himself. Did his epic masterplan make any sense or was it reliant on coincidence? Perhaps, but the adrenaline rush was palpable, and the emotional scenes towards the end provided enough weight to stop it all being silly. Just.

As ever, this was helped by some great performances by the reliable Cumberbatch/Freeman duo, especially in the closing moments, not to mention Andrew Scott as Moriarty, who is still weirdly compelling. I’d been waiting for Molly to have her moment as more than just a joke girly, and sure enough, there it was. Took long enough.

Graduation Day At The Joker School Of Villainy

And now, inevitably, we come to the “but”. I said above that the episode manages not to be “too silly”, but I also can’t deny that the silliness is pretty endemic. In this episode, Sherlock sheds most of its pretentions towards serious crime drama and launches headlong into comic book melodrama.

Moriarty’s motivation? Well, he tries hard to dress it up, but it still comes down to “I’m just really evil”, this man is an honours graduate of the Joker School Of Villainy. Andrew Scott is clearly enjoying himself immensely, but some of the melodramatic dialogues between him and Sherlock get a bit much, especially since they’ve scaled back the jokes dramatically to amp up the emotion.

Still, it’s a finale with a real sense of emotion and scale, definitely a big ending, loved the way they pitched the cliffhanger, but those who feel recent Sherlock episodes have gone too far towards making him a superhero (see also: last week’s Mind Palace scene) may find this one even more difficult.

Nonetheless, fans should enjoy the tension. Check the episode on iPlayer (like you haven’t already) and let us know how you found it.

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Sherlock: The Hounds Of Baskerville – Dork Review

Nick Bryan — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 08:27:10 +0000

The second episode of new Sherlock! This time, The Hound Of The Baskervilles gets the treatment, as Moffat and Gatiss pound through Conan Doyle’s most famous stories. There’s also a guest shot from Russell Tovey, who has now shown up in almost every famous geek show of our time, not to mention BBC3’s excellent Him & Her.

So this episode comes with a pedigree, but how did it perform in the dog show?

The Horror Of The Baskervilles

After last week’s London-based run through the Sherlock scenery, we got a change of pace. Our heroes decamp to the country to search for a mythical hellhound, whilst Russell Tovey’s character steadily breaks down around them. And it’s a slowdown from the usual Sherlock headrush of images.

In fact, there’s a sense of horror shot through here, both during the scenes set in the woods and the military facility segments. Writer Mark Gatiss is a renowned horror fan, scripting the unsettling Night Terrors episode of Doctor Who, not to mention his documentary on the subject, and it made him a good choice for this Hound.

I especially liked Bluebell the rabbit, who not only provided a funny callback, but also primed us for the possibility that genetically engineered animals are real, so… maybe there is a monstrous super-dog on the loose? Well pitched. But poor little bunny.

The Mind Palace Of Being Human

Since the whole show pivots around the Holmes/Watson relationship, it’s fortunate that this episode allows some interesting interactions between them. The possibility of real monsters not only unsettles the viewer, but the great detective too, and I enjoyed the resultant tension.

Russell Tovey brings his normal charm to his part, which helps make the character sympathetic despite a descent into mania. I was disappointed that he was largely absent in the second half, but I guess his name isn’t in the title. Also saddening that the Hound itself didn’t turn out to be Tovey’s character transformed into a werewolf.

Even though the eventual truth wasn’t as outlandish as hinted by Bluebell or Being Human, there were borderline-scifi moments that sat oddly next to other episodes. The “mind palace” scene pushed Sherlock further into alien robot territory than I really like.

Nonetheless, a good middle story, much better than last year’s slightly disappointing The Blind Banker. And next week, the final confrontation with Moriarty, worryingly penned by the writer of that episode, but nonetheless, after a strong series, I’m looking forward to seeing how they end it. Even if it feels like it’s all over far too soon.

Check this episode out on iPlayer, and let us know how you’re finding the second series of Sherlock. Are you excited for the finale?

More Sherlock on Dork Adore | Sherlock: The Great Game – Dork Review

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Sherlock: A Scandal In Belgravia – Dork Review

Nick Bryan — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 23:12:25 +0000

The return of Baker Street’s finest! Sherlock hits the BBC again, for another three movie-length adventures. Last year’s first run was widely regarded as marvellous, with two great episodes and, um, that other one, so anticipation was high for this comeback.

Can Sherlock live up to our expectations? And would he care either way?

A Reference In Circles

This first episode, written by Steven Moffat, is definitely very heavy on the mythology, with a lot of Mycroft, even more Irene Adler and a little Moriarty for good measure. It also features the visual flair we enjoyed during the first episode last year, which Moffat seems the most comfortable dealing with – it somewhat disappeared during the latter episodes.

But here, we get a lot of text on screen to portray Sherlock’s various thought processes, as well as an excellent first twenty minutes, which I may have enjoyed more than the part where the story got going – a few days in the life of Holmes and Watson.

Don’t get me wrong, the final plot is also very clever. It’s one of these mysteries that makes me want to watch again to see how it fits together. Sherlock is clever, but not too much, and Mark Gatiss as Mycroft is fun. Irene Adler was an interesting match for Sherlock, although as a Doctor Who viewer, she was written in an annoyingly similar voice to the River Song character.

A Venture In Fan-Fiction

Oh, and speaking of the level of self-referencing, we also have a lot of jokes about the “close” relationship between Holmes and Watson. Has Moffat been spending too much time on his own fan sites? Nonetheless, the bromance is in full force here, thanks to Cumberbatch and Freeman. The “punch me” scene particularly made me smile, as did that whole Christmas sequence.

No review would be complete without a complaint, and mine is this: the way they got out of last year’s cliffhanger did not entirely work for me. It was a little too cursory and smugly clever. I kept hoping we’d get an explanation of exactly how Adler made Moriarty spare them, but it never came.

Still, it was brushed aside so quickly that it didn’t stop me enjoying the rest of the episode. A good return for the boys, looking forward to next week. What did you think of Sherlock’s comeback? Catch the episode on iPlayer and let us know.

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Doctor Who: The Doctor, The Widow And The Wardrobe – Dork Review

Nick Bryan — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 09:58:37 +0000

It’s Christmas, and that means another festive-themed outing for Doctor Who. And after swiping A Christmas Carol last year, this time writer Steven Moffat is borrowing from less obvious source material. And he plagiarised Dickens so utterly that he had to acknowledge it in the script, so maybe it’s for the best.

Does this bode well for the 2011 special? Or should Moffat have done a nativity adaptation with River Song in the manger?

Claire Skinner, Matt Smith and The Magic Wand

Well, if your main wish from your Christmas Doctor Who is obvious festiveness, this was a huge success. Whimsy, jokes, a big swelling emotional climax or three, and Matt Smith is great with the broad child-friendly material. The first half hour especially was a glowing example of a festive parable, unfolding with atmosphere, not explaining anything and letting us experience it.

And then they started explaining stuff, and things went a little off-track. The last few scenes were strong, but beginning from Madge’s arrival in the tower, there was a decent-length sequence of sci-fi shouting to explain the plot. Necessary, perhaps, but it broke the magic spell a bit.

Still, Claire Skinner was very good, both because she was endearing and fun, and since she’s most well-known as “Mum from Outnumbered”, casting her as the proverbial Mother Christmas works on a couple of levels. Even the child actors were convincing, which is always a relief.

Bill Bailey, The Ponds And The Female Empowerment

The little touches were particularly good in this one. The sonic screwdriver’s allergy to wood finally becomes a real problem, and Bill Bailey’s appearance, albeit brief, was great. Hope he’ll be one of these minor characters who comes back. Oh, and the Ponds scene at the end, as a quick kick for “proper” viewers, gave us a few firmer hints about the Doctor’s new “presumed dead” state.

Admittedly, the female empowerment theme kinda came out of nowhere at the end, and also that flashback about Madge’s future husband following her home… is it me, or was that more creepy than romantic?

Still, despite a few quibbles when I engaged my reviewer-brain, I came out of it with my heart warmed, and on a Christmas special that’s good enough. In a normal episode, the hand-wavey “magic wand” approach to plotting might rankle more, but at Christmas, you can get away with that.

And I don’t want me and the Doctor to part on bad terms, as it looks like this is all we’re getting until autumn. Check out the Christmas special on iPlayer, and let us know below how festive you found it.

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Merlin: The Sword In The Stone – Part 2 – Dork Review

Nick Bryan — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 21:00:04 +0000

The finale of Merlin series 4 has been and gone, and as ever, it’s time to sit and reflect on how much they managed to accomplish in this space. Who lived? Who died? Did Arthur inch closer to discovering the truth about Merlin? Did Evil Morgana… achieve anything?

Well, you probably know by now. If not, don’t read the below review, I’ll be spoiling all of that.

The Only Royal Wedding That Matters

The good news is that this finale has enough scale and plot advancement to deserve the name, whereas last year was negligible. We get the big Royal Wedding, not to mention an epic battle sequence. Still, the Merlin guys really ought to come up with a finale plot other than “Morgana takes over castle, later runs away”.

Still, smug traitor Agravaine finally got his comeuppance. I was surprised they gave that moment to Merlin, partly because Arthur has a bigger bone to pick with that guy, and also because they rarely show our cuddly hero killing other humans. Nonetheless, it was a good scene, played strongly by Colin Morgan and Nathaniel Parker. Does Merlin’s confession here foreshadow similar scenes in the future?

Bemused by the sword in the stone material, though – did Merlin really just happen to remember it existed? Did he plant the sword there so he could aid Arthur in pulling it out? Rather cheapens the moment, doesn’t it?

Tristan, Isolde And Gaius – There But Not There

Another strange one was the Tristan and Isolde storyline. They came, they saw, they… had a total about-face, then one of them died. I get that it inspired Arthur to get a move on with the Gwen-marrying, but their arc felt a little tacked on. Maybe they should’ve introduced them in one of the bland mid-series episodes.

Oh, and did they decide to kill Gaius off in this episode, then change their minds whilst filming the wedding scene? I really thought the poor guy was a goner, but then he’s there, clapping away without so much as a bandage. Odd.

All in all, though, it was a tolerable finale. Zero progression in the Morgana or Merlin/Arthur storylines, they only tied off the things I expected, and a few weird asides, but I enjoyed it enough. It didn’t leave me feeling as hollow as last year. And series five could be the last ever, of course, so maybe they’ll finally get into those big stories.

Check out the finale on iPlayer, and let us know what you thought of Merlin’s fourth year. Too many changes? Not enough?

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Misfits: Series 3, Episode 8 – Dork Review

Nick Bryan — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 00:15:36 +0000

The end of the year is upon us, which means it’s time for some proper action in Misfits. There will be sex, death and perhaps some dirty jokes. So, yeah, a normal week for this show, but there will be even more of that stuff. Honest.

So, how satisfying was it? Was there enough Rudy for my liking?

Superhoodie And The Two Palavers

Having tied up that Kelly/Seth palaver last week, and it looks like Seth’s comeuppance ain’t coming up, it’s time for a return to their other unresolved subplot: Simon’s destiny to become the hoodie parkour king, and Alisha’s reluctance to accept that fate. A speedbump which is dealt with in the most brutally efficient way possible.

One the one hand, the build-up to this ending has been scattershot, I don’t think the storyline has been a major point since the Simon-centred episode ages ago. Whereas the Kelly/Seth romance has been consistent, this has been ignored. Still, the actual climax this week was pretty good, so it could be worse. Enjoyed the way they threaded two years of plot together.

Also good to see Nathan again, if only for a moment, although it is a shame we’ll no longer have Simon. The reappearance of Sally this week only served to hammer home his character development over the course of these three years.

The Attendance Records Have Been Tampered With

Meanwhile, elsewhere, a lot of comic relief scenes with Rudy; in fact the whole episode was played for laughs until things got serious in the last third, creating a strange sense of dread as we waited for something horrible and finale-like to happen. Loved Mark Heap as the medium though.

Oh, and Alisha is dead. Considering she’s an original cast member, I should feel sadder, but she’s always been the one they’ve struggled most to find material for. We are left with a somewhat decimated cast, though – I enjoyed the use of Rudy’s other self in the final shot, to make it seem more populated.

All in all, then, the third series is over and they’ve finished strongly, even if there was a rough patch in the middle there. The loss of Nathan has robbed the series of a certain manic energy, but it’s still a decent adult-themed adventure show, and the launch of new guy Rudy has worked well. Curious to see what they’ll do with this fourth series that’s been commissioned.

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Merlin: The Sword In The Stone – Part One – Dork Review

Nick Bryan — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 21:10:14 +0000

This is it! Squee, gurgle, excited sounds! The first part of the Merlin series four finale. The rest of the year, or at least most of it, was merely prelude to this amazing two week blowout. Camelot falls! Morgana sits on the throne! It’s a bit like last year, actually!

So did anything happen, or are they saving it all for next week? Any sign of the sword in the stone?

Arthurian DVD Boxset Action

Well, you have to give them credit for getting started quickly. After establishing Agravaine’s treachery at great length in previous episodes, culminating in his theft of those tunnel plants last week, we get only the briefest of establishing scenes before all hell breaks loose and a gang of charging barbarians wreck the King’s banquet.

And fair enough, really. I think in this age of DVD boxsets and iPlayer, they can assume a bit of knowledge on the part of the audience. And once Morgana is established as Queen, or at least as a crowned squatter, we get into the mid-section of the storyline, where our heroes wander off to find the stuff that will let them fight back next week.

I did enjoy the comic relief “simpleton” material with Arthur, and I’m curious what the role of Tristan and Isolde will be next week. Between that and the return of Gwen towards the end, they’ve hopefully reached the end of moving the parts into place now.

The Sudden Halt Of Merlin

The cliffhanger wasn’t great, though. I didn’t even notice a break in the action, it seemed like the episode stopped at random. That’s disappointing from this show, which is normally willing to jack up the melodrama in the name of a decent ending. Couldn’t we see Agravaine about to stab Merlin’s mum, at the very least?

Other than that, it was perfectly decent as the first part of the finale, if not the amazing burst of whiplash I’d hoped for. No sign of the sword in the stone. As predicted last week, it’s hard to really say much until we know where it’s going. Could we go all the way to the Royal Wedding next week? Will Arthur find out the truth about Merlin? Honestly, I don’t have a clue. At the very least, I imagine Agravaine will die, otherwise it’ll feel empty. But we’ll have to wait and see.

Check the episode out on iPlayer, though, and let us know how you found it. How far do you think they’ll go next week?

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Misfits: Series 3, Episode 7 – Dork Review

Nick Bryan — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 12:10:34 +0000

The Walking Dead has just finished its run, but Misfits is here to provide me with yet more zombies, swaying, snarling and smearing their guts all over the screen. There’s a dead cat, some cheerleaders and what appears to be an iguana. This may not take itself quite as deadly seriously as that other show.

Not to mention, it’s also the penultimate episode, resolving that Seth-mourns-his-girlfriend storyline that’s been going since the show came back. So was it heart-wrenching?

The Swearing Dead

The not-beating heart of this episode, of course, is Seth agonising over his new feelings for Kelly, old ones for Shannon and the added complication that his not-ex is now a zombie. His relationship with Kelly has been the only subplot to really get pursued properly in this series, so this ought to be a huge turning point moment.

In fact, to be honest, I was expecting him to die the whole time. Almost every moment Seth was on screen in the last ten minutes, my muscles were tensed for the zombie cat to lunge around the corner and sink its little rotten teeth into his ankle. It seemed dramatically inevitable that he would be executed for his stupidity.

But no. If anything, that made it feel like an anti-climax. Seth brought Shannon back, realised he’d made an error, our heroes clobbered all the zombies and that was that. Of course, we still have one episode left, which also revolves around the dead returning, so the story may not be over. Perhaps, now he’s professed his love for Kelly, Seth will get his come-uppance next week.

If Rudy Had A Massive Hammer

Elsewhere, not many other characters get much substantial to do, but it is bloody funny. Rudy, in particular, is on glorious form here. I’m not sure which was more entertaining, his quivering phobia of cheerleaders or his massive hammer. Regardless, as ever, he was the winner of the episode by some distance.

Oh, and the probation worker scene towards the end? Bravo. That’s the kind of insular self-referencing humour that I like. And it appears that next week, all their dead probation chickens will be coming home to roost. The ultimate enemy of the Misfits cast: The League Of Murdered Probation Workers?

So, check out the episode on 4OD, and let us know in the comments how you felt about this brush with the undead.

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Merlin: The Hunter’s Heart – Dork Review

Nick Bryan — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 13:37:35 +0000

This week in the happy-go-lucky medieval bromance festival of Merlin, things start to go serious in advance of the upcoming finale. Marvel as Arthur falls for a woman who isn’t Gwen! Yes, again! Although at least he wasn’t brainwashed like I cynically predicted last week.

And, after a whole series of circling, things are starting to come to a head. Are we excited?

Merlin & Arthur Vs Emptiness

It’s hard to come up with four hundred words of worthwhile critique for this episode. A few nice moments took place, but the bulk of it was moving the chess pieces into place for next week. Which, in turn, is the first of a two parter, so it might be two more weeks until you get a Merlin review with real thrust. Sorry about that.

It was a bit melodramatic, though. I’m aware that we’ve got two weeks of miserable burning injuries coming up, so I was hoping for more joy in this one. But all quiet, aside from a few Arthur/Merlin moments and some comical belching. I did like some of the character work on Merlin here, as we see that the kid’s stubborn determination to “do what is right” isn’t always the best attitude.

And there was a heavy final scene with Merlin and Arthur which worked well despite any problems with the episode to date, as ever. The Colin Morgan/Bradley James rapport lets them get away with a lot.

Deer Oh Dear

I did appreciate them not taking the easy mind-control way out on the romance storyline, though, instead letting the rival Princess be likable. I suppose this was the final hurdle for the Arthur/Gwen relationship: having him reject a perfectly good, non-evil partner to be with her.

Morgana turning Gwen into a deer is a new level of magic for this show, isn’t it? Normally people just tumble backwards. The resultant beast, however, didn’t fare as well; it seemed to exist only in separate shots that couldn’t interact with anyone, so the visual flow of the hunting sequence was ropey.

And next week, the beginning of the end. I’m curious how much resolution we’ll get, considering they already know they’re getting series five. If they could resolve the Agravaine story and give us a nice Royal Wedding, that wouldn’t be too bad. I know everyone wants Arthur to discover Merlin’s secret powers, but I think we’ll have to pry that one from their cold, dead hands. So about a week before the whole show ends, then.

Anyway. Check the whole episode out on iPlayer and let us know your thoughts, hopes, dreams and series-end predictions below.

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Misfits: Series 3, Episode 6 + Erazer mini-episode – Dork Review

Nick Bryan — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 20:31:53 +0000

A double-dose of Misfits this week, as we get not only a new regular episode, but one of those online short stories too. This one is called Erazer, and introduces the gang to the closest they’ve yet come to a “costumed super-villain”.

Although it looks like Seth might be bending that way in the main story too. Sounds dramatic, doesn’t it?

Rudy & Simon – Penis Detectives

There’s a lot going on this week,to be honest. Without even talking about that Erazer thing, we’ve got Rudy’s quest for his own penis, Curtis’s “pregnancy” and the ongoing Kelly/Seth saga, which finally gets interesting now we’re past the flirting.

Much like last week, I enjoyed this for the sheer manic energy. Everything was going by quickly, Rudy was on-screen a lot, and that guy really can sell an episode on both loud-mouthed charisma and, just occasionally, genuine emotion. Simon’s role as his despairing sidekick also amused me a lot.

Seth – Evil Or Crazy?

Enjoyed the in-jokes about probation workers, about time Alisha had something to do, I think everyone even used their powers, which hasn’t happened for a while. Well, okay, maybe not Kelly, unless we count Erazer in this. Still, felt like a meaty piece of TV, with enough crazy penis moments to remind me of classic Misfits.

Curious where they’re going with Seth: it looks like he’s merely misguided rather than evil, but the final subplot scene with him and Curtis was an interesting one. Shame if they’ve taken Curtis’s gender-switching power already, but at least they did a good episode while he still had it.

Erazer – A Short Nature Walk

Meanwhile, Erazer was… odd. I expected a tangential addition to the main story, but no, unless the title character is coming back to play a part, it was a random detour, in which our heroes spout needless exposition about their powers and what’s going on, as if they’re in a Saturday morning cartoon. Aside from a few fun moments with Rudy, there wasn’t much here.

To be honest, you could get away with not watching Erazer. If it turns out to be crucial to the series, feel free to call me names in the comments later. Our main episode this week, though, was a good piece of work. Even if this third run did slow a bit in the middle, maybe we’ll get a decent ending yet.

Check out the episode on 4OD, and Erazer as well if you like, and let us know below how this is going for you.

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Dork Adore » TV Reviews

Sherlock: The Reichenbach Fall – Dork Review

The Final Middle Episode Problem

Graduation Day At The Joker School Of Villainy

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Sherlock: The Hounds Of Baskerville – Dork Review

The Horror Of The Baskervilles

The Mind Palace Of Being Human

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Sherlock: A Scandal In Belgravia – Dork Review

A Reference In Circles

A Venture In Fan-Fiction

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Doctor Who: The Doctor, The Widow And The Wardrobe – Dork Review

Claire Skinner, Matt Smith and The Magic Wand

Bill Bailey, The Ponds And The Female Empowerment

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Merlin: The Sword In The Stone – Part 2 – Dork Review

The Only Royal Wedding That Matters

Tristan, Isolde And Gaius – There But Not There

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Misfits: Series 3, Episode 8 – Dork Review

Superhoodie And The Two Palavers

The Attendance Records Have Been Tampered With

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Merlin: The Sword In The Stone – Part One – Dork Review

Arthurian DVD Boxset Action

The Sudden Halt Of Merlin

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Misfits: Series 3, Episode 7 – Dork Review

The Swearing Dead

If Rudy Had A Massive Hammer

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Merlin: The Hunter’s Heart – Dork Review

Merlin & Arthur Vs Emptiness

Deer Oh Dear

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Misfits: Series 3, Episode 6 + Erazer mini-episode – Dork Review

Rudy & Simon – Penis Detectives

Seth – Evil Or Crazy?

Erazer – A Short Nature Walk

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