Mark Sheppard narrowly beat Katee Sackhoff as the most anticipated Bionic actor back in September..now that we’re almost half-way through the planned 13 episodes for season 1, let’s see who you guys think has been the best performer. Has Sheppard lived up to his promise? Has Katee lived up to her hype? What about Michelle Ryan..has she been your leading lady?

Feel free to cast your vote for your best performing actor so far by using the Poll in the sidebar (will be moved to archive in a few days, where you can still vote).

Here is my top 3 so far:

Katee Sackhoff : Still holds the number one spot for me because she’s such a badass in the ‘nemesis’ role. However it’s not simply the bravado and sex-appeal that she brings to Corvus which makes me sit up – it’s also her more tender moments, like when she pulled Jaime’s hair back to comfort her as she was dealing with her first bout of sensory overload, and the time when she pleaded with Jaime to help her to extend her lifespan. It’s this light and shade which Katee has brought to the role of Corvus that has made the character far from one dimensional, even though she could easily have been.

Michelle Ryan: I know that she has her critics and those who say she doesn’t express enough emotion but all things considered I think that she has grown into the role and shown noticable improvement. This is important because it mirrors Jaime’s journey from being uncomfortable and unsure of herself, to owning both the machine and the human side. Of course neither Jaime or Ryan are there yet, but it’s this mirrored improvement which certainly deserves recognition.

Kevin Rankin: He’s given the show some much needed comic relief. Whilst the likes of Isaiah, Price and Ferrer have struggled at times with the more humorous aspects of the show, Rankin has shone brightly and Nathan’s obsession with Jaime is both sweet and hilarious – He has great chemistry with Ryan and if we see more of him I think he could well be a fan favourite.

Others who have impressed: Isaiah Washington has been good, not great but ‘good’. I feel that his character has a lot of potential if only they can give him a better script to work with. I would also give props to Molly Price because she is clearly made for this role if only they can give her more to do! Mark Sheppard has been superb but we have seen so little of Papa Anthros. Oh and I can’t forget Lucy Hale, I’ve enjoyed her performance so far and we need to see more of her – hopefully they can weave Becca’s ’computer hacking’ background into the storyline (why haven’t they??).

So there you have it, my half-term report of the main actors – what are your thoughts on the actors..who has impressed you and who has left you feeling cold? Oh and don’t forget to vote!

Wow, this was certainly a step up from last weeks episode! If this episode was an indication of things to come then no wonder NBC have ordered more scripts.

The title – “Sisterhood”

I thought this was a good title for the episode as it played into the central themes – the relationship between Becca and Jaime and between Jaime and Sarah. Despite not telling Becca the truth about her being half machine, Jaime clearly loves her sister and feels protective over her. However, in this episode she realised that Becca could be her biggest weakness, as people such as Sarah can target her as a way to get to Jaime..as a way to make her comply, or conform to their standards. Sarah Corvus and Jaime are virtually sisters themselves, both of them share a connectivity or a ‘sisterhood’, if you will, by the fact that they both have bionic implants which have been placed inside them without their total consent (though I was of the understanding that Corvus ‘volunteered’ for the programme, but there you go). I get the feeling that although Jaime’s priority is to protect Becca, she also empathises with Sarah and wants to help her..she just doesn’t know whether she can trust her – likewise, Jaime broke Sarah’s trust by using the self-hack trick to alert the Burket Group. Can’t blame her really, you just don’t mess with a girls sister. I would like to see this theme explored in greater depth because it’s obviously one which the actors can easily identify with and consequently it will be depicted with great realism and integrity, as it was in this episode. By the way, Katee Sackhoff was simply brilliant.

Jaime Sommers & ‘Grooming’

So, it would appear that Will did indeed target Jaime for Bionic installation years before they ‘met’, as the file she found in last weeks episode indicated. Not only is this creepy, but it raises some serious issues about a person’s right to freedom as well as issues of trust. So, Will was looking for someone with the right genetic/personality/physical etc make-up in order to try out his new and improved Bionic technology. Question – where on earth was he test running all of this? Was it directly under the Burket noses or did he have another agency that he worked for? I mean two years is a long time, and one would assume that during this time he was still perfecting and testing the implants..and on who? That’s what I want to know. We also have the issue of Jaime’s grandmother who may have been an early Bionic subject, which would suggest that my theory that Sarah is not, infact, the first Bionic Woman is correct. I think that Jaime’s genes are suited to Bionic installation and perhaps her grandmother (who had a so-called ‘genetic defect’) was an early Bionic test run?

Jaime & Sarah &’ Hacking’ into oneself

One of the most interesting themes from this episode – the fact that both Bionic Woman can ‘hack’ into their implants and ‘turn them off..and on’. How cool is that..and how cool was the nose-bleed aspect!? They’re beginning to present these BW more and more like machines..or computers and it’s a fascinating exploration into what it would be like to be bionic. I have a question though – how often can they hack into themselves before it starts to do irreparable damage? Sarah has been Bionic for what, 2-3 years, and already she is beginning to ‘erode’. This may be because her implants are inferior to Jaime’s but I would still imagine that Jaime’s lifespan is also limited? Another interesting aspect is the notion that if they can self-hack, then others can also hack into them – as Sarah claims (and I believe) happened to her when she killed those 14 BG scientists. I’m sure there would be no end of people who would want to hack into a BW, afterall, they’re part machines..machines that can be turned into the most dangerous and ‘effective’ of weapons.

Which brings me onto Antonio/Jae..

Embrace the machine or retain humanity?

These are the contrasting philosophies of Jaime’s two mentors – Antonio believes that she must unleash the ‘animal’ and embrace her machine side if she is to survive..whilst Jae, who has had to turn a gun on his own love, believes that “the machine is nothing without the woman”.

These are two crucial distinctions and it’s fascinating to see which one is most effective and which one Jaime will end up choosing. My bet is that she will have to choose BOTH if she is to survive. There may come times when she has to hold onto her humanity in order to keep her identity and possibly save her sister..but there will also be occasions when she has to make snap judgements for the greater good..decisions which may well mean ‘calling out the animal inside’ and stepping outside of her human morals and belief systems. As a BW she can no longer just think for herself..she has a wider picture to survey. No-one said being a BW would be easy..it’s the price she now has to pay for the curiosity of science and mans meddling with God’s work. Ah, and there’s another themes..natural evolution versus scientific evolution.

Sarah & her Sister

So, Sarah had a sister..I never actually considered that. It actually gives the most layered character even more layers, which is great as Katee Sackhoff is able to handle it..infact she seems like an actress who needs a challenge. Anyway, whilst my heart does bleed for Sarah’s loss, what I want to know is, who killed her sister? Afterall, it was surely no accident as it mirrored the way in which Sarah attempted to kill Anthros jnr..unless, of course, she is still so scared by what happened to her sister that she wanted to purge herself of the memory (guilt?) by inflicting a mirror ‘accident’ upon Will..? Eitherway, I felt bringing her sister into the game (yes Jaime, ‘game’) at this stage was great as it enhanced the episode and integrated with it’s central theme. Did I say Sackhoff rocks? And that’s coming from an anti-fanboy!

Papa Anthros

It’s amazing what Mark Sheppard does to an episode – perhaps next time we can just sit him in a room and have him talk about…anything! Seriously, the man is awesome..awesomeI tell you! So, Papa Anthros is quite the manipulator, it would seem. He obviously has his own agenda, which consists of getting his paws on Jaime’s bionics. Hmm, he must be pretty jealous that his son was able to create a more advanced Bionic Woman than his Sarah Corvus effort – is this why Will’s death doesn’t even seem to register with him? I knew there was some-kind of beef between the two of them. Anyway, enough about Will, he’s dead (or IS he?), what were those drugs that Papa Anthros gave Sarah? She must be at a very low ebb if she is trusting him, after all doesn’t she hate her creators?

We also found out that Anthony was in jail for treason – selling Bionics to the highest bidders. Now that is a storyline that has depth - it not only questions the ethics of the man, but it suggests that he is motivated by money (or the equivalent). Did he not care what the buyers of these ‘weapons’ did with them? Also, did he actually sell ‘Bionic Women’ to the highest bidders, and if so what has become of them? And why ‘women’? Sarah raised this issue in the episode, and it’s now made me question why ‘women’ seem to be the prerred gender for Papa and son’s Bionic installation programmes?

Oh, And where was Mr. Stitches? I miss his barrel of laughs..

Jonas and the Burkets

Loved Jonas this week, full of quips and witty comebacks! He is a pervert though (joking), and the issue of privacy is an important one. I mean, what do they do when Jaime is taking a shower? And did they really watch her and Will get it on (Yuck)? I guess it would explain why Jae was so quick to tend to Will’s ‘fatal’ shoulder wound and why Jonas was so quick to save Jaime’s dignity in last weeks toilet debacle -they’re monitoring her at all, well, ‘most’ times. So just to clarify, they (or rather Will) implanted an optical interface which is wrapped around her cerebral cortex and relays a live video feed or stream to BG HQ. So it’s in her brain and not her eye – which is perhaps why she is able to ‘hack’ herself – ‘if’ it was in her eye then surely no amount of concentration would allow her to turn it on and off at will? Although she could cut out her eye, but that’s another story (season 2 maybe? ;)). So yeah, Jonas and co. contravene her rights to privacy but then from their point of view she was a curveball who has $50 million of their machinery inside her body. So I guess Jonas has to keep track of his investment..hopefully he wont abuse that power on a late night at the office – he’s no longer married, right? Close your eyes whilst bathing Jaime..that’s my tip to you.

I could say much more about this episode as I thought it truly rocked! Last week was such a disappointment for me, so it’s only right that I congratulate the guys at BW for a fantastic episode this week. It wasn’t perfect but please let this be the start of many more good things to come. Everyone recognises that this show has potential, and if Eick and co. continue to tap into that potential then people will remain curious..don’t drop the ball guys!

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Best Performer: Katee Sackhoff (Did I say she rocks?)

Best Character Performance: Sarah Corvus & Papa Anthros (awesome..both of them)

Special Mention Award: Lucy Hale as Becca (great addition to the cast and an excellent character so far)

Best Quote:

Antonio: I’m about to go analogue on your ass!

Jaime: Bring it bitch!

Best Moment: Jaime hacking herself so that her optical interface came back online and alerted the Burkets of Sarah’s presence. That was an awesome moment!

Episode Rating: 8.5/10

So Will Anthros is dead – OK, major shock, didn’t see that coming! Maybe that will teach you to not run off to play with Sarah Corvus after your boyfriend has just been shot, Jaime..I mean there is such a thing as 911! I must stress that I don’t actually think Will is dead, but i’ll come to that another time.

Jaime grieves by breathing in Will’s scent (yuk!), before stumbling upon a secret spy-file that he had been keeping on her, dating back 2 years before they ‘met’. Hmm, these Burket people sure like to test the water before they actually introduce themselves properly, don’t they Antonio. Anyway, I can understand Jaime’s confusion and anger over making this discovery, but I’m not sure why they nearly made her lose her dignity in a public toilet? Sorry, but much like the sex montage with Will last week, this seemed out of place and unnecessary.

Another thing that sucked was the insensitivity of Jaime’s ‘friends’. Erm, she’s just lost her boyfriend and they’re so caught up in their own selfish issues. This may be true to life but I just didn’t like that scene..at least bring Crystal Lowe in so I have something good to look at if I’m going to have to watch stuff like that!

Now for my biggest complaint..and this one is even worse than the annoying “I just think it’s cool that girls can do that” girl from last week – enter ‘Vivian’, the girl with the heart made of stone. So she has just found out that her grandparents have been killed in a terrorist attack..whilst she slept..and she doesn’t even shed a tear…What!? To make things worse she goes on to utter “They were good to me”, Yes Vivian..too good, by the looks of things. So that was bad acting..but more so it was terrible writing, I mean seriously.

But thankfully it wasn’t all bad, somehow Isaiah Washington managed to save the episode with a polished performance as Antonio Pope. I like his character, not as much as I like Sarah Corvus or Papa Anthros, but he’s interesting, layered and seems to be well acted, thus far. This episode really needed more Corvus, however, and what we saw of her was some more good character building, as my suspicions of her being ‘forced’ to kill those BG scientists gained credence. Afterall, she’s half computer and computers can be hacked.

Speaking of hacking, another bright spark in this episode was Becca. I like her snarky attitude and her interaction with her elder sister is actually believable. The montage scene at the end was good and once again we have evidence that they made the right decision in replacing Mae Whitman with Lucy Hale.

Jae Lee really likes the sound of his own voice, and whilst I loved his “The machine is nothing without the woman”soundbite, he really needs to let Jaime get a word in edge-ways! This is afterall, HER show, lol.

The episode had some other good lines, but you could tell that even the likes of Molly Price (again excellent) and Miguel Ferrer struggled with the script at times.

All in all it was an ‘OK’ episode, overall, the writing was fairly bad in places and the direction they took was disjointed, and at times, baffling. There were far too many eye-rolling moments and moments of dialogue which just seemed ‘off’. We need more layering of characters, more emotion, better character interaction and better production values (seriously make the visuals more glossy). They need to look at LOST and see why that is such a success. For example, every scene should be important and should act as a set-piece to the larger plot. The creators need to start making the characters people who we can emotionally invest in, not ones we actually detest, when that is not the overriding intention - i.e. Vivian. 

My disappointment is amplified due to the potential this show has – the themes are so powerful and interesting, but the worry is that we’ll waste too much tome seeing Jaime having drunken sex in public toilets before we get the explore these themes. I’m sure next weeks episode will be better, we mustn’t forget that the show is still finding it’s feet and most shows take a while before they fall into a rhythm. With the likes of Katee Sackhoff, Miguel Ferrer, Isaiah Washington, Molly Price and Mark Sheppard on board, I still have every faith that this show will live up to the hype. Just make sure next weeks episode is ‘better’ and ‘stronger’, Mr Eick.

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Best Quotes:

Jaime “I’m faster than you are”

Ruth ”Only at running”

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Jae (to Jaime) “The machine is nothing without the woman”

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Worst Quote:

Vivian (finding out her grandparents have been murdered) “They were good to me” (notice the absence of any tears or concern whatsoever)

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Best Performer: Isaiah Washington (Antonio Pope)

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Some Select Shots:

“RIP Steve..er..I mean, Will”

“Thank You for saving this episode, Isaiah!”

“Listen..not everyone can jump rooftops like Corvus and I!”

“YUM!”

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EPISODE RATING: 6/10 - The best is definitely yet to come.

*I should add, that the character of Vivian does interest me in regards to ‘how’ she managed to survive, whislt the rest of ‘Paradise’ died..however apart from that, she was awful.

What did YOU think about this episode?

1.01: “Second Chances” 

Finally..I get to watch the ‘real’ version of the Bionic Woman Premiere. I previously reviewed the ‘pre-aired’ Pilot and thought that it was good with lots of potential, after watching this final cut version, I feel much the same way.

I’ll try to focus on the aspects which I haven’t already mentioned here - Basically this episode is super enhanced, much like Jaime herself, it’s a familiar world yet those little modifications make all the difference. It’s glossier, crisper, neater and oh yeah, there’s Lucy Hale as Becca! I wasn’t Mae Whitman’s biggest fan in the first version, but I thought Lucy was really good – the chemistry and interaction between her and Michelle was so much better. Although a few people have said that Becca’s computer hacking background is cliche, I actually think it sets the backdrop for some interesting future plot-lines – there’s alot of irony in the fact that Jaime effectively has these micro-computers inside her whilst her unwitting sister is a computer whiz – let’s see you hack into that, Becca!

I thought Jaime’s super-speed-running was alot better – I really liked the CGI exploration into Jaime’s bionic legs..now that..was COOL! However the annoying little girl in the car..that was belittling my intelligence. Speaking of Bionic legs, it was cool to see how they changed the way they were first revealed to Jaime..gone were the metal plated drum-sticks and in their place were synthetic legs with visible anthracites coursing through her veins..neat! Still, she almost took my ear out with all that screaming!

I also have to give special mention to the excellent soundtrack, some of the music used in this episode was fantastic – particularly Sia’s “Breath Me”, which left me breathless.

I genuinely liked this episode and I’m so excited for this show – it wasn’t a Pilot of ‘LOST’ proportions, but I don’t think it’s too far behind last years ‘Heroes’ Pilot..and thinking about it, was Heroes really ‘all that’ from episodes 2 to 6? I think BW has created solid foundations from which to build on..the episode wasn’t perfect..but neither is Jaime…YET.

Onwards and upwards..bring on next week and more Sarah and Anthros..Anthony that is..not Will ;) 

EPISODE RATING: 8/10 (All things considered)

STAR PERFORMER: KATEE SACKHOFF

SPECIAL MENTION: MICHELLE RYAN & MARK SHEPPARD

BEST IN EPISODE CHARACTER: SARAH CORVUS!

Will Mark live up to your expectations? Personally, I think he’s gonna rock as Anthony Anthros, but we’ll just have to wait and see. Do let us know what you think of his performance tonight, either by emailing your views to info@bionic-blog.com, or by posting in the comments or shoutbox!

I’ll let the poll continue to run so you will still be able to vote for the actor of your choice, in the meantime a new episode rating poll will be featured on the site, so be sure to cast your vote once you’ve seen the episode – you can vote on all previous polls by clicking on the ‘Polls Archive’ link below the main poll in the sidebar.

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Over the past few days I’ve been running a poll on the site to see who your most eagerly anticipated actors are for the upcoming BW series. It’s been fascinating to watch, as first Mark Sheppard took an early lead and then both Michelle Ryan and Katee Sackhoff have come back to storm the top two positions, whilst Will Yun Lee has made a late charge!

I think it would be great to see who is in the lead by the start of tonight’s Pilot episode..will Katee remain as the actor you’re MOST looking forward to seeing..or will Michelle and the others make a late comeback!?

It’s down to you guys – if you haven’t already voted, you can do so below or via the sidebar! Go on..it’s a great bit of fun and a way for you to voice your opinion!

By the way, I voted for Katee..but it was close between her, Michelle and Isaiah. Oh and can you believe Miguel Ferrer currently has only one vote!?.. where are the Ferrer fans? :)

[poll=3]

I thought that the episode began brilliantly with Sarah Corvus and Jae Lee setting the pace and the angst of the episode. Seriously, those are the words I would use to describe this episode because ALOT happens and there is plenty of gritty realism (moulded with science!). Speaking of which I found Michelle Ryan’s performance believable – she portrays an ordinary woman thrown into an extraordinary situation with great skill and integrity. I found myself willing Jaime to succeed as she first stumbles and then leaps her way through the various obstacles that she faces in this episode. I think it’s crucial that the viewing public are sympathetic to this character and boy does she have me invested.

So what about the other characters? I couldn’t really find a weak link. All of the main characters add value to the show – Sarah Corvus is the obvious standout character. I think that she could possibly be one of the best TV Characters we will see over the next 12 months..that’s how awesome she is. I didn’t know much about Katee Sackhoff before Bionic, but I can see why she is so highly regarded – she has bucket-loads of charisma, style, guile and she is beautiful..absolutely beautiful to look at – so much so that her rather ‘manic’ grin adds to her aesthetics rather than detracting from them. Sarah has an interesting back story, as I mentioned in my Episode Notes, she was hired to kill Will Anthros by the guy who breaks Anthony Anthros out of jail – so there’s a whole interesting storyline going on there.

I thought that the characters of Jonas Bledsoe, Ruth Truewell and Jae Lee were well acted – I found myself wanting to find out more about all three characters and it will be interesting to see how Isaiah Washington’s character fits into their hierarchy. I can already see how he could act as an awesome counter-balance to Jae Lee.

I have to give props to Mark Sheppard- he only had about 2 minutes of screen-time, but man did he do a great job with Anthony Anthros! The guy is just awesome – I totally know what Producer Smilovic meant now!

As for the now re-casted Mae Whitman, well watching it a second time I found her not too bad. She wasn’t brilliant but until I see Lucy Hale’s performance it will be hard to tell whether the right decision has been made. But I don’t think it’s a ‘travesty’ she has gone.

Overall this original Pilot was good and the best thing about it is that is has me wanting more. I thought the mixture of science, ethics, love and humanity used throughout was just about right. On the downside the visuals need touching up a bit, things seemed a bit bleak and grey. I don’t mind dark setting’s but dark with a bit of gloss would be nice (ala ‘Heroes’). As I mentioned earlier, alot happens..perhaps too much? I think they needed to pad out certain parts and offer more context. I also wasn’t best pleased that they skirted over the issue of Jaime’s baby dyeing – a 2 minute montage of ‘surgically changed’ Jaime and Will making love was a bit, shall we say, off-key. Oh and why did Jaime leave Will to die after being shot by Corvus? ..where’s her priorities!?..and after her rooftop dance with Corvus she STILL didn’t seem too worried - even after seeing him being strapped into an ambulance? Could her ‘machine side’ (if you will) be de-humanising her already? I’d rather that than a plot-hole to be honest.

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‘OH YES..THAT ROCKED!’ MOMENTS:

1.Rooftop Battle – This is such a great scene, I challenge anyone to not love this! What can I say?..the whole thing was great, from the way Sarah initially turns her back on Jaime to her soon to be iconic “tadah!” to the way she lays the smack down on Jaime to Jaime’s second-wind as she begins to harness her abilities and fights back. It was simply O..M..G! Great visuals in ‘that’ scene also..and i’m not just talking about the hotness of Michelle and Katee :)

2. The remainder of Jaime’s Bionics going online whilst she’s working. I thought this was a great way to show her experiencing the ‘machine within’, as she suddenly develops all these new abilities that she didn’t have before. It was also great the way Sarah, wearing bright red lipstick(!), toys with Jaime but then shows alot of empathy as she helps her. It was just a nice moment which emphasised the light and shade of her character.

3. Jaime being imprisoned by the Burket Group whilst they figure out what to do with her – Jaime walks up to the ‘non-see through’ glass and says “BOO!” to Jonas who is watching her from the other-side. This was great, as she seemed so de-humanised yet appeared to be realising that they couldn’t keep her for long. Jonas’ smile was also great.

‘THAT STINKS!’ MOMENTS:

1. The little girl who notices Jaime using her Bionic speed says to her mom “I just think it’s cool that girls could do that”. I mean COME ON..hello!??..lines like this will take us back to the 1960′s, never-mind the 1970′s! I get the point they wanted to make, but surely there was a better – less ridiculous – way to do it? I don’t like having my intelligence insulted thank you very much! I hope that doesn’t show up in the final version of the Pilot.

2. Padding – this episode lacked a bit of padding and with so much happening it really did need a 2nd viewing for me to get the most out of the episode. I hope they address this.

3. Jaime and Jonas in their final scene – what was up with the dialogue!? Very clumsy in parts:

“If we do this, whatever this is, then we do it on my terms”

Ok Jaime, but what if your terms, whatever your terms are, conflict with my terms, whatever my terms are?.. LOL!

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Performance ratings:

I rate all performances ‘relative’ to what they had to do and the impact they made upon me as a viewer. I have also taken into consideration that this was a ‘pre-air’ Pilot:

• Michelle Ryan -    7.5/10 – Good start
• Katee Sackhoff -   9/10 – Awesome!
• Miguel Ferrer -    7.5/10 – The bad-good guy..I like
• Molly Price -         7.5/10 – Suprisingly good
• Will Yun Lee -       7/10 – Will do better, but OK
• Mark Sheppard -  8/10 – WOW.
• Mae Whitman -    7/10 – Did OK

OVERALL EPISODE RATING 7./10

Ryan over at wathcingbionicwoman.com has also given his review of the Pilot (final cut). It’s well worth checking out. Also I will be posting my Episode Notes and Review of the ‘Final Cut’ Pilot soon, so check back!

The rest of the images (featuring Michelle Ryan, Mark Sheppard, ‘Sarah Corvus’, Lucy Hale, Will Young Lee and David Eick) i’ll post below for your viewing pleasure – to view the larger images click on each photo.

Great stuff NBC – but can we have somemore please!?:)

Thanks to Bionic250 for the original images!

It is not yet clear what role he will have or who he will play but it appears that Mark announced the news on his own myspace account (good old myspace!).

Will he have a 5 episode arc, like Washington? Will he become a main character? Will he be friend of foe of Jaime? Who knows, but one thing that’s for sure, is the BW buzz is growing and the hype has well and truly started!