I received an email today that linked to the Dan Brown website, it stated there was a new book in the Da Vinci Code series of books (I hate that people refer to it as the Da Vinci books, since Angels & Demons came out first. Lets just call it the Robert Langdon series!). The email had a link advertising the new book, which took me to page that read: –

Before the return of Robert Langdon in The Secret of Secrets on September 9, revisit the world of Dan Brown with a brain-teasing series of puzzles based on The Da Vinci Code, The Lost Symbol, Inferno and Origin!

Click here to see if you can unlock the secret

I love a good puzzle, so lets play the game and unlock the secret.

THE DA VINCI CODE

Paris was once considered the “prime meridian” of the world.
Invert the sixth letter of the city to which it eventually lost that honor.

Well puzzle 1, was super easy.

I know “It’s only easy if you know the answer”, but doesn’t everyone know the answer to this one?

Confession, I have recently been looking up a lot of historical information on the Prime Meridien, and its location, and changes to it over the years as research for a paper I am writing.

THE LOST SYMBOL

Use the Masonic Cipher to decrypt this message carved atop the Washington Monument.

Well puzzle 2 is also easy, ok, ok! It is easy for me because I am a Freemason, and one who loves to read and learn, and as such I have been able to read and write using the “Masonic Cypher” since around 2007.

I say it is easy, but it did take me TWO attempts to solve this puzzle. 

In my defence I may be too smart! (I do often claim to be an egomaniac). I decrypted the text which gave me a Latin phrase, so I entered the English, only to be told I was wrong. I guess decrypting does not me answering with the final answer. So I retried putting just the Latin in and it was correct.

The page then explained to me the words were in Latin, and gave me the English translation. (Note to self: do not be too smart when answering the questions) 

INFERNO

MATEMATICA INFERNALE

Puzzle 3 continues the easy trend.

I will confess I did have to double check some of the numbers since I could not recall the correct order of the circles of Hell. 

This is understandable, since I am such a pure and sweet person that I would know nothing of Hell.

ORIGIN

MODERNISME

Faith and nature merged in stone.
God and Gaudi call this home.
A deadly kiss beside a square,
Its magic sum you now must share.

Puzzle 4 was also easy, in that I guessed what it was asking. 

I did have to do a quick google search to grab the important missing bit of the statute that was showing with the question. But once I had the full picture, it was as simple as 1 + 2 + 3.

And that was that.

Four simple questions that were a lot of fun to do, and have got me into the mood ready for the new book, which is apparently due out on the 9/9 (I wonder if 9 will be a thing in the book).

I may have to time the release so that I can re-read the existing books and end just as the new book comes out.

You wake in a cave, with amnesia. While you explore, you slowly discover who you are, and how you became lost. The broken and dangerous cave system reveals part of a temple to a lawful good goddess that befell a calamity. As pieces of your memory return, you realize that you must race against time to help your mentor battle an ancient evil. But, for now, you are alone and Lost in the Dark.

Can’t get the group together, but want to play 5th Edition? Grab some dice and get ready to escape mysterious caves in over 200 pages of solo 5E adventure. We’ve created a complete adventure from character generation to your first boss battle. Suitable for new players who might not have a regular group to play.

I was recently given a copy of this book to have a look at.

This of course made me bust out some dice, print out a 5e character sheet and give the game a go. I should point out the book does contain a character sheet you can use to play the game, I just tend to not use them so as not to damage the book. It’s a thing I have had since the old days of Lone Wolf, and Fighting Fantasy books.

My character sheet is mostly empty because you start the game not knowing anything about yourself, and will fill in more details as you progress.

The Review.

I first delved into the world of “Choose Your Own Adventure” books back in the early ’80s with classics like “The Warlock of Firetop Mountain” and other captivating Fighting Fantasy titles. Alongside these, I enjoyed the fantastic “Lone Wolf” books, which were a staple of my childhood. Over the years, I’ve played dozens upon dozens of these interactive stories, each offering a unique blend of adventure and choice. However, “Lost in the Dark” stands out as the first one requiring dice—a refreshing twist!

“Lost in the Dark” is a comprehensive Dungeons & Dragons 5e adventure, complete with the need for all the platonic dice and a character sheet. It’s the perfect solution for when you’re craving a bit of TTRPG fun, but your group isn’t available, or if you don’t have a group to play with. All you need for an engaging session is your set of dice, a pencil, and that one essential ingredient for all TTRPG enthusiasts: imagination!

You can read the adventures of my first playthrough here :-

• Act 1 – Lost In The Dark.
• Act 2 – The Buried Temple.
• Act 3 – The Breach.

The replay value of “Lost in the Dark” is unparalleled, thanks to its reliance on your dice rolls and the character you build during your session. Each action and fight hinges on these elements, making every playthrough a unique experience. I highly recommend replaying it multiple times and experimenting with different classes. Personally, I’m tempted to embark on the adventure again as a wizard, launching fireballs everywhere (assuming that’s one of the available spells).

Even though I successfully completed the adventure and survived, there are still vast sections of the book that remain unexplored. This book is an excellent recommendation for all TTRPG enthusiasts and serves as an accessible entry point into D&D and its 5th Edition, in particular.

You wake in a cave, with amnesia. While you explore, you slowly discover who you are, and how you became lost. The broken and dangerous cave system reveals part of a temple to a lawful good goddess that befell a calamity. As pieces of your memory return, you realize that you must race against time to help your mentor battle an ancient evil. But, for now, you are alone and Lost in the Dark.

Can’t get the group together, but want to play 5th Edition? Grab some dice and get ready to escape mysterious caves in over 200 pages of solo 5E adventure. We’ve created a complete adventure from character generation to your first boss battle. Suitable for new players who might not have a regular group to play.

I was recently given a copy of this book to have a look at.

This of course made me bust out some dice, print out a 5e character sheet and give the game a go. I should point out the book does contain a character sheet you can use to play the game, I just tend to not use them so as not to damage the book. It’s a thing I have had since the old days of Lone Wolf, and Fighting Fantasy books.

My character sheet is mostly empty because you start the game not knowing anything about yourself, and will fill in more details as you progress.

Act 3 – The Breach.

Following after my repaired Temple Defender, I exited the tunnel at the edge of a rolling field, the sun blindingly strong in the sky after so long underground. Unfortunately, since I had been controlling the Temple Defender by shining a light where I wanted it to go, when it saw the sunlight it just shot off at full speed and I lost it. This upset me, as I feel like it may had been handy.

Standing in the Sun, enjoying the light and warmth that seemed to warm up my still not fully recovered memories, I did what any self respecting rogue would do. I investigated the area to see what I could swipe. I found a lovely shiny dagger, which meant I now have three daggers, high stealth, and a cloak, meaning I can cosplay as Vax “Dagger, Dagger, Dagger… And I walk away!“

Picking a direction randomly, I headed up some terraced fields,  heading towards a barn in the distance. A quick Investigation check along the way found an abandoned picnic which I looted for lots of weird stuff like a dice set, and a book of elvish poetry (I just need Keyleth now). Arriving at the barn with a successful Investigation roll, found me a load of tools. My inventory is getting quite full now. From here I could see smoke in the distance, possible from a campfire. I could also see a way out of here which would end my adventure and find me freedom. 

I still had questions I needed answers too, so I headed back towards the fields and on to a flowing river. My Magic Amulet that I stole from the corpse of that poor goblin I murdered back in Act 1, told me I may want to cross the river elsewhere, so i went upstream to cross, arriving at a broken Mithril Vault. Here I met one of my lost companions Erland the Tinkerer who was trying to repair and close the vaults door, to prevent evil coming in from the breach. He needed my help to try and fix the damage, but before I helped I decided to be stupid and enter the breach (My Amulet said this was a BAD idea),  Entering the breach I saw evidence of monsters, and danger all around, so I did a quick investigation (Which I failed for the first time this act) and found nothing. So I fled back to Erland and using my sneaky skills (+5 Slight of hand FTW) helped him close the door and repair the vault. We could have left together then, but those answers still needed to be answered, and we had more companions to find. I therefore arranged to meet up with him later and returned to the river.

Heading back I passed a nature check and got myself a wild flower remedy. and entered the temple grounds. Here I failed another Investigation check, I think the breach cursed me or my dice. I did manage to find a few small coins. before arriving at a wall of fog. My amulet warned me of danger, so I stealthed into the fog (+7 Stealth) arriving at a crossroads in the fog. I headed towards the smoke I had spotted from the barn, and reached a merchants camp where my old friend Berit was recovering from his injuries. I failed yet another investigation, but I did have some items in my pack to heal up Berit and he also agreed to meet up with me later.

Heading back to the crossroads, I went up to a crystal spire and found my lost Temple Defender who was now stationary since the fog was hiding all light. A quick check of a nearby corpse pile which found me nothing due to another failed Investigation check, and it was time to meet up with my allies and fight the big bad!

So team Murder-Hobos were Myself, My Temple Defender, Berit and Erland.

The fight went for the full four rounds, we were very lucky due to the Big Bad rolling low numbers and missing all its normal attacks, and most of us surviving the poison gas attacks, Luckily I was well equipped for those infected. and we slowly battered the Hit Points down on the Vrock Brood Mother, until round four where on the first go, Berit struck true and killed that beast. 

We rested, healed up and left. Oddly on the way to the end we made a cup of tea, which my Investigation finally succeeded again, and I was able to provide honey and lemon. We then continued on with our lives, happy, safe, and memories returned. I also had a load of stolen items that I imagine I sold for beer money.

You wake in a cave, with amnesia. While you explore, you slowly discover who you are, and how you became lost. The broken and dangerous cave system reveals part of a temple to a lawful good goddess that befell a calamity. As pieces of your memory return, you realize that you must race against time to help your mentor battle an ancient evil. But, for now, you are alone and Lost in the Dark.

Can’t get the group together, but want to play 5th Edition? Grab some dice and get ready to escape mysterious caves in over 200 pages of solo 5E adventure. We’ve created a complete adventure from character generation to your first boss battle. Suitable for new players who might not have a regular group to play.

I was recently given a copy of this book to have a look at.

This of course made me bust out some dice, print out a 5e character sheet and give the game a go. I should point out the book does contain a character sheet you can use to play the game, I just tend to not use them so as not to damage the book. It’s a thing I have had since the old days of Lone Wolf, and Fighting Fantasy books.

My character sheet is mostly empty because you start the game not knowing anything about yourself, and will fill in more details as you progress.

Act 2 – The Buried Temple.

After going through the doors I arrived at an entrance that was stacked high with boxes, and pools of blood, with bloody tracks going off into a hallway. As any sensible person would do when finding themselves in a blood soaked room full of boxes, I looted the place. Most the box’s were full of rubbish, but I did manage to find a healers kit which may come in handy.

Moving into the hall way I came across multiple doors, and a grate blocking access to a room that looked like a workshop. Now as we all know, workshop have things in them, and I like things. So I picked the lock on the grate and accessed the room, finding a dead body of the forge master,  which for some reason triggered more of my memory to return, namely what class of person I am.

Yes, I got to pick a class, and gain the class benefits. I could be a Paladin, a Warrior, a Wizard, or a Rogue. I did not really have the STR/CON stats to make it as a warrior, and my INT/WIS were not really good enough to be a wizard, so I had to pick between Paladin or Rogue. Since Act 1 saw me mostly being a murder hobo thief, I figured I was not really a holy person so selected Thief. I therefore gained the rogue  abilities, found leather armour and some nice daggers and returned to the hallway.

The first door I entered was to a dining hall, but entering caused the roof to start collapsing, luckily i was able to roll high on my save and dive into the kitchen before being flattened by the roof. unfortunately I then failed my investigation roll and found nothing at all of use in the kitchen (nat 1 ftw).

The second door led to a flooded lavatorium, it seemed to be flooded because a grate in the floor was blocked and sealed. Channeling my inner Mario I smashed open that grate to let the water out. Well that was my plan, it turned out the grate was actually trapping a mechanical killer spider inside that decided to attack me for no reason. I put my new daggers and stealth attack to use and kill that techno-spider. It did get me a key and a crystal shard (I get the feeling these shards may be useful).

After two bad choices I figured, why not try the basement. Nothing bad ever happens in the basement… right? Going down I find the basement also waterlogged, with wet clawed tracks leading into the boiler room, which my magic amulet (that I killed the goblin for) told me to be silent and avoid. So listening to the advice of the amulet I checked out the Infirmary, which was empty bar for a locked door. Since I am now a rogue, with thieves tools, the skill to use them, and a high skill in slight of hands I unlocked the door to discover the Apothecary and a dead gnome. I did not kill this one, I found him dead.  Several successful Investigation and Perception tests later, I now had a load of looted items and an antidote.

Before leaving the basement, I decided not to listen to the magic amulet, after all how good could it be? the original owner was carrying it in his mouth. So I entered the boiler-room. and walked right into a nasty Bone Shard Monster. channeling my best Vax with Stealth, Dagger, Dagger, Dagger I killed the monster and gained a +1 to any ability (INT). I also found a nice +1 Short Sword. There may have been some damage done to myself, but the +1 sword was worth it, and hey I did find that healers kit earlier.

Going back up I continued further along the hall, fixing mirrors as I moved to spread the light around. I popped into a Chapter House which helped me remember more of my past, before making a noise which attracted another robotic guardian which I had to kill. I did find a locked cupboard, and was able to unlock it using the key I found earlier, and looted.

Going further along I found nothing thanks to a failed Perception and Investigation checks, entering a Chapel I failed to have anything to leave as an offering, nor find anything useful. I really need to try and get my Investigation skill higher.

Entering the Knave my way forward is blocked by fallen rubble from the roof. I did find some holy water, and a broken robotic temple defender. The defender was missing some crystals, and I just happened to have looted, I mean found more than enough of these while exploring. I quickly fixed the robot using the instructions I found in Act 1, and the crystals I have been collecting. The robot then dug a way out for me allowing me to escape to… ACT 3.

You wake in a cave, with amnesia. While you explore, you slowly discover who you are, and how you became lost. The broken and dangerous cave system reveals part of a temple to a lawful good goddess that befell a calamity. As pieces of your memory return, you realize that you must race against time to help your mentor battle an ancient evil. But, for now, you are alone and Lost in the Dark.

Can’t get the group together, but want to play 5th Edition? Grab some dice and get ready to escape mysterious caves in over 200 pages of solo 5E adventure. We’ve created a complete adventure from character generation to your first boss battle. Suitable for new players who might not have a regular group to play.

I was recently given a copy of this book to have a look at.

This of course made me bust out some dice, print out a 5e character sheet and give the game a go. I should point out the book does contain a character sheet you can use to play the game, I just tend to not use them so as not to damage the book. It’s a thing I have had since the old days of Lone Wolf, and Fighting Fantasy books.

My character sheet is mostly empty because you start the game not knowing anything about yourself, and will fill in more details as you progress.

Act 1 – Lost In The Dark.

I awoke next to a collapsed tunnel, with no memories of anything. I believe I must have received a head injury in the collapse. I searched the area to make sure I had not left anything important behind, and progressed down the only none blocked part of the tunnel.

Reaching a T-Junction I examined the area, and noticed a set of footprints leading one direction, and the other direction was blocked by spider webs. A perception check told me to follow the footprints. So I of course decided to go down the tunnel with the spider webs. (I have amnesia, maybe a concussion, I am not making the best decisions). Now I had several options for trying to get past the webs, and I picked athletics to ninja my way past the webs (Because someone who just regained consciousness and has an obvious head injury would be great at athletics).  I failed my athletics check, got tangled up in the webs and attracted a group of spiders. (oops!). Luckily I had a crowbar with me, and those spiders did not last long before getting squished. Pulling the webs off myself, I continued along into a weavers room. The room was full of looms, are other cloth making tools, where someone had woven spider silk before releasing all the spiders by accident or on purpose? On one of the looms was an almost finished cloak, so I finished it off and adorned myself with a Spider Silk Cloak (+1) and dubbed myself Spider-Man (Well I do not know my name yet).

I returned to the original junction and followed the footprints. Sneaking forward I cam across a goblin carrying a strange amulet. I knew this amulet was important because all my options were related to it. I could try and charm the Goblin into giving me the amulet, or try and deceive him into the same thing (Unfortunately I had picked Chr as my dump stat and with a -1 there was little chance of making the rolls). I could also trade something shiny for it, but my starting background did not give me anything shiny so that was a no go. I could also hide and let him pass, or I could attack him. Now my starting background had given me a crowbar weapon (So in typical Murder-Hobo fashion) I attacked. The poor Goblin who could have been a innocent person out for a walk, was killed and his corpse looted, but I had the amulet and that is what is important.

I explored some more, in a patch of mushrooms I found a locked box, which I attempted to open (now I am carrying some thieves tools with me, but i used brute force instead). It took multiple goes and I finally opened it on my third and final attempt, giving me the lowest reward possible. In anger over my failure to open a simple box, I then looted a groundskeepers shed, taking a rope, a load of food, and a torch. I figure that I may be a decent person, but the amnesia means I have forgotten the difference between right and wrong.

Heading towards a big fissure in the distance I did come across a shrine to a Goddess, and in an attempt to make amends for any wrongs I may have committed (Like murdering innocent Goblins, stealing from a hard workers shed, killing the local wildlife, etc) I made a donation to the Goddess. I donated a metal pan that I looted from the weavers room earlier (It still counts). Now with the blessings of the Gods which amounted to 1 extra temporary hitpoint I approached the chasm. Finding some mithril ore on the way, which not only has to be worth a lot of money is shiny.  Using the rope I had found I tied my equipment to my body, and carefully climbed across the wall to the other side.

On the other side I found a sharpening stone, and used my crowbar on it to give it a nice sharp edge (+1) just in case any other innocent people turn up. This turned up to be a good thing, since I instantly came upon a mechanical spider guardian doing whatever it was built to do. I considered using stealth (Something I am great at since Dex was my max stat) but instead, since I am reasonable at athletics and have some tinkering tools I decided to jump on its back and dismantle it. Which I managed to do, and I stole it’s power crystal (In my defense it was shiny).

I suspect I may be attracted to shiny things,  and I may not be the most honest person. Hopefully more of my memory returns soon, I have been getting the odd flashback. But onwards to adventure.

I finally arrive at a damaged large but locked door. I was given the option to unlock it with keys, which made me think I missed a lootable location because I have no keys. So i used athletics and a multi-purpose crowbar to open the door and escape to… ACT 2.

Doctor Who is a Timelord, and as it’s been stated many times over the years TimeLords can regenerate 12 times. It is a fixed number! Now counting the original Form + 12 Regenerations A time lord basically has 13 Lives. After that he is no more, Unless like the Master he steals other people bodies, or other such things to keep living. This is set in stone Doctor Who cannon “Twelve Regeneration”

Some people were starting to worry that with Matt Smith stepping down we were running out of the number of regenerations left to the Doctor, which would then lead to major problems when future actors step down.

Then to make matters more interesting Moffat Slipped in a New Regeneration. We never saw Paul McGann (8th) regenerate into Christopher Eccleston (9th).  Now we find out that there was a regeneration between them “The War Doctor” the incarnation the Doctor hides even from himself. So from 9 upwards we now have to add 1. Mr Smith goes from 11th Doctor to 12th. We are still ok for the Xmas regeneration since there can be 13!

BUT. Tennant used up a regeneration to save off death after being shot by a Dalek. Which makes Mr Smith the 13th and final Doctor. (A lot of people were saying the Tennant extra regeneration did not count, since he did not change form. Moffat has now admitted that it does count and Mr Smith is the 13th)

Doctors:

So how are they going to fix it?

First off lets remind ourselves why there is a limit to the number of times a Timelord can regenerate. It has been stated that a Timelord has a fixed amount of regeneration energy inside them, enough for 12 regenerations. Although it can be used for other stuff, like The Doctor using a small part of it to repair rivers broken hand in the Daleks take Manhattan.

1: Sisterhood of Karn

The writers could have claimed the “War Doctor” did not use up a regeneration since the Sisterhood of Karn held off his death and gave him a choice of what he wanted to be. And they are the keepers of the Flame of Eternity. This would only give them one extra regeneration, so not a good long term solution. +1 Regerneration.

3: Bad Wolf

Another option they could pick (And we know how they like going back to Rose/Bad Wolf). When Rose took the Time Vortex inside herself and became the Bad Wolf Girl she had silly amounts of power (Technical Term). She ended the timewar by turning all the surviving Dalek’s to dust (Even though they returned several more times since) And she brought Captain Jack Harkness back from the dead so well she made him immortal. It would have been very easy for her to have topped up the Doc’s energy store, reset it to full. Or even make it never run out. Unlimited Regenerations.

4: River Song

This would be my preferred solution, and the one I would pick myself if i was the writer. In the episode “Let’s Kill Hitler” She poisons the Doctor with a kiss. The poision not only kills within an hour but DNA locks out his ability to regenerate. She then relents and kisses him again, using up all of her future regenerations to save the Doctor. Now it has been revealed in past episodes a Timelord can give up their regeneration energy to other people, but it will leave them basically human and no longer a Timelord (Which happens to River). If I was writing it, I would have the poison have wiped out all the Doctors remaining regenerations, but Rivers energy being available to him. We know she regenerated at least twice, plus power needed to save the Doctor means a possible nine left. +9 Regenerations.

I am not a fan of the idea of giving the doctor unlimited regenerations, it would make him reckless and take out and risks from future episodes. But 9 more? That is a nice number. And it allows for the possible future Valeyard (The Dark future incarnation believed to be between his 12th and final regeneration) And also from the hints given by the Curator (Tom Baker) that in the future the Doctor may look again at old favourite faces. And his implication that he is a future version of the Doctor.

Whatever the writers decide. The Xmas special should be interesting!

Anyone who is not reading The Bloggess’s Blog really needs to start. Jenny is a wonderful writer, and her insane posts are the highlight of the week.

Basically Go read her BLOG!!

No Wait. come back. Let me tell you about her book first, then go read her blog. Because once you start reading you will become a fan. Then as a fan you will want to read her book to find out what made Jenny into TheBloggess.

And believe me, If you read her book without laughing out loud then you are dead inside, or a zombie. Don’t be a dead inside zombie. Read this book.

Read about the time she defended her dead buried dog from furious vultures with a machete. That’s she had the machete because be serious vultures may be big but there’s no way they could hold and use a machete???

Just read the book, I could make up all sorts of amazing and wonderful things you will read about in the book, but none would be as wonderful as the true stuff thats in there.

So Go now, read her blog while you wait for your copy of her book to arrive.. go.. run.. run like the zombies are after you, or Chupacabra..

I will give this book a 10/10

Last night some of the Inmates at the asylum staged an escape, we went over the tunnel and through the wire before making a mad run through torrential rain into England for FREEEEEEEDOM and the Avengers movie. The escapees consisted of, DemonPengu, YoYoMan, Myself and a Hobbit. Why “and a Hobbit?” well I think all good stories should begin with …. and a Hobbit.

Now there may or may not have been an incident with the cinemas WiFi connection, and very poor security *cough* (default password) *cough* But that’s a different story for another time. So Drinks, Popcorn, Chocolate & tickets were collected, and our team of escapees sat down ready to watch the film. And what a film!!!!

What can I say about this film?

Seriously! What can I say, This film is a sequel not only to IronMan I & II but also  The Hulk, Thor & Captain America. We are talking five MASSIVE action films all with their own main character, and these five sequels combined into one uber-film. And this is not to mention the other Main (But no individual films yet) characters of Hawk-eye, Black Widow, & Nick Fury.

As you would expect of this film, the action, effects, and heroness* are out of this world (And not just because there was an Alien Army, and two demi-gods involved). All in all, it was everything you would expect in an Action Film!

What you may not expect, and I know I for one did not expect it as the pure comedy gold this film contains. Its rare to hear an entire audience pissing themselves laughing in an action film, and during this film, the audience laughed a LOT!.  I have actually been to comedy films where the laughter was not as loud and honest as it was in this film.

So we have, Heroes, Villains, Action, Effects, Comedy, Fantasy Characters, Monsters, Space Army, Spy’s, Soldiers, Secret Organisations, Futuristic exo-armour, Gods, Heartbreak & romance. I was going to say all they were missing was a funny CGI/Animated talking pet until I remembered the Hulk. This film really does have everything!!!

Put simply. The four of us left the cinema after the film, stood outside and seriously considered going back in to see the next showing. And at least two of the Inmates did re-watch it the following night (i.e. tonight). I think that’s testament to its awesomeness all by itself.

*Its a real word. I made it up and decided it is real!

I have now finished watching “The Cape” and as such I need to revisit and update my review of the show. If you recall the original Review you will no doubt remember that I said “Anyone who likes action shows, or superhero shows will Like this show a lot. ” Well I need to update that view.

The show was originally designed to be a thirteen part season, unfortunately it was cancelled after just ten of the thirteen episodes were filmed. And as such they never made the extra three. And as such they never finish the story off, and leave many questions unanswered. You never see where they were taking different story lines, and it leaves you as the viewer unsatisfied at the end.

for example:-

They start a Orwell ark with her loosing it slightly, painting everything white, and loosing herself in her mind. They start this just as season ends so never goes anywhere.

The Carnival of Crime are apparently training the Cape so they can use him in some big, dangerous, mysterious way that they hint at but never tell you.

In fact the final episode feels more like a penultimate, episode, or at least a penultimate to a two part season ending.

All in all I feel let down by the show, and would advise people not to bother watching it.

The last couple of nights I’ve been watching “The Cape”, I’m about halfway through the series. (Well Technically I am exactly half way through having watched 5 of 10 episodes). And since this show is starting on UK television next week, I thought I’d review what I’ve seen so far to aid people deciding if they want to watch it or not.

For those of you who have not seen any of the trailers, or heard anything about this show I guess I better give you a quick plot outline.

The series follows Vince Faraday, a police officer in the fictional Palm City, who is framed for a series of crimes committed by a mysterious villain named Chess and is left for dead after being caught. He is taken in by Max Malini, the ringleader of a circus who trains him with the special abilities of a superhero. Determined to clear his name and be reunited with his family, Faraday takes on the guise of his son’s favorite comic book hero, the Cape

Basically Good cop in a city of dirty cops, gets disillusioned and tries to make a difference. He’s set up by his best friend, framed as the master villain, and left for dead. Luckily he is rescued by “The Carnival of Crime” a bunch of circus performers who use their skills to rob banks. They teach him their skills, equip him with a almost magical cloak, and help? him clear his name and bring down the real criminal mastermind.

Now as I stated I am half way through the series and I am enjoying it immensely, it has both the necessary action mixed with the correct amount of comedy to make it a very enjoyable series. For example, The cape foils a stickup in a store, the owner thanks him and asks is he some kind of super hero, to which the Cape replies “I’m The Cape!” the store owner looks at him and replies “you can work on the name“.

Anyone who likes action shows, or superhero shows will Like this show a lot. Unless maybe you are a worshipper of the Dark Knight, where you may see this as a poorly done rip off. You disagree? Lets compare :-.

Batman: A normal man who’s trained up his body and mind to fight crime in a corrupt city while dressed in black with a mask & cape.

The Cape: A normal man who’s trained up his body and mind to fight crime in a corrupt city while dressed in black with a mask & cape.

Batman: Dedicated to bring down evil after the loss of his family.

The Cape: Dedicated to bring down evil after the loss of his family.

Batman: A great Detective

The Cape: An actual Police Detective

Batman: Trained by Ra’s Al Ghul who was the leader of  technically evil group.

The Cape: Trained by Max Malini who was the leader of  technically evil group.

Batman: Villain Two Face. A split personality criminal D.A/Criminal mastermind

The Cape: Villain Chess. A split personality criminal Business Man/Criminal mastermind

Batman: Aided by a young girl (daughter of another character) who’s an expert with computers & hacking & technology (Oracle)

The Cape: Aided by a young girl (daughter of another character) who’s an expert with computers & hacking & technology (Orwell)

Batman: Quote “Make sure you wear the mask and that the mask doesn’t wear you”

The Cape: Quote “Make sure you wear the cape and that the cape doesn’t wear you”

The List goes on…