4.05 Novation

Aka the one where the most urgent concern of yours truly was "will the spoilery plot development return us to a later season 3 problem or do the first few great episodes of season 4 mean the writers figured out that s3 thing was a mistake"?

( And the answer as of this episode is... )

Fannis 5: Five For More Screentime

5 minor or one-off characters that you wish could have gotten more face time. (Or would show up again)

1. Babylon 5: Timov. Londo's wives get mentioned in several episodes, but we meet them only in one, Soul Mates. One episode was enough to make Timov one of my favourite B5 characters, though. From her lethal sarcasm (mostly, but not exclusively directed at Londo) to her ruthless honesty, not to mention the fact she's female and middle aged, she was one of the most memorable Centauri of them all, and I always wished we'd have seen her during the Cartagia eps in s4 or the eps set on Centauri Prime in s5. Alas, we didn't, but then, there was always fanfiction.

2. Torchwood: Alice Carter. Actually, considering Children of Earth is my favourite TW incarnation of them all, I would have enjoyed seeing any of its (non TW regular) characters again, but Alice was the one I held out some hope for. It's still possible that she may show up in the parent show, but the Moff has never shown any interest in TW or its characters, so I doubt it. Anyway, Alice: unexpected relations - how to do them right. Loved the fact that she can use her mother's agent training if she must but when kidnapped actually goes for the communication and conversation approach with her kidnapper (successfully, which is tragic for her if good for the majority of the population). Loved the deeply awkward and intense relationship she has with her father before you know what happens (that she draws immediately the cynical and right conclusion why he wants to spend some grandfather time with his grandson one day yet also immediately (and again with reason) worries for her father the next and listens to his voice on voice mail on repeat probably sums it up). And her last silent exchange of looks with Jack on Day Five just kills me, every time. My fairy tale wish would be for someone to go back in time and add Alice as a recurring guest star from season 1 onwards. If a temporary out of control time lord hears me, that's what I want.
P.S. Please don't comment with rants about Miracle Day. I enjoyed MD, not on a CoE level but on a season 2 of TW level, and if you hate it, do so in your own journal.

3. Merlin: Gilli. Aka, wow, is that really Dudley Dursley? Seriously, though, great character, awesomely acted, and I do hope we'll see him again on the show. He made for a great foil and "what if?" for Merlin but not in the usual way genre shows handle this (i.e. by making him a villain), and their scenes together were among the best of s3.

4. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Eddington. By far my favourite Maquis. I can see why the show needed to wrap up the Maquis storyline before the Dominion war went into its final phase, but he was so much more interesting than Sisko's pal from s2, or Chakotay over at Voyager, or, God help us, Tom Riker, as an example of a Starfleet officer gone Maquis. His two post-turning Maquis episodes are among my favourites and I really really wish there had been more.

5. Doctor Who: Alternate Amy from The Girl Who Waited. ( Spoilery comments for the sixth season of New Who ensue. )