TW watches War of the Worlds S01E03 Thy Kingdom Come

In 1953, Earth experienced a war of the worlds. Common bacteria stopped the aliens but it didn’t kill them. Instead, the aliens lapsed into a state of deep hibernation. Now, the aliens have been resurrected, more terrifying than before. In 1953, aliens started taking over the world. Today, they are taking over our bodies.

The series was based on the 1953 movie, War of the Worlds which introduced the world (visually at least) to the Martians and their lethal flying nozzle ships or tripods as they would become known. Their serpentine shapes drifted across the skies, lashing out with their energy beams and vaporising everything in their path. They have become iconic images that remain in pop culture.

In that classic movie, the aliens could simply vaporise entire armies with their death rays fired from their flying ships. They were believed dead, killed by simple bacteria rather than bombs and bullets.

So when Greg Strangis was tasked to bring this concept to a television series, War of the Worlds not only embraced the original movie but expanded on it.

The aliens were awakened from their hibernation and ready to continue their world domination. Headed by Harrison Blackwood (Dallas and Fantastic Journey’s Jared Martin), Predator’s Richard Chaves as Colonel Ironhorse, Philip Akin as wheelchair bound Norton Drake and Lynda Mason Green as single mother and microbiologist Suzanne McCullough headed the fight against the aliens. It is also the show that had a better end credits theme tune than the one it opened with.

In the pilot episode, Resurrection, the revived aliens could now take over human bodies, giving them a ready made disguise to move about freely. And the higher ranking the human; the better. They spoke in an alien language but their handy hideaways were short-lived as the radiation from their bodies burned away the human flesh of their victims. Their brethren were stored in barrels and the more they freed the better.

Harrison it would turn out was witness to the events of 1953 and was adopted by then main leads, Doctor Clayton Forrester (Gene Barry from This Island Earth) and Sylvia Van Buren (Ann Robinson). Harrison’s character was modelled on Forrester’s as he became his adopted son and carried on his love for science. Not only was the movie embraced but the original Orson Well’s radio drama that terrified a nation, convincing them that the world was being invaded, was lovingly embraced as well. Harrison and the gang travel to Grover’s Mill where the residents are all too aware of the alien threat and have been since the thirties.

We get flashbacks to the events of the original Academy Award winning movie in the pilot episode and as part of the credits of every episode. At the climax, the dreaded ships are reactivated and fly off into the sky under Martian control but not before they blow things up just as a reminder to have powerful these things are. The tripod Martians are seen, more so in the second and final season but for budget’s sake (like V the mini series) they interacted in their human forms. To add to the horror, they were able to reach out through their victim’s stomach and attack people as seen in this episode. However, they used a type of environmental suit to stay alive making them look even stranger but everyone wanted to see those three-armed monsters.

Chaves as Ironhorse is an important role model as he portrayed a First Nation’s character front and centre, long before Robert Beltran’s Chakotay on Star Trek Voyager, and very welcome he is too. His axe from season two was not met well from fans and the disabled character of Drake was also gone to suit the more apocalyptic second season where Earth is completely invaded. It was a pity that they could not have been more imaginative and showed both characters work in an invaded world. Add to that Ironhorse’s culture was essential in certain episodes including some social commentary here too.

But the biggest nod to the past, was when Ann Robinson returned to the role of Sylvia in the third episode of the season. Since the movie, she has not only helped raise Harrison but has somehow been able to telepathically connect with the aliens. Now a resident of a mental hospital which Ironhorse thinks is a great secret location for intelligence sources.

Sylvia became Forrester’s assistant on project Ezekiel so she literally became what Harrison describes as a electromagnetic barometer with an amazing accuracy record. He thinks the prolonged exposure to irradiated alien tissue triggered this but the physical side effects left her traumatised with nose bleeds and depression. She predicted the eruption of Mount St Helens and tells Ironhorse the aliens are loose in Montana, stealing even more bodies. Ironhorse sees Sylvia as a distinguished veteran of the war of ’53 but she is too hysterical to trust him.

The resurgence of the aliens have left her in a terrible state requiring sedation and medication. It’s actually a brave way to bring back the character. Usually, you’d expect she would be a well to do academic so to see her is a stark reminder of how these aliens will leave us all if we are not dead first. This makes Sylvia a threat to the aliens and one to be eradicated immediately.

Her return to this universe is quite a tragic one as more of what happened to her after the movie is revealed. After Forrester’s death, Sylvia was convinced the aliens would come back which led to the decline of her mental health. Her only friend is her television set and to an outsider, she comes across like she has had a complete mental breakdown to the point where Suzanne says she is mad.

Sylvia says she is and so would you be if they had stuck all sorts of electrodes in Suzanne’s brain. Sylvia realises the pattern on the television screen is a viewpoint from space, allowing them to find the alien location.

Such was the impact of the 1953 movie, that it was burned into audience’s memories so to see one of the heroes now reduced to this is tragic. But those same forces that mistreated Sylvia, whose deaf ears ignored her warnings, hinder the team from reaching the alien location.

It’s the ferocity of the aliens, desperate to increase numbers and a way to prevent their human bodies dissolving that make them such a threat. Being so early in the series, they waste no time. Having taken over a hockey team’s bodies, some of them explode on the ice giving Harrison and the team access to alien remains. At a garage, they take over a mom, dad and granny while their young son goes to the bathroom. They drive off heading towards the location where their brethren are buried, promising the kid, Bobby, that he will be made immortal.

We also get to see the calm, ever optimistic side of Harrison as he tries to get them out of jail by convincing a guard to stop smoking. Using hypnotism, he impresses the ever skeptical Ironhorse making the team more solid for what is to come.

Imagery is big here as we discover that dozens of alien bodies are at the bottom of a lake on military ground. The possessed family of mom, dad and granny sink beneath its mist covered surface. But the lake is overrun by aliens and only by blowing up an electrical tower are they able to kill this batch. But there are thousands more buried out there and the race is on to stop the mass resurrection.

Thy Kingdom Come is a strong episode which is overshadowed by tragedy. We have the personal tragedy of Sylvia’s ultimate fate. We have more humans being taken, meaning families are being impacted by the unexplained disappearance of their loved ones. In the final shot of the lake, littered with dead bodies, the question is asked if they are going to tell the Canadian authorities that these people were terrorists. Put that into perspective for a second; you are a sibling, wife, mother, daughter, etc… and you know you’re loved one is not a terrorist yet they are branded such with no feeling for the families.

Yes, I know we are facing a full alien invasion but given the setting for the second season, all this was in vain.

Add to that we have a little boy whose parents and grandmother are dead in the water, literally and Bobby is last seen running off into the woods while his possessed family went into the lake. Now, they are floating face down, collateral damage in this war.

At this stage, War of the Worlds is a strong show that not only shows off its proud roots but expands upon it but what would come would ultimately be a war of the executives.

Stephen & Owen Face The Silver Surfer

Join us this time as we face the Fantastic 4 Rise of the Silver Surfer and see if it is as bad as people think. Well, memory cheats and it leads to a heated debate about just how well they got it right compared to the new movie and why the Silver Surfer deserves a second look.

TW Watches Charmed S03E22: All Hell Breaks Loose

By Owen Quinn author Photos copyright CW

If you had a secret power then the last thing you would want is for it to be exposed to the world. As the Charmed Ones would find out in the season three finale, this is what happens when the world knows your secret. And in order to put things right inn between demon attacks, it will come at a terrible price.

This is also a milestone episode for charmed fans and it has a whole new spotlight and meaning behind it for fans following the untimely death of Shannen Doherty from breast cancer. Behind the scenes, she and Alyssa Milano who plays Phoebe, were at conflict. Milano had allegedly given the producers an ultimatum; that one of them had to go. it was said that Milano resented the fact Doherty was the highest paid and threatened to sue for making her work in a hostile environment, allegedly but check out all the YouTube videos of Combs and Doherty telling the story. In the end, they decided to fire Doherty. Holly Marie Combs who played Piper along with Doherty spoke openly about it on her podcast and at conventions. Rose McGowan, who came into the show as unknown sister, Paige, would later be very vocal about her own public feud with Milano.

I have to say I always preferred Prue to Phoebe both as a character and actress. But it’s good the truth came out before she died and was able to set the record straight before her death.

Writing this article is bitter sweet right ow, as fellow Charmed actor, Julian McMahon passed a couple of days ago at the age of 56 from cancer. And it is only when you look back, you realize just how good this show and characters were. When you see this episode, you can’t help but think of the circumstances in Doherty’s departure but the loss of both actors whom, quite frankly, were brilliant. I watched this show religiously every week and I can see now why I came back time and again.

But if you are going to leave a shoe no matter what the circumstances, then All Hell Breaks Loose is the way to do it. This is Prue’s Yesterday’s Enterprise. We get a double bluff at the episode’s beginning While protecting one Doctor Griffiths from a demon called Shax, the Charmed Ones take him back to their house. While Phoebe finds a spell to stop him, he blasts both sisters. They are smashed through a wall and lie broken and bleeding. Phoebe repels Shax and Leo is able to save the sisters. But when Phoebe leaves to go to Hell to save her love, Cole (Julian McMahon), Prue and Piper go looking for the wounded Shax. They face him down in the street and vanquish them.

However, a news crew films their actions and their secrets are exposed to the world. Even Heaven will not help them as their exposure is seen as a terrible transgression. This could undo all the good they have done and wreck the future.

Soon, they are besieged by the public and news crews. Even Jerry Springer and Sports Illustrated want apiece of the Halliwells. Soon, people from their past are on television about hoe they always suspected the Halliwells were witches as Prue cast a spell at ten years old to split a couple up. Doctor Griffiths exposes them on television and tells about the book in the attic. People wanting to join their coven break into their house. Her name is Alice, a wiccan fanatic who says she is just like them, that she is the only one that understands them. Prue throws her out of the house and Leo says the only thing they can do is ask Tempus to reverse time to the point of Shax’s original attack.

Cole must go to the Underworld to find Cole and Phoebe but if he does, Prue and Piper will be all alone. Cole is forced to ask the source to get Tempus to reverse time but it will be done at a cost. If Phoebe stays in the Underworld, Tempus will do as they ask and it is also the only way to stop one of the sisters from dying.

This is no easy ride as Alice shoots Piper. Alone, Prue must get her sister to the hospital. In fury, Prue uses her powers to clear a path but her actions are seen as domestic terrorism and a threat to the public. Snipers are dispatched to kill her before she can do anything else. But Griffith cannot save Piper who dies right before her sister.

hindsight is a wonderful thing, isn’t it? It is clear from Piper’s death scene that Doherty and Combs have such a deep bond as actresses and costars. Acting can only take it so far and you can’t help but wonder just how real some of these tears are. Too late, Leo returns but he is powerless. The Halliwells are to be killed and trapped in the medical bay, Prue stands alone. She uses her powers and martial arts to kick soldier ass but the damage is done. They are demons, things to be destroyed. Alone, shattered and about to be killed by a sniper’s bullet to the head, time reverses just in time.

But like all demons they cannot be trusted. Shax’s attack succeeds this time. With no Phoebe to read the spell, Griffiths is killed and Prue and Piper lie broken in the wreckage. Piper has blood coming from her nose indicating internal bleeding while Prue lies motionless beside her sister. Fade to black.

This is Charmed at its best but given the background circumstances, its excellence shines through. The Phoebe going to Hell and being separated from her sisters may well have been to keep the costars apart but it only highlights how good Doherty and Combs were together. It is a pity the producers didn’t see that at the time or history would have been very different. The role was almost recast at one point with Jennifer Love Hewitt and Tiffani Thiessen. But they went with a fourth sister to restore the Power of Three.

It is also one of those episodes where the reset button works and is an integral part of the plot. But this reset comes at a great cost. The only subdued performance here is Milano’s as Combs and Doherty are on a tour de force. Indeed, Doherty also directed the episode so she gave it her all. And this is why looking at it back when I first watched it, I didn’t care about Phoebe being trapped in Hell. I cared about Prue and Piper. Piper is shot in the stomach and dies. Prue keeps her sister warm even after death but refuses to let members of a SWAT team disturb her grief. Even Leo rips your heart out when he discovers the love of his life, Piper is dead.

When the truth finally came out about the circumstances of Doherty’s departure, you couldn’t help but feel cheated. Rose was great as Paige but the fact Prue never came back to the show even though every other dead relative did, was a hole that could never be filled and left a sour taste in many fans’ mouths.

Outside of that, what a great exit for a great character who as time showed, was a true heroine both on and off the screen.

Dublin Comic Con Summer 2025 Review

By Owen Quinn author of the Time Warriors, Zombie Blues and more. Photos copyright Owen Quinn

Dublin Comic Con keeps the heart of it alive and allows you to be exactly who you want to be and swim in what you love without prejudice.

Here we go again as the team behind Dublin Comic Con lands to bring us a new star filled weekend. Thousands of fans flocked to the Convention Centre to meet their celebrity favourites, meet up with friends and dress up as their favourite characters. Families of all types and ages come for a family day out. And what I learned from my visit was, you actually never know what’s round the corner.

I’ve been coming to Dublin Comic Con since the very first show out at Swords and it really has come a long way. Overlooking the River Liffey, the Convention Centre has been home to DCC for some years now. Yesterday was a melting 21 degrees but what a beautiful day in more ways than one.

Conventions are an escape from every day life and a chance to meet the stars of the shows you love, meet old friends and make new ones. For me. I went in my wheelchair because of an injury and immediately met an old friend I had either missed at other shows or waved at in passing because they were busy. But we stay in touch by Facebook and Instagram.

And it didn’t stop there.

I met and more importantly, managed to talk to, many old friends. While I was there to tick off bucket list celebrities, it was also a chance to actually reflect and see how far this show really has come.

And I can say, hand on heart, not only as a lifelong fan of sci-fi and horror but now a disabled person, I left on such a high that Dublin Comic Con remains the king of the castle. I remember the days when there was nothing for fans here. I got so jealous that my cousin was going to meet a Dalek in her school because that sort of thing was a magical experience for everyone else in the world except the Irish.

I also remember begging my Dad to take us to meet Dave Prowse as Darth Vader in Belfast when the Empire Strikes Back came out which he did but being the only geek in a sporting household meant the galaxy was literally, far, far away. And sadly, Dave Prowse turned up as the Green Cross Man and was was very rude to us kids.

Now, I’m doing dodgems with two R2D2s and Chopper. I’m getting patted on the head by Chewbacca because I’m bald. I’m standing in the doorway of the Tardis, still wishing the Doctor would tap me on the shoulder and say “Come with me.” Jedi are handing me their light sabres and Mandos are letting me hold their weapons. I can sit in a bar with the Gremlins. I can visit Ray’s Occult book store from Ghostbusters and see up close and personal, the new bikes from the upcoming Tron: Ares. I dared look into an alien egg and face down a face hugger. I faced the Grim Reaper, got to hold owls and spent time with working guide dogs to which you could donate. I also got to be a Klingon captain and wield the Dark Sabre from Mandalorian. That is one action packed day. Weeks can pass and I don’t do that much.

These latter two things are as much a part of the convention as any cosplay or set. Because events like Dublin Comic Con, actually, there are no other events in Ireland as a whole that can touch Dublin Comic Con., are vital for fans.

Any disability or mental health concerns or just every day worries about how to make ends meet, fade as you enter this world and make no mistake, the team behind this, work bloody hard to deliver to all ages and types. This is a world of imagination where young minds are opened and middle aged ones like me can reminisce and go, “God, I remember that” (I had to correct someone yesterday who mistook the Space 1999 comlock and guns as those from Blake’s 7. Yep, I heard the voice in my head say, you’re such a nerd!)

But it could open kids up to shows long gone that fall into the sci fi world they love. It’s a world that is ever expanding but what a journey.

Dublin Comic Con keeps the heart of it alive and allows you to be exactly who you want to be and swim in what you love without prejudice.

This, for me, was the strongest line up I’ve seen in a while. I don’t mean the previous line ups over the years are anything but good but this one felt really special somehow and it wasn’t until later in the day, I realised why. I cannot fault any of them.

Saturday only guest Jamie Campbell Bower rocked and was so down to earth. This, by the way, applied to everyone. Sometimes, you get rude guests who don’t really care. I can name a few but wouldn’t like to speak ill of the dead. I might have mentioned one earlier dressed as the Green Cross Code man…….oops. Others are still alive though. I have never experienced this at DCC to be honest but something was super special yesterday.

I was supposed to meet the walking Dead’s Ross Marquand a couple of years ago but had my leg amputated the month before. I had seen him in the distance at Walker Stalker in London but now, I finally got to meet him. I was blown away by how pleasant he is and how he looks after fans.

And it’s not an act from anyone.

They are genuinely happy to see people. Kingpin himself, Vincent D’Onofrio was such a pleasure to speak to and we chatted about him living in Belfast for six months when filming Full Metal jacket. The suicide scene remains terrifying decades later because of that expression on his face before killing himself. If ever there was a shot of true mental breakdown and someone in dire straits, this was it. And it stands to this day.

I have to tell you a story which just typifies the laid back Irish spirit. On seeing Vincent in the flesh, it wasn’t a “On my god, it’s Kingpin!” reaction from two ladies. it was “God, look at the weight he’s lost. he looks really well.” And that was the atmosphere yesterday. We take celebrities in our stride and they got to do the same because they saw it through chatting to people. Not fans, people.

Hitman himself, David Bateson, came dressed as the iconic character including the barcode on the back of the head. John De Lancie is a true gent and that mischievous smile never fades. Sure, where else would you get it?

Dublin Comic Con is expanding to a Horror con in November and a new show in Cork later this year. Based on yesterday, I have full confidence in them to keep setting the bar. Ruts are easy to fall into but they aren’t in one at all and it’s because they keep their pulse on what fans want. I saw lots of new cosplays I had never seen before which gives me such hope and joy and only reinforces this is refreshing without our even noticing. The best example of that was a Superman and Jor El duo. I have never seen a Jor El before anywhere either here or across the water. i took photos. And we chatted. We got to know each other and that sums this all up for me. I also saw the Grim Reaper who hopefully I won’t really meet for a long time, a very, very long time. He killed Spiderman don’t you know?

This was supposed to be a review of the latest Dublin Comic Con but it’s more than that. it’s a review of DCC as a whole. Generation after generation keep coming because it is a magical event. Whether it be the three year old dressed as Superman or me at my age looking round and thinking how wonderful this is. As a kid, I was bullied for being a freak because I wasn’t into sport (I was a champion kick boxer and swimmer at one point). Sport in those days only included Gaelic and soccer but sci-fi and horror are as much a part of me as my family are. Nowadays, you’re a freak if you’re not into it. And ironically, that statement just doesn’t apply now. Everyone loves the movies and television and gaming. It’s part of our culture. So we are all part of it. I was just born too early which probably makes me a trailblazer. Well, that’s the story I’m sticking with lol.

There were some people moaning about not getting into the photoshoots for Jamie on their first attempt even though they had bought tickets for it. But that was simply them being impatient and not seeing the big picture. For such a huge one day guest, they had to limit the number to each session but they made damned sure everyone got what they paid for. Have a little patient people and look beyond yourself.

Dublin Comic Con delivered in the summer of 2025.

I am so happy to see they keep pushing against expectations to bring something new and fresh which is not always possible due to many factors that the public will never be aware of. Kudos to the gentleman that created the brand new Star Wars display, all hand made and some animatronic. I never even saw anything like that at Star Wars Celebration.

I left Dublin a very happy man yesterday and that feeling has not left me today, Sunday, as I write this. It just makes me even more impatient for the next one. Well done folks, great to see you again and a reminder that in these dark times, there is still magic in the world.

And here’s something you might not think of. We go home happy but I can guarantee you that there will not be celebrity that heads home tonight and won’t be thinking to themselves, “Wasn’t Dublin Comic Con brilliant? I had such a great time. “

I bet if you were speaking to Jamie Campbell Bower last night, he would have told you the very same thing. Till next time.

Klingons Rock at Dublin Comic Con Summer 2025

By Owen Quinn author and more Photos copyright Owen Quinn and USS Cuchulain

The 9th and 10th of August saw Dublin Comic Con return once again for a spectacular show. Local Star Trek group the USS Cuchulain, once again brought their fantastic bridge set where fans could sit in the captain’s chair and experience an alien attack.

But if you didn’t want to be a member of Starfleet, you had the chance to become a Klingon instead. Being a Klingon captain, can be very stressful but thankfully, there were some helpful Klingons present to help you out as you took command of the Klingon ship.

Dublin Comic Con Reveals Tron: Ares Bike

By and photos copyright Owen Quinn author of the Time Warriors, Zombie Blues and more

This October sees the release of a third installment of Tron. Tron: Ares stars Jared Leto and Gillian Anderson with Jeff Bridges returning in his iconic role. Leto plays Ares who is sent from th digital world into ours on a mission. This will mark the first time humans have encountered the digital beings in the real world but why now?

On the 9th and 10th of August 2025, Dublin Comic Con gave fans a glimpse of the new bikes that can be seen in the trailer. I have to say they look smart and very eye catching. Check out the photos below.

Stephen & Owen face Dracula & Co in Monster Squad

Join us to stop an unholy alliance of Universal’s greatest monsters from plunging the world into eternal darkness. Can a Cavan man and a man with one leg bring down Dracula and his mates, the Creature from the Black Lagoon, Frankenstein’s monster, the Wolfman and the Mummy?

Join us to find out, Join the craic; you won’t look back!

TW Flashback Quantum Leap: Southern Beauty

By Owen Quinn author of the Time Warriors and Zombie Blues

Photo copyright Universal

If ever there is show that the current generation needs to see before they die then it is the original Quantum Leap.

Starring Scott Bakula and Dean Stockwell as Dr Sam Beckett and his brother from another mother Al Calavicci, it was four and a half years of pure magic. You were with Al and Sam all the way emotionally at warp speed. One week you were laughing the other you were crying. Quantum Leap got you by the heartstrings and never let go. The world loved it and there was a huge outcry when it was cancelled. These days you have the continuation which fully embraces the original as it should.

Sam would inhabit the body of someone new every week and put right what went wrong in their life. Nothing was off limits and in the episode Southern Beauty, Sam went to hell….in a bathing suit photo shoot.

Sam had leapt into females before and gained a new insight into life as a woman. However in Southern Beauty, he entered the world of beauty pageants. His proud mother adorns him with the sash saying Miss Sugar Belle and a tiara. You can’t help but laugh at the look on Sam’s face as he realizes he is about to compete in a beauty pageant. Luckily the world sees him as Darlene Monte but he approaches things with a man’s mindset trying to act like a contestant. He is there to stop one contestant, Connie Duncan (Heather McAdam), from dropping out while ensuring Darlene win third place.

While he is a petite brunette to the world, Sam is struggling with acting like a lady seeking to win. It is just comedic gold as Sam tries to master the step and glide and failing miserably. Al is in his element with so many beautiful women around him which distracts him. Al is there to reassure Sam and get him through but his roving eye stresses Sam out no end.

Sam can sing and dance but as a beauty contestant he needs to refine it to be more feminine but fails miserably. The irony is it will be Sam’s masculinity that saves the day and puts things back on track. But when Sam discovers that part of the shoot will be by the swimming pool in a bathing suit. The world will see Sam as Darlene but it is still in his head that he is a man. Seeing Sam so uncomfortable when posing with the other ladies using various props.

While Sam discovers that the pageant photographer is actually tricking gullible contestants into doing nude photos, he must expose them and save Connie. But when he confronts the pageant boss to save Connie, he discovers that she too has been a victim of the photographer. This revelation gives her the courage to stand up and stop this from happening again to anyone else.

Sam has some uncomfortable costumes during this episode but the one that sticks with everyone is the Carmen Miranda like outfit complete with a fruit hat for the talent show. The plan is to sing Cuanto Le Gusta but he fails miserably. As the photo above shows Sam is out of his comfort zone. Al having to teach him the routine is hilarious and is used in the opening credits going forward. But Sam is failing and decides to go in a completely different direction.

To save the day he does Great Balls of Fire on the piano while wearing the fruit costume. You can see how much fun Bakula is having doing this while Al dances along. It brings the house down in a scene that you can watch over and over again.

In the final scene, Sam wins the beauty contest and is moved to tears. You can’t help but laugh and well up at the same time. History has been put on the right path again but the scars of time travel are seen here when Al asks Sam if he is alright given he is crying. Sam says he wishes his sister were here to see this before leaping to a brand new mission.

The answer is very telling and one that could easily be overlooked. Sam’s sister married a man who abused her mentally and physically. In the two -parter, The Leap Home, Sam leaps into his teenage self. He tries to change his family’s lives but fails miserably leading to one of the most powerful scenes in Quantum leap history. He is missing his family and something like winning a beauty pageant is something a sister should see. Perhaps his saving these women from being exploited and put down like Connie was supposed to be is something that might have given his sister the strength to fight back and escape her abuser. To skillfully weave this dark character thread into such a fun episode is a masterstroke. It reminds us that behind every adventure that Sam wants to go home and be with the ones he loves.

Southern Beauty is Quantum Leap at its best, a showcase of beautiful writing that shows exploitation of women is more commonplace than we know. Behind the smiles and songs serpents can lie. But battling those serpents are heroes that sacrifice the things closest to them to make the world a better place.

Ozzy Osbourne, Unchallenged Prince of Darkness, Dies At 76

By Owen Quinn author

Photo copyright Rolling stone

This isn’t my first commentary on the passing of a celebrity and it won’t be my last. But this one has shaken me to the core. Even as I write this, I have to pause to stop crying long enough to share my feelings on this. I don’t know why this has upset me so much. Maybe there is some residual grief still in me somewhere having lost some loved ones myself, that only comes out when something like this happens or maybe it’s because I genuinely liked Ozzy Osbourne.

I wasn’t a fan as such until the Osbournes show on MTV but I quickly became one. Ozzy was a heavy metal rock God whose legacy will reign forever as the Prince of Darkness; of that, there is no doubt. I knew of the stories; the Alamo, the bat, trying to kill his wife, Sharon, stealing Sharon’s dress to go drinking and his addiction struggles. But despite all this and the unending chaos of the Osbourne household, Ozzy was just a family man who loved his kids and his pets.

He just happened to be a God during his working hours. And he loved his job.

He warned his kids off smoking and getting tattoos, the latter of which Jack especially, ignored. He worried when they weren’t home and his love for his wife, Sharon, shone through when she faced her cancer battle. To millions, he was a rock God but I saw the family man behind the music. He loved the simple pleasures, was a keen history buff, hated the colour green and loved the Discovery channel. He kicked off when the dogs pissed on his good carpet, not being able to work the remote control and when he couldn’t find his socks and underwear.

I watched everything he did and all his interviews. I loved the love of life he had and despite many dark times, he had come through and was still standing. His devoted wife, Sharon, kept him grounded like the time he complained about people asking for autographs. She reminded him, the day they stop asking is when to complain. I’m paraphrasing there but that’s essentially her reply. She was the powerhouse behind his career and they stood together through it all. They were a love story all of their own and an example that love can get you through anything. Like all marriages, they had their ups and downs and people would criticise the show as crap but when you look at it, what house doesn’t have the kids going mad, the spouses arguing, fighting with the neighbours or that simple shot of a Dad waiting up for his daughter to come home to make sure she was alright.

For me, when Jack and Ozzy did their series, Ozzy and Jack’s World Detour, then that is when you really saw the man behind the music. Leaving somewhere with a plastic carrier bag is so working class, complaining about the trip but delighted top be spending time with his son and getting to do his bucket list. While their stops were interesting, it was just a show about a father and son bonding over the most bizarre things like the research centre that studies decomposing bodies in the open.

I’ll never forget Ozzy driving a tank and breaking it, visiting the historical places in America and going underground to a silo where everything in the world was stored including Black Sabbath’s first song. I’ll never forget when he returned to Texas to the site of the Alamo and they tricked him into believing there was an arrest warrant still active for him. It was hilarious. Remember his battle with the haunted doll, Robert, that he kept frying to get rid of?

Seeing Ozzy just listening to that recording of Black Sabbath speaks volumes about the man. He loved those around him even when his behaviour said otherwise but he always sought them out and made up with them. His kids and grandkids were his world; the concerts reminded him that he was alive and meant the world to millions of people. When you compare Crazy Train to his duet with daughter Kelly, Changes, it showed his diversity. His song, Dreamer, says all there is to say about him. At the end of the day, he was a crazy dreamer but never did he ever dream just how much he would be loved right back by generation after generation.

He was a young lad, no qualifications, with a dream of being in a band and by God, he did it. He dreamed big and with Sharon by his side, he delivered it.

At his final concert only a few weeks ago, he showed how much he thrived on that love on stage before his adoring fans. He had returned to England to be home again and I think we all knew why he was coming back to England. His health was declining and perhaps, he knew his time was nearly up.

Now Ozzy Osbourne has died surrounded by what he cherished most of all; his family. I never met him but felt I knew him to a degree from his shows. He never played to the cameras in World Detour. he was just himself. I have to admit, I would have loved his hair but t’was not to be. Neither was my chance of meeting him and telling him that he was the most down to earth God I had ever known.

This is not goodbye by any means. Ozzy left behind so much joy, laughter and music for him to ever really be gone. Millions all over the world will be weeping tonight, not only from sadness but from remembering the funny times, the joy and the humour too. I have a feeling that heaven is a lot louder tonight from a certain rocker kicking in the pearly gates.

Til next time, sir.