...And in conclusion...

There's something about this time of year that says "Season Finale".

We've already had the end of the update to The Prisoner (more story than the original, but just as unintelligible... and sadly predictable in its presentation of an "Oh, no... Not that!" ending), with FlashForward concluding next week (my guesses: Mark Benford lives, Demitri, Janice and Simon get killed, Olivia and Charlie probably get captured) without ever really getting anywhere. I'm sure there was at least one other Season Finale since I last wrote but, if so, I've already forgotten it.

Doctor Who continues apace... I'm reasonably impressed by the reintroduction of the Silurians, even though they're rather derivative of the Predator, now that their alien/reptile/fishy appearance is explained away by a mask that gives them heat vision (amongst other things). The first part seemed perhaps a little slow (and how is the young boy the Doctor's responsibility rather than that of his own mother?), but Matt Smith is working out far, far better than his predecessor, and the 'two companions' dynamic is much more interesting than the previous, single companion setup.

Work is settling back into a decent enough flow. The new top dog introduced himself to everyone on the floor yesterday, then started calling meetings with all the Sales Managers, generally making himself unpopular by asking them difficult questions (such as "what have you been doing today?" and "what are your prospects?") and making them accountable for their sales and those made by their staff.

Having now played a bit of Castlevania Judgement, I can say that it's rather hard, but not just because of the way the camera tracks the action (or, more accurately, doesn't). Playing in Story Mode, I can win a few battles... but playing in Castle Mode is bizarrely difficult on the first stage. Perseverance will win, though... it's a very interesting concept hampered by a few technical issues.

I've also had a go at Monster Hunter Tri using the bowgun as my weapon. It's a very different style of game that way, not least because I'm packing a six-shooter when even the smaller animals can take 7 shots to put down... and it took me far too long to remember how to reload. I did happen upon an interesting revelation about armour upgrades, which I may well put into practice when I switch back to my main game... in which my character has already faced off - and, to be perfectly honest, lost - against the Lagiacrus. Its first appearance is a shock, considering how early on in the game it is (something like 3-5 hours for me, so substantially less for some, or more for those who like to explore before they start hitting the quests)... but that initial shock is nothing compared to the urgent yet glacial terror of realising that it can quite happily follow you from area to area.

My problem is that, when I panic, I lose any level of ambidexterity I might normally have, so I can't get my hands to coordinate and direct the camera where I want to go, so I can swim in the correct direction. That, coupled with my inability to switch focus to the map for a vague idea of what the correct direction might be, is why I got myself chomped. That said, my panic-state affects this game a little less than it does the likes of Silent Hill...