This Week (July 13 - 20)

MOVIES – Opening this week:

• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009) was scheduled to come out half a year ago, but was delayed so that Warner Brothers could have a big July tentpole movie. This is the sixth Harry Potter movie, and it sets up a lot of crises that will be resolved in the final two films. Since the last movie came out two years ago, star Daniel Radcliffe has gotten good notices in Equus on Broadway, and here he's opposite Jim Broadbent, who elicits strong performances from everyone he works with. I've got tons of video clips, trailers, and interviews on this one, so be sure to check out the video page.
  - Watch trailers, clips, and video for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
  - Image Gallery for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Brince

TELEVISION – New episodes this week from:

• Warehouse 13,
• Eureka,
• Primeval,
• Merlin, and
• True Blood.

Guest stars this week include glamorous Battlestar alumna Tricia Helfer, on Warehouse 13; Leela Savasta, who was the ridiculously underutilized Alicia Vega on Stargate Atlantis and Tracey Anne in the final episodes of Battlestar, on Eureka; and Kenneth Cranham, who was Pompey on Rome, on Merlin.

Next week: BBC America airs Torchwood: Children of Earth. Watch for my review and more stuff on the 5-part miniseries later this week.

Synopses below the jump. For details see the listings (regular or alphabetical).

• Warehouse 13 "Resonance" (102). A string of bank robberies in Chicago put Pete and Myka on the search for a very soothing song while Artie probes the security breach in Warehouse 13. Agent Bonnie Belski: Tricia Helfer.
• Eureka "Your Face or Mine" (310). Carter takes a grueling recertification exam that tests him physically and psychologically; Allison pitches a town-wide DNA-monitoring security system to Henry that injures Deputy Lupo during the inaugural scan.
• Primeval "Episode 3.09" (309). The team tries to tame a herd of Embolotherium when it comes through an anomaly, but these seven-tonne rhinoceros-type beasts from the Eocene era don’t budge easily. To make matters worse, Abby realizes someone is trapped in a tent and for some reason one of the Embolotherium seems intent on trampling it. Abby and Sarah try to rescue the trapped civilian, while Connor tries to lure the lumbering creatures back into the anomaly without causing a stampede or being crushed in the process. Danny finally arrives, late. With him is Eve, a mysterious woman from the future. Things get out of control when the anomaly suddenly snaps shut and the herd starts to stampede.
• Merlin "The Gates of Avalon" (107). Arthur rescues the elderly Aulfric and his pretty daughter Sophia from being robbed and they are welcomed at Camelot. Indeed Arthur falls in love with Sophia and they plan to elope. Morgana is very worried for she has had a recurring dream in which Sophia drowns Arthur. She confides in Gaius and Merlin, who realize that she is a potential magician with the power of prophecy. Merlin follows Aulfric to a lake, where he discovers that the father and daughter are Sidhes, former immortals who have lost their immortality, and that, to regain their powers, Arthur must be killed. When the couple elope Merlin follows them.
• True Blood "Never Let Me Go" (205). Sookie tries to connect with a stranger in Dallas who shares her abilities, and also joins Bill and Eric for an important meeting convened to address Godric's disappearance. Meanwhile, Sarah rewards Jason's hard work at camp, and Maryann seeks to change Tara's moving plans.