Lust, pride, gluttony, sloth -- and that's just Dean in the first five minutes of the episode! Supernatural is back and it's a little darker, a little sexier and a little more crowded. It wasn't just the seven deadly sins taking up screen time but we had Bobby, Ruby and a pair of married hunters filling out the bill on the season opener.

On the upside, the bulk of this episode looked a lot like the horror movies it pays homage to. With the good guys barricaded in the house while the demons gathered outside was very Night of the Living Dead, but I was surprised that there were no "surprise" moments. With everyone peering out between the slats of the boarded up windows, I thought for sure some villain would pop up and scare me out of my chair.

Middle of the road for me was Dean's new personality. I wasn't crazy about the happy, carefree Dean until I realized that it's likely one of the stages of grief that terminal patients go through. Denial is Dean's river at the moment but I imagine that's likely to change as the season progresses. I did enjoy the coughing fit moment and swapping spit with Lust was way hotter than it should have been.

Plot aside, I thought the look of this episode was stunning. First off, it seems like it was filmed in a different aspect ratio than normal. It had a very tall and narrow feel to it. The colors and lighting, particularly in the scenes just before the demons broke in, were amazing. The new title card rocked and did Dean shave, or something? He looked younger than we've ever seen him.

Saving the best for last is, of course, the final conversation between the brothers. I've gotta give Kripke kudos for addressing this right in the first episode because I, like Sam, was already tiring of him catering to Dean's whims. What caught me off guard was the way Sam's feelings were played. I was expecting whining, emo boy. What we got was angry and I like that. I like that Sam is pissed as hell at Dean for doing this selfish thing and I love that Dean admits it and doesn't care.

I've always thought that Sam could go on without Dean. It wouldn't be easy, but he'd find a way to make a new life for himself. Dean could never live without Sam. He's spent his whole life as a caretaker and without someone to take care of he'd have no reason to go on.

With less than a year to live, Dean's going to have to face a lot of new realities that he's never faced before and Sam's going to have to step up and become the big brother for a change. It's a nice new dynamic that will kick the series into emotional overdrive and that's something Supernatural has always done very well. I look forward to seeing how it all plays out.

I'm heading back to the DVR to watch the episode again with the help of at least three of the seven deadly sins. I'll leave you to figure out which ones!

The episode, titled Revelations, has Baylin, Zarkov and Flash trapped on Mongo without a working rift. While they attempt to find Ming's rift generator, Ming's daughter is performing her own version of Kate in "Taming of the Shrew". It seems that Aura has been betrothed to Barin and she's just not all that into him. Personally, I'd jump at the chance to marry hunk Steve Bacic, but apparently she and I don't have the same taste.

And that's enough flashes to light up any red carpet premiere in Hollywood.

Don't miss Sam J. Jones on Flash Gordon, Friday, October 5 at 9:00 on SCI FI.

Click the link for more:

Sam and Dean face all-out demonic war and as they work to stem the rising tide of demonic activity, they continue to travel the country, battling the supernatural wherever they go: changelings, cursed objects, vampires, witches, malevolent spirits, even a very unmerry Anti-Claus. Dean's clock is ticking, with Hell awaiting him in less than a year's time. Meanwhile, Sam still faces the fallout of the slain demon's plan to make him leader of the gathering demonic army. Wrestling many new questions about his destiny, Sam must uncover the dark secrets buried within his own past and within his family's history. And he must find a way to save his brother.

Episode three is titled Bad Day at Black Rock and it looks like both Sam and Dean are having a little trouble making it through the day unscathed!

Photos Marcel Williams/The CW 2007 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved

Supernatural returns on Thursday October 4th on The CW

Can you believe Stargate Atlantis is starting its fourth season? Seems like just yesterday they were stepping through the gate into a whole new adventure. We saw characters come and characters go, some we liked and some we didn't. We saw old enemies and new ones and we saw friendlies turn hostile when the timing was right.

If you missed even a moment of Stargate Atlantis: Season Three, mark your calendar for September 18th because that's when the brand new box set hits the shelves. This DVD is packed with commentaries, those cool Mission Directives, and featurettes on Rachel Luttrell, the visual effects department, a full season overview and much more.

As soon as you get your DVD set, pop in disc five and watch the final four episodes of the season. You'll need this refresher course in order to fully appreciate the season four two-part premiere airing September 28 and October 4 on SCI FI Channel.

Want a sneak peek at what the new season has to offer? Well, I'm here to give it to you. Trouble is telling without giving away all of the plot twists these episodes throw at you. So let's say, there are slight spoilers ahead.

It's quite a problem and not the only one our heroes have to deal with during the course of the two hours. As a matter of fact, it's a constant case of out of the frying pan and into the fire to the point where I started to grow weary of the whole thing. As much as I enjoy seeing Sheppard react to McKay's doomsday prophecies, they come on a bit too hard and fast in this episode for my liking and it strained the credibility of the storyline.

There are a couple of truly different and spectacular saves which include space walks, a life-sized game of Asteroids and one daring mission into enemy territory. All very cool, indeed.

As most fans already know, the new season marks the addition of two new characters; both faces that will be familiar to Sci Fi enthusiasts. Amanda Tapping comes over from Stargate SG-1 in a transition that is very easy and understandable. Firefly's Jewel Staite comes through the gate as Dr. Jennifer Keller, the new Chief of Medicine, but her introduction isn't as smooth.

Keller was introduced briefly in "First Strike" as a person who didn't want to be on Atlantis, let alone head of medical. When she reappears in "Adrift" it feels like they want you to believe she's always been part of the team. It's an odd transition. The other problem is Jewel herself. I like her as an actress, adored her on Firefly but I'm having troubling buying her as a top surgeon. It's the curse of her little girl looks I guess but I found all of her scenes in these episodes hard to watch.

On the upside, with Elizabeth languishing in sickbay and the city in peril, McKay and Sheppard have a lot to do and they do it very well. The banter between these two, comical and otherwise, are one of the things I love about this show and in that it doesn't disappoint. Ronon also has some uncharacteristically emotional moments and though she doesn't get a lot of airtime, Teyla really steps up to the plate and it's a joy to watch.

I will say that there was a twist I never saw coming and that makes up for any wrong turns made throughout the course of the two episodes.

When all is said and done, Atlantis will be a new city. Familiar characters will have new roles and Sheppard will have to deal with the consequences of a decision that will haunt him for the rest of this life.

Don't miss the season premiere of Stargate Atlantis, Friday, September 28 at 10:00 on SCI FI.

While reaction to the new cast members has been. . . shall we say. . . loud, Kripke and company keep assuring us that this won't be like last year's misstep with Jo. They keep swearing there won't be any loving going on unless of course, it happens, in which case, there will be.

So, a definite maybe, then?

Take a look at "recurring regular" Katie Cassidy and the boys, doing business in the Supernatural premiere, The Magnificent Seven which airs October 4, on the CW.

(R-L) Pictured Katya Virshilas as Lust , Josh Doughtery as Envy, Jared Padalecki as Sam.

Katie Cassidy as Ruby.

Jensen Ackles as Dean in SUPERNATURAL on The CW.

Photo: Sergei Bachlakov / The CW ©2007 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

We continue our conversation with Torchwood's Chris Chibnall and Noel Clarke.

One thing that truly sets Torchwood apart from past British TV shows are the production values. They call it making a show that looks "American". I call it making a weekly mini-movie.

"We're talking about mythology," says Chibnall. "And a lot of our TV has been mythologically American. A lot of British TV is very dowdy, very kitchen sink, and we were like 'no' let's make a sexy city show. [In Torchwood] Cardiff is a character."

Clarke adds, "As we for years have watched shows like Angel, saw shots of LA and thought, 'I want to go there.' We want people to go, 'wow, Cardiff is a really cool.'"

And if you were lucky enough to gain entrance to the inner sanctum, known as 'The Hub', you would find a full 360 degree set that is complete almost to the top (there's a bit of CGI filling in the very upper level). There are details everywhere you look, lots of nooks and crannies and a mix of old Victorian and high-tech Sci Fi that really works.

Says Chibnall, "There's a fantastic story behind it, if you talk to the designers. [The Hub] used to be a train station connecting the three Torchwood branches, which is why the writing is on the wall. It’s like a Victorian train station that has been converted. And there are more nooks and crannies to come."

He says they went for "epic" in scope and you can hardly argue that point. You can argue (and we did) that the series is "American" in its look and feel. Yes, there is a bit of "The X-Files" meets "Angel" with a touch of "Supernatural" thrown in, but this series is strictly cable when it comes to sex, language and in at least one case, violence.

Chibnall and Clarke both looked at me like I was nuts when I suggested the show was too sexy for regular TV. They insist there's very little sex on the show outside of one episode that involves an alien who thrives on orgasms. (Imagine getting that past American censors.) There is a liberal sprinkling of language and body parts that our censors would never allow on basic American TV.

And then there's Captain Jack the "omni-sexual hero."

"Jack will shag anything with a zip code," says Chibnall quoting one of the show's writers. "He just doesn't have those barriers."

But Americans are used to sci fi heroes who disarm with martial arts rather than a sarcastic remark and a flirty smile.

"Welcome to the 21st Century!" laughs Noel Clarke. "Sci Fi shows, a lot of the time, have been a commentary on tolerance; races, religions, why should sexuality be the last to boot?"

Chibnall points out that American TV has set the greatest precedent of all time with the first interracial kiss between Kirk and Uhura on the original Star Trek. An episode that was banned by many stations at that time.

"There are men who like men and women who like women," says Clarke passionately. "People should understand it."

If there's a chance in heck of making converts out of naysayers, John Barrowman can do it.

"The character [of Captain Jack] has such fun, such joie de vivre, the way John plays it I hope that it's a character you'll want to spend time with," says Chibnall. "There's this thing Jack says in episode two, 'you people and your quaint little categories', that's what Torchwood is about. For Jack this is not an issue. And as Noel was saying it's about tolerance and equality, it's about celebrating life and enjoying life in every sense."

"And," Clarke adds, "Saving the world in the meantime."

The End

Quick Quotes:

Chibnall on 'The fan reaction to Torchwood'.

"We've been here (at Comic Con ) for hours and we haven't been assassinated."

Clarke and Chibnall both on their favorite childhood food, 'Lasagna'.

Chibnall: " For me, growing up in the 70's lasagna was exotic. You couldn't get anything like that."

Clarke: "I had a friend from school, his mother was American and she made lasagna and it was fantastic. She taught my mom, who's from Trinidad, and it became my favorite thing. 'If you're good you'll get lasagna.' (He feigns sitting all quite in anticipation of this magical dish.)

Chibnall on 'Doctor Who, the Childhood Hero'.

Chibnall: "My kid goes to nursery. My wife went to pick him up and the teacher said, 'oh well, he's been keeping us very amused this morning with all his stories about his daddy meeting Captain Jack in Cardiff.' My wife goes, 'No no, he really has been meeting Captain Jack in Cardiff.' 'Oh, okay, then!'"

Clarke and Chibnall on 'Who Inspires You?'

Chibnall: "My kids, if I'm going to be sappy about it. I have two little boys, one of whom is four and the way that Doctor Who inspires him it stretches his imagination and makes him believe anything is possible."

Clarke: "Mine's equally sappy. My mother for making me determined, always telling me to follow what I wanted to do. Even though she came to England and struggled so I could get a proper education and a good job, when I said I wanted to act she was like, 'you do what you wanna do, but if you're going to do it, do it 100%.' And I do. Anything I do, I do it 100%.

Watch Torchwood on BBCAmerica's SciFi Saturday starting September 8th.

Watch Doctor Who on SciFi Channel Fridays at 8:00 and don't miss the season finale featuring Captain Jack Harkness on October 5th.

Torchwood photos courtesy of BBCAmerica
Noel Clarke photos from Doctor Who courtesy of SciFi Channel

"The most dangerous thing about Torchwood, is Torchwood," says head writer, Chris Chibnall, then he waggles his eyebrows in a way that makes me wonder if he missed his calling. Chibnall is a born entertainer, animated and sharp and he knows how to work a tease like nobody's business. Maybe that's why he's so good at writing the likes of Captain Jack Harkness and his merry band of alien hunting hedonists.

This is not your father's Doctor Who. This is dark, sexy, go-for-the-throat to bite or to kiss, cinematic joy. This is Torchwood.

I sat down with Chris Chibnall and Dr. Who regular, Noel Clarke (Mickey) on a hot and sticky afternoon in San Diego. It was their first visit to Comic Con and they were just hours short of being blown away by a room packed with enthusiastic fans.

We won't discuss how so many Americans came to be in love with a show that's never aired here, but suffice to say, the mood was electric.

For those of you who have not yet come over to the Cardiff side, here's Chibnall's 101 on the new BBCAmerica series, Torchwood.

"I would say it's a group of mates in Wales, who hunt down aliens and gather alien technology to arm the human race against the future. It's an informal, roguish group led by Captain Jack Harkness, who's an omni-sexual, 51st Century ex-time agent. It's the greatest show in the world. And it's enormous fun!"

Correct, on all counts.

"Russell T. Davis created [Jack] and John Barrowman came in and really took it by the scruff of the neck," says Chibnall.

"He gave it charm," says Clarke. "It could have been done very military like, but he added this cheekiness to it."

Chibnall agrees. "It's the twinkle."

Twinkle, huh? Not a word one usually associates with alien-hunting action heroes, but some how, here, it works. And that fact is even odder considering the tone of the series.

"[On Torchwood], you can go with the adult themes that you can't go with on [Doctor Who] and not just in violence and sexual stuff, but really sort of delving into the moral stuff," says Noel Clarke. "Torchwood is about the dark side of humanity and understanding what it's like to be human in the 21st Century with all the problems and temptations that are around."

"Our characters make mistakes," says Chibnall. "They're human and they go on journeys that are very complex. We've allowed our characters to go into corners where they make errors. The umbrella theme of the first season is the most dangerous thing about Torchwood is Torchwood. There's moral complexity. The issues of being human and living in a city in modern society, that's what Torchwood was created to investigate."

But even though the themes are dark, the actors are most decidedly not.

Says Chibnall with great sincerity, "The whole cast is absolutely a delight to work with. Brilliant professionals and such fun. It's such a joyous set to be on and they have great chemistry."

And as they say in the business, it all starts at the top, and that would be with the wild and wicked John Barrowman, who both Clarke and Chibnall reluctantly admit is the actor who's most like his character.

"What's lovely is when you've got somebody who is such perfect casting," says Chibnall. "I can't imagine anybody else in the world playing that character. He's so brilliant at it and he's such a joy to write for and to be around and he's so creative and fun. Yes, he influences the character and vice versa."

They combined their thoughts to say sum up the other characters in a phrase or two.

Gwen, the audience POV. A former police officer who is new to Torchwood.

"Human. The working woman. She helps the team find their human roots."

Tosh, Torchwood's resident computer geek:

"Workaholic. Searching. Dedicated."

Owen, an MD who handles himself in a fight like no doctor I've ever seen.

"Troubled. Passionate. Passionate about the job."

Ianto, the group's concierge, admin and buffer between them and the world:

"Dry sense of humor, secretive, buttoned up. Liberally buttoned up, but the buttons come a little bit undone in Season Two. "

And speaking of Season Two, Buffy fans will be delighted to see James Marsters (Spike) going toe-to-toe with Captain Jack in an episode that was crafted specifically for him.

"What a nice guy," says Chibnall. "He phoned up Russell and said, 'I love the show and if you have anything in mind. . . ' We'd been talking about a specific character we wanted to do a story for and as soon as we heard he was interested it was like, oooh, he could be that person. So it was specially written for him and he's exceeded our expectations. I cannot say enough good things about him."

But the big question is, do James and John lock lips?

Chibnall squirms in his seat and says, "Having to bite my tongue because. . . ooh."

Can I take that as a yes?

Check back later this week for Part Two of my interview with Chris Chibnall and Noel Clarke of Torchwood and catch the American premiere of the series, Saturday, September 8, on BBCAmerica.

Photo Courtesy of BBCAmerica
Left to right: Captain Jack (John Barrowman), Toshiko (Naoki Mori), Suzi (Indira Varma) and Gwen (Eve Myles).

It's the "Heroes World Tour" presented by Nissan, the first global marketing initiative of its kind. Starting August 26th, 12 cast members will travel to eight countries around the world in eight days.

"The message of 'Heroes' has always been about our world being a completely inter-connected place and this world tour is a celebration of that spirit," said Tim Kring. "We're all very excited to embark on this adventure next week and eager to hear from fans everywhere, whether they are already viewers, fans who are just discovering our show internationally or people buying the DVD."

The tour has been split into three legs with four cast members traveling to each destination.

Europe-
-Munich (8/26-8/27
-Paris (8/28-8/29)
-London (8/30-9/2)
Cast Members: Jack Coleman ("H.R.G."), Hayden Panettiere ("Claire"), Adrian Pasdar ("Nathan"), and Milo Ventimiglia ("Peter") with executive producer Dennis Hammer

Asia-
-Tokyo (8/26-8/28)
-Hong Kong (8/29-8/30)
-Singapore (8/31-9/2)
Cast members: Greg Grunberg ("Matt"), Ali Larter ("Niki), Masi Oka ("Hiro"), and Sendhil Ramamurthy ("Mohinder")

North America-
-New York City (8/27-8/29) – The backdrop of Season One
-Toronto (8/30-9/1)
Cast members: Noah Gray-Cabey ("Micah"), James Kyson Lee ("Ando"), Zachary Quinto ("Sylar"), and Dania Ramirez ("Maya") with co-executive producer/writer Jeph Loeb and acclaimed graphic novel artist Tim Sale ("Batman: The Long Halloween")

Fan events include a signing at FNAC in Paris on August 28, a "Heroes" Premiere at Roppongi Cinemas in Tokyo on August 27, a fan event at Vivo City in Singapore on August 31, and at Yonge-Dundas Square in Toronto on August 31.

In New York City, fans will get a chance to meet cast members along with artist Tim Sale at the NBC Experience Store on August 28, at 9:00 am.

There will be an autograph session and immediately following the stars will join with The Conservation Fund in a ceremonial tree planting to highlight the carbon zero "Heroes World Tour."

The green message of the "Heroes World Tour" will be an important aspect of the campaign as NBC Universal and their international broadcast partners hope to raise awareness globally about the importance of environmental stewardship. Special limited edition green t-shirts, featuring art by Tim Sale, have been created for the "Heroes World Tour" and 50 percent of the sales proceeds will be donated to The Conservation Fund.

In Hong Kong, STAR TV is sponsoring a "Heroes: Save the World Party" in conjunction with the World Tour to honor local heroes tied into their local CoolChange Green initiative.

Later on Aug. 28, Loeb and Sale will also appear at Midtown Comics Times Square, a popular local comic book and collectibles store, at 4-6 p.m. for a special autograph session for fans.

Don't live in any of the tour cities? Don't worry. Throughout the tour, NBC.com will be the online destination for fans following the "Heroes" adventure as the cast and producers travel the world. The "Heroes World Tour" site (NBC.com/Heroesworldtour) will include photos and video from each international location. Fans from around the world can also upload their photos from the events, uniting the online community for a shared global experience.

Kristen will be playing "Elle, a sexy, intriguing, mysterious young lady who has ties to Peter's apparent death, H.R.G.'s past, and Claire's future. When fans first meet Elle in October, she will commit a terrible crime, but as always with "Heroes," it will be unclear whose side she is really on."

"Heroes" executive producer/creator Tim Kring, had this to say. "This was not easy to pull off. But since we're an ensemble show, with many arcs playing out through the year, we found a way to jump into a small window in her schedule. I pitched her the idea we have for the character, which she loved, and we're off and running."

"It's a very dark, very sad piece," says Desperate Housewives' star, James Denton, talking about his new TV role. "It's about a group of people who have been put on a satellite and shot into outer space because they were 'defective'. Sort of the satellite of misfit toys."

It's "The Discarded", the fourth and last installment of the ABC mini "Masters of Science Fiction" and it airs next Saturday, August 25 at 10:00 PST/EST.

It would seem that ABC saved the best for last as this particular episode comes with quite the Sci Fi pedigree. The episode was based on the short story by Hugo and Nebula Award winner, Harlan Ellison. Ellison also co-wrote the episode and makes a cameo appearance. Star Trek's Jonathan Frakes directed and Brian Dennehy, John Hurt and James Denton star.

"It's a weird little role. On the surface he seems to be a bad guy, presents himself in a certain way and then double crosses these people, but Jon Frakes and I, with Harlan's consent, decided it would be better if my character was a victim of circumstances, too. It was fun to play him a little more sensitive and not fall into the trap of him being the stereotypical bad guy. A real departure from being a Wisteria Lane plumber," Denton says with a laugh.

Working on a science fiction series was something new for the actor who is used to handling hot housewives rather than deformed misfits in space and he gained a whole new appreciation of the genre.

"This [story] has so much humanity and is so heartbreaking. It's futuristic, obviously, and has to do with space travel, but I've learned that science fiction is so much more than that. I'd do it again in a heartbeat, especially if I had a chance to work with Jonathan Frakes or Harlan."

Though writers don't usually hang around the set, Denton was got a real treat when the Ellison showed up one day during the shoot.

"It was pretty crazy working with Harlan, I don't know if he's famous or infamous, but he's a very talented and prolific writer and has quite a reputation for being a character. He was actually in the [episode], and he was in the make-up trailer the day I showed up to be one of the discards. I'm not really familiar with the genre. I don't know the writers well like many fans do, but I knew who Harlan Ellison was and to be in the trailer with him, and listen to him tell stories, it was a real bonus."

Denton was also blown away by his experience working with Dennehy whom he described as "bigger than life" and British film star John Hurt.

"Hurt had never done American television and he may not do many more because I don't think he was too crazy about it. A wonderful guy, very sweet and very serious about acting, but in television you don't get rehearsals and instead of shooting 3 or 4 pages a day like you would on a feature, we were shooting 7 to 10 pages. He was surprised by the amount of work we did in a day and I don't think he was real crazy about it. Of course, he's brilliant and just standing in the same scene with these two guys. . .there were times when I would just have to pinch myself. 'I'm in a scene with Brian Dennehy and John Hurt!' It was fascinating."

As much as Denton enjoyed working on the project and is proud of the finished product, he admits he was disappointed by ABC's handling of the series. The show was shelved for more than a year and then summarily cut from six episodes to four before being dumped in a poor time slot.

"Yeah, it's been a little bit frustrating. Saturday in August is not where you're going to put your most prized programming," says Denton with a sigh. But still, he says he has to trust the judgment of ABC chief Stephen McPherson.

"Steve's quote during the upfronts was that the work was uneven. That the six installments didn't fit together the way they had hoped. I'm guessing that means there weren't pleased with two and that's no comment on the people who made them. I haven't seen the others. I've only seen ours and I'm very proud of it. It's very entertaining and a very touching story."

In the end, James Denton was glad for the opportunity to "stretch his legs" and do something a little different but on reflection, he wonders if his statement about having rarely done Sci Fi still stands.

"I always thought [science fiction] was something unbelievable and outrageous and unrealistic and then I realized that's Wisteria Lane!"

Catch James Denton, along with Brian Dennehy and John Hurt in the "Masters of Science Fiction" episode "The Discarded", premiering next Saturday, August 25 at 10:00 on ABC.

All photos courtesy of ABC

Reports of Dr. Carson Beckett's untimely demise last season on SCI FI's Stargate Atlantis have been greatly exaggerated…or have they? Paul McGillion will reprise his role as everyone's favorite Scottish physician in a two-episode arc during the series' fourth season, which will premiere on Friday, September 28 at 10pm ET/PT.

The Stargate legacy continues to burn bright on SCI FI with the fourth original season of Atlantis. Amanda Tapping, one of the most beloved stars in the Stargate universe, travels to the Pegasus galaxy to join the Atlantis cast by reprising her role as television's most adored astrophysicist, Colonel Samantha Carter. Firefly's Jewel Staite also joins the cast this season as Dr. Jennifer Keller. Taking the torch from SG-1 as television's most thrilling adventure series, Atlantis, promises to up the ante this season by introducing a powerful new race, welcoming new cast members and mourning the loss of some beloved friends.

Photo: Rachel Luttrell, Paul McGillion of Stargate Atlantis -- SCI FI Channel Photo: Dave Bjerke

Karen Cliche has spent a good portion of her acting career playing the tough girl. The kind that kicks butt and is proud of it. Her first big role was in the action series Adventure, Inc.. From there she played the mysterious Lexa Pierce on Mutant X and more recently she took on the part of the female (pretending to be a male) musketeer, Jacqueline, on the swashbuckling series Young Blades. These days she's extra tough as she straps on a sidearm for the role of Baylin, the bounty hunter from Mongo, in the new SCI FI Channel series Flash Gordon.

On a two-week hiatus in the middle of shooting the soon-to-premiere series, Karen took some time out of her day to chat with me about her co-stars, her roles and this re-imagining that is Flash Gordon. She readily admits that they have big shoes to fill, but she's confident in the version of Flash that they've created.

"I'm sure people will come into the show with a lot of expectations. They've known Flash Gordon for a long time, but I think this take is wonderful because it has something for everyone," says Karen. "People might tune in for the relationship between Dale and Flash, or they might watch for the planet Mongo with the tribes and the really cool sets, and I hope the audience will love and appreciate [the humor] element. There's a lot of great wit."

What can be joked about is Karen's character, Baylin, who comes to Earth in search of Ming's daughter but ends up a fish out of water when she's trapped here and can't get back.

"The reason she's so tough and hard at first is not because she's trying to be like this, she just is what she is. She's an alien from another planet. The mannerisms are different and she doesn't have the political correctness." And it's this lack of manners that often has Flash tongue-tied as he tries to cover up Baylin's social faux pas in front of his friends.

Keeping Baylin's true identity a secret is part of the show's grand scheme. Flash, Dale and Zarkov are the only humans who know about Mongo and the space rift that is allowing aliens to appear on Earth. Their struggle to keep that knowledge to themselves while they neutralize each alien threat is the engine that keeps the show going. On the mythology side, you have Flash looking for the truth about his father's death/disappearance and the romantic rumblings between Flash and his former girlfriend, Dale. The fact that Dale is now engaged to another man adds a level of sexual tension to the series that is ratcheted up a notch when Baylin takes up residence at Flash's house.

"See, that's why it's so complicated and interesting," says Karen. " She's engaged and here's me coming in the middle of all of this. Dale gets jealous, but she's not really, truly entitled to her feelings because she and Flash aren't together anymore. That's the fun element that Gina gets to play, 'I shouldn't feel this way. I love this guy, but I still love this other guy, and I don't want you or anyone else to have him.' People will get how she feels because, come on, we'd all be lying if we said we haven't felt like that in some point in our lives."

So will there be a romance between Flash and Baylin?

"We haven't established any true love triangle, but there's definitely room for opportunity. We shall see."

But Baylin has a bigger hurdle to jump before she can get to love, and that's friendship.

"When we first meet Baylin she's come to Earth on assignment to get Ming's daughter back to Mongo. She couldn't care less about Earth. She has no interest in being there. She's simply working. But when she gets stuck she begins to realize that this place is as good as any. Back on Mongo she doesn't have a family or a tribe. She's a loner, been alone all of her life, so going back to work for Ming is much less appealing than hanging out with Flash, Dale and Zakov and being part of a nice team. So she really latches on to that. She would never admit that she needs this friendship and love, but she does."

One of the things Karen likes best about her new role is the physicality of it. You can dress Baylin up but you still can't take her out. She's a hunter underneath that frilly frock and the length of her skirt isn't going to stop her from taking on the bad guys.

"There are a lot of elements to a good fight scene. It really is like a dance between two people. You can get the choreography down but if you don't sell it the fight looks terrible. A lot of selling it is in the grunts and groans, very unfeminine sound effects. It's hilarious, especially when you have to go into studio and loop your sound effects and you're standing there going 'oof, ah!' You feel like an idiot but it works."

Grunting and groaning for the camera is all part of the fun of making a Sci fi, action series like Flash Gordon. Karen and her cohorts also get to play-act jumping through time rifts, battling robot aliens and tromping through the real-life forests of Vancouver that stand-in for the planet Mongo.

When it comes time to reflect on her cast mates, Karen notes that the three leads are all very much themselves on screen. Jody Racicat (Zarkov) is "witty and smart and so unique," says Karen. Gina Holden (Dale) has great energy and plays the conflict within herself so well with her gorgeous big, wide-eyes. And then there's Flash himself, Eric Johnson.

"Everybody should know that Eric is a lot like Flash in so many ways. He is one of the most fun, genuine, humble, gracious people I've ever met. We're so lucky to have him as our leading man because he sets the tone on set and it's always fun. Flash has to be a really likable character and he plays it just to a T. We LOVE him."

Of course, if the other three leads of Flash Gordon are very much like their characters, what does that say for Karen and her socially inept, kick ass, take-no-prisoners, alter ego Baylin?

Karen laughs. "Yeah, I thought of that as soon as I said it. A lot of the characters I play are these tough girls who are unapologetic for their confidence and I guess, as an actor, we're really drawn to roles we can relate to in some way. I can relate to these girls in the way that they have this really tough outer shell, but inside they're probably some of the most sensitive people you've ever met. They have to create this persona in order to survive in the world especially when they've been hurt and betrayed. They have to protect themselves. Many characters grow and get stronger. I like to play the opposite; it's kind of interesting."

Interesting. Now, that's a great word for both Baylin and Karen Cliche. Catch them both when Flash Gordon premieres August 10th at 9:00 on the SCI FI Channel.

All Flash Gordon photos courtesy of SCI FI Channel

During an interview at Comic-Con, Supernatural's Eric Kripke said that he often fears he's become Satan's head writer. If this is so, than Old Nick has himself one heck of a staff.

There's the mysterious Ben Edlund with his black nails, wild hair and tendency to disagree -- with himself. The lovely Sera Gamble seems normal on the outside with her apple cheeks and cheery smile, but don't be fooled! By her own admission, Sera tortures handsome young men for fun and profit. And then there's the charming, charismatic Jensen Ackles who must have made a deal with devil for real! Who else could work until 2:30 in the morning, hop on a plane at 8:00 and still be smiling and witty at 4:00 that afternoon? It's the work of the devil, I tell you and these three minions sat down with reporters to talk about the coming storm.

Beware all ye who enter here. There be spoilers ahead.

"What's been going on in Sam's life alone is enough to change anyone, so it's been interesting to play with the difference between what's happened with the demon and what might be different about Sam given [the circumstances]."

His brother did make a deal with the devil after all and even though Sam's going to give it everything he's got, don't expect that plot line to be wrapped up quickly. "It's difficult to impossible to get out of that deal and they're being craftier than ever," says Sera, "and I can tell you, we're not going to let them off easily."

Not that life is ever all that easy for the Winchester boys.

"For us, the best episodes are the ones about the shades of grey. Where the decisions the boys have to make are morally troubling," says creator Eric Kripke. "In Gordon Walker we had the hunter who was taking it to that level of being a fascist, or as we sometimes like to call him, a human supremacist. And the demons in our show, because they're always possessing other people, always raise those questions of how much collateral damage you're willing to take in the battle to fight evil."

Ben Edlund relishes the opportunity to portray modern fears and troubles metaphorically through the ghosts and beasties that the boys hunt and like Kripke, he's ready to put aside the complicated mythology of the last two years in favor of something new and different.

Says Kripke, "We have these terrorist demonic cells, they're hidden among us, they could be anybody and they're waiting to reek as much havoc as possible."

To make matters worse, the boy's legal problems will be on the rise. "They will be chased to the edge of their lives. We can't avoid it," says Edlund. "There's a point where [Dean and Sam] can't credibly show their faces. We're probably dancing on that thin ice now, there are ghosts to hunt so we have a little leeway, but if we keep avoiding it the show will have to start shooting in Tierra del Fuego!"

But what about those pesky girls everyone's been talking about?

For Jensen Ackles, the girls are a welcome addition. "Sleep!" he cries out like a parched soul with a waterhole in sight. But he admits that even he wasn't quite sure how these new characters would work out.

"I was a little concerned at first. We're constantly moving and rolling. We're these vagabonds and it doesn't really lend itself to having recurring characters. But after reading the first couple of scripts, it's pretty cool. I'm really excited because it opens up the doors to a lot more things and it might even influence the relationship between the brothers. I know they've tried other characters in the past and they didn't work out quite the way they wanted. They're going to take a chance here and I think that they've got it [right]."

Kripke and company have always had to walk that fine line between the mythology episodes that satisfy the die-hard fan and stand-alone episodes that draw in the casual viewer. Both Kripke and Ackles likened the show to the early X-Files where one could watch episodes at random and not be lost.

Says Kripke, "If you want to understand [Supernatural] it's two guys with a chainsaw in the trunk fighting monsters. Got it? Okay, let's have fun." Once the show has you hooked, then it's time to get involved in the mythology, the characters, the relationships and it's that detailed layer that keeps viewers coming back for more.

Watch for the season premiere of Supernatural on October 4 at 9:00 on the CW

And You Can Quote Me:

Sera Gamble: "My job is to take two very handsome young men and torture them on a weekly basis. It's tough but someone has to do it."

Ben Edlund (on how working on the series has changed him): "I'm less agnostic than I was before and that's cool. There was a time when I was so agnostic I couldn't stand myself."

Jensen Ackles (on the Inkworks Pieceworks Trading Cards): "I guess they took a whole bunch of my t-shirts out of my closet and gave them away. I'm like 'where's my grey shirt?'"

Eric Kripke: "We have this troubling feeling that we're coming up with ideas for Satan I hope not. I hope we're working for the forces of good."

By Cynthia Boris

Fans often jokingly complain that the writers of Supernatural have stolen their ideas. Eric Kripke can top that. " Sometimes we worry that we're Satan's writer's room because we'll come up with something and it will happen in reality."

The joke hit a bit closer to home however, when Kripke's new baby boy was born on Sam Winchester's birthday! In the pilot episode of Supernatural, everything begins on the sixth month anniversary of Sam's birthday when the demon visits and kills Sam's mother.

"Yes, November 2 (his son's sixth month birthday) is going to be a very nervous day in our home. It's really troubling and weird and honestly a little scary."

It's Saturday, July 28th and nearly 2,000 fans are anxiously awaiting the start of the Supernatural panel at Comic Con. Many of the fans arrived as early as 8:00 am for the 2:45 panel to assure themselves a front row seat. Others stood in a line the length of several city blocks just to claim a spot at the back of the house.

Kripke and company have no idea what they're in for as they sit and chat with reporters in a small room just a few yards away. Actually, their very presence at the con wasn't at all assured when they shot the final episode of Season Two only a few months prior.

Even though Season Three has just begun filming, Kripke already wants to mobilize the fans in the hope of getting a fourth. He says that there have to be more people like himself who aren't interested in "watching doctors banging in hospitals and endless procedurals" but he suspects the issue may be more about where they are than when they are.

"We have a show that is as cool as Battlestar, we just a happen to be on the same network as America's Next Top Model. But tune in because we're there and we'll have interesting conversations about death and revenge and immortality and suicide."

And what will fans find when they tune in this season? First up, they'll find two new characters that Kripke refers to as "recurring regulars".

"Ruby is a hunter whose moral line is much further down the line than our boys. She's pretty ruthless, unhinged, very controlling and manipulative and as early as episode two there's going to be a big twist on Ruby and she isn't going to be who we thought she was, which will spin her story off in a different direction.

Bella is a supernatural mercenary. She's in it for the money. All these talismans and amulets the boys use to stop their monsters are very valuable and worth a lot of money. So she's in the buying and selling of these objects and like Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca she's only on one side, her own."

Kripke assures that both of these characters have been added to mix things up and provide a little more trouble for Sam and Dean. "There's a misconception that it's going to be the two girls in the back seat of the Impala and it's going to be the Scooby Gang and they' re going to drive from town to town and Mama Cass is going to be in one episode." Mama Cass?

That's more of Kripke's rock roots showing through. He sees himself as a sort of School of Rock missionary. Sadly, the gospel according to Zeppelin won't be preached since the group won't sell their songs for under a billion dollars. "That's a rough estimate," Kripke adds.

Other dream songs and bands on Kripke's list are Traveling Riverside Blues, Ramble On," and Aerosmith, which he also had to pass on because the songs were too expensive. Still, he has managed to procure an incredible collection of classic rock tunes that have become anthems for the show's fans and there's nothing Kripke likes better than a convert.

"One of the best pleasures I've had with this show is when I'm online checking out the blogs and there's this 14-year-old kid who says, 'What is this band, Foreigner and this song, Hot Blooded? I really liked it and I went out and bought the greatest hits of Foreigner' and I'm like, ah, I'm doing God's work! I'm introducing people to Foreigner, now if I can get people on board with Triumph! Spreading that sick obsession of mine has been very very gratifying."

Music is one of Kripke's greatest inspirations but creatively he also draws on Neil Gaiman. "I was hoping I would meet [him here at Comic Con] because he's a huge influence on Supernatural, between American Gods and Sandman." Kripke also notes the movie American Werewolf in London as an influence. Cross that with Joseph Campbell's The Hero's Journey and that's the tone of Supernatural.

And speaking of Werewolves, Kripke says that the episode "Heart" is commonly referred to by the writers as Supernatural's version of "Old Yeller". "I love her," says Kripke in a high-pitched voice. "You have to take her out back and shoot her, son," follows in a deep, authoritative voice. "Okay. Then the gun shot." End scene. "I was very pleased with that episode." (Listen to Kripke tell the story)

So it's onward and upward with all new adventures for Sam and Dean. Kripke calls it a "fun and chaotic time" in the writer's room as he and his crew plan for an all out battle between good and evil. "It's fun because we got to wipe the slate clean and move on to the next escalation which is this secret war. We have these terrorist demonic cells, they're hidden among us, they could be anybody and they're waiting to reek as much havoc as possible."

And for Sam -- well, except for the fact that his brother only has a year to live, life is good. "He's no longer psychic, the yellow-eyed demon is dead, he's not having visions or powers, he feels he's in a safe place." Yeah, right. Kripke smirks. "Tune in and find out, I just work here."

Kripke's final words were "shameless" pleas for the fans.

"We have the best fans in the world and we want to mobilize that army to tell their friends. We want to come back for Season Four but that's much more in the audience's hands than it is in ours. So tell your friends! Have parties!

And he even has a slogan you can use. "Come on in, the water's bloody."

Sounds like we have another exciting year in store for us at Supernatural!