diff --git a/src/backends.jl b/src/backends.jl
index ae0530b2..8d76e2c8 100644
--- a/src/backends.jl
+++ b/src/backends.jl
@@ -48,12 +48,13 @@ include("backends/web.jl")
 plot(pkg::AbstractBackend; kw...)                       = error("plot($pkg; kw...) is not implemented")
 plot!(pkg::AbstractBackend, plt::Plot; kw...)           = error("plot!($pkg, plt; kw...) is not implemented")
 _update_plot(pkg::AbstractBackend, plt::Plot, d::KW)  = error("_update_plot($pkg, plt, d) is not implemented")
-_update_plot_pos_size{P<:AbstractBackend}(plt::AbstractPlot{P}, d::KW) = nothing
 subplot(pkg::AbstractBackend; kw...)                    = error("subplot($pkg; kw...) is not implemented")
 subplot!(pkg::AbstractBackend, subplt::Subplot; kw...)  = error("subplot!($pkg, subplt; kw...) is not implemented")
 
 # don't do anything as a default
 _before_add_series(plt::Plot) = nothing
+_add_annotations{X,Y,V}(plt::Plot, anns::AVec{Tuple{X,Y,V}}) = nothing
+_update_plot_pos_size(plt::AbstractPlot, d::KW) = nothing
 
 # ---------------------------------------------------------
 
diff --git a/src/components.jl b/src/components.jl
index 623e3768..25efd2d3 100644
--- a/src/components.jl
+++ b/src/components.jl
@@ -639,7 +639,16 @@ for f in (:length, :size)
   @eval Base.$f(surf::Surface, args...) = $f(surf.surf, args...)
 end
 Base.copy(surf::Surface) = Surface(copy(surf.surf))
+Base.eltype(surf::Surface) = eltype(surf.surf)
 
+function expand_extrema!(a::Axis, surf::Surface)
+    v = surf.surf
+    if !isempty(v)
+        emin, emax = a[:extrema]
+        a[:extrema] = (min(minimum(v), emin), max(maximum(v), emax))
+    end
+    a[:extrema]
+end
 
 "For the case of representing a surface as a function of x/y... can possibly avoid allocations."
 immutable SurfaceFunction <: AbstractSurface
diff --git a/src/plot.jl b/src/plot.jl
index 74e5f020..5628d4c3 100644
--- a/src/plot.jl
+++ b/src/plot.jl
@@ -200,6 +200,7 @@ function _plot!(plt::Plot, d::KW, args...)
 
                 # if there was a grouping, filter the data here
                 _filter_input_data!(kw)
+                @show typeof((kw[:x], kw[:y], kw[:z]))
 
                 # map marker_z if it's a Function
                 if isa(get(kw, :marker_z, nothing), Function)
@@ -246,6 +247,10 @@ function _plot!(plt::Plot, d::KW, args...)
     # @show anns
 
 
+    for kw in kw_list
+        @show typeof((kw[:x], kw[:y], kw[:z]))
+    end
+
     # merge plot args... this is where we combine all the plot args from the user and
     # from the recipes... axis info, colors, etc
     # TODO: why do i need to check for the subplot key?
@@ -256,6 +261,9 @@ function _plot!(plt::Plot, d::KW, args...)
         handlePlotColors(plt.backend, plt.plotargs)
     end
 
+    for kw in kw_list
+        @show typeof((kw[:x], kw[:y], kw[:z]))
+    end
 
     # this is it folks!
     # TODO: we probably shouldn't use i for tracking series index, but rather explicitly track it in recipes
diff --git a/src/series_new.jl b/src/series_new.jl
index bf032cad..b5e2a5c5 100644
--- a/src/series_new.jl
+++ b/src/series_new.jl
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ immutable SliceIt end
 
 # the catch-all recipes
 @recipe function f(::Type{SliceIt}, x, y, z)
-    # @show "HERE", typeof((x,y,z))
+    @show "HERE", typeof((x,y,z))
     xs, _ = convertToAnyVector(x, d)
     ys, _ = convertToAnyVector(y, d)
     zs, _ = convertToAnyVector(z, d)
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ immutable SliceIt end
     end
     mf = length(fillranges)
 
-    @show zs
+    # @show zs
 
     mx = length(xs)
     my = length(ys)
@@ -115,9 +115,9 @@ immutable SliceIt end
         # add a new series
         di = copy(d)
         xi, yi, zi = xs[mod1(i,mx)], ys[mod1(i,my)], zs[mod1(i,mz)]
-        # @show i, typeof((xi, yi, zi))
+        @show i, typeof((xi, yi, zi))
         di[:x], di[:y], di[:z] = compute_xyz(xi, yi, zi)
-        # @show i, typeof((di[:x], di[:y], di[:z]))
+        @show i, typeof((di[:x], di[:y], di[:z]))
 
         # handle fillrange
         fr = fillranges[mod1(i,mf)]
@@ -331,7 +331,7 @@ end
 #     d[:x], d[:y] = x, y
 # end
 
-@recipe function f{X,Y}(x::AVec{X}, y::AVec{Y}, zf::Function)
+@recipe function f(x::AVec, y::AVec, zf::Function)
     # x = X <: Number ? sort(x) : x
     # y = Y <: Number ? sort(y) : y
     SliceIt, x, y, Surface(zf, x, y)  # TODO: replace with SurfaceFunction when supported
@@ -355,11 +355,11 @@ end
 #     end
 # end
 
-@recipe function f{X,Y,Z}(x::AVec{X}, y::AVec{Y}, z::AMat{Z})
+@recipe function f(x::AVec, y::AVec, z::AMat)
     if !like_surface(get(d, :seriestype, :none))
         d[:seriestype] = :contour
     end
-    SliceIt, x, y, Surface{Matrix{Z}}(z)
+    SliceIt, x, y, Surface(z)
 end
 
 #