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Wednesday 28 December 2016

Longmire 3.8 "Harvest" Review

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As Walt (Rob Taylor) drives away, we get flashes to his showdown with Chance from the previous episode and he ends up getting shot.  Vic (Katee Sackhoff) is at the hospital when he's treated and isn't over the shock of the events.  Yeah Vic any old excuse to see Walt shirtless!! Walt tells Vic that everything will be okay and she cries in his arms.  Walt is no sooner out of hospital that he attends a CS where Ferg *Adam Bartley) tells him about some remains he's found, which may be human. They find prisoners worked on the farm and he meets up with Bob Barnes (John Bishop) who he locked up, who was responsible for Cady's accident.  He tells Walt he's been sober and he helped build the barn for George (Cooper Huckabee).  As they find George's body in the barn, shot in the back.  Nick (Larry Clarke) tells him George only worked the farm he didn't own the land.  But he had plenty of debt so people would be chasing him up for it.  George also had a wife and daughter who aren't at the house when he and Ferg drive there.  As they drive up, they run into the house and George's wife, Dawn (Jennifer Parsons) tells her daughter, Cassie (Mandy Brown) to get the shotgun.  She believes that Nick is behind it and will be here to chase them off the land.

Vic can't control her anger and she accuses Sean (Michael Mosley) of opening a document on her laptop, it was at home.  He says it wasn't him and he wants her to leave with him and resign, which she isn't about to do.  However she then realizes at work that it was Branch (Bailey Chase) who was there and happened to open the document addressed to Walt.  He says she was missing and he was looking for leads, which she doesn't buy cos the letter's about Branch and his behaviour.  She didn't send it to Walt, cos yeah he's really big on computers isn't he!!  But he's angry cos she thinks he is mentally unbalanced.  After her own experience of being held hostage and facing near death, it's a wonder she doesn't understand any better how he feels and what he's going through.  No, she's got Walt's shoulder to cry on and even more she wishes.

Cady (Cassidy Freeman) meets Branch at the station telling him she's got an idea of hiring a PI in Denver to find out about Darius.  He's surprised and hurt that she didn't ask him for help straight out instead of money and they drive to Denver together.  Nick brings the insurance man, Ty Patterson (Michael Rothhar) with him and they can't do anything with the insurance on George since the autopsy report isn't in.  Nick suggesting that maybe Dawn had enough and was the one killed him. Walt finds out about the insurance policy and Vic tells him Sean wants her to resign.  She doesn't want to leave but Walt thinks she should do that and doesn't talk her out of it or offers her any support.  Not wanting to get involved in their personal lives.  Obviously he wouldn't come straight out to tell her to stay but Ruby (Louanne Stephens) informs him of an incident at the farm.

Cassie called and Nick is in a tractor chasing her mother.  Walt arrives to push Dawn out of the way. George owes him money on their equipment so he's come to collect.  Walt tells him this isn't the time and he repeats what he said back at the office about how he should be nice.  That's how his father was and it got him nowhere except broke in his grave.  He speaks with Cassie who all knew about the policy.  Also that they do have a .38, the same gun that was used on George.

At the bar in Denver, Cady questions the bartender about Darius and he shows them the wall of pictures.  Whilst there Branch's a photo is taken by a woman who says she hasn't seen a cowboy before.  She later sends him the photo she takes of Branch on his phone and he sees David Ridges behind him!  Small world, wonder if he put her up to that considering the photo later vanishes so he doesn't have any proof.  Which once again makes Cady all the more afraid of him.  She thinks he's still hallucinating, he did it before when he tried to strangle her.  She then calls Cady for a ride and she confirms in Vic's mind that Branch is seriously deluded and dangerous.

Walt suspects maybe George tried to kill himself and when he talks to Ty, he finds that George tried it once before.  He then later tried to talk him out of it again and he got the wrong idea.  Ty didn't mean he should kill himself but that he should try and make things better.  Ty found him after he took sleeping pills and of course since he can't get a pay out on a suicide he shot him with the gun.  So his family would be paid and could work the farm.  Walt declares his death unsolved since his story appears far fetched.  Vic gives Walt the letter from her laptop and it's about ranch.  As he sits in the bar and is watched by Ridges.

Another stand alone mystery with added elements from the story arc, as Vic finally gives Walt the letter about Branch, but she does that without any confirmation of his state of mind, she's not a doctor and just bases it on what she sees.  Which is good and fine to a point, but she doesn't even bother giving him the benefit of the doubt, but she expects Walt to be at her beck and call and be on her side unequivocally and without any questions asked.  She's not exactly in a one hundred per cent perfect state of mind after what she's been through.  Her marriage breakdown and constantly having Walt on her mind.  Seems Branch was all but deserted by everyone and doesn't have anyone to turn to.  The same with his father, who's more like a father in name only.  Branch may have his genes but he's nothing like Barlow.  Who's pretty much ashamed of him as he couldn't win the sheriff's position!  Not to mention Ridges and his vanishing act, it as as though he was taunting Branch and driving him closer ot going over the edge, as he later says he practically owns him.

Sunday 25 December 2016

Paranormal Lockdown 2.2 "Shrewsbury Prison" Review

Shrewsbury Prison, Shropshire, England is in relatively good nick (no pun) for a prison.  Known as Dana Prison.  Had many expectations for me this episode, but for some reason to me it didn't feel as emotional or as creepy as all the other episodes of Paranormal Lockdown that I've watched and loved.  Maybe it was the location cos this prison seemed quite tame compared to the ones that have been investigated in the US.  However that's not putting the episode down or Nick and Katrina's gruelling 72 hour lockdown at all.  It was somehow worse for Katrina this time round, as first she has a tumble down the stairs and hurts her ankles and her wrist, but must soldier on.  As Nick later said it's a lockdown and they're here for 72 hours so they have to get the job done.  She didn't think she had been pushed, or didn't recall.  However it also reaffirmed their camaraderie and how they watch each other's backs, like when Nick heard that noise and he came back to check on Katrina all the way from the tunnel.  Did those noises, at least some of them, sound like the trap door giving way when a hanging is carried out?  As I tweeted Katrina that must've been awful for her and I wish I did have the synchronicity with her, as I do with someone unmentionable, who I always used to warn away from stairs!! Yeah warnings were directed at the wrong person!

As if that wasn't bad enough she then misses the step in the cell.  Nick went in first, maybe he should've warned her of the step.  Whilst watching this episode, I thought back to the Hauntings of Australia episode 1.2 Old Geelong Gaol; where the build and structure was quite similar.  maybe they modelled their prisons in Australia on the British counterparts.  Where they captured some amazing evidence.  Which isn't to say Nick and Katrina didn't catch some compelling evidence in Shewsbury too.  Especially the rope!  When Nick entered the execution room and his camera showed the angle of the rope with the window behind it, I said to my sis that the rope was going to move and it's just something that entered my mind!  I have no idea why I said it.  Then again I also said that perhaps Nick might sleep in the execution room which he didn't do.  I did feel the same way Nick did watching this, when Rob said to him how he's been staring at that room and didn't want to go into it.

The other uncanny moment was when Nick saw the shadow figure across the doorway.  OMG hand on heart!  Seriously I know I saw something there too and in that general direction too and again blurted to my sis, "what was that?"  I swear I saw something there too before Nick says it, but when I looked back I couldn't see anything.  Maybe it wasn't caught on camera but my feeling was still so strong also.
It was somewhere around where the blue tick is?  Wonder if that's where Nick noticed it?

For some reason, this episode was more like me feeling I was actually there with them, I don't know why.  I get my synchronicity moments at lot of the time, yet this one felt so different, there's no way to describe it.  But it wasn't like what usually happens when I watch such shows and my eyes just always manage to focus on where something's going to happen.  Probably some sort of sixth sense I've developed over the years.  Those footsteps too, they sounded more like heels, than flat shoes. Maybe it was the 'lady in grey' Katrina saw, but they wouldn't wear heels.

This is not about me, anyway, the other incredible pieces of evidence they caught was the stick figure on the 3D mapping camera, which took hold of Katrina's hand and she felt it cold around her, though she couldn't feel it and the tug on her jacket.  Over the years investigators have spoken of how this has happened to them, but to actual have footage of it and to see it, brings a whole other reality and aspect to this happening.  It's amazing when you watch it!  Like watching invisible people.  Someone trying to get Katrina's attention and it definitely seemed she was the centre of this lockdown. Especially since she was the one who told Nick about George Riley, who was wrongfully hanged there and was the last prisoner ever hanged there and the story with the doves was fascinating too. Also to get confirmation from Steve, the former prison officer there of much of what they encountered.

21.43 what is that a trick of the light?? looks like a creepy face?? that flashes past quickly when Nick tells Katrina he's coming up. It seems to be behind the bars outside?  Maybe it's a reflection or some kind of  'faces in things' that you get.

The funny part not added for time constraints most likely, was Nick's encounter in the toilet when something came up on him and banged on the door!  Ahh Nick always the loo, same thing at Bobby Mackey's Music World. He was later told that the guards would bang on the door if the prisoner was spending too much time in there!  Er, it's a loo would think you'd spend as long as is needed in there! ha.
Would love to investigate with Nick and Katrina, to get my curiosity satisfied and questions answered but it would be so amazing irrespective of that!

Note:
As for George Riley there wasn't any evidence corroborating his confession.  As the murder was committed during the furtherance of another crime: theft, the Homicide Act 1957 was in force and as such a capital sentence was always going to be given. Many people thought and still think he is innocent.  As well as no money being stolen from the victim, she only had four shillings in her purse. Especially also since the victim was so badly battered that there killer would've been blood stained. As well as there being the outline of a person where the blood stains were spattered.  There was no blood found on his clothes or belongings, aside from his towel, where he cut himself shaving. Another example of British injustice.

Doctor Who Christmas Special 2016 "The Return of Doctor Mysterio" Review

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As the Doctor (Peter Capaldi) returns again to foil yet another invasion attempt at Christmas by yet more pesky aliens - really you'd think they'd have learnt their lesson by now.  This time hanging upside down from a building on the 60th floor and helped by a boy who's allowed to let him in cos his parents wouldn't believe an old man would be dangling around there.  Thus he's Santa, it's logical. The boy brings him milk and cookies and he enjoys them as he glances over to the Christmas tree. Even the Doctor gets the connection there. Then reads a Superman comic and if it hadn't really happened this way you'd forgiven for thinking it was all from the imagination of some man!!  Or a fantastic dream.  Anyway the Doctor works out that Clark Kent and Superman are one and the same, after drawing some glasses on Superman.  The boy telling him that everyone knows that.  Well everyone except Lois Lane and she's a reporter the Doctor replies.

As Grant (Logan Hoffman) takes him to the roof to let him out, he chances upon the Doctor's new invention, yes another one and as we know he likes to make and build things on top of towers and tall buildings.  it's just what he does.  He gives Grant a glass of water and also a gem to hold but instead of telling him to hold it, he says "take it" which he literally does and swallows it.  It won't hurt him but will have the opposite effect of making his wishes come true, as Grant begins to levitate.

Grant (Justin Chatwin) wakes up older and holding a baby.  As we jump to a press conference with Mr Brock (Adetomiwa Edun) [Elyan from Merlin] at Harmony Shoal as he gives credit to Shuster and Siegel and we all knwo who they are.  The creators of Superman for those who didn't (what planet have you been on ha?! Joel Schuster was the artist and Serry Siegel was the writer.)  It's attended by Lucy Fletcher - reporter (Charity Wakefield) and also Nardole (Matt Lucas) who asks for the little boy' room.  Not the bathroom but the actual little boy's room.  Lucy goes snooping and ends up hiding round the same corner as the Doctor - snacking on sushi.  He loves his snacks this time round - maybe his eating is a way of getting over River.  More on that later.  (How many thought he'd say Clara when asked who he's getting over??  Even if he's not meant to remember her.  Think somehow he still does.)

Inside the vault where there are stores of brains Dr Sim (Aleksander Jovanovic) tells Brock how he counted 24 but now there's 36 brains in the jars and he didn't see any deliveries arriving.  Brock peers at the jar and sees the brain has eyes and isn't really a brain but an alien waiting to exchange bodies with a human "vehicle" as they later call them.  Brock is operated on by surgeons emerging from behind the jars and becomes an alien too.  As the Doctor and Lucy head to the map room.  She tells him who she really is and he says he's Dan Dangerous from Scotland Yard and is a Doctor.  The map shows an invasion of all the major capitals of the world, what am I saying major, all the capital of the world and also New York and as Nardole points out, New York isn't a capital city.  No it's not but it's one that's always the focus of attention when it comes to invasions, attacks and the like.

Sim turns up holding a gun to them with lots of head splitting in the episode (splitting headaches and as many jokes as could be gotten within the hour about minds and keeping an open mind etc.)  The Doctor turns his back to him and tells him to shoot them in the back and then he can say he killed unarmed intruders in self defence.  Just then the window smashes as superhero: The Ghost makes an entrance.  Though you could've substitute Grant for the letter 'G' too.  As Sim comment on how the glass was to withstand four times a nuclear explosion.  (Clue for later or now if you were paying attention.)  So he rescues Lucy and takes her home in the classic Superman scene of where he flies with Lois.  He has an emergency to go to as he takes out his baby monitor, if you hadn't realized it was Grant and he's the nanny to Lucy Lombard - her married name.  Her husband left after the baby was born.

The Doctor and Nardole also arrive, who then plays with the baby elephant toy and Lucy arrives asking how the Doctor got here before here if they were here to check up on her.  With a flashback to Grant (Daniel Lorente) when he was at school and miserable.  As they sit on the balcony and the Doctor sips a drink casually from a bottle.  (See binge eating! ha)  Well kind of.)  The gem didn't 'pass' through him but bonded instead.  He's got X-ray vision and hates it cos he likes Lucy.  Older Grant leaves on on an emergency and Lucy quizzes the Doctor on who he really is using her squeeky toy, Mr Huffle. on whom she'll inflict pain if he lies.  Of course he doesn't tell her and she knows he's not with Scotland Yard.  He points to the TV where Grant is being interviewed after his rescue of two children from a fire.  She's aware the Doctor knows who the Ghost really is and he can introduce her cos she wants to interview him.  Being right under his nose and he says the same to her, that he could be really close by her too.  He turns up and they speak on the phone as he calls her.  She wants to have dinner with him, just business and an interview and he agrees.  He'll pick her up on the roof.  As she heads to the kitchen where Grant says he has a date too and so he can't babysit.  She didn't realize he's dating and he has to forego his plans for his date.

A little stereotypical in that he was ordinary looking and wore glasses so he couldn't score a date.  I should say geeky looking it's easier than putting my foot in it.  Sim and Brock watch footage to work out who the Doctor is and they think they're watching footage, but in actual fact he's really in the room with them.  Telling them about all the other aliens who've attempted to invade Earth and he's always put an end to it.  Yeah don't mess with the Doctor and especially not at Christmas.  He realizes that they plan to take all the brains of the world leaders and substitute them with aliens.  (Nothing new then, maybe an aside to the President elect!!  Yeah brain substitution needed desperately there!! ha.)  As the Doctor comments: "Brains with minds of their own, no one will believe that, this is America."  Okay leaving politics out of it here though it wasn't left out of the ep!  Anyway he leaves him with his burger as Brock opens his mind and removes a gun to shoot the Doctor with.  Hmm connotation for the only place to store a gun, for those people who  have guns on their minds in the US or something along the lines.)

He whistles for the TARDIS and he leaves there with Nardole.  Apparently he rescued Nardole from the metal monster he was a part of in the last Christmas episode (see below) and oh meant to say when the Doctor was reading Superman's comic I was looking at Superman's head inside the helmet next to him, like it was inside a jar, never mind, close enough to a brain in a jar.  They head to the ship that's orbiting outside of Earth and he thinks they should take a look inside cos the lights aren't on so there's no one there.  Where he heads to the flight room and finds that the ship is actually a a bomb.  Cue Sim on the screen and the Doctor finally clicking that the building of the Harmony Shoal can withstand the nuclear blast and how the leaders will clamour to come into the building after the explosion.  That's how they'll get their brains.  But hello there won't be many humans left, at least not that many after an explosion and then gets why New York was on the map.  Not a capital city but will be when they take them over.  He thinks he can disarm it as security finds them on the ship.

Lucy and Grant on their date, he brings a picnic basket to the roof since he hates restaurants.  She changes into her red dress finds she's jealous of Grant and his date and he says she's jealous of herself too.  Realizing what she feels for him.  As the Doctor said: "you're jealous to you" to Grant and he responded, "technically she's jealous of her."  Wouldn't you think she'd know who he really is and recall him from school.  Come on she must've checked out his references for the nanny job, at least you'd recognize someone from your past.  Anyway he decides to come clean with her and takes off his mask but she doesn't look at his face.  The Doctor gets the notion that when the ship is armed its shields will be lowered and thus he can direct it straight to the roof where Grant is.  Well Brock arrives and holds her at gunpoint cos they figured out they need the Ghost as he's unlike any other human they've seen and threaten her.  He escapes and comes back as Grant - the nanny.  And the Doctor resets the frequency on the bomb/ship so only Grant can hear it, telling him what to do: which involves balancing the bomb on his one hand.  As Lucy realizes who he is.  They can contain their feelings no longer and the Doctor tells him to take the bomb and destroy it into the sun, as he carries her off with him and the bomb still kissing.

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As the Doctor leaves, Nardole tells them about River, he lost her as she died in a library after they had 24 years together.  Same number of years Grant's known Lucy.

(See last Christmas episode
http://mila255.blogspot.co.uk/2015/12/doctor-who-christmas-special-2015.html )

Grant tells him he's not a Doctor Who but a Doctor Mysterio (the show is called this in Mexico which Peter loved and wanted to get that in, so Moffat wrote it for him) at the beginning which he likes and will take the name!  A little of a cop out in taking on the Superman story cos everyone knows Superman.  So a bit of a feel good one this time round.  Okay grant-ed (no pun) we needed it cos of the yukky year that was 2016, so we needed make believe and escapism and being saved; all rolled into one.  And the Doctor's excellent line of "Mrs Lombard there are some situations which are too stupid to be allowed to continue."  Any takers? Ha.

Hoever Steven Moffat said that he was referring more to Clark Kent here rather than his alter ego of Superman. Grant is the hero as opposed to The Ghost. Which if you really think about it doesn't say much, cos they're both one and the same.  Who else thought of Amelia Pond and how the Eleventh Doctor (Matt Smith) chanced upon her too as a child and then returned later (here 24 years later) when she was all growed up. (Yes my use of growed instead of grown - sounded better.)  Also thought they're in Manhattan, where are the Ponds?  Wishful thinking remained just that!)

Also as Nardole reminds the Doctor about the Time Lords agreeing not to interfere in other's business.  No surprise that the zip heads or the creatures with the opening heads were also in The Husbands of River Song and how they were overpowered by King Hydroflax.  As they made a return in another Christmas episode.  As Nardole mentions River and 24 years are also said, we know that the events here take place after their 24 year dinner at The Singing Towers.

Tuesday 20 December 2016

The Vampire Diaries 8.7 "The Next time I Hurt Somebody, It Could Be You" Review

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As Stefan (Paul Wesley) plans his final night with Caroline (Candice King) his final Christmas party with her, we get a flashback to Monteray 1917 where Stefan as the Ripper enters the tents of a small community and wrecs havoc. As the girl says, "that's not Santa - not it's his evil twin: Satan.  Or even Satan sent!) Obviously this was going to be the main moment in his life which was meant to be a pivotal turning point and set him along his future path.  Stefan also writing in Elena's diary for which he believes will be the last time for a very long time and as he said that my mind went off back to The Sound of Music and the line where Captain Von Trapp says this will be the last time they will hear the family sing together for a long time!  Funny that! Well it's the same here Caroline ad Stefan won't be together for a year at least or more.  No one in this show is together anymore, not even as friends.

Alaric (Matt Davis) arrives with the twins as he's leaving with them later on and tells Caroline of how he killed Damon (Ian Somerhalder) and she's surprised he did that.   Just when everyone thought things couldn't or wouldn't get any worse, in walks Damon along with that siren Sybil (Nathalie Kelley).  To mar everyone's merriment and of course he was uninvited.  Caroline tells Bonnie (Kat Graham) and Enzo )Michael Malarkey) not to turn up cos she's here and says they need the weapon   to use against her cos it can work wonders on her.  But they don't know where it is and she couldn't exactly keep it in the car.  No she wouldn't since she's travelling with Damon, who's about as helpful as a tuning fork right about now!

Caroline says she'll find out where it is after plying Sybil with booze and being overly nice to her, which the dummy appreciates and falls for the friendship angle.  For someone who doesn't trust anyone and has been around an awfully long time she just doesn't get people!  Damon says he's here to do something but before he spills he says he and Stefan should get out the old decorations.  Once they get upstairs he tells him about Alaric and he also kills Stefan by staking him with the wooden Christmas star decoration.  Was that meant to be some sort of poetic justice?  ha,  It's about time he met Cade (Wole Parks) he tells him.  Caroline gives more drink to Sybil as she tells her to move over cos she can carve the turkey even better than her after that same experience gouging and tearing apart human flesh.  Actually I take that back, the poetic justice part is to follow and it concerns Sybil.

She finally gets her to reveal where she's staying as she's into swimming pools and water.  There's ponds around but not real ponds and Caroline relays this to Bonnie.  Whilst she has to find another gift.  Bonnie is just relieved that Elena isn't around to see this and Caroline gets an idea as she needs another gift box.  She hands out presents to everyone and strangely she didn't call Matt (Zach Roerig) and tell him not to turn up, as he arrives with his father, Peter (Joel Gretsch).  Another pivotal turning point in Matt's life too by the end of the episode.  She even gives a present to Sybil as she says her mother always taught her to be prepared.  Maybe the turkey and food was enough for her as she was the only one stuffing her face again (last supper??) as Damon knifes the bread.  She even gives Damon a gift which is apparent has something to do with Elena.  Most everything does in the show even when she's not around.

Damon reveals the reason for him being here; he's going to kill one of them by the end of the night. The one who's got the darkest secret and he says it won't be Matty cos he's been through so much. Matt saying he's not a killer and Damon brings up Penny, Matt saying he didn't kill her.  Damon then turns to Peter and asks him what the most bad thing is he's ever done and he scoffs when he mentions he didn't pay his taxes.  Finally holding a knife to his throat and threatening him to open up.  He says he couldn't say in this town any longer and "be a toilet scrubber." Cos there was going to be another child on the way.  That being Matt.  (No it was life on the high seas for him as he joined NCIS - sorry! couldn't resist that!)

By now everyone's getting really fed up of the frivolity and Alaric reads to the twins who constantly ask about Seline (Kristen Gutoskie).  Who just happens to be in the family house where Bonnie and Enzo arrive, as she gets the owner to invite him in.  She's looking for redemption and writing the list of her Vics, the last one being Georgie.  (So if Georgie was always marked for hell where exactly is she?)  She will give them the tuning fork but she needs to speak with Alaric first telling him she has to see the twins cos they're psychically linked to her and she has to make it up so they forget her.  He refuses to see her but she gives them the tuning fork.  As she recalls her time in Monteray.

As does Stefan since this is where Cade takes him back to and I'm afraid people must really have been out of it not to notice that this was the show's version of A Christmas Carol, with Cade being the ghost of Christmas past, present and future (aka the evil in their lives.)  He reminds Stefan of what he did here but Stefan doesn't recall any of it and even how he killed everyone cos he wouldn't do that and especially not at Christmas.  But he did it as the Ripper and we get to see small world, Selina was also there with Cade.  She sees the anguished man when she reads his mind but doesn't see any evil in him, removing his memories, which he eventually forget by himself Cade says.  There's one more place for them to go and that's the school.  The first time he met Elena and he tells Stefan he should've left her alone after what she'd been through.  She was vulnerable and he went right for her. Also she was innocent.  He wants Stefan to bring people back who are on the verge of reaching the pearly gates and he wants the good ones to be made bad.  Stefan strikes a bargain with him that he will switch off his humanity and he will do this for a year.  Cade accepts cos he thinks after a year the Ripper won't want to stop the massacres and killings, like before.   Cade's best line: "if death is your canvas, then this is your masterpiece."  As well as Cade deciding his soul would be his from then on.

As Damon leaves with Sybil  after Enzo and Bonnie use the fork on her, she thinks he's growing closer to her, yeah dream on siren!  As she finds a gift in his pocket, duh Caroline gave it to him when she was there so why would it be for her.  She opens it and he sees it's Elena's necklace.  The one she lost and he gave back to her on her birthday.  As he puts it around her neck, Damon appears to have a turn around and doesn't switch off his humanity though (or does he) as he rips out her heart!  Way to go Sybil!  Yay Damon!  Sorry but she was always irritating.  Now maybe if he hand't left her heart next to her, that'd be more fitting.  But he does take the necklace.  So even after all that does it mean he still wants Elena even after switching off his humanity which is a puzzling thing in many ways. Though I did say last episode he didn't appear to be under Sybil's influence nay longer.  Oh and the thing she wanted from Peter, didn't Damon find that already in the garage, as Peter plays dumb and says he doesn't know what that is.

Oh and the fork had an effect on Bonnie too, thinking it's cos they're all physically connected as her Grams told her that.  She believed she was psychic before finding out she was a witch and had magic. Which is why Seline wanted to remove her connection from the twins.  Bonnie adding he's taking her to Paris and she only bought him T-shirts, so she wouldn't keep taking his.  So Enzo during his immortal life has collected the sum total of T-shirts to his name and nothing more!  Well fine time to leave Caroline in the lurch as she'll be all alone without Stefan.  Matt will be around though, as he drops off his father and has no words for him.  Matt always gets the short end of the stick in this and is the one who gets hurts the most, especially by the ones he trusts.

Stefan wakes and he takes Caroline to the mistletoe where he kisses her.  He needed to get one thing right that he planned.  Hey look a plan works out in Mystic Falls.  He tells her what he agreed to with Cade, but not the part about being the Ripper again.  Stefan walks the road and Damon drives up telling him to hop in and there's no Sybil as "three's a crowd."  Hmm well you didn't say that when you wanted Elena and she was with Stefan did ya!  ha.  Damon tells him he needs to turn off his humanity as it'll make it easier and they need some proper Christmas music.  "The Salvatore brothers on a road trip."  Yeah calling it: Winchester road trip here and didn't that scene so remind you of Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) in Supernatural!  We so need a cross-over episode before Ian and Paul go on  to do other things!!  Off goes the humanity switch and there it is: evil Stefan with that glint in his eyes and death in his heart!!  Hurry up next year!! 2017 and a hundred years since Stefan was in Monteray!!  Yay, well it rhymed.

One thing though let's be clear Stefan had absolutely no influence on Elena's life or the direction she was headed.  It was already decided for her and having Katherine as a doppelganger didn't make things any easier.  Yet she was also a grown woman capable of making her own decisions and choices. She always had a choice and besides who can change kismet and what is already written. Truth be told I loved that scene when Damon drove up, could watch it over and over!!  Of course when Damon gave her the necklace back in season 3 it was her pivotal moment (yes love using that word now) when she realized she loved Damon.  So how can Stefan be solely to blame for Elena.

Once again the title of this episode is a quote from Stefan to Elena from 1.20 Blood Brothers -  highly appropriate again, as here that's what both Damon and Stefan both turn into at the stroke of midnight.  No glass slippers or pumpkin carriages, but cold hard killing once more.
Stefan: "It hurts me knowing what I've done...and that pain is with me all the time...and everyday I think that if I just give myself over to the blood...I can make that pain stop...It would be that easy. And everyday I fight that... and I am so terrified that one day I am not going to want to fight that anymore...and the next time I hurt somebody it could be you..."
Here you get the complete reversal cos he saved the twins, he now has to feel that pain but not for switching off his humanity and he gave himself over selflessly and now comes the blood.

But I also like the line Damon said to Stefan in this season 1 ep as it contradicts and turns around everything Cade said to Stefan about Elena: You brood too much.  Everything on this planet's not your fault.  My actions, what I do, it's not your fault, I own them.  They belong to me, you're not allowed to feel my guilt."  There Cade for everything you say, it's not true.  As I said Elena made her own choices and Stefan wasn't to blame for them so he shouldn't have guilted Stefan into believing they were just cos he wanted the Ripper back for himself.

Longmire 3.7 "Population 25" Review

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Walt (Rob Taylor) stumbles onto Branch (Bailey Chase) and tells him how "this is his wake up call."  As only Walt can say!  Vic (Katee Sackhoff) and Sean (Michael Mosley) go a short trip as he's hired a sports car, yeah way not to impress her but she's clearly impressed.  Vic should've driven away in the car and left him!  Ha.  Branch and Walt have a heated argument, with Walt telling him he needs to be working on recent open cases and not keep going on with the Ridges' obsession.  Since that's what it looks like to everyone except Branch of course.  Which must be tough and building up on him how people who are meant to know him treat him like he's just pursing a lost cause vendetta.  Well it's okay for Walt which is what he must've thought, cos he can investigate his wife's murder and reopen the Miller Beck case and no one's going to say a thing.

Vic and Sean have an accident with Sean swerving to avoid hitting a bear and the car ends up ditched. There's no signal on her phone so she goes for help at a house they passed.  Leaving her gun with Sean for the bear.  Walt tries to ascertain what Deena told Henry (Lou Diamond Phillips) but Sean calls him and tells him of the accident.  He actually wants to report seeing Gorski (Lee Tergesen) in a car that didn't stop for him but carried on following Vic's direction.  Walt arrives but then finds Sean missing too.  Ferg (Adam Bartlett) is radioed to check the number plate on the car.  When he's interrupted by a man telling him to put his gun down.  It's Gorski who tells him that Sean was abducted by men in a car with no plates.

Vic foolishly enters the house she passed on the road and a woman cooks breakfast for her son and husband, Chance (Peter Stormare).  Which was a big mistake for her cos he knows who she is and thinks that she's here undercover for Walt.  He even calls her Vic as she spots photos of her and Walt on the wall.  As she attempts to leave the two men arrive from the car bringing Sean with them. Gorski convinces Walt he doesn't know where Vic is and they should join forces to find her.  Branch asks Ferg about Gorski and Vic and then tries to look for online.  Vic is handcuffed and Chance believes she is here on behalf of Walt.  Gorski tells Walt his feelings for Vic and that she shouldn't be with Sean.  She did settle for a loser, or was he just a safe choice for her.

Sean is brought in and is asked who he called on the phone and if he called Walt.  He claims to have forgotten the password to the phone, well it was Vic's phone wasn't it but he didn't say that and neither did she.  He will finally give it him and he'll find he did make a call and to Walt of all people. So much for a low battery that lasted for a long time and got a good signal too in Hickbackville!  He puts a helmet over Sean's head and his son hits him with the baseball bat.  Vic asking if he plays baseball.  Branch finds Vic's letter to Walt on the computer and is unhappy she called him 'unstable.' Ferg tells Branch the deputy is investigating the abandoned cars and Walt and Gorski hide out as he goes to the house.  Gorski stops Walt from helping the deputy or else they'll be discovered.  Vic and Sean are now in the basement as the DB is thrown down in the bag and Vic thinks it's Walt, as she scrambles to open the bag.  She wasn't doing any flavours by thinking and acting like that in front of Sean but she's past caring at this point.

Walt gets to another part of the house and finds the DB of a Federal agent in the freezer.  Branch arrives and looks for Walt but doesn't find him.  Walt manages to get hold of one of the men and questions him about Vic.  Chance sets up a courtroom in his house and he will be the sole judge.  He's big on justice - his own kind.  Sean gives the password to him and Sean is given the helmet treatment again and is taken away.  Chance tells Vic of his treatment in the court and how he wasn't afforded his rights to due process.  Walt came to see him before asking about his wife's death.  Chance is told Walt's here and he wants to make a settlement out of court.  He tells Chance to let Vic go and he'll let his people go.  They'll be the only two who remain behind.  Chance sends everyone away and Vic is driven away by Gorski with Sean.  Obviously she doesn't want to leave Walt. Walt talks about his wife and as they hold guns on each other, he tells him he didn't kill his wife. Gunshots are heard.  As the car stops, Vic can't wait to run back and see Walt's fate.  Thus showing she's not interested in either Sean or Gorski and Walt is the only man for her.

This episode seemed like a filler of sorts as the men in Vic's life, all three of them have a showdown of sorts and Vic is only concerned about Walt.  As the other two will now bow out of her life.  Of course we know Walt won't be hurt, at least not seriously.  Also more fuel added to the bad vibes between Vic and Branch as she finds her letter and knows she's going to tell Walt anyway, but he did tell her he doesn't care if she does in the previous episode.  He has nothing to lose at this point, except his sanity which he's already accused of losing anyway.  Maybe he should've got a little gun action in the shoot out to relieve a little of his pent up anger.  Which he will do soon anyway.

Longmire 3.6 "Reports of My Death" Review

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Walt (Rob Taylor) and Henry (Lou Diamond Phillips) have words about Malachi (Graham Greene) and he seems to really have had an adverse effect on Henry, Walt then finds a DB is found on the park bench of a homeless man who appears to be that of Welles VanBarclom.  A man who disappeared years ago after leaving home.  He tells Ferg  (Adam Bartley) the man is worth millions and he checked his ID.  His family, sister, Penny (Kathleen York) and brother, Graham (Jamison Jones) hired  a PI Fred Tavish (Matt Roth) to find him, giving him a composite sketch of what he may have looked like now.  Also convenient that the sketch matches exactly the homeless man as he was now, at least there would've been a few changes.  What are the chances they'd get an exact composite. They get a call from the media about his death and they don't know who leaked it.  Surprise, surprise, spoiled, bratty son, Carter (Stafford Douglas) via Twitter.   (Some sort of joke here considering the fact their mother had all those birds around, which startles Vic (Katee Sackhoff) and she has to question why so many? Ha!)

Vic finds out that Walt knew them from when he was 12 and his father worked here, she wonders if Walt was a chatty 12 year old.  At the station they find the press pack waiting for them.  When Darius comes to collect the rest of the animal hides etc from the Red Pony, Henry has his foot in the freezer as he freezes his ankle and pops off the monitor.  He follows Darius with his camera and takes photos of him meeting with Malachi, as they remove cameras.  Cady (Cassidy Freeman) turns up but doesn't see him at the Red Pony telling him there's no soiree here, as she breaks in through a window.  She later calls Cameron (Nick Gehlfuss) to find out, hypothetically what happens if her client does a runner.  He tells her she can't tell anyone or she'll lose the bail money, but also since it's privileged no one else needs to know.  Adding he thinks she might want him as a lawyer on the case.  Cady says she can't afford him.  

Malachi walks in with Nighthorse (A Martinez) and throws the cameras onto Walt's desk, Walt says he didn't plant those since he'd get a warrant.  Malachi shows him a receipt which states Branch (Bailey Chase) bought them.  Well you didn't go far enough Branch and why such big cameras too? Walt is angry and wants Branch on the phone, who's out in the desert with Vic following up a lead on Ridges.  But a man arrives saying he's the real Welles (Parker Stevenson).  He planted his ID on the man so that his family would call off the search and finally leave him alone.  Walt needs proof of who he is cos he found two sets of ID on the man showing he was Welles.  He won't arrest him but says he can hang out at his place and threatens him with exposure to the press unless he talks to him.  Walt wants him to come to his family's house but when he gets there he's abrupt and won't answer questions, like his sister's nick name.  Carter takes a photo of him and tries to tweet it again but Walt takes his phone.  

It appears the homeless man died of a drug overdose and it resembles heroin but was some form of opiate.  Walt recognizes his socks as belonging to those of the high school football team, cos Walt used to wear the same socks.  The man tells him he gave them to the homeless man and Walt tries the shelter where he speaks with a Sergeant (Dustin Seavey) who knew him, going back to Cleveland. He says he didn't take drugs not even the ones doctors gave him, so he was a little not right.  Also shown by him not having any track marks on his arms.  He tells Walt he's the second man who asked about him, the first was a PI.  Walt chats with Tavish who tells him he gave up on the search as he wasn't well paid and shows him the sketch of the real Wells.  So if Walt knew him back then, wouldn't he have had a slight inkling that he resembled the same Wells he used to know.  

As Henry follows Darius he sees Deena (Madchen Amick) come out of the bar.  He follows her and asks her about the stolen money.  She says Darius made her do it and she didn't have any other choice.  Of course she had choices he tells her.  Cady calls and he picks up saying he'll come in and she tells him he shouldn't have done that.  Henry says he's coming back now.  Walt wants Ruby (Louanne Stephens) to check Tavish's account and his phone records.  Where she finds he had money paid into his account recently, but not from the family.  He heads back home and Welles calls him "Wally" what his father used to call him when he worked there.  He wanted his own life and left the only way he could.  He envies Walt's life out here.  He paid Tavish to ensure he didn't report back to his family after finding him.  So he already knew that Welles looked like the sketch he gave to Walt.  

Vic hates having to accompany Branch into the desert wilderness but she wants to keep an eye on him and brings up he and Travis kidnapping Sam.  Branch justifying himself by saying he didn't do anything wrong and Sam already had the peyote.  He doesn't care if she tells Walt since they have this perfect relationship going on, but he needs to find who tried to kill him and make sure he doesn't do it again. As Walt drives up the family home, he notices the camera and called the Tavish to meet him there saying the text was from her.  He used the brat's phone to send it.  Walt tells her that her sketching has improved and also that the angle of the sketch wasn't right.  She drew the homeless man from the camera angle.  Whereby she admits she did all that cos their mother loved Welles more and she's not sorry.
Walt returns to the Red Pony when Henry does and he shows them a photo of Darius, the man works from Denver and Malachi has many more workers there.  Cady storms in and says they're not keeping secrets from her.  She asks if that's the man who killed her mother.

A bit convenient for Welles to have turned up dead after all these years right here and under his family's noses!  Just so there could be a DB and she could have his inheritance too.  Her motive being selfish of course, she looked after her mother when she was ill and her birds, saying it wasn't about the money, but the fact Welles left her to do it all.  She didn't have to and if she stayed behind she must've still had a reason and that had to be money.  Cos it sure wasn't wanting their mother's love which she knew she'd not get.

Welles said he didn't want the inheritance or the money and just walked back off into the sunset, he should've taken it and carried out some philanthropic endeavours with it.  I mean think of the charities he could've helped, he didn't have to leave it to his family to take it all.  Especially since he met the homeless man and saw how he was living and barely surviving.  So didn't like that part of the storyline, he wanted to live his own life, understandable, but why not help others live some kind of a decent life of their own as well.  Turns out Walt knew him too when he was little and his father worked for them.  He wanted a father like Walt's (showing how Walt turned out the way he did cos of him.)

Henry and Deena's relationship must've been volatile they way they he grabbed hold of her and forced the information out of her.  Hmm, must've been a way stormy kinda intimacy!  Ha.  Seems like she just wanted the money anyway either way, so did Darius really take the money or did she keep it. Branch still on his quest for revenge and getting Ridges but Vic showed no ounce of sympathy whatsoever towards him, which she demands from Walt, like when he won't be sympathetic or sorry when she late r tells him about Sean.  You'd think he wasn't really a colleague of hers but some stranger who she doesn't know.  Which is exactly how she acted.

Saturday 17 December 2016

Longmire 3.5 "Wanted Man" Review

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Walt (Rob Taylor) has a flashback to his wife telling him to be careful and also takes his gun to make an arrest.  He heads down to the Rez station to arrest Malachi (Graham Greene) for police corruption. Malachi says he needs a Federal warrant but Walt's going to bluff it.  He says he didn't come here without Fed back up and Malachi tells him to put his gun down, as Walt readies the trigger.  At Malachi's parole hearing he testifies that Malachi shouldn't be released since he offered him a bribe to not be here otherwise he would beat up on Henry (Lou Diamond Phillips) in prison.  He's anxious for the Parole Board's decision.  Obviously he didn't count on Malachi having a long reach and getting some Parole Board member under his corrupt belt, somehow, either with use of money or threats.

Walt wants to find the man who killed Miller Beck and narrows it down to suspects who weren't in jail at the time, but Malachi was.  He tells Ruby (Louanne Stephens) he's taking his vacation days since he's got all of them and he tells Vic (Katee Sackhoff) he doesn't want the taxpayers paying for a Denver case, so he's going to work it on his own personal time.  He pays a call on all three, including Stanley (Kenneth Wayne Bradley) in prison.  Walt tells him about Rebecca and how he left body parts all over different towns after his killing sprees.  he blames Walt for taking Rebecca away and he could've been happy with her.

Walt then visits Lucian (Peter Weller) to ask for his help, he's not interested until he tells him he could get shot.  He orders pizza and  Jamie (Bob Clendenin) tells him were to find Creely Dorn (Rodney Eastman) who was imprisoned for making crystal meth.  He escapes as his workers give him the sign and Lucian finds a hidden camera. Crely admits he was the best cook in prison but now he's graduated onto a more lucrative drug, a mix of heroin, sleeping pills with added strawberry flavour which the college kids love.  He's arrested and Lucian tells Walt he didn't tell him Martha was murdered.  She was irreplaceable and he offers his condolences, recalling he made a pass at her once.  Walt replies she told him twice and Lucian says he was drunk.

Mathias  (Zahn McClarnon) shows up at the station and Vic doesn't go and investigate the stolen chicken case which she thinks is too trivial.  Does that make any difference it's her job and what she's getting paid for picking and choosing cases, when Walt specifically asked her to do so.  She tells him she's in charge and he says Sam (Hank Cheyne) made a complaint about being kidnapped by Tom and Jerry and she gives him their mugshot book for him to look at.  He's missed four days of work so maybe making this up, but he was high.  After Branch (Bailey Chase) plied him with peyote tea so he'd hallucinate and not remember they kidnapped him.  That was a waste of time anyway since Sam didn't tell them anything at all.  They left him in the desert and Branch tells him he's lucky cos he won't get caught.  Travis (Derek Phillips) will be unlucky if he does.  Which he does cos Sam identifies him as the kidnapper.  She arrests him and Branch offers him an alibi as they were at the Red Pony and Travis drove him home.  Obviously she'd check up on that with Henry who tells them they left by seven.  Also the bar tabs showed they had two drinks. So he couldn't have been drunk. So why didn't Branch just order more drinks.

Travis panics and admits that he went along with it since he's known Branch since they were little and he didn't want him hurting anyone.  That he's a psycho and she needs to stop him.  Vic asks Walt about whether she did the right thing when she turned in the corrupt policeman.  Knowing that Branch may be heading the same way if he hasn't already.  But she doesn't let on about Branch yet. Walt recalls what she said about home and thinks the chicken thief is Hector (Jeffrey De Serrano) since $20 was left for it, that's its worth.  Also recalling a woman came in to see Cady (Cassidy Freeman) and Henry telling them to stop looking for him.  Hector's the only way they can get justice on the Rez, reminding Henry of the girl who was raped and she paid Malachi for help but he didn't do anything.  It was Hector who beat them up and brought the men before her.  Which means the hiker didn't see Hector but Branch thinks it was David Ridges, tall and thin with long hair.

They head to the desert and Vic finds blood leading to Hector in a cave.  He was shot by Ridges as Branch shows him the photo but he doesn't know why the 'snake' came after him.  He wants to die on the land of his people and not in a cave as they carry him out.  Walt could've got a dying declaration out of him for Henry and it would've stood up in court.  Well, any sort of a declaration.  Malachi is released and poor Walt didn't get the memo, as he turns up at the Red Pony and takes Henry's furs and other trophies which he leaves a wad of cash for.

Of course this was all leading to Ridges still being alive showing Branch wasn't hallucinating after all.  They didn't really give Branch any credit for what he saw and told them, so is it any wonder he went the psycho route, first he gets shot (oh dear a sign of yet more worse things to come for him) and then he's doubted by the very people who are meant to know him and have his back.