Mr Selfridge Series 2 Episode 10 Review

The Selfridge name has been cleared and all's well with the world in the series finale, as we knew it would be.  But not before there's bad news for Harry (Jeremy Piven) from his wife Rose (Frances O'Connor).  But first things first.  Rose plans for a family Thanksgiving dinner with all the family together and one they will never forget but she hasn't told anyone the news of her diagnosis yet.  Though she pays another visit to the doctor to get confirmation that they were correct the first time round.  There's something wrong with her lungs and there's nothing they can do.

Agnes (Aisling Loftus) and Victor (Trystan Gravelle) break the news and hand in their resignation to Harry who will be sad to see them go but wishes them the best.  Infact he even goes out of his way to flout the rules of Britain and allow Agnes to continue working here even after she is married cos she's so good at what she does.  But Agnes will be starting her own family business with Victor and Harry knows what that's like and won't stand in her way.  Although he will miss her.  She's grateful for Harry giving her a start in life and allowing her to fulfill her dreams.

Ms Mardle (Amanda Abbington) insists Florian (Oliver Farnworth) stay away from her and there can be nothing between them and she gets him an audition with the Halle orchestra in Manchester, which he sees is an attempt to drive him away and out of her life.  She's unhappy at work and Grace (Amy Morgan) notices this when Ms Mardle is short with her, giving her some of her mother's advice; about doing something instead of being indecisive even if it's the wrong thing to do.  Grove (Tom Goodman-Hill) also notices how sad she is when Florian brings the orchestra letter to her and tells her he doesn't want it or her interfering in his life.  Grove speaks to Ms Mardle in his office and tells her he's sorry for what he said to her.  She adds that he called her "an old fool" which wasn't  a nice thing to say to a woman.  She's concerned she's older than Florian and he may want children one day.  Grove wants her forgiveness but he knows Florian loves her and she should find her happiness with the man she deserves.  She finally tells Florian that she wants him to stay and that she loves him.  Lots of kissing there then! Ha.

Henri (Gregory Fitoussi) gets a letter from the American embassy clearing his name so he's a free man.  He's joining the French army and going off to fight and will be missed by Harry.  Henri apologizes to Victor over what he said regarding Agnes.  He was worried about her as a friend and colleague.  Agnes and Victor make wedding plans at the restaurant and George (Calum Callaghan) seems out of sorts with things.  He just says it's nothing to do with her and Victor but Victor knows something's not right.

George comes to Selfridge's and is mobbed by the staff, with Kitty (Amy Beth Hayes) and Jessie (Sai Bennett) wanting to know what it was like for him.  He is greeted like a hero by Crabb (Ron Cook) and Grove.  Gordon (Greg Austin) takes him to see his father cos he can see George is uneasy with the attention. George tells Harry how it's hell over there and the newspapers don't write that.  What kept him going are the comforts of home.  The parcels from Agnes, the letters and that jar of jam she sent him.  He smelled it and it took him back to his mother's kitchen and being safe.  Harry decides Agnes's theme will be "the comforts of home" and she sets to work on the store window.  "It will be your swan song," he tells her.  Knowing full well she doesn't really want to leave.

Agnes takes a walk with Henri in the park late night, how they used to walk last series.  They can walk for hours as Henri puts it without saying anything and Agnes replies it's cos they know each other so well.  She will miss him when he goes but he will miss her too.  So they part company, after lingering looks.  He walks back and she continues walking forward.  'Ere it was a scene out of an old movie!  Victor talks with George wanting to know if he thinks Agnes will be happy with him, but George isn't the one marrying him.  George adding if she says so then she will be happy.  She's just ordinary Agnes to him, but to Victor she's special. They're just ordinary but she isn't.

Henri admires Agnes's window and how it's simple and honest just like her.  Victor asks if he loves Agnes and he admits that he does but he's leaving today.  Victor wishes him luck.  Later he breaks off the engagement to Agnes cos he can't drag her away from here and from her doing whats he loves.  Yes, but Harry would have let her keep her job as he said.  Victor knows Agnes would come to resent him over the years and wishes her well.  Saying she should go to Henri.  Which she does.  They kiss and she wants him to return to her.

Lady Mae (Katherine Kelly) finds a way to clear Harry's name by looking for Harry's list in Loxley's (Aidan McArdle) study.  She knows he'll have hoarded it somewhere and Harry tells her and Frank (Samuel West) that he only made one copy of it cos she vouched for him; for which she is sincerely apologetic once more. She ensures Pimble tells her when he's out and she searches his study.  Little knowing that Loxley is creeping about as he opens a secret door into his study, seems she didn't know that.  He confronts her saying she's a "little scrubber" and is looking for money, throwing it on the floor for her to pick up, or in his words, "get down on your knees."  If she was that desperate, she'd have told Pimble to pick it up, ha!  Lady Mae finally tells him what she really thinks of him: a coward, profiting from the misery of others.  She leaves the money on the floor and walks out.  Giving the list to Harry and allowing him to clear his name with the Procurement Committee.

Harry has his own confrontation with the House of Lords as he walks in as bold as brass and tells them everything that Loxley did and how he used the very boot manufacturer he warned him to steer clear of. Edgerton (Raymond Coulthard) finally admits he did use that manufacturer and Loxley is left to answer for his profits.  Harry adding Lady Mae will even testify against him.  That was the final nail in Loxley's coffin. Frank brings in newspapers to the store with the headlines reading that Loxley has been arrested.  Lady Mae is also over the moon as she tells everyone that, "the world is my oyster once again."  She she's rid of him. Harry asks Rose what she wanted to tell him, but she wants Harry to enjoy his moment.  Watch out for the moment where Harry tells the Committee that he's a Yank and a store keeper.  And a proud one at that since that's what they called him, a shop keeper.  Harry is later offered a position on the Committee which he deftly refuses, adding once more that he's a store keeper.  Frank and Kitty are back on again as he tells her they can start again fresh now.
Harry: "Yes I'm a Yank and I'm a shopkeeper, but also I'm a man of honour."

Rose breaks the news of her illness to Harry, that she's dying.  He wants to get the best doctors involved, but Rose wants to spend Thanksgiving with the family and then they'll break the news tomorrow.  Rose actually died of the Spanish Flu in real life which she was susceptible to and after they opened their home up to soldiers during the war.  So it appears when we come back to series 3, since the action will have moved on some years to 1919, Harry will have dealt with, or be dealing with his beloved Rose's passing.
At dinner, they all say what they're thankful for, their family, friends and Harry most of all is thankful for his beautiful wife Rose.  She is also grateful and thankful for being with Harry and having all the time with him, as we fade out on Rose.

That was the end of series 2 but series 3 will be back next year, even if it is minus a few of the cast.  A bit of a sad episode on many fronts, some found happiness, some renewed feelings and others had bad news.  Just some tying up of loose ends and ending stories started in the first episode of series 2.  Lady Mae being overjoyed that Loxley is out of her life and Ms Mardle gets the man of her life, someone who really cares about her.  Grove is saddened to finally let Ms Mardle go as he sighs after she leaves his office since he finally gets some closure of his own after telling her to follow her heart and as she tells Florian, she was listening to people instead of doing what she wanted.

A bit of comedy included too as Miss Plunkett (Sadie Shimmin) and Miss Blenkinsop (Deborah Cornelius) fight over Harry's diary and how they can get one up on each other.  Crabb: "Mr Selfridge is not a wildebeest to be hunted down by slavering hyenas!"  Maybe Crabb recalled the jungle display a few eps ago! Ha.

Oh and  a final lift scene with Victor walking away from Agnes after letting her go into the arms of another man.  It was all he could do to keep his composure! Ahh.

Andrew Scott at the Apple Store Event 17 March 2014

Andrew Scott who plays Jim Moriarty in Sherlock was at a guest talk at the Apple store Regent Street, London to speak about his movie The Stag and to have a general Q&A session.

He was asked about his nude parts in The Stag, oh wait that didn't sound right and he was happy to talk about them, though some would shy away! Such as it being freezing in November in Ireland during filming and having to film like that day and night.  When asked how his family liked the movie and his nude moments, he said he didn't ask them, but they enjoyed the movie.  He also sings in the movie but he didn't entertain with a song or part of one cos he didn't want to, even after fans begged him to.  That'd spoil the fun for anyone who hasn't seen the movie yet.

As for Sherlock, well even after there were some "cluing for looks" there wasn't any reveals as expected. Andrew said if he could and did tell then we'd be all a little disappointed and go "oww."  He did know that he would always be back in Sherlock at some point.

Also mentions of his time in Frankenstein, Seawall and his current rehearsals for the theatre production of Birdland where he plays a rock star at the Royal Court Theatre from 3 Aprl to 31 May 2014.  As well as some advice for budding actors too.  A rather fun, if subdued affair, but there weren't reams and reams of fans there as for the Sherlock event.

Of course one fan had to ask, "Did you miss me?"  Always, Andrew, always!

Podcast and audio podcast will be available for free downloads on Apple itunes soon.

The Mentalist 6.12 "Golden Hammer" Review

                                             
Lots of Patrick's (Simon Baker) antics this week which quite frankly is what keeps the entire series going, as well as Lisbon (Robin Tunney) and Cho (Tim Kang) and I have to add this ep we finally got to see Rigsby (Owain Yeoman) and Van Pelt (Amanda Righetti).  More rigmarole over Patty again as this time it's insisted by Agent Daniels (pat Skipper) he doesn't have clearance to sit in on a conference for the current Whittaker (Wayne Bastrup) case since it's classified.  Fischer (Emily Swallow) tells him she's applied for clearance for him, but Lisbon does of course have clearance since she's an agent.  Patrick tries to read Fscher and Daniels's lips but Lisbon keeps interrupting him so he misses what was said.  She likens the glass room to an aquarium.  Abbott (Rockmond Dunbar) says he's spoken with the Deputy Director and he's been approved for the conference.  Whittaker was a cartographer for Cartesian and he was killed, apparently his heart gave way, which didn't really explain why he was running half naked to his office.

They look at the security footage to find he collapsed in the office.  Lisbon, Patrick and Fischer go to the company and talk with Whittaker's brother, Curtis (Travis Schuldt).  Patrick seems impressed with his bespoke suit and it's from London.  Curtis doesn't know anything about his brother and is very aloof and Patrick picks up The Financial Record newspaper which particularly interests him.  Yeah out of everything in the office this was the one thing that caught his eye!  He takes the paper and goes somewhere to flesh it out, to a cafe that is.  Oh this time we're in Houston, don't recall Houston looking like that when I was there, ha. Oh and note how a few more eps of the show are set in parks.  SO was the Red John episode when Patrick was in the park feeding the pigeons.  Anyway jumped ahead, never mind.

Patty finds letters circled in pen on different pages of the paper and puts them together.  He figures out that it's some sort of a spy drop and calls Cho in to investigate.  They get Wylie (Joe Adler) to check the cameras outside the office and follow Whittaker's trail back to when he got the paper.  He came from the south, which leads to the park.  Also Patrick find traces of fig and bird poop on the paper.  Which he sniffs and offers Cho the same, which he refuses.  Then calls out the fig tree in Latin and Cho asks him if he knows the Latin for bench.  He thinks the person will come pick up the paper but since it's past lunchtime now, they'll have to come back tomorrow.  Cho goes off to the gym.

Lisbon and Fischer wait to talk with the rest of the staff at the company and Lisbon is called by Ardiles (David Norona). Who was just brought back as nothing more than fodder to be killed.  He asks her to meet him for dinner as he's flying in from Chicago on his jet and calls it a date.  But it's purely professional.  Patrick calls Lisbon and scares her and Fischer when they get into the SUV by already being inside.  He tells them the case will be solved by tomorrow cos of his lead and Lisbon says she has a date.  Patrick is a little perturbed, more than intrigued, especially since Lisbon changes the subject of 'date.'  Though she's adamant it's not a date.  Aww poor Patty, he does seem concerned but he doesn't show it.  At least we couldn't read him.  Hey I didn't 'ship' these two but now it comes down to it I think they do make a great couple.  Maybe it took me Fischer to get into the picture before I changed my mind! Ha.  Also he comments on Ardiles's shoes with tassells!

Ardiles tells Lisbon his "phone is hot" which Lisbon thinks amusing especially since he flew all this way to tell her that.  But he thinks someone hacked into it and is listening in.  He sounds paranoid but she's the only detective he trusts and she should be flattered at that.  She recommends Rigsby and Van Pelt who run digital security and can check this out for him, they're in San Francisco.  Since they work from home, it was dangerous to have him meet them there, instead of a public place, even though whoever is after him will be able to find out where they live anyway, just thought it was a little silly on their part. They tell him they'll check it out and Ardiles got a burner phone from some junky that he's using now.  When he leaves it's obvious he's being watched and for a moment there, thought his car was going to explode.

Cute moments with Van Pelt and Rigsby and the baby too.  As well us showing us a glimpse of married life for them.  Rigsby calls and Van Pelt checks out the signal from Ardiles's phone since he appears to be missing.  She asks if he's eating tacos from that dirty truck again and he can't lie to her, but he'll have salad at home.  He enters the place where the signal is coming from and finds Ardiles dead, being tortured beforehand.  He reaches for his gun but of course he doesn't wear one anymore.  Van Pelt tries to call him as faces and names of CBI agents badges flash onto the computer screen and stops on all the old teams IDs. Van Pelt realizes someone's after them.  So I'm guessing it's a remnant of Red John's story, someone close to him who is probably killing off the CBI members, especially since the entire CBI investigated his murders, but specifically Lisbon's  agents.  There's no other logical explanation for the killing and also it means it leaves us with the mystery of which of them will be next.  Particularly as this looks like being the last season. Though we already know that Amanda and Owain were leaving the show anyway.

Getting back to Houston, Patrick and Lisbon sit on the bench waiting for the contact to show and they talk about her date. She goes for coffee and the paper is picked up.  Patrick asks him the time feigning he didn't wind his watch and then accuses him of sealing his phone, since he plants it in his pocket.  Then calls a policeman who does find the phone in his pocket after he rings it.  Lisbon, too busy getting coffee all this time or even hear what was happening.  Even after Patrick shouted for a policeman, she still didn't hear him. Hassan Zarif (Navid Negahban) is arrested and cooperates with the FBI saying he won't give up his buyer's name even if tortured. He doesn't know who the seller is but they've been doing this for a year and it's very lucrative, so he wouldn't kill him and neither would his buyers.  Patrick comes up with a plan to catch the spy.

He waits outside for Curtis and whispers something in his ear which makes him punch Patrick on his arm. Cho arrests him for battery and Fischer tells him it was the only way to draw out the real spy, since they had to make someone else come under their radar publicly. So they wait for the spy to show up and Lisbon sits in the park wearing hat and shades, which Patrick says suits her, well the hat.  Thought she looked a little like Audrey Hepburn, well she did!  Who shows up wasn't a surprise, it's Avery (Erin Way) since she gave herself away at the beginning when she told Lisbon and Fischer she saw Whittaker on Sunday.  SO effectively she was possibly the last one to see him alive.  She did it cos of the money for her mother's medical  bills and she's an addict herself.  We get a flashback to how she saw him at his home, tasered him and drugged him, explaining his frantic state.  Also cos he found out she was a traitor really and she just tried to convince him it was just a game, a scavenger hunt.

Yes it was Avery Schultz, with the funny name!  To which Patrick responds "Gesundheit" when Lisbon mentions it. Ha.  Also Patrick's comments on how Lisbon should have figured out who it was since she's a people reader and she has great people instincts, but she doesn't have great people skills, adding he's kidding.  Like I said, she was obvious, the intrigue lay more in the agents being killed off, as we get a new arc to maintain our interest cos the FBI lot certainly aren't.  Funny scene where Lisbon tells him he's not her boss, he always acted like the boss and he tells her he's not, they're equal partners.  That's why he likes to keep Lisbon in the dark a lot, ha.  Also Patty reversing her aquarium comment and saying she could feel like she's watching them instead.

Mr Selfridge Series 2 Episode 9 Review

                                           
Harry (Jeremy Piven) has a meeting with Henri (Gregory Fitoussi) Crabb (Ron Cook) and Delphine (Polly Walker) to decide what they can do to entice customers back to the store.  Delphine suggests to recreate the "spirit of Delphine" (what was that, the name for a plane! ha) in the Palm Court and she guarantees him they'll come a-running.  Crabb tells her that's a little different since hers is a nightclub and theirs is a store so the clientele will be different.  Well obviously but she's determined.  Also Henri has a plan to invite Mrs Winifred Bonfils Black (Sara Stewart) a journalist he knew in America to the store and let her write a piece which will turn women's heads.  Harry thinks it's a great idea but Delphine insists they should use the story to promote her idea.  Oh shut up Delphine, sorry I had to get that out, she's so annoying, to put it mildly!  Thinking she can just wind Harry round her little finger.

Harry also thinks he can get his lawyers to sort out the newspaper mess and wants Rose (Frances O'Connor) to come to the store, but she has a prior appointment she says.  Though she doesn't tell him it's to see a doctor who diagnoses her with mild chest congestion.  She comes to the store hoping to see Harry but Delphine drives her away by telling her that Harry's gone and she has tea with her instead cos they haven't seen each other in a while, more like to find out what's troubling Rose and dig her claws further into Harry. Rose kind of confides in her about seeing the doctor. Delphine obviously insisting on her taking a break as it'll be good for her and that Harry doesn't need any distractions cos he's "got the weight of the world on his shoulders".  What gives her the right to interfere in their business and to speak for Harry as if he wouldn't have time for his beloved rose.

Ms Mardle (Amanda Abbington) spends a passionate night with Florian (Oliver Farnworth) and they wake up together.  She's happy but later Grove (Tom Goodman-Hill) sees her giving money to Florian for lunch even though he is paid a minimum wage in the factory.  He also kisses her on the cheek, before she sends him away and makes him stop.  Later Grove reprimands her for the display, or rather that Florian is nothing more than a gold digger and is after her money.  Jealous much?  Think he would have had all that money she inherited, ha.  Grove's more taken aback with her being happy and actually finding someone who makes no demands on her.  So his telling her off for her behaviour is more that Florian kissed her so intimately in  public, than anything cos he couldn't do that.  She tells him her life is her own and in future he should keep his opinions to himself.  Groves' words to Ms Mardle: "unbecoming of an employee of Selfridge's" which was no different than his affair with her and then dumping her for a younger woman.

Jessie (Sai Bennett) gives Kitty (Amy Beth Hayes) a letter of resignation as her father's making her leave and she tells her to leave it with her, spurred on last ep by Ms Mardle's example of standing by people.  She tells Jessie to let her father know she has to give a week's notice and to leave it with her.  The newspaper has a story about Lady Mae (Katherine Kelly) leaving Loxley (Aidan McArdle) and Rose thinks Harry should speak with her.  He also won't take Frank's (Samuel West) calls.  Kitty tells Frank they must investigate to clear Harry's name and that he should meet with Lady Mae since there's more here than meets the eye. However his editor refuses to investigate further and so Frank resigns cos if he can't write the truth, he'd rather not write anything.

Mrs Black tours the store to see what she'll write and Henri takes her to the Fashion department, where we see Thackeray (Cal MacAninch) putting his hand up a mannequin's dress to fix it, well I thought it was funny. He's an ardent admirer of hers and fawns all over her in a bid to get his name in the paper and offers to show her around.  What's he doing reading a woman's column? Ha.  She sees him for who he really is and says as much to Henri.   He takes her to meet with Agnes (Aisling Loftus) who is still agonizing over George (Calum Callaghan).  Henri sings Agnes's praises and about Harry having faith in her, seeing the potential and sending her to Paris.  She is Henri's protege.  Asking how she got the job here Agnes reminds us how she lost her other job cos of Harry and she went and asked him for a job here.  Mrs Black decides to write her story about Agnes and probably even more so when she learns George is away at war and is missing.

Harry meets with Lady Mae finally and she admits she shouldn't have vouched for Loxley but she was afraid of him cos he's a violent man.  That she was naive when she married him and thought she could control him. Harry invites her to stay with them at his house.  Rose tells her about needing to go away to the sea and Lady Mae thinks it's a mistake leaving Harry now when he needs her more than ever by his side.  Also finding out that the dreaded Delphine is helping Harry a lot.  Lady Mae pays her a visit and tells her of how she knows she's trying to come between them and that now that she's a divorcee, she doesn't have anything to lose so she gives her an ultimatum.  Either she leaves and never returns or she'll tell Rose everything. Delphine and Lady Mae in a war of words when she calls her theatre actresses "trollops."  Well, what do you call female nightclub owners then!  To think Rose wanted to go into business with her.

Lady Mae tells Frank about Lord Edgerton (Raymond Coulthard) and his "old school ties" with Loxley and he's blackmailing him over his past "piccadilos." But Edgerton refuses to speak and instead goes straight to Loxley, who bursts into Harry's home and demands Lady Mae return with him.  How he'll drag her name through the papers over every illicit affair she's ever had, he'll just be dragging his name through the mud too since he married her!  Harry tells him to get out but he refuses and Harry is just itching to beat him to the other side of the week and we know Harry is capable of doing that, since he got rough with Rose's painter didn't he last series and Agnes's father too!  But oh how I would have loved to see him put Loxley in his place, though the age of duelling had long since past!! Ha. Loxley deserved some of his own medicine, from a real man!!

Ms Mardle tries to avoid Florian by telling him she has a headache and just as he fixed that darned tap too! Henri has words with Victor (Trystan Gravelle) or rather the other way around when Henri tells him his concerns for Agnes and how she's not facing how George might be dead.  Victor replies it's her way of dealing with it and then tells Henri he's there for her and has been all this time.  Agnes sees a soldier in the store and thinks it's George but it's not and she cries, though she has Victor by her side, she needs to finish the store window.  Mrs Black says Agnes has got so much potential to throw it all away by getting married and she's been married twice so she's had her dream.  Exactly, so why can't Agnes make up her own mind. Didn't think that part about being married and not being able to work was still going on, especially not in Selfridge's, shouldn't they have been the first to radically alter this traditional way of thinking.

The article is all about Agnes and how she's a "rising star" which everyone likes.  Thackeray steals a moment to skim through it obviously looking for his name when he told her how to spell it too.  But she wasn't impressed with him and rightly so.  Kitty has an idea of how to keep Jessie employed and shows the article to her father, telling him she could be the same one day too and have that much success.

Agnes opens the door to George who was shot in the shoulder but he survived.  He seems to be eating a hearty breakfast and Victor thinks they should get married now that George is here and Agnes seems to have two minds about it.  Lady Mae tells Harry to watch out for Delphine since she's determined to drive him and Rose apart and shouldn't trust her.  Sure enough she makes her move in his office by telling him they should be together.  Harry puts his foot down saying he doesn't love her.  That although he's hurt Rose in the past with his dalliances, this time he's going to make it right and she's the only one for him.  Well yes, considering what Rose will eventually face in the future regarding her health.  Delphine leaves and about time too. See that's all she wanted from the outset and it took Lady Mae to tell Harry for him to realize this, wonder why he didn't see it for himself.

SO one more ep when everything will be sorted, like Harry getting his name and reputation back, Loxley will be disgraced (we hope) and Agnes will decide whether she really wants to marry straightaway, if at all. Although I must admit there's not really any reason to rush into a marriage already, especially since it would be good for Victor to maybe actually save some money if he wants to run the restaurant, even if he is getting a loan from the bank.  Oh dear it looks like Agnes will choose her job, but as the next series will jump forward some years, we'll find the action will have moved on.  Oh no, this means Rose probably won't be around.

Anyway, Harry's mother and daughters arrive back home and Miss Blenkinsop (Deborah Cornelius) also returns to some friction between her and Miss Plunkett (Sadie Shimmin). Miss Blenkinsop will now be Harry's social secretary.  Grove finally gets the son he always wanted and Ms Mardle has a teary walk to the lift!  Yeah a lift scene!  She congratulates him but doesn't let him say what he really wanted to, as she walks off.

Funny part was no one coming into the store to see Delphine's "special event" of an Arabian theme, not even one customer, so she hopelessly misjudged in helping him out there then.  Harry even tells her Rose was right and he should have listened to her about keeping things simple, especially at this time. That was a well deserved slap in the face for her and for Harry rejecting her too! Mind you, it took me a little while to get past how Harry's now had his hair and beard dyed! ha, particularly in the first scene when he's reading the paper at breakfast with Rose!

The Vampire Diaries 5.9 "The Cell" Review

                                                
The Vampire Diaries does another flashback episode, but this time concentrates more on Damon (Ian Somerhalder) and his time as the Augustine vampire. Elena (Nina Dobrev) also gets caught as she tries to speak with Aaron (Shaun Sipos) not realizing that his uncle, Maxfield (Rick Cosnstt) would be around to catch her.   This time the action centres on Augustine and how he experimented on Damon in the 1950's.  In his cell he meets Enzo (Michael Malarkey) another vampire who's been tested on.  He's been here since at least the war.  Together they come up with a plan to escape. Playing rock, paper, scissors, Damon wins meaning he'll get all of Enzo's blood rations and build up his strength to escape.  One of Damon's family sold him to the Augustine 'cause' and we learn that the Whitmore's were behind it all.

As Elena learns Aaron's parents, at least by several generations removed, were part of the same Whitmore clan and the college is named after the Whitmore's.  Aaron sees pictures of his murdered parents which Maxfield tells them were killed by a vampire and he assumes this was Elena.  Damon tells him it was him who killed them. At the Augustine/Whitmore New Year Party, Damon gets out and reeks havoc, killing everyone there.  A fire is lit but he can't break the bars to release Enzo, they're lined with vervain.  He leaves Enzo there and saves himself, despite his pleas.  As he tells Elena, he turned off his humanity and just left. Thus posing the question as to whether Enzo will want some sort of revenge on Damon.  As we discover Enzo is alive and is being experimented on when Elena is also strapped to the chair.  Elena also having seen her father in the Whitmore photo.  Yes let's see whiny Elena get some torture treatment too, maybe it'll give her a backbone.

Damon left a survivor of every generation of the Whimore family, this was Aaron later, so they can get married, have children and he can go on his killing spree every generation, leaving one behind.  May sound callous but then Damon's not into niceties, especially since he is a vampire after all and also he was tortured too.  So you know exactly where he's coming from, besides who wouldn't be on Damon's side.

Caroline (Candace Accola) decides Stefan's (Paul Wesley) therapy for PTSD isn't really getting anywhere and so speeds it up by locking him in the safe.  Yes the safe he spent all Summer in.  He gets anxious when he's in there alone and can't breathe but Katherine and Caroline leave him in there.  Katherine however takes to getting locking in beside him and tells him to "suck it up" just like he told her to do.  They get close in there and once they're out, well one thing leads to another fling and Caroline can hear them together.

This ep was our Christmas break ep, but there wasn't that much of a cliff hanger posed for us.  Is it me or are these storylines coming out of nowhere just to make the show last.  There isn't any substance to them at all, so Elena's father had secrets and was part of the Whitmore legacy or whatever you want to call it, but it's just tedious.  Hasn't Stefan and Katherine been done a million times over, so he can't have Elena but he can satisfy this by getting Katherine instead.

Suppose there's scope for Aaron to either become an ally or to side with Maxfield, which doesn't seem likely, but he didn't exactly let Elena go even after Damon told him he ripped his parents to shreds.

Revenge 3.10 "Exodus" Review

                                          
No opening or closing narration this ep! What could she have said...

Emily (Emily VanCamp) must get her skates on if she's having Victoria (Madeleine Stowe) at the wedding and looks through her secret box again.  She enlists Conrad (Henry Czerny) by playing on his family side to say Victoria won't be there and she so much wants this to be about family since she doesn't have any of her own.  Thus Conrad calls on Patrick (Justin Hartley) well he was easy to find in Manhattan, ha and gets him to come down.  Also blackmailing Victoria into going cos then he'll leave Patrick alone, but she's still adamant about going.  She's happy to have Patrick here and he convinces her she must go for Daniel's (Josh Bowman) sake.  UGH Daniel, I will leave my comments about him until later!

Meanwhile the three Musketeers, ha, so who'd be the fourth, Jack (Nick Wechsler) go over the game plan for the wedding night on the yacht and Emily's going to spill her blood on the deck after she feigns being shot and diving overboard.  Aiden (Barry Sloane) will lock Victoria in the state room but alas this is Revenge and things never pan out as planned.  To make her final farewells, she sees Jack for the last time and admits she was with Amanda the night she died and held her in her arms.  She couldn't get her off the boat.  Jack is angry she kept all this to herself all this time and has taken everything he had from him.  She promised Amanda she'd look after Jack and Carl.  When she leaves, Jack finds the envelope she left for him with Amanda's charm bracelet inside.

Patrick heads over to see Nolan (Gabriel Mann) and these two were so emotionally charged, only Patrick fizzled out the moment! Ha.  He tells Nolan he can't be involved since he has Victoria to watch out for but Nolan doesn't want him to stop seeing her, but only see him too.

Let's not forget Lydia (Amber Valletta) whom Conrad finds out about when he sees her journal and promptly kicks her out of his bed and his life cos he thinks she's just using him for money, even when she tries to tell otherwise.  It's not until later when Margaux (Karine Vanasse) tells him Lydia changed her mind and is in love with him that he takes Lydia back.  Then Lydia brings out the photo again and shows it to Emily.  She wants 'her' beachhouse back.  Technically it was never hers to begin with!  Emily agrees to her demand, telling Aiden of the photo, well eh didn't exactly get it back for her.

Emily preparing for the big moment is accosted by Aiden, ha, to see her looking so lovely and they kiss.  He can't wait to be with her.  Nolan walks her down the aisle to her intended doom, er, I mean groom and I think her dress for the photoshoot was much nicer than this one.  But she had to wear something that wouldn't drown her when she jumps overboard.  Flashes to Emily's reasons for revenge as she said her vows to Daniel was a nice touch.  Of course Lydia turns up but is stopped by Aiden who gives her the papers to the beachhouse and explains that she wasn't invited to the wedding.

At the reception, Daniel calls Sara (Annabelle Stephenson) but is interrupted by Charlotte (Christa B Allen). Sara gets drunk at the Stowaway and makes a move on Jack who calls a taxi for her.  Emily and Nolan share a dance and he's going to miss her, she wants him to keep Patrick away from Victoria, which he does. Also whispering, "long live David Clarke" in her ear.  Nolan texted Patrick about Father Paul and he high tails it to his place.  Nolan confesses his love for Patrick and that he's safer with him than with the Grayson's. until Patrick finds Nolans drawers, of remotes! Ha.  Why keep the one which operates the painting in the same place.  As bad as Emily keeping her infinity box in her beachhouse hidden panel.  Wonder if he'll actually look or will he show some restraint.  Get back to you on that one.

Conrad brings Lydia along on the boat just to ensure we have another suspect.  Well it wouldn't be her cos Emily wouldn't exactly say "I'm sorry" to her, Lydia's more into wanting her exposed than dead.  He's got news for everyone of how she's his mistress once again and Victoria and Emily both don't want Lydia there for different reasons.  Emily's made a video about her and Daniel which she hopes will keep everyone in one place as she sets her plan into motion.  Spilling her cider onto Victoria's dress and has to wash it off, where she meets Lydia who shows her Emily's photo.  Victoria confronts Emily and they argue.  She takes the h
champagne glass from Victoria and tells replies she's not really pregnant and of course Daniel was listening, cos he was desperate to get hold of Sara, really Daniel on your wedding night too!  After hearing she tried to commit suicide.  Yeah right Sara your accident and pain didn't lead you to do that all those years ago, but your  feelings for Daniel did!  SO noble of you after making that big deal over not wanting to be the other woman.  Aiden chloroforms Victoria and takes her away.

                                                       
Leaving Daniel alone with Emily.  He is mad at her and takes the gun shooting her twice.  As she falls into the water, he throws the gun in after her and casually walks back inside.  Aiden swims to shore and finds Jack waiting for Emily.  Wanting to say a proper goodbye.  She's meant to be here before him but hasn't arrived. Cue wedding dress washed up on shore!  

Okay Emily's been shot but she won't die, it's not like it's the end of the show.  Still I didn't like the fake baby storyline as said, resonated of Amanda, but Daniel's reason for shooting her, as said involved more than just being lied to and besides the man is a total drunk, what sort of father would he have made when at the first sign of trouble, he turns to drink.  Also think the only way Emily will be free of Lydia and Victoria's hounding over the photo, is if she comes clean and confesses to being Amanda.

Yes Daniel, knew he was the shooter for several reasons, okay maybe a few.  Firstly if you recall ever since season 1 any sort of shooting in Montauk has always involved Daniel.  There was Daniel on the beach with Tyler and when Amanda was there too along with Jack.  Then in the season 2 finale, he shot Aiden in the beach house, so naturally we had to go for the trifecta as far as he was concerned!  So yes, seems his love for Sara was the turning point really.  Not so much Emily deceiving him for two years and that she lied about the baby, but the fact he had to marry her and forsake Sara.  Which was all a tad convoluted since he only recently got all those feelings back for her after she appeared on the scene.  He wasn't even remorseful about it either.  Not two seconds before the reveal, I said that Daniel wouldn't shoot his own baby, would he? How wrong was I?  Really, I need to stop pre-empting every show and plot line going otherwise I'll get bored rather quickly if I always get things right!  Not blowing my own Grayson trumpet or anything!

But Daniel was cold and callous in those final moments and the way he just watched her go under was kind of funny and heartless at the same time.  That he thinks she could really be dead and for someone who showed so much venom at Conrad causing all those deaths on the plane, to turn around and become as calculating as his father in those final few seconds was unexpected.  Being drunk and hurt was no excuse. Does he feel pain anyway, I mean he was also drunk when he caused the accident with Sara.  Have to admit he and Emily did make a great scheming couple, al la Conrad and Victoria.  What matrimony together would have eventually led them to, ha.  Emily Thorn "in my side" Grayson!

So that's two for two as far as Victoria is concerned.  First Patrick tried to off Conrad and now Daniel has his way with Emily.  At least Patrick was doing it for Victoria and not for purely selfish reasons, so who turned out to be the biggest loser as far as her two sons were concerned!  Could Nolan have been right all along about Patrick and having such a deep connection to him, but then Nolan's never been lucky in love, so probably not.

Still at least we only have a week to wait for the next ep!

The Mentalist 6.11 "White Lines" Review

                                             
Patrick (Simon Baker) and Fischer (Emily Swallow) have a long drawn out conversation about his couch, no, sofa, no couch and why he doesn't have one since psychiatrists have them cos it's easier to analyze when the brain's more relaxed or something. He reads her again and asks why she hasn't been to a psychiatrist and whatever she's hiding she doesn't have to feel guilty about it.  She tells him she was undercover and she went a little overboard when she met him.  He wants a couch.  Abbot (Rockmond Dunbar) comes in to tell them they're heading to Corpus Christi to investigate the deaths of five DEA agents who were shot.  At the CS they find the cameras were shot at and they were hidden so they knew where they were hidden.  Though Patty cunningly figures out that the mirror is higher on the wall for a reason, behind which Cho (Tim Kang) finds another hidden camera.  That'll pose a question as to why it was there and who put it there.  Okay that's two questions, ha.

Playing the surveillance feed back, they find the masked gunmen removed their masks and were easily identified as belonging to a drugs cartel.  The FBI agent Higgins (Sterling K Brown) [he was DEA but he was wearing an FBI badge] who had his team shot tells them who were involved.  One of them has a girlfriend Crystal (Brianna Brown).  Lisbon (Robin Tunney) and Cho head to Corpus Christi again and Cho starts the engine, then turns it off, remembering that he heard the engine on the tape.  So he has Wylie (Joe Adler) check the recording for the engine sounds and it'll match the gunman's car.  He IDs a Chevy Impala (hey Dean's (Jensen Ackles) car from Supernatural, though it was the wrong colour and not to mention Higgins/Sterling was also in the show, aka Gordon the vampire hunter cum vampire!)  He thinks the unknown gunman is disciplined but Patty in his infinite wisdom disagrees, cos if he was disciplined he wouldn't have shot them the way he did, it was erratic behaviour to say the least.  He also tells them about Paco (Mark Adair-Rios) who has ties to the cartel.  Patty's more interested in the blonde.

Patrick accompanies Fischer to interview Crystal who doesn't know anything other than Ritchie being a good man and she wasn't aware he was into illegal activities.  Well Patty has her number, well not yet but it's the expression that he knows she's lying and uses this to his advantage and he feigns interest in her and asks her out on a date.  She's flattered and putting on a dumb blonde act, Fischer comes back to tell him that they identified the car model and three possible locations.  She mentions them all there which was a bit stupid to do so in front of a potential suspect, but it worked to Patrick's advantage as he figures out it's at the central business district in a warehouse.  Crystal gave it away.

Fischer then has a conversation with Patrick about why he asked her out and that she's not his type, how would she know his type?  He tells her she is, well maybe, ha.  But he deserves some fun doesn't he and I don't mean Dean's version of fun either! Ha.  At the warehouse they find three DBs of the gunmen and Lisbon and Fischer ponder who could have done it, Patrick is eager to get out of there cos he has a date. Yeah and he wore the same shirt. Cho wonders about Ritchie cos he was Crystal's boyfriend.  Cho also finds a phone but it's disconnected.  SO what do you think of Patty's shirt, he's still wearing it and didn't change for his date.  Also he's wearing Lisbon's socks now well, not her socks, but the ones she gave him last ep.

He tells Crystal he won't reveal what he really does but she wants to know the story behind his wedding ring, which is long.  SO presuming he tells her all about Red John here cos Crystal is kind of surprised that he killed him.  It was all to reel her in and she fell for it, hook, line and sinker!  She asks him how important the investigation is to him and he replies very, so she wants to help.  Yes ingratiate yourself into the case just to find out what they really know and throw around red herrings.  Ooh I used a red colour reference, now that we're no longer using that specific colour in the titles! Ha.  Fischer and Lisbon chase up a lead on the gunmen but come up with nothing and Fischer asks about Patrick and his date.  Lisbon tells her she's not his type but she doesn't know what his type is, well could be Lisbon!  Lisbon and Fischer meet up in a bar and are brought drinks from men who leave when they tell them they're FBI agents.  Also Lisbon gets her FBI ID which she's pretty excited over.

Crystal tells Cho about Paco's condo on the beach worrying about her own safety.  Patrick drives her home in his snazzy new car, oh I miss the Citroen!  It was so Patty.  She won't let him walk her to the front door but he says he wants to see her again  and will call her.  Paco is inside and wants to know why she led the FBI his way but she once again feigns being ignorant.  She then slaps him and tells him he can't mess with her and if he realizes who he's talking to.  She's set him up to take the fall and kidnaps him so she can pin the killings on him and get away with being the head honcho of the cartel.

Patrick gets his couch and is as pleased as punch, lying down, he calls Crystal who he arranged to meet tomorrow night.  She meanwhile bundles off Paco into the boot of the car and has her bodyguard take him to a deserted house where she shoots him in the head.  She leaves and he sets Paco up with a gun and changes it along with other bullets.  After the police arrive, he shoots through a back window and they shoot back, believing they shot Paco!  Cho notices the bullet mark in the back window as if someone shot from there and made it look like the police shot him.  Yeah so much for forensics figuring that out, ha.  He tells Fischer and they don't seem to be doing much with it.  Especially not Fischer who just excels in standing around giving orders and watching Lisbon work!  Wylie analyzes the surveillance footage from the third camera which Higgins has given them and knows his team wouldn't tell anyone about the cameras.

On the footage they see Crystal putting on lipstick in the mirror and then looks straight into the camera, obviously it was her handiwork so the others would be identified.  Patrick asks which shirt he should wear and he goes for the one Fischer selects.  Yes those shirts Patty!  He had those made on his island and they're mostly alike so he's taken to wearing those now.  Knew there was something missing, his waistcoats which I loved!!  Get them back and his dark suit!! Don't like his shirts much and he really needs to shave too. Ha. Anyway digression, even if it is important!  He arrives at Crystal's house and she gets some wine bottles and a gun, deciding they should drink on the boat which her friend lets her borrow. He also brings her flowers.

Patrick talks about the case and how Paco is dead.  She knows he'll be heading back but wishes the case wasn't over as she wants to see him again.  She doesn't like the wine and goes for the other bottle and the gun.  Patrick is called again by Lisbon and pretends to hang up, of course he was either recording what she said which wouldn't be much help for him or has the others on the line which is more likely.  As we know it's always about not putting himself in unnecessary danger!  The mystery man he thinks is someone who can get all attention removed from him and is actually a woman.  He knows it's her.  There were no mistakes made. Crystal admits she didn't have Paco shot but shot him herself.  Thus pulling the gun on Patrick.  He posits the FBI were listening in and should be here now, which he has to say three times before the helicopter arrives. By which time Patrick has already jumped in.

They tell him if he'd let them in on his plan they'd have been here sooner and poor Patty shivering, says Cho's on his side but he's not.  He sides with the FBI and Lisbon adds she's been trying to get him to reveal his plans beforehand for years.  They walk off.  He wasn't even thanked for solving the case.

This was a more enjoyable ep if only for Patrick venturing out on a date to catch a killer, he really needed to get into the swing of things again.  Now that he has his couch back, but not so much analysis on the couch. Patty and his sales pitch line about not telling Crystal who he is, in answer to her question of what, it's who, not what.  She doesn't think he's out of practice, oh he is but he can improvise, but that won't stop him catching a killer! He didn't let this one slip away like Erica.  Crystal gave herself away, there was that scene with Paco when she puts lipstick on before she shoots his bodyguard and then she puts lipstick on again when she looked into the hidden camera, must be one of her tells. Also her use of the phones, there was one without a number Cho found and then she used the one to call for the police after she shot Paco.  Hey they would've recognized her voice on the recording anyway. That was a mistake she made, so much for Patrick saying she didn't make any.

Seems like Lisbon and Fischer won't have any rivalries going here, not even for Patty's affections, ha, so appears they may become friends too.  Though they could have found another name for Kim Fischer, you know Kimball Cho, Kim again.  Though I still don't like her.  Maybe she should have had ties to RJ too! That'd liven things up though probably that ship has sailed, no pun, re the boat Patty was on.  I also don't like how Lisbon is no longer able to investigate on her own, you know it's like she's been demoted and she doesn't have any intelligence, which is far from the case.  Also she's now an equal with Cho, whereas she was his boss!  Not that I don't like Cho, he really fits in wherever he is but I loved that dynamic with Lisbon being in charge, not Agent Fischer 'do nothing but stand around'!