Belgravia Episode 4

                                             
Another ep which just seemed to be an extension of the last without much really happening.  John (Adam James) just bribing servants for info on Charles (Jack Bardoe) and Turton (Paul Ritter) milking it for all he can get and saying the same to Ellis (Saskia Reeves) even if they have to make things up.  The real stunner was how Anne (Tamsin Greig) didn't get why Ellis went to the Brockehhurst house in search of a fan she'd allegedly lost, when she had the fan with her.  Why would she even trust the servants even if they have been there that long.  It's a wonder the secret was kept so long.  Thought Lady Brockenhurst (Harriet Walter) would've been on the ball with that, but apparently not.  Nope, they head off to Glanville with Oliver (Richard Goulding) Ellis, Turton and Susan (Alice Eve) and still take their problems with them.  Even Oliver still harping on about Charles and why James (Philip Glenister) treats him better than his own son.

Anne even letting it slip to Susan that James knows Charles from before, then quickly adding he knew his father.  Anne thinks Susan would be suited to Glanville and even if she can't bring Speer (Bronagh Gallagher) with her, but instead she could "always get another maid."  Which is what John hears and tells Susan as much.  As predicted Susan is likely pregnant, with Speer saying she should 'get it on' with Oliver quick smart so that no one suspects her affair.  Again Susan trusting Speer when she can get everything she wants from her too via blackmail.  Servants running around betraying their employers for a penny was all too tedious.  As Turton tells John he wants £20 for the info since betraying his master is still "a treasonable offence," even though hanging has been abolished.

Ellis wanting advice on how the maid, Jane (Rebecca Callard) did Lady Brockenhurst's hair at the party as a ruse to try and get her to betray secrets too was a bit stupid on her part.  But Jane cottoned on too late to what she was prying out of her and after Ellis had spoken of knowing Lord Bellasis in Belgium.  Ellis not having seen Charles yet wouldn't have noticed the resemblance of him with Lord Bellasis's portrait painted by Lady Brockenhurst.  Although she has seen Lord Bellasis at the parties.  Let's wait for that penny to drop (whilst she's still getting paid pennies ha!)  Ellis does have notions above her station as I said in ep 1, as she tells the footman she's as good as they are and even any royal.

Maria (Ella Purnell) admits her affection for Charles going sa far as calling him her "lover" and her mother, Lady Templemore (Tara Fitzgerald) is adamant she should marry John as she married her father and they didn't even have a chance to meet.  Maria goes to Charles's office with Lady Brockenhurst and Anne, who invites herself and they chat more about cotton and India.  He wants to get cotton from somewhere that doesn't have slaves as in the US and they both think that's very amiable.  (Though colonization doesn't factor into slavery - that's another story 'ey.)  Anne and Lady Brockenhurst both see Maria as a perfect match for Charles. John pops up too after Susan tells him of this meeting as does Ellis, and doesn't get much out of the trip.  No one is suspicious of how these little things keep happening and just let it continue, with John constantly popping up everywhere.  Especially as they don't have much going on their lives. The Tranchard's still arguing in front of the servants, you'd think there'd be other places for such things, gossip and idle chit chat should be the order of dinner, but nah. 

Lady Templemore finds Maria gave her chaperone the slip and ends up in the park where she sees Charles leaving and asks who he was.  Then Maria putting her foot down and saying she won't marry John and she can't force her to do so.  To which she replies, she'll see what she can do.  What lock her up.  Shades of Sanditon creeping in here.  John's mother telling him where she's hiding what remains of the family silver.  If she doesn't know what a charlatan her son is by now, I don't know what else to say.  You know like father, like son.  Who doesn't get a loan from the loan shark since he won't see a return on his investment for many years and the extortionate interest he charges.  Thus the Rev (James Fleet) gets a little help from his brother the Earl (Tom Wilkinson) though I don't know why he bothered after they attend church and see him giving a sermon on behalf of someone who's been taken ill.  He looked like a laughing stock.  The Rev doesn't tell John about it though.  He's likely going to gamble that money away too.

Ghost Adventures 21.5 "Haunted Hollow Forest"

                                                  
Another one of those creepy Hallowe'en attractions in West Haven, Utah where their investigation took them more to the forest surrounding the attraction than the attraction itself, though they did investigate the church, leaving Aaron there and the towering building and cave with Jay.  Travis told Zak about the grey man, a tall figure.  The land was part of the Ute tribe where untold horrors were carried out, including the Shaman cursing people.  As well as all the energy from the river.  The land being affected by tractors and digging as well after having to put in a levy due to flooding.  Vincent told him about finding little bags from rituals and being affected by whatever is on the land.  He had red marks on his neck after investigating as if something had put its hands around his neck.  They also encountered the grey man, 7-8' tall.  Leaving them unable to move.

Zak asks Billy to move the bag, why didn't he do it himself.  Billy refuses to touch it and then touches it suddenly and then he tries to hand it to Aaron and put it on him.  He then runs away with it and puts it in a part of the forest near the river where they come across it again during the night.  Why not just use a stick and just bury it, instead of leaving it lying around.  Later Billy and Aaron investigate the land and take Polaroids.  Scott, security, tells them of how people were paralyzed.  Zak gives an exposition on land and nature.  Aaron is also affected as he is "zoned out."  The Polaroid shows three light anomalies or energy and Zak goes into his trinity stuff again.  None of the markings appeared in any of the photos.  The one on the right looks like a cloaked figure with a head and raised arms.  And if you squint you may possibly make out a female head, but maybe that'd be too much.
Had the feeling could they be some sort of spirits surrounding Billy from his earlier encounter, what about guardian angels.  Or some spirits from the Ute tribe.  As they don't appear to be menacing, even if there are three??

 

During the investigation, Aaron's ear is affected as Zak says the same happened to him earlier on when interviewing Travis, his hearing was lost in his left ear.  Where have we seen weird forests before and activity with lights, Hoia Baciu in Romania in the Transylvania Special.  As well as the Golden Ghost Town investigation.  That's the one where Zak had that creepy grin on his face that didn't even look like him! (See below).

Jay investigates the attraction where a woman named Veronica has been seen.  He hears knocking and catches a light anomaly.  At 26.09 sounds like a woman screaming or wailing, unless it's wind.  When he investigates the forest, he too films lights which can be debunked as unusual activity since there are no lights in the middle of the forest.  Zak catches thermal anomaly in the woods and hear noises, Aaron hears drums, I didn't.  When they investigate an old structure Zak feels rushed upon from behind and catches heat anomaly on the camera.  SO it came from behind him and instead of running forward, he runs backwards to where it would have been!  One sound described as a pig.  Aaron feels touched.  In the chapel Aaron is left alone and freaks out as he hears walking.

The EVPs first voice: "I'm with you"
Second voice: "can you do that??"  Also sounds like a muffled breath afterwards.  But to catch the voices of children.  Could they be residual?? and I'm not going to go into the 'are they even children' question.

Zak zones out too where Aaron felt the same.  Jay shows him the same lights he captured.  When they play the voices at the end it sounds like the second voice is an echo of the first and something like "I was here..."  Which is completely different to what I said it was from earlier on.  Maybe I'm getting zoned out too! But I'm going with this now!  Ha.

Billy on Twitter said he wanted to move the bag but when he grabbed it he felt aggressive thoughts and wanted it gone completely.

Belgravia Episode 3

                                             
More fall out from Lady Brockenhurst (Harriet Walter) displaying Charles (Jack Bardoe) in public from the party as everyone is bringing it up.  Including Oliver (Richard Goulding) who is really at a miss as to why James (Philip Glenister) is taking so much interest in him too, instead of his own son.  If only he knew he is his nephew he wouldn't feel that way and Anne (Tamsin Greig) really wanted to tell him when he complained about wanting to be a part of the Cubbitt project and not wanting to do it at the same time.  Well it appears Oliver found out James had been accepted by the gent's club but Anne didn't know.  So how did Oliver find out already, unless he was just told that he was lunching there if he visited James at work. 

Lady Brockenhurst goes ahead with her investment, which James regrets as he should've invested in Charles's venture fully so she wouldn't be involved.  Even admitting to Anne that he wanted to tell Charles who he is and that this news should come from him, his grandfather.  Anne stressing they gave him up for this reason and they can't do that now.  Better they should as it will be out soon and then they will be treated with even more contempt and Sophia will indeed be called "a slut" as they keep stressing every ep!  However it appears that John (Adam James) is well on his way to finding out who Charles is as he's intent on bribing the servants into garnering info from them about the Trenchard family secrets and as Anne stated they have many.  With James even giving something away when Ellis (Saskia Reeves) was 'hiding' by the bed.  Oh really Anne you should've sent her out sooner!  Betrayal and deceit for a penny!  Huh Downton servants would never have done this, except Thomas and O'Brien of course.  Ahh a bygone era of TV!

Susan (Alive Eve) finally has her trist with John - the bore, really what did she see in him.  Me thinks it's the jingle jangle of pennies too when he inherits.  That'll be a cold day in hell since Charles will get it all!!  A fitting comeuppance for that side of the family.  As his father, the Reverend (James Fleet) can't stop gambling and racking up debts, they've nothing left to sell and the house is mortgaged to the hilt.  As the Earl (Tom Wilkinson) rightly refuses to pay brother dear now't!  That's why they need to find out more about Charles and why Lady Brockenhurst is investing her coffers.  Since Susan has taken the plunge, how long is it since she becomes pregnant with John's baby after telling Anne she's tried everything and can't have children.  She was a gold digger if ever there was one! Clawing her way up into society probably seeing Oliver as someone she could manipulate and an easy mark.

Charles and Maria (Ella Purnell) take a stroll through the park as they head to different places but in  the same directions, much to the chagrin of her mother's maid acting as chaperone.  All goes well until Charles finds out she's engaged to John bore.  His face as though his heart had been cut out when she told him this but still insisted she would visit his office with Lady Brockenhurst.
Thought this episode dragged a little as all they really did was plenty of exposition on how unreliable the servants are with Speer (Bronagh Gallagher) being easily bought, as was Turton (Paul Ritter).  With Speer having notions of blackmailing Susan later with everything she knows.  Wonder if Ellis will follow suit, remains to be seen since she's disgruntled in her position and doesn't want to be in    service, but was on the ball when she said how women are "stitched up" in how little they can do in the world.

Julian Fellowes has plans for a series 2 in the works.

Ghost Adventures 21.5 "Goodwin Home Invasion"

                                          
This one was personal for the guys at they went back to Aaron's old house he sold to his father. Was gonna say his old haunt but didn't.  (Well I just did.)  As he is being haunted by two spirits at least, based on what visitors to the house have seen.  This included his friend, Rocky, who saw a girl on the cabinet in the kitchen without eyes or  mouth.  And she also touched his leg under the table.  As well as a woman in dark with long dark hair seen by Don's neighbour and some of Aaron's friends.  (Must've been the AG Appreciation Society or something cos those dudes were all bearded too!  Ha.) 

Aaron thinks he brought something back from an investigation and the same thought crossed my mind as he doesn't like to cleanse and just get through it how he can.  I would have liked some background on the house even if it was recently built.  How recent and were there any other owners, what the land was before etc.  Just general routine questions.  Aaron lived here during 2016 which he and Zak say was a dark time he was going through.  He was into many things but not the occult or anything dark.  Maybe it was from something he collected since he liked to bring objects back from the investigations.  They think maybe the witch from Rose Hall in Jamaica. That was in 2011 though.

On the SLS he captures a figure and it looked like it was dancing and then vanishes off the counter.  Zak's face when he says he was feeling sick before the figure appeared.  The Trifield meter moves but is not from the dishwasher or coffeemaker.  Bible phrases also makes the needle move.  They set up cameras when Don was sleeping and it looks like glowing eyes cos it seems like it has a body or something behind it too, especially as Billy said the SLS figure looked like it was on its fours at one point, like an animal.  Though the girl didn't have any eyes, could it have been the woman.  The EVP sounds more a male than a girl when it replies that is doesn't have any eyes.  "Nah."

Did they see anything in the Polaroids, didn't say so guess not.  But he later refers to them as spectrum photos, so?? where he catches another anomaly.  Aaron is drawn upstairs and to a room where he says he used to be afraid to go in.  Voice says "It's me...the figure."  Then an anomaly comes out of the box when the voice comes through again.  "I don't need ya;" is what I hear??  When Aaron says 'behind your back' to Billy, the voice says "Aaron Goodwin" kinda echoy, at the point where the writing on the screen says 'unexplained female voice.'  At 25 mins why does it look to me as though something dark is by the doors downstairs, are they doors or alcoves, when they show the picture in three parts.  Then they show the dark figure on the screen in the kitchen. 

Don returns and is emotional as well as feeling rage.  He thought he should come back and he never cries.  Zak loses energy in the downstairs bedroom.  A voice says "in here" on the recorder.  Then Aaron captures what they say is, "I don't believe you;" to me sounds "I don't belong here."  Since he says if it talks to them then they won't throw it out.  Jay and Billy cleanse the house.  Which Aaron said was okay now on Twitter, but will return if anything else happens.

Ghost Adventures 21.4 "Nightmare in Antelope"

                                           
Another episode focusing on an exorcism and how Leila and her family have been menaced and attacked by a dark entity, possibly demonic.  How she has been attacked in her home, as well as her daughters, Mary and  Mariah having bruises on arms and seeing a black mass in the corner of the room.  Calling on Zak to help.  His "utter" sounded like "udder".  He feels the darkness even before entering Leila's house.  This has followed her here from her old house and this means it was either possibly attached to her or some object.  He refers to "old hag syndrome" when something pushes down on your body.  She doesn't put much into the paranormal.  Eliseo, her husband had witnessed her hair being pulled and something pushing her.  She doesn't remember going into rage, as Zak feels the same later on in the investigation, even wanting to strangle Aaron at one point.  Her eyes have also turned black.  During the interview, the room turns cold and she has to leave.

Zak places a crucifix on the chair and has readings on the geophone, it turns warmer and a voice on the recorder: "nothing will help you."  The Polaroid photo reveals a demonic face with horns, which I saw immediately, especially since from far away it also resembled an upside down face.  Aaron catches "it's so cold" and "hate Bagans" on the spirit box.  Could also be "hate begins"??  Did anything happen to Jay or was it just them three who were affected.  Even Bishop Bryan says the photo looks like a demonic entity.  Leaving cameras behind, they find something goes into the foot of Eliseo and makes him shake.  As well as lots of banging sounds.  Then something in front of the bed, as it appears to fall in front of it from top to bottom under the sheets, which the Bishop says could be bilocation.  His foot movement explains the Bishop, happens when a person has a "demonic infestation but not yet exhibiting demonic oppression."  Leila has also kept objects from her ex's after he shot himself in front of her.

Leila is exorcised and Zak retrieves the box she has in her closet leading to the onslaught of a coughing fit. Inside are some form of ashes but they aren't her ex's.  They are burned in a religious fire and this is the closure that she needed.  He also takes a reading on the geophone and gets spiking outside.  As the box is opened, voices come through "it's found" and "discovered."  I hear "guess you can" when Billy asks if it's trying to make him sick.  Zak thinks she could have gotten a dark attachment when she witnessed her ex take his life.  Why would he even do that in front of her, was he possessed or affected in some way, especially having those ashes.

Belgravia Episode 2

                                         
Onslaught of lots of new characters this ep all lumped in together, some with prospects of extra marital affairs such as Susan (Alice Eve) and John (Adam James) what was the attraction there anyway.  Obviously Charles (Jack Bardoe) and Mariah (Ella Purnell)would hit it off and they come across as more suited to each other.  But with a pyriah of a mother in Lady Templemore (Tara Fitzgerald) looks like she'll pull for their marriage, don't know why since John won't be getting any inheritance by the time this show is done by the looks of things. 

Anne (Tamsin Greig) must regret telling Lady Brockenhiurst (Harriet Walter) about their grandson, it really wasn't the reaction Anne was expecting and she would not keep their secret, she's not that type of woman, she's an aristo and Anne confronting her about revealing the secret in public so her son will be vindicated and not seen as the cad he was, scheming at that and Sophia was the "slut" as Lady Brockenhrst says with relish.  Lots of secrets revealed here too as Anne learns how her husband, James (Philip Glenister) has been in touch with Charles and couldn't stay away from him, using business as a pretext to see him.  But why hide it, at least they could've spent time with him together.  Though he was right in Anne not telling Lady Brockenhurst a she didn't deserve to know with her reaction.  It is she who should be pitted with a son like Bellasis and not Sophia who would be shunned by society, eventually, but ya know, she was a woman and everything so...so men are never wrong and neither are their stuck up society mothers.

Lady Brockenhurst taking on the Duchess of Bedford's tea drinking ideas in her own home too.  As the Trenchard's are invited to the lavish dinner party after Lady Brockenhurst seeks out Charles under the pretext of wanting to invest in his business.  Yeah she knows plenty about cotton.  We get to meet Bellasis's father too, Earl Peregrine Brockenhurst (Tom Wilkinson) and his side of the family.  With his brother, Rev Stephen Bellasis (James Fleet) Reverand as he was the youngest and that was something to do.  As well as his overbearing nephew, John, who is the heir.  Hoping he'll be put in his place once they find out about Charles, who seems to be a decent bloke.  Also raised by a clergyman who was given a baby to raise with his wife as their own as they were a childless couple.  Although Charles does know about him being adopted.

More gossip downstairs too as Ellis (Saskia Reeves) thinks she could've been a housemaid by now and had staff under her, but really she seems to be wanting to stay in her position for gossip if nothing else, didn't come across as being out of loyalty.  As well as Brockenhurst's butler, Jenkins (Martin Bishop) knowing everything about the family.  Thus he would know what a cad Bellasis was too.  As Anne brings up another relative of the Brockenhurst family who did exactly the same thing and deceived a woman by pretending to marry her.  Again it's all hush hush and swept under the carpet less their name should be dragged through the mud.

Poor Anne seems to be forever needing to forgive her husband and no sooner does she do so she discovers another indiscretion or secret he's been harbouring and going behind her back.  She should have done as the doctor said and taken in Charles as their own, even if Sophia didn't want it that way.  As she bitterly regrets this now.  He was family and surely they could have made up some story about distant relatives.  Of course that's not how the story goes or there wouldn't be any drama.  Ella Purnell was last seen in Wildlike with Bruce Greenwood, by me at least.

Ghost Adventures 21.3 "Union Brewery of Death"

                                           
From the outset why did this ep feel so familiar, almost a case of deja vu, demons/negativity aside.  Union Brewery, Virginia City was a bar/brothel and was reported to be haunted by something dark, as well as possibly having a portal of some sort.  This I thought was pertinent especially when Aaron felt attacked in the basement and the stick figures on the SLS as they seemed to vanish so quickly.  The same when Jay was in the basement later and caught that emanating light anomaly in the corner.  It was either hiding out maybe to escape the infrasound or heading towards a portal.  Zak interviewing Dawn who spoke of her late husband, Nick and how she found him in the upstairs apartment.  She felt he was obsessed with the building.  Perhaps it wasn't the building per se, but the entity haunting it.  Zak again asking leading questions, such as husband being two different people.

He spoke with her friends, Jackie and Dan.  Jackie spoke of being touched on her thigh and how she found herself kissing another woman on her neck.  Reportedly, a woman was raped in this building in the day and a woman and her two children died in a fire there.  Which Christina, the medium has encountered on previous occasions and told her they couldn't cross over as they were being held there by a dark man. Christina saying there is something non-human here via a portal.  Aaron felt too ill and didn't want to call it quits on the investigation.  He was left upstairs on his own, whilst the three of them went to the basement.  Though Zak didn't go in there alone, but Jay did when he and Billy investigated the apartment upstairs.

Split screen again to show what was happening to Christina and what Dawn was saying to show the similarities. The voice was more of a growl than actually speaking.  Christina faints after she comes out from the basement.  Dan says the building affected Dawn's husband.  Also a medium saying she saw a woman getting attacked on a table.  The entity kills all men and possesses women.  The stick figure looked as though it was pounding Aaron on his head.  The first voice Billy and Aaron hear sounds like she's saying "Dawn" not "go."  Orbs/anomalies are caught in the basement and one appears to go through Billy. 

They catch another anomaly by the bedroom door and Jay uses infrasound to aggravate the entity in an attempt to make the spirit leave.  Zak uses the APF Processor by Gary Galka, sure he's used that before, with the SB7.  The female voice at 32.02 sounds like she says "help."  33.14 sounds like "goodbye."  As well as capturing some sort of an entity on a Polaroid photo.

Belgravia Series 1 Episode 1

                                               
Another series from the pen of Julian Fellowes and yes it is rather Downton Abbey wouldn't you say, even the music has a distinct air of Downton to it.  Whereas the opening titles are more Sanditon.  As with Vanity Fair, this begins with the end of the Napoleonic Wars and the Duke of Wellington's impending victory at Waterloo.  Focusing on the Trenchard family, with the father, James (Philip Glenister) being the one responsible for acquiring supplies for the army: a Jack of all trades and known as 'Magician'.  A victualler.  He wants to attend the ball given by the Duchess of Richmond (Diana Kent) and his daughter, Sophia (Emily Reid) has acquired three invites for each of them from the Edward Lord Bellasis (Jeremy Neumark Jones) also the nephew of the Duchess.  A cad in disguise, only Sophia's too smitten to see through the veneer.  Not heeding the warnings of her mother, Anne (Tamsin Greig) who is loathed to attend the ball.  And no she doesn't think she married below her status with her husband as she tells Sophia.  (Pronounced So-phi-ya.)

Anne thinks the ball will be a disaster anyway and she doesn't need to be against it.  The Duchess of Richmond is also loathe to have them here, after all they're just 'commoners' trying to muscle in on this society do, irrespective of there being a war on.  Felt more like a last farewell for the military who were anyone with a title.  As it was also attended by the Prince of Orange.  Sophia still besotted with Edward can't bear it when they leave immediately for the battlefield with the advancement of Napoleon and Waterloo.

Victory is sealed and Bellasis is lost which leaves Sophia heartbroken but also hiding a secret.  The drama moves on 26 years to Belgravia, London and we learn that Sophia is dead, she died shortly after the battle.  At this point and her conversation with the Duchess's sister, Belasis' mother, Lady Brockenhurst (Harriet Walter) you get the impression either Sophia isn't dead or she's been kept in hiding re a baby.  So as to avoid embarrassment, as Anne said as much in the beginning.  It was all about reputation.  Anne attends a tea thrown by the Duchess of Bedford and it is her idea to do so, since they can sit with anyone they want to and leave when they want to.  Here she encounters the Duchess again as she catches her plate from falling, reminiscing on old times and speaking of Sophia.  She's overheard by Lady Brockenhurst (sounds like Brocklehurst from Jane Eyre) who later speaks with Anne privately.  Flashing back to the soldiers coming to balls at the house and Sophia dancing with Bellasis.  It is a strained meeting as there isn't much to tell about him and Sophia. 

At dinner with Anne, Oliver, their son (Richard Goulding) and his wife, Susan (Alice Eve) who Anne dislikes immensely and the feeling is mutual.  The conversation is strained and they don't want Oliver to go beyond the status he is accustomed to or to rise above it.  Having a full blown disagreement in front of the servants and so of course, you get the servants gossiping downstairs, as in Downton with varying views on the family, even after Turton (Paul Ritter) has said they shouldn't speak so as they pay their wages.  Yet joins in with them.  How very droll, not.

Anne wants to tell Lady Brockenhurst about her grandson, but Trenchard disagrees as he doesn't want his daughter to be seen as a "harlot."  Another flashback to Sophia marrying Bellasis and having been given permission by her father, who wanted better things for her and honestly the status wouldn't hurt him either in business.  Sophia tells her she's pregnant and how she was duped into marrying him.  Thus explaining the look of horror on her face at the ball when she spots the parson, one of the military men.  She'd also hate being known as a "street walker."  Thus they go away and under an assumed name up north, she gives birth to a son and dies from complications of bleeding out.

Eventual comparisons will be made to Downton, obviously since it's that similar, but trying to maintain a modicum of difference.  Exposition on Thomas Cubbitt, architect was funny in the sense that he was well known, but did we really need the long clunky detail of how Trenchard fit into their line of work.  As well as Oliver, tad snooty, brought up that way, but then being made to live it down as he will be given a meagre little house to live in, even if as one of the servants stated, Susan brought money to the family.  Which doesn't help Anne any as she was so enamoured with Sophia, as she tells the duchess how they shouldn't have favourites and the implication being Sophia was hers.