Smallville - 10.11: "Icarus" Review

Clark finally pops the question to Lois. Oliver is attacked whilst saving a woman from a mugger and Carter Hall/ Hawkman is killed whilst saving Lois from Slade.

Clark (Tom Welling) takes another look at the engagement ring, when waiting for Lois (Erica Durance).   He's made reservations for dinner at an expensive restaurant, but she prefers to just have dessert at home.   He promises her dessert even if he he has to fly to Madrid for cherries and hot chocolate.   Lois wants to spend time with him, yet she was stopping him at every opportunity when he was coming up with all the suggestions and having booked a busy restaurant too.   She'd like to pretend for one night that the world isn't crazy.   The government has updated their status from vigilantes to terrorists.

Clark calls Lois at the phonebox and tells her to look up, he throws petals from the sky and then proposes on bended knee.  Now that's how a proposal should be, unashamedly romantic: raining petals from the night sky.   Clark tells her she's "the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with, the woman that I love."   Well she accepted his proposal without any questions or longwinded answers.   Lois speechless again aside from the word 'yes'.

Lois leaves a message for Oliver (Justin Hartley) then tries to show off her ring to everyone, which Cat Grant (Keri Lynn Pratt) notices.   At the first sign of trouble, make sure Cat's around to start it.   Lois gets a note from Chloe: "they say you never know what fate has in store for us; but I say you can see some happy endings coming from a mile away."  Well that and having actually seen the future helps.  Flashback to 10.1 Lazarus with Chloe (Alison Mack) and Lois, when she questions Chloe on how she and Clark can have a life together.   Had to bring up Lana, she's not "the one fated to be in Clark's life." Nah she was too weak and wishy-washy.   She gives Lois "something borrowed."  Cat's first question is whether Lois is expecting.   She gloats Lois doesn't have to write about the VRA anymore.

Tess, (Cassidy Freeman) Oliver and the others throw them a surprise party.  Tess must've seen the petal shower from the surveillance cameras at Watchtower.  Seems Lois has forgotten about those.   Oliver tells Clark that a lifetime with Lois deserves moral support.   He wanted that lifetime with her too last season.  Oliver is now labelled a terrorist, yes but Clark already said all of the vigilantes are known as terrorists now.  Clark asks Oliver to be his best man since he's there for the worst days, now he wants him to be there for the best ones too.   Carter (Michael Shanks) married Shayera a hundred times, so he'd know all about weddings.  He also had to lose her that many times too.   He tells Oliver he's sorry about Chloe.   He doesn't get warm and fuzzy too often.   They miss their loved ones most at a time like this.   Oliver wants reassurance they won't hug each other now.  Carter: "Fear should never decide love."  That's twice Chloe's been mentioned now, in readiness for the next episode.

Oliver saves a woman from a mugger and is himself attacked by the crowd, when one man recognizes him as the Green Arrow.   That's funny, he wasn't recognized as Oliver Queen, but as his alter ego.   A few episodes ago he told Lois he has to travel incognito and hide to avoid being recognized and has a body double.  Stargirl/Courtney (Britt Irvin) and Carter have to rescue him.  Oh funnily enough, Clark couldn't hear all that commotion now!  At the farm, Lois tells Clark this is the first party where she doesn't have to hide anything from anyone and she's happy to take a backseat to all his responsibilities.   Clark can handle both if they're together.   Maybe he can't cos it takes Lois to turn on the TV and see the news report on Oliver for Clark to be aware of the situation.   How come Clark didn't hear that on the TV either, he has to watch it when Lois tells him.

"Queen without a country" is the headline Cat was vying for for the Daily Planet and she berates Tess for not letting them run with the story and the photo, cos Cat wanted the glory for the vigilantes being arrested.   The farm is searched for Clark and Tess and Dr Emil (Alessandro Juliani) are arrested.   Clark asks why Oliver didn't call him.   Carter told Oliver the "human speedbag" would want to know.   Oliver wanted him to spend time with Lois, as if he would when that was happening, cos it concerns all of them.  Slade (Michael Hogan) is seen to be alive on the TV and blames Oliver for the explosion.   Black Canary (Alaina Huffman) is weary that Slade knows too much about them.  Clark tells them Slade needs to pay for his crime.   Then decides it's time they all went underground.  Oliver comments they're "all card-carrying members of the fugitives club." Clark shuts down Watchtower.

Lois looks at the paper with photos of: the Blur, who has a question mark for his photo.  Green Arrow, Impulse, Supergirl, Stargirl, Black Canary, Aquaman, Hawkman, Zatanna.   Who are all on the 'most wanted list'.  Trotter (Lori Ann Triolo) talks about Clark.  Lois finds Tess, Dr Emil and Cat all awaiting questioning.   Lois trying to text Clark, didn't she realize the phones would be bugged.   Dr Emil works for the poor of the city who can't afford medical help and Trotter points out he's on Oliver's payroll.   She doesn't want Oliver, only his friends.   She wants their real names.   A bit of a strange plotline here, since if they have their photos, surely the military can find out their real names.   Look how easy it was for Chloe (okay she's Chloe) and Clark to find out about Carter and the Justice League last season (episode Absolute Justice Part 1.)  Someone like Zatanna should also be easily identifiable.

Lois tells her that her relationship with the Blur is non-existant.   Trotter refers to all those quotes she has from him for her articles.   Er there's more than one way of getting quotes and they don't necessarily have to be obtained in person.   Then Trotter goes on to say she wants the Blur, Clark Kent in person, so she already knows about him so how come there was no photo for him on the poster.   Carter finds Clark at Slade's office, he's there for answers too; saying, "you don't go underground until you're dead." An obvious line for what's in store for him.   Clark is more worried that Lois' relationship is more with the Blur and not with Clark, instead of focusing on the matter at hand.   Oliver arrives too and comments that they can't follow orders even if they gave them themselves.   He talks about Slade's 'mega-marker darkness thing'  which Carter tells him is called "Omega." The Darkness is behind everything.   Carter recalls humanities darkest hours and having seen them all, including the Spanish Inquisition, the Third Reich and a "brighter force rose to send the darkness back."

Clark says Carter helped then, now it's their time.  Carter: "justice isn't only blind, it's broken." They must stop Slade.   Clark has a plan to put Slade where he can't hurt anyone.   Lois tells Trotter they won't be seen as good if they target civillians without proof.  Tess has news for Trotter, she works and Oliver plays, but Oliver once played with Tess.   Did Trotter think she'd get anywhere with this 'questioning.'  Lois finds Tess's secret passage and runs into none other than Cat.   Lois knows Cat ratted them out and now she can do something good for the heroes who are risking their lives to protect them and tells her Cat's a good reporter.   Cos if all else falls, there's always Cat's ego to appeal to.   That the Blur saved Cat twice without her knowing it.   Cat tells her Slade has a new way to take care of the "heroes."  He's using Oliver to find the others.

Slade calls his hunt for the vigilantes Operation Icarus, which Oliver says applies to fallen heroes who reached too far.   Clark has to wait to be asked to look at the computer footage again.   Slade is using their own security systems against them.   Carter attempts to type on the computer, he misses his typewriter.   Olives jokes "you miss your telegraph." Why send Clark to the Planet, when Carter has to go to Oliver's office.   Clark misses Lois there and so much for his hearing, he doesn't hear anything happening at Oliver's office or Lois falling.  Slade waits for Lois and Carter and he battle it out, finally Slade stabs him.  Carter sets fire to the gas which explodes and Lois is thrown out of the window.   Oh Lois you always get in the way.   So Carter has to save her for Clarkie.   Yeah all those centuries, Hawkman saves humanity and now Clark's on the scene, he suddenly becomes so useless and has to die.   Carter flies after Lois akin to Icarus with burning wings when he flew too close to the sun.   Prophetic or ironic.   Clark heard the explosion but nothing else.

Slade: "...see a man with burning wings plummet from the sky..." Clark sends Slade elsewhere using his Kryptonian gadget, probably the Phantom Zone.   Carter has something for Clark, Lois in his wings.   It's too late for help.   Carter: "I'm a pro at dying."  It's all their fight and not just Clark's.   He'll be with Shayera now.  Carter: "We can't do what we have to do if there's an emptiness in our hearts."  They accompany him all the way to Egypt to bury him next to Shayera.   Lois sees a pyramid-shaped object appear which zaps them all with a blinding light.

So much for it being said not much happened this episode.  Hey not much: Clark and Lois finally got engaged; and Hawkman died a miraculous one hundred and one times.   He did say in 10.2 Shield that he's awaiting his death to be with Shayera again.   But it was sad to see him go.   Slade may be gone for now, but Trotter still knows who Clark is and she's still around.   As is the VRA and they're all still fugitives for now.   Slade comments he escaped the "Grim Reaper's death stroke." Deathstroke is Slade's alter ego in the comics.   Luckily we only had a week to wait for the next episode.

Lois tells Trotter the VRA shouldn't put the Vigilante's faces on air, but she was looking at the 'Most Wanted' poster with their photos on it, aside from the Blur.   When did Zatanna become a Vigilante.   When Oliver looks at the Daily Planet's security feed, Tess and Lois have photos on their files but Dr Emil doesn't, when Trotter knows his identity and has him in custody too.   The song used at Hawkman's funeral was City Lights by Paul Taneja, which was a fitting song under the circumstances, neither sad nor happy.

Lie To Me - 1.9: "Life Is Priceless" Review

Cal and Gillian are called to a collapse at a construction site and must determine who was behind it, whilst Ria and Eli are hired by a millionaire to discover if his fiance loves him or his money.

Cal (Tim Roth) is asked to look into a collapse at a construction site by FEMA where three construction workers are missing.  Everything is in chaos with the FEMA agent Greg Stevens, Boulware (Richard Brooks) and the construction foreman, Kevin (Fredric Lehne) blaming each other , causing Cal to grab a bullhorn.   Stevens (Chris McGarry) gives Cal the lowdown.   Boulware tells where the focus of their search has been.   Gillian (Kelli Williams) gives Ria (Monica Raymund) and Eli (Brenden Hines) one of her cases and joins Cal at the site.  Ria tells her to drive fast as Gillian comments she needs to get there before Cal alienates everyone.

Cal and Gillian question the worker who last saw the men and he appears to be holding something back.   Cal shows his photos  and asks him to describe the emotions he sees from the photos.   The only one he gets right is disgust, cos as Cal explains, no one can lie about being disgusted.   He admits he's an addict and he lied about where he saw the men.   Dogs are brought to the site and banging can be heard, directing the search to that sector.

Eli and Ria meet with Jason Kachani (Pej Vahdat) a millionaire who wants to hire them to determine whether his fiance loves him for his money.   She insists when they met she didn't know who he was.   Ria refuses as they don't look to invade people's privacy.   He writes them a cheque which makes them change their minds.   Gillian is told about the amount (we're not) and she tells them to take the case.   As the saying goes, it's easy money.

The Mayor of Frostberg, Meredith Fallon (Cheryl White) lied at the press conference and Cal asks why.   She feels responsible for what happened as she made the construction company hire more men than needed.   The men have been located by a fibre optic camera and are alive.   One of them Cal notices shows fear when told they will be rescued soon.   He thinks Jered Blunt (Shea Whigham) is responsible for the explosion.   Did you notice the look that passed between Jered's wife and Kevin when she was leaving the trailer?   There was something going on there.   Cal questions Jered's wife, Valerie (Lauren Bowles) and thinks domestic violence may be involved and when Cal and Gillan put on an act for her, culminating in Gillian slapping Cal, she's clearly disgusted.

Cal wants Jered's photo blown up and sends it to Eli, who believes Jered is lying.   Ria leaves with Michael (Ramon De Ocampo) to question Nadia (Virginia Williams) and Eli says he always tells a woman how much money he's got, which is why he doesn't get another date.   Cal realizes Jered is exhibiting muscle spasms and suffers from multiple sclerosis.   Cal and Gillian also see Kevin and Valerie being very friendly with one another, showing they were intimate with each other.   Kevin tells them  they had an affair when she was separated from Jered, but she went back to him.   From his use of language such as 'cloud nine' etc, Gillian deduces he's not lying.   Jered says he was using a blowtorch and dropped it when his hands shook.

Ria meets with Nadia pretending to know her from college and they talk.   She tells Ria the same thing she told Jason, that she didn't know who he was when they met but she loves him.   Eli shows this to Jason and says Nadia is lying, as she's not using her hands, known as 'illustrators' when she talks about him.   Jason leaves and Ria wants him to stay as there's more  to tell him.  That was Eli being blunt and so to the point again, i.e.clinical cos he's had trouble with lies and women, he thinks it's fine to think the same and that

Nadia is lying point blank.   Ria adds Nadia was using illustrators when she talked about Jason, but Eli just dismisses her as using, 'manipulators.' - touching her ear etc, which is what Farida did in 1.7 Do No Harm.   They conclude Nadia does love him and his money.   Eli justifies this by asking Jason if he finds her beautiful, which is one reason why he loves her and she loves his money in the same way.   Yet the two aren't mutually exclusive and can be used to decide she's okay to marry, since one is a physical attribute and the other's an attribute of a different sort.   Eli suggest Jason should get a prenup.

Boulware lies to the press about the blowtorch causing the explosion .   He was bribed to miss an inspection and is concerned the cause of the explosion may be methane, making Cal call off the drilling, but no one listens.   The trapped men are told to move into the lift shaft and seconds later, there's an explosion.   Jered is killed, speeding up the inevitable death he was facing anyway.  Gillian accuses Kevin of knowing about the methane and bribing Boulware, which he denies.   Cal notices the expression of relief on Meredith's face as someone else is being accused, showing she's responsible.   She never meant for this to happen.

Gillian and Cal return to the office where there Gillian gives Cal a real drink.   Gillian: "Why do people think they're the only one with a secret?"  Funny she should ask that and to Cal of all people.
Cal: "Human nature I suppose."  Cos they've both got secrets and Cal knows Gillian's but she doesn't seem to want to admit it.  As Cal earlier asks how her husband is when she was calling Alex.   Gillian: "How'd you know...don't do that."  He was watching her expression when she called him and she doesn't like that.   Cal and Gillian acting like an old married couple when they put on the 'act' for Valerie.

Eli referring to Nadia as a hanging fly with yet more references to intercourse.
Ria: "It's not so easy to be open about money."
Eli: "I always tell women exactly how much money I have in the bank on the first date."
Sylvia: (Jessica Wright) "And you wonder why you never get a second." Thought it would be the nature of Eli's work that would drive women away and not really his bank balance, but then again he can be so brutally honest, or dishonest when he lied to Gillian last episode to save himself.

Kevin: "My men need engineers and rescue workers, not a couple of freakshow shrinks pointing fingers."
Cal: "She's the shrink, I'm the freakshow."  And he means it too.

CSI: NY - 1.10: "Night, Mother" Review

A woman is caught with her hands inside another woman's body and is suspected of her murder. Mac seems to think she may be innocent and needs to prove this. Danny and Aiden look into pickpocketing.

In story 1, a night basketball game leads to the discovery of a woman performing a heart massage on another.   Flack (Eddie Cahill) deems it an open and shut case.   The Vic was Rachel Camden, ( Ranjani Brow) married and divorced.   Flack says the suspect was covered in blood and the murder weapon was found next to her.   Stella (Melina Kanakaredes) says the Vic died instantly.   Mac (Gary Sinise) comments on it being a "crime of passion between two apparent strangers."  She looks at Mac.  Stella processes her for trace, talk about giving her the rough treatment.   She drinks water and Stella takes the glass.

In story 2, the DB of an unidentified man is found.   Danny (Carmine Giovinazzo) notices the presence of blood spatter.   Aiden (Vanessa Ferlito) notices his pockets have been turned inside out and he doesn't have a wallet or keys.    Hawkes (Hill Harper) removes his clothes (no not his own clothes!) and finds fibres on his socks and money in his undies.   COD was blunt force trauma and he had collapsed nasal bones, showing he was beaten with great force.   Danny thinks it's brutal for a robbery.     The Vic wore contacts, implanted for people with serious astigmatism.   There were clinical trials in the US.   Aiden looks at his lens to find a name.   Danny processes the money.

Hawkes posits the Vic in the first story was killed using a wooden stake, akin to a "crude knife," penetrating her heart.   There's some sort of resin in her hair.   Mac takes a lock of hair and a sexual assault kit is done.   Rachel's husband, Todd (Corin Nemec) is questioned and he doesn't know the suspect, named Ophelia (Heather Kafka).    Stella process the evidence and discovers cardiac muscle tissue taken from Ophelia's hands.   The prints on the stake belong to her.   Mac checks the surveillance footage and Flack believes Ophelia killed Rachel.   Mac: "What's your rush to put this woman away?"  Flack: "You saw her, what's your rush not to?" They make Flack appear eager to get the job done here, without waiting until the evidence is in, but Mac appears unduly sympathetic.   They usually only do that with Mac when he's sure the suspect is innocent, otherwise more times then not, he sometimes is quick to rush to judgement, just like Stella.

Mac replies to this, "In all my years of doing this, there's one thing I've learned - sometimes, the slam dunks are the most deceiving."  The video shows Rachel and Ophelia, Mac wonders why a stranger would stab her and then try to grab her heart.    Again he asks why?  She doesn't recall the injury on her shins and Ophelia disposing a corpse is a misdemeanour in NYC.   Mac tells her she wasn't disposing but tampering with evidence, which is a Class E felony.   She's a paralegal and hasn't met Rachel.  Ophelia is sorry for keeping Mac up so late.   Mac: "You're not keeping me up."  As we know Mac doesn't sleep.   Stella's got a bit of a sloppy lab technique.   The residue from the water Ophelia drank shows nicotine.   There's nothing at the scene to show what made the shin injuries.

At her apartment, Mac believes she lived in fear.   She was trying to stay in and her door opens into the hallway.   Which is nothing new really, since most US doors open outwards.   There's a child's book with an inscription to Chris.   Stella tells Mac that according to Flack, she didn't have anyone.   He was right, as we'll see at the end, she didn't have anyone.   Stella trying to imply Flack can't do his job!  Sorry love that's you.   There's a step ladder near her bed and blood, so she hit the ladder when she woke up.   Ophelia is a sleepwalker.

Doctor Rydell (Scott Valentine) diagnoses her as a parasomniac, stuck between stages 3 and 4 of sleep; caused by trauma, depression.   Stella brings out the big books again with her comment, "the unconscious mind overrides the conscience self."  Stage 4 is partial arousal where Ophelia wakes up and hits her legs over and over in a stabbing motion.   Mac tests out the splinter pattern on a pig by stabbing at it.   Dr Giles (Grant Albrecht) says, "thy science is after all sadness."  Mac knows that's Thomas Hardy and asks for some help.   Well, a hand, literally.   The murderer was pushing against the grain of the wood.   The splinter pattern is different and these will be shown on the killer's hands.

Danny processes the money and finds fingerprints.   Sequential Aussie bills.   Aiden finds the lens trial was at NYU and the prints Danny found match Ryan Mallone (Nicholas Pratley).   He changed money at JFK.   He hasn't seen the DB and the name on the lens matches Lenny Cook (Craig Baxley Jnr).   At the apartment they find mannequins with bells, which Danny explains to Aiden are practise dummies for pickpockets to perfect their 'trade.'  Danny tells Aiden to try it and then comments, "you're such a girl." Danny finds money under a torn carpet and blood.   Which could be ketchup stains as Danny recalls from his time at the 63 Precinct.   Also found is an NYC train pass.   One of the stains isn't ketchup but blood.

The sexual assault kit shows a condom was used recently and there's resin in Rachel's hair,  identified as architect's glue.  Stella thinks her hair was brushed up when that happened as there's evidence of "motion and  and direction."    Various hair wigs are pulled with resin.   She had waves in her hair, thus she had implants in her hair and it was pulled.   Todd admits they fought and he suspected her of having an affair.   She didn't use birth control.   Mac believes Ophelia isn't the killer.   Stella: "You're never going to get any sleep in this lifetime."  Mac: "Not when there are questions keeping me up at night."  Ophelia noticed bruises on her body and she was putting on weight.   She put up barricades for herself but got around them.   She doesn't recall being outside.   Mac explains she subconsciously knew Rachel was dead, shown by her use of the word 'corpse'.

On the video, shadows are seen and Ophelia saw the killer but didn't realize.   Mac uses a spoon as the cornea is roughly shaped like that.   If she's in his blindspot it will reflect off.   Stella likens it to corneal imaging.   Magnify and reverse the image to show a T shirt and someone carrying a basketball under one arm.   The player who saw Ophelia, Jason (Bradley Stryker) is arrested and his bag is swabbed for blood.

Danny suggests the killer got on the train and then they work backwards, staking out a train stop where a suspect carries a fake baby.   Danny: "Don't take them down until they snatch the wallet."  Flack: "You telling me how to do my job now."  Yeah the cheek of it Danny! ha.   Her partner picks a man's pocket.   Eduardo asks 'who?'  Flack: with a rye comment, "He's an owl now." Eduardo has blood on his knuckles.   Mallone met the Vic and he scratches his wrist.   Danny: "Something's keeping me in suspense, you know there's something going on and and I can't figure it out."  Mallone scratches his wrist and Danny notices fibres are caught in his watch strap.   Some are left on the table and Danny analyzes them.   Aiden finds the fibres under Eduardo's nails are microscopically similar to brown paper.   GCMS shows green dye in the fibres.   Analyze clothes from Malone's apartment and Danny thinks he may have taken his pants to the cleaners, finding a dime in the fold of the leg.

Stella finds Jason had a splinter in his hand and a condom in his wallet so he had sex with Rachel.   He grabbed her from behind, she wanted to call it off and he stabbed her with the stake.

Danny finds the dime from the cuff of the pants has blood, which matches Lenny.   Mallone took all the money from under the carpet and was allergic to the jute under the carpet.   Lenny was skimming so Mallone was set as a mark and Eduardo beat him up.   Mac looks over the New York News Archives and finds out about Chris who was killed in a car accident.   Ophelia was mimicking the actions in her attempt to save her son, when she was trying to save Rachel.   She tells him his eyes were like Mac's.   Ophelia watched the surgeon in the ER when he tried to save Chris's life, he held his heart in his hand and that's what she was doing with Rachel.

More mention is made of Mac and his lack of sleep, which we get plenty of references to over the seasons.   In contrast to Ophelia and her irregular sleeping patterns.   Danny takes lead on another case with Aiden, it's so great watching these two work together and how they click with each other.   Stella on the other hand, is still attempting to be as clever as ever.   Also being heavy handed when processing Ophelia and convicting her even before all the evidence is in.   A bit like Flack, but then he's not the forensics guy and she should know better.

CSI episode I-15 Murders where a glass chard is found in the cuff of a suspect's pants, as the dime was found here.   Nick found some peanut dust in the cuff of some pants in Evaluation Day.   CSI season 2 episode Cool Change, fibres are found on a watch  and CSI:Miami season 7 episode Headcase, a suspect claiming amnesia was sent to an FBI facility to be tested.   Ophelia was tested here for sleep disorder.

Castle - 2.3: "Inventing the Girl" Review

It's New York fashion week and surprise, surprise Castle and Beckett have to investigate the murder of a model, and a face from Castle's past resurfaces.

A couple find a DB in a fountain.   Alexis (Molly Quinn) and Castle (Nathan Fillion) help Martha (Susan Sullivan) rehearse for a part in a play.   Alexis comments Martha would leave them if she landed the lead and went on tour.   Martha says Alexis would be sad but Castle would be happy.   Castle leaves when he gets a call, "death, murder mayhem" is almost becoming his catchphrase.   Alexis wants him to take her with him but he tells her to find her own "space to hide."

Ryan (Seamus Dever) can't find the DB's shoes and her purse is missing.   Lanie (Tamala Jones) finds she was stabbed in the back.   Castle posits she was a model, underweight, etc.   She was a model for New York fashion week and she'd been to a club.    Castle saying they descend here like locusts, only "locusts eat."  She was modelling for Teddy Farrow (Julian sands) and her dress is missing.   Castle comments he almost filed for custody of those dresses during his last divorce.  He can imagine the blurb of his next book: "New York City fashion week and the clothes are to die for."

Teddy claims the Vic, Jenna was stressed out and she was to be the face of his campaign.   She became bad tempered and paranoid.    Castle notices a woman who waves to him, Beckett (Stana Katic) tells him to "hook it." Sierra (Torrey DeVitto) was her best friend, allegedly and her pink satin pumps are missing.   The dress was one of a kind and Teddy asks for it back.   Beckett says it's got a hole in  the back where she was tabbed.   It's also evidence.  

Castle doesn't recall Rina (Shanna Collins) and she wants him to sign her magazine for her.   The Castle story and photoshoot is out (from 2.1) .   It was apparent Sierra was piling on the fake pity and not the pounds!  Jenna was meant to close the show but she'll get to do it now and become the face of the campaign instead.   Travis, (Matt Barr) Jenna's husband (my suspect cos they forget to look at the spouse first, first rule of detective work, always suspect the spouse.   I am beginning to sound like Tony (Michael Weatherly) here from NCIS.  

Travis claims to have looked for Jenna and filed reports of harassment with the police. She was sent letters and photos.   Ryan comments there wasn't any address or signature on the letters.   Esposito (Jon Huertas) sarcastically comments the 'anonymous stalker' was a rooftop photographer.   Beckett is determined to solve this case and not let Jenna down again.   Castle bought plenty of the magazine issues home.   Alexis breaks the news Martha didn't get the lead but got the crazy granny role.   Where she dies in Act 1 offstage.   Castle says he was picked up by a model.   Alexis: "It's a curse being so irresistible."  She asks if she's a Lola, Bree or Tatiana.   Alexis recalls her babysitter was named Rina.

Lanie finds signs she fought her attacker and had bruises.   Her dress was torn and she was stabbed with a long, sharp  glass object.   Castle: "She was stabbed with the Washington Monument."  Esposito found an SD card on the rooftop.   She also found traces of a drug used for ADD but model's use it for weightloss.   Beckett wonders why Jenna was stalked since she wasn't famous.   Beckett has a magazine on her desk and why wouldn't she since she was in there too.   Castle calls Beckett a cross between Sherlock Holmes and Angelina Jolie, at least she's been described that way by the reporter.   Beckett is upset and she told Ryan and Esposito about Rina.   Castle suggests they shouldn't talk about her like that, "She's somebody's daughter, somebody's babysitter."

There's a hit from the SD card to James (Jon Fleming).   Beckett noticed he had a comp card belonging to Jenna at his apartment, which she knows about.   A card used by models' agents.   Ryan and Esposito ask each other if knew of the comp card.   Obviously Beckett was a model or had associations with the industry.   She gave herself away there.   James has an alibi and denies writing the letters.   Travis says Jenna didn't use drugs and points the finger at Wyatt, (Jeffrey Pierce) the photographer.   That was dumb cos he led them right to the evidence and then back to himself.   He agreed to do another test for Jenna.  Teddy announces Sierra as the new face of his campaign.

Castle mentions the Talented Mr Ripley, Dead Ringers and Showgirls.   Beckett: "No one murdered anyone in Showgirls...I hear."  Which surprises Castle.   Castle spins another yarn about Sierra stabbing Jenna.   Beckett asks with the Washington Monument in her purse.   Rina gives the lowdown on Sierra about how she drugged models and  Beckett assumes she drugged Jenna too.   Ryan and Esposito show up with photos from the SD card.   James was the stalker after all.   Ryan asks if Beckett is "missing the glamorous life."  Beckett calls Castle, "big Rick" for which he thanks her.  

Sierra confesses to dozing Jenna and she slept with Wyatt for her photos and she enjoyed it.   Wyatt's room overlooks the fountain and he left the party early.   Castle finds the pink shoes at his place and there's a missing glass award too: his helo.  She was alive when she left.   She taped Wyatt to show Teddy and they fought.   She hit him with his helo.   Beckett says not everyone in the modelling world are predatory, again speaking from experience.   Beckett doesn't believe Wyatt killed her and didn't clean his place up.  Also why would he dump her in the fountain below his window.  

Beckett doesn't find any App on Jenna's phone for recording but she bought another phone and the GPS was on.   It was found in an alley.   Wyatt's story checks out and there's another recording.   Beckett is going to make the killer confess and since they didn't say who it was, it could only be Travis.    He suspected her of cheating on him and saw them together.   Beckett threatens to play the rest of the recording unless he confesses.   Castle also speaks when Beckett told him not to.   Travis killed her for nothing, she loved him and was going home to him.

Beckett was upset cos Castle didn't give her a copy of the book to read first since she's the inspiration.   He should have known and she should have asked.   Ryan and Esposito upload a photo of Beckett onto her computer from her modelling days.   She modelled one Summer, the money was easier than waitressing.   Martha did okay and gets to die onstage at the end of Act 1.   Rina comes over to watch DVDs with Alexis.   Castle wanted to have a friend looking out for Rina.

Castle going goo-goo eyes over a model - he can't place her face until Alexis tells him she was her babysitter and he gives up trying to chase her.   Hey he even ends up defending her, 'somebody's daughter/babysitter.'  How sweet.   Deep down, he's a big softie at heart and that's why we love him, though he won't admit it.   It'll tarnish his reputation as a womanizing playboy writer.   No dresses at dawn though (oh no just thought this could be interpreted as a bad joke, and it's not meant to be, you know dresses, models) no shaved heads and no continuity from last episode.   A bit of a shame - not even a mention of their bet.   They were all too caught up in the models this time round.  

Beckett defending the industry she once worked in was a nice touch.   Her character really has changed and evolved this season which goes to show how much she's developed and Castle's backed down from investigating her mother, though we know that won't last for long.   He's Castle after all.   Castle really believed Rina was coming onto him.   How easy was it for Ryan and Esposito to dig up things about Beckett - now if only they spent that much time on their cases!  Joke.

Good to see Castle's family didn't give him any clues this time as to solving the case, made a change.   Also it was Beckett who came up with the idea of the phone and how to break Travis into confessing.   She's a detective after all, ha.

Torrey DeVitto is of course married to Paul Wesley from The Vampire Diaries and she and Matt Barr were both in One Tree Hill.

NCIS - 7.9: "Child's Play" Review

The death of a marine found on a scarecrow leads to an exclusive school where children are paid to test out computer simulated military strategies. Ducky asks the team to join him for Thanksgiving dinner.

McGee (Sean Murray) takes the stairs.   Tony (Michael Weatherly) comments, "You have been looking increasingly Kate Mossish there McTim.   What are you down 2-3 lbs?" Yet another reference to McGee's weight.   Been a lot of that this season since Sean trimmed down.   Perhaps Tony should take a leaf out of his book! Ha.     Ducky (David McCallum) asks everyone to spend Thanksgiving with him, but they all have plans.  Tony's attending a poker tournament.   Ziva (Cote de Pablo) asks after Ducky's mother and comments she hardly recognizes Ducky these days.  Gibbs (Mark Harmon) tells them of the DB in the cornfield and Ducky gives him his invite.   Gibbs returns the favour; an invite to a cornfield.   Tony talks about maize, which is the Indian word for corn.   Ziva corrects him the Indian word for corn is "makki." He meant the American Indian, in which case he should've said Native American.

Ducky thinks about corn chowder as a first course for his dinner.  The DB was recently shot but not here and has a missing hand.  His name is Trevor, a corporal in the marines.  Tony comments perhaps the crows took his hand.   Ziva tickles Tony with a feather.  Tony recognizes he has a tattoo of the PCs, a local gang, lasered off.  Gibbs makes Ziva stand on Tony's shoulders and makes her look around the field.  Ziva aks Tony to "bend over," which causes Gibbs to smile.  Tony wants her off him now.

Gibbs finds Trevor has been at a Government Think Tank for over 6 months, the Sateler Institute.  Tony suggests "Smarty Pants McGee" should go there.   At the institute Krista (Lisa Sheridan) asks how Trevor died and Tony says, "not very nicely." The children at the institute test adult intelligence (no wonder Tony's there, ha.)  He had to try out the bike video game, did he think he was in Top Gun.  He associates this with a movie, Real Genius ( with Val Kilmer.  Trevor, was a bodyguard.   Angela (Madeline Carroll) was close to him.   Tony then has to try out the guitar.   Gibbs is impressed with the artwork.   Greg (Gabriel Olds) is the Youth programme Director .Gibbs questions Angela, she did the paintings and she offers him a cupcake.   Just as well Tony wasn't there.   He notices a fountain outside her window.

Trevor's car is located with a bullet in the door.  The fuel line was cut and there's a phone inside.  He was called by Eddie (Francis Capra).  Tony calls them both "esses." Eddie had unfinished business and calls him Zorro.   Tony asks if he had an alibi and Eddie refers to it as a lullaby.  Ziva says Trevor's hand was needed to access the door, which requires a palm print.   Two of Angela's collages are missing.  Angela is placed in protective custody.   Abby (Pauley Perette) attempts to recreate her Great Aunt's cranberry sauce recipe in the lab.   Abby: "What can I do for you, Gibblet?" Abby asks if he's going to Ducky's, cos someone's gotta carve the turkey, eat too much pie.   Gibbs tells her the recipe needs more sugar.  Again, Tony could have eaten all the pie!  Ziva asks Tony if he's "letting some blonde bombshell baste his bird?"

Ducky determines Trevor suffered a GSW to the head.  He's going to conduct a Psych evaluation on Angela.   Ducky asks where Gibbs goes on Thanksgiving?  D'Arcy McKinna (Carlease Burke) is asked in to be Angela's Guardian and Gibb's remembered what soda she likes to drink, as in episode 6.19 Hide and Seek, it's orange soda.   Angela asks Ziva if she's killed anyone.   Ziva has to tell her no, cos what else do you tell a child.   Angela stopping the lift, a la Gibbs.  Ducky talks about his first pet, a guinea pig named Hunker Munker and concludes Angela has secrets, she's a sensitive girl.  Eddie wanted Trevor to talk to his cousin.   Tony thinks Eddie was jealous of Trevor, as he couldn't get into the corps for himself.

Abby finds Angela has her own language code, she turned her art into letters and wrote a poem about a 'lady in a fountain'.   Well several clues there then.   Firstly it's the fountain that Gibbs saw through her window and secondly she must have seen someone in the fountain, or at least knows what happened.   The code relates to a frequency jamming signal for navy and marine ships and planes.  There were three deposits made into her mother's account for $60,000, so someone was selling the codes.   Tony thinks her painting looks like dolphins in the moonlight from those 'Magic Eye' posters.   Gibbs slaps Tony, he needs to focus.  (Which is what you do in one of those posters.)

Tony comments on the movie Bad Seed this time and wonders if Angela's seen it.   Ziva tells him she's just a girl.   Kristin's sister, Debra is missing.   So she must be the lady in the fountain.   Another movie reference from Tony in the form of this being Hannah and Her Sisters meets The 39 Steps.  Gibbs plays chequers with Angela and if she wins she'll tell him everything and replies she wasn't hiding anything.  Angela's mother says the money belongs to Angela for college.   Debra is found in the fountain at the Institute.   Angela saw what happened and runs away from Ducky's house when he and Ziva are charged with watching her.  Gibbs blames both Ducky and Ziva for Angela being missing.

Krista admits they sold the info to China to be made into games.   The info was old, but Gibbs adds it was still classified, so technically they committed treason.   Debra was seeing someone, no surprises for guessing who, Greg anyone?  Ducky posits Angela had everything in her room from the outside world, but there was nothing of herself.   Angela uses Ducky's credit card and is heading home.   Abby finds the connection between Trevor and Debra, she drowned in oil-based paint.   Thus paintings and thus the killer is Greg.   Who holds Angela at gunpoint to secure his escape.  Gibbs asks Angela the probability of Ziva missing her kill shot.   Calculated at 99.6%.   Of course she wouldn't miss, she's an assassin.   Thereby also answering Angela's question, well practically demonstrating it, she may have replied no, but she's killed Greg now, in front of her.

Everyone ends up at Ducky's Thanksgiving dinner, including Gibbs, who couldn't get any rolls.  Well another routine episode for NCIS; could have been better.   Another girl for Gibbs to relate to like his own daughter.   Ducky's on his own, but not everyone's noticed he isn't his usual self.   When Ziva called Angela's mother, the phone was off the hook, causing Ziva to get a busy tone, she says no one answered.

Angela asking Ziva if she's killed anyone and Tony thinking of the movie Bad Seed, in which a girl was suspected of killing a boy near the lake on a school picnic, with her ballet shoes.  Did Tony really suspect Angela of being a killer here.

Merlin - 3.5: "The Crystal Cave" Review

Merlin and Arthur, being pursued by bandits come to the Valley of the fallen kings. Merlin is taken to the Crystal Cave where he is shown future events which he must prevent.

Arthur (Bradley James) and Merlin (Colin Morgan) are being pursued by bandits in the forest, in a scene reminiscent of the BBC's other successful drama, Robin Hood, as fans of this will recall.

Arthur tells Merlin they'll outrun them before asking why Merlin never trusts him.  Of course they don't outrun them and Arthur leads Merlin into a cave, and  tells him he should trust him and that's coming from a future king.

It's actually called The Valley of the Fallen Kings.  Merlin tells him it's cursed but Arthur says it's only a myth.  They'll be safe from the bandits and Merlin should, "trust me."  Arthur is shot in the back by an arrow, as expected whenever he says to trust him, that's when things go awry.

Merlin sees no possible way out for them and attempts to provide comfort to Arthur.  He believes Arthur is dying.  In this time of need he is forsaken by his magic, the one thing he could rely on.  Merlin wishes Arthur would wake.  Merlin cries for Arthur.

He is then approached by an old man, named Taliesm (Karl Johnson), who tells Merlin not to waste his tears on Arthur, as his time has not yet come.   He knows who Merlin is and their meeting has been predestined, calling him by his name, Emris.  Their meeting has been written about for years.  Taliesm cures Arthur of his wound and saves his life.  Finally taking Merlin to a Crystal cave.  Merlin refuses to look into the cave; at the visions he is shown.  The future is apparent to him and Taliesm tells him there's a reason why he's here now, because of "secrets and futures not yet born" and they only show him secrets which are unique to Merlin himself.  He has to use these visions for good.

Merlin sees Morgana (Katie McGrath) with a dagger, dripping blood, a horse neighing, Morgana cloaked, stabbing Uther, Merlin screaming out.  This sets Merlin on a path where he believes he has to change the future and ensure these visions do not manifest themselves in reality.

With Arthur now conscious and recovered, he doesn't feel the wound in his back, Merlin comments that Arthur doesn't look like a toad and may magically transform into a handsome prince.  In their usual jokey banter.  Arthur tells Merlin he gives the orders and wonders what Merlin is hiding as he isn't his usual self.  He compliments Merlin on doing an excellent job with the bandits and gives him some credit in front of Uther.

As fate would have it, it's Morgana's birthday.  Gaius (Richard Wilson) tells Merlin he's lucky to have seen the cave as it has been mentioned by wizards in the past.   He also informs Merlin that Taliesm died over 300 years ago.  He was a seer to the old kings and the cave formed a part of his prophecies; stressing the urgency of Merlin's visions.  Gaius tries to explain it doesn't mean the events will happen now, if at all.  I said that even the name Taliesm is similar to "talisman."

There are more scenes in Arthur's bed chamber: he's getting a dagger for Morgana's gift.  Not exactly a gift for a lady, but then some would say she's far from a lady.  (There's a joke here between critics, that Arthur and Merlin have more than a prince/servant relationship and even more than a friendship as they are always in Arthur's chamber and Arthur is usually shirtless!)

Merlin spies Morgana with the horse as in his vision and believes the future he foresaw has begun, but Gaius still doesn't believe this signifies any impending doom.  Arthur shows Merlin Morgana's gift, which turns out to be nothing more than an ugly looking dagger.  But Merlin doesn't keep his mouth shut and has to tell Arthur that he should get her jewelry instead!

At the feast, Arthur now presents Morgana with a bejewelled dagger, as ornate as the one in Merlin's vision.

Merlin now takes the first shift outside Morgana's chamber spying her every move, believing his visions were shown to him for a reason.  Morgana is given a mirror for her birthday and as she breathes on it, a message is revealed from Morgause, asking her to meet  in the woods.

Merlin mistakenly believes Morgana is on her way to kill Uther (Anthony Head) and tries to stop her with a magic spell, this backfires on Merlin and Morgana falls down the stairs.  Morgana is having problems breathing and the bleeding in her head needs to be stopped.  She suffers from a broken cranium.  Merlin needed to prevent the future but he had no intention of hurting her.

Later, Merlin finds Arthur comforting Gwen (Angel Coulby) and feels guilty.  Arthur tells Merlin that he holds Morgana to be a sister to him and just as Arthur utters this comment, you know there's got to be something more to it.  Uther pleads for Gaius to use magic to cure Morgana.  He must "cure her, I don't care what remedy you use."  Referring to the old religion and sorcery.  Signifying the hypocrisy within the king.  Now that he needs her to be saved magic can be resorted to, but he's killed many for doing exactly that which is outlawed, i.e. using magic!

Uther reveals that Morgana is really his daughter.  So there it is, as soon as Arthur mentions the "sister" word, it's revealed that she is his sister.  The common people mustn't know who she is or there will be uproar.  Obviously Morgana could hear him when he said this, even though she was unconscious.  Thus setting in motion a new theme to the show: now Morgana will not only strife to kill Uther, but also to remove Arthur form the throne and to have it for herself and Morgause (Emilia Fox), or "Mongoose" as we prefer to call her.

This explains why Morgana could do no wrong in Uther's eyes, but what about the episode when he locked her up and almost had her killed.  Uther comments that Merlin is like a son to Gaius and he'll do anything to see children happy and not suffer.

Merlin, unable to bear the pain of everyone's suffering, summons the Dragon to cure her.  Poor dragon, even when he's been freed, he still can't be left alone to enjoy his freedom, with Merlin using blackmail on him, that he is the Dragon Lord and must be obeyed.   Even to the point of ignoring his warning that Morgana should not be saved, that "the witch must die."  The Dragon, knowing all along that Morgana was Uther's daughter.

The Dragon tells him that whatever evil follows will be a result of Merlin's doing.  Merlin saves Morgana leaving Uther to believe that Gaius came through with a magic remedy.  Merlin admits he had to save her, as watching their suffering was too much and Gaius warns Merlin he's playing with things that are beyond him and he has no control over.

Morgana urges Uther to admit she is his daughter, but he doesn't and he tells her feelings are more important than what people know.  Margeuse kills a servant boy to gain entry to the castle and she tells Morgana she now has a legitimate claim to the throne, whereas Morgana can only seek revenge for all of Uther's lies.

Gaius says Morgana knows the truth and so Arthur must be careful: she's of Royal blood, if Uther died, then Arthur is the only one standing between her and the throne.

Why did Morgause have to kill the servant anyway, alerting everyone to the presence of an intruder?  So that Merlin's visions can be fulfilled, as the vision of the blood dripping from a hand now comes true.  Merlin attempts to stop Morgana from killing Arthur, but she throws him against the wall, starting a fire in her chamber.  This is the real vision Merlin saw, the one where she stands over Uther, not the one when he saw her leaving before.  Merlin uses magic to break the window in Uther's chamber, causing Uther to wake up.  Morgana can only say she was afraid of the intruder and kicks the dagger under the bed.

Merlin is convinced he caused the future to occur: he didn't stop it.

An episode that shows Merlin's infallibility, that he can't do things because they seem right for him, that he can't save everybody and still be able to use his powers for good.  That evil will prevail no matter how hard he tries to make the right choice.  Sometimes there isn't a right decision to be made.

Also showing how Merlin, the boy, must now become Merlin the man.

Desperate Housewives - 8.11: "Who Can Say What's True" Review

Carlos is in rehab and Gaby needs Lynette's help to land a deal for his company. Lynette misses Tom but refuses to admit she's useless at odd jobs and Susan spills about Alejandro.

Mary Alice: "It's always easy to know who our friends are...when we're deluding ourselves - but the best of friends will  tell you the truth even when they know it will upset you."  Bree (Marcia Cross) shows the note to Lynette (Felicity Huffman) and Gaby (Eva Longoria).   Gaby asks why someone would kill for them.   Susan isn't here and so can't be pencilled in with the news.   She'll accuse them of keeping yet another secret from her.   Then she's keeping one from them too.   Lynette says they're still angry about each other.   Gaby implies Bree knows about the letters and the link between them and Lynette agrees.   Bree doesn't believe this is about her.   Mary Alice (Brenda Strong) "Yes, only your friends will tell you the truth, so when they warn you about someone suspicious; maybe you should listen to them."  Someone watches Bree.

Mary Alice: "Susan Delfino (Teri Hatcher) was on a mission and planned it down to the last detail, the right ID, plenty of cash...the small detail she hadn't  planned was what to do when she got there."  Susan calls Mike (James Denton) cos she doesn't know how to get into the house.   Renee (Vanessa Williams) calls on Ben (Charles Mesure) and she misses him.   That's unusual cos she never misses people.   Renee tells Bree Ben will never be "down under again."   Another of her sexual references.   Renee thinks her friends suggested botox to Bree and that's why she's drinking.

Gaby and Lynette forgive each other and decide to stay angry at Bree.   Renee suggests taking Bree to a 'naughty place' (that had connotations of its own as far as Renee's mind is concerned!) and she reluctantly agrees.   Bree just can't stop drinking maybe she should try rehab..   Marilyn (Jayne Entwhistle) brings by Carlo's mail and Gaby rakes the leaves over to her neighbour's lawn.  He can't make it to the meeting to land a major client.   Connie (Edie McClurg) [remember her from Valerie and the Hogan Family: the busy body neighbour] tells Susan Claudia Sanchez's husband disappeared so she's selling the house.   He has a step child.  Susan wants to help by buying Claudia's (Justina Machado) Lego pieces.   Marissa (Daniela Bobadilla) the step daughter is being abused just like Gaby was, it's obvious by the look on her face.  Susan buying them off with money as if that will ease her guilt.

Lynette decides to change the wiring in the house for herself and why doesn't she know where Tom keeps the flashlights.  Mike hasn't got any money and hasn't been paid and Susan's off squandering money.   Gaby needs needs Lynette's help with the meeting and maybe she should have just taken Lynette with her.   She wants Lynette to teach her.   Bree hates the "dive" Renee's taken her to and refers to Renee's assets as "Brontee sisters." Ah there were three of them, not two!  Gaby overdoes the use of "fiduciary" and even Penny (Darcy Rose Byrnes) knows what it means.   Lynette thinks Gaby should apply herself instead of using her looks and charms, which she's done "for as long as I've known you."

Bree talks to a man, Bradley (Rick Peters) who claims was at his reunion and he was "about to blow my brains out." What a thing to say especially as Bree was just doing the same last episode.   Susan talks with Marissa telling her she's got nothing to worry about cos Alejandro won't be back, ever.   Bree decides to swim naked in the pool with a complete stranger.   She's way out of her comfort zone.   He's caught by his boss and he's just his assistant.   In fact, the pants on him weren't even his.

Ben is stopped from taking a loan from a loan shark (Sal Landi) by Mike, who will remember his name.   Now that's another enemy Mike has so it increasingly looks like he'll be the one killed off.   Well I have to say it again.   Ben will never be able to pay him back and later when they share a drink together, Mike tells him about Renee's divorce settlement of $12 million.   Gaby uses big words at the dinner with the use of her trusty menu, which is given back to the waiter.   Oh those fake Brit accents were so irritating.

Lynette tells the kids she needs to learn this stuff cos Tom won't be back.   Ben comes over to wine and dine Renee by sweet talking her.   Renee knows he's sorry cos the wine is expensive...he's more interested in her now cos he can get money from her.  Lynette apologizes to Gaby, she's forever lectured Tom and now she misses him, as does Gaby miss Carlos.   Gaby thinks Lynette is right she can't use her looks anymore.   Lynette asks cos she's "getting older."  Gaby replies cos Carlos isn't here.   They have each other and keep touching each other's hands.   Also reminded me of last season when Carlos told Gaby to stay away from Bree and she did exactly the opposite, turning up in places like the two of them were having a secret affair.

Susan returns home, "I think this whole Alejandro nightmare is finally over." She spoke too soon.   Marissa suggests Claudia sell his bike since he won't be back.   Yes Susan give her a cheque with an address on it.   Who writes addresses on cheques anyway, they have the bank address, not home address?   Renee thinks Ben enjoyed himself.

Mary Alice: "Yes good friends will tell you the truth...even when the truth might be something we're reluctant to hear...we still have a great deal to learn...need to ask for help..we may be overlooking a golden opportunity.   Hearing the truth can often set us on another path but we never know where that path might take us or who might be watching."

I think Orson's watching Bree.   I just have this feeling.   Mind you it could be Rex, know I've said that before, come to think of it, let's just throw her entire family into the mix.   Susan  just goes on repeating the same mistakes she's always made in the past and hasn't developed as a character a great deal.   Going round telling things to complete strangers which could get her and her friends into strife, hasn't she learned anything from Vance and that entire fiasco?   As long as she gets a bee in her bonnet and attempts to appease herself, that's all that matters.   What happened to Gaby and the account? Think she probably lost it which is why she's so readily forgiving of Lynette, who is her usual self-controlling self.   Any wonder Tom saw sense and left.

In 1.15 Impossible, Susan caught Andrew and Justin in the pool.   Here Bradley is caught by his boss.   Bree's morality was abundant in this early episode, also here she just loses the plot.  Though she wasn't perfect in the past, don't think even Bree realizes what she's doing and how far she's unravelled as the person she once was.

In contrast to this season, in 1.15 again, the women decided to call the police regarding Martha's murder as they didn't want to withhold evidence.   Here they just covered up Alejandro's death.   Also in this episode Susan broke up with Mike after she found out the extent of his lies and what he had really done.   Just thought I'd mention it here for future reference, though I could be wrong with what's to befall them.   Not a patch on last week's episode which was more entertaining.

CSI: Miami - 8.10: "Count Me Out"

The CSIs chance upon a meth lab and soon there are explosions and CSIs getting injured. Natalia fobs off Jesse's weak attempt at an apology and then loses her hearing.

Jesse (Eddie Cibrian) enters a building and appears to shoot at Walter (Omar Miller)  who is clearly shocked.  

8 Hours Earlier they both play basketball - hearing sirens.   Jesse thinks they could use their help.   A car crashes after the police chase  and the occupant runs.   Jesse and Walter apprehend the driver, finding a DB in the boot of the car.   The driver says he didn't have a choice, to which Horatio (David Caruso) replies, "Everybody has a choice."  There's no blood in the car and fibres on the DB's sweater, which Horatio believes could be from insulation.   The driver says he was hijacked.

ME Tom (Christian Clemenson) finds the COD to be chemical.   Ryan (Jonathan Togo) trying to be clever, says he's no ME but believes the COD to be a blow to the head.   It's actually chemical asphyxia, leading to respiratory and cardiac arrest.   His trachea and lungs were inflamed.   So he was probably in prolonged agony and took about 12-13 hours for him to die.   His federal ID shows he worked for the US Census Bureau.

Jesse apologizes to Natalia (Eva La Rue) for the other night and standing her up.   Natalie comments "something in a sequin dress" came up.   Natalia refuses to work with Jesse, but goes to canvas the houses with Ryan.   Calleigh (Emily Procter) can't wait to get the boot in, "Something tells me this happens to you a lot." Same thing can be said for Calleigh!

Marie (Sharon Pierre Louis) is outside washing cars and works for Paula Olson (Kathleen York).   She has nothing to say and her employer, Olson sends her in abruptly and Calleigh explains that assaulting a police officer is a crime.  Ryan and Natalie come across a foreclosed house and Ryan sees insulation inside the house and calls Horatio.   Ryan gets to kick in the door here.   Natalia smells ammonia, thought Ryan would've smelt that when he was outside, since he appeared to be sniffing.   There's a rat poison box, duct tape, a bottle of ammonia and latex gloves.   They chance upon the meth lab in the next room and it's about to blow.   Natalia and Ryan are caught in the explosion.   (That's been done before, they always seem to find themselves in danger in CSI:Miami, more so than in the other two shows.)

Natalia can't move and Horatio and Ryan must help her out.   She calls Ryan brave for helping her out.   Ryan says she should go to the ER but she wants to stay on the case and already you can see that something's not right with her.   Also everyone who gets injured in CSI:Miami, refuse medical help, if they can.   Just like Calleigh refused to go to hospital after being caught in the fire.  Horatio is adamant they need to find who owns the house.

Marie is concerned about the explosion, which Calleigh picks up on.   Did you notice Marie look down and left when Calleigh was questioning her, a sure sign of lying; when she said she didn't see anyone in the house.

Tripp (Rex Linn) traces the house as belonging to Kevin's (John Patrick Amedori) father and shows him the keys to his house.   Kevin explains he was good at chemistry and a messenger, Tech, (Alexander Bedria) at uni  paid him to cook meth.   He tells them about another meth lab.   Ryan finds a clock and Horatio finds copper wire from the house that exploded.   There was a time delay device, so the house didn't just explode but the meth labs have bombs planted in them.   Starting a frantic attempt to warn Jesse and Walter, but both their phones are off.  Once inside the building, Jesse hears a sound  and spots a trip wire and a clock.   It's a pipe bomb, he shoots at the clock and not as it may have appeared, at Walter.   Walter's shaken and needs to sit down and Jesse comments that "Boa was in the middle of the blast and she's still standing."  Walter pulled the wire when he opened the gate.   The clock was a time-delay detonator.

Horatio accuses Kevin of setting up his team and loses his temper, which is a rare moment indeed!  Christopher Perez (the census taker) was invited into the house by Kevin and was tied up in the meth lab.   Kevin claims he was dead when he went in there 30 minutes later.    Horatio tells Kevin he'd "better hope he finds him."

ME Tom after further analysis concludes that Christopher died a quick death within 30 minutes and he ingested rat poison.   The gas from the poison entered his bloodstream.   Natalia reads up on th decibels explosions, which can be as high as 150-153.   She puts on her headphones and turns the volume high.   Ryan likes this song but she can't hear him.   Natalia replies that she always used to listen to music and Ryan asks since when , which is what I also said.   He tells her his ears are ringing.

Calleigh notices the scarf in the evidence brought to the lab.   The evidence links Marie to murder.   She left it at the house when she went to see Kevin.   He was helping her by getting money for her to leave her employer.   She came here to get an education, but she beats her.   She knows Tech and tells her he hangs out at Bayfront.

Tripp tells Tech he's lucky he didn't break his neck, after giving chase and that they have his "lifestory in paperback."

Natalia processes the scar and finds saliva from Christopher with traces of rat poison, but no prints.   Horatio tells her "nothing is impossible."  When she doesn't get anywhere with her analysis.   He takes the scarf and conducts his own analysis using gold dust to lift prints.   Which Jesse has never seen before.   The process is called vapour metal deposition.   The gold dust is attracted to the oils, when heated, evaporates and the dust attaches to the prints forming a thin coating.   Partials are revealed during this process and they could be from the same finger.   Jesse compares them to Tech and Kevin, naturally they would belong to Tech.   He manipulated Kevin into thinking he'd killed Christopher.   Horatio tells him he'll get a surprise in prison.   Jesse tells Kevin drug dealing is a first degree felony and they're trying  to help Marie.

Calleigh arrests Olson for imprisonment and she says she pays her salary,  Calleigh adds, "in which case, I deserve a raise."  Natalia's hearing is affected as we knew after all.   Horatio says Marie will be able to go to school now.

Don't much like the use of showing events first and then turning back the clock to show how we arrived there.   CSI:Miami  uses a lot of those scenes, media res, and CSI:NY has too.   Here it doesn't feel necessary or interesting, since we know Jesse would never shoot Walter.   Now Ryan - maybe (joke!)  Calleigh being the one to help out Marie this time round and noticing that something was wrong between her and her employer, what a vile woman, pity she didn't resist arrest more violently, ha.

Natalia shrugging off Jesse's attempt at an apology, which he just seemed to mention for the sake of putting it out there, cos it was necessary and not because he sounded like he wanted to.   Natalia showing her obvious abruptness to Jesse for brushing her off like that when Ryan suggests she and Jesse check the houses together.  Then Jesse refers to her as Boa Vista (we sometimes call her 'Boa Constrictor'.)  How many shades of red and orange did you notice when Natalia was in the lift and everyone was walking around in the lab.

John Patrick Amedori is of course lead guitarist and sings harmony vocals in Carmine Giovinazzo's band, Ceesau.

The Closer - 6.8: "War Zone" Review

Shootings of three men outside a nightclub suggest gang violence, which is what turns out to be the truth in a roundabout way, as does mistaken identity.

Three men are gunned down in a drive-by outside a nightclub.   When Brenda (Kyra Sedgwick) arrives at the scene, the coroner notices one of the men is wearing army dog tags, as is the other one.   One of the Vics is taken to hospital.   Gabriel (Corey Reynolds) tells her about one of the men being called 'T-Ball.'  It was very typical and stereotypical for them to assume the men were gang members cos of the way they died and their colour.   Provenza (GW Bailey) tells Brenda one of the men is still alive and she races to the hospital to question him.   Ty (Ace Gibson) is critical and Brenda asks him to squeeze her hand twice if he knows who shot him.   He doesn't know but he does know what the shooting was about.   Flatlining at that point, Brenda picks up his bloody tags.

She needs Pope (JK Simmons) and someone from the army called in.   Ty doesn't make it and it's ascertained the three men had just returned from Afghanistan.  'T-Ball' is a member of the 1-10 Cripps, from the same neighbourhood Ty hailed from.   Army contact Major Dorcet (Gary Cole) wants the FBI brought in since it could be a possible terrorist attack and he wants the military alerted to this.   Brenda wants it kept quiet since she's not sure what they're dealing with yet.

Taylor (Robert Gossett) informs Brenda that Turell (Ace Gibson) is at the station, Ty's twin brother and Taylor warns Dorcet against raising the threat level for a gang-related shooting.   Brenda asks for 15 minutes to question Turell who turns out to be T-Ball.   He asks for police protection for himself and his sister, since he was the intended target.   He claims to have been shot through a black Sedan on a street corner.   Sanchez (Raymond Cruz) is sent to investigate along with Tao (Michael Paul Chan) and to retrieve any bullets.   Sanchez confirms reports of a shooting there.

Turell then tells about the shooting at a store, where the owner and his grandson were both shot, but everyone knows the store is off limits to such robberies etc.   Flynn (Tony Denison) finds out that Reggie Moses (Dennis L.A. White) was believed to be the shooter by the police.   Brenda asks for the FBI liaison to be contacted - being Fritz (Jon Tenney) and asks Taylor to contact Pope again and drag him down here.   Brenda allows Dorcet to inform the families of the Vics but for them to keep quiet.   She then asks until noon to continue her investigation.

Tao matches the bullets found at the street corner to the ones used in the store killings and those used to kill the the three.  Turel's prints were on the counter in the store and that he also owns a black Cutlass.   All pointing towards Reggie being the killer.   Which appears to be a bit cut'n'dry.   Dorcet wants them to give Turell immunity as he asks and Pope agrees.   Brenda refuses since they're not certain what happened yet.   Yeah leave it to men to botch things up.   Dorcet comments twice to Fritz about how they can work with someone like Brenda - the second time he thinks she "needs to get laid."  Fritz replies that's not the problem.   Glad Dorcet wasn't told Brenda's married to Fritz.   Pompous jerk!

Reggie demands a lawyer and denies killing the store Vics.   Pope warns Brenda not to begin a war with the army, as it will affect her chances of becoming Chief of Police.   DDA Andrea Hobbs (Kathe E Mazur) grants Turell immunity.   He admits Reggie killed the store Vics and he found the boy in the backroom.   After he followed a blood trail .   That was a lie since the CS photos show the absence of any blood, proving Turell was not only there but that he was the shooter, confirming Brenda's worst fears.   He'll walk for two murders.   She tells him if he lies about anything in his statement then the immunity deal is off and he admits he shot them both.   A huge shock for all concerned, but it was heading that way, showing Brenda was right to be doubtful and wanted to take this slowly.   Also showing the red tape and bureaucracy she'll have to put with if elected Chief.   Well, maybe no more so than now.

Reggie will get the death penalty if he confesses to the killing of the three soldiers and Turell will be free.   Gabriel gets Turell to write his statement.   Reggie still thinks there's no witness to the shootings.   Brenda tells him he should withdraw his request for a lawyer and tells her what happened.   Turell killed them and she pulls the plug on the videofeed to the others.   Reggie is going to get the death penalty for killing the three men.   She lets Reggie make a call - as many as he wants cos she knows he'll call his gang and others to go after Turell.

 Pope says again he wants to stay friends and Brenda says she has a plan for handling Turell.   Brenda, Sanchez and Gabriel  drive Turell home and she tells him his family will be out of police protection as he signed the immunity agreement, so protection is no longer needed.   Men approach from all directions and converge at Turell's house.  Brenda gets in the car and wants to leave.   Gabriel is apprehensive but she insists and he wonders how anyone knew since the media aren't aware of the story yet.  Sanchez comments Reggie must have made a call - several calls.

Another good episode with more twists than usual.   Especially when Brenda knew there was more to Turell than he was letting on - but his admission to the shootings came as a curveball.   Didn't think Brenda had it in her to remove Turell from the picture like that, even if he did deserve some sort of retribution.   If the others had listened to her then she wouldn't have been left with that dilemma of a killer walking free.   Reggie was getting the death penalty and so was Terrell in the end; with his attitude that everyone owed him something and getting his brother and two other innocents gunned down and the store shootings too.

Some background on Brenda, she was born on  a military base and her father was in the air force .

CSI 12.11 Ms Willow Regrets Review

A man and woman enter a building and kill the staff at a law firm and then a third man in a raincoat turns up to kill off one of the women who is hanging on to dear life.  Nick (George Eads) and DB (Ted Danson) are called  to the potential CS where the three DBS were found by campers in the woods.  Nick notices the DBs are skeletons and the bodies have been picked clean which is unusual since they only died 24 hours ago.  The DBs are covered with beetles.  Nick, as we know is now resident 'bugman'.  There are too many beetles for that amount of decomp to have taken place so quickly.

The DB was a lawyer and Sara (Jorga Fox) and Morgan (Elisabeth Harnois) process the law office only to find it's been thoroughly cleaned.  The 'team' seem to have done a miraculous job in getting in and out in record time.  Morgan sprays with luminol and finds the presence of blood, so they didn't do such a thorough job on close inspection.  Sara also finds this and luminols the outline of the DB where he fell out of the closet.  Note shoddy patch up job on the door.

Catherine (Marg Helgenberger) hears the lawyer's name, Malcolm (Kevin Dobson) being mentioned and immediately thinks of her friend, Laura (Annabeth Gish).  He was the lawyer she recommended to her in the episode Zippered.  She fears for her life as Laura knew a secret about her husband Mark (Titus Welliver).  Laura is missing.  Brass (Paul Guilfoyle) can't find any trace of her.

Nick and Greg (Eric Szmanda) engage in an experiment  involving chicken and the beetles polish it off in record time.  On closer inspection, Nick finds the beetles physiology has been dramatically altered, it's reproductive organs are replaced.  Nick and Greg also manage to polish off the chicken too, though they're not allowed to eat in the lab. What DB doesn't know won't hurt.  Nick takes his findings to Catherine.  The beetles are super beetles and this is another field Ceressus was involved in.  They have been bio-engineered.

Mark is brought in for questioning and feigns concern for Laura and then leaves again.  Catherine's mother, Lily (Anita Gillette) arrives with a card for Catherine which was mailed to her and she finds it's signed by 'David Campbell,'  Laura's father.  Sara finds a memory card inside and clearly Catherine didn't notice the card was a musical card and it didn't play any music.  The card has photos of the couple on holiday, obviously it had to have been more than that!  There's also a recent photo of Laura in front of a house which Catherine recalls belongs to Laura's cousin.

At the house, they find the DBs of the couple and Catherine recalls the hiding place under the floorboards.  Laura is found alive and tells of hearing a man's voice with an accent. Why was Laura sitting outside in plain sight when she was a target not a few hours ago.  The raincoat man (Jack Dimich) sits and watches and could have finished her off then and there.  At Hodges' (Wallace Langham) say so, he notices the fish in the photo has no shadow, Archie (Archie Kao) finds info stored on the card.
 The info contains transactions to Switzerland.  CFO of Ceressus is brought in, Arthur Martens (Mark Aiken) and he finally confesses to knowing the man in the raincoat, a hired mercenary, but he hasn't operated on US soil, until now.  He gives up Mark.

DB brings in Agents Pratt (Matt Lauria) and McQuaid (Grant Show) of the FBI again and McQuaid is assigned protection duty on Laura.  At the hospital, Catherine walks past the rest of the FBI agents and amongst them is the same woman from the beginning, part of the assassination team.

As the team go over surveillance footage they work out how the team managed to clean up the office and then notice the raincoat man.  He was obvious a mile off, don't know why he wasn't already on their radar.  On the footage is also the same woman whom Catherine recalls was at the hospital.  She's too late as she and DB arrive at the scene of the carnage where Laura and McQuaid were killed.  SO far the DBs are only identified cos of his badge and her ring.  Maybe it's far fetched but writing this before watching the second ep, I was thinking  perhaps it's not really them.  I mean what about Catherine's burgeoning attraction and relationship with McQuaid and what about her dwindling one with Vartann (Alex Carter).  Catherine loses her cool with Pratt asking how he could let this happen.  DB sends her home.

Later Catherine sends an e-mail to DB containing her letter of resignation.  Vartann drops her off at home but she doesn't invite him in, not much passes between them in terms of conversation for two who were meant to have been one-time lovers.  Once inside Catherine puts down her gun, bad idea since you know what's coming next.  Bullets fly and she manages to knock out the lamp and reach her gun, shooting her way out.  Once outside she stands in front of an approaching car, who turns out to be DB to the rescue, bullets rain and she is shot.  I thought Vartann would have had a niggling feeling or would have driven by to check on her but no such luck.

Vartann notices the closeness of Catherine and McQuaid and has to ask about him. Yet once again can Catherine really be so unlucky in love, even though she wanted to keep everything professional for the duration of the case at least.  Small scenes for Greg and Morgan this ep as it clearly belonged to Catherine. She owned the drama, the highs and lows in the second part of the three episode arc marking her departure from the show and a veritable milestone in the show's history.

Loved the scene between Greg and Nick and the chicken but eeww, Nick was handling those beetles and he ate with the same gloves on.

This ep also continued from Zippered and will conclude in a third episode arc.  Catherine's mother was last seen in The Case of the Cross Dressing Carp.  At least this episode was a great one in terms of CSI shows since they have been inconsistent this season.  The action was kept moving along and was in marked contrast to Gil Grissom's (William Petersen's) departure from the show.

Nick: "It's amazing.  They picked it clean in less than an hour."
Greg: "Yeah. They eat even faster than you."  Nick has been shown enjoying his food in several episodes, especially the breakfasts the team used to have together  in many a CSI episode. A thing of the past?

CSI: NY - 1.7: "Rain"

The CSIs investigate an apparent robbery at a bank, which leads to a kidnapping, as well as to numerous suspects and a few twists. Lots to analyze, forensics as it should be.

A man comes out of a building in Chinatown on fire in the rain.   Mac (Gary Sinise) comments on his eyebrows and eyelashes being singed.   There's bruising on his his cheek but his face hasn't got the same degree of burns as his chest.   Stella (Melina Kanakaredes) comments on there being "something gooey here."
Mac: "gooey that's a good forensic word, gooey, I'll have to use that more."  Mac notices the trace of melted plastic and finds a discarded mask.   Inside the bank, the safety deposit vault was cut away from the wall.   Flack: "Gotta wear a mask for a bank robbery, it's a rule."  Two bank security guards fired shots and the acetylene tank caught fire.   Martin Hummel (Matt Bushell) one of the guards thinks there were two, but he was trying to save his partner, Tony's life.   One shot the other and Tony (Andre Ware) was DOA.  

Stella follows a blood trail to the alley and the trail ends outside as it's washed away by the rain.   Mac takes Hummel's gun and retrieves a bullet from the wall.   Another mask is found inside.   Danny (Carmine Giovinazzo) "ballistics is gonna be fun on this one." They all seem to get lines with 'fun' in them this first season.   Aiden (Vanessa Ferlito) got one in the third episode American Dreamers about being able to reconstruct the Vic's face; calling it "big fun." Six months ago the bank was a shoe store.   The wall was cut and Flack says the robbers entered through the empty store after the alarm was switched off.   Giving them 30 minutes to rob the place.   They had to leave the way they came in.   So Danny says the first robber knocked over the tank.   Aiden wonders why they didn't just take items from the boxes in one area.  

Stella had to have the answer on that one.   Box numbers all ended in '8'.   Which Mac explains is the lucky number in Chinese culture.   They believed their money would be safe in boxes with the number 8.   Danny asks why box numbers 12, 14, 45 were also opened.   This question doesn't get answered, which left us wondering too, so why have him ask it to begin with.   Hate when that happens, cos it leaves you hanging.

The leasing agent received a letter from the owner a week ago saying he didn't want the building rented out.   Mac asks Flack: "You buying this story?"
Flack: "You know me, everyone's a suspect until you prove otherwise."  Finally we begin to see the funny and witty side of Flack, which will become synonymous with him.   At least he was given more lines than he has in the past.   Mac finds an umbrella shell outside which was used on the hole in the door to open it.

Hawkes (Hill Harper) finds the Vic suffered secondary and tertiary burns over 52% of his body.   Abnormal accumulation of fluid in his chest led to pulmonary edema.   There's no smoke or soot in his throat and he was instantly suffocated.   He was holding something in his hand.  There's damage on his outer tissue of his hand so they'll have to work inside out for prints.

Stella examines the fragments found at the CS, including a Jade monkey; part of a charm and the clasp reveals a partial print.  Aiden examines the bank tape and all the robbers were wearing the same mask, constructed from a real face.   Which happens to be Aiden's specialty.   Aiden uses a laser to outline the face print from the mask.   The burn Vic was Carlton Heinz, the other is a John Doe.

Chinese characters signifying love, prosperity, were taken from the vault, but why?  The contents in the boxes were worth over $10,000 so they knew what was in the boxes, suggesting an inside job.   The print on the clasp leads to Joanne Cho (Samantha Quan) she keeps the bank keys and has an eleven month old daughter, Dolores and she recognizes the Jade monkey.   Stella: "The first time I looked at them, it took me a while to figure out what they were."  Cos she's implying she's not Chinese, but you don't have to be Chinese to work out what they were.   Joanne doesn't know Carlton.   Mac says the monkey is significant cos 2004 is the year of the monkey.   A young, female, Chinese child had the charms for prosperity and good fortune.   Dolores was kidnapped.   The bank robbery turns into a kidnapping.  Joanne shows them the note with missing letters, telling her they have Dolores and what she should do.   The letter 'x' is missing from the word 'boxes.'  She was threatened with Dolores' death if she called the police.   Flack discovers the phone number is a public phonebox at Madison Square Gardens.   The clothes and the note is analyzed.  Danny test fires bullets from the guns.

They go over the sequence of events inside the vault.   Hummel heard the shot, as Flack says, the first shot from the robber's gun hit  Tony.   Hummel wasn't there when it happened and he fired at someone in the smoke.   Flack asks Danny: "You believe me?"
Danny: "yeah I do, but then there's the evidence." Clearly showing what Mac said to him on the previous episode and in 1.5 A Man A Mile rubbed off on him and he knows he needs to follow the evidence to find the answers.

Mac analyzes the note.   Aiden accesses the parole database for the mask and the facial features match Luthor Willet (Alex Sol) he was involved in a bank robbery 4 years ago.   She and Flack interview Willet, "wow cops around here just get prettier everyday."
Flack: "Watch it."
Willet: "Well, hey don't get upset.   I just got out of prison, you both look good to him." Which isn't something Flack wants to hear.   Though yeah, Flack does look good!  He claims he can't help them since he had 15 different cellmates in prison.

Stella analyzes the clothes.   Danny uses a laser to map out the trajectory of the bullets.   Each of them talk to themselves here when they analyze the evidence and that disappeared soon enough in the show, which was a shame in some cases.  Stella finds the presence of sodium polyacrylate, found in disposable nappies/diapers and artificial snow.   Mac finds the letters used on the note are from 3 different magazines.   The snowflakes could be from a play set in winter, called Winter Retreat.   There's a hole on the door of the theatre and a DB inside.   Small handprints can be seen in the blood.   There's a hair on the DB.   A paper test proves positive for the presence of cocaine.   There's a missing letter 'X' on the inside of the magazine cover.   The DB is identified as Moretti, he was in jail with Willet.

Hawkes discovers a gunshot wound to the neck, hit the carotid artery and he bled to death.   There was shattered glass at the scene, lead paint.   Hawkes doesn't know what to make of it.   Mac: "usually you have all the answers Sheldon." His lungs contain mercury and traces of lead in his trachea.   The same trace found in the clean-up crews at Ground Zero.   Moretti was sick 3 years ago, over a period of time glass fibres settle in the lungs, this was more recent.   The paper has a dragon symbol.

A ransom note is sent to Joanne, but no prints or DNA can be lifted.   The handwriting is analyzed to reveal the same person wrote both notes.   Mac: "some sort of gooey residue on the top of the paper."
Stella: "great choice of words."  Well knew that was coming.  Stella raises the imprint from the page above and needs a translator.   Joanne wants to pay the ransom and the Police Department has to respect her wishes.   Stella places the money at the newsstand at Central Park and waits with Flack.

A man approaches the stand and sirens blare, causing him to run.   It's a Police Terrorist Response Drill.   Stella: "Did you know about this?"
 Flack: "They don't send out a memo."  Duh Stella, yes they'd advertize it wouldn't they, then how would it be a drill if they're aware it's going to happen.  The same principle of having fire drills at school and work, you don't know they're coming.   The money is still there and a mask is left on the ground.  The stand is dusted for prints.   Stella seems to have an irritating side, what another one, ha, she doesn't answer her own questions.

There's a message on the notepad.   Nina Chang (Kym Hoy) is a make-up artist who worked on the play at the theatre.  The name 'Chang' is searched in a 10013 partial zip code.   Mac comments on 'six degrees of separation'.   The hairs on the body, being out of prison, needed a place to live, leading to this zip code.  The debris in his body leads to the fallout zone in Lower Manhattan.   The drug packet has a dragon logo.   The address leads to Nina Chang.   She made the masks and met Moretti (David Guzzone) at the theatre.   She left him there to die.   Mac asks her to write the Pledge of Allegiance to check her handwriting.

Danny finds the computer trajectory doesn't match the sequence of events of where the bullets were fired from.   There were 5 shots at the CS, five casings were found.   One hit and killed the security guard, 1 was found from the wall behind him, 1 recovered from the adjacent building; missing discharge from Tony's gun was found in Moretti, 1 found in the vault pillar.   He recreated the scene and found that the bullet didn't hit the pillar.   Hummel's story doesn't fit cos his bullet stopped in midair, turned left and then hit the pillar.   Rain diluted the partial found at the newsstand, but it belongs to Hummel.   Danny tells him he shouldn't have fired his weapon.   He didn't shoot at anything, his casing was found out of the vault.   Hummel says no one was meant to get hurt.

 Hummel could have been a hero and returned the baby, no one would have known.   Mac: "It's always something, something you didn't expect or count on.   Something that always screws everything up...if only it hadn't rained." Alluding to the episode title.   Nice line that cos it's true, something always goes wrong especially when people think they can get away with committing crime.

Also some foreshadowing here, with Danny analyzing the bullets and casing and determining what happened at the CS, cos it'll happen to him too later on in the season.   Think someone was having a sneaky laugh here at his expense.

Mac mentioning Six Degrees of Separation, a play.   Which means everyone in the world is connected by six people.   Also mentioned by Gill Grissom (William Petersen) first in the CSI episode Let the Seller Beware: "to connect you to the Vic is one degree."  Also CSI episode $35K O.B.O.  where there was rain which affected the CS and the evidence collected.  Funnily enough typed this out after the season 9 CSI:Miami episode FTF was aired.   That had water from a  fire hydrant contaminating the evidence.   CSI:Miami season 2.12 Witness to Murder, rain clouds loom so no evidence can be processed until they reach the lab.   In CSI episode Friends and Lovers, string is used to map out the blood spatter traces.  

CSI:Miami season 2 episode Witness to Murder the bullet trajectory is traced.   I love writing about deja vu and how other episodes of CSI shows and the same show itself uses similar storylines, plots and evidence in their own episodes.   I just find it interesting.   If you do too, or if you just want to read up on the three shows and how they began, as well as an in-depth look at CSI:NY season 1, then check out my book, New York Minutiae: An Unofficial and Unauthorized Guide to CSI:NY.

Great thing about this episode was that the producers got to actually film a real terrorist alert drill when filming on location in New York, as well as getting caught in a thunderstorm.   New scenes were filmed due to this drill and used in this episode.

Castle - 2.2: "The Double Down"

Castle and Beckett investigate a murder which turns out to be connected to the case Ryan and Esposito are assigned. To make matters worse they bet on who can solve their case first.

Chaos at the precinct and Castle (Nathan Fillion) comments the "full moon brings out all the crazies."  They've got "madness, mayhem now all they need is" murder.   Which they get.   A husband finds his wife, Ashley's body at the office.   Castle again mentions those science shows, where they can build a bird's eye view of what the fish saw from the tank.   Lanie (Tamala Jones) wears a dress which opens Castle's eyes and he can't stop staring and it ain't at the dress either.   There are words written on the Vic's face and Castle also adds the killer didn't have any sense of grammar.   That "who or whom would be tougher to use" but not 'your' and you're'.   The killer also murdered the English language.   Jason (Brennan Elliott) claims to be at a game and Esposito (Jon Huertas) and Ryan (Seamus Dever) have another murder to deal with.   Ryan will miss warm milk and honey with Jenny.   He wasn't meant to say it out loud.

Castle claims Ashley had dinner with someone with bad grammar.   Perlmutter (Ayre Gross) finds the second Vic was shot and the "body is speaking."  Don't know how many variations we'll get of that line.   It was probably a mugging.   Castle thinks by writing on the murder Vic, a point was being made.   Could have used proper language though.   Oh enough with the language.   The mugging Vic, Frank was a retired teacher and Castle is curious to know how the body was found.   Esposito replies, "in the ground."  No, that's on the ground.   Language!  He posits muggings are one of the hardest cases to close and they can close theirs first.   They bet on this.   Only if they don't tell Beckett (Stana Katic).   Castle: "Secrets, murder and gambling, three of my favourite pastimes."

Martha (Susan Sullivan) doesn't think much of the bet.   Ashley's friend, Brandi Rossini (Amy Stewart) had dinner with her and she was going to take a restraining order out against someone.   Castle corrects Beckett, when she asks who? "Whom."  She has an alibi and Jason's alibi also checks.   So they're left with the patients,  Ryan and Esposito find Frank's family, Christine (Linara Washington) and Eric (Marco Martinez).   Castle tells Ryan and Esposito it can't be gang kids who killed Frank cos it's their regular haunt.   Hey Ryan isn't reading any of Castle's books, thus far.   Beckett suspects they're up to something.

Hal (Jim O'Heir) had a doctor's appointment and he heard arguing in the session before him.   Well Castle was wrong about him, he wasn't the killer.   The session before was attended by Hinkel (Matt Winston) who doesn't have any record.   Castle posits he could have "snapped after two years of therapy." Kerpowsky (Diana-Maria Riva) gets in on the bet as do others.   Ryan and Esposito have a suspect already and Ryan suggests they 'double down.'  Esposito says the loser should wear a dress for a week and shave his head.  Beckett runs her hand through her hair at the same time.   Hinkel didn't do it as Ashley cancelled his appointment and had lunch with Jason.   Beckett wonders why Castle is playing supercop.   The entire office is buzzing.

Jason and Ashley were arguing at the restaurant and she was getting an order against hm, gee that was obvious.    Castle made it apparent there was a bet going on when he collected the money and Beckett wants in.   He claims the money is for Girls Scout cookie orders.   Really he couldn't come up with a better excuse than that?   Didn't think Beckett would be cool with the bet, she's changed this season - she may even be growing on me - I wearily say.   Jason took out life insurance on Ashley which he claims she wanted him to do.   Castle writes a note to Ryan and Esposito on the other side of the glass and they both prove Jason's alibi by watching the basketball game on TV.   Castle puts his mother's dress against him in the mirror, was Castle really contemplating defeat, when he knows he's been the reason why so many cases were solved.

Alexis (Molly Quinn) still has Owen issues.   Frank lived in a rent controlled apartment which stays controlled if it says in the family.  Eric was cut off, that was motive right there and the life insurance too where Jason was concerned.   Castle doesn't want to shave his head.   Lanie calls all four to tell them their cases are connected.   Both Vics had traces of salt water compound from the same body of water.   Eric and Christine have alibis too.   The fish tank was a red herring !  Beckett assumes the perp was in her office too and the Vics were killed by the same person.   That didn't sound right.

This isn't random anymore and Christine picks out a name from Ashley's patient list, Grovner (Gareth Williams) but he is wearing a GPS on his ankle for missing parole.     Castle was just saying there aren't any coincidences in murder and here was a coincidence.   He hears Martha and Alexis arguing but they're rehearsing.   Martha tells him there's a connection between everyone in New York city.   Beckett gives Castle a clue this time as does Alexis.   She recalls her mother and how Christina thought it was a random death, but she needs to know why.   Beckett tells Esposito and Ryan they should swap cases, "You take our murder, we'll take yours."  Had a feeling Hitchcock would be involved.   Strangers on a Train.   The connection is the killers themselves.   They could kill each other's Vic's and have an alibi, but not for any of  the other murders.   Castle notices Jason takes the ferry, thus the water connection, and it matches from the Hudson.   They need a confession.

Jason is the alpha in this conspiracy and he made a pact with Eric that if they don't break no one can prove what they did.   Beckett and Castle tell Eric that Jason confessed, leading him to break first.   They argue over who won the bet.   There was no other way out of the bet if the cases weren't related, though I didn't think that from the outset, but luckily I worked it out before they did, ha.  They couldn't have heads being shaved and dresses being donned.   Castle in a dress is so imaginable!  I wanted to see that.  The highlight of this episode was the comedy, screwball at times and trust Castle/Nathan to pull it off so convincingly.  

Castle: "If this was one of those super scien-cy forensic shows you could stick some electrodes in these fish's tanks."

Strangers on a Train, or boat in this case, makes for an interesting story and Castle (the show that is) executed it to perfection.   Other shows have mentioned this great book and film including, NCIS in 12.5 Stakeout, by Tony, who else.   Also 7.3 The Inside Man; Bones 2.15 Bodies in the Book; CSI 3.19 A Night at the Movies, The Simpsons Tree House of Horror XX, to name a few.