Charlies Angels - 1.2: "Runway Angels" Review

This time around the angels look into the disappearance of a girl on behalf of their parents who was a model. Kate comes face to face with her ex fiancee, Ray.

The angels attend a photoshoot looking for a missing girl; find a man who was her stalker and took photos of her.   A chase begins and he ends up in the water, courtesy of Eve (Minka Kelly).   Gabriella (Hayley Higgins) is missing and Eve thinks he's about to pull out a gun, but it's his phone.   Bosley (Ramon Rodriguez) says the man can talk to Eve if he won't talk to him.   Eve rearing to go and cause some major hurt.   He wants to find Gabriella too.

"Once upon a time there were three young women who got into very big trouble.   Now they work for me.   My name is Charlie." The opening narration has been made shorter than the Pilot episode and quite honestly, they could have given it some major oomph.   It's so flat and boring.

He claims he was at the hospital and his alibi checks.   Kate (Annie Ilonzeh) takes the memory card from his camera.   Back at the office they watch the video message Gabriella was sending her parents.   Charlie (Victor Garber) says they need to find her.   Devon, apparently one of her friends was also on the card and they see a photo where they had an argument, which Devon failed to mention.

Bosley found the photos on the card.   Kate believes it must have been a rookie detective on the case, cue her ex fiancee, Ray (Isaiah Mustafa).   He was through with the questions and tells them the Russian First Lady is in town,   which was a clue to this case.   Kate: "The best private detectives solve the case."  She's in two minds at seeing him and her feelings for him begin to resurface. At least it seems that way.   Abby (Rachael Taylor) tells Eve who is always curious to know everything about Kate.   She tells her Kate was engaged, was busted for being dirty and then broke it off.   She still has the ring.

Bosley has been on Devon's Facebook page and she's in search of  a new roommate.   Abby wonders how a struggling model can afford such a grand mansion.   Abby has to play the model undercover and Kate plays the photographer.   A way for Abby to get into the house is by playing a down-on-her luck model.   She tells Devon she's from East Lansing and they bond.   Eve arrives with Abby's suitcase in tow and throws her out of the apartment for non payment of rent.   Kate fires her from the shoot.   Devon takes her  home and offers her a room.   She should trust Devon.

Abby knows Devon lied about seeing Gabriella.   Eve suggests they should take her hostage and "shove Ben and Jerry's down her throat ad get her to talk."   Cos she's stick thin and a model, well the same could be said for these angels.   See, Eve is always with the confrontational stance.   It's in her nature.   Abby is going to check out Gabriella's room and needs Bosley to distract the women as she scales the balcony.   Bosley is there as a Krav Maga teacher.

 Abby's heels become flats, then heels again after she gets into her room.   Abby posits every girl has a secret and these angels seem to have more than one, not to mention Bosley, who being a guy also has secrets, when he talks to Devon later on.   She finds lots of shoe boxes in the closet and Kate notices there are only 14 boxes and 15 pairs of shoes.   Abby susses the Yves San Laurent box is missing, which she finds in the crawl space above her containing money, along with a deed for a condo which she must have bought for her parents.   Eve: "What are you, the shoe whisperer?"

Mitch wants Abby for a client of his. He's the girl's attorney.   Devon assures her it'll be the easiest money she'll make.   Ray's at Gabriella's condo already when Kate and Eve arrive.   Kate says Abby would pick the lock and Eve just breaks the glass.   She speaks with Ray and feels he doesn't trust her.   But he doesn't "trust her decisions.   She broke the law and them up.   He'll always worry about her.   Gabriella is found dead in the shower.

The ME told Charlie she died a day ago so they couldn't have saved her.   Eve is ready to take down whoever killed her.   They wait for Abby at the dinner date.   Kate: "Abby runs on Abby time." Eve wants the lowdown on Kate and Ray, she's counting how long they were engaged for and were only two days away from the wedding.   Eve and Kate have a 'special' relationship.   She kept the ring so he'd see she's changed and have a second chance.   Bosley wants Abby to head to the toilet if anything goes wrong.

Mitch wants her to marry Obregon (Oscar Cheda) for a Green Card for him, in return for money.   Abby moans she only gets proposed to when she's undercover.   Bosley finds Obregon's part of a drug cartel so he hasn't got a Green Card.   Abby heads for the loo and Mitch gets swirlies for not giving info on Gabriella's husband's name.   Abby can't fit a badge in her dress.   Ray walks in and arrests Mitch who demands a lawyer.   Ray is angry he lawyer-ed up so the killer will go free now...  hey these are angels they won't let him get away.

Bosley talks to Devon and she saw it as a way to make money.   Bosley: "Pursuing dreams means people get hurt and you can decide who you want to be." His name is Simon Genks.   Abby: "Tall, dark and gloomy."  He got a job in a security firm after he got his Green Card.   They check out his place and  find a photo with a man in the army.   Kate takes prints from the photo frame for his real ID.   Eve finds a hiding place - like in the previous episode in Gloria's place.   The case has sniper rifles and no one heard the man coming.   He shoots and Eve is wounded.   His real name is Nickoli (Nikolay Nedyalkov) and he's an assassin who holds Russia responsible for the death of his wife.   He's after the Russian first lady.   Eve says they can ask Ray for info on her.   Kate asks him if he trusts her and he doesn't reply.   She's watching a dance troop.   The hotel would be the best vantage point and Kate spots him on the balcony.   Why would a security guard be carrying such a case?

On the roof he speaks Russian .   Abby recalls the second shooter from the photo as the security man, but Eve just says she knows him.   Kate shoots Nikoli saving Ray.   The Russian President thanks the angels.   Kate has a meet with Ray and Bosley asks who picked the cafe.   Ray did thus it's a date.   He cares about Kate and apologizes.   Kate: "I get it." Another Supernatural phrase.   He misses her.   She misses his approval but it doesn't mean love.   She returns his ring but he didn't ask for it back.  She can't hold on to the past.

Not much of an interesting episode, stumbling upon a Green Card scam with some shady characters giving the chance for Kate's ex fiancee to make an appearance, delving into her backstory and why they broke up.  She doesn't want to be with him anymore. He reminds her of her past and everything she did, so she'd want to leave that behind.   Maybe she feels she isn't really good enough for him, her being a 'fallen angel.'  yet she still has/had feelings for him so why did she return his ring anyway? She wasn't making a new start cos she had all that time to do that.   But she held on and now that he's on the scene, she has a change of heart.

Can't say much for the outfits.  They could have done better.   Know Kate was at a model do in the beginning but that top left a lot to be desired.   This second episode was more favourably received, but not enough to save the show.   Loving Bosley though.

Original Charlie's Angels episodes alluded to here include, Night of the Strangler, where Jill (Farah Fawcett) and Kelly (Jaclyn smith) played models and Sabrina (Kate Jackson) a photostylist.   In the Killing Kind, Kelly went undercover as a photographer.

Castle - 2.5: "When the Bough Breaks" Review

Castle is offered a three book deal to write about a great British spy, but that means not being able to work with Beckett anymore. This week's case is the murder of an immigrant.

Castle's (Nathan Fillion) publisher, Paula (Debi Mazar) tells him about  a new three book  publishing deal to write about a 'British secret agent.'  Castle has just launched his own character so why would he get involved with someone else's character?   Then he realizes who that is and claims his entire reason for becoming a writer was this agent.   His phone rings, Castle: "Another body must have dropped."  Aptly put, seeing as the DB is found in a manhole.

Perlmutter (Ayre Gross) puts COD as blunt force trauma and she was killed two days ago.   Ryan (Seamus Dever) asks if he can narrow it down.   Castle arrives at the scene late and they tease him about the weird CODs he's just missed.   Beckett (Stana Katic) joins in too, continuing on from last episode where she called him a pushover and seems he hasn't got the hint here either.   Some 007 music is played.

Perlmutter doesn't get any print match.   Castle comments two days and no one reported her missing.   She was an immigrant and has a candy wrapper which Castle recognizes as being Czech.   Castle: "Almost ordered a Russian bride once.   A Czech mate."  Beckett tells the Captain (Ruben Santiago-Hudson) Castle had to buy something from each shop they went to, Russian dolls being the product of choice.   Captain Montgomery suggests he could include the wrapper hunt in his next book.   She knows how the mayor feels about Castle.   Beckett insists, "I am not Nikki Heat."  Ryan and Esposito (Jon Heurtas) find the shop where the candy was bought, the wrapper was from a lollipop and Castle has to taste it.   Tastes like soap but he likes it.

The Super (Jeff Doucette) of her building recognizes her as Eliska and she paid rent every week in cash.  Another clue.   There are postcards on the wall and Castle finds one photo where the woman's face has been scratched out, but not the little boy.   Alexis (Molly Quinn) wants to invite a friend to his book launch party and Martha (Susan Sullivan) tells him it's just to hang out with boys and dress up.   Martha: "...think everything is about you." Well it is thus the name of the show, ha.     Martha insists Beckett would be doing fine before he was on the scene.   Somehow I don't think so.   Neither does Beckett by the end.

Beckett already thought about checking out the playground in the photo and sent Ryan and Esposito down there.   The woman in the photo is Melissa Talbot (Elaine Hendrix) with her son, Zane.   Eliska was fired and she gave Zane a lolly which Melisa didn't like her doing.   Dr Cameron Talbot (Reed Diamond) is an obvious suspect again, seeing as he's a doctor and a child was involved.   Melissa didn't like Eliska being too friendly with Zane.   Beckett reassures her what happened isn't Melissa's fault.   Eliska used to be married to Teodore (Ivo Nandi) and he was reported for domestic disturbance by neighbours.  Teodore and Eliska lost their son to a disease and she left him.

 Poor Ryan getting no chance to drink his coffee.   Beckett tells Castle about his other book and she would have liked him to have talked to her about it first.   Castle says she should be relieved it's not about her and clearly she's upset.   She doesn't want him gone cos she's not the type to let fame get to her, so it has to be him.   A woman with a suitcase returns and none of them spoke with her.   She identifies the man she saw arguing to the sketch artist who turns out to be Talbot and he had a pager too.

Talbot claims they had an affair and his nurse (Timi Prolhiere) alibis him.   Lots more clues here: Eliska working at the hospital too.   Beckett's scarf changes position from covering her chest to falling back.  Castle invites Ryan and Esposito to the book launch, which is where we came in, in the Pilot episode, the launch for Storm, his final book.   Also Castle signs more women's chests.   Martha tells him nothing lasts forever.   Beckett's dress was horrible, didn't like it at all.   Also she can't really go undercover now, if you think about it, especially since her face will be everywhere.   Paula suggests he should take the book deal and just sleep with Beckett.   he did sleep with Paula before, mentioned last season.

The Captain tells Beckett she should be flattered by the dedication.   Castle's offer is made official.   Beckett and Castle argue and there's one moment where Beckett so wanted Castle to kiss her and vice versa.   But they fight instead when he deliberately spoils the moment by coming up with the wife did it theory.   The dedication: "To the extraordinary KB and my friends at the 12th."

Castle's use of "hell hath no fury" as a motive again and Beckett he thinks hasn't been scorned, as what man would turn her away.  (Hell Hath No Fury the title to episode 1.4)  He hasn't accepted the offer yet and she asks why he doesn't accept since she didn't ask him to write about her in the first place.  She's gotten nothing but grief over the first book.   Castle forgot his glasses on her desk and she thinks he was there just for her.  The Super rented the apartment on a weekly basis which Castle realizes and Beckett misses.   Kerpowsky (Diana-Maria Riva) tells them someone paid for the apartment after she was dead.   They suspect Melissa, but the nurse turns up to collect Eliska's mail for Talbot and she lied about his alibi.   Beckett waits on a warrant for the mail.

Esposito finds both Eliska's and Melissa's babies were born on the same day at the same hospital.   The letter from the lab was DNA test results.   Talbot swapped the two babies since his baby had Neimann Pick Disease.

Melissa allows Teodore to see his son.   Eliska gave him the lolly to take a swab and Beckett acknowledges Eliska was the detective on this.   Castle: "Her mission to find out the truth." Beckett thanks Castle for his help in solving the case and wishes him luck with the new books.   Their phones ring.   The Nikki Heat sales have gone through the roof, must be that certain scene on Page 105.   They want him to write three more books for an extortionate amount of money, which he agrees to.   It's a re-election year for the mayor and he wants Beckett to continue working with Castle.   Beckett acts perturbed but secretly she's loving it.

Aside from the character moments the story really was another  routine 'domestic' case in that the killer is either spouse, as in season 1's Nanny McDead episode or the season 1 kidnapping case, Little Girl Lost.   Aside from having the baby being stolen which was sad.

Castle thanks Beckett for "using irony correctly.   Ever since that Alanis Morissette song, people use it when they actually mean coincidence.   It drives me nuts."    As does spelling and grammar.

Supernatural - 6.19: "Mommy Dearest" Review

Sam and Dean finally get the location of Eve from Lenore, but she's already aware of them coming. Crowley is revealed to be alive still, casting doubts on Cas's honesty.

 Eve (Julia Maxwell) touches a man from the bar and when she goes in, one notices the blood on her dress.   She kisses him giving him a gift and infects everyone.   A rabid fight breaks out as they all attack each other and she watches.   Dean (Jensen Ackles) prepares bullets containing ash: enough for 5 shells.   Bobby (Jim Beaver) comments the lore states ash should work and it doesn't do anything to Dean...  trust him to try it, well he's human so it wouldn't affect him.   Dean tells Cas (Misha Collins) to "get out of my ass."  Cas: "I was never in your..."  Eve is hidden from angels.   Sam (Jared Padalecki) believes a vampire could help.   Cas brings Lenore (Amber Benson) to them.   Last seen in season 2, she was just brought in to be finished off like a loose end.

Sam tells her he lopped off Gordon's head when he became a vampire himself.   She has nothing to say about Eve and warns them to stay away form her.   Her voice is in their heads and her nest began to kill and Eve listens to them even now.   Sam knows Lenore still cares.   Eve is at Grant Pass, Oregon.   Eve will know they're coming.   Lenore wants to be killed which Cas obliges without hesitation, justifying it as being dangerous as she fed on humans and will do it again.   Cas is turning into quite the killing machine, not that he wasn't before but lately he seems to relish it.   Cas: "We needed to move this along."  Like a bad movie.

Grants Pass Oregon.     Dean calls it less Pleasantville, Smithy McSmitherton is on their side, i.e.  Cas.   Sam gives Bobby an ipad for research. He wanted a computer with buttons.   Besides, Bobby's into his books.   Cas can't vanish no matter how hard he tries.   Dean: "Now you just look like you're pooping." (Cos he's got that constipated look on his face, ha.)     Cas is powerless.   Dean: "Without your power, you're just a baby in a trenchcoat."  He's just rolling on out the one liners!  Dean hurt his feelings.   He takes Cas to see Dr Silver who called the CDC about the mysterious illness.   Cas tells his assistant he has a "painful, burning sensation."

Cas asks how long it will take Dean to pick the lock but there's no need to since he finds a DB; a "gooey corpse."  There's no stopping Dean now with his descriptions.   The doctor has two sons.   There's no Impala and Ed's (Nathan Witte) in the house when they meet up with Bobby and Sam.   Cas doesn't have any practice using guns.   Dean again comes up with the hilarious comments of only babies whine.   There are lots of Eds inside.   This one's not Ed, he's Todd (Jason Cermak).

Dean tells Sam he's bathing in Purell and there's his use of gooey again.   You'd think it was an ep of CSI.   They find everyone in the bar, all dead.   Dean finds a vampire wraith.   Eve's making hybrids and Dean gets to name it a Jefferson Starship cos they're "horrible and hard to kill."  The sheriff (Roman Podhora) arrests the three of them and Dean ducks out of sight.   At the station, Sam spots their eyes in the TV and calls them Jefferson Starships.   Sam and Dean find the two sons, Ryan (Griffin Parsons) and Joe (Travis Turner) in the jail and suspect them of being the same Starships too.   But being Sam and Dean and recalling their own life and predicament they garner only sympathy from Sam and Dean, even if it was foolish to trust them.   Dean has to ensure they're human, then again Eve isn't exactly a demon so anything she 'produces' or makes will not show on their tests.   If she's making hybrids nothing will affect them.

Cas needs the two here since millions of lives are at stake, not just two.   Dean insists on saving them.   But they should have listened to Cas this time round, even if they reminded them of each other.   Cas believes they'll find more "wayward orphans" along the way.   Cas asks Bobby for five minutes along with the pig, er sheriff since Cas knows torture tactics, which don't involve him using his power.

Eve is in the diner and Dean says she was there the entire time, a waitress which they didn't notice when she served them.   Sam says they're all Starships.   Dean: "dragons - really and Khan worms."  Eve talks of the arrangement they had.   She turned a few of them and they hunted some , but they were all kidnapped and tortured by Crowley when Samuel was taking them to him.   Dean comments she's using the "mother of the year defence." Eve turns into Mom (Samantha Smith).   She died to protect her sons and Eve demands Crowley to be killed as he's alive.   The souls are power and Eve calls Sam a monkey too.

Dean posits her beings are imploding.   They were actually the children, Ryan was a Starship and Cas was right about him.   They slipped by hunters undetected - like I said too.   Eve calls him a "wayward orphan" just like the phrase Cas used.   Eve makes them an offer, if they find Crowley she'll let them live.   Dean refuses.   Bobby and Cas are also held.   Eve is older than Cas and knows how angels work.   Dean wants her to kill them cos they don't work with monsters, unlike Samuel, who worked with the king of hell.   She can turn them.   Dean had the fifth bullet and says, "bite me."  He drank the ash.   Dean: "call you later mom."  Eve carks it.

Cas gets his power back to smite everyone.   They should take him on more hunts and he cures Dean too.   Crowley's alive but Cas burned his bones and since when does Cas get it wrong? H knows better and vanishes.   Bobby asks how he got away since Cas doesn't make mistakes, he's an angel, unless...Dean refuses to believe he's a traitor and Sam has doubts.   Jefferson Starship's 'Miracles' plays on the jukebox.  Crowley arrives to clean up Cas's messes, but for how long?

That was obvious Cas saying he's an angel and he buried his bones and then he wouldn't have got it wrong if he really wanted to kill Crowley.   That line from Cas about millions compared to two, had an ulterior motive sounding to it.   He needs millions of souls in his war in heaven, so it was a loaded comment from him last episode, 6.18 Frontierland.   It was time for Sam and Dean to bring the fight to Eve and move it up a notch or two.   In a rather hurried attempt to move the story 'arc' along.   Eve it seems, wasn't the formidable foe and wasn't mean to last long as a Supernatural monster.   So much for being the Mother of All.   She turned out weak.   Especially when facing off with Dean who was always one step ahead of her and drank the ash beforehand.  He's becoming very methodical in his thinking - planning ahead.   He'd never be mistaken for one to use foresight.

So much for Eve turning into Mom, which just pissed Dean off even more.   In a way it was good the Eve plot didn't linger too long cos it didn't turn out to be all that interesting in the end.   All that hype and build up, just turned out to be anti-climactic.   She wasn't so much a foil in so much as a distraction in bringing the story foreward alerting them to Crowley being alive - ultimately to the realization they may have a traitor in their midst in the form of Cas.   If demons lie, angels can cheat and manipulate just as much. We've seen it all through season 5 in particular how Zach et al all wanted to use the boys for their own ends.   Yet through all that Cas seemed so different, so above all the bickering and deception.  Boy were we fooled.

As for Cas and everything he's fighting for, what he stands for becomes meaningless.   Betrayal came so easily to him, like second nature.   Shown too readily by his quick dispatch of Lenore.   (Her role was too brief) she's another casualty of season 6, as though the show was tying up loose ends in one fell swoop.   Again demonstrating how Cas thinks and acts on his feet.  If someone is a hindrance or of no use to him, then it's curtains for them.   He's clinical and callous when he needs to be and yet he's also selfish.   The souls, helping Sam and Dean was all about winning the war in heaven for himself.   He wasn't lying when it came to that. No, the lies came when he went behind their backs instead of trusting them.

Lots of funny scenes to detract from the serious issues, Dean telling Cas to 'get out of his ass.'  Dean and his baby remark.   That's what it boils down to with Cas.   At heart he's a baby, taking things too simplistically as we'll see in the remaining three episodes.

As for Eve becoming Mom, she was Sam and Dean's mother and losing her was a definitive moment in their lives.   Why would Sam and Dean be intimidated by Eve turning into her? This was not explained or done as well as it could have been.   Though seeing Samantha Smith again was a great blast from the past.   The other defining moments in their lives were the ones involving themselves as brothers.   Their love for each other.   This was highlighted by the two brothers they found in jail.  Their need to see them safely home stemming from childhood.   Also ironically, the younger brother was the infected Starship.   A look back to Sam in early seasons as being Azazel's choice to go darkside, having his blood and Sam - younger brother - being Lucifer's vessel of choice.   The younger brother being easily manipulated.   Not that Sam had any choice in the fate that befell him as a baby.   I won't bring up the whole fate, destiny, etc argument here.

The redeeming force behind this episode was Cas's deception coming undone.   Dean refuses to believe point blank.   Bobby is the voice of reason and Sam has his doubts.   What was also good to see was Dean's staunch loyalty to his friend after the number of times Cas was there for him.   The ultimate betrayal of not only a friendship but of Dean's confirming they don't work with monsters.   Having to work for Crowley was a necessary evil but Cas being in league with Crowley doesn't bare thinking about.   Is Cas a monster, was he one in the making with Dean teaching him about free will.  

Dean drinking the ashes should have seen it coming cos it's in his nature to experiment.   In 1.10 Home, he tasted the poultice they were to place in the walls of their former home.   The title if spelt Mommie Dearest would be an allusion to the film based on the book on the life of actress Joan Crawford, written by her daughter.

Lie To Me - 1.12: "Blinded" Review

Cal is hired by the FBI to question serial rapist Andrew Jenkins about the identity of his copycat. Gillian and Ria seem to get angry with Cal over his decision and Cal brings FBI agent Ben Reynolds to the team, against his wishes.

A nurse meets a doctor for coffee and there's some flirting and he comes across as charming.  Cue her running and screaming on train tracks after being attacked.   The man she was with turns out to be serial rapist Andrew Jenkins (Daniel Sujata).   Now in prison, Cal (Tim Roth) goes in as an inmate to garner the identity of the copycat and picks a fight with another prisoner.   Cal is beaten with Andrew watching.   Gillian explains since Andrew is a pathological liar he can't be interrogated in the same manner.  Cal ignores him at mealtime and sits at the same table.   Andrew displays signs of proudness - he's much more content seeing his Vics live in fear than killing them off, after Cal tells him he's been accused of killing a policeman who helped his wife.   But he's innocent.

In the prison laundry  Andrew approaches Cal and realizes Cal isn't really a prisoner and wonders if he's police, much to the chagrin of FBI agent Ben Reynolds (Mekhi Phifer) who doesn't believe they're getting anywhere either.   Andrew wants to give him info in return for a deal, Cal agrees and he asks for a weekly box of Chocodiles.   Andrew gives them the address of the next Vic, Camille (Shannon McLemore) and when they arrive there's no one there.   Ben pulls strings and has Andrew brought to their office and Eli (Brendan Hines) monitors his vitals.

Ria (Monica Raymund) looks into his 'fan' letters and  Andrew notices Ria on the other side of the glass.   All the time Ria and Cal display their emotions and anger at not getting anywhere.   Andrew mentions 'Lightbringer' as one of his fan's names, after mentioning Cal's name is Lightman.   A letter is found with this name belonging to Milo (Jonno Roberts).   When confronted Milo did write the letters but didn't abduct anyone.   He says Camille's in the next room.   Ben pulls out his gun and threatens to shoot him, like that would lead him to finding the Vic.   Cal wants him to stop as it's not Milo.   Cal cuts his hand in desperation to show Milo winces at the sight of blood.   His room of clippings, photos etc could turn out to be useful.  

Gillian visits Natalie, (Mageina Tova) one of the recent Vics and suggests she should speak with his first Vic, Michelle (Clea Duvall) as Natalie doesn't recall anything.   Ria and Eli watch Cal in the prison laundry tape and Ria notices Cal gave himself away by folding the laundry perfectly.   Cal asks if they want to concentrate on his screw ups or find Camille.   Cal spots the prison guard (Emilio Rivera) flare his nostrils.   He was afraid for his daughters and he's been passing mail from Andrew out of the prison and leaving it under a trash can (what they'd call a trash can drop or dead drop in the spy trade.)  He left a letter a few hours ago.

Michelle brings her husband, Paul (Grinnel Morris) with her, to show Natalie she can still get on with her life.   Natalie recalls she didn't hear anything, meaning she was probably kept underground.   Paul was a bit of an obvious suspect since the question many would ask is why he married her to begin with.   Gillian leaves and is attacked by the copycat, with Cal and Ben arriving too late.   Why no warning call to Gillian?   In hospital, Cal suggests she should rest but she wants to continue like he did, it was fine for him to carry on after being beaten, but she can't.   Ria calls Cal wanting to bring Michelle in to confront Andrew. He refuses and she does it anyway.   Cal forces his way into the room and asks Michelle to leave.   Then he and Ria argue in front of Andrew and he even spits on her whilst shouting.   Andrew comments Cal is angry cos she didn't listen to him.   Cal overturns a table and gets a photo from Ben showing Camille is dead.

They're too late and the copycat has gone over Andrew's head by killing his Vic.   Eli notices Andrew's heart rate increase.   The photo isn't real, Cal had Ben make it up beforehand, so Andrew would be over confident.   Gillian explains Ria was the 'long con' so Cal didn't give himself away in prison after all, it was his plan.   Milo has a video from Andrew's parole hearing, where they see Paul lose his temper immediately.   Gillian says real anger builds up gradually and on close-up, Paul reveals being in admiration of Andrew, his mentor.   Paul's real name is Leo Carty and he began writing to Andrew.   He married Michelle to be closer to Andrew and his "work."

Paul's an estate agent and Ben hunts for properties with basements.   They find Camille still alive and also Paul.   Ria is upset she was used by Cal and asks if they're ready to break away yet.   Cal replies she's still got a lot to learn yet.   Cal has been given a retainer by the FBI and wants Ben on his team, as he doesn't have anyone as security especially after what happened to Gillian.  Cal 'analyzes' Ben too but he doesn't have a choice, the decision's already been made.   Ben still maintains he works for the FBI.   Not really he doesn't.   Just goes to show what Cal wants Cal gets and he always gets his own way.

Cal demonstrates yet more manipulation on his part, not only of Andrew who he fools into giving himself away by showering him into a false sense of security; but also with Ria, as he gives her orders he knows she'll go against and barks at her when she does exactly that.   Then after all that she's still not ready to go out on her own.   As his darker side is on display much more than usual with Ben also, as he's brought him to the team without even discussing it with him first.  His gentler side is only visible with Gillian to whom he's tender and caring after she gets beaten.

Gillian: "I'll be on my cell."
Cal: "If you need me...cos normally you add, 'if you need me'...  you think I blew it in prison."
Gillian: "I'm not blaming you..he's out of jail, he's getting all this attention.   We are fulfilling his every fantasy."
Cal: "By 'we' you mean me."  Seems like that' one conversation with Gillian where he won't win the argument but with everyone else they have to do what they're told.   Finally the show seems to be finding its feet with episodes of this standard.

Merlin - 3.7: "The Castle of Fyrien" Review

Morgana conspires to take over Camelot, again needing the help of Morgause and Cenred, using the new-founded knowledge of Arthur and Gwen's feelings, they set a trap to lure him away from Camelot.

Now that Morgana (Katie McGrath) and Morgause (Emilia Fox) are aware of Arthur's (Bradley James) and Gwen's (Angel Coulby) feelings towards one another, this is going to form a major part of the show, it's predictable.  Gwen is now the only visible weakness Arthur has.  He can't succumb to magic.  Merlin (Colin Morgan) is there to protect him from this so he needs a more human vulnerability.  Gwen could also be used as a tool or object for blackmailing Arthur, if so chosen.  But it was good this route wasn't taken by the writers, since it's not in Arthur's character to give in to such threats.

Gwen returns home and is kidnapped late at night.  Cue camera on Morgana, can she really see so far into the village, all the way to Gwen's house as they made it appear so here?  No, she's probably snickering at the prospect of knowing exactly what Gwen is going through right about then.  That she's long gone and taken to Cenred's (Tom Ellis) castle.

Morgana breaks the news of Gwen's disappearance the next morning, at least her not showing up for work, clearly being aware Arthur will do anything  to bring her back.  He challenges Uther's (Anthony Head) dismissal of her as being a servant and easily replaceable.  Arthur defends her, she's "maid to the king's ward." Gwen will never be replaced in Arthur's heart.

Merlin shows Arthur the smelly rag he found at Gwen's house, prompting Arthur to inhale from it; almost knocking himself unconscious.  Arthur: "you could knock a man  out with that."  (Or woman here.) Another comic scene between the two always reassures the show doesn't enter too dark a territory all the time.   Allowing the two leads to always play the moment for laughs, showing the compatibility of the two actors and their characters.

Gwen meets Elyan (Adetomiwa Edun) at Cenred's behest; her long, lost brother...  he wasn't around when their father was killed and when she needed him and she lets him know of her feelings about that.

Arthur explains the name of the castle - Fyrien - where Cenred is hiding out.   The name of a merchant, and was built on the seas of Meredor, as a trading route.   Surprise, surprise, Morgana happened to be eavesdropping right at this moment, outside Arthur's chamber; as if she instinctively knew he would be discussing this right about now.   She hurries away again to meet with Morgause and this time she doesn't ride out, but walks and again, nobody sees her, or notices her absence.

Another scene where Merlin tells Gaius (Richard Wilson) of Morgana's plans - this time she's in league with Cenred.   Once more, it's come to be expected: we get Gaius warning Merlin they can tell no one of Morgana's betrayal as she's Uther's daughter.   It's fast becoming a bit old hat.   We know they can't say anything, then can only do.   I.e.  act to prevent her plans from reaching fruition.   So there's no need for this to be mentioned almost every episode, or every other episode.   Writers needing a wrap on their knuckles here for not moving past this line.

To Merlin's surprise and chagrin, Morgana offers to ride with them.   She's handy with a sword, much more than Merlin, as Arthur puts it.   Also Arthur's had plenty of time to steal alone time with Gwen , but he picks the woods to take advantage of this, now of all times, wouldn't Gwen be more concerned about her brother, than making out with Arthur.  Merlin questions Morgana again on why she wants to hurt her friends, but she only brings up Merlin poisoning her, leading to the problem that Merlin was never really her friend to begin with, no matter how many times he told the Dragon (John Hurt) he would not kill the witch.   He still felt he could change her, root out the evil from within her.

Gwen worries for Elyan, because like Arthur, he always does what his heart wants and ends up paying the price for it.   Did Morgana really spy Arthur and Gwen in their "almost kissing" moment?  At supper, Merlin not wanting Morgana to know the rest of Arthur's plan to gain entry to the castle, tempts with more servings of beans.  ( Yes, Merlin, spoil the moment by suggesting this, crying out for them to be flatulent all night long.)  Arthur however does tell of the secret passage under the castle, leaving Morgana to slip away into the night once more.   Always wondered why Morgana has to tell Morgause everything, can't she just hear it for herself with her magic.

Merlin enchants a snake to appear before Morgana's horse, but even the fall doesn't stop her from going on with them.   When Merlin's trying to help in times of trouble when they reach the passageway and have to fight, Arthur tells him to "stop worrying about his hair." Now would Merlin do such a girly thing, no, that's usually Arthur's territory!  Being outnumbered, and imprisoned, Merlin asks Arthur why he won't feel any pain when he's tortured for Camelot's secrets.   Merlin: "You go into some sort of trance?"  Having a chance to escape and getting Gwen and Elyan out, Arthur heads back for Morgana and isn't surprised to find Morgause is behind the plot, she uses magic to get rid of Arthur, but Merlin uses his magic to save the day.  Showing he is more powerful, or at least his power is growing everytime he comes up against her.

Watch out for Morgana's ankle, being able to walk properly and then her injury suddenly comes back to afflict her again, after it's forgotten about.   Arthur gives more exposition on Camelot and trust.   Then telling Gwen what he did for her, "it's what you do when you love someone."

Elyan is a knight in the legend of King Arthur and he is staying in Camelot, opening up the forge of their late father, so expect to see him back.   But one thing not said here, is Gwen telling how their father was killed and that it was ordered by Uther, we can't presume he knows this, when he's been away.   This episode focuses more on Gwen and her interaction with the other characters, she's the one who can talk to everyone; also showing how she can be so easily used and manipulated by Morgana to get her own way.  

Even though Gwen is her servant, she's still meant to be her friend, but as soon as Morgana finds out about Arthur's feelings for her, all that friendship goes out the window as Morgana can't even be loyal to those who have done nothing to her.   It was Uther she condemns and hates for what he has done to those of her 'kind' and yet he's the one person she hasn't been able to exact her revenge on.   Now she knows she's Uther's daughter, Arthur has now become her foe and she must kill him for the throne.   This is how she intends to restore magic.   However her actions are nothing more than selfish.   This is what being away for a year has done to her, she has been corrupted by Morgause; bringing out what was already embedded in Morgana's soul.

Merlin's distaste  and distrust of Morgana intensifies, she's too far gone in her darkness to be reasoned with and Merlin should realize that by now.   Even though the Dragon said it all along.   They may be the same, have similar powers, but they couldn't be so different at the same time.  he's good, she's not.   Morgana and Morgause are very similar in what they do and how they behave in the show.  Morgana watches everyones moves at Camelot, here Morgause does much the same in Cenred's castle and then plots on their behalf.  Morgana is clearly not the brains of the outfit.

Series 3 of Merlin  has an arc for the first time:  Merlin's distrust of Morgana, her hate of Uther, wanting to kill Arthur for the throne, using her friend, Gwen as her foil, with the inclusion of Gwaine to help them out and Elyan too, as the battle for Camelot intensifies.

The Vampire Diaries - 3.12: "The Ties That Bind" Review

Bonnie needs to find the person who can help her with the coffin and asks Elena to help. Caroline calls in Bill to help with Tyler and Elena tells Stefan about THAT kiss.

Bonnie (Kat Graham) walks amongst the Bennett graves and sees the locked coffin.  Klaus (Joesph Morgan) creeps up and tells her he knows how to open it, can she?  She then finds herself shut inside a coffin.  She's having more dreams which are sending her a message. What's that then, to find her mother?  Bonnie can't resist showing Elena (Nina Dobrev) the coffins, doing what Stefan (Paul Wesley) didn't want her to.   She needs Elena's help to find her mother, Abby, (Persia White) so that she can help with the coffin.  Elena thinks Bonnie should let Stefan obsess over opening the coffin for himself.  Damon (Ian Somerhalder) finds out where Abby is using compulsion, in which case he should have also compelled the compul-see to forget what he asked for.  Well it makes sense for later.  Especially since Klaus has his hybrid spies everywhere.

Damon thinks they're going on a road trip and calls 'shotgun.'  But he's not coming.  Elena doesn't need "your snarky commentary" spoiling the experience.   Hey snarky commentary is what Damon does.   Damon lets slip they kissed.  Tyler (Michael Trevino) apologizes to Caroline (Candice Accola) the bite was beyond his control. That's why he had the sheriff call her father Bill (Jack Coleman) for help in resisting the sire bond.  Bill understands Tyler wants to make good on his mistakes.

Alaric (Matt Davis) has lunch with Meredith (Torrey DeVitto) and Damon refers to her as "damage."  Damon's exes are all dead, at whose hands, ha.  Alaric tells him about her ex, the ME and Damon replies he was murdered vampire style.   Damon calls that red flag number 2, as she'd be his suspect if he was a cop.  Klaus demands to know what he can do for Stefan to get his family back.   Stefan isn't negotiating, he suggests Klaus should leave town and call in a few years.  Klaus wants to deal.

Elena refuses to speak to Bonnie about Damon since it won't happen again, says she.  Bonnie thinks it's because the kiss was good.  Stefan finds Abby's details. Did Elena really think it was fine to leave them lying around at home if she didn't want him tagging along?   Notice how Damon didn't tell him where they were going either.  Klaus sends his hybrid lackey, Daniel (Daniel Newman) to Abby's house first and he compels her - obviously.   Klaus got the info from a talkative deputy, see Damon should have compelled the deputy to forget.  Elena and Bonnie meet Jamie, (Robert Ri'chard) Abby dated his father.

Bill tells Tyler the sire bond invokes gratitude as he owes Klaus his life, why?  Tyler replies cos he was cursed and in order to break the bond, he needs to make himself turn.  Then he'll owe Klaus nothing and be free.   Abby knew Miranda, Elena's mother and left cos of her.  A vampire arrived looking for the doppelganger, Mikael, and she lured him out of town.  She was the one who dessicated him and put him in the crypt where Katherine found him.  This took her power and almost killed her, so she doesn't have any powers now.   That line about desiccating him made me chuckle. What was he a piece of coconut?

Damon introduces himself to Meredith and talks about her ex.   She signed his death certificate.   Meredith asks why Alaric walked away without a scratch.  She injects him and draws his blood - why'd Damon turn his back on her if he doesn't trust her?   He could have also compelled her to tell the truth about who she really is.Guess that'd be too soon for the story to develop.  Bill attacks Tyler with a shovel. He must turn or he'll kill him.  Abby tells Bonnie about having the chance to be someone else; a woman and not a witch.   She doesn't know about Gram's death.

Stefan didn't want Elena to know about the coffins cos she interferes, as I said. Since when does anyone not find out everything?  There are no secrets in this show, not usually anyway.     Elena: "out villain the villain."  Jamie is compelled and shoots Stefan.  Damon feels Alaric needs to buff up if he's with Meredith as she vervained him.  Alaric is angry at him for going to see her.   Tyler breaks his chains.   Abby tells Klaus's lackey, Daniel, Bonnie didn't talk, she used herbs on Bonnie.   Jamie has been compelled to kill himself.   Abby types a message on her phone for Bonnie to "warn your friends."  Jamie tells Elena he's not meant to hurt her and she hits him when he loosens her ties.   Stefan was shot with wooden buckshot and she has to remove the pieces.

Damon meets Klaus in the haunted mansion and Klaus is attacked by the witches just as Damon was.   Klaus threatens to kill the witch's descendants and end the Bennett line causing them to reveal the coffins.   Well that was weak of them. How can they reaffirm that a hybrid is more powerful than witches?   The fourth coffin is missing. Damon had enough time to remove it, but just the one.

Alaric tells Meredith vervain doesn't affect Damon cos he drinks it.   Bill is rushed to the hospital and Meredith shows Alaric why she took Damon's blood, since a vampire's blood can be used to save lives.   Stefan notices Elena is stronger and she knows they have all changed.   She admits to kissing Damon. Was she deliberately trying to make waves more than easing her conscience?   She knows their relationship is volatile at the best of times and how would causing a rift between the Salvatore's prove helpful at a time like this?   She feels guilty that Stefan doesn't know but not about the kiss.   Stefan apologizes for kidnapping her. He went too far.   He won't lie to her today and she shouldn't go off on her own when Klaus is still alive.   Elena doesn't want Stefan in the way.   Stefan feels Elena is better than the both of them.

Abby sees Jamie as her family and wants to help Bonnie, who doesn't trust her.   She thinks Bonnie can help her get magic back.  Tyler lost control.   Bill posits turning has to be painless to break the sire bond.   He will stay away from Caroline until he breaks the bond.   Alaric tells Meredith his secret.  It seems like he has another death wish doing that and also blabs about his ring.   She tries to remove his ring and Elena interrupts.

Damon asks Stefan how Elena is and he punches him. He doesn't want to talk.   Hey, that's a line from Supernatural, when older brother Dean (Jensen Ackles) doesn't want to talk deep and meaningfuls and younger brother Sam (Jared Padalecki) wants him to.   Here it was the other way round.   Damon shows him a dagger which he pulled from one of the Originals.   Klaus doesn't want to open the coffins yet and Elijah (Daniel Gillies) rips out Daniel's heart.   He's been 'revived' by Damon.   That came as a shock to Klaus, but what will Elijah do anyway, it's not like he didn't help Klaus escape the sacrifice they had in store of him?   Then he may be peeved Klaus doesn't have that one elusive coffin.

This episode seemed slow, setting up some future plots.   Can't believe Meredith is just using vampire blood for her patients.That's too simplistic a plot. There's just more to her and Alaric is so trusting - after everything he's been through and the number of times he's died, you'd think he'd be more secretive of the ring.   He's met her for two minutes and he feels the need for such blatant honesty with her.   He needs to move on from Jenna, eventually. It doesn't have to be this soon.   Yet Elena tells him it's fine for him to do that, ignoring Damon, who has his doubts about Meredith.   Let's face it Damon is a better judge of character than Alaric.   His cynicism leaves him in good stride to warn Alaric about her.    He's looking out for him again - he has to protect his only friend.   Alaric is more annoyed Damon went behind his back and 'checked' up on her.   Or should that be, questioned the "good" doctor?   Well perhaps Damon should have compelled her as said before.

Stefan apologizing for what he did to Elena last episode - was it his real humanity coming through or was it just to appease her for confessing about the kiss?   He's playing his cards close to his chest as to what he feels for her, cos he can't seem to let go of her.   He seems to be showing his true jealous side when he decks Damon.   If he didn't care for her still why would he do that to him, other than Damon rubbing it in?   Well Damon told Bonnie so Stefan was bound to find out eventually.   Nothing remains a secret in this town for long.

Bonnie was hurt her mother forgot her own child and chose to raise someone else's.   As we learn Abby was the one who put Mikael in the coffin.   She could have taken Bonnie with her - why leave her behind - did she suspect trouble?   Then again she must have since she used her powers on Mikael, lost her powers, then there'd be no way to protect Bonnie.   Not that Mystic Falls is a safe place to live, but even if you're not in the town, trouble and danger has a way of catching up with you.   In that respect she was being a good mother.

Elijah reappears brought back by Damon, that was no surprise. Did Damon feel Elijah would have a score to settle with Klaus for daggering him?   Elijah: "what have I missed?"  Could ask the same about this episode, ha.   Damon wasn't even shown removing the coffin from the house and freeing Elijah appears to be a wise move on his part, or is it?

Merlin - 3.6: "The Changeling" Review

Another episode where Arthur is forced to accept a bride he doesn't love or want. Only this time she turns out to be on his side, in not wanting to marry him either. Morgana finds out about the extent of Arthur and Gwen's feelings...

A baby is enchanted in her crib, by what appears to be a fairy.  Twenty years later, she's grown up and a bit of a slob for a noblewoman!  She's Princess Elena (Georgia May) and complains of her shoes, she doesn't like wearing them.  Lord Godwyn (Simon Williams) is her father.  Uther (Anthony Head) thinks her beautiful and "strategic." Godwyn finds Arthur (Bradley James)  "strategic."  They must marry off the two to cement their allegiance.  Arthur doesn't love her and refuses.  Elena arrives at court and trips over.  Merlin (Colin Morgan) has to fetch and carry, as normal.

Arthur has to inform Gwen (Angel Coulby) of this marriage and that he won't go through with it.  Merlin thinks perhaps Elena will be like her mother.  Arthur has bad breath, a sense of humour.  Then adds, no, Arthur is right, they don't share anything in common.  Uther tells him that Arthur's future also involves the safety of Camelot and he should find feelings for Elena.

Elena is restless in her sleep.  Grunhilde (Miriam Margoyles) sprinkles dust over her and her true features are revealed.  Grunhilde summons the Faerie king at the lake and changes into her true form.  A faerie lives within Elena, but cannot come out until she is actually married.  A Sidhe will become Queen of Camelot.  So it's not just Morgana after Camelot, but all sorts of creatures too.

Elena and Arthur go riding, that's one thing she can actually do.  They both didn't know their mothers (well that's one thing they have in common.)  He wonders if he's like his mother, or more like his father.  (But in series 2 when Morgause (Emilia Fox) appeared to him for the first time and showed him her mother, he should have an idea of what she was like at least.)

Arthur gives her a rose and she sneezes over him.  Merlin finally arrives with a picnic and Arthur warns him not to leave him alone again. "Nobody likes a clever clogs, Merlin." Elena, later hugs Arthur and trips on the stairs.

Grunhilde sets her sights on Gaius.  The two fathers discuss the alliance.  Elena tells Grunhilde of her doubts; that she's not perfect.  Grunhilde replies she can marry Arthur for his brawn.  Elena respects her father's judgement.  Grunhilde gives her a frog to eat.

Merlin (in another scene where he stumbles across trouble) spies Grunhilde catching flies with her long tongue.  Gaius thinks she could have an infection.  Whereas Merlin knows for certain that her long tongue means magic.  Gaius searches Elena's chamber and finds the pouch with the dust.  Grunhilde thinks he's there for her.  They "could make sweet perfume together," she tells him.

Gaius realizes Grunhilde is a pixie with pixie dust.  Merlin thinks that's "disgusting.  Imagine if she kissed you."  After Gaius says she likes him.  Gaius believes Elena is a changeling and is about to be completely possessed.  She's a Sidhe (pronounced 'Shee') and they would want a Sidhe queen.

Morgana thinks Elena's nice.  Arthur attempts to tell Uther he doesn't want to marry someone unless he loves her.  Morgana watches the glances exchanged between Arthur and Gwen and now she concludes they have feelings for one another.  Merlin wants Gaius to tell Uther about the changeling, but once more Godwyn cannot be accused.  Gaius says they need a spell so that the faerie leaves Elena's body.

Morgana cunningly questions Gwen.  She wouldn't want Arthur to marry someone he doesn't love, but Gwen tells her he doesn't have a choice.  Morgana wonders what would happen if he had feelings for someone else.  She can see it in Gwen's eyes.  Gwen knows it won't amount to anything...  Morgana will begin to weave a cunning plan.

Gaius wants to concoct a potion made by the witches of Meredor, compelling the faerie to leave, but he doesn't know how to concoct it.  Gwen confronts Arthur about his wedding, "You can't always have what you want."  Arthur would be glad to be insane if he could have Gwen, since it's better than being sad.  He tells her she has a good heart.  Gwen believes if he does get married then Camelot will have the king it deserves.

Gaius finds the witches weren't good at writing recipes.  (For a princess, Elena only has one yellow dress!)  Arthur wants Elena to share his dreams and asks for her hand in marriage.

Merlin finds the flower they need for the potion, in a boggy marsh.  Grunhilde relays her suspicions about Merlin knowing their secret to the faerie king.  He enters Merlin's chamber as a ball of light and is destroyed by Merlin with his staff and in the process, Merlin breaks the bottle containing the potion.  (This is becoming too familiar, first Gwen mixed up the potion bottle needed to save Gaius' life and now he does something similar.)

Gaius needs to distract Grunhilde and meets her in the vaults; telling Merlin if it doesn't work then Merlin will have to save him and if it does work, then it will be their secret.  She prepares to kiss Gaius (with her long tongue!) and Merlin locks her in.  But she manages to lick Gaius' face with her long tongue instead!

Grunhilde escapes her prison.  Merlin must destroy the Sidhe with his staff.   Merlin wrestles with Grunhilde, turning her into pixie dust.  Merlin holds Elena's nose and forces her to drink the potion.  The Sidhe leaves her body and is destroyed.  (This all seemed a little too easy.)

Merlin hands Arthur his ceremonial sword.  Arthur: "Is that for me to fall on?"  Then says Merlin wouldn't understand, "you have no idea what it's like to have a destiny."  (But he does and he's said that before too.)  Their destines are inter-twined.  Merlin replies, "destinies are troublesome things." Arthur feels trapped, with everything being planned out for him, he doesn't know if a destiny is right.  Arthur asks Merlin how he knows so much.  Merlin: "I read a book."  Merlin comments he should only marry for love.  It is Arthur's destiny to rule, but Arthur can decide on how he rules.

Gwen has a new dress for the wedding.  Arthur and Elena agree not to go through with the ceremony.  Morgana watches Gwen.  Arthur surmises when he's king, he will be a good one, "with the support and strength of the woman I love."  Godwyn informs Uther that Arthur will be a good king and Uther should be proud of him.  Gwen tells Arthur he didn't deserve Elena.  He will find someone just as "lovely."   Oh  they didn't turn around to look at each other at the end.  Arthur has already been betrothed before, let's hope this doesn't happen again in the near future.  To someone other than Gwen that is.

A changeling is the child of a fairy which has been substituted for a human baby.  Sidhe/faerie are creatures able to move very fast in the air and have the ability to change their shapes, as well as being more powerful than men.

Doctor Who - 6.4: "The Doctor's Wife" Review

Catchy title but alas misleading and not the wife many were hoping for, still a fun episode and sad in places. The TARDIS is transferred into a human body and we're left with another cryptic clue for the future.

Idris's (Suranne Jones) body is empty and she is given a new soul.   a Time Lord is coming.   Rory (Arthur Darvill) comments Amy (Karen Gillan) is still thinking of the fate awaiting the Doctor (Matt Smith).   There's a knock on the TARDIS's door and a glowing box of light enters.   Doctor: "I've got mail!" The box is a Time Lord emergency message system.   When there's an emergency, the Time Lords wrap their thoughts in a "psychic container and send them through time and space." There's a good, living Time Lord out there.   Yes but the Doctor himself was the one who killed them all.   They're not going to the universe and the Doctor notices the mark of the snake, Corsair had that tattoo in every regeneration.   They leave the universe to be outside the universe, somewhere he's never been.

The TARDIS's power drains - the soul of the TARDIS - the matrix - has vanished.  That's what Auntie (Elizabeth Berrington) said at the start - the soul is now in Idris.   Rory says they've landed on a scrapyard outside of the universe.   The Doctor explains it's not like a bubble with a tiny bubble stuck outside of it.   Amy adds it smells like armpits.  They've fallen down the universe's plug hole.  Idris kisses the Doctor like a mad woman, he's a thief; but he hasn't stolen anything.   She can't bring herself to say what she is, "I'm..."  it's on the tip of her tongue. "The little boxes will make him angry.   His chin is hilarious."  She mentions the smell of dust after the rain - 'petrichor'.   (Remember for later.)

Nephew (Paul Kasey) is an Ood and he was only half alive when he got here and was repaired by House (Michael Sheen) .   Several Time lord voices are heard in unison.   House is everywhere.   The Doctor knows there are lots of Time Lords nearby.   Idris can't think of the "sad word." House speaks.   The Doctor says he's met Time Lords before.  House repairs the other three when they break.   The Doctor is the last Time Lord with the last TARDIS.   He wants to look around, sensing something isn't quite right and sends Amy and Rory back to the TARDIS to retrieve his screwdriver.   But he never leaves that behind!

He told Amy about the Time Lords and he destroyed them, Amy believes he wants to be forgiven.  Idris asks for her thief.   The TARDIs is engulfed by green smoke and the Doctor locks Amy and Rory inside before finding all of the boxes.   He thought he had friends here, but they're only "cries of help from the long dead."  He was lured here and realizes House repairs Auntie, Uncle (Adrian Schiller) and Nephew when they break, and calls them "patchwork people." Auntie has Corsair's arm with the tattoo.   Uncle got his kidneys and spine.   Doctor: "You gave me hope and then took it away."  He recalls Idris saying the boxes would make him angry.   Amy tells him he's being emotional and Idris calls the Doctor stupid too, as Amy does Rory.   Idris mimics the sound of the TARDIS.   She's the TARDIS.   Doctor: "You were the most beautiful thing I've ever known." He only borrowed her, not stolen her.   Idris wouldn't give him back.   Doctor: "My TARDIS."

Idris: "My Doctor."  He releases her from her cage.   House eats Tardises, he feeds on rift energy and deletes the TARDIS matrix before he can eat it.   The Doctor tells Amy he's unlocked the door.   Amy: "You stupid well haven't."  See Amy's word.   The TARDIS vanishes with them both stuck inside.   The Doctor ha's a new feeling, not knowing what to do.   House tells them they're stuck in the TARDIS but they're not safe.  Auntie and Uncle die because House can't feed off anymore Tardises.   Idris is also dying.   They need to go where she landed.   Idris: "Don't get emotional, that's what that orangey-coloured girl says."  The Doctor hits on a brainwave: it's a junkyard full of Tardises.   He calls her sexy.   Only when they're alone.

Rory tries to think of ways to survive and tells House he won't kill them yet as he thrives on entertainment, that's what Auntie and Uncle were for.   They run inside the TARDIS and the Doctor puts together parts salvaged from the old Tardises to build a TARDIS console.   Idris asks what the sign on her front door says.  'Pull to open' and he pushes.   The Doctor gets his chance to tell her she hasn't been very reliable in the past, as they're on 'speaking terms' now.   She took him where he needed to go.   Rory gets left behind a door and Amy comes round to find him.   She's been away for hours and the same thing happens again.  House is messing with them.

Idris chose him all those years ago, he says he chose her.  She wanted to see the universe, so she stole a Time Lord and ran away.   Rory's aged, Amy left him for 2,00 years, again.   The TARDIS is the power.   Idris: "Oh my beautiful idiot, you've had what you've always had, you've got me."  Amy sees a body, but it's not Rory.   The Doctor wants Idris to relay a message to Amy, she asks if he means 'the pretty one'.   Sending it to Rory instead, a telepathic message.   Passing on the route to the old control room.   The Doctor comments "the pretty one!" She's got 30 control rooms and she archives them.  Doctor: "You're doing it, you sexy thing." That's her name.   Idris passes on the code: "Crimson, eleven, delight, petrichor." Amy recalls it's the "smell of dust after the rain." The shields of the TARDIS are down, allowing them to land in it.   The Ood gets atomized.

Doctor: "She's a woman and she's a TARDIS."
Amy: "Did you wish really hard?"
Doctor: "Shut up, it's not like that."  Said that about River too in episode 1.
TARDIS: "Sexy."
Doctor: "Still shut up." It's never like that with him and women.  

The Doctor tricks House into saying he needs thrust to get into his universe.   The TARDIS asks for water but that's a clue isn't it.   The Doctor calls her "old girl."  House will have to delete the room first so he can get back the actual, current control room and House fell for it.   As living things are returned to where they're deposited from.   House admits he's killed hundreds of Time Lords.   Doctor: "Fear me, I've killed all of them."  House should be careful, he took her from her control room and now she's free.   She finishes House off.   Then recalls the word she was looking for is "alive."  Doctor: "Alive isn't sad."  It is for her.   She wanted to say hello and greet him.   He doesn't want her to..  he's sad now.   But death is sad.   He can't make the TARDIS talk again.   Amy puts that down to "spacey-wacey." Rory relays the message she left: "The only water in the forest is the River."  Is that meant to be backward comment?

Amy: "It's always you and her isn't it?" Was she jealous.   But that's the crux of this show him and his TARDIS.   He gives them a new bedroom and he asks if she's still there?  Doctor: "I'm a silly old..."

I liked this episode more than last week's one.   It was much more enjoyable and had it all: laughs, emotions, sadness.  The special bond that the Doctor shares with his beloved TARDIS.   He is married to it, or should that be her, in a way.   They're joined at the hip, so in this respects the title could have been misleading.   But when seen the TARDIS was transferred into a human body, it gave it more meaning and it was understandable why that title was used in the end.   As Amy said at the end, it always is the Doctor and her.  Can the Doctor ever love anyone else.   In the episode The Time of the Angels Part 1, Amy asked River if she was the Doctor's wife, but River didn't reply.

The old control room, guess that was the one inhabited by the Doctor's previous body, the Tenth Doctor, David Tennant.

Idris almost is synonymous with TARDIS.   Idris refers to his chin as funny, another reference to his chin, as River (Alex Kingston) said in the season opener, Easter Island statues were an homage to our Doctor!  The Doctor called the TARDIS 'Sexy' in season 5 The Eleventh Hour and the so called 'cloister bell' the emergency warning system of the TARDIS, was also heard in that episode.

The colour of the Ood's eyes change whenever they are possessed or inhabited by evil entities, as seen in the past episodes, The Impossible Planet  and the Satan Pit (2006).   Here Nephew had green eyes, akin to the green smoke representing House.   Didn't the Doctor realize this from his past encounters.   Also the part where he's excited that there may be other Time Lords out there, but then that turns to sadness when he finds many of them were slaughtered by House.   However, he knows he destroyed the last of them too so it's understandable why he would believe there may be some, outside of the universe.   Good Time Lords.   However, I don't think we've seen the last of the Time Lords though.

As for Idris's cryptic clue, "the river in the forest" is that really referring to running water, or to our River Song.   She was in an earlier episode entitled Forest of the Dead, from when the Doctor first met her and then rescued her and her team.   I don't know, I kind of like the idea it's about River.   We'll have to wait and see.

Suranne Jones also played the Mona Lisa in an episode of The Sarah Jane Adventures and I actually met her years ago, when she was in the stage production of A Few Good Men in the UK with Rob Lowe.

Written 2011

Charlies Angels - 1.1: "Angel with a Broken Wing" Review

The angels burst onto the screens investigating the murder of one of their own and find themselves with a replacement angel as they bring a child trafficker to justice.

"Once upon a time there were three young girls who got into very big trouble.   First the Park Avenue princess turned thief.   The second was a marine decorated for valour, court martialled  for a deadly mistake and the third was a dedicated police detective turned dirty cop.   They each made mistakes but I gave them a second chance and now they work for me.   My name is Charlie."

A sixteen year old runaway, Sarah is held in a hotel and is being sold by a child sex trafficker known as Pajaro.   Abby (Rachael Taylor) picks a man's pocket after bumping into him.   Gloria (Nadine Velazquez) picks up Fisk at the airport, the traffickers contact.  Abby has to ensure Bosley (Ramon Rodriguez) is in position.   Thus cue an older man we're meant to think is Bosley but he's actually frolicking in the pool.   Pajaro's broker e-mailed him the photo of the girl and Gloria fires shots around him asking what their plan is and where Sarah's being held.  The man calls the hotel to let them know the broker will be late and Bosley retrieves the hotel room number.

Abby scales the building wearing heels, which change into flats when she climbs onto the balcony.   They rescue Sarah with Abby declaring, "We're angels." They don't know Pajaro's ID and no one's probably ever met him.   Abby: "That's ironic coming from Charlie." (Victor Garber)  Abby likes men who are sexy dreamers.   She touches Gloria on her arm so you can see her tattoo.   As they head for drinks, Gloria has other business to attend to and Kate (Annie Ilonzeh) found Abby's father's letters in the bin.   So expect him to turn up soon.

Gloria's car explodes and Kate doesn't seem to be able to shed any tears, so much for them being colleagues and friends, but they were sisters as they say.   Bosley says Charlie is devastated, "losing an angel is his worst nightmare.   Mine too."  Next day at work, Abby turns up in shorts, would've thought the occasion warranted something more sombre.   Charlie calls Gloria's murder personal and reminds them, "You're angels of justice, not angels of vengeance."  Also reminding us they've been in trouble before and shouldn't overstep the mark this time round either.

They notice a woman on a bike was behind Gloria's car on the surveillance footage and Kate spots the same tattoo as Gloria on the back of her neck.   They must have been members of the same car stealing gang.   Kate's ex fiancee was a cop and she uses his badge number to bring up info on the tattoo woman.   Would've thought Bosley would have been able to find info on her seeing as he's adept at hacking.   She is Eve French (Minka Kelly) and lives on  houseboat.   They pack their weapons.  Gloria was a sister to Eve and a helicopter approaches outside and opens fire as they speak.  

They meet her at work.  Gloria wanted to show Eve something about the case she was on.   Abby and her dirty looks towards Eve clearly showing she doesn't like or trusts her.   Kate is more reserved, showing why later the two of them get on better.   Eve and Gloria were both at an orphanage in El Salvador and Eve was upset, Gloria helped her.   Gloria came to her now with something she wanted to tell her.   Abby is hostile again and and a much as Bosley loves a catfight, he has to stop them.   It's left to Eve to think about checking out Gloria's apartment, when they should have done that much sooner.   Abby decides to wear flats now as she scales the pipe to get into her apartment.

The place has already been searched and Abby finds the gator she gave Gloria for Christmas.   Eve knows where she'd hide valuables as they learned that at the orphanage too.   There' a cat litter tray but no cat, Gloria was allergic and beneath it is a trapdoor with a safe. Again it's left to Abby to break into that too, since this episode showcases much of Abby's skills as a thief.  The box belonged to Gloria's mother and she had it with her at the orphanage.   Also found is a DNA analysis report with two samples and a shot glass.   The samples were a match to one person and there's a photo of Nestor Rodrigo.   (Carlos Bernard) Eve says Gloria found Pajaro.

She pulls a gun on them and she's going after him as she made a promise to kill him, Gloria called her cos of him.   Kate says they need to save more girls and have to take him down the right way.  Bosley confirms the prints are a match.   He led a death squad in El Salvador and they saw him there.   They sneaked into the chapel and he came there to steal girls, killing the nuns and boys. "I have an angel to thank for that."  They saw his face when he searched the chapel.   Eve hit him with the angel and ran.  Bosley understands why she wanted to get him so badly, but we haven't had any backstory on him yet, so clearly there's something in his past too.

Abby: "We're angels not saints." Pajaro's foundation builds orphanages.   Nadia Kozlova (Ivana Milicevic) is his right hand woman, and has a photographic memory.   She stole money from the Russian mob.   Charlie wants Eve to help and believes in second chances.   They infiltrate his party as waitresses, dressed as red devils and spray the food with laxative, but Nadia doesn't eat any of it.   Abby manages to exact some revenge on some girls she knew from school.  when they take a photo of her dressed like that for Facebook.   They need to utilize Plan B: Bolsey.   He spouts a list of numbers including guests at the party etc and Nadia pulls a knife on him, but he manages to get her into the truck.   Eve doesn't leave as she sees the angel with the broken wing.   Her ear wig is knocked out.   The others meanwhile, threaten to take Nadia to Russia unless she gives them info on where the girls are being held.   Kate speaks Russian.

At the boatyard they also find Eve being beaten (as in 1.4 Angels In Chains).   Bosley and Kate rescue the girls and Abby rescues Eve who then drives into Pajaro to stop him.   Meant to be demonstrating her driving skills as she's into cars.   Charlie wants to offer Eve a job as an angel.   Bosley tells her about his twenty year sentence for tax fraud which Charlie rescued him from.  He explains the first rule is "zero face time with the boss."   Bosley says they turn up when least expected and "when you need them the most."  Charlie calls them angels but she's no angel.   It is like the second chance Eve gave Gloria and she took the blame for her.  Bosley says they're all family too.  Kate tells her Abby will borrow her clothes, (will they fit her) and Kate is bossy.

1976 Ocean Drive, the address of the agency where the '1976' refers to the year the original Charlie's Angels was aired: 22nd September 1976.   Kate Jackson played Sabrina, one of the original angels and here Kate appears to be named for her.   Kelly (Jaclyn Smith) was an orphan and Jill (Farah Fawcett) was into cars and racing.   Just like Gloria and Eve.

Even before this reboot was touted, there was to be a planned remake of Charlie's Angels and was to be called 'Angels 88'.   This was to have 4 angels instead of 3, all were actresses who were the stars of a fictional detective series whose series gets cancelled and they join forces to become a real life detective agency.  Charlie and Bosley would be absent so as to give these angels more of a liberation.   It was to have starred Tea Leoni, Karen Kopkins.  Sandra Canning and Claire Yarlett.     However this series never sprouted wings and was cancelled even before anything was filmed.

In 1998, Drew Barrymore acquired the rights of the show for her production company, Flower Films.   These angels in the movies were named Dylan (Drew Barrymore) Alex (Lucy Liu) and Natalie (Cameron Diaz).   However as the original TV series, the studio, Sony Pictures didn't want to see this as a women, kick-ass orientated show, but rather wanted more "jiggle" for the male eye.

As with this 2011 series, it was inevitable it would head to cancellation since the stories and plots didn't seem right for the current climate on TV and the cast didn't quite seem to gel.  It appears the shows only saving grace was Bosley, as many have commented.   Perhaps it should have been more fast-paced, less tedious script and not so cliched  for it to have actually gotten somewhere.   I was a fan of the original show but this didn't and couldn't compare to that.   Neither, in my opinion, did the two movies.

Smallville - 10.12: "Collateral" Review

Having being released by the VRA, everyone thinks Chloe has betrayed them as they have flashbacks to seeing her. Lois is the only one who has faith in her cousin. Clark finally flies...

Lois waits at the farm for a woman from the VR Agency to answer the phone.   Her call is on hold and you know how long that takes.  When the call is finally answered, Lois threatens her, after she calls her huffy, "stop giving me the runaround bitch, or I will come for you." There's no record of Clark Kent (Tom Welling.)  Clark returns and begins to pick up the pieces of the glass Lois dropped, but his finger bleeds and doesn't heal.   The VRA took away their powers.   Oliver (Justin Hartley), Dinah/Black Canary (Alaina Huffman) were all released, just like Lois was.  The VRA were waiting for them at Carter Hall's (Michael Shanks) funeral.   Which explains what that pyramid object was.   Lois claims she went all Erin Brokovich on them.   They couldn't really remove Clark's powers could they since he's not a 'meteorite freak' and doesn't have powers in that sense.  

Clark has a flash of  memory with Chloe (Allison Mack) injecting him and the cover being closed over him, he thinks he was experimented on.   Oliver returns and needs a drink before recalling Chloe too, throws his phone down which has her photo and shrinks into a corner.   Clark goes to Watchtower and finds Dinah, they need to find who did this.   They can't recall anything after Carter's funeral.  That's all he was relegated to, a memory from his funeral.   Dinah thinks Chloe is their only chance of getting their powers back, again if the VRA don't know what their powers are, then how could they take them.   Especially since the only power Ollie has is to shoot arrows with precision.   Think it was more  a case of mind over matter.   Oliver finds himself in a straitjacket.

Clark finds him and tells him they'll fight this.   Oliver wonders how as they have no weapons.  They are in his head making him believe Chloe is behind this.   Clark doesn't want to give up on Chloe just yet, but deep down he probably has.   Oliver says she tortured them.   Cue Chloe as she walks through the wall.  She wouldn't torture them.   She also explains they were all caught after Carter's funeral (er how many times will that be mentioned?!) and hooked to a virtual reality world, driven by their subconscious.   She's "Chloe in the sky with diamonds."  A take on Lucy in the sky with diamonds, the John Lennon song, apparently written when he was high on LSD.  Chloe created an avatar of herself to get to them.   Their body flatlined when she tried to get them out so she had to plug them back in.   Oliver must believe everything he sees isn't real.   He can manipulate it and his straitjacket vanishes.

She's programmed a portal to get them out.   She shoots at VRA security men, if they find her and who she's contacted they'll be killed.   Oliver asks where the rabbit hole is (the portal) and calls her Alice (as in Wonderland.)  Oliver trusts her with his life, which is the same as Clark last season, when Oliver and Chloe didn't trust him and were stockpiling large amounts of Kryptonite, just incase.   Now Clark doesn't trust Chloe.   The others see footage of Oliver and Chloe breaking out and Dinah thinks Chloe could have contacted them but doesn't want to.   Which is a little silly cos Chloe will contact all of them soon enough and they won't believe her aside from Lois, who believes in Chloe.   Lois and Dinah argue over Chloe, whilst she texts Clark to meet her on the roof.   Which was a good way for him to get away from the cat fight.

Oliver tries to explain what Chloe told him.   Clark doesn't have any abilities here.   They blocked his neural pathways to see if they can remove their powers in the virtual world.   If they succeed they will do it for real.   Which doesn't make that much sense when you think about it, again Oliver's powers may extend from his mind, i.e.  he shoots arrows etc cos he thinks of it, but Dinah has her 'screeching' powers and again that's not really an extension of her mind, it's what she can physically do.  They're just being led to believe they don't have powers.   Chloe can get Clark out if he believes everything he's seeing is fake.   They have to jump to get back int the real world.   But instead Clark prefers to waste time on questions.   He wants to trust her but...Chloe and Oliver jump.

Oliver is released in reality and they kiss.  Flagg (Tim Whittall) holds a gun on him, "keep your shirt on Queen."  Oliver says he'll take care of the ladies.   Flagg tells them all the VRA are trained killers.   Chloe needs to get five more out, but we don't see the others, as they're not really there.   Chloe goes back for Dinah and tells her she's "caught in a virtual world." Dinah believes Chloe is a traitor.   They fight and  Avatar Action woman Chloe goes into full-on fight mode.    Watch out for Chloe's boots in the chick fight scene, they're flatter. Dinah comes into reality and apologizes to Chloe.   She has 17 minutes to get Clark out from the "Pixar postcard." They need him to fight the others, but they appeared to do just fine without him.

Chloe tells him Clark lost trust in her, cos, finishes Oliver, she left them.   Clark needs a pep talk from Lois, a lot of that lately.   He should trust Lois if he doesn't trust Chloe.   Chloe and Clark have been through plenty of battles together so this should just be another day to them.   Clark doesn't know her anymore and still goes on about Chloe not telling him why she left.   Lois says she's always been there for Clark, he's known Chloe the longest: the Torch, the Summers at the lake, Watchtower.   Lois: "...the hardest thing ever is  is to trust someone enough to let them have their secrets."  Meaning Clark not telling anyone his secret.   Clark's heart is saying the opposite and his heart is usually right.   Oliver and Chloe jumped cos it's a real portal, he has to believe for himself.

Chloe sits at the computer but she didn't hear or see Trotter (Lori Ann Triolo) sneak up in the reflection and is knocked out.   They use Chloe's avatar in an attempt to trick Clark and Lois, but didn't reckon on Lois knowing her cousin!  At least I got my question answered about Trotter being  on the trot/loose (bad joke) last episode.   Chloe asks if Clark is really going to let Lois jump.   Lois tells her she's not real and whacks her.   Flagg and Oliver take down the VRA.   Deadshot (Bradley Stryker) saves Chloe as does Oliver.   Dinah, as the Canary screeches at Trotter.   Plenty of Chloe's avatars appear whilst Clark still contemplates jumping.   Chloe knows he will never jump, he's the most reluctant to accept his abnormality.   If he takes a leap and won't defy the rules of this world and it'll kill him.   Lois once again has to talk him round.

 Clarkie this is getting to be a bit of a habit with you, since when can he no longer think and decide for himself.   He was doing that a long time before he met Lois.    He needs to trust himself like when he told her his secret.  "Close your eyes and ears and take the leap of faith...I believe in you."  We get a teaser of what Clark will really eventually do and fly.   Well Lois got to the portal easily she didn't have to jump.

Chloe looks at their old photo with Pete and one with Clark and Lois as Homecoming King and Queen.   He tells her it wasn't the same without her.   It was good she wasn't here when Trotter took them or she couldn't get them out.   Chloe tells him the helmet warned her.   When she found out Flagg wanted ro kill the General ( episode Abandoned) she gave him a choice of reporting to her or reporting him to the government.   "Every Frankenstein has a heart," referring to the Suicide Squad.   Chloe had her suspicions about Clark back then, but still carried on. "Their lies are there to protect you." It's not trust if you have to explain themselves.   Clark fears it's hard to do that.   She'll never give up.

Trotter and her men are sent to a "virtual venom" world of their own.   Lois asks Chloe to be her maid of honour.   Oliver gives her flowers.   It's a long time she got those.   Oliver stopped looking for her when she went away cos it's what she wanted.   That he trusted her means a lot to Chloe.   She wanted to call but the helmet warned her to stay away.   She didn't trust herself to leave if he was near her.   Clark looks at Carter's book and finds a photo of him inside, so we don't forget what he looks like, ha.  He's been thinking a lot about him.   Lois thinks he'd be proud of Clark.   Clark shut his eyes and ears to the outside world to figure out what's true.   Lois got him to believe and fly...in cyberspace.   Clark: Who knows one day we may get to fly in the real world."  She believes he can do the impossible.

Lois doesn't recall being zapped after she saw the object or even that she saw the object in the last episode, or perhaps someone forget to write that in.   A bit of an anti-climactic episode .   Thought it could have been done much better maybe that's just me and my high expectations, and found an alternative way to bring Chloe back.   Clark not trusting Chloe when she's the only one he's ever trusted.   So her "betrayal"  as he believed it was would hurt him more than the others.   She left without telling him anything and so didn't trust him, though she was protecting him.  Oh come on the entire scenario Clark found himself in had to be fake, from what we've seen of the VRA, the government, Trotter, would never release the vigilantes after they were caught.   What was happening to them in the real world of virtual reality is what would happen anyway,  Chloe told them as much.   It was naive, particularly of Clark to believe they were suffering from some form of post-traumatic stress.

Apparently Chloe had more than five other vigilantes left to release, unless she had gotten to the remainder who attended Carter's funeral (now I'm saying it!) first and released them, but they would have stuck around to help, had they been in the episode actually, save for the budget required to get the actors back.   At the funeral were meant to be Zatanna, AC, Impulse, Stargirl, The Flash, as well as Clark and Lois and Lois wasn't released yet either, so she should have said six; as far as we know only Oliver and Dinah were released by her.  Some mention that Cyborg was also there, oh who knows, we couldn't really see them anyway.   Others disputed whether it was Zatanna or Mera, but Mera isn't the type to wear fishnets.  (Oh unintended pun there!)

Chloe referencing plenty of films you'd think it was an episode of NCIS, ha.   The Wizard of Oz (1939), Oliver mentions Alice in Wonderland, book and movie, as well as referring  to Narnia, from The Chronicles of Narnia.   The closest one to this episode Chloe mentioned was The Truman Show; where a man growing up in a town, which wasn't real, had his life aired as a reality show to viewers.

Castle - 2.4: "Fool Me Once..." Review

This episode involves a conman who is killed whilst on a video viewed by school children. Beckett finally reads Castle's new book and he catches her reading it too. So much for denying it.

Children watch a man via videolink supposedly in the Arctic and he gets killed on camera.   Alexis (Molly Quinn) is having violin lessons with Dylan;(Tyler Hoechlin) a hunk whom Castle (Nathan Fillion) strongly objects to since he could end up having designs on her.   Castle: "You went male model."  Martha (Susan Sullivan) likes Dylan too.

Beckett (Stana Katic) tells Ryan (Seamus Dever) she'd have spoiled the surprise if she told Castle about the shooting and where the DB was.   Castle: "Do we have jurisdiction in the North Pole?"  Well they would have found some way to get there to assume jurisdiction, ha.   He thought "it was awesome."  Beckett notices a building in the glass which Castle states has classic Upper West Side architecture.   Hey he's an exert on buildings too.  Wheeler, (David Ramsey) the teacher, saw Steven Fletcher two weeks ago.   Watch out for the nifty brochure, it was a clue since it turned up everywhere.

Ryan gets a hit on the building ID.   The door is unlocked and Castle assumes the killer had a key, or the Vic knew his killer which is the more likely scenario, or both.   Beckett refers to Fletcher as a squirrel and surprised Castle didn't know what she meant by 'nuts.'   He has a one track mind has our Castle and  the scene reminds Castle of Capricorn One (you now the movie where they alleged the moon landing was a fake.)  Lanie (Tamala Jones) finds he was shot once in the face.   There are even more brochures in his apartment and the photos on the walls were also a clue.   Castle picks up a book saying Fletcher had no intention of returning the library book.

Esposito (Jon Huertas) finds lots of fake passports.   Then Beckett picks up the brochure again.   She hasn't read his book yet or so she claims.   Castle thinks she's just saying that to annoy him.   She was doing a lot of that this episode.   Ryan claims to have hurt his back so he doesn't have to carry any boxes.   The real Fletcher is Hawaiian.   Castle tells them it's a game to a conman as he's into the thrill of it.   Beckett comments Castle was just telling them about his experience as a fraud.   The Captain (Ruben Santiago-Hudson) needs this solved as public schools are getting angry.  A woman named Patty was conned out of her savings.  Castle goes on to give an impression of someone in a strait jacket, don't give up the day job(s).

Patty (Stephanie Faracy) meditated and killed him in her mind.   Beckett was ready to close the case with that confession, well practically.   Castle says he's been married twice so he knows what it feels like to be duped.   Castle thinks Fletcher is a master con man.   He was engaged to Elise Finnigan, (Kathleen Rose Perkins) who refuses to believe he was a conman.   Sue (Jennifer Riker) was a suspect considering she hardly said two words but just happened to be there, who was she anyway, no one introduced her.   There's no match on Fletcher's prints.   The Captain loves a good con movie.   Oceans Eleven, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels...   Castle's fave was The Sting (Paul Newman, Robert Redford.)  Beckett hates con movies.   That from someone who claimed not to have seen Showgirls either.

Castle wonders why he would write back to every child if he was just scamming them.  Beckett calls the Captain a "sucker," inadvertently.   Beckett leaves and Castle thinks she's got a date, yeah with his book obviously.   Esposito asks if Castle has unresolved feelings.   Well he has got feelings and they won't be resolved, no they'll drag on, which is good for us.   Beckett reads his book in the bath with a glass of wine.   Would've thought she'd have gone through most of it, oh she didn't want to end up looking like a shrivelled prune in the bath.   Wait, a prune is already shrivelled.

Castle spies on Alexis when she's having a lesson with Dylan as it gets too much for him.   He thinks Dylan is lying and they know nothing about him.   He's a little paranoid especially after this case and wants to polygraph Dylan.   Martha says Alexis's "excuse is hormones, what's your excuse?" He has the mind of a writer...

Beckett is sparring and Castle imagines it's with a woman, which is arousing.   Beckett admits she had a date with his book and then lies.   Castle thinks of Elise's father Gerry Finnigan, (Robert Pine) cos of his own heightened paranoia, who also has a gun.  Gerry hired a PI who has photos of him.   Fletcher agreed to a prenup.   Beckett believes the killer could be in the photo and doesn't think people can change cos she's seen too many repeat offenders.   Wheeler is in one photo and he wanted to make some money from the scam too.   Elise is also in the photo and she thinks Fletcher was CIA.   Castle has a man there.   Castle: "This is the best case ever." Leading to another bet, this time of $1 between Castle and Beckett and she doesn't agree on his calling his man until he actually mentioned a bet.   Castle: "I've got a guy everywhere."  In which case why couldn't he get the lowdown on Dylan without wanting to resort to a polygraph.   He did end up checking on whether he was actually at Julliard though.

Agent Gray (Chet Grissom) turns up behind them at work when Castle is divulging some of his secrets and well Castle could have got him to check out Dylan.   Fletcher wasn't CIA and he liked Heat Wave, particularly the sex scene.  Castle also used some of Beckett's lines in his book.   Beckett: "There's a sex scene between us."  Beckett appears to be Freudian slipping, no?  Castle: "between Nikki and the ruggedly handsome reporter helping her."  He likes his use "ruggedly handsome" to describe himself.   Alexis lets rip at Castle, she's a good daughter and never does anything wrong.   Beckett says she is good, she took Castle apart like a pro and he should take it from her cos she was a teen once, teen girls are never easy to raise.   He's been encouraging her to break the rules and now he doesn't like it.   But she hasn't broken any rules.

Sue is with Elise when she just happened to get that phonecall from Fletcher.   Elsie is unnerved.   Anyone could tell that was a recording, no one speaks like that.   Lanie hasn't been able to ID Fletcher.   They begin getting hits on various aliases of his to put them off the scent.   Beckett recalls Elise is his weakness.   Beckett seems to be on the ball this season - coming up with her own deductions.   Beckett spots the photo album at Elise's for their wedding as it's in the form of that dreaded brochure, see big clue! Sue is a graphic artist and she took the photos on display at the apartment too.   She's conning Elise and she takes out money from the bank.  "The con is still on." They arrest Sue and Beckett calls Castle an easy mark.

Ryan finds Fletcher's voice recorded on the laptop.   Beckett tells Elise he loved her really.   She then rushes to the loo to read that scene and Castle catches her with his book.   It's on page 105.   Martha takes lessons from Dylan.   Castle trusts Alexis and she has to be patient with him since he never had a "teenage daughter before."

The number of times Castle used the phrase "fool me once" in the Pilot ep and later, it had to become an episode title sooner or later. "Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me..."  when Beckett handcuffed him to the police car and the second time he was prepared for it.

Throughout it all, no one mentioned the children and the effect this murder had on them: scarred for life.   Even if Fletcher knocked over the camera, they would have still heard the shot.   Castle has his own personal problems with Alexis, but really they're of his own making, stemming from his suspicious mind.   He's right to have his doubts as a father - but he should also know Alexis wouldn't betray him or do anything wrong.   The trouble starts with this case which has him believing Dylan could be a bad guy with ulterior motives.   Yet he never thought that about Owen who turned out to be interested in other girls.

No episode would be complete without a movie or two, Castle is going the way of NCIS as far as movies are concerned!  Beckett leads Castle on a merry dance and he falls for it every time.   He is an easy mark this episode, or should that be unsuspecting mark.   Didn't think Beckett's date would have been anything other than reading his book, she did that before last season, implying there was a date and there was none.   Speaking of, what's the deal with her FBI friend?  Beckett on a date with Castle's book, a product of her subconscious, she doesn't want to succumb to his charms but has the book instead.

So they never found out who Fletcher really was.   Beckett showing she really has a heart when she told Elise of his true feelings for her.   In The Mentalist episode 1.21 Miss Red, Patrick (Simon Baker)  came across a con woman and they didn't know her real name either.