The Vampire Diaries - 3.15: "All My Children" Review

Plans are set by Ester for the ritual where she will turn her children mortal and destroy them. Bonnie and Abby must help with this and Elena is abducted.

 Elena (Nina Dobrev) wakes to thoughts of Stefan (Paul Wesley) and guess what? He thinks of her too, since these two have an everlasting bond which neither one of them wants to admit anymore and neither do the writers, spoil sports!  She calls Stefan and then Damon (Ian Somerhalder) whom she called at least ten times last night, to talk.   If he's mad at her, he needs to get over it.  Sorry love, he's been there and so done that with Rebekah (Claire Holt).   Damon: "Oh I'm over it" he replies, with Rebekah still beside him in his bed.   he tells Rebekah their night together wasn't a big deal and Elena arrives to catch Damon naked, as usual and Rebekah leave.   Rebekah didn't have to compel Damon.

Elena just calls it his way of lashing out, which is what we've all been saying but Damon's adamant, "For once something I did has nothing to do with you."  But it did, it was all cos of Elena.   Elena tells him about Ester (Alice Evans) having to kill all of them and Elijah (Daniel Gillies) doesn't deserve this.   Stefan agrees with Damon in that Klaus (Joseph Morgan) must die as do they all.   Kol (Nathanial Buzolic) confronts Rebekah about staying out all night.   Klaus tells him if he wants to go out he should and accompanies him for fun.   Elijah's worried about their mother's strange behaviour.   She burnt sage used for privacy spells.   Finn (Casper Zafar) and Rebekah were taken in by her false love.

Elena blabs to Bonnie (Kat Graham) about Damon sleeping with Rebekah and Caroline (Candice Accola) can still hear them speak as Bonnie tries the sage spell.   She tells Elena about Ester coming to see her and Abby (Persia White) to introduce herself.   Ester's channelling the ancestral bloodline for power.   Elena is wracked with guilt over Elijah and how he helped find a way to save Elena during the blood moon ritual and now she's signed his death warrant.   Bonnie tells her about Elijah being dead by the end of the month since the full moon is needed to channel celestial energy for the spell to work.

Damon and Stefan argue over Damon's one night stand and Stefan still believes Elena would be better off without them both.  Damon is in agreement since neither one of them will get her.   Elijah takes Elena for a drive into the woods cos he's got something up his sleeve and recalls their school being built over an Indian village.   He saw his first werewolf here and a field where wild horses grazed.   Why the tour from Elijah?  There are tunnels beneath their feet for shelter.   Ester wanted balance.  Elijah values Elena's qualities but she lied to him and he knows.   He can hear her heartbeat and it jumps when she lies.   Elijah guesses Ester wants to kill them all.   Elijah: "be careful what you wish for."  He pounds the ground and Elena falls in.

Elena's told Alaric (Matt Davis) about Damon's "original sex."  He's not going to judge Elena for having a conscience.   Damon asks if he's busy with "sexy psycho doctor."  Damon and Stefan keep staring at the glass of blood.   Meredith (Torrey DeVitto) can't tell who stabbed Alaric. Maybe he was compelled to forget.   So it could only have been a vampire, not necessarily maybe she just wants Alaric to believe that to throw suspicion off her.   Klaus listens in and replies they can't blame the new family in town just cos they've got a killer on the loose.

Abby wonders what Grams would think of Ester.   She draws from Ayanna's bloodline which gives her power and she needs them both, "the bloodline made manifest."  Rebekah finds Elena in the tunnels and she's being held hostage by her.   Elijah tells Stefan and Damon of this and he needs their help to stop Ester.   They need to break the bloodline which Stefan knows means killing Abby or Bonnie.   And after everything they did for them.   Well Bonnie has.

Elijah says the moon will be full later (Bonnie said within the month) and Ester will have power, if they don't stop her, Elena dies and there was Elena feeling guilty about watching Elijah die.   Rebekah takes a photo of Elena for the Salvatore's.   Elena only wanted Klaus gone not all of them.   Everyone wants to save Elena so she's the perfect hostage.   Stefan holds a blood pouch in his hand and he calls Bonnie to stop Ester from channelling the power.   Damon ponders several scenarios of why Bonnie won't help, so the only option available is to kill them.   Damon's plan is to divide and conquer, kill one of the originals with a dagger.  Alaric can do it for them and they can use Caroline for distraction.   Tried that before with Elijah and things didn't work out.

Klaus follows Caroline out of the bar and asks, "How can I acquit myself."  She should take a chance and get to know him, he dares her.   Ester prepares for the ritual and draws a pentagram which she calls a connection to magic and salt is the symbol of the earth.   Five torches symbolize each one of her children.   If she reverses the spell they will become human.   Finn is her sacrifice as he thinks it's a gift.   Kol tries to pick up Meredith.   Oh their Brit accents are so irritating, aside from Klaus (as Joseph is English).   Alaric daggers Kol and they all fall.   Klaus removes the dagger from Kol, but where were was Elijah.

Damon tells him if he's killed it won't stop Ester from killing them all.   Elijah saves Damon as they need him.   It's 9.30 and he lied about 9.06pm.   Elena runs and Rebekah can't get into the cave.   Alaric thinks Meredith is a slob and for a doctor her place was pretty awful.   That's not all she is.   Stefan and Damon drive to the house and Damon thinks they should just let Ester go through with the spell.   She'll hate them all if they do it.   Damon posits only one has to do the deed so Elena will hate only one of them.  They toss a coin.

Rebekah throws gasoline on Elena so she can burn her.   Rebekah's spontaneous that's why Damon likes her.   Rebekah still wears Ester's necklace.   Elena didn't have any other choice.   Rebekah may be alive tomorrow so she'd get her revenge now and wouldn't be able to see Elena slowly squirm.   She's only tormenting Elena cos she hurt Rebekah's feelings.   Klaus et al can't enter the pentagram.   Ester only regrets not letting them die back then.   Klaus wants her to end it or he'll send her to hell.   She was forced to watch Klaus and suffer and Elijah isn't any better.   Ester and Finn vanish and the pentagram goes up in smoke.

Stefan tells Bonnie if she can't stop Ester they have to find another way.   Damon kills Abby and turns her into a vampire.   Rebekah releases Elena as she prefers to watch her suffer.   Caroline tells Elena Bonnie doesn't want to see her.   Abby is transitioning and everything was to save Elena.   She loves Elena but Bonnie always gets hurt.   Not true what about all the family Elena's lost.  Stefan tells Damon he lost the toss and he was meant to turn Abby.   Damon isn't blind. He knows Stefan wants to go back to the old days and asks how long it's been since Stefan had human blood.   Not since the night he threatened Elena at the bridge.   Damon says Stefan has enough to feel guilty for so why add two to the list.   Stefan still loves Elena who doesn't want Damon.  "I'm better at being the bad guy anyway."

Elijah had to protect his family so did horrible things.  "Compassion is a gift"  he writes in the note he leaves on Elena's bed.  Elijah tells Rebekah they don't have a mother, only Ester. He kills when it suits him and he used Rebekah as a sword.   His virtue was his downfall and they all made themselves into the monsters they are.  Klaus burns his sketches.   Rebekah hated Klaus when he killed Ester but he's the only one who stayed with her.   Elijah is leaving, Kol's fled.   She shows Klaus images on the wall behind Elena in the cave of a great white oak tree, markings are from a native calender - 300 years after they fled to the old world.  Rebekah knows the tree could kill them.   Yet none of them worked that out.   What happened to those drawing Alaric was deciphering from the cave anyway? Seems to have been forgotten about.

Alaric is attacked after he looks at the patient's records and papers on Meredith's desk.   The dagger was used in the killings.  She shoots Alaric.

Since Ester revealed her plans of wanting to slaughter  her abomination of children; she sets her plan into motion quickly.   But Bonnie tells Elena the full moon is needed for the spell; which also requires energy to be channelled and thus the Bennett bloodline comes to the fore once again.   She also tells her the full moon  won't be for at least a month.   That full moon is a prerequisite for most anything these days, or nights.   Bonnie is just willing to trust Ester after everything they know about the originals.   She had no doubts about her intentions or ulterior motives just as long as Klaus was dispatched.   They hardly know Ester  aside from being a witch  - that's all they have in common.

For all his morality Elijah didn't turn out to be like that here since he held Elena against her will  to save himself, as well as the rest of his family.   But desperate times called for desperate action.   At least he felt some form of remorse at the end and having blamed themselves for what they have truly become over the years which was of their own doing.

Damon back to form this episode too when he plays the bad vampire, who he's destined to forever be.   Knowing that Elena would hate him for turning Abby and he couldn't let Stefan take the fall since he still has feelings for Elena.   Damon feels his bide his time with Elena  who 'caught' him with Rebekah.   But through all the recriminations, Elena seemed a tad jealous that Damon did the dirty on her with Barbie Klaus.   But she didn't know how she felt about him so she can't complain now.   From last episode her heart still lies with Stefan.   She was also disgusted at seeing Rebekah with Damon.

Stefan is no longer drinking human blood which Damon realized he is trying to get back to his former self even if he doesn't admit it to Elena or anyone else - especially since last episode when he said he feels pain if he gets too close.   Loved the coin toss to determine who'd turn Abby and Damon goes ahead and does it anyway,  What are big brothers for?   He was in need of further acting out, lashing out, after he knows he's blown any chance with Elena.

Bonnie understandably feels for Abby but not wanting to talk to Elena seemed to show her sentiments going a little OTT.   Her mother abandoned her and she hardly knows her when Elena has been there for her more than Abby.   Caroline calling Damon "the vampire gigolo."  Er, what would that make Rebekah? Let's not go there.

So Meredith's true character has been finally revealed and came as no big shock to most of us, but poor Alaric getting shot again.   Did he have his ring?   So why did she shoot him when she knows he will recover and knows of his ring?   Just enough time to make a quick exit.   Then there was Klaus mooning (bad word) over Caroline again like a love struck child., knowing she's a lost cause.  How many times has Damon been in that bathroom washing the blood from his hands?

Supernatural - 1.4: "Phantom Traveler" Review

Supernatural's one and only plane episode, revealing some background on Dad, Dean and Sam too. Also the episode where we find out that "demons lie."

In  this plane episode out fly the 'jokes' about the odds of crashing at 20,00 feet.   The flight attendant notices the passenger's black eyes, who asks how long they've been in the air, reply being 40 minutes - so he opens the door enabling the plane to crash.

We discover Dean (Jensen Ackles) sleeps with a knife under his pillow, just in case he's attacked or ambushed in the night by ghosties and ghoulies.   Which reminds me of a comment I made in a season 5 episode - but that'd be jumping the gun on my part.   Sam (Jared Padalecki) meanwhile can't sleep.   So he's watching an Info-mercial: thought only Dean was into TV, well in the early episodes he was more than Sam...   Unknown to Dean, Sam is having nightmares about Jessica (Adrianne Palicki) .   He finds the 'job' gets to him.   Not so for trusty Dean - who is not afraid of anything - ever and shows Sam his reliable knife.   He doesn't acquaint being prepared with being afraid.

A friend of Dad's (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), Jerry (Brian Markinson)  whom they helped out in the past with a Poltergeist problem, calls Dean for help again.   Jerry tells Sam how Dad was proud of him.   He plays them the recording from the plane's flight recorder, on which can be heard a "roaring sound."  Only 7 survived the crash.   NTSB has the salvaged parts in a hanger.   Thus Dean has to make false IDs for Homeland Security.   Cut to Dean in a copyshop.   As it was a plane crash, Homeland Security would be involved.   Dean also remarks that since the ID is fairly new, it won't be familiar to people.

Sam researches death omens on planes and spirits, known as 'Phantom travellers' (hence the title).   He alludes to Flight 401, from which salvaged parts were used on other planes.   Subsequently, these planes were said to be haunted by the spirits of the pilot and co-pilot.   He mentions the Ghost of Flight 401 - the movie (1978).   I recall watching that several years ago, it's not shown anymore these days.   Interesting movie - but then I like anything to do with planes for some reason.

Max Jaffe (Kett Turton) one of the survivors is at a psychiatric hospital.   Dean questions if he saw anything unusual.   (This is one of Dean's noticeable traits when questioning people on their hunts.   He always comes right out and asks if they saw anything strange and unusual.)  Max describes the man with black eyes and they conclude that only something non-human could have opened the plane door in-flight as it requires great strength.  Sam and Dean buy black suits (with stolen credit card courtesy of Dean!)  This was the first time we saw them in these suits - which became a regular part of their wardrobe in most episodes and seasons.   Dean: "Man I look like one of the Blues Brothers."  Sam replies he looks like he's at his first dance.   Probably since the cut of his suit was so ill fitting.

It's the first time Sam's seen Dean's EMF reader - which he questions stating it resembles a Walkman - as that's what Dean made it from.   Sam takes a sample of trace from the door handle, in our first "ghostly" Supernatural crime scene.   Real Homeland Security arrive and to no one's surprise, they wear the same suits too!  Dean: "These monkey suits do come in handy" for when he has to scale the fence.

The trace Sam found was sulphur, left behind as a result of demonic possession.   Thus posits Dean, the man had the ability to open the plane door and makes reference to the "barfing scene" from The Exorcist (1973).   They've never heard of a demonic possession crashing a plane before.   There follows some exposition on how every religion has some form or another of demonic possessions.   (But it was great exposition none-the-less!)  This job is huge and makes Dean wish Dad was here.   Well Dean, you've gotta go it alone - as he's been doing in the past - even without Sam back then.   It shouldn't be difficult for him to handle since he does have Sam now.

 Jerry mentions the plane went down near Nazareth after 40 minutes.   Dean: "I'll try to ignore the irony in that!"   Dean leads in with the concept of "Biblical numerology" the significance of certain numbers, such as it raining for 40 days and nights, 7 plane survivors.   7 is a Biblical number (so there should be at least 7 seasons of the show, in my opinion!)  Out of the 6 plane crashes, there weren't any survivors, until now.   Leading Sam to believe the survivors are being targeted.

Amanda the flight attendant (Jaime Ray Newman) is returning to work.   Dean attempts to call her but to no avail.   Her flight will depart from Gate 13 (!)  Sam's plan is for them to board the plane - whereupon we discover Dean's afraid of flying, or should I say, Dean's irrational fear of flying. "Which is why I drive everywhere," in his baby - his Impala.   If he's never been in a plane how does he know he's afraid, watching that one too many plane disaster movie Dean!  So how come he hasn't watched the Ghost of Flight 401.  

There was Dean in the beginning of the episode telling Sam he doesn't fear anything.   How could they get past airport security with some of the things in their bag.   Mostly it was religious paraphernalia, holy water, Dad's journal,which isn't religious, but more of the 'demonic persuasion'.   Sam wants to board the plane by himself, but Dean won't let him.   (Of course if they crashed that'd be the end of the show, unless they survived, boy that sounds morbid.)

They say the name of God in Latin (which NB is not Christo) to find the 'possessed person;.   Dean can't calm down which makes him susceptible to possession - as the demon preys on fear.   Sam tells him they'll need to use the Ritual Romano to exorcise the demon when found.

Another X-Files  reference with Dean saying, "we don't have time for the whole 'truth is out there' speech!"  They hone in on the demon and douse him with holy water and tie him up, whilst Sam attempts to perform the ritual.   A fight ensues and the demon tells Sam how Jess burns and was in pain.   Sam loses the book and dives for it in the aisle.   These passengers must be asleep or deaf - since no one heard what was going on and also when Sam  read from the book on the floor!  being struck by lightning they thought was normal.   Dean's hair standing on end was funny.   The black smoke (as the demons are referred to) escapes through the vent.

Sam tells Dean the demon knew Jess and Dean replies "demons lie."  (An oft used phrase in future conversations between the two.)  Jerry got Dean's number from Dad's voicemail, telling him to call Dean and Sam finds this confusing.  "This is John Winchester.   I can't be reached. If this is an emergency call my son Dean 785-555-0179.   He can help."

A blast of an episode and not just my fondness for plane episodes either.   More insight into some of their personal lives: Dean's fear of planes (See 5.1) Sam's fear of the demon knowing everything about Jess.   Well it would wouldn't it - she died an unnatural death - like Mom (Samantha Smith).   There's more behind it than just some "normal" occurrence , something supernatural had to be involved, it's the only feasible explanation.   As we'll learn later, the demon fraternity is wide and closely related - like a demon grapevine spreading evil.

Great to see Dean making fake IDs, since he's already got them ready when they have used in the past.   Also when they realize Dad left a message for Dean to be contacted, strange this was the only call for help they got and the only one of Dad's friends to contact them like that.   Dad left the message on Dean's voicemail because he didn't think Sam would come back to hunting  and would never even have contemplated it, since he left on bad terms.   Jerry tells him of Dad being proud, maybe he thought Sam would be better off in a life of his own choosing.   The message was left 6 months ago - but in the Pilot, Dean said he's been missing for 3 weeks.    Dad must've anticipated going AWOL.

Were you glued to your plane seats? Or asleep like the passengers!  Also here's where we deal with Sam's nightmares - which will become a heightened focal point in this season.

Critics associate this episode more with Final Destination (2000); but the similarity ends with 'Death' stalking the survivors as this was different enough to give the episode a story of its own!

Desperate Housewives - 8.8: "Suspicion Song" Review

The women's past comes back to haunt them in a big way, as if it wouldn't, with Vance on their trail and Susan's painting giving the game away.

Mary Alice: "There is nothing more peaceful than sounds of Wisteria Lane at night...murmur of neighbour's television...hum of the street lamps...song of the nightbirds.   Wisteria Lane is so peaceful that even the slightest disturbance can be very alarming." Bree (Marcia Cross) hears a noise and gets her gun, to find Vance (Jonathan Cake) in her home, claiming the front door was open and he got her call on the radio.   Yeah he got here PDQ, which Bree didn't notice.   She's certain she locked the door.   But Vance tells her it's funny the things you recall and don't recall.   He calls Bree a Vic and knows she's hiding something.   She doesn't feel safe but he's watching out for her.

Mary Alice (Brenda Strong) "There is nothing more peaceful than the sounds of Wisteria Lane at night, until someone comes along and disturbs the peace."   Vance doesn't want her losing any sleep over it.

Mary Alice: "In a stressful world, we can all be forgiven for having a few weaknesses...lured by a sad face.   Gabrielle Solis (Eva Longoria) was about to discover that some weaknesses aren't so easy to forgive."  Carlos (Richardo Antonio Chavira) is brought home in a cab, drunk.  She suggests his take the day off work as she can sign the payroll as she's forged his signature before when she got the platinum card.

Felix (Leslie Jordan) throws Amy's (Becky Wu) work away but he likes Susan's.  (Teri Hatcher) She doesn't show it, but to him, it's dark and brooding.   The painting tells a story.   Susan reminds him of Andre (Miguel Ferrer).   Renee (Vanessa Williams) and Lynette (Felicity Huffman) are still running their business, not that you'd think they still were from past episodes.   It's Tom (Doug Savant) and Lynette's anniversary.   Cindy (Melissa Greenspan) tells her about fighting for her husband, she got a new wardrobe and got her hair done and it made a huge difference.   Giving Lynette the idea she must fight for Tom.

Bree needs to speak with Gaby.   There's no more poker night anymore.   She's lost her family and now she's lost her friends and wonders what if they're not in the clear.   She tells Gaby about Vance.   Carlos is still drinking .   Bree comments drink is the only friend she has left, then lies about Vance and Gaby insists she's still Bree's friend.   Gaby goes to Carlos's work and knows Frank (H Richard Greene) but she can't interest him in her.   Thus enter smarmy Geoff (Jeremy Glazer) who pretends to be there to help Carlos and Gaby falls for it, thought she was a better judge of character than that.  

Susan likes Felix and Andre feels threatened by Susan.  She refuses to have the painting displayed in the gallery.   Lynette receives roses from Tom by mistake.   Carlos calls Geoff a snake and a backstabber, he's not keeping him on when his contract ends.   Lynette gets a new look and is going to put Scotch on his table in his apartment.   It's what they do for their anniversary.   Whereas all Renee can do is make comments about sex.

Andre insists Susan put her painting on display since if a student does well he can teach at a better college.   Vance follows Bree, more like stalks her and reminds her of the car she and Gaby dropped off, which belonged to the missing man.   He's going to talk to Gaby.   He doesn't think Bree killed him but it's probably one of her friends.   Bree throws him off her street.   Gaby confronts to Geoff and tells him about Carlos's drinking, really you don't tell your personal business to just anyone.   Frank visits Carlos and shows him his 14 year sober chip.   He needs to admit his problem and attend rehab.

Lynette hides under the bed when Tom brings back Jane (Andrea Parker).   He forget to cancel the flowers and he's going to do that now.   That's all he had to say and was rather abrupt about it.   Well it's no good noticing her hair if he's not going to do anything about it.   Felix displays the paintings, being more than one and Susan tries to remove them from the wall.   Then calls Bree and Gaby for help.   Oh now she wants their help to get her out of a mess of her own making, putting them all in danger.   Bree refers to them as "illustrated confession."  They need to pay $10,000 for her art and she's surprised.

A man calls it an allegory 'for bludgeoning and burying the middle class'.   Vance followed Bree, again she didn't think of that and knows they dumped him in the woods.   He points them all out in the painting by name and asks who the DB is.   He enjoys "watching the ice princess melt."  Hey that's the title of one of my books, well almost, substitute maiden for princes and then it will be.   Susan is angry at more secrets but Bree was protecting them all, oh brush calling painting black, what about her paintings.  She didn't tell anyone about those.   Now Gaby walks out on her too.   Susan is unhappy and Andre congratulates her since she's finally an artist.

Mary Alice: "There comes a time when we must expose our weaknesses...when our secrets remain private, pain can no longer be ignored; but sometimes we feel so alone that a weakness we thought we'd overcome suddenly becomes too hard to fight." Carlos starts drinking again like Bree.

Quite a lot happened this episode but we know it all boils down to Vance being bumped off for getting to the truth and well you really can't have any one of the women being exposed in such a way.   Leading Bree closer to drinking and yet more isolation.   For someone who only tried to help Gaby, appears she's the one suffering the full brunt of their secret and doing it worse than Susan.  Gaby seems to be fine in comparison though she has Carlos to deal with.

When Bree makes the call in the opening, she gives the house number as 4355, which is Lynette's house, her number is 4354.  Tom forgot to cancel the roses for their anniversary, as Paul did the same in 1.14 Love is in the Air with the flowers for Mary Alice on Valentine's day.   Another thing about 1.14 is that Lynette's children planted Martha's jewellery in Mike's tool box, which Susan may turn over to the police.   Here it's Susan's painting which also gives the game away about burying Alejandro in the woods.

Another Stephen Sondheim title this week from The Race to Urger - unproduced song - set on the play The Exception and the Rule by Bertolt Brecht.

CSI: Miami - 8.14: "In the Wind" Review

The CSIs investigate when a news story reports on the prosecutor's wrongdoing in an old murder case and how an eye witness was influenced in her testimony.

Jesse (Eddie Cibrian) looks at an on-line article about the woman he is keeping an eye on and the word, 'stalker' immediately jumps off the screen at him and at us.   As though we're meant to believe Jesse lied to Calleigh (Emily Procter) about her and that he's still stalking her.   (Mentioned for an upcoming episode about this.) Also we get to see Calleigh and Delko (Adam Rodriguez) in bed.   That's something we didn't want to be subjected to.   SO their on-again, off-again 'relationship' appears to be 'on-again'.   Either that or they seem to be jumping into bed together whenever the opportunity presents itself.   A man on death row gets a last minute stay of execution from the Governor.  Horatio (David Caruso) watches a news report about the troops in Afghanistan.

They are all paged and called into work.   Louise Russo,(Phyllis Somerville) the eyewitness from the murder trial, 15 years ago, saw into the bedroom window of the Bradshaw's from her kitchen and saw the man stab his wife.   Trees obstruct her view from her kitchen window.   The prosecutor in the case, Evan Talbot (Denis O'Hare) now State's Attorney, told her to say she saw the killing from her living room window.   Highlighting how miscarriages of justice can occur and how everything needs to be checked and double checked in capital murder cases.   Delko says he killed his wife and daughter and his son survived.   Horatio asks whether there was misconduct on the part of the prosecutor.   They have 24 hours to prove Louise's testimony was accurate, or Horatio stipulates, the "killer walks free."  Which kind of defeats the purpose anyway, since the CSIs are investigating whether her testimony was correct and so they have the right man for the murder.   They need only to prove he did it, over again.

Delko summarizes, the Vic was Sarah Bradshaw (Lois Atkins) mother and wife.   Caitlin, was 5 and Todd, (Nick Eversman) 7 and he survived.   Jesse was first on the scene 15 years ago.   Todd was unconscious and didn't see the attacker.   They have the murder weapon to support the eye witness, that they were stabbed.   Flashes show Sarah being repeatedly stabbed.   They have her blood, his prints and the blood pool revealed a void on either side of the Vic.   Jesse says the killer is a psychopath.   Prints are found in her blood, also in the bathroom.  

Her husband claimed an intruder broke in through the window and killed them.   The window was broken from the inside and the Vic's blood on the glass was put there after the murder.   Jesse : "I'm telling you, capital punishment was made for this guy."  Again showing Jesse  strongly believes in the death penalty, which kind of goes against his character since he's always so compassionate.   Doesn't mean you have to be compassionate towards the killer, but the death penalty is a strong punishment, without taking into account all the miscarriages of justice that occur.   Once an innocent victim of such a system is killed erroneously, there's no bringing them back and no vindication for them.

James Bradshaw (Anthony Michael Hall) tells Horatio he came home from work and fell asleep.   He was awakened by screams and saw a man in a black mask; who stabbed Sarah, they fought and James took the knife from him.   The killer ran.   Sarah was dead.   He asks Horatio to let him live so he can help find the killer.   James was stealing pills from the hospital and selling them.   He gave the police a list of his buyers.   Donald Newhouse (Nicholas Lea) is on that list as a buyer.   Ryan (Jonathan Togo) asks him to tell them what happened again.   He worked the nigh shift with James and was addicted to pills.   But he didn't kill anyone.   His alibi was he was at a meeting for addicts.   Calleigh says that's anonymous and can't be checked.   So all roads point to Newhouse as being a potential suspect, but he didn't strike me as being guilty, though he was hiding something.   To top it off, they had Krychek from the X-Files playing a potential suspect and he looked rather uneasy when questioned.

Delko questions Louise about where she saw the killer from.   She says he did it and it doesn't matter what difference where she saw him from makes.   Delko refers to Todd as being his "only surviving son" well James only had one son.   In the flashbacks, Jesse's in uniform and a rookie.   Showing how he started out in MDPD.   Talbot tells her that she had an unobstructed view from the living room and if she says this, they they can hold James responsible for the murders.   He put words in her mouth and she let him.   Louise trusted Jesse in that he wouldn't let her do anything wrong.   It wasn't up to Louise to trust anyone, she should have trusted her own judgement and what she saw.

Jesse wants to speak with Delko about Louise's statement.   Delko, always has to play the good guy, like he's never made mistakes in the past.   can think of plenty, like sneezing on evidence in season 1, and then he couldn't stick it out working for the defence either.   He notices in the original statement that 'kitchen' was erased to living room.   Jesse took the original statement.   (Why were statements taken in pencil anyway?)  Talbot made Jesse write down she witnessed the murder from the living room and asks Jesse if it's his first murder case.   He 'fooled' Jesse into believing that too.  

Jesse believes Louise did witness the murder.   Jesse was doing what he thought was right and Horatio interrupts what could have been a potential argument.   Horatio: "there is another witness." He handles it and speaks with Todd.   Who says that his parents fought but can't believe his father killed them.   Horatio asks if he heard a train.  He heard her scream and someone was on top of her, hurting her.   This wasn't in his original statement since no one listened, but Horatio is listening now.

They need to re-examine all the evidence and Jesse adds there weren't any CSIs back then to handle all the evidence and he's "not to blame for everything that went wrong in this case."  Delko is not swayed either way by Jesse's comment and replies, "Your words not mine." Jesse still believes James is guilty.   Calleigh questions Newhouse as to why his semen was on Sarah's clothes.   They were having an affair, which he calls a bit of fun and he ran out through the bathroom window.   He had to kick it open and he didn't come forward at the time since they had a witness.   That was convenient for him, so many holes in his story that the finger of suspicion would point to him, either that or his story is too perfect, but still suspicious.

Ryan checks out the CS with Walter (Omar Miller) and Natalia (Eva Larue).   She hears Walter asking Ryan if she's been to the doctor yet and she can hear them.   She wears a hearing aid.   Ryan: "She's the Bionic Woman." Some expected fun banter between the three.   The house is as it was the night of the murder.   Demonstrating how they not only didn't have CSIs back then, but also the absence of CS cleaners too.   Just think if Todd had sold the house, there wouldn't be evidence for them to check now.   So wonder what outcome that would have led to.   Walter asks who'd buy such a house.   They use luminol and find blood by the bathroom window.   Ryan declares that if Newhouse had broken the window, he would have transferred the blood there.   Walter questions how Newhouse got the blood on him and follows a blood trail to where Sarah was murdered.   Newhouse stood over her as she died.   Ryan is certain Newhouse killed her and the blood proves it.   She was bleeding out by his feet.  

Liked the way how every piece of evidence they came across now, or re-examined pointed to Newhouse as the killer, whereas for 15 years, it had always been James.   Just to throw everyone off track and confuse; with Ryan sure it was Newhouse and Jesse positive it was James.   But if it had turned out to be Newhouse, that would have made Jesse incorrect in his actions as a rookie and also in Louise being wrong.

Newhouse claims he left his wallet in the room and came back for it.   She was dead.   In his flashback, she's still alive and he didn't call for help and left her there, not even anonymously.   So much for loving her!  Louise doesn't ID Newhouse and is adamant James is the killer.   Louise is run over by a man in a car.   Well he chose a lousy time to run her over, when Jesse and Delko were around.   He's caught and he swears it was a an accident.   Tripp (Rex Linn)  calls it " hit and run, genius."  Then says it wasn't an accident as they find a map with her name and location and a gold bar.   Horatio doesn't find a record for Phillip Hale (Scott Michael Campbell).  Tripp finds he was a caddy at a golfclub, near the hospital where James worked.  James wasn't a member but Newhouse is.   Newhouse denies it and they're just making him out to be the killer.   Everything is just too convenient.

  Newhouse says he loved her, James found out about them and killed them.   Newhouse is a coward for leaving her there and not helping her.   Walter tracks the gold bar to a theft from an Orlando safety deposit box, to a man named Sage, released two weeks ago.   He was housed in the same block as James.   James doesn't know Hale, but he knows Sage.   He hired him to kill Louise, but why now and why not a year ago, two years ago, or even back then.   He had to wait for his execution date and for the story about the prosecution and their witness.   James tells Horatio he can't prove anything and is ignorant of the affair.   Watch James change his tune here.   First he says he can't prove anything, as if he's taunting Horatio and then feigns innocence of everything.   Then says he's close to getting out.   Newhouse is his suspect and they've also lost their eyewitness, so Horatio is doing a better job of making the case for him than any defence attorney.   But then why didn't his defence attorney do a better job for him.   He had money and the more money you have, the better defence you're supposed to mount.   Horatio: "I'm not finished yet."  No he wasn't and no glasses in this episode either.  

Horatio refers back to Todd's testimony about the train and thinks about the weather for that night.   (Always the weather which plays an important part in some episodes, which I won't mention here.) Hurricane Erin was off the coast of Miami, a category 1 storm with 50mph winds.   Jesse posits the train could be the wind.   Horatio uses a wind machine to check it out.   The trees sway at 75mph, revealing the bedroom window from Louise's kitchen.   So why didn't Louise or anyone else recall the wind back then, something like that was forgotten or not mentioned.   Horatio explains the wind tunnel effect between tall buildings, creating a funnel and as the pressure increases so does the wind speed.   Jesse says Louise was telling the truth.

Jesse admonishes Talbot for changing her testimony and risking both their careers, almost letting a killer free.   Delko and Jesse shake hands.   Todd already knew his father was the killer and he can stop being afraid of him now.   Horatio mentions his son having bad luck too but he made a new start and so can Todd.   He's selling the house.   Calleigh and Delko talk about 'it' not happening but 'it' does and he asks if they should meet at her place or his.   Todd tells James he deserves this and doesn't forgive him.   Horatio Skypes Kyle (Evan Ellington) who tells him about the school they helped rebuild.

James was a psychopath killing his wife is understandable, not justifiable or excusable, murder never is; she was cheating on him, but killing his children too, that's just reprehensible.    An episode questioning the pros and cons of capital punishment, as already mentioned and can it ever be justified as a form of punishment.   There was plenty in this episode to make you take either suspect's side, but Newhouse was too obvious a scapegoat.   Anthony Michael Hall playing a ruthless killer convincingly, but didn't have much to do; putting behind his good guy character of Johnny smith.   Hey Johnny Smith killed Sarah, (Nichole de Boer) his old flame from the Dead Zone.

Jesse and Delko could have come to blows, not physically, which would have been interesting to see.   Since Delko wasn't around when Jesse was here and so he knows nothing about him and yet he chooses to make judgements about him and how he did his work 15 years ago.   Then has nothing to say when Jesse says he's not entirely at fault in the case.

In the CSI episode The Execution of Catherine Willows.  Catherine has to go over the evidence again, which surfaces in the case of John Mathers.   A rapist and killer she helped put away 15 years ago.   (Apparently 15 years is the norm in death penalty cases in CSI shows).   Mathers is granted a stay of execution on the basis of new DNA evidence.

In CSI:NY season 1 episode The Fall, Flack's (Eddie Cahill) memo book is analyzed to reveal that notes relating to an investigation by his mentor had been altered using a different pen.   Again I ask, why use pencil to fill out police reports.

Smallville - 10.17: "Kent" Review

Clark Luthor manages to return to Clark Kent's reality as he's kept his mirror box and Clark destroyed his, so he sends him back to his world, where he encounters Jonathan and helps him rebuild his broken life.

Clark (Tom Welling) brings Lois (Erica Durance) food when she falls asleep at her desk working on a story.   She's going for a promotion, what so she can get that sorted before she gets married, ha.   Clark tells her that her heart is in journalism which is a bit of an obvious comment to make.   She hasn't been home in five nights and she's noticed he's been out saving the world a lot too.   Like being in Bangkok right now, where he got the Chinese food.   Martha (Annette O'Toole) sends them a wedding gift: the deed to the Kent farm.   Lois thinks maybe she wants them to begin their married lives there, but Clark thinks maybe she wants them to sell it.

Clark Luthor (CL) returns to Smallville.   As does the dreaded Realtor, Marge Manners to appraise the farm.   Clark finds his things wrecked in the barn and meets CL, sending him back to his alternate reality with the use of his mirror box, which CL kept, calling it a "one way trip" since Clark destroyed his box.   He then crushes his own mirror box so there's no way for him to get back, or is there?

Clark funnily enough turns up on the day of Oliver's (Justin Hartley) funeral and Ollie and Lois finally got married.   Jonathan Kent (John Schneider) turns up ranting about Oliver stealing his farm and spits on his coffin.   Lois blames CL for Oliver's death and how Ultraman told everyone they'd be protected  by the green Kryptonite.   Clark reminds her he's not CL, but the man from the roof where he told her he couldn't live in a world where she didn't love him.  (season 10.10)  He's asking her to trust him and "something tells me I that I can, I guess."

CL reads the headlines on the paper about the Blur saving school children as he finds Lois at their new apartment.   She didn't immediately recognize he's not Clark from his demeanour and the way he's speaking.  Lois is angry with him for calling the Realtor since the farm is important to her, she didn't have a real home growing up.   CL calls her "cute when she squirms."  He tells her Lionel is still out there.   Lois then tells him about the 'Lionelcam'.   CL throws down the telescope and calls it junk.   Which finally sets alarm bells ringing when she realizes he's not Clark.   Also she has to tell him to rescue when sirens are heard, cos our Clarkie would be off like a shot.   She tries to warn Tess (Cassidy Freeman) but she's too busy making plans to get the Luthor mansion torn down.   CL tells her there was a life and family here and she thinks he can help her raze the place.

Tess won't change she's still a Luthor.   Then CL gives her a line about "he who beholds it" which she repeats and asks if he's been watching the BBC.   He touches his finger where he wears his ring and she too realizes he's not really Clark.   Clark finds the farm in ruins and Jonathan knocks him out, as well as carrying around the green Kryptonite.   Lois finds Dr Emil (Alessandro Juliani) and Tess took the destroyed mirror box and were working to fix it.   Surely Tess must have had some underhand reason in doing that, like maybe sending Lionel back cos she insists she's incapable of killing and yet she shot Stewart last season.

CL sends Tess a dress and shoes for dinner at the Ace of Clubs, which she accepts, in order for her to stall him, whilst Dr Emil works on bringing Clark back.   Again is there some reason for her doing this, since we know she's enamored with our Clarkie.   CL tells her he knows everything about her.   Jonathan rues the day of the meteor shower since it destroyed his farm.   He found gold meteorite and thought he could find some more and buy back his farm.   But CL is more valuable: the world's most wanted man.  Clark tells him he was lucky he was found by Jonathan and not Lionel.   Martha left him when he needed her the most.   Would've thought Martha had more backbone than that, as she does in Clark's world, but apparently not and neither did Jonathan here.   He just seemed to give up, going against everything he stood for.

CL knows about Tess's feelings for Clark, if she was meeting  him, she'd be in control.   Her "country crush" doesn't appreciate her as much as he does.   He wants Tess and he wants Lionel as he's holding them back, but for different reasons.   He knows Tess lies awake at night and needs someone to rescue her.   Tess comments he's offering her a life with him but if she refuses then he'll kill her.   That wouldn't be his first choice.   First time we've seen Clark/CL eating this season, though he did eat Chinese food at the start, naturally he ordered steak.

Clark shows Jonathan his grandfather's gun and he knew where it was kept.   He taught Clark that the only person in control "of your destiny is you."  He tries to live up to him.   He was his hero, even if he didn't have any special powers.   It's the people in the house that make it a home.   Clark: "better to risk everything than hold onto nothing."  Jonathan told him that.   Clark returns home just as Jonathan calls him 'son'.

Tess accesses Lionel's GPS tracker and re-routes the signal after handing CL the GPS.   He returns with menace in mind, a Luthor was going to die tonight, so he chooses her as he dangles her over the edge of the building.   Clark arrives just in the nick to save her and they fight.   Leading CL to the Fortress where they go head to head and Clark tells him about Jor-El (Terence Stamp). A chance of redemption for CL.   He didn't kill Tess and there's a reason why.   He can show the people in his world what he can give them and Lionel isn't there anymore.   He knows him and should trust him.   CL's "not defined by your past and can live a different future." Jor-El  welcomes CL home to his own Fortress.   So what's happening with him then?

Dr Emil tells Tess from the geological survey, gold Kryptonite does exist and has the ability to remove Clark powers for good.   Not a good choice of word there, nor mine either, should have used something like forever, or permanently, for good made it sound like he can have his powers removed to do good not permanently.   He tells her about the romantic dinner she shared with CL.  She was tempted by the offer to make Lionel disappear, this isn't the Tess he knows.   But he doesn't really know Tess that well, especially not the Tess of the past.

Lois notices Clark wear Jonathan's jacket, as did we.  Clark needed to find his way home and Lois doesn't think it's a bad home.  He didn't call the Realtor, he's holding onto things that used to protect him: the farm, his parents and if they moved to Metropolis, he was afraid he'd lose himself.     Lois wouldn't let that happen.   He saw it as an excuse not to move on.   Lois says Smallville is her home, i.e.  him, not the town.   He decides to sell.   Back in the alternate reality, Jonathan visits Martha.

All about family and property this episode and moving on.   That a house isn't a home until it has people who make it so and until it's filled with love.   Clark wanting to sell and Tess wanting to tear down the mansion, but it's not really part of her since she was never raised there and didn't live there until recently.   She doesn't really believe she's giving up her heritage and don't think she really cares even though she told CL Lionel is their father and she doesn't want to see him dead.

Now there's the threat of the gold Kryptonite, which could end Clark's powers and Tess hasn't told anyone that, anyone that matters that is, such as Clark - will she?  How was Clark brought back by the mirror box since he wasn't the one holding/touching it, unless Dr Emil altered it.   also there was no mention of Jonathan or Martha in the alternate reality in episode 10 and it didn't dawn on Clark to look for them, when he knew Oliver was buying up land.   Clark just happened to know Tess would be at the office, or did he go to Watchtower first and the Daily Planet, cos they really haven't made use of his super hearing.   still have to wait to see Oliver being affected by his dark side and quite a bit to get through before the end.

Desperate Housewives - 8.7: "Always in Control" Review

Bree discovers who moved the body as they try to keep it a secret from Susan, who is still fretting over her painting. Lynette talks Penny out of spending time with the other woman.

Mary Alice: "No matter what the circumstances Bree Van de Kamp always found a way to stay in control...curved her impulses, maintained a strong moral centre - so when it came to handling a crisis - it made perfect sense that she was in the driving seat." Gaby (Eva Longoria) says they'll end up in prison, Lynette (Felicity Huffman) will start a gang, Bree (Marcia Cross) will cook and she'll be the shortest one there.  Gaby then thinks of the note.   Bree takes deep breathes and suggests the answers are in front of them.   Bree mentions Susan (Teri Hatcher).   Gaby says she's crazy.   Lynette doesn't think Susan would have moved the body and calls her 'Cuckoo', so they can imagine what she would do if she knew Alejandro was missing.   They leave it to Bree.

Mary Alice (Brenda strong) "When it came to a crisis everyone was happy to have Bree in the driver seat even if Bree preferred to be a passenger."

Mary Alice: "As a mother of five, Lynette Scavo was used to uncomfortable questions" like being caught eating Santa's cookies, "after five children Lynette thought she'd heard it all, until there was one question she never saw coming."  Penny (Darcy Rose Byrnes) asks if Tom (Doug Savant) and Jane (Andrea Parker) are getting married.   Lynette replies that's like Renee (Vanessa Williams) getting married.   Renee says they're not getting married until Lynette makes more money.   They're both taking Penny to see Wicked and Jane and Penny have their hair plaited the same as Jane taught her.   Renee tells Lynette Jane must have a nickname for her, "doormat." Renee suggests she should fight dirty and Lynette went to school with Renee.

Andre (Miguel Ferrer) is conducing a portfolio review.   He doesn't want bowls of fruit, portraits of children.   Susan thinks he looked in her portfolio.  As a former teacher she says his style is not the way to motivate people.   She never surprises Andre.   His pet is Amy (Becky Wu) and she bleeds.

Juanita (Madison De la Garza) wants Gaby to rent the cabin for the Spring.   They'll worry about that later, maybe in jail she mutters.   Carlos (Ricardo Antonio Chavira) tells her it's been two months and nothing's happened yet so they'll be fine.   Susan is the girl's guardian and Gaby comments she'll be her roommate in jail.   She thinks Lee (Kevin Rahm) and Bob (Tuc Watkins) will make good guardians.

Lynette looks at Penny's photos in the babybook, they were a family.   Things are different now cos of Jane.   Penny wants to stay with her after Lynette tells her how Jane is stealing her.   Bree goes to tell Susan about the missing body and she tells her she can't get that voice out of her head, taking about Andre.   Bree asks if Susan digs things up.   Mike (James Denton) comes home and tells her they had to close the project down cos something happened at the site.

Lee can't recall Celia's (Daniella Baltodano) name and they already have Susan as guardian.    Gaby calls her racist.   Carlos is having problems with who the girls go to and Lee calls them "monsters." Gaby invites them to dinner to see how they behave.  Gaby tells the girls she has nine hours to teach them how to behave, well she had many more years than that!  Juanita asks what salad is.   Tom has left messages for Penny who isn't coming over.   Tom decides to see Penny alone.  Lynette tells him he made "his bed with someone else."

Ben (Charles Mesure) tells Bree his men found a body in the park, it's in the storage shed.     She hints about what he should do with the body and realizes there's no way out as he wants to call the police.   Ben finds Bree by the grave and she tells him about Alejandro, so much for Susan blabbing to strangers.   Ben can't hide it.

At dinner, Gaby bribes Juanita with money and Celia with sweets.   Juanita likes musicals.   Susan can't paint and she sees Amy at Andre's place.   He tells Susan she's getting the best grade in class.   To Susan that won't mean anything if he lies.  He tells her that her fear is holding her back and she shouldn't come to his class anymore.     When Bob and Lee leave, Carlos closes the garage door which reads, "gays are stupid."   Couldn't Carlos open the door back.   Juanita is sad as she thinks Carlos is dying.  Gaby promises nothing's wrong and they'll rent the cabin.

Renee and Lynette see Tom alone at the park and Renee says he looks like a "lonesome" to me.   Penny doesn't come.   Lynette realizes she's breaking up her family on her own.   Oh finally, she was the one who started all this, not to mention she still can't find a way to ensure Penny isn't caught in the middle.  

Vance (Jonathan Cake) scares Bree and is working on a missing person case.   She doesn't recognize Alejandro but he reminds her  they passed him on the Lane when Gaby had the dinner party.   He talks about micro expressions passing across a person's face (what is he Cal (Tim Roth) from Lie to Me now?)  This is what police look at and she's stressing out and has lines across her forehead.   He knows Bree is lying from personal experience.   Right he has to go now and Ben will be the suspect since he rescues Bree from him.   Ben tells her there's no case without a body.   One day he may need something from her (well that was cryptic and suspicious).  

Penny doesn't want to leave them for Jane.   Tom left her and not Penny.   She thinks Lynette is prettier and plays ball with Tom.   Ben asks Mike to bury the body, talk about getting the entire Lane involved as accessories, well practically.     Mike agrees to take care of it.   He tells Susan and she storms over ranting they kept it from her.   Susan was already feeling guilty so they wanted to protect her.   Gaby calls her a loose cannon and Susan reminds her Carlos told Mike, she didn't.   Gaby blabs about the letter.  Bree knows Susan wouldn't handle the letter.   Susan is angry they weren't meant to be keeping all the secrets from each other.  Lynette agrees with Susan and asks what their excuse was for not telling her about the letter.   She can't count on them.

Susan paints as Mike buries the body.   Mary Alice: "Yes, we're all seeking control over something in our lives.   We may want to cover  up...  the remains of a troubling set - erase the mistake of our children.   Sometimes the only way we can truly change our  lives is by letting go completely no matter what the cost."

Lynette getting emotional and finally crying when she realizes she may lose Tom for good his time round.   She takes it hard especially as her scheming comes undone when she tries to keep Penny from going over to Tom's cos of Jane.   Usually she always got everything her own way and this time she knows what she's doing with Penny and keeping her from her father is wrong.   On the contrary Tom sat there at the park without calling to find what had happened and didn't even notice Lynette's car out there twice! Not to mention the way Lynette drove there first time round to check up on them. Did she think Jane would tag along?  

Reminded me of that scene from Grease after the race when Danny finally spots Sandy and sees her leave and he knows it's doomed and he'll never have her, til she transforms into her leathers.   Not the same thing of course, since Tom didn't notice Lynette and was oblivious to her being there, but it was the same for Lynette  and for the first time since they separated she feels there's nothing she can do to get him back.   At least not until tomorrow, cos tomorrow is another day and another episode.   Well next week.

Great to see their friendships built up over the years finally crumbling under the secrets and strain.   They started of the season making a pact and end up breaking their pact.   Renee may have a few words to say to Lynette keeping Alejandro a secret when she finds out, eventually she must.   They're best friends, also Lynette leaving them in the lurch - she has Renee to fall  back on.   Loved the way they were all meant to be together but ended up taking sides: Bree and Gaby, then Bree, Gaby and Lynette,finally leaving Lynette agreeing with Susan.   Susan painting and expressing her emotions finally, since she was lost for words, for once, ha.   One way to let the secret out for the world to see!  So what next?

The slur on the garage door was something similar to 10.2 Coming Home.   Where Susan found the word "whore" on her garage door.   Also in this episode Susan tells Bree she's glad George is dead and yet she was going ballistic over Alejandro being dead and having to bury him.   Lynette's line from this episode, to the receptionist, "I'm holding the baby hostage" in another attempt to manipulate as she's manipulated Penny in this episode to get her own way.   Also Andrew threatened to destroy Bree when she slips up one day.   Just thinking out loud here as to possible suspects about the letter, but then they did make up so...

Then Mike burying the body or should I say re-burying was also similar to Paul in the Pilot when he dug up Deidre from the pool.

Lie To Me - 2.2: "Truth or Consequences" Review

Investigations become personal for both Cal and Gillian as he is concerned about his daughter, whereas Gillian is worried about the welfare of children at a religious compound.

The scene opens with a frat party where one of the boys sleeps with a girl.   Zoe (Jennifer Beals) wants Cal (Tim Roth) to find out whether her client, Cabe, (Chadwick Boseman) knowingly spent the night with Susan, (Allie Gonino) an underage girl, as he is being charged with statutory rape.   Susan had fake ID and Zoe needs to show if Cabe knew she wasn't underage she can have the charges dropped or reduced.   Cal is reluctant at first but he concedes only if he can share the info with the prosecution as well.   When Zoe and Cal arrive at the jail, they find Cabe has been beaten.   Cal asks if he likes to sleep with minors, whilst his parents and Ria (Monica Raymund) watch from the other room

He thought she was older and high school girls usually crash frat parties.   Cal believes him.   Zoe tells Cal that Pollack is prosecuting the case and it's all about race with him.   Susan's father, Reed (John Carroll Lynch) confronts Cabe in the garage and Cal tells him he's a concerned bystander and he should go home.

Gillian (Kelli Williams) and Eli (Brendan Hines) have a court order to see if anyone living at a religious compound is evading taxes if they don't believe in the teachings.   The compound is run by Jamie (John Pyper-Ferguson) who tells them the boys leave when they are sixteen, leaving him as the dominant male.   He's fathered twelve children.   They sit through one of his sermons, which Eli films.   Gillian is satisfied he believes himself to be a prophet.

Cal asks Emily (Hayley McFarland) if she knows Susan as they're at the same school, small world, and Emily admits she's been to bars to listen to the music.   She stands by the chest of drawers in her room, allowing Cal to suspect she's hiding something.  He pushes past her to find two fake IDs and birth control pills.   Cal talks of the consequences to her using these and Zoe says there are consequences for not using them and reminds him of how they were at that age.   That's no excuse or basis for comparison; they used to live in different times.   Zoe doesn't come across as a concerned mother and as a lawyer and she should be warning of such dangers, not condoning.   Besides after the fact, it will be too late.    Cal analyzed Emily, something he promised he wouldn't do and she's furious.   Sorry love, circumstances warranted it.

Cal shows Cabe photos of girls, scantily clad and gages his reaction.   Later with Zoe and his parents around he tells them one was underage and Cabe was attracted to women who lied and said they were older.   Cal believes Cabe wouldn't knowingly have sex with underage girls.   Gillian watches the video footage of the sermon and determines Jamie believes he's God.   One of the women at the compound appears not to believe in his sermon.

Pollack (James Marsters) informs Zoe and Cal that he has a recording from the events of that night, as Cabe recorded his 'session' with Susan and it was posted online.   Zoe is outraged and bursts out Pollack's got something against Cabe cos he's black and he was the same way towards her, she wasn't black or white, but brown.   That came as a revelation for us too, as up until now, Zoe has been easily passing as white.   Cal questions Cabe about the video, more like gives him the third degree.   Ria calls him into the room to show him how Cal's losing control of his emotions.   She's been watching him, but Cal is certain Cabe isn't lying.   Cal takes Ria to the frat party and claims to have been a fraternity member there.   Ria mixes with the crowd and finds finds three who could have made the video as they were all roused.    One, Wayne, (Grant Alan) admits he posted the video but he didn't film it.  

Gillian and Eli talk to Katherine (Gretchen Egolf) and Gillian is outraged none of the children can read.   Jamie accuses her of coveting his children cos she can't have any but if she comes to the compound, she'll be able to conceive with prayer.   Zack (Colton Shires) says Katherine is afraid Jamie will take her children if she leaves.   That Katherine is also a non-believer.   Ria finds a photo of Emily and some senior girls from her school on the camera, showing she hangs out with them.   Emily shows Cal the photo was taken before the party.

Katherine tells Gillian about being a drug user and how Jamie helped her.   Gillian wants to help them, but Eli is adamant she should report Katherine for tax fraud.  Which is what they were hired to do by the IRS.   Kate (Crystal Young) and Dori wanted Susan to film her night with Cabe for proof and she forgot the camera there.   Pollack is dropping the charges against Cabe, causing Reed to get angry.   Cal warns him not to do anything stupid.   He thinks he'll go after Cabe.   Pollack tells Zoe he's not a bigot and he didn't like her at college/uni cos she made Law Review and he didn't.

Gillian called in a safehouse van to pick up Katherine and the children but she's reluctant to leave.   Zack takes the children and wants to leave and she changes her mind at the last minute too.   The IRS agent asks if she called the van and Gillian denies it.  She then asks Eli, who follows suit and tells her the same thing.   She threatens to have the Institute audited.   It took Gillian to figure out Reed would go after Pollack , who is shot, as he wasn't the one with police protection, as Cabe had.   Ria comments Reed is at peace now he's killed Pollack.   How would that help his daughter now she can get up to whatever she wants, so was it worth it.  

Cal tells Emily not all consequences are apparent and that's what he worries about with her.   He returns her pills and reminds her "to be good."  Great twist at the end of the episode, well two, one where Cal gets the wrong Vic in danger , since Reed was clearly angry at the system, that much was obvious.   Cos he could have got to Cabe anytime.   Also the way Eli backed, or was he forced to, back up Gillian's story of not knowing about the van.   That's four lies he's told now.   One in season 1, Do No Harm, where he told Ria he didn't love Farida, then he lied about not turning in the woman to the SEC.  (In Depraved Heart).   Then he got Ria on side to cover for him and finally he lied at the lawsuit Cal feigned to weed him out.   Now he's lied again for Gillian.   Though again he wanted Gillian to turn Katherine in for tax fraud.   He's got something against women who flout the law and clearly those who are older.    He knows this will mean a lot to Gillian.   Wonder if his pay will be reinstated, ha.

Similar reactions from Cal and Gillian who both struggled to do what was personally and professionally right.   Cal with Emily and 'invading' her privacy, searching through her stuff and Gillian wanting better lives for Katherine's children and taking the decision to do that.   Putting the Institute on the line - potentially and going for personal feelings above her job.   Cal did the same as far as the job was concerned  but he stuck with it.   His judgement though clouded, wasn't tainted when it came to making the right decisions about Cabe.   I'm liking Gillian's new found boldness and assertiveness, whereas she wouldn't have Eli report the woman to the SEC last season, here she took a risk herself and lied.   Probably cos children were involved.

There's the danger of overstepping the mark too much, when will their decisions have more serious consequences.   Cal asking Ria if she's drunk at the frat party.   She didn't go to college and wonders if this is what happens, now she knows.   Emily is no longer that sweet girl as portrayed in season 1, even if she did lie about going to parties and sleepovers.   We didn't see any of her 'deceptions' firsthand.   Also how come their were no commentaries over Susan's actions and how women can get away with such lies without consequences?

This was a  story where Cal gets emotionally involved (when is he not) but is still able to focus on the job and remain objective.   Everything he puts Cabe through shows he ends up telling the truth regardless.   This episode Gillian lies and Eli backs her up, he has to put his faith somewhere so it may as well be in her.   Cal gets to have a go at Zoe and Ria together telling Ria he's the boss and he reminds Zoe of her college hang-ups.   Last time, Cal had hang-ups of his own when he found Zoe wanted to leave the state and start her firm with smoeone he didn't like from their past.

Charlies Angels - 1.6 "Black Hat Angels" Review

Bosley is set up by his one time partner in crime after a painter disappears. The angels learn more about his computer hacking days, as well as who Elizabeth is.

The scene opens with Bosley (Ramon Rodriguez) being chased  by police officers.   As an appropriate soundtrack plays over the chase scene, he is arrested and proclaims his innocence.

24 hours ago  Eve (Minka Kelly) finds a postcard for Bosley from Paris but it doesn't have a message.   She comments no one's taken her there.   She also adds, "Maybe it's your lost love trying to heat things up again."  That could have been true, see my comment later.  If nothing else Eve knows Bosley's middle name is Eduardo.   Bosley: "I like to keep my private life, private."  That's not what he would have said in the previous episode and if that's the case it must be difficult if he talks in his sleep.   A lost love doesn't seem possible.   He also tells Eve.

Abby (Rachael Taylor) and Kate (Annie Ilonzeh) bring caffeine and carbs.  Charlie (Victor Garber) hands them a missing person's case. That's all they seem to be doing, mostly.  Also Abby says that too.   Eve explains it's cos they're good at what they do and word gets around.    There's a painting which has been drawn by Lee Bowen (Keram Malicki-Sanchez) who is the Vic.   He drew it from memory and disappeared two weeks ago.   It took a long time for his agent to come forward and claim him as a missing person.  That should have been a clue right there.   Lee doesn't have any enemies and Zoe (Peyton List) is their client and his agent. She is suspicious looking.   She thinks he's been kidnapped and was looking out for him since "anyone could take advantage of him." The anyone being her of course.

One gallery owner took him on as a client and wanted exclusive rights to his work, Steven Lesher (Michael Rivkin).  (Hey that was a character name in season 6 of NCIS.)   Abby knows the place, of course she would.   Look at the way Zoe looks at Bosley.   He and Abby portray a couple looking for artwork and ask for some Lee Bowen.   Kate plays an air conditioner tech.   Bosley tells Steven they have to get him back and he's the last person who spoke to him.   There's a photo of the two of them together when he went missing.  Abby takes out a gun and shoots paintballs at the paintings.  "I have an artistic streak"  and she's ready to go Jackson Pollock.   Steven once sold dodgy Warhol's and got an e-mail with old papers.   They wanted an artist and he told them about Lee.  He shows them the e-mail and Bosley takes a photo of the address.   The paintings were covered over with cellophane.

Eve doesn't find anything in Lee's apartment.   Bosley calls Steven the middle man and when he analyzes the address and DOB, they all lead back to Bosley.   Eve: "It's you."  The way she said that was as if she almost believed Bosley was guilty.  Charlie claims his ID has been stolen.   Kate thinks there are signs of a personal vendetta.   Bosley has lots of enemies.   They've hacked his system and even his "firewalls have firewalls."  Bosley has his own suspicions of who could be behind this and he needs to start from the beginning.   Zoe makes some excuse about her and computers not gelling and computers hating her.   An obvious excuse on her part again.   Bosley checks out the trash in her computer as she may have had contact with the kidnappers without being aware.   Zoe: "You don't know what it's like to lose someone close to you." There, her entire demeanour and everything else she's been up to shows she knows more than she's letting on;  why make that comment unless she knows about his private life?  Bosley replies, "You'd be surprised."

Abby says if she had Bosley's details she'd be on a spending spree now.   But nothing's been taken.   There's a safe deposit box and to Abby that's like catnip.   Eve goes undercover as Ms Depesto (hey that name was used in Moonlighting ha.)   There can only be a limited number of customers in the vault and Abby and Bosley go in as another couple again.   Well they did make a cute couple.     Bosley opens the box to reveal a bomb: C4 and there's only 30 seconds.   Abby tries to disarm it. What would they have done without her? Not very much.   Oswald leaves a message.   They need to evacuate the bank.   Abby disarms it but moments later it rearms, which Bosley should have known especially when dealing with Oswald.   That table in the vault came in handy though. Surprisingly it bore most of the brunt of the blast.

Kate analyzes the bomb and finds a partial print on the Sim card, wouldn't that be the job of the police and forensics.   They ask who Oswald is.  Bosley's former partner in computer crime.   He calls them 'Black hats' which are hackers.   He met Oswald online.   Abby comments online dating sites don't work.   Abby always manages to get a comment about dating or loser men.  Someone beat him to the finds in a Berlin bank.   They worked together two years and were a perfect team.   Bosley assumes Oswald is a man.   Eve: "You've worked that close with a man you've never met."  Eve appears to get the dumb lines.   As Abby tells her they work for Charlie.   There is no Bank of London, though it was for the purposes of the show.   Oswald cut a deal with the Russian mob to go underground.   Abby says there's no getting away from the mob.   The print leads to a condo lease.

Here they find computer screens and Bosley says Oswald is turning the tables as all the screens are eyes.   But he thinks Oswald kept the same passwords.   He finds Lee a captive and also plates nearby used for printing money.   Oswald is Zoe, well that wasn't a shock.   Abby says she wanted to kill Bosley who is "looking good for a dead man."  She then notices they're watching her.   Bosley thought 'she' was dangerous.   Zoe comments on there being new women in Bosley's life.   Less expendable than the last companion.   She copied her handwriting on the postcard.  

Bosley manages to trace Zoe's location.   Zoe: "Bad things happen to the women in his life, ask Elizabeth."  But Elizabeth as we know is dead.   The angels don't know about her.   Zoe spent the last three years of her life to the mob.   Bosley got the location and other things on the hard-drive.   Eve guards the perimeter and the police arrive.   Bosley has outstanding 'fake' warrants and one came through right now.   Bosley claims his innocence.   Lee had to make money, counterfeit $100 bills.   Kate tells them about her six years in law enforcement and two years undercover.   They arrest him for the murder of a policeman but he runs.

 It had to be Eve in the police car otherwise she wasn't doing a good job of guarding the perimeter.   How come he didn't see who was driving the car?   How could Eve be tracking Zoe getting away with millions?   Bosley uses the iPad to unlock her history and finds she's on a flight to Rio.   Bosley cancels her flight and tracks her on her phone.   She knows his weak spot, the women he cares about and that's where Zoe is getting him.   Zoe blows up the truck with the money inside.   But was it all the money?

Charlie is impressed with them but Bosley says she got away.   Eve asks about Elizabeth.  She's the one with all the questions, always and Abby tells him he can talk to them anytime.   Bosley was in love and Elizabeth "turned down a dark path and I lost her." She died.   Was Charlie still on the phone listening.   Bosley did everything he could to stop her and love wasn't enough.   He went off the rails and met Oswald until Charlie saved him.   Abby says he shouldn't blame himself for Elizabeth, which is what Charlie told him in 1.4.  Angels in Chains.  Is that why Charlie rescued his angels cos of Elizabeth?   Yet Bosley doesn't tell them Elizabeth was Charlie's daughter.

Zoe visits Victor (John Terry) in prison and tells him she'll have a new alias by tomorrow.   But Abby won't know she's met with him cos he probably won't tell her.   Instead he would probably work with Zoe to bring down Charlie.  Victor has a vendetta  with Charlie.   She can help him "unmask" Charlie which is what Victor wants.   So who exactly is Victor doing this for? It doesn't appear to be for Abby.

If done right this could have been an interesting story arc, but we'll never know what happens or would have happened now.   The backstory on Bosley had potential, more than the angels as well as the storyline about Oswald and Victor gunning for Charlie.  What if Zoe was Elizabeth and Eve was kind of hinting at this when she saw the postcard?   Well Elizabeth could have had a facelift, changed her appearance.   Who else would have such a grudge against Charlie and want to get back at him?   Which also means Bosley recognized the handwriting and wasn't at all curious to investigate.   That was a bit of a let down in the plot.   This episode however, was one of the better ones and the show did seem to be improving.   Enjoyed this one.

In the original angels, Bosley (David Doyle) and Kris (Cheryl Ladd) used to play a couple, married or otherwise and here it was mostly Bosley and Abby.   In the original angels there were many episodes which boasted lost loves of the angels, um, maybe boasted isn't exactly the right word.   Sometimes they would be criminals and other times there'd be two angels falling for the one man.  

Supernatural - 1.3: "Dead in the Water"

Sam and Dean investigate the deaths of some people, in what appears to be drownings, some within their own homes. Sam learns the extent of Dean's true feelings about losing Mom and how he's never told him everything about the events of that

Something pulls a girl under whilst she's swimming in the lake.   Alluding to the title of this episode, Dead in the Water in two senses: firstly, that whoever got killed was dead in the water (not so funny) or secondly, whatever or whoever did it, was dead in the water.   No reference to boats/ ships here, as that's what the title more commonly refers to.

Sam (Jared Padalecki)  and Dean (Jensen Ackles), in a diner for the first time, and we see how much Dean just loves his food and witness his idea of 'fun'.   "You know Sam, we are allowed to have fun once in a while - that's fun."  Ugh and we thought it was something completely different, naively, ha.  Gotta love the way Dean has this whole new spin on words and vocabulary too.   Dean comes across the article in the paper and they head to Lake Manitoc, Wisconsin.  Where there's more of Dean's version of 'fun' to be had!  Last episode Dean mentioned Wisconsin in reference to the Wendigo and this week they're in Wisconsin.

There wasn't any body found in the lake, but the family went ahead with the funeral for closure.   Sam: "...what closure.   People just don't disappear Dean.   Other people just stop looking for them."  Sam clearly means Dad (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) here and he's concerned everyday they search for Dad and don't find him, the trail's growing colder and soon they'll never find him.   Uh oh, here comes Dean with the recriminations and the defensive attitude he's mastered, and more of the arguments I love between the two.   With Dean saying Sam was never around, it was always Dean who was with Dad for the past two years.

Dean knows all about Pep rallies.   Sam's not the kind of dude who frequents Pep rallies just for the 'fun' of them if at all.   There's plenty of unsaid deep and meaningfuls between them and a truck loads of anger inside of Dean just waiting to boil over to the surface.   Not much response from Sam though a bit of a shame.

This episode their IDs are from the US Wildlife Service (Dean knowing tonnes about wildlife - not of the animal variety!)  and introduces himself as Agent Ford and Sam as Agent Hamill (from Star Wars (1977).   Dean naturally being Harrison Ford, the one everyone drooled over!  Listen out for the line "she was safe out there" as in her own bathtub.

Sam and Dean speak with Sheriff Jake Devins (Daniel Hugh Kelly) and aren't quite sure her death was only an accident.   IN walks Dean's idea of 'fun' in the shape of Andrea (Amy Acker) .   (Our loveable Fred from Angel).   Leading Dean to comment on how great kids are.   But Andrea's not Dean's average type of 'fun' and comes back with the line, "must be hard with your sense of direction, never being able to find your way to a decent pick-up line."  However much Dean claims to like kids, he can't name three, when Sam asks.   Well, Sam was a kid, once upon a time, ha.   Andrea's son, Lucas (Nico McEown) doesn't speak.

They theorize over what could be in the lake, recalling the Loch Ness Monster, and the number of sightings it's had.   Here they just turn up empty.   They find that Lucas had to be rescued and he was in the water for two hours.   Big clue here that he wasn't harmed in the lake, when Andrea's husband drowned.   Dean immediately thinks of Mom (Samantha Smith) and how she died, "watching one of your parents die is something you just never get over."

In the same way Sam saw Jessica (Adrienne Palicki) die.   Dean bonds with Lucas and tells him he loved toy soldiers and how he saw something bad too, no one would believe him, but Dean will listen to Lucas.   Dean's not good at drawing and he calls Sam "his geeky brother" when describing his family.  It's amazing but not surprising how Dean can share thoughts and feelings with Lucas, that he can't with Sam - at least not right now and opens up about things he's not told Sam.   Sam has to overhear Dean.

Lucas gives Dean a picture of a house with a red roof.   Another victim drowns in the kitchen sink after getting pulled in, head first.  They're dealing with something that controls water and the water is from the same source, as Sam says - the lake.   Dean notices the red roof on Carlton's house.   Dean opens up to Lucas telling him he was there and saw Mom die, so how do you get over something like that.   He's obviously kept it all in since he didn't want to talk about it, but he's telling Lucas now.   Also how Mom would've wanted Dean to be brave and he tries.

 Sam does realize just how much Dean has kept from him and when he asks Dean about it, he fobs it off as not being a big deal and his, "Oh God, we're not gonna have to hug or anything are we?!"  He only shrugs the moment off not realizing or being concerned about how important it is for Sam.   I'm guessing no one even spoke to Sam or told him in detail about how Mom died - but Dean was there and actually witnessed it, yet he doesn't dwell on it.   This was news to us too since all we saw in the Pilot was Dad asking Dean to take Sam.   As we know, Dean doesn't like to talk - unless he wants to; he's not all touchy-feely either when it comes to true emotions.

Instead, he'd rather berate Sam with "college boy thinks he's so smart."  God forbid he and Sam should bond.   Lucas gave Dean a picture of a yellow house this time, a red bike and a boy outside the house.   But there's no boy here.   Bill (Bruce Dawson) used to ride his bike home from school and Bill knew Peter.   Sam believes all of the boys back then who knew him are being punished.  Bill takes the boat out onto the lake and is taken.   Jake checked out Sam and Dean to find they're not with the Wildlife Service, and wants them out of town.

Lucas draws a black hole and Dean turns the car around, they're not leaving.   Andrea fills her bathtub.   Dean doesn't want to leave Lucas as he was afraid of something.   Sam's shocked to see Dean can actually care about someone.   Sam: "who are you and what have you done with my brother?"

The bath water turns muddy and Andrea is pulled under - cue our heroes to the rescue, with Dean breaking down another door.   Didn't Lucas hear her screams.   Dean discovers a connection between Chris and Jake.   they were both involved in Peter's death.   Jake and Bill bullied Peter and held him under the water, causing him to drown.

Lucas attempts to retrieve his toy soldier from the lake and is pulled in.   Prompting Dean to jump in after him and so does Jake.   He's sorry for what they did to Peter, who now has gotten his revenge on everyone.   Dean pulls Lucas out.

Sam tries to comfort Dean with his line, "we're not gonna save everybody" - a line synonymous with the premise of the show.   To which Dean could've been snarly and replied, "it's 'we' now is it."  Since he did the rescuing, of Lucas that is.   Sam did get Andrea out of the bath.

Andrea thanks Dean and kisses him.   Bet he was just hanging on for that moment since they hit town..

Recall the line "safe in her bathtub" - well, Andrea wasn't since this is where she was attacked.

Great to see another side of Dean in this episode: a more caring side.   That he has it in him to be vulnerable and not just maintain his macho, tough -as-nails exterior, or as he would call it: his "game face." for the sake of Sam.   Someone should've told him it's okay to share with Sam - of all people- cos he's family and they're both going through this together.

Only enough is revealed about their past to keep you thoroughly glued!

The Vampire Diaries - 3.14: "Dangerous Liaisons" Review

Ester sends out invites to the town inviting them to a ball at Klaus's newly renovated mansion, but she has a plan for which she needs Elena's help.

Elena (Nina Dobrev) is watched by someone at the hospital as she talks about the attacks with Matt (Zach Roerig).   He's lucky the only thing he needs to worry about is work, but that won't last long.   Outside Elena backs onto something and when she gets out of the car she's confronted by Rebekah (Claire Holt) who's out for revenge for getting staked by her.   Elijah (Daniel Gillies) saves her from being bitten and he asks Rebekah if she's challenging him.   So was Elijah watching out for Elena or was he the one who was watching from the hospital?

Damon (Ian Somerhalder) wonders how Ester (Alice Evans) is even alive.   Elijah wants them all to live in peace, yeah that'll happen.   Stefan (Paul Wesley) says they need a weapon to help them win over Klaus (Joseph Morgan).     Damon: "Anyone else feeling a little used right now?"  No, but he will be by the end of the episode.   Elena receives an invitation to the ball at the mansion from the Mikaelson family.   Elijah told her they don't want to hurt anyone.   Stefan asks who that family is.   Ester wants to meet with Elena alone.

Klaus is angry at Rebekah for going after Elena and Kol (Nathaniel Buzolic) exclaims he's not his father.   "You should go back to staring at yourself," he tells Kol.   Klaus talks of 'peace, acceptance, family.'  Why did Ester forgive him.   She had a thousand years to heal.   Her dream is for them to be a family, as it's a gift.   Stefan says Bonnie opened the coffin for a reason and he tells Damon it's now his job to care if Elena lives or dies, it's not Stefan's anymore.   Damon thinks he should go back to being the old Stefan to see if he cares or not.   Damon volunteers to go to the ball since Stefan's upset enough originals already.

Tyler leaves a message for Caroline (Candice Accola) and is sorry about Bill and is fixing himself.   Klaus sends an invite to Caroline, "Save me a dance fondly."  He also sends her a necklace and a dress.   Caroline tells Elena the ball is a "twisted Cinderella fetish." Well everyone's getting in on the old fairytale act, so...Salvatore's look better in a tux.   Bonnie told Caroline about Elena and Damon's kiss and Elena doesn't know how she feels about that kiss.   Rebekah turns up again and invites Matt to the ball as a way of getting to Elena.

Damon asks Carol (Susan Walters) if she's hanging out with her 'besties' now and she says she's trying to protect the town as Mayor.   Kol thinks Damon stands out.   Who is blown away by Elena in her gown.   Stefan beats him to her and then Elena takes both their arms: it's the beautiful threesome! ahh.   Caroline also arrives wearing Klaus's gown.   Finn (Casper Zafer) doesn't let anyone else see Ester, Elena must be alone.  Damon and Stefan are protecting Elena since Ester tired to kill her once.   Damon and Stefan both notice Ester upstairs and Damon has the first dance with Elena.   She should tell him before she walks into the "lion's den."  Stefan watches Caroline who watches Rebekah with Matt.   Klaus says she looks ravishing and Damon calls Elena stunning.   What did Klaus want to bite Caroline with his choice of words, ha?   Caroline comments she was Miss Mystic Falls.

Stefan cuts in to dance with Elena, the Mayor brought him here.   Damon should have figured out Elena can look after herself.  Damon doesn't compliment Rebekah as she tried to kill Elena.   Who tells Stefan she needs to see Ester.   When they were together he trusted her and she made her own decisions and she hopes that hasn't changed.   Rebekah wants Kol to kill Matt cos he's Elena's friend.   He doesn't want to help her cos of Ester's rules but he's in.

Stefan snaps Damon's' neck so he's out of commission.   That wasn't nice.   Elijah believes Ester willing to forgive Klaus for killing her is strange and he wants to know what they'll talk about.   Ester burns sage with a spell so no one can hear their conversation.   Ayanna preserved her body with a spell and Bonnie and Abby complete the Bennett bloodline.   She was on the other side for over a thousand years.   Esther needs her help.

Klaus fancies Caroline.   He was hunted by his father for a thousand years and the closest he came to Klaus was by killing his horse.   Klaus turned against Ester.   Elena asks how she can kill him when he's immortal.   Ester will use magic and resistance to perform a ritual.   She will need blood from Elena for this.   Elijah is suspicious but needs persuasion.   She will get her children to drink and they will be linked as one under the spell, so if one dies, they will all die.   She thinks of them as an abomination, "It's my duty to kill them." Is that what the spell is really for?   It could just be to make them stronger as one.   First Ester didn't want her children to be killed by werewolves and now after turning them into vampires, she wants to kill them, don't believe she'd want that.   As a mother she may want Klaus destroyed but not the others.

Kol suggests killing Matt on the stairs and making a spectacle of it.   Damon is trying to keep Elena alive.   Stefan knows his emotions are getting in the way of the plan.   Yet more plans which will end up backfiring.   Matt and Rebekah walk outside and Matt gives his coat to her.   Rebekah changes her mind about wanting him dead.   Elijah is concerned about Ester's intentions and Elena lies to him.  They all drink the champagne.   Elijah didn't look like he drank it and the way Elena was watching Elijah was suspicious too.

Caroline looks at Klaus's sketches and a landscape he drew is hanging at the Hermitage.   She wants him to give Tyler his life back and she thinks he only compels people cos his father didn't love him.   Damon doesn't think Elena had a plan and he's angry with her cos he loves her.   Elena thinks that Damon cares too much.   "How ironic."  Damon rescues Matt from Kol after he breaks his hand and beats him up, then snaps his neck.   Stefan thinks Damon's crazy.   Caroline wants Tyler back here and she has a gift from Klaus; a sketch of her with the horse and a note, "Thank you for your honesty."

Ester wishes the others were more like Elijah since he's moral.   Finn is ready to die and she completes Finn's link with his blood.   Elena has signed Klaus's death sentence but even she thinks Damon was being self-destructive when he went after Kol.  They both said something they weren't meant to.   Elena demands to know why Stefan acts like he doesn't care about her.   He hurt her and he hates himself and if he cares he'll feel pain.   Matt wants to be left alone and Damon comments Rebekah was rejected by the captain of the football team. "Welcome to adolescence." Damon and Rebekah get it on together.   So much for caring about Elena, confessing his love for her and then going after skanky Rebekah, as Caroline calls her.

Trying so hard to make us love Klaus or at least feel something other than contempt towards him; forgetting all the nasty, cruel things he done, such as making Stefan lose his humanity; killed Jenna, sired Tyler.   Now they're trying to make him appear so sad, lonely and vulnerable.   It's Klaus against the rest of the world.

Don't like Ester.   She had a thousand years to come up with this plan: kill her children, when she should be avenging  herself for Klaus's actions.   Then again the same could be said about Stefan and Damon.   Stefan killed Andie and has fed on plenty of others, as well as killing them too.   Elena so desperately trying to convince Stefan to come back to her - she still wants him, even if she tells Caroline she's not sure how she feels about the kiss, which just won't go away.

Caroline seems to be sympathetic towards Klaus however most of it appears  to spring from her getting him to release Tyler from his sire bond.   She's missing him and he should be here for her now in her time of need after losing Bill.  

Loved Elena's gown.   Lots of switching partners and sides happening at the ball.   Kol agreeing to kill Matt even if Ester wouldn't like it.   Perhaps another reason for her to want to dispatch her brood.   They're all doing whatever they please.   Elijah had his suspicions and I was surprised he didn't do much about them, other than trusting Elena who ends up lying to him.  

As for Damon and Rebekah getting it on, that was always on the cards going back to Smells Like Teen Spirit and beyond.   Damon always reaches for the nearest bit of skirt when he's rejected and dejected and misunderstood.   Either that or he goes crazy, as Stefan put it and 'self-destructive' as Elena said.   That's his nature and well, Alaric wasn't around so he couldn't kill him again.   But Kol was just what he needed.   After his random act of self-pity with Rebekah, Elena won't want anything to do with him now, romantically.   Talk about telling someone you love them and then betraying them in that way the next.

As the title suggest Dangerous Liaisons conjures up the very picture of what was happening here.   Ester tried to kill Elena once and what does she do? Walks into her parlour and worst still turns around and gives her blood without questioning.   Actually that should be freely 'donating' blood which could be used for anything.

Klaus is already aware of Caroline being Miss Mystic Falls.   Another scene on Elena's porch this time it's her and Stefan, and he didn't kiss her which is what she wanted.   Got some 'ripper' action between Damon and Rebekah with ripping off clothes that is - all very Tyler and Caroline a few episodes ago.   Oh and Elena left Alaric alone in the hospital where anything could be lurking - forgetting Bill was staked there.

There's not going to be any romance between Caroline and Klaus though, no e-mance either (my word for e-mail romance.)  That would be too obvious.   As for Elena learning about Damon's betrayal with Rebekah, Julie Plec commented, "The thing with Damon is, as we've seen, when he's hurt, he lashes out, and ...this is the most cruel way he could have lashed out."  Also showing how he's matured character-wise since "he's striking where it hurts the most - Elena,"  whereas in the past he carried out some other evil act instead.