Desperate Housewives - 8.6: "Witch's Lament" Review

Bree ropes Gaby into finding frogs in an attempt to halt the development. Carlos reluctantly attends an AA meeting, then relapses. Lynette asks Jane to stay away from Tom.

Mary Alice: "Paranoia: it's the irrational fear someone is after you.   That you're going to be exposed at any moment.   Paranoia sneaks upon you causing you to stumble at every turn...paranoia reminds you that no place is truly safe." Bree (Marcia Cross) Gaby (Eva Longoria) and Lynette (Felicity Huffman) stumble about in the woods as if someone is after them.   Actually the part with Bree in the opening was good, it was like she was having a nightmare, but don't think she has nightmares really.   They need to dig up Alejandro and Gaby wants it over with already.

Mary Alice: (Brenda Strong) "Paranoia: it's the irrational fear someone is after you, but even after you hope it isn't real, it can still scare you to death."

3 Days earlier  Mary Alice: "Susan Delfino (Teri Hatcher) had always been a great student...knew how to be the teacher's pet: gifts, extra credit and some just liked her...in her new class Susan would learn not every teacher was in line for a pet."  Andre (Miguel Ferrer) selects Susan as his intern.   Gaby checks Carlos's (Richardo Antonio Chavira) cup for booze.    He's not an alcoholic but agrees to attend an AA meeting.   Gaby makes him "promise not to be one of those whiny ones" if he turns out to be one.   She's no compassion does she, really who's the whiny one in that family?

Jane (Andrea Parker) brings Penny (Darcy Rose Byrnes) home with Tom (Doug Savant) and she's agreed to make Penny a cat costume.   She's also teaching Tom French, show off.   Lynette tells her she's making the costume for Hallowe'en since it's a mother/daughter tradition.   Bree draws the curtains before trying to tell Gaby about the development and they're interrupted by Juanita (Madison De La Garza) who is going as a fried egg, with Celia as bacon.   Bree tells about a witches story which Juanita thinks was lame.   Bree describes the development at the woods in her story.   Gaby thinks the story was scary.   Er, who is going to see them though the window anyway, aren't they more afraid of being heard?   It's not the windows that have ears, but walls, ha.

Ben (Charles Mesure) hasn't seen Renee (Vanessa Williams) for two weeks and wants to have dinner for Hallowe'en.   She wants him to beg for a date on his knees, plus it gives her a chance to check if he's got a bald spot.   Knew there had to be something shallow going on with her.

Andre introduces Susan to Jasper, (Mason Cook) his son and she's to watch him for the weekend.   It's an internship and not a babysitting gig cos he doesn't have to pay her.   Renee thinks she and Ben will be 'getting it on' tomorrow.   Lynette: "Eeww, not in front of my kid's costume."  She got some sex drugs from Chinatown and recommends her friend in New York who is a fashion designer and is always in need of money, so can make the costume.

Carlos attends the meeting in the hopes of being able to talk and meets Alan (Scott Lawrence) and he's jealous cos he could recall all his benders.   Carlos pretends nothing much happened to make him start drinking two months ago and can't think of how it was triggered.

Bree eggs Ben's window and tells him it's people against the development, they shouted Australian slurs.   He hasn't heard any Aussie slurs before and asks what they said.   He's already moved the development once, when the environmental impact report found some endangered frog species.   Giving Bree an idea; as she goes frog hunting with Gaby, who adds she'd never kiss a frog like the story with the princess.   Carlos then lies to Gaby about the meeting and getting a sponsor.

MJ (Mason Vale Cotton) is going as a candy robot and Jasper hates he can't go.   Susan tells him it's the best day of the year with free candy and dressing up.   Andre doesn't want him to go as Hallowe'en is for kids, which is what he is.   Susan takes them both after hiding his painting.

Bree lets the frogs out and they all escape.   Bree suggests they need to dig him up and of course it's obvious what's coming, there won't be a body.

Susan thinks of Andre as the cowardly lion from the Wizard of Oz and he prefers to call Jasper by his first name.   This year Susan was dressed as Glinda the good witch from the Wizard of Oz. Last season, she was a maniac rag doll.

The costume arrives in time, but it's missing a bottom and Tom says that's not right for Penny, unless she's "trick 'n' treating for money." Renee takes more than a few drops of the potion and they kiss.   Didn't they want to draw the curtains with all those children about!?  She gets rashes.   Andre knows most people don't like him and his work comes first.   Susan thinks being a better father will make him a better painter.   He thinks painting blocks out everything and Susan won't let that happen to her.   Renee gets an allergic reaction and scares the children.

Jane tells Lynette her husband left her too (wonder why) and she thinks Lynette is smart, confident and they could she friends with her.   Lynette thinks she could be her friend too but she asks her to leave Tom alone.   Lynette will fight for him and he told Jane that Lynette is always fighting.   Gaby and Bree come for Lynette and who'd she leave the baby with.

Ben tells Renee she told him about the woman love fluid and she wanted the night to be special cos she likes him.   He likes her too.   Carlos opens the door and imagines Alejandro there and then goes into the room he said he couldn't be in last episode and drinks.   Lynette thinks it's a bad idea to return to the scene of the crime.   Bree methodically tells them what to do and has brought supplies.   Someone chases them and they discover the empty grave...

Mary Alice: "paranoia it's the irrational fear that the whole world is against you, but it's no longer paranoia when you discover someone really is out to get you."  They start running around the woods, where we came in, in the opening.   Those three looked like Charlie's Angels running around like that.

A bit of a fun episode for Hallowe'en, even though it had its dark moments.   Carlos not coming to terms with having a drinking problem and Gaby thinking everything's okay with him cos he says he's attending AA.   Susan teaching Andre, at least attempting to show him the error of his ways in not being a father to Jasper.   Susan may be ditzy but no one can accuse her of not being a good mother.   Renee and her own Hallowe'en mask, wait it wasn't a mask, ha.   That was one way to save on the candy.   Will Ben be the right one for her or turn out to be another loser she's fallen for?

Oh that Jane came across as a marriage wrecker, some may say Lynette had it coming.   No wonder Harm (David James Elliott) didn't end up with her in JAG, ha.   I digress.   Andrea Parker was in the Pilot episode of JAG and in a few other episodes.   Scott Lawrence was also in JAG.   Anyway Tom and Lynette aren't even divorced, they're separated and yet she makes no bones about being after Tom and seems to be using Penny to get into his good graces too.   Tom can't see that of course.   Alejandro had to be missing which means someone's dug him up - either to move him somewhere safer or someone really is out to get them.   The episode was about paranoia but don't think anyone's out to get them by moving his body.   The blackmailer seems to have some other motive or purpose.   Like driving them crazy, particularly Bree.

Nice bit where Carlos opens the door and sees Alejandro and they find he's gone at the end. It makes it look realistic since his grave was empty.   Apparently where Gaby swerves the car and stops when the frogs escape is meant to be where she parked when Alejandro was chasing her in season 7 Come on Over for Dinner.   Renee's rash has been done before in the show, back in 2.6 I Wish I Could Forget You when Bree was dating George.

The title is from the Stephen Sondheim musical Into the Woods.

Smallville - 10.19: "Dominion" Review

Clark and Oliver journey to the Phantom zone when Slade is returned to earth in a coma, succumbing to Zod's trap to ensnare Clark there and kill him, whilst signing up Oliver to the darkness within him.

Lois (Erica Durance) and Clark (Tom Welling) furnish their apartment and Lois comments on how Chloe (Allison Mack) and Oliver (Justin Hartley) managed to fix up their place without any clashing between Oliver's Green Arrow colours.   They need to take the time to find the perfect spot for their things and Clark thinks his perfect spot is with Lois.   Tess (Cassidy Freeman) interrupts the cosiness with the news that Slade is back on earth and has been discovered in a coma.  

Clark realizes the crystal activating the gate between the Phantom Zone and here can only be activated by someone from his family, with the House of El blood.   Short memory here as he seems to have forgotten he gave blood to save Zod's (Callum Blue) life in season 9.   As you'll recall his DNA/blood was also used for Superboy.   Lois comments someone stole Clark's key, but the crystal is the only way out of the Phantom Zone.   So if this was the case why didn't Zod return to earth instead of reinforcing his 'dominion' in the Phantom Zone.   He could have reeked just as much havoc here.   Only Clark would have his powers on earth.

At Watchtower, Tess prepares to send Clark to the Zone and Oliver arrives to help him, without even so much as a welcome or a thank you.   As he says he risked his life and he's not acknowledged for it.   He's right cos at the end when he asks Clark about what would happen to anyone of them who may be infected with the darkness, all Clark replies is that they'd have to be locked up.  Sorry but Clarkie appears a bit dense in some of these episodes, he's oblivious to the fact that Oliver may have a genuine grievance or problem, but it's all about Lois, no really it is.

Tess has to practically beg Clark to take Oliver as he has experience in such situations, where Clark would be powerless and yet he still isn't convinced, he'd prefer to play hero alone.   Yeah that'll work.    She gives Clark a bracelet, which according to Booster's upgrade will achieve audio through it.   As Clark leaves, Oliver rushes in with him and ends up in the Zone too.   Oliver tells Clark he should have more faith in his friends but he still hasn't cottoned on to that 10s season on, since he wouldn't have managed anything here if Oliver wasn't around.   Clark's hair appears to change in the Phantom Zone, for some reason.

Clark tells Oliver Jor-El built the Zone so that Krypton's worst criminals could have a life here.   He notices the crystal is missing and the crystal is the gate.   Lois, at Watchtower sees they haven't returned yet and the crystal loses transmission with them.   Tess can't do anything and they're on their own.   WEll they were on their own to begin with, not like anyone would be sent after them.

Clark is taken to Zod for some kneeling and Oliver is taken away.   Zod lectures him on the powerless feeling when he knows he can't use his strength.  Clark will have to work twice as hard to defeat him.   Zod made an acquaintance with the original Zod's Phantom.   Clark was his enemy in both lives and Clark adds he also defeated him in both.   Zod orders Clark to kneel and serve him until he dies.   Clark left him to the mercy of the Kandorians and Clark now tells Zod that this place was built for people of Zod's kind by Jor-El, well he just said that to Ollie.   Wouldn't Zod already know why it was built.   Zod comments on the no trial, no jury, "only the rule of Kal-El" aspect of the Zone.   He admits sending Slade back to earth was a trap and Clark fell for it.  Reminding him that they're both blood brothers.   They have the same blood when Clark saved him and he forgot!

He and Zod share the same instincts and they "were meant to be leaders."   Who else can Zod put his faith in, but himself.   Then mentions Cain and Abel, asking which one is Clark, well clearly he's Abel.   Clark claims he'd never murder Zod and he saved him.   Zod was exiled by him.   Clark will fight to the death in the arena.   Knew Clarkie and Ollie would be pitted against each other eventually.

Clark fights but doesn't kill his opponent which is what Zod does for him.   It's kill or be killed and only one walks away.   Then the most silliest comment from Clark for the entire episode, if not series, that this only happens in Zod's world, well this is his world.  As Zod rightly tells him.   Who came up with this line.   Tess is unable to locate them and Lois realizes Tess was going to self destruct the gateway.   Lois has been to the Phantom Zone and Clark is running out of time.   Tess tells her about the plan Clark had so that nothing escapes from there.   Oliver, meanwhile is caged and he also realizes Clark's plan to self destruct the gate.  There's no other choice.   Oliver asks him how Lois feels about that and obviously he hasn't told her.  Thought they weren't going to have anymore secrets from each other episodes ago.   Tess refers to it as a last resort, but Lois can't accept she's playing with Clark's and Oliver's lives.  So she pulls a gun on her to make her change her mind.   Tess is meant to be a team member.   Clark knew the risks and she didn't turn on them, Tess is only following Clark's orders.  

They have a responsibility not to put the world at risk for selfish reasons.   Tess: "being with a hero means accepting that hero's sacrifices."  Lois turns this around and posits, "being a hero's wife means never accepting defeat."  That's probably the General in her.   (No, not Zod, her father.) Zod is looking for Oliver's dark side, the darkness within him that he's afraid of.   Zod has seen Darkseid's powers when he came for him;  promising lordship over this dominion if he took Clark out for him.  That could be interpreted in two ways, ha.   Obviously kill him.   Oliver tells Zod they blocked him and his minions, but Zod reaffirms there are millions on Earth waiting to surrender to Darkseid's will.  Speaking of which, what happened to Lionel and his encounter.   Oliver was angry when his parents were killed and wanted revenge.   He can feel the darkness now.

Oliver is confident he can win over the darkness but Zod is adamant he's "already an agent of Darkseid."  Oliver believes Clark would stand by him.   Zod however knows better, his faith in Oliver would be compromised and Oliver would be cast aside just like Zod.   That's why Oliver asks Clark at the end what would happen and wasn't really happy with his response.   Who would be?  He tempts Oliver with the gesture they could rule here as brothers (he'd want Chloe anyday over Zod.)  "I was looking for a brother in Kal El," but they don't have anything in common.   He releases Oliver from his shackles and believes they do have plenty in common.   He must be brave enough to walk the dark path, to honour the darkness or die.

Oliver and Clark engage in battle, for Zod's benefit of course.   The bruises and cuts are real.  The way the fight scene was shown in slow motion, appeared that Clark did have his strength.   Oliver stabs Clark.   Zod intercedes to finish Clark off himself, giving Clark the chance to grab the crystal from his neck, what they were after all along.   Clark's wounds heal.   Zod: "I will have my revenge."  Zod is imprisoned in a  crystal and sent way into space.

Clark was certain that whatever Zod said to Oliver, that he wouldn't give up on their plan.   Oliver tells him the darkness is everywhere and Clark is positive they can fight it when it returns.   Oliver then asks the burning question of what they would do if one of them was infected.   To which Clark replies they'd be locked up.   The Darkness is powerful and almost got him once.   Yes but it's not all about Clark.  Also Supergirl saved him that time; so he didn't fight the darkness off himself, like Oliver is attempting to do.   Clark: "once in, no way out."  He then tells Oliver that half the things Zod says are lies; takes people's fears and uses them against them.

Lois has finished the apartment and it appears they've been away almost 3 weeks, in comparison to what seemed like a few hours in the Zone.   He believes the crystal being crushed altered time.   Clark says Tess was meant to blow up the gate after 3 hours, but Lois found out his secret plan and convinced her to come round to her way of thinking.   She wishes he had faith in Lois.   He's part of her and in future she wants to be able to make that choice for herself.   Clark tries to control the situation but his Kryptonian side takes over.   He should try to explain it to her instead of hiding it.   The wedding is in two days and that kept her going, also knowing he'd come back to her.   Clark replies nothing in the world would stop him from walking down the aisle (isn't that a bit of a girly line, since technically the bride walks down the aisle, not the groom.)  Well he shouldn't have said that anyway cos he's just jinxed his own wedding.

Tess brings Oliver the constellation chart he asked for, as found in the Veritas journal and Carter's notes.   Hey look Carter, aka Hawkman (Michael Shanks) is mentioned again.   He was searching for Orion's Bow, it's not a treasure as Oliver explains, but Hawkman's quest, which was used on Darkseid.   Hawkman never had Oliver's family journal to find it, but Oliver knows where it is now.   Tess doesn't believe fighting Darkseid is Oliver's personal fight, but he needs to do this for reasons not known to her, but to us.   Oliver prays in church and the angel bleeds as he looks at it and leaves.  I was about to say, 'weeping angel!'  (Doctor Who  fans will know that allusion.)  Seemed to weep dark tears rather than any resembling blood.

Funny how this is Oliver's first trip to the Phantom Zone and the first thing he encounters are skulls with the Omega signs emblazoned on them, since he too is afflicted by this.   Poor Ollie first the skulls, then Zod.   Zod asking Clark, "when are you going to learn it's kill or be killed?"  In reference to Clark letting him go.   Well kneeling galore in this episode, guess he was making up for lost time and the last time this would be done, ha.

The fighting scenes between Oliver and Clark were clearly an allusion to the movie 300 (2006) but the angel's tears looked more like dark ooze.   In the comics, Orion is Darkseid's son.   The Justice League are always there to help each other so didn't much appreciate Lois' line saying they didn't want to send anyone else to the Zone to help them out.   She just had a go at Tess for not being part of the team and then she comes up with this nonsense.   The script sometimes defies logic, know it's the last season and everything, but really?

Zod's clone is from season 9 when Tess opened the orb releasing a younger clone of Zod, who went by the title of Major Zod and has combined with the version of General Zod, who was evident in Lex in the season 5 finale Vessel.   This episode was directed by Justin Hartley and clearly you can see this, especially from the fighting scenes and how even though this episode was about Clark, Oliver's descent into the darkness is only subtly hinted at.   He doesn't come out and tell anyone about it, that was nicely done.   Cos it's not over yet for him and he hasn't thrown in the towel.

We shall always remember Callum Blue from the Sarah Jane Adventures and here he clearly underwent a bout of training to buff up and  play Zod in season 9.

Without A Trace 3.1 "In the Dark" Review

A blind teenager and her instructor go missing froma campsite; they appear to have been abducted.  Sam and Martin fall into bed together.  Viv calls Sam and then Martin.


6 Hours Missing
The girl is 16 year old Kelly Cochrane (Angela Goethals) and her counsellor is 26 year old Luisa Cruz (Iyari Limon).  Tyre tracks are found nearby and Danny (Enrique Murciano) tells Viv (Marianne Jean-Baptiste) whoever took them was staking out the campsite and got his chance, driving up to the site.  There were two males as there are four sets of footprints.  The Camero was  nearby.  Viv gives a statement to the press whilst Jack (Anthonly LaPaglia) watches his daughters sleep.

The instructor had been working with Kelly for 6 months she got Retinitis Pigmentosa a year ago.  Kelly’s father says a light blue Camero dropped Kelly off.
3pm-6pm…
8 Hours Missing
Danny finds white paint on a pole at the site near the tent.  The kidnapper backed onto it.  The tyre is a Michelin and belongs to a Ford Panel van.  Jack tells his daughters he’s not going with them as he has to take care of work.  Hannah (Vanessa Marano) says they’re getting divorced.

9 Hours Missing
Trent Barker, (Chris Owen III) the waiter missed his shift.  He was Employee of the month and never missed a shift.

10 Hours Missing
Sam (Poppy Montgomery) and Martin (Eric Close) call at Trent’s house.  Martin feigns the need to use the bathroom and checks out his room.  He finds sketches of Kelly in a book.  Sam distracts his mother by telling her she’d like some tea and Martin had a bout of food poisoning last night.

Martin defies Viv every opportunity he can. Saying they have to save Kelly firstly and foremostly.  Jack’s lawyer berates him for letting Maria (Talia Balsam) take his daughters with her.  Custody cases are difficult.  This is exactly how Maria wanted it springing the divorce on him the night before.  There are multiple calls to her divorce attorney on the phone bill.

13 Hours Missing
Danny finds the Pennsylvania authorities  saw a white panel van at the Toll stop between 3-330am on the Strasbourg Exit to the Poconos.  Kelly escapes and runs into a red van on the road.  Which left her at the ER.

Jack  says Maria wants sole custody.  Her attorney was called 6 times in the past month.  Jack gave his job away to a friend.  He doesn’t want his daughters in Chicago: they grew up here, have friends and family here and their grandfather.  His lawyer tells him all this doesn’t matter unless he gets his job back.

15 Hours missing
Luisa was attacked and had her leg broken.  They drove to a cabin in the woods.  One was smoking pot and passed out whilst the other one left.  Kelly untied herself and Luisa made her go.  She didn’t recognize any of the voices.  She remembers Trent, she gave him a hard time before she lost her sight now she’s being punished for being mean.

16 Hours Missing
Martin spots Trent at work.  The van in the parking lot at Hardigan’s is registered to Lott (Matthew Boylan)  Trent denies everything.  Danny tells him Kelly identified him because she knows his voice.  Viv suggest Kelly should talk to Trent so he’ll come clean.  They’ve been working him for over an hour and he hasn’t talked yet, they’re running out of time.  Martin tells him his mother’s on the phone.  Kelly talks to him and he asks for a lawyer.  Jack watches Viv’s interview on the news.

17 Hours Missing
Jack calls Viv at the hospital, he’s still in New York.  Martin defies Viv again and drags Danny down with him.  He questions Trent without his lawyer and tells him he’ll make a good defendant on TV and when they look into his life story, they’ll turn him into a freak.  Trent wanted Kelly, Martin’s been there too and knows the feeling.  Trent admits he wanted her.  She stopped coming and then returned one day.  He dropped his tray and he showed her to her table.  That was the first time she was nice to him and she didn’t even remember him.  Lott planned it all since she wouldn’t be able to identify them.  He broke Luisa’s leg in the car door and owns the cabin.  Viv is angry at Martin for talking to him without his lawyer.  He says he got results.

Viv tells Sam that Kelly can show them the way to the cabin.  Kelly heard a drill or a saw and went towards the noise so the cabin is in the opposite direction.  The helicopter spots the cabin from the air.  Lott is gone and has taken Luisa with him.  He’s shot and leaves Luisa behind.

Viv reprimands Martin and Danny as they can’t bring a case against Trent.  He didn’t tell her what they were doing so she could deny it.  She sends them both home and tells them if they’d have asked her, she’d have considered their request.

Sam and Martin aim to continue where they left off this morning. He goes ahead.  Jack watches Viv in the office putting up her FBI plaque.

Danny: “Pretty blind, white girl goes missing from the woods – there’ll be a lot more where that came from.”  The press always jumps onto the band wagon when a white girl goes missing.  Echoes of  CSI:Miami here season 2 where Delko made the same comment about the press only being concerned by a blonde haired blue eyed girl going missing and the missing Hispanic girl didn’t even make the papers or TV.  At the end Horatio tells the reporter to concentrate on the other girls too.

Viv: “I’m Special Agent Vivian Johnson.  I’m in charge here.”  You know as soon as she’s said that it’s not going to last.

Jack watches his daughters asleep again reminiscent of the season 1 finale when he went back home and this time they’re leaving him.  The TV reporter files her story with Danny in the background, re future cases involving him going undercover.  An unintentional pun she says “…have FBI stumped.” When Danny is examining the pole with the paint!

Notice Sam drinking tea from an empty cup.  Martin getting food poisoning when he didn’t even eat the night before, as we’re sure food was the furthermost thing from their minds!

Martin: “first priority is to save the girl.”
Viv: “Obviously, Martin.” (!)

Jack: “This is not premeditated, I think I know my wife that much.”  On the contrary  he doesn’t.  But we could tell as soon as Maria told him about her promotion that she was being evasive and didn’t want him with her.  Jack: “She was planning it.”

Jack: “Baptism by fire.  You guys are all over the news.”  Not a good thing.  Also when will they stop using mobile phones in the hospital.

Martin: “sitting here with our thumbs up our asses.”
Danny: “He’s lawyered up.”
Martin: “If Jack were here right now, we wouldn’t think twice.  He’d be the first one through that door.”  Martin never learns and now he’s inciting mutiny in the ranks too.  Well, Jack’s not here and I’m sure if he was he’d have reprimanded him too.  Shame on Danny for going along with him; okay shame on the writers!

Danny: “Tabloids – big suckin’”
Sam asking how Kelly can show them where she was?  Wrong choice of words and not very tactful.

Martin: “We were willing to risk the conviction in order to save the girl.”
Viv: “Oh and it was your call to make?”
Danny : “No it wasn’t.”
Viv: “Why didn’t you tell me what you were doing?”
Martin: “Because we wanted you to have deniability in case it went bad.”
Viv: “You were protecting me.”
Danny: “It was wrong.”  Martin and his use of ‘we.’  Martin  makes sexist comments about Viv and her ability to do the job alluding to how Jack would’ve handled the situation and reacted.  He really doesn’t like taking orders from a woman, that’s the impression he gave.  Either that or he likes getting into trouble with the boss.  So he’s like his father in that respect.  Didn’t like the way Danny just went along with him, hence Viv’s surprise, she would’ve expected better of him, loyalty just as he is to Jack.  Me thinks he would’ve pt up more of an argument such as in Season 1 where he played ‘bad cop’ much to Martin’s chagrin who told him to inform him next time Danny does that.  Not even being talked into something can't believe he could so easily be talked into going along with Martin against Viv.

Have to do the job and fast but there are rules and procedures that have to be adhered to, other than just jeopardizing the conviction, Trent could’ve been just as guilty as the other guy and could’ve been lying all along.  If Luisa had turned up dead that’s a murder he could’ve gotten away with.

Jack, Jack, Jack, don’t you monitor your daughters, they could be making premium phone calls, not to mention talking to strangers or chat lines.  So he obviously didn’t pay the phone bill.  This was a bit silly since he’d notice discrepancies when on a case but not when it’s happening right under his nose.  Don’t say it was because he was never home!

Didn’t  the writers make Viv out to be an ineffective leader – like she needed Jack or a man to hold her hand and guide her through an investigation – aka the blind girl.

Martin acting like he was the boss and ordering everyone about.  He is every bit like his father (in some respects) though he tries to make out he isn’t.  ‘Let’s do this, let’s do what Jack would do’ and he had no respect for authority either; even after Jack’s admonished him in the past for his hasty, over zealous actions.  Not to mention his sexist remark, i.e. Jack wouldn’t sit around on his ass.  Or have them sitting on theirs.

I didn’t like the scene where he made Danny go along with questioning the suspect, Trent without his lawyer.  That made Danny look rather weak – whereas in the past the writers would’ve made him argue about whether it’s the right thing to do; or they shouldn’t be doing that because they wouldn’t be able to charge him with anything and in the past he’d have protested.
(A bit of sloppy continuity and character development.)

When Viv reprimanded them and Martin said he was protecting her by not telling her, i.e. he just didn’t ask her permission first; it felt like he was almost getting payback for Viv protecting him in season 2 episode 6.  She was disgusted with Danny and rightly too, as she would’ve expected some sort of betrayal from Martin but better from Danny.  Well maybe betrayal is a bit harsh, but if things had gone wrong she’d have to take responsibility for her team.

Viv would’ve made a good leader for at least another few episodes.  She didn’t even get a chance to warm her seat in her new office.  No wonder she didn’t unpack her things when she was turfed out.  Five episodes in and her desk is still devoid of personal effects.  Sam asking Viv if she’s okay whilst secretly eyeing Jack.

Funny moment: Danny finding that piece of evidence, the paint on the pole and the reporter standing in front of him and ,er, reporting.  Now he’s been on TV too and so has Viv so it’ll be a little difficult for them to go undercover.

Viv gets the domestic cases – Danny seems to have an affinity with teens, children and those victims who are hard done by so he should’ve interrogated Trent.
Notice Danny remove his jacket to question that pro – he doesn’t usually remove items of clothing (!) to do this.

CSI: NY - 1.15: "Til Death Do We Part" Review

Another two cases for the CSIs to investigate, this time round with a dead bride who dies on her wedding day and a possible haunted monastery where a dead man is found.

In Story 1, a bride dies at her wedding after dead doves fall to the floor.   Mac (Gary Sinise) asks if anyone is superstitious here as it's bad luck for birds to fly indoors.   Mac: "It could happen to you, you know."
Danny: "What marriage?"
Mac: "Love."
Danny: "Don't even say stuff like that Mac, it's not even funny."  Well someone found it funny and appealing since Danny (Carmine Giovinazzo) did find love and marriage, but sadly most of us thought with the wrong woman.   Mac notices redness in her eye, caused by external injuries or allergies.   She has a slight redness on her skin and Mac thinks she's displaying symptoms of chemical exposure.   Mac: "Two dead doves, one dead bride, looks like foul play to me."  Ahh so bad you'd think Stella (Melina Kanakaredes) thought of it!

Det Kylie Macca (Kelly Hu) returns to investigate the case and has a comment to make, "Gives new meaning to the words cold feet."
 Danny: "You know if I was to say something like that, you'd call me insensitive."  Yes they would, the women in this show, especially at the start and some didn't change later on; were into their lib and yet tried to be one of the men at the same time.  Kylie: "No, I would've asked you if you wanted to grab a drink later.   I'm attracted to a man with a dark sense of humour."  Funny she didn't say that about Flack (Eddie Cahill).   Mac interrupts their flirting, "You two wanna be alone, I'll drag the body outside." Danny blames Kylie for starting it.   Yeah and he just went along.   Kylie would have made a much better love interest for Danny, she was more his type.   The bride complained of headaches and so could have been poisoned, her father doesn't want an autopsy conducted until she's been blessed by a Rabbi.

Story 2, involves an abandoned car and a hand is found an old monastery, rumoured to be haunted by monks.   Aiden (Vanessa Ferlito) calls it an urban legend.   The DB has an NYC pass and some change, he was just out of prison.   He has dermal tissue in his mouth.   Stella thinks he chewed his hand off as it was the only way out of the handcuffs.   The SUV was stolen 4 days ago.  Aiden finds a map in the car and an ear print.

Danny finds of alcohol use in the bridal suite, but no drugs or any signs of poison.   Mac reverts to Plan B, the birds.   Danny and Mac cut open the birds, someone wanted the birds dead.   Della (Diva Zappa) calls this cruelty to animals and a crime.  She didn't kill the bride, Hannah.   She trained the doves and it was her idea but the hotel took all the money.   Danny finds a hair on the wedding dress and it's not a match to the bride.   Hawkes (Hill Harper) determines she and the birds were poisoned, but the deaths aren't related.   There's discolouration on the skin causing coagulation and necrosis of the skin.   I.e tissue death, there are clots in the blood due to formaldehyde.   Audrey (Bess Wohl) has access to this.   The groom, Walter's (Rick D Wasserman) hair is on the dress.   Audrey went out with Walter and he left her, they were friends.   Mac: "Who couldn't love $50 million?"  The dress was brought at a second hand shop, with all that money and they resorted to second hand dresses, yuk.

Story 2: Hawkes finds COD to be exsanguination, starvation, hypothermia and there's blunt force trauma to the side of his head, with traces of black around the wound.   He would have lived longer if his hand wasn't chewed.   Wounds were caused by throwing a punch.   Stella refers to "meatball surgery," he was stabbed and a tip of the shank is left behind.   Rick (Chris Watters) was stabbed but the man claims there was a fight over stealing his food so he cut Rick.   Stella says they know everywhere he went between two places.   Stella insists on driving.   Flack wants to drive and asks for a cracker or a piece of candy, cos "when you drive, we don't eat."  Clearly signs here that Flack loves his food.

 At the diner the waitress says there was a fight and he was thrown out.   Flack: "Did they continue their 'thang' outside?" The SUV was taken from the owner's house.   There are no hits on APHIS concerning the gun.   The flesh under Rick's nails is a close match to a relative of Victor Mulcahey, who has a son, Connor (Sam Huntingdon) and Rick killed his father three years ago in a bar fight.   Connor claims he didn't steal the car.

Connor was in foster care after his father died.   Flack says any DA would want proof of pre-meditation and they collected everything on Rick from the apartment.   Stella argues with Flack that Connor confessed to stealing not killing. "The evidence is not conclusive."  Flack asks what's wrong with good old fashioned motive and she replies it doesn't place Connor at the CS.  Flack tells her he's going to the DA.

Danny finds the dress has a large quantity of formaldehyde so she was killed by her dress.   It's lab grade formaldehyde and there are traces of deodorizing powder, eeww.   The dress came from a dead person.   There are twenty others from the same designer.   Truman has a receipt but no details.   John Swinton doesn't ask questions.   He also has two suits which they take and analyze.

Stella uses ALS to swab the stain on the map and finds an arrow showing directions.   He was digging for something at the monastery and he was lured there.   Mac tells Stella he had a call from Flack, he was afraid Sella would lose her temper again over Connor, which is exactly what she does cos she doesn't listen (as usual).   Flack wanted her to know he won't go to the DA until they both agree and her phone's off.   Stella gets close to Connor cos he reminds her of herself and then she alienates everyone in the process cos she can't handle her anger.   The visitor's log at the jail shows Lugano (Jeffrey Vincent Parise) was visited by Moretti (David DeLuise).   Stella deduces he was there as all this started over food.   Flack says it was for revenge.    No one found the body.   Moretti owed Lugano.

Danny finds large amounts of embalming fluid and deodorizer on the suits.   Mac determines he works in a funeral home and sells the clothes.   Mac thinks someone could be "wearing another killer outfit."  Hawkes examines a body outside of the morgue for a change.   Samuels has the same COD as Hannah.   Initial on his handkerchief and it's swabbed by Danny, showing Peyton M Davis held up a clothes store.   Mac refers to this as desecration of burials, theft, two counts of murder.   He wanted to make money and there's one more suit to find.

Stella says she was an orphan at St Basil's orphanage until she was 18,  never met her parents.  Connor replies she's lucky since she doesn't know what she's missing.   Stella says he's not int he system yet, it's up to him to stay out of trouble.

Mac locates the suit and stops the wedding, removing the suit from the groom.  "I'm here to save your life, so you can live happily ever after."  Drone, so many cheesy one liners here and jokes.   This episode had plenty of forensics and an opportunity to lose the plot if not following closely.   Especially Stella's storyline and the elaborate plans to seek revenge.

Aiden also has a one track mind, if Danny was to say things like that he'd be accused of being sexist etc, as would Flack.   Such as the remark Aiden made to Danny in Tanglewood about him having to pay for girls and he's paying for it one way or another, when he tells her he didn't have to pay for any girl.   Aiden can't resist teasing him about the monastery being haunted and he fell for it for a moment.   One suspect Stella actually believes is innocent, cos all the others are outright guilty when she gets on the case.

In CSI season 1 episode $35K O.B.O notes from a pad were 'lifted' to show the planning of a murder, as it did here when Stella looked at he pad in the prison cell.   Bess Wohl returned to the show in season 4 as lab tech Kendall, friend of Adam (AJ Buckley).   Jeffrey Vincent Parise also returned in 7.8 Scared Stiff.

The Vampire Diaries - 3.16: "1912" Review

Alaric is arrested as a suspect in the murders and Damon recalls his time and meeting a vampire named Sage for the first time. Rebekah tries to grill Damon for info on the white oak.

Mystic Falls 1912 Sheriff Gerald Forbes (Lee Spencer) is worried about the safety of Zachariah Salvatore (Marcus Hester) after a councilman is murdered.  This fate soon befalls him too.

Carol Lockwood (Susan Walters) is worried about the present day sheriff  (Marguerite McIntyre) solving the murders.  Alaric (Matt Davis) wakes behind bars and he's a suspect.  Meredith (Torrey DeVitto) thinks he could have stabbed himself.  Only he believe she's being framed.  Damon (Ian Somerhalder) resolves to find out what happened and the sheriff suggests his involvement could just make things worse.

Matt (Zach Roerig) has talked to Bonnie, and Abby has decided to become a vampire and she doesn't blame Elena (Nina Dobrev) who disagrees.  All this was to save her life and it's her fault.  It almost always is about Elena and that won't really change.  Damon thinks he should "rip out Dr False accusations throat or tongue."  Elena wants him to show some compassion towards Abby.  "Should I send Lasagne?" She warns if he "keeps pushing people away he'll end up alone."

Damon: "You hate me the world is back on its axis."  Damon returns home to read one of Stefan's (Paul Wesley) journals and comments they could "activate our Wonder Twin power."  He wants to bond as brothers.  Damon recalls 1912 when Mystic Falls also had a serial killer.

Stefan was Zachariah's nephew as he speaks with Samantha Gilbert (Lindsay R Garrett) and Mariana Lockwood (Hannah Fierman).  No one is discussing Zachariah's death.  Samantha says he was murdered.  Damon arrives, "Have you been eating the relatives again?" he asks Stefan. The brothers haven't seen each other in 50 years.  Stefan turned him into a vampire and he's been spending time drinking peoples' blood.  Stefan has missed Damon.

Present day:  Stefan thinks Damon's bored and he agrees to help Damon solves the murders. Rebekah (Claire Holt) grills Carol about the tree records.  Carol assumes they were probably cut down as as the Salvatore's owned the logging mills.  Damon: "She-Devil 9 O' clock!"  That look Damon gives Rebekah was either enough to send shivers down someone's back but not in a cold way, rather seductively actually!  Damon comments Bill and Brian were all on the Founders Council.

Alaric doesn't have a motive for the killings and he spoke with Meredith for over an hour on that night, though he doesn't recall the conversation since he was drinking.  He doesn't have an alibi for Bill's murder.  Damon refers to Rebekah as "Blondie Bex" and if she wants more sex then she should just ask.  Stefan ponders the possibility a vampire could be behind the killings.  Damon thought it could be Stefan.  Charming!  There wasn't any other vampire around then.

Sage (Cassidy Freeman) was around in 1912. She was a boxer.  Flash to Stefan being able to show Damon how to survive without human blood.  He can't lecture Damon anymore.  Back in the present, Rebekah says she knew Sage and then Stefan suspects it could be Sage behind the killings.

Elena defends Alaric and Meredith questions what Elena knows about him - that Isobel got  a restraining order against him twice.  Elena dates vampires so she shouldn't be shocked Alaric is a murderer.  Damon then calls Rebekah "Lushy Pants" and that she's not invited to join their conversation.  Elena and Zach break into Meredith's apartment, since she'll have a skeleton in her closet.  She's got files on Brian, Bill and Alaric.

Damon doesn't believe Meredith could be a killer as she couldn't stab three men, but Rebekah says she could.  Stefan doesn't kill human beings anymore and Damon hated how Stefan used to be all self-righteous.  Damon reads from Stefan's journal and how he wrote about Damon continuing to waste his life.

1912  Damon doesn't want fun as the woman he loves has been entombed for 100 years.  Sage tells him his technique is all wrong, "bad vampire."  Women are for pleasure.  Damon's spoken for. He should relish the pleasure of being a vampire and look for the women who are buttoned up. They secretly crave seduction.  Damon's a vampire and it's all his for the taking.

Sage was obsessed with Finn over 900 years ago.  Damon wants Stefan to admit he wants to eat the staff.  Meredith has the Gilbert journal.  A letter from the Coroner's office states the TOD was wrong and Meredith returns home to catch them both hiding in her closet.  The sheriff already has the letter and has apologized for accusing Alaric.

Damon talks of Stefan's "eternally guilty conscience."  He's stubborn  and has opted for a life without drinking blood.  Rebekah offers to help Damon, as he feeds on a random woman.  Stefan stops him. It was just to lure Stefan and Damon's version of tough love.  He threatens to let Rebekah lose on the woman unless Stefan feeds.  Damon tells him he let blood control him and he must fight it.  Stefan feeds ravenously.  Damon wants Rebekah gone and Elena and Matt catch Stefan in the act.  Damon refers to Stefan's actions as an "experiment."

Matt doesn't see why Elena  has a "thing" with them.  After her parents died she wanted to feel safe and being with Stefan felt this way.  He'd always love her and never die like her parents.  As for Damon, he "snuck up on me." He gets under Elena's skin.  Matt comments once you're in love he doesn't know if you can "ever shake 'em."  Then he and Elena have a moment of closeness. Obviously he's talking about their past relationship.  Matt stole the journal for Elena.  He's "invisible in a town of vampires," being human.

Damon believes Stefan did fine and Elena will understand.  He's not bothered with what she thinks but why does Damon care?   He thinks he's getting Elena to hate Stefan so he can go back to hating him. Damon's trying to help.  Last time Damon tried to help in 1912, he convinced him to drink human blood.  Sage reminded Damon it was worth it to drink human blood and Stefan picks out a woman.  Stefan drinks and can't stop, eventually killing her.  Stefan then became the "Ripper of Monterrey."

Damon watched Stefan go over the edge back then and didn't stop him.  Stefan doesn't think Damon could have stopped him.  Damon didn't want to, now he does cos he's the only one he has left.  Alaric doesn't want Elena to get into trouble for him.  She has to since there's no one else around to get into trouble for.

Samantha was as crazy as Jonathan Gilbert.  Stefan found the archives from 1900 and a confession ten years later.  Samantha was locked up in an asylum and her trail ends.  Damon had killed her.  Meredith forged the Coroner's letter to clear Alaric's name, that was apparent.  The sheriff was easily fooled.  The journal had extracts of "not feeling like myself" and "losing time." Stefan wonders if Samantha is still alive since she was a Gilbert and had a ring.

Alaric had black outs, his weapons were used in the murders.  Meredith asks, "How many times can you die before it changes you?"  The same thing happened a hundred years ago.  Elena hated to say it but Meredith was right.  Samantha had a ring and she was the one who killed Zachariah and the others back in 1912.

Great twist the way they had us going as Meredith being the killer.  Turned out to be Alaric.  Talk about heading head first into murky depths.  Never pegged Alaric as the killer, though there were obvious signs, like his weapons and not being able to recall.  The clues were there, especially since no one knows the effect of using the ring so many times.  So what now with Jeremy (Steven R McQueen)?  He's used it once only and they have to let him keep it, as Elena sent him away to be safe.  Also good to see Damon made the same discovery about Alaric at the same time too.

Damon's and Stefan's flash to 1912, where Damon was going to teach him how to live without human blood was so reflective of today.  Here Damon enticed Stefan with human blood in order to help him control it.  Trust Elena to appear when she did.  Caught in the act. If ever that phrase was so relevant, it's here.  Damon didn't want to know Stefan back in 1912 and he didn't want to help him either as he walked away .

This now changed dramatically as Damon wants to help.  Would've thought that would have still been the case back in 1912; seeing as Katherine was entombed.  also the parallels here between Elena saying she didn't want to be alone and that's why she felt safe with Stefan; then telling Damon he'll end up alone if he keeps pushing people away.

Stefan's journals transported us back to season 1 of the show.  As well as Matt wanting to know why Elena got involved with Stefan and Damon to begin with.  Didn't expect her reply to have been so enlightening and also selfish in a way.  Stefan would always be around, even when she would eventually grow old and would leave him alone, just as she lost her parents.

The reveal that Alaric's ring was the cause of his changing personality, whilst interesting, as it drew parallels to Samantha Gilbert (Elena's cousin) who suffered the same fate as him by using the ring many times over.  Still has along way to go in terms of storyline.  What is interesting is that the ring is a Gilbert family heirloom and Alaric kind of 'inherited' the ring as he married into the family and as such is now left to face this consequence.  Seems like a Gilbert family curse in that wearing the ring ensures life, but at the same time, it takes away the user's faculties.  Wonder if Jeremy will endure the same fate.

One thing I didn't like was how Alaric was introduced as having a tainted past.  A violent one too. This was probably just introduced as adding some sort of weight to the mix of Alaric being someone of questionable character and predisposed to violent tendencies.  (Think they're mistaking him for Damon, ha.)  This isn't the case shown by the love he has for Elena and Jeremy. Hey the guy even likes Damon, now that's saying something about the man.

Stefan's flashback's were amazing and I know the Vic's head falling from her body could be viewed as a funny moment in a macabre way. Yet the desperation in Stefan trying to piece it back to her body was sad.  Illustrating how the frenzy he showed here was going to turn him into a killing machine and earn the name of "Ripper."

The Closer - 6.14: "Living Proof: Part Two" Review

Continuing on from last episode, Brenda and the others investigate the murders and bring the killer to book. Major Crimes gets to celebrate Christmas eventually, but not how they wanted.

The coroner, Kendall (Ransford Doherty) examines Sara's DB at the scene, stating she hasn't been dead all that long.   Buzz (Phillip P Keene) uses his video camera to film as usual and Sara's computer is missing.   Brenda (Kyra Sedgwick)  asks Provenza (GW Bailey) to speak with Skander (Aaron Refvem) as he's kind of close to him.   Morales (Jonathan Del Arco) was meant to be with his boyfriend's family.   He finds Sara has the same torture marks on her body as her sister, Anila.   Brenda invites Morales to Christmas dinner with everyone else at work.

Flynn (Tony Denison) crosses off everyone's names on the board, as each one of their plans is put paid to.   Tao (Michael Paul Chan) has an Albanian translation book and tells them of an Albanian rule of the 'blood feud' called 'Kanun' which doesn't allow for anyone to be killed in their home, or for women to be killed either.   Taylor (Robert Gossett) asks if he can help out and Provenza hands him the Santa Claus suit.   Raydor (Mary McDonnell) plays the 911 video of Armand (Michael Aronov) and Shariq fighting, but it's in Albanian and she can't understand it.   Brenda needs Skander to retract his statement about Pope (JK Simmons) and for Joan ( Margaret Easley) to withdraw the lawsuit, then Raydor can leave.   Tao has Sara's e-mails from the computer, though they're also in Albanian,  he shows her a photo with Joan and Armand which Sara sent out before the killings started.

Fritz (Jon Tenney) calls Brenda, Willie Rae (Frances Sternhagen) is distraught.   Arriving home, her parents show her the RV has been broken into and the presents have been stolen, as has their microwave.   Fritz mentions Clay (Barry Corbin) found the yellow CS tape.   After a moment where Clay talks of the real meaning of Christmas, Brenda's phone rings and she's called back in.   For someone who's just had a robbery in front of their home, Fritz didn't seem too concerned, so what's he hiding?

Sanchez (Raymond Cruz) and Gabriel (Corey Reynolds) found Joan had surgery at the hospital and that's why Sara sent the photo.   Small world ending up at that hospital, in the same town, in the same country.

Brenda shows Joan the video of the attack on Armand, after Gabriel and Brenda wonder which one of the two they can ask to translate for them, since Fritz was unable to find an Albanian translator.   Joan translates the word, "ghost."  They also show her Skander's taped interview with Provenza, who told them Shariq was afraid of the police.   Skander tells the same story as Armand; only Shariq's son died on top of him, after Shariq was shot in the back.   Her husband isn't Armand, which is what I said last episode review.   She's shown the bullet removed from Shariq's back, which matched a Serbian weapon.   Armand's DNA didn't match any of his 'family' but it did match Skander.   He is Armand's son.   Joan tells of Armand coming home and changing his clothes, he told her he was covered in blood after the fight but in the video, he didn't have any .   Brenda believes if they can see blood inn the car they can have probable cause to search it.   Joan worries everything she told her about their conversation is privileged between husband and wife.  

Joan wears a camera and wire and speaks with Armand, Tao relaying anything Armand says in a police station to his wife has no expectation of privacy.   She told him her alibi consists of being with him so he replies he'll say the same thing.   Brenda has other ideas on how to catch Armand for murder.   Willie Rae invites Raydor to Christmas dinner with them.   Fritz and Brenda question Armand, asking him his real name - to check whether he's on the list of war criminals.   if he's not then Brenda will release him.   Skander's his son and he claims  he fell for an Albanian girl and was hated by everyone, so he left.   Brenda doesn't believe him, he'll just going on making up another story and another.   He reveals his name is Zoran Antonowicz - he's not on the list.   Thus he's also not legally married to Joan, that name's not on the marriage licence.  

Tao searches the car for blood with luminol and it comes back positive.   Gabriel arrests Armand/Zoran for the murder of Anila and Sara.   Joan's going to take his children and Skander and disappear.   Brenda's parents decide to leave and return to Atlanta.  Fritz and Brenda planned the break in.  

Don't you hate it when you're right.   Armand being a Serb - whether a war criminal or not, was what I said in one of my scenarios last episode.   It was apparent why he killed the entire Marku family.   But how could they have been sure Zoran was even his real name either?   Still at least he didn't get away with murder as he thought he would.   That's Brenda he was dealing with and she never gives up.   Also the way he spoke to Brenda showed his true colours.   Though Skander wasn't involved, I stand by my previous comment on that look he gave Brenda last episode, if looks could kill.   He may have been right to act that way due to his grandfather Shariq's fear of police.   Skander was more defiant.

For all the work Joan did in that village, she didn't know who Armand really was, but it's easy to become someone else when you're suspected of genocide and war crimes.   Though nothing was found on Armand/Zoran he was still guilty of murder and Skander was 'living proof' of his crimes.

At least the team had Christmas dinner and no one was alone for Christmas and they got their killer in the end too.  

NCIS - 7.14: "Masquerade" Review

The agents investigate a bombing and think it could be terrorist related. However the case leads them to a company and a Defence Bill being passed. Allison Hart rears her head again in another ploy to get under Gibbs' skin.

Alfonso (Jeremy Ray Valdez) picks up a girl in a bar, or at least attempts to before seeing his brother Roman's (Yorlin Madera) car explode in a police chase.   Tony (Michael Weatherly) finds a new fad, May 25th is national Tap Dance day and he wants to be prepared.   Ladies are into parties.   Ziva (Cote de Pablo) says McGee (Sean Murray) is wearing a tux as he's attending a wedding over the Internet.   Tony: "I would be laughing if this wasn't so sad."  Hey that's never stopped Tony from making fun before.   He thinks McGee is taking technology too far, well he wasn't the one who started this whole technology revolution.   There are some who would argue social networking sites etc take technology too far.   Gibbs (Mark Harmon) gives McGee a minute to change and then tells him he's had his minute.  At least he let McGee 'attend' the wedding.

They arrive at the scene of the explosion and Ziva says the blast was isolated.  Lance Corp Roman Vega was the Vic.   Acetone hydroxide was found in the boot (trunk) of the car, as Gibbs informs her.   Ziva believes the explosion to be an accident.   Palmer (Brian Dietzen) finds the torso.   Ducky (David McCallum) tells them he needs DNA for a positive ID and several body parts are missing.   McGee is carrying the head in a bag, or at least what's left of it.   Found near a bowling alley of all places.   No jokes now please, as this brings to mind the CSI season 10.8 Lover's Lane episode where the headless body of a man was found near a bowling alley and his head was actually used as a bowling ball.   Ducky: "I do hope that when the time comes and you find the head removed from your body, it is treated with more respect."  A joke in there unexpectedly, since when the time comes they won't know what's happened to their head.

McGee says he wasn't meant to be disrespectful.   Tony on the other hand, can only see the funny side, as is Tony: "...weirder than you carrying your head around in a bag and forgetting about it." McGee finds the signal is close to the car.   Tony comments about the dead spot like that near his therapist's office.   Notice McGee missed that remark and has to stop and ask about the therapist.   We didn't know Tony was seeing a therapist, and what for, not more fallout from Jeanne, let's hope not.   Mind you he could have said he's seeing  therapist, as in dating.   Though Tony's dates don't tend to last for more than a day or night.   Then he had to go and spoil the moment and add, physical therapist.   He hurt his knee kneeling.   What practising dancing or the other thing one does on one's knees and I'm not expanding on that!  Just think Tony and extra curricular activities, or not.   Agh, move on already!

McGee comments a Geiger counter causes RF interference.   Tony says first the plague, now radiation poisoning, someone's got it in for him.   That's the plague being mentioned twice this season and within the space of two episodes.   Gibbs mentioned it to DiNozzo Senior in episode 12 Flesh and Blood.   Tony being affected with the plague in the season 2 episode SWAK.   This isn't about Tony, but his "little DiNozzo makers."  Tony retorts McGee's kids will be smart, "but mine had a shot at being really beautiful" cos looks are everything to Tony.   Mind you they'd probably take after their mother, ha.   Abby (Pauley Perrette) jumps onto Tony in her Hazmet suit for a hug.   There are only minute traces of radiation on the car.   Tony: "Nice work, McPanic."

McGee finds the source of the radiation isn't from the explosion, but the car had Cobalt 60, used in dirty bombs.   The X-ray machine being a clue.   Ziva wonders where it is now and the story is already on the news.   Tony adds it's good for ratings.  McGee was working when Tony was showering for the third time.     Vance (Rocky Carroll) has heard of Walter Kane (John Getz) he's been following his work.   Gibbs asks "what on my Blog?"  He's been tracking the Nueva protest against the US anti-drug policies in Peru.   They've been planning an attack.   Oh forgot to add Walter was my suspect.   Roman is a link to their cell.  Vance mentions the Defence Contractor Bill and spending money on things they don't need.

Alfonso logged onto the e-mail at the hotel.   Tony asks Gibbs if he wants to break the door down.   They forgot about Maggie, his lawyer, i.e.  M Allison Hart (Rena Sofer) who is there.   Ziva: "This is going to get ugly."  But everyone likes ugly, especially all of them.  Tony: "I hope so" but aren't allowed to stick around to hear what happens.   Gibbs tells her he doesn't have a problem with   the law.   The others still listen in outside the room.   She has Col Bell's men for security, they owed her a favour.  Under the law, Gibbs has a right to talk to Alfonso, as long as she's around.

Tony brings drinks to the interrogation, Ziva's bringing popcorn.   Gibbs informs her he's Special Agent Gibbs, not Mr.   He needs answers and he wants answers too.   He talked to Roman who told him to run.   Allison tells him not to talk anymore.   Gibbs tells her she's unaware Alfonso was a member of Nueva.   He denies being involved with them.   He wanted to back-trail the calls to a warehouse in Virginia and trusts Gibbs now.   Ziva runs with the popcorn but she's missed everything, Gibbs helps himself to popcorn.   Allison wants him to release her client as he's not been charged with anything.   If he's involved with terrorism, he doesn't need to be charged, as a  lawyer she should have known that.   In which case she's hanging around too.  Didn't she come across as so wanting Gibbs!

 Tony talks about how Gibbs would go for  a hand to hand gunbattle and Tony comments Allison's good with a blade.   Ziva adds spirit is vital in a knife fight.   Tony mentions the Geiger counter and Ziva says they don't have a warrant for the warehouse.   Technically it's owned by people.   Ziva doesn't think Allison would approve.  Tony says she should spend a night working homicide, everything wasn't all black and white back then, when it was all red.

Ziva doesn't believe it's all black and white when life is threatened either.  She recalls when she was a hostage, (7.1) Saleem justified his actions in a similar way.   Going back to the season 7 opener, which no one has really talked about.   She's not defending him, irrespective of his reasons for his actions, Ziva: "this country holds itself to higher standards - nation of laws to be followed."  But only when it suits them to do so.   Tony says she doesn't talk about it, in what appears to be a close moment for them.    Ziva knows what Saleem did was bad but becoming like him is worse.   Oh here we go, hypocrisy, what did she used to do as an assassin.   She wasn't making the world safe for anyone using those killing tactics and they weren't justified either. They find acetone hydroxide, wires, timers.  A bomb was being built.

Abby removes the Hazmet suit and finds prints belonging to the old occupants of the car.   She blew up the car five times, most of it is still out there and analyzed the harddrive from the burnt computer.   Gibbs times it perfectly as she's waiting for a hit and finds an encrypted Vic file where Roman talks about orders to detonate the package.   Ducky finds the COD was dismemberment and the wound predates the blast.   It was a from a cigarette lighter and wasn't self-inflicted.   The dental impressions didn't belong to Roman, he's alive.  They belonged to a John Cook, former sergeant.   Vance says Roman and Cook made bombs and Roman gives the orders.   Vance and Gibbs back it up since he went to the dentist, a new one every few days.   Vance believes they need to prepare for the worst but the real threat is the panic.   So a dirty bomb is a WMD and people are scared.  His testimony was like overkill yesterday.  

The dentist, Dr Shore ( Brad Greenquist) recalls he had perfect teeth and working on him was orgasmic, which McGee didn't want to hear.

In the robbery X-ray machines were taken which had Cobalt 15.   There are sources for bombs everywhere, which is what Abby said.   Allison's at their office and sits at Gibbs' desk, naturally; still calling him 'Mr'.   She wonders who cuts Gibbs' hair.   You can tell a lot about  aman who cuts his hair.   Her sister cuts hers, well that's not very adventurous of her then is it and is she saving money!  Tony comments he spends more on his hair than it would cost to feed a Third World family for a year.   Kate (Sasha Alexander) already had that conversation about Gibbs' hair in season 1.23 Reveille.   Also Abby has mentioned it too.  Gibbs orders her out of his chair.   She's filing suit against Gibbs and NCIS, for violating State and Constitutional protections.   Gibbs released Alfonso.   Tony wanted to call security, which he should have done.

Gibbs plans on using Alfonso as a tail, he hopes he's not around when Allison finds out.   Gibbs used Alfonso as bait, "or maybe I am."  Roman signs a waiver against having a lawyer.   He was working for the DOD who required Spanish speakers for a top secret training programme.   Everything was a lie and they were recruited by Cook.   He doesn't know anything about  a terrorist attack.   Tony finds traces of blood on the street where the car was found, belonging to Roman.   Gloria his girlfriend was a nurse in Lima and no bomber would have a girlfriend like that, unless Gibbs' gut says otherwise.   They needed a fall guy.   Ziva finds the dentist is missing.   The news reports of one dirty bomb being exploded a day within the hour.   Tony hates dentists since Marathon Man (and Alias, thought I'd mention that myself.) Ha.

Vance bans Allison and two fatalities are reported in the city.   McGee looks up oralhappiness.com, photos of a bus station were viewed from the Pentagon.   McGee takes radiation sensors and accompanies Gibbs inside the bus station.   Tony tells him not to make him say it.   McGee: "be careful Tony."  They find the bomb in the briefcase and McGee disobeys Gibbs' order to leave.   He cuts the red wire.   Similar to the bomb episode with the Korean women assassins, 3.14 Light Sleeper, where Tony and Ziva refused to leave Gibbs too.   Abby tells him the bomb should have exploded when he cut any wire.   He got an 'F' in chemistry.   Gibbs suspects Kane, he's the expert.  He doesn't think Vance should do anything.   Vance says the Defence Bill is terrible and would never pass, but after the bombs it would.   So Kane would make millions as a defence contractor.   No one would vote against the Bill at threat level Red.   Everything was traced back to his computer.   Vance: "I guess we have better nerds."  Ziva brings in the results after Kane's fallen for their bluff.

Allison is on Gibbs' couch at home.   Gibbs says he's not the only one who needs a warrant.  Gibbs says she never helped the wrong man get away.   Roman doesn't pay for her clothes, but Bell does.   She gets 5 requests a week for Pro Bono work but only accepts the cases Gibbs is on.   He has a job and she keeps getting in the way.

Allison going on about the law and constitutional rights and so was Ziva, becoming a proper little citizen.   With Tony and Gibbs on the other side.   More references to Tony's little swimmers, back to the season episode when Ziva tricked him into revealing he'd been donating sperm.   Then we get Abby jumping him and Allison after Gibbs.

So what's Allison's real motive for going after Gibbs, she's just been stalking him and he finds himself attracted to her, as he told Ducky a few episodes ago.   But why, she's not his type and now all of a sudden he trusts her, when he doesn't even know her.   That's a bit unbelievable for someone like Gibbs.   Also Gibbs hates lawyers so why the turnaround now.   Tony's line of hating lawyers more than Klingons in the season 4 Hallowe'en episode.   Now what possible reason could Tony have for that.   That's just following in Gibbs' footsteps again.   How could Gibbs be attracted to his stalker like that - she's stalked and then attempted to seduce him - did he fall for it and her? Breaking into his house like that is classic stalker behaviour.   Dina Meyer  as Holly Snow was better even though she's "out of bounds" being a Madam, but is a redhead.  

Another episode where you just don't know what to make of it.   Ziva reveals some of her feelings to Tony about being held hostage but they're not really personal feelings, they're more to do with right and wrong and the fact she wants to become a citizen.  Before getting here, she didn't really feel that strongly about such things.

The CS tape Gibbs carries around in the beginning seems to change from each scene from being around his waist, to being over his arm with the sling.   Tony asking Gibbs if he wants to break down the door, when clearly Gibbs has a bandage, which Tony sheepishly remarks, he forgot about.   Tony doesn't mention any movies this time, but there were plenty he could have alluded to.

Lie To Me - 2.5: "Grievous Bodily Harm" Review

An old face from Cal's past arrives looking for help, as we get snippets into Cal's secret criminal past. The rest of the team look into death threats filmed in a video for school.

The scene opens with Cal (Tim Roth) telling a man he's lying and Cal is shot.  
28 hours earlier:  Gillian (Kelli Williams) informs Cal that he has a Sally Robinson waiting for him in his office.   Sally is actually Terry (Lennie James) an old friend of Cal's.  At a bar they both agree to leave their past behind and Terry wants Cal to play Texas Hold 'Em as he owes money.   Ben (Mekhi Phifer) tells Gillian that Terry is on the Scotland Yard watchlist and so he's on the FBI watchlist now.   In which case why was Terry even allowed to enter the US, especially since he's got a criminal record and spent time in prison? Since when did the US allow prisoners into the country?

Cal calls one of the players at the table and wins.   Terry asks for a break and Cal elicits he actually owes $95,000.   Cal headslaps Terry (hey that's Gibbs' (Mark Harmon) specialty in NCIS.)  Gillian and Ria (Monica Raymund) watch a video which appears to be a threat to kill.   The headmaster, Anders (Spencer Garrett) closed the school for a day but refuses to shut it down completely.   Ria shows the video to some pupils at school and gages their reactions.   Cal pays back Terry's debt and then some and calls them even.

Next day Cal watches the video and points out how some of the pupils are looking at each other and the teacher is looking at one in particular.   Cal finds Terry in his office with broken fingers and he's been beaten.   Lance McClellan (James Frain) the man at the poker table, wants to meet Cal or he's threatened to kill Terry.   Cal questions the pupil after getting them to stand and asks who made the video.   Stacey (BK Cannon) is about to say something but Jared (Alex Stamm) confesses.   Gillian doesn't believe he's telling the truth.   Eli (Brendan Hines) watches the tape and notices the expression of relief on Stacey's face when he confesses.

Terry wears one of Cal's shirts and he uses pressure on his broken fingers to make him admit what's really happening.   Terry sold a fake home to a man as part of a scam and he has connections.   They meet Lance in a hotel room, with Ben as back up after Cal tells Ben what's going on, but wants Gillian kept in the dark.   Lance wants Cal to pick out the informant from three men but he knows Lance is lying.

Stacey confesses she made the video but didn't want to kill anyone.   She's being bullied by the popular girl, Jasmine (Brittany 'Nieko' Mann) and others.   She hates PE and she's told the teacher.   Ria and Eli find Fitzgerald (JR Cacia).  The PE teacher knew what was happening and ignored it.   Cal used to run scams with Terry and Cal tells Lance to cancel his meeting as Terry has an FBI agent on his tail, pointing out Ben's car.   Jasmine is sorry for what was happening.  Is that only cos she's been found out but Fitzgerald wouldn't let them stop?   Ria and Eli find Stacey in the toilet after taking an overdose and Gillian was wrong.   It wasn't homicidal intent Stacey was exhibiting, but suicidal intent and she missed it.   What was wrong with Gillian this episode - worrying about Cal?  Or her date?

Cal must inform Lance if one of the men who brought the money is confident in its quality.   Cal is really stalling and that's obvious since he must know Ben is back up and if he read the man at the poker game, then he must also have read that Terry and Lance having planned all this from the outset.   He needs the counterfeiter here and the money to determine where he's lying or not and is sure the money is good.   Stacey accuses Fitzgerald of ignoring her pleas for help and actually encouraging the bullying, backed up by Jasmine.   Lance's bodyguard, Jimmy, (Jay R Ferguson) shoots Cal when he says that he's been stalling and he is shot by Ben.   Jimmy is actually FBI, that wasn't a surprise and again apparent Cal would have gathered what was going on.

Cal asks for Terry's freedom and punches him.   He doesn't want to see him anymore.   Gillian et al wait for Cal at the office to make Cal undergo an intervention.   Gillian says they're a team but he didn't come to them for help.   Cal fires them all, Ria protests she didn't want any part of it and he fires her for being gutless and Ria not being able to tell Cal was lying as she let her emotions get in the way, which she needs to work on.   Well he took over that intervention and turned it round.   Does Cal really not trust his team or did he just not want them involved in his past and his private life?   We know he has trust issues from the Control episode, spying on his employees but he still can't really not rely on them.

Eli tells them about a coach at his school who bullied a boy and made them all take part in it.   Eli: "It's always the popular ones who think they can get away with murder."  Does Eli have a dark past or something that's affected him deeply.   He always gets these little gems of dialogue and they never follow through on them.   Eli had something in common with Stacey but he puts it down to another boy being bullied.   Could this other boy have been Eli?   Still Stacey got away with making that video who's to say she wouldn't have gone through with it being a proper, little psychopath for real.   Seeing as she wouldn't have gotten away with it, she could have tried to kill herself, knowing she'd be found and saved.   Yes I am cynical.

Cal timed his dive when he was shot right down to the second, think maybe he knew that was coming, or was it just surprise on his part and then played along with it?   Think he knew since he asks Jimmy how he does that with his eyes.   Gillian getting into another misread case, though nothing serious happens when she does that.   This is her second misread.   Though last episode Ria berated herself for messing up and it wasn't her first time either.   Cal's remark that Eli isn't getting a raise cos they can't afford it. Is he being paid now?

Contrast Terry to Cal's university friend, Jeff, we get to meet the complete opposite in Terry; who Cal tells Gillian saved him and did time for him - losing three years of his life.   He knew Cal had a brain which he could use for good.   Unlike Jeff, Cal and Terry do share a stronger bond.   If Cal didn't care about him he wouldn't have seen it through to the end, cos he was onto what was happening from the outset.   Jeff left Cal after things didn't work out on the drugs case and Cal wired him without his knowledge; Jeff couldn't decide if he wanted to be friends with him still.   But Terry can't let go of Cal's friendship and vice versa.   There's a love/hate relationship here and they genuinely do care, thus Cal repays Terry's sacrifice for him by asking Ben to let him go in return for the help he provided with Lance.

CSI: Miami - 8.17: "Getting Axed" Review

A woman is killed at work and there are numerous suspects, the evidence pointing to one in particular, which makes it a work related murder after all.

A woman is found in the lift (elevator) shaft with an axe through her head after the lift crashes to a halt and blood drips onto the occupant inside.  Tripp (Rex Linn) asks the man, Jeffrey ( Matthew John Armstrong) when he last saw her alive.   Ryan (Jonathan Togo) can't do anything about the DB until ME Tom (Christian Clemenson) arrives.   He wonders how she could have been axed and no one saw it.  "It takes hard work to kill somebody."  Horatio (David Caruso) adds, "Harder than people think."  Ryan is anxious for the DB to be moved and determines her ankle caught in the pulley, causing the lift to freefall and dropped from the nineteenth floor.   Calleigh (Emily Procter) notices the axe is missing, which Horatio already said.   Jesse (Eddie Cibrian) notices the spatter pattern is obscured so he can't determine which print was last put on the button.   Calleigh mentions the dye gel pack on the fire alarm, which is spread by water, so they can see who pulled the fire alarm.   Jesse says they'll need a court order to test the employee's hands.

Walter (Omar Miller) is hoping the killer is still here.  Valerie (Kaylee Delfer) pulled the fire alarm as she had to pick up her boyfriend from the airport and wanted longer than the allotted lunchbreak and Renee (Bridget ann White) sees everything.   Walter: "I think I smell a lie."  No one liked her and Renee was getting people fired, that's a huge misconception there.   Ryan finds some ceramic piece with a picture of a boy and leaves ME Tom stranded without a ladder.  Kent (Bryan Callen) pretends the boy is his, which Walter finds out is a lie, he's a catalogue model.   There's another lie he smelled from before.   Renee figured it out and told him to own up.   Kent was tired with the parents getting all the privileges of leaving early, best holiday time etc.   Walter, getting all the funny lines, "We don't have to believe you, dad."

Horatio hears a noise in the ceiling above them and Teddy (Adam Wylie) crashes through the ceiling.   I Iove Jesse's purple tie!  Teddy lives up there and Horatio thinks he was spying on Renee.   Jesse bags everything from the space in the ceiling and they find bloody towels there too, which matches the Vic.   ME Tom questions whether Renee was smoker and then gets a brainwave, removing her nail polish he notices Mees lines on her nails, an indication she was being poisoned slowly overtime.   She was being given arsenic to make her sick.   Calleigh says Teddy was stealing Renee's food leftovers.   Horatio points out to him that he's being affected by the poison, shown by the white lines on his nails.   Valerie says Calleigh has poisonous fruit and she won't be able to be use it against her.   Calleigh comments that poisonous friut is exactly what she's looking for and so has probable cause to search Valerie.   Valerie wanted revenge on Renee and so was using a teensy-weensy amount of poison.   Adds Calleigh, that's a "teensy-weensy felony."

A note is found, which was sent to Renee telling her she'll pay for ruining someone's life.   Horatio refers to it as a death threat.   The date on the envelope was two years ago, bfore Renee worked here.   They check out her house and Ryan says he'd like a house like that, after Calleigh asks how a single woman could afford it.   Jesse says maybe she has a rich family.  Calleigh wonders what Renee was doing two years ago.   She had a business degree from the Wharton School and asks why she was working on the front desk as a receptionsit.   Renee was the former VP of an investment firm and she was making payments to a local cemetary.   Calleigh says the more they learn about Renee, the less she makes sense.  

Travers (Christopher Redman) tells Jesse that all motor oil has the same chemical structure and make-up.   Jesse noticed the narrow tyre treads outside Renee's house and so wants him to run the sample he found anyway and then asks if he's got a girlfriend yet.   What did that have to do with motor oil?  Anyhoo, the sample comes up with excessive amounts of phosphorus which hasn't been allowed in oil for years.   So it's from a classic car, which leads them to Mark (Daniel Roebuck).  

Horatio tells him he's got lemon peel in his tyres, proving he was at Renee's.   That was yesterday and he got a call from HR, meaning he was about to be fired.   He mowed down her lemon tree with his car.   She didn't know he was being fired and didn't report him bring in in his dog to work.   She told them it was for his epilepsy.   So Tripp says he "axed her in return."  She didn't want anyone in their department to suffer, she knew they were laying people off, but Renee was protecting them.   So no one knew what she was really doing for them, cos no one bothered to get to know her and just saw her as the office ogre.

Ryan discovers she had the same flowers delivered every month to the cemetary.   Luis (Daniel Zacapa) believes she and Paige were close.   She brought her purple hyacinths, cos Renee thought she was going to hell and was asking for forgiveness.   Dave (Wes Ramsey) looks up the police report on Paige's death.   She committed suicide and left a note, which matches the writing on the note sent to Renee.   Paige was fired from where Renee used to work and Calleigh determines that's why Renee chose to become a receptionist.   Paige was Jeffrey's fiancee, the man in the lift.   Walter notices that Jeffrey is leaving and so they'll need to find evidence against him quickly.

Jesse comments it's strange he killed her and the lift was working fine until he got into it.   Ryan thinks Renee could have been trying to avenge her own death.   Jesse says they're letting Renee down.  They examine Jeffrey's clothes from the hospital and the spatter on his shirt.   Ryan refers to as the "fried egg effect." Which would be consistent with blood clotting.   Jesse points to the drop of fresh blood which should be gravitational, but Ryan notices it's eliptical, consistent with horizontal spatter.   Horatio tells Jeffrey the blood evidence confirms he killed Renee.   He admits he took a job there to get close to Renee and he waited a year to throw her down the lift shaft.   Serves him right using the lift after a fire alarm to be caught with her blood on him.

Tripp gets into the lift and the others join him, but he decides to take the stairs instead; followed by Walter, Ryan and then Jesse leaves it too.   This was a final end funny scene, notice there weren't any women in there, fear, it's a guy thing!  Biut why did they leave the lift, it's not like MDPD has dead bodies floating around the place, might have some skeletons, but no DBs.   Who'd want to work in that office, CSI always comes up with extremes in characters and their motivations to act in the way they do.   we may have met some obnoxious and irritating people at work but they're completely looking out for themselves here, when they don't have a reason to be competetive, other than focussing on keeping their job.

Smallville - 10.18: "Booster" Review

Clark meets one of the Justice League members, Booster Gold from the future, who arrives in Metropolis to take over from The Blur. Booster's only interested in fame and money. Lois is promoted.

Clark (Tom Welling) tells Lois (Erica Durance) that his glasses are driving him crazy, so's the jacket, Er it's a raincoat/mac.   He thinks the Blur needs to show his face soon so that people continue to trust him.   Lois tells him there's nothing heroic or handsome about Clark Kent so he should stop being so great.   Clark was a klutz in Smallville.   Lois is vying for the promotion to City Desk.  A clumsy boy that Lois noticed earlier on, falls in front of a truck and is rescued by Booster Gold, (Eric Martsolf) before Clark can get to him.   Booster claims you have to "keep yourself open to the cameras."  A bug escapes from the vehicle in the boy's backpack.   Booster to Clark: "Nice glasses."

At the Daily Planet, Clark bumps into another man with glasses too, who asks Clark if he's forgotten how to walk.   This is ridiculous, as my earlier comments suggested that all of a sudden Clark wears glasses and he's clumsy and bumbling, whereas all his teen years and beyond that, he was fine.   Booster waits at Clark's desk, "The Gold Guardian of Metropolis."  Lois is meant to interview him and he knows about her promotion, her potential promotion that is.   Cue Cat Grant (Keri Lynn Pratt) ahh, not again.   Lois tells her Clark has assets, he's got nothing to hide.   Lois made Cat believe in heroes and she's also going for the promotion.   That'd get Lois frazzled.   Lois believes that Booster's "gold star will burn out faster than you can say, 'up, up and away'."   Another reference to Superman of course.

Lois appears to be watching how the clumsy boy, Jaime ( Jaren Brandt-Bartlett) reacts to those around him and he is teased by other teens.   Lois advises he should stand up for himself and it's okay to get mad; attempting to give him a pep talk, which backfires.   In a solitary alley, the bug enters Jaime's body.   Clark didn't send Lois roses but Booster did.   Clark finds he's appearing at every CS in the city and Lois thinks Clark is jealous.   Booster appears to be saving the Vics at the last minute for fame.   Ted Kord (Sebastian Spence) , whose company Lois calls, 'the Blackwater of the Midwest' has a device that went missing from the truck.   The device appears to be a missing superweapon.   Clark is now also doing Chloe's job on the research front on the computers at Watchtower.

Booster signs autographs for his fans and Cat wants, no demands, to interview him cos he doesn't have anything to hide, unlike the blur,  but he only wants to speak to Lois, who thinks he should "hit the skies" cos Metropolis is the Blur's territory.   Yet more sky references.  The people are excited by a hero they can see, "they wanna look up in the sky - they need to look up in the sky."  Booster replies.   Booster isn't here to be like the Blur, but to replace the Blur.   Or as I said, to replace the Blur's alter ego with his Superman name.   Lois doesn't agree, Booster will never replace the Blur.   However Booster wants to take Clark's place in history, clearly knowing that Clark is the Blur.

Cat claims to have seen Booster first and Lois washes her hands of him and Cat.   The Blur 'doesn't rescue for the money and real heroes don't stop to pose', Lois tells Cat.  Clark turns up to ask Kord questions about the missing weapon.   Have to say Clark's clumsy act was irritating, especially as we haven't seen him like that for over nine seasons and then suddenly, overnight, he becomes Mr Bungler.   Booster volunteers to help find the device and admits it's a weapon, but firstly he wants a deal: the key to the city, which was going to be given to the Blur.   Kord refers to the bug as a Scarab.   Booster's poster on the billboard is replaced with an 'S' one.   Jamie comes to see Booster but he doesn't have time for him, too busy rehearsing his acceptance of the Key to the city.   Cat dressed in wig, as if she won't be recognized, volunteers to present Booster with the Key to the City.   Jaime turns into the scarab.

Clark tells Lois this isn't a competition between them and they should be worried about the weapon.   He finds the weapon has extra terrestrial technology and bonded with the scientist who experimented with it and they became one, like a parasite.   He died when they attempted to remove the scarab.   Clark can't reveal himself yet.   Booster calls Clark for a meeting, calling him 'Blurboy.'  Booster seems to think the people need someone to look up to and that's him.   Clark, as always, has a stirring speech about real heroes needing to earn people's trust.   Booster shows him the Legion ring and calls them acquaintances of his.   The device Booster wears on his ear which gives him historical data  is a droid called Skeet.   Booster was a hero from the twenty sixth century and is worshipped by billions.   He believes whoever gets the Key to the City automatically gets Metropolis.   Clark can be a man of gold or steel.   Clark:  "a hero is made in the moment by the choices that he makes."  He hasn't seen the hero in Booster, who wants Clark to appear in front of the cameras.   Clark refuses.

Inside the scarab reeks havoc and Booster doesn't really do anything but duck for cover, leaving Cat in the line of fire.   Begging the question as to why Clark didn't hear the commotion inside sooner.   He rushes to change in the phonebox, cue another slo-mo scene, after he sees people running.   The Blur saves Cat and Booster zaps the scarab, but not for long.   Jaime tries to fight from inside and doesn't want to hurt anyone.   Booster finally tells Jaime that the suit doesn't make the hero, he must fight, it's his choice.   Clark watches from a distance as Booster talks Jaime round.

Booster tells Clark he thought he could take  Clark's place in history, "being the miracle people are hoping for."  Admitting he was a sportstar once, but he wasn't a hero.   He started betting on his games and then throwing them.   It was easier to lose than to win.   He stole the ring and the suit.   Clark believes Booster helped Jaime, when Booster believed in what he was saying and so did Jaime; who needs someone to watch over him and Kord needs someone to transport the scarab.   Booster tells Clark that the Blur sounds like a rollercoaster.   He needs "something strong starting with an 'S', something Super." Clark will think about it.   He gives Clark one of his shirts.   Jamie says he's unique and doesn't want the scarab removed,  wanting to learn to use its power.   Booster  thinks Jaime is a real hero.

Cat gives Lois cookies with an 'S' on them.   Clark sporting glasses, in clumsy mode, knocks over Cat's box.   She's his new partner, after Lois gets her promotion.   Poor Clarkie!  Cat: "Clark's nice but he's no Blur."  Lois believes Clark can make the glasses work.   He saw the way people looked at him, he's not perfect.   It doesn't matter to him what people say about him, this is about Lois.   She tells him  he can live down the expectations of Clark Kent when the Blur saves people.   He's worried about what people will say about Lois wanting to marry the new Clark Kent,  cos she's perfect and sexy.   Lois wants him to trust her, they can make this work.   Yeah, like he changed overnight, did he?  People are meant to look beyond the glasses.  

Another episode introducing another hero and yet it's been ages since anything's been said or done about Darkseid.   Looks like the intention is to wrap it up quickly in the space of an episode or two.   Since next episode it's back to the Phantom Zone for Clark and Oliver (Justin Hartley.)

How come Lois Lane ace reporter and newly promoted, isn't remotely interested in an interview with Booster.   She can pick and choose now.   Well okay she wasn't promoted yet, but would've thought she'd have jumped at the chance of getting the lowdown on the new 'hero' in town, intent on taking over the Blur's spot.   As he was fast becoming the peoples' new hero of Metropolis.   Of course comic aficionados will know the scarab is known as the 'Blue Beetle.'  Clark ripping his shirt open at the end is reminiscent of Superman.   Still hard to buy the bumbling act of Clark though.   It's a little too late isn't it and no one's noticed either, that suddenly he's changed.