Scandal 2.20 "A Woman Scorned" Review

Jake (Scott Foley) refuses to leave Olivia's (Kerry Washington) side as he's been ordered to watch her since he's a naval officer and his Commander in chief has ordered him to do so, but she maintains he's just stalking her. He was watching her all that time and he states it was to protect her.  She's back to her swimming now, can't say I was surprised to see Jake standing at the end of the pool, so why was she?  Cyrus (Jeff Perry) wants Fitz (Tony Goldwyn) to do what he can to appease Mellie (Bellamy Young) to stop her from going public and breaking the news of the President and his "whore" live on air.  He tries to tell her to go back cos it'll only affect her and Fitz thinks they can call her bluff cos she loves being the First Lady.  But she refuses to accept the package of becoming senator and then even President perhaps one day.  On the other hand he says he will do everything he can to ensure she doesn't get a political career of her own and make public that she was complicit in his affair and knew all about it.  But Mellie refuses to budge as does Fitz.  Cyrus wants him to go to her and talk to her but he doesn't cos he gives him the idea of exactly what Fitz must do.

Fitz orders Olivia to the Whitehouse and Jake must bring her there but they have the same old argument of not ordering her about and if he wants her he has to earn her.  Jake saying he didn't hear what was said but she raised her voice to him and nobody does that.  She wants a minute but he won't leave her side.  Then watches her as she sits in the chair.  Mellie is informed of Olivia's visit with Fitz and tells Cyrus she too has friends there, more so than he does.  Mellie refuses to give in hoping he'll come through in the final minutes.

James (Dan Bucatinsky) tells Cyrus he's been offered a TV position as interviewer and he's got a great nanny and being surprised that Cyrus lets him take the position, especially since Mellie is about to erupt on TV, didn't he get the hint.  Later they get together and he tells them their marriage is not in trouble.  Until later when Cyrus realizes James is interviewing Mellie and he wants it stopped but it's too late.

The others find out that Charlie (George Newbern) was in the baseball cap since Huck (Guillermo Diaz) recognizes his ear cos Quinn (Katie Lowes) was referring to it a lot and Harrison (Columbus Short) saying they can't ID him with his ear.  They think Cyrus could be Albatross, the mole, since Charlie's been working for him for two years now.  Olivia still calls Cyrus her friend and tells them they need to be absolutely sure Cyrus is the mole cos they already were responsible for one death. Charlie goes AWOL and they pull out all the stops to find him, including tracking him when buying cannoli every Thursday and attending a bookclub.  Where he's apparently got a girlfriend.

Knew that was only a rouse and he was after more cos Charlie and a girl doesn't exactly shout romance! They bring in Tammy (Amy Farrington) from the bookclub under the rouse of having Charlie checked our for a job and she tells them they're meeting today.  But he doesn't show up.  She recognizes David from the Grand Jury trial for the Defiance affair and she had her laptop stolen, her laptop which contained the transcripts, which Charlie stole and was only seeing her for that reason.

Charlie meanwhile has been watching Jake's recordings of Olivia and especially the one of their night together and Jake sees Charlie watching the too as he breaks into his apartment and steals his drink, eww wouldn't touch that bottle!  Funny Jake not knowing his drink's missing from there! Ha.  Cyrus asks Mellie if he could get rid of Olivia would she stop the interview.  He gets Lauren (Sharmila Devar) to call Jake and tell him Fitz wants to see him, but Jake shocks Cyrus by staying at his post cos he doesn't get called away by a secretary, only Fitz himself.  Olivia invites him in and wont believe a bad word against Cyrus, even though Huck told her he had Amanda Tanner killed and he wants her to be careful since she's seeing Fitz too.

SO everyone, all the gladiators know Olivia is seeing Fitz except for David it seems as they all walk out of the office when the interview is on leaving David by himself when he asks, "I wonder who he's banging." Jake asks Olivia what her relationship is with Fitz but she doesn't answer, then kisses him to show him he doesn't have anything to answer for and to throw him off the scent but he's not budging.  Fitz decides to take  positive action and go after what he wants, turning up at Olivia's and sending Jake away.  He tells her he wants his marriage over and has decided he loves her and wants her.  They both wait for Mellie's interview and for the clock to strike 9 as does Mellie.  Thought she'd get a last minute reprieve did she?

SO the interview goes ahead, Cyrus can't stop it and Fitz and Olivia get together.  Thought someone would be outside their window watching the way the camera panned out, well someone could be watching, I mean she didn't even close the blinds rt curtains or anything!  Jake meets with the mysterious man (Joe Morton) from B-613 again.

It was only a matter of time before Mellie would erupt as the entire season's been building up to it, ever since she found about Fitz and Olivia and it would be pretty naive to think it wouldn't happen.  She doesn't really care if she's committing political suicide for herself or anyone else cos at the end of the day she's a woman and a woman scorned as in the title.  She didn't even care about how her children would react or would take the news.  Then again she's not really a proper mother.

Then there was the love triangle, Fitz making goo goo eyes at Olivia still and still thinking she'd be at his beck and call, which she ended up being, woman, thought you'd have more sense than that, cos just where is that 'relationship' heading.  Though she's right to be angry at Jake cos she's in the position of being followed, stalked, being the Vic, she knows now what it's like when she does the same for her clients.  It's the nature of her job.  Though Jake can only defend himself by saying he's protecting and following orders, he's really following two sets of orders and has two 'bosses.'  I was going to say masters but that doesn't seem to be the right word.  But man, if I was in Olivia's shoes I'd take Jake anyday over Fitz, cos how many times is he gonna have Fitz treat her like he does for one thing and then leave him, come back again when he calls and on and on...he does act like a child at times, throwing temper tantrums and the like and in that respect he and Mellie do make a fine pair.  Olivia is just using Jake and seems she'll bed the first man that comes along, cos clearly that night with Jake meant nothing to her and she can so easily blow him off for, that's right, Fitz again!

Fitz thinks he's earned Olivia by throwing away his marriage and they get together once  more but Olivia just doesn't seem to move forward and is always running two steps behind and straight into his arms.  What kind of a sacrifice was that, his marriage was already over anyway, how did that spell out "earning" Olivia?  Just seems to be getting his own way again.

Oh, oh does Jake figure out who Charlie is working for really, that his 'boss' is using Charlie to watch everything Jake is doing cos Charlie wouldn't be doing all this off his own bat.  What would Cyrus have done to get Olivia out of the way anyway, seriously I don't believe he would have killed her, but he knows about Defiance and so can't be the mole and wouldn't have got Charlie to steal the laptop for him.  Though one postscript about Cyrus, he was going to have James killed before he entered the courtroom for the Grand Jury debacle, so he shouldn't be underestimated.  Though who knows what Charlie will do with the Jake/Olivia footage, give it to his 'true' master.  So it can be used against Jake.

Two things: one Mellie kind of put Olivia and Fitz into each others arms by wanting him to "get over her and fall asleep again" when she invited her to that political do and secondly she mentions that whole speech about marriage and how happy it can seem in episode 18 and here it kind of comes back to bite her.  Fitz wants no pat of her and that in some way is her own fault too.

David is in the dark about Olivia and Fitz but when did Abby (Darby Stanchfield) and Quinn find out since Harrison and Huck wouldn't have told them.  Also Olivia already suspected Cyrus killed Amanda Tanner or at least had her killed and yet she doesn't believe she needs protecting from him cos he's "my friend."  A very dangerous friend to have; or to use Cyrus's own word with Mellie, "frenemy."  Why did Olivia lie to Jake about her and Fitz of course he knows there's something there, he saw them at the hospital and really he would not ask him to protect anyone in the way he wants Olivia protected by him.  Wonder when the fireworks will really explode as when Fitz finds out about Olivia and Jake.  What the fireworks already have...

The Vampire Diaries 5.3 "Original Sin" Review

                                                
Elena (Nina Dobrev) wakes as she has a dream about Stefan (Paul Wesley) which she tells to Damon (Ian Somerhalder) who's not too thrilled that's he's dreaming about him, his brother, when they're supposed to be together.  She sees exactly where Stefan is and Katherine walks in saying the same thing.  Stefan was at the bar on Route 29 but he's not there now since he bit a barmaid and told her to run.  Then realized he didn't have his daylight ring.  He's kidnapped by some woman in a truck who the barmaid tells Damon belongs to some man who has a cabin down the road.  Said man being the one found in the safe last ep.

Stefan's been kidnapped by Qetsiyah (Janina Gavankar) who wants to use his mind to control Silas and make him lose his ability to mind control.  Before that she tells him about how Silas was her first love and they were going to be bound together in immortality but on their wedding night she found he had already drunk the elixir and was with someone else, her maid, Amara who, surprise surprise or rather nothing surprises in this show anymore, turns out to be another Elena/Katherine doppelganger.  This taking place in ancient Greece over two thousand years ago.  What's more the law of nature overtook things and created shadow selfs to replenish the balance of the two since they were now immortal.   Hence Stefan and Elena are bound to be together and always find each other throughout history.

Qetsiyah made the cure hoping he'd drink it in his tomb but he did no such thing and so he wasn't bound to her.  She tells Stefan she's making a ring for him when infact she's using him for the above purposes.  Nadia (Olga Fonda) in league with Silas tells him she killed her fellow traveller which proves her loyalty to him.  Qetsiyah and Silas were travellers and that's what he calls Nadia.  Nadia has however placed him inside Matt's (Zach Roerig) body and will help him find his body after they have destroyed Silas.  Nadia needs Katherine and uses Matt to call Elena and find out where she is.  Which is why she turns up at the same bar.

Katherine escapes and Elena finds her telling her she didn't kill her after the cure cos she didn't want to lose her own humanity.  Silas turns up when Nadia gets hold of Katherine again and controls Nadia into putting the gun to her heart, but he's too slow cos he can't just say shoot yourself with it and has to say "pull the trigger" in long pauses, but he doesn't get to say trigger cos Qetsiyah who wants to be called Tessa cos it's so modern, channels Silas's mind control into Stefan, with Damon watching all the while.  Qestsiyah also tells him how Elena and Stefan are destined to be together cos that's how the universe ordained it but he's not having any part of it.  He tries to kill Qesiyah but she casts a spell and stops him.  Just as he's waking, Damon sees Elena go to Stefan and look out for him.

Silas tells Katherine he wants her cos she has the cure running through her, it's in her blood.  Oh no, first it was Elena and her ability to help Klaus sire hybrids and now she's got the cure!  Damon says he won't let the universe dictate who he loves and Elena declares her love for him, adding that if Damon was anyone else he'd have pawned Stefan's ring for a pinball machine.  Stefan wakes but doesn't recall who either of them are.  Matt also wakes and doesn't recall his conversation with Elena earlier on and notices he's tracked mud into the house and it's on his shoes too.

Agh doppelgangers yes I've said that before but I'll repeat it again, cos well, they're doubles! Ha.  This whole Silas storyline is getting out of hand really, I mean now we get Qetsiyah appearing cos well she was bound to the number of times she was mentioned last season, but this show is getting quite predictable and repetitive. I can't believe season 5 seems to be going round in circles, culminating in the Stefan/Elena/Damon triangle again, but destiny states Elena and Stefan must always be together.

The Mentalist 6.3 "Wedding In Red" Review

                                                 
Van Pelt (Amanda Righetti) and Rigsby (Owain Yeoman) spend time together and she gets on well with his son, Ben.  Now the department no longer has a taboo on getting friendly with fellow agents and this includes marrying them too.  As this episode revolves around a murder at an intended wedding in Napa.  Not only timely since Rigsby pops the question but also cos it gives Patrick (Simon Baker) a chance to dig deeper into Sheriff McAllister (Xander Berkeley) possibly being Red John.  Lisbon (Robin Tunney) arrives at work to find Patrick already there and getting a case over the wire about a murder at some wedding.  She doesn't think it's their case but he insists they take it.

Patrick doesn't give much feedback on the DB, he's busy feeding the ducks muffins in the pond and McAllister asks what brings them here.  Patrick replies he has a feeling there's more to this case and he asks McAllister for the lowdown on the case.  Patrick thinks the DB was a driver of some sort cos of the treads on his shoes and probably wanted to be a race car driver.  He has the number 156.  McAllister believes he's some delivery driver, possibly pizza since there's a whiff of oregano in the air. Patrick calling that a "leap."

The family and guests are at a wine tasting which Patrick and Lisbon also attend and find that the DB Larry (Gary Kraus) was the bride's uncle.  No one wanted to see him hurt and he was harmless.  Immediately it strikes you that although the family is dysfunctional none of them would kill Larry.  So it had to be an outsider, well that's my take.  Patty indulges in a little wine tasting of his own in his pursuit of RJ.

At the church a hammer is spotted on top of  a ladder and Lisbon asks McAllister to get it down, but he says he's not going up there cos of his tipped boots.  Thus they think he could be RJ as he's agoraphobic.  That was nothing to go on though.  Rigsby takes the hammer and says it's not blood.  Rigsby also asking Cho (Tim Kang) about marrying Van Pelt and Cho asking if he "knocked her up too" cos he was going to marry his "baby mama."  Ha, straight faced Cho coming up with that line was hilarious showing he knows Rigsby so well.

So Lisbon and Cho interrogate the wedding party, they don't like each other and have plenty they resent in each others families but they wouldn't resort to murder.  Such as the groom, Roberto's (Marcus Coloma) sister, Rose (Lexi Lawson) saying Stacey (Erica Piccininni) always puts Roberto down and Stacey saying she doesn't like that she paid for her bridesmaids dress.  Then Stacey's (Christine Dunford) mother kissing Roberto's father (J Rene Pena) in a drunken stupor and spending the night in the honeymoon suite, alone though, cos she paid for it.  Also the Stacey's father (Casey Biggs) is just keen on making more money and has brought an expensive Bible from which he was going to do a reading.  It's insured and cost him over a million.  Patrick gets the notion the murder must have had something to do with the bible and so much for Stacey calling off the wedding, he calls Van Pelt and convinces her to ensure the wedding goes ahead, as she's got "life experience."  Yes very subtle Patty, experience as in she was engaged to O'Laughlin.  Also Charlie (Wesley A Ramsey) is the only one who actually wants the wedding to go ahead saying he's come all the way from Florida, there my suspect from that line!  On cynical me! Ha.

Van Pelt tells Stacey about her own dreams and the fairtytale wedding she's always wanted, as well as keeping her dress cos if she destroyed it then she'd destroy all the hope that went along with it.  Rigsby listens to this and with Van Pelt almost in tears he makes up his mind.  Patrick says he'll officiate the wedding since he has a mail order registry certificate to do this but didn't think he'd use it when Lisbon asks him.  He says he can marry her off in a minute if he wants to, as CBI Ron passes them both! Ha.  SO some may read that as Patty saying he'd marry her himself in a minute!

Patrick and Lisbon ponder why Larry was dumped in the pond when it's not a great place and Stacey's mother mentions they heard a splash around midnight.  The Bella Vista is round the back of the chapel and Patrick asks why the sheriff doesn't come closer and tell them what they're looking at.  Again they think their suspicions are confirmed when he doesn't come closer cos of the steep drop, which they say would be a good place to drop the DB.    McAllister once again creeps up on Patty when he calls him to say he's going to reveal the murderer at the wedding and needs his men around.  McAllister was following Patty all along.

So wedding over, they need a distraction and Rigsby says he'll take care of that, this being his proposal to Van Pelt who accepts of course, did anyone think she wouldn't!  Cue Charlie leaving to steal the bible and is caught by Lisbon and Patrick.  He was caught by Larry doing the same after the rehearsal and he killed him. This time he takes Patrick hostage cos he doesn't get out of the way, not normal behaviour for him cos usually he wouldn't be so close to the suspect/killer.  He's taken to the top of the roof and made to walk along it, until up pops McAllister on the ladder and saves Patrick.  There goes his agoraphobic RJ theory out the window, or roof.  He hates pigeons though.

Rigsby and Van Pelt get married at once and well that was the shortest engagement in history!  Patrick watches from outside the door, but doesn't actually attend.  They ride away on a horse and carriage to their hotel.  Well that was part of her fairytale wedding, though she says she wanted the real thing than a fairytale!

SO does this cross McAllister off the Red John suspect list, or is there more that we don't know about him, aside from the fact why he was with Bertram and Reede Smith last ep.  If he's not RJ, then that leaves five suspects on the list still.  But he shows he still has a phobia none the less even if it's not heights, it's birds and pigeons at that.  Recall the presence of pigeons at Brett Partridge's CS.  Partridge too had the name of a bird, but that's neither here nor there; just an observation.  Again McAllister suspected Patrick of having another agenda with Patrick answering he gives off mixed signals.  But they did get the chance to talk about hunting and blood lust which McAllister admits you must have, as well as a strong stomach for all that skinning flesh.  Have to say aside from Van Pelt and Rigsby tying the knot, I didn't find this episode too interesting, a bit routine. Aside from Patrick's reaction to the wedding was a bonus, but his own still has bittersweet memories for him, no doubt.

Cho smiled and everyone's going on about Patrick touching Lisbons' hair after he helped her put on her jacket and how that spells intimacy between them.  Let's hope the happy couple, Van Pelt and Rigsby do get a happy ending and this doesn't lead to some other unforeseen trouble between them, such as RJ getting in the way to mar the happy proceedings!

The Paradise Series 2 Episode 4 Review

                                                
The Paradise is a buzz as Denise (Joanna Vanderham) starts her first day as Head of Ladieswear and Clara (Sonya Cassidy) tells her she always knew she'd get it, but Denise wants to stay friends with her and Susy (Katie Moore) kisses her to congratulate her.  Myrtle (Lisa Millett) is in bloomin' good spirits as usual and she's found a kipper for Denise cos she can get her out of the kitchen and into front of shop.  Denise prefers to sit with her friends rather than sitting at the other management table, nah, then sheds have to sit with Jonas (David Hayman) as did Miss Audrey.

Jonas stands in front of the moonlight the night before and meets with Fenton (Adrian Scarborough) as he's on an errand for Moray (Emun Elliott).  As he wants him to fund him to buy the Paradise but Fenton wants to be the ultimate owner and maybe go into partnership with him.  But the Westons won't sell and Fenton advises the only way he can get them to do so is if they split up.  So Moray must flirt with Katherine (Elaine Cassidy) in front of Weston (Ben Daniels) and get him jealous.

Sam (Stephen Wight) calls Edmund (Peter Wight) down as the shop has been broken into and he finds an old woman inside who has returned to the scene of her crime, as she messed everything up.  He sends her out telling her to "get back to the gutter" and next day he apologizes to her and invites her in for a feed.  Ruby (Julia Ford) tells him she's looking for her daughter who left hert when she was ill.  Her daughter being Susy but that's far from the truth as we find out she's a drunk as she asks for a drink, feigning medicinal purposes. Susy sees her on the street but wants nothing to do with her, recalling how she left her when she was seven and didn't even look back at her when she called out to her.  Clara sees them on the street together one night and so does Jonas, as he gets around.

Weston has plans of expanding the Paradise and notices not much progress has been made on the barber's shop renovation.  He wants to open a jewellery store but this puts a spanner in Moray's plans since if he takes over the entire street then Moray won't be able to afford to buy the Paradise from them.  Denise tells him to do what he must.  As she comes up with her own ideas of improving sales for the ladies department. She thinks of having a tea party there, that way the women won't be able to resist watching each other buying and out of competition and jealousy they too will want to buy the same clothes.  Moray dismisses this idea at first but then approves after Denise explains herself better.

Katherine tells Flora (Edie Whitehead) of her secret place in the garden when she was growing up and her secret friends who were her invisible friends, but Weston can only think of outdoing Moray.  Flora asks him about his time as a boy which he may tell of one day.  Katherine thinks Flora should spend a day together, doing whatever she wants to do after Weston shouts at Clara for wearing his regimental jacket, a sore pint for him.  She wants to shop at the Paradise and Denise puts Susy in charge of her even after she sees she's not herself.

Susy is annoyed with Flora and shouts at her calling her a spoiled brat, taking her own frustrations and anger out on Flora and Katherine has Denise dismiss her.  Asking now she's head of Ladieswear, what would she do?  Neither Dudley (Matthew McNulty) or anyone else can help her and Denise has no choice.  Susy ends up at the pub along with her mother and she explains how Susy is better off after she gave her up, otherwise she wouldn't have been working at the store.  Her mother can't stop drinking and Susy realizes she hasn't changed and storms out of there, heading back to the Paradise, forgetting she doesn't work there. Dudley tells Denise she's one of them now, management, and she must take it and grow strong.

Moray invites Katherine to coffee and Weston too as he reminisces how she loves cinnamon coffee and she still drinks it, Weston adds.  Moray recalling how they were in Ceylon and she couldn't sleep for drinking too much coffee and he spent many a sleepless night under the moon and the scent of the magnolias.  Ensuring Weston is jealous.  Who decides to take Moray on a tour of the shops, thinking selling food might be a good idea.  However Moray doesn't want to leave Katherine alone with her coffee.  Back home Weston sees Katherine savouring a cup of coffee by herself and walks away.

Weston has another turn at the store and Clara sees him in agony once more.  Jonas sees her holding hands with him and asks her what happened, otherwise she'll have to explain to Moray why she was doing this. Telling him about his pain and how he was like that when the fireworks were let off, as if he couldn't stand them.  Again this gives Jonas more leverage with Weston as he feigns his arm is in pain.  People see him differently cos of his disability he tells Weston and so don't see him as a strong man, which he is.  Again he seems to be playing him, but it's still hard to tell whose side Jonas is really on.  Moray has Jonas arrange another meeting with Fenton and Dudley knows he's keeping secrets from him which he must tell him. Moray agrees to a deal with Fenton.  Though earlier on he feared for his position as Weston could fire him, but Fenton reassured him that Katherine wouldn't let this happen.

Jonas tells Denise she must show loyalty to her staff and what better way than to get Susy her job back, showing she's staunchly loyal and be their champion.  She decides to pay a call on Katherine and explain why Susy acted how she did.  Flora hears Susy say she hasn't seen her mother since she was seven and Katherine doesn't want to forgive her but Flora asks her to, and she can't resist Flora.  

Denise and Moray steal a moment together as he longs to be with her.  Weston tells Flora a story about a soldier in a siege in Delhi, India, as he's really telling us about himself.  Clara tells Susy to make up with her mother since she knows how hard it is to be a mother and do the best for your child.  Speaking from personal experience of course as she gave up her own daughter so she can have a better life.  Susy tells Ruby she'll be here when she sobers up.  As Myrtle is fitted with a new uniform to serve tea to the ladies, she pikes out at the last second saying she's only good for the farm.

Clutching at straws it seems, or the clothes line as it's only episode 4 and it seems as if The Paradise is still going over old ground.  There's only so many times we can see how bitter Katherine is and how she wants to get between Moray and Denise and Jonas having to act as go-between as Moray tries desperately to get his hands back on his store.  You can trust Fenton about as much as you can trust Weston or Katherine since they are far from honest.  Each one having their own agenda.   Weston didn't have much to say about his injury though there's only so much he could tell Flora and there's plenty more that can be revealed about that.

Moray stepping into dangerous territory by making a deal with Fenton and not confiding in Dudley or Denise, not that anyone could talk him out of it. He's that desperate he'll do just about anything.   Surprised no one saw him on that bridge during the day where he met Fenton.

Downton Abbey Series 4 Part 8 Review

                                           
So series 4 ends pretty much as it started for most of the characters, with only a few making some headway in terms of actual storylines or development. Cora (Elizabeth McGovern) is busy preparing for the annual bazaar whilst Robert (Hugh Bonneville) is still away and needs all the help she can get.  Seems like he was the only one who could keep peace amongst the villagers. Rosamund (Samantha Bond) makes it a point to call Edith (Laura Carmichael) and tell her she's on her way down on the pretext of checking up on the Dowager (Maggie Smith) after her illness last episode, as she's come up with a plan as to how Edith can get away with having the baby, having told the Dowager that Edith "must be cherished."  Being quite cryptic with that of course the Dowager would be curious.  Later she tells Edith she has Damocles hanging over her, referring to the sword of Damocles.

Edith has her own plans and intends to ensnare Tim Drewe (Andrew Scarborough) into the picture when she's out visiting the pigs with Mary (Michelle Dockery) and Branson (Allen Leech).  She thinks he's a likely prospect for the father.  In which case she can get him to agree to be the father and she can see her child grow up, which is what she wants to do.  Though Michael is mentioned there's no hope of him turning up.  I was actually pinning my hopes on the Christmas special so we can see how Edith takes the news.  Or maybe even next season if not.  Remember how Edith kissed a local farmer early on in the show when she was driving the tractor down on the farm during the war and this was witnessed by his wife.

Rose (Lily James) has plans to meet with Jack Ross (Gary Carr) and Branson whilst in town with Isobel (Penelope Wilton) spies them both at the teashop with Rose touching his cheek.  He makes a quick exit and runs to Mary to tell her, having told Isobel he must do something that will not make people very happy. Rose tells Mary she's engaged and they plan on marrying and that will show her mother, rather embarrass her. Mary must act on this and pays a visit to Jack who agrees with Mary.  Robert wouldn't react to his colour, Mary tells him in all fairness, but to his being a band singer.  Jack loves her but he has no intention of marrying her as he doesn't want to ruin her life with everything she'll have to put up with.  Mary believes Rose only wants to marry him to spite her mother, which he knows, since his mother said the same.  He likens Mary to his mother.  Mary would have liked to think they could have made a go of it if times were different as does he.  So it seems that dalliance is over.  He writes to Rose to let her down gently so they didn't have him let her down gently in person which was annoying and taking the easy way out.

Branson meets Sarah Bunting (Daisy Lewis) who turns out to be a teacher at the local school and really doesn't like the aristocracy.  She mentions him being at the meeting which Isobel persuaded him to go to and isn't much of a Liberal.  Well he's not much of a Socialist now either, more a pig farmer, ha.  Later he sees her with her broken down car and fixes it for her, telling her his life story practically and how he was a chauffeur at the estate when he first arrived there.  She knows about Sybil and calls her "unusual and independent."  He introduces her to Cora at the bazaar and she seems a bit standoffish towards her, like not acknowledging who Cora is, until he tells her and then only saying hello.  She didn't seem like she was pleased to meet her and where were your manners girl, as Cora tells her she's interested in the school, Sarah couldn't care less.

Rosamund announces she and Edith are going to Switzerland to improve their French but the Dowager smells a rat since Rosamund hates French and can only communicate to foreigners by "shouting at them." Edith doesn't want to tell her cos she'll hate her but does so, since the Dowager is willing to pay for her going and thinks Switzerland is a good place to raise a child.  All worried about what if the child looked like Edith then they'll all know.  Still another social commentary from Downton as not only were the wealthy in a superior position in all matters but when it came to holding their heads up in public they did have to hide a lot behind the scenes and grin and bear it or as the Dowager tells Edith, life is hard and must be endured as they face problems everyday and then they die.

Anthony Gillingham (Tom Cullen) turns up again on his way to London again with Green (Nigel Harman) in tow and Mary couldn't stop him from coming, since Anna (Joanne Froggatt) was too late in telling her it was Green who attacked her.  Green tries to be his funny self when here and tells them London is great and all that which impresses Jimmy (Ed Speleers) cos Green lives near tot he West End and Bates (Brendan Coyle) asks him where he lives.  Also Mrs Hughes (Phyllis Logan) can't keep her disgust from him and Anna tries to act normal.  Bates having asked her if she still likes him cos she used to before.  She says she doesn't remember liking him and again gives the game away.  Of course it's obvious Bates knows it was Green, with Anna still going on about Bates being hanged if he found out or given a life sentence.

Mary must go to London to see Jack and Anna too and when there she has no choice she says but to tell Gillingham to dismiss Green but she can't tell him why, even though Gillingham doesn't like him.  Bates gets his chance to ask for a day off and under the pretence of heading to Ripon.  Carson (Jim Carter) lets him go since he doesn't know why he wasn't in New York but he can't stop him from going.

Lord Merton (Douglas Reith) pays a visit to the Dowager who needs Isobel here as she can't stand him and he takes a shine to Isobel which must be relief to the Dowager.  Later he makes a faux pas when he doesn't remember Matthew is dead as he didn't recall who Isobel actually was.  But he sends her flowers and also some to the Dowager, but Isobel's bunch is much bigger than hers, as the Dowager keeps observing.  She read the note and he's apologized for his lack of tact.  So Isobel has an admirer there.

Alfred (Matt Milne) comes to visit for the last time as his father has passed and he's sent a letter to Ivy (Cara Theobold) asking him to marry her and move to London.  She likes him but doesn't want to get tied down already as she tells Mrs Patmore (Lesley Nichol) as they try to hide this from Daisy (Sophie McShera). Who tells her she and Ivy "can't have a falling out if they never had a falling in."  Daisy gets the day off and has a picnic with Mr Mason who advises her she has to make peace with Alfred and be friends with him. They decide to be "friends forever."  They can give each other 'Forever Friends' friendship bracelets and teddy bears!  He says he didn't notice her before and Daisy tells him "love is blind" but she's over him now.  She brings him a basket of jams and food which she says Mr Mason prepared for him and Mrs Patmore is proud of Daisy as if she were her own daughter.

Baxter (Raquel Cassidy) and Molesley (Kevin Doyle) bond as he compliments her on using the sewing machine.  He also tells her no one likes Thomas (Rob James-Collier) but they'd like to make up their own minds about her.  Everyone makes ready for the bazaar and Jimmy sneaking drinks from the punch bowl is sent to the tea tent until Robert arrives.  Having sorted out the trouble Harold was in.  Cue Harold's arrival in the Christmas special.  Thomas asks for news from Baxter who replies nothing happened and Molesley comes to her rescue by telling him not to bully her.  That is after he shows up Jimmy.

Mary has all three of her suitors at Downton once more and competition is hotting up especially between Gillingham and Charles (Julien Ovenden) though Napier (Brendan Patricks) doesn't stand a chance.  Charles has changed his opinion of her not thinking she's stuck up anymore and Gillingham has abandoned his engagement to Mabel Lane Fox.  Cora and the others decide that they should give them "a desire of suitors" as the collective name.  Mary insists she won't change her mind about marrying anytime soon but neither one of them are giving up.

News arrives from Gillingham that Green is dead.   He was thrown in front of a car at Piccadilly, at least he was run over.  No one knows if he was pushed.  Though Anna doesn't seem to put two and two together and come up Bates since he wasn't at Downton, hmm what's his alibi then?  She is relieved it's over though.  As Mary asks Charles if someone did something wrong and then ended up dead what would he do and he thinks he'd keep quiet about it.  Oh hey just a thought what was Anna up to in London?  I mean she could have easily sneaked away, gotten lost in the crowd and that would have ended her worries over Bates and his action and reaction.  Especially since Bates was being so cagey about what he did, wouldn't he share this with his wife and it just struck me now that Anna kind of seemed too relieved about it and asking what happened too.  usually the questions of a guilty party.  Of course I could be watching too many murder mysteries and solving them too! Ha.  What was Anna doing when Mary went to see Jack alone? Does Anna have it in her?

Bates did seem to be walking round like he's on cloud nine through smiling quite a bit and Robert could have done with him as his valet.  Though there were a crowd of people and no one could tell what happened on the street.  All the better to be inconspicuous in.  Bates telling Anna he always does what he sets out to do or something lyrical along those lines.
Oh what was this an Agatha Christie novel, let's see Murder is Easy perhaps?  Coincidence since we also had the Dowager playing amateur sleuth as she works out what's going on with Edith.  She should get her own spin off with Isobel, who remembers The Snoop Sisters.  The show where they solved murders. Although the Dowager would be loathed to call Isobel her sister.

Lord Merton is Mary's godfather and in his earlier appearance he was invited down for Mary's wedding.  His son Larry Grey drugged Branson to make him seem drunk and was angry at what he did along with Robert and Matthew.

Seems all is well at Downton for another year, or at least a few months, as we get lots of possibilities as to what's coming next.  What with Mary and her "menage a trois" as Robert asks about, as Rose, Isobel and Edith look on curiously as Mary shows out her two suitors.  Then there's Branson and his teacher but how will they fare since their politics are so different and even their two worlds it seems.  Not like she'd jump at he chance of living at Downton, ha, with her snobby attitude.

Law and Order: Criminal Intent: Thoughts on the Final Episode

                                              
So we finally got the final episode of wait final EVER episode of Law and Order Criminal Intent last night on Channel five, no I didn't watch it on the Universal Channel, but it wasn't quite what I expected.  It was great watching Goren (Vincent D'Onofrio) and Eames (Kathryn Erbe) back on the screen even if it was for only 8 eps but there were little nuances or annoyances as to why we didn't get a proper ep introducing them back to Major Crimes. Guess they didn't really have enough time to focus on that having only 8 eps.  Though the new Captain Hannah (Jay O'Saunders) did have a go at Goren in one ep telling him he put his head on the line in covering his back and bringing him back.  Which explains the psychologist, Dr Paula Geisen (Julia Ormond) Goren was sent to see.  Another insight into his private and public life and how it affects his work.

Well he turned that around on her when she mentioned feelings, has he ever been in love? making him think he'd hit on her which is what he told her she expected.  But what I liked was where she told him about Eames and how he feels about her.  He doesn't really reply in cagey Goren fashion, but he respects her. I have often thought they made a good couple.  Especially if the final few minutes of the ep was anything to go by.

Goren comes out of the office in To The Boy In the Blue Knit Cap and sees Eames waiting for him there, kind of like a supporting wife more than partner.  Then he called her Alex, he doesn't usually use her first name, although she calls him by his, Bobby.  But those long dramatic pauses where just for a second thought he might say what he really wants to say to Eames but couldn't quite get it out.  That big smile on his face! Even when he kept looking at her.  Gosh it was on the tip of his tongue.  Moment over she tells him they've got a case and have to get there before the FBI and I thought why can't we go on watching.  Even Eames thought he had something he wanted to spill, she was smiling plenty, but this is Goren so words relating to feelings don't come easily to him and so they drove off into the sunset, still solving cases out there in New York city.  Oh boy, up until the final seconds when he stared at her in the car still, come on man, spit it out..agh it was left to us, the viewers to make up our own minds as to whether they get together or not.  This was one relationship I'd like to have seen blossom, romantically.  Come on they were friends first, what better basis to begin a more intimate relationship on.

Criminal Intent was my favourite of the three Law and Order shows, as its name suggests it was the only one which delved into the minds of the criminals.  I loved the original theme tune to the show, it was so in keeping with the theme of the show, and very mellow-ish, classical sounding even.

As for the question of getting together, in my mind, they did!  It was expected.

The Vampire Diaries 5.2 "True Lies" Review

                                         
Elena (Nina Dobrev) and Caroline (Candace Accola) crash the microbiology class in the hopes of finding out who that mysterious professor Dr Wes Maxfield (Rick Cosnett) is as he faked Megan's death certificate with 'suicide' and Elena finds out he knew her father and is part of some secret society on campus.  Though they get thrown out for being freshmen.  yeah acting chatty in his class would give that away and not trying to hide behind other students would too.  Caroline is still acting all vain and she has the hots for Jesse (Kandrick Sampson) well she did say she's "deferring from having sex with Tyler" since he's deferring her calls.  Matt (Zach Roerig) and Jeremy (Steven R McQueen) need to protect Katherine which doesn't go so well.

Silas meets up with Elena hoping to find out where Jeremy is heading and she doesn't realize he's Silas since he mind controls her too.  But she finds out about Damon (Ian Somerhalder) and him keeping Jeremy being expelled from school which makes her angry.  So Silas takes her phone and he gets a text saying Katherine's been spotted on route 6, which leads to a campsite where Jeremy et al are headed, as Elena tells him.  That was all a little too easy and then well once again Matt gets killed by Silas who finds he's not able to control him cos the travellers/gypsies from last ep were inside his head and watching Silas.  Which was what we saw last ep.

Matt finds out Bonnie (Kat Graham) is dead and she's not coping.  Matt has to find his body before he can wake and he needs to tell the others about her but when he wakes up he won't recall her.  Jeremy and Silas fight and Katherine manages to shoot him even after saying she couldn't handle a gun.  Matt tells Bonnie if she can't cope with her own death then she can't cope with her father's death either and Jeremy will always be here for her.  He'll tell the others she's with family.  But Elena knows about Bonnie, well that she's missing.

Using her mind control she ties up Damon and feeds him vervain and then tries to kill him.  Caroline having told Damon how Elena's had a pit in her stomach about Stefan all Summer and then feeling guilty about Stefan suffering whilst she's been "rolling around" with Damon, and so she should, ha!  Stefan has flashes about Elena everytime he drowns but then wakes up again.  The sheriff (Marguerite MacIntyre) drags the quarry at Damon's request and finds the safe but Stefan's not in it, it's the DB of a bloodied man.  Seems like Ripper's back and hopefully will leave more carnage in his wake and have a better time of dealing with Silas than 'ordinary' Stefan did.

Silas is cornered by the gypsy with the gypsy dagger but Nadia (Olga Fonda) kills him cos she's got her own agenda.  Oh not more Angel territory here with Angel being terrorized by the gypsies and his soul being cursed etc.  Can't we get some new stories?!  We get Katherine whining over getting a cold an  how she survived five hundred years of being a vampire to come to this.  Caroline was boring just wanting to party and get drunk and have fun the entire year, how different was that from her time at Mystic Falls.  Come on some character development please.  Also how did Jeremy manage to heal himself when Silas drove that pole through himself and into Jeremy's body, was it the effect of Damon's blood from last week, or do hunters have some power we don't know about?

Oh and Katherine mentioning giving birth to a baby, ha, what's the betting she'll be on the scene too real soon, unless she already is, was thinking Nadia, I mean brunette, she's got dark hair and Silas mentioning his penchant for brunettes too, but maybe I'm wrong.