Once Upon A Time 5.3 "Siege Perilous" Review

                                             
Back in Camelot Regina (Lana Parilla) et al still hide Emma (Jennifer Morrison) being the Saviour and the Dark One which obviously still gets on Emma's nerves.  As Snow (Gennifer Goodwin) comes up with the idea of getting Merlin to talk with them.  Which Regina finds they can do with the help of a magic mushroom.  Which sets David (Josh Dallas) and Arthur (Liam Garrigan) onto a quest.  Taking his sword and also the lasting light, well okay the eternal flame from the Burning Bush to guide them.   Which had to be a Biblical reference cos of the knight's crusades and all that.  Before telling him of the Knights of the Round Table and how Lancelot (Sinqua Wells) betrayed him, but he got his wife back.  The chair is reserved for those he can trust.  David tells him that Lancelot is dead.  Setting off in search of the magic mushroom, which they find across a bridge.  Each one swapping stories of how they're not noble and Arthur isn't royalty but a peasant.

In Storybrooke, Emma steals the dwarf's axe in the hopes of using it on the sword, since their swords can go through anything.  Only it won't work on magic.  Rumple (Robert Carlyle) tells her she needs to find someone who is pure of heart.  As Regina finds the book she marked with a question mark on the mushroom's page.  They need to find it.  Arthur's informed of the missing contents in the chest and they had a magic bean which would take them back to Camelot.  Everything from the chest is gone and they surmize it wasn't Emma who stole the contents as the lock was broken.  Obviously it was Grif (Giacomo Baessato) he was too obvious a suspect and as David and Arthur chase him, they finally find the mushroom back at the camp.  As David arrests Griff.  Arthur later pays him a visit and tells him he played his part well and gets him to drink poison all in the name of Camelot.  See Arthur had the mushroom all the time.

Regina tells Zelena (Rebecca Mader) she can't escape to Oz and take Robin's baby with him as she's still harping about how the baby will love her.  Regina threatening to hurt her but not her baby, which was a pretty pointless scene, six weeks earlier at Camelot.

Hook (Colin O'Donoghue) talks to Robin (Sean Maguire) about Emma as Granny (Beverley Elliott) gives him his order and Emma's note to meet him on his ship.  Belle (Emilie de Ravin) searches for something that Gold touched when he was a man as she found a spell which could wake him up. Hook has dinner with Emma and they talk of how she's not the same and she questions if he still loves her.  He used to, well not in that dress though!  ha; and now he doesn't cos he doesn't trust her and she won't tell him what's behind the door in her house.  He tells her about the Dark One and she's dark now as she recalls how Belle and Gold loved each other.  So they can do the same.  As Hook divulges how he was the villain on this ship as he held Gold to ransom, so he's the only one who's really changed.  He leaves her.  Asking Robin to hep him break in cos he needs a thief, he says he's reformed and Hook replies, he's like him, once a pirate always a pirate.

Belle notices the petal's almost fallen off but then the flower grows to be intact but Gold isn't at the shop.  Obviously Emma has him, along with Hook's sword which was the last object he touched as a man.  He's surprised at seeing her but he's no longer the Dark One.  She tells him he can help her and become a hero cos he's neither light or dark, hence she can can get him to pull the sword out.  What exactly does she need with the sword anyway.

Back in Camelot David is knighted and given the seat belonging to Lancelot, as Snow finds Lancelot lurking, he's still alive and he tells her Arthur's not good.  Thus we see him back in Storybrooke getting Grif to take the bullet, so to speak and poison him, cos there's no magic bean but they need to get back to home.

Hook shouldn't have been so quick to break up with Emma cos up to this point she still wanted him and he could've seen what she was up to, somehow.  Maybe she would've trusted him in time.  The title referring to the seat occupied by Lancelot which was hypocritical seeing as Arthur's up to no good, but he had the gall to say Lancelot betrayed him.  The scene with the truck and jousting when Arthur could've just left Griff escape.  Seems this ep was just to let David have his day and show he's not worthless like he thinks he is for not being able to save Emma, as well as losing the mushroom, which Arthur actually stole from him, cos he took along time coming to his help when he was fighting the knights on the bridge.  Arthur just seemed to have vanished.
Hook and Robin over their prospective love interests with Robin secretly viewing Zelena's sonogram of the baby.

NCIS 13.20 "Charade" Review

                                        
Phony Tony's was a little like the season 2.12 Doppelganger, episode where we got to see the entire NCIS with their so-called doubles in the PD, at least they were meant to be in mannerisms and similar names, not so much in looks.  This one had Tony's (Michael Weatherly) Id being cloned, ripped off and the like and that's what you get by having a loose woman in you apartment.  So she, Leah from 13.17 After Hours was just on a date with him cos of who he was, ie an agent rather than actually wanting him.  As he said he got picked up in a bar, which is how he usually meets women.  Must really be desperate lately ha!

What stood out about this ep was the relationship/bromance between Tony and McGee (Sean Murray).  They really have come a long way and easily watch each other's backs and have each other's backs should I say, after all that teasing and mucking around over the years, especially since McGee was Probie.  Though Ellie (Emily Wickersham) doesn't get the same sort of treatment as a Probie, she's not really treated as one so much as McGee was and Ziva too.

So the highlight or main of this episode is when McGee bails Tony out from the police station and he says he's quite frankly giving it up, or fells like he wants to leave the job.  How he doesn't want to be doing this anymore.  Sounded to me like something that may be written in when Michael leaves.  But probably think the writers/producers will have something completely different in mind.  More memorable of a swansong for Tony, as long as it doesn't involve any deaths or women, will be fine by me.  Think the title was a bit of a clue as well, heck Tony got a title to a film that's been mentioned before.  Okay I know that's not why.  Since we also had Gibbs (Mark Harmon) and McGee posing as Senators, didn't anyone think McGee looked a little young for a senator, nah more interested in the money.  But these phony Tony's nowhere looked like our Very Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo,

Maybe this episode is an extension of Bounce from season 6, one of my faves, but at least that fake Tony had a resemblance to him, even in passing.  As said Tony agreeing with the phonies that he doesn't have a life outside of work and no family of his own to show for it.  Doubt he has that many friends either, outside of work.  But his personal crisis will be a stepping stone to his decision to leave, however he does take that final step.
Tony: "I feel like I don't know who I am and it's strange because she stole my identity...What is this, seriously is this some kind of weird metaphor for my current psychological state."  We know Tony is more than that and has more potential, he's a damn fine agent and if he wasn't he wouldn't be on Gibbs' team for starters and that he was getting his own team but preferred not to take it at that stage. Now he's ready and so he can make other changes in his life too.

Aside from that, best line has to be Abby (Pauley Perrette) at Tony's apartment "Ziva's putting on weight."  Oh and didn't Miss Blondie Cloner touch the photoframe when she told him he likes dogs too, or some such nonsense, but Tony recalled the chardonnay bottle!!  Didn't After Hours seems like a prequel of sorts to this episode in that we get to see what he does in his time off (as if we don't already know) but that most of his time off and dates are mostly deja vu for him (and for us).  That he needs to change now he's getting older, age aside, that he has to find something more in his life and to his life than work.  To be fair, he did want Jeanne (Scottie Thompson) and would've gladly settled down with her, but she's married now
But Tony 'dying' in a car crash, a little too close for comfort, not to mention he's been lucky evading those, like when his car was blown up is season 5.1 Bury Your Dead, when he was undercover.

Was reading some comments from fans, no-fans generally when they mentioned how Gibbs is too old to be in front of the camera now and Mark Harmon should do the decent thing and leave or go behind the cameras.  That was harsh and such an ageist comment, why should he and he still looks good for his age.  Whilst others were bemoaning how Tony has just remained stagnant throughout the 13 seasons and is always portrayed as being nothing but a comic and always getting the funny lines and comments.  Well enjoy it while it lasts cos we won't be getting those again and no character like him either.  Begging to differ, he has evolved in many ways.  He's had his sad moments, heart broken, he's been almost given his own team, but preferred to stick around for his old team, especially when they needed him.  He's made headway with Senior (Robert Wagner) and even become friends with McGee.  There's plenty more he's done too like going undercover, rescuing Ziva and taken plenty for the team too.  SO if sometimes he needs to be be the clown, it's his right to be!

Paranormal Lockdown 1.6 "Kreischer Mansion"

The season finale proved to be every bit as exciting and interesting as the opening episode of this show, living up to its expectations of being an informative new concept and surpassing that.  It delivered results, not just evidence, captured from a 72 hour lockdown, but also how really putting yourself out there and interacting with the spirits can lead to a much more worthwhile investigation. As most things happen, or I should say many things happen when the spirits got to know Nick and Katrina over the time period.  As well as the investigations, Nick and Katrina are such a great team. No competition, no egos, no battles over finding the best evidence, or arguments.

Kreischer Mansion was one place I'd like to see, being into the mansions/homes.  The energy there didn't immediately strike as being dark, aside from that one room on the second floor, the one that kind of kept calling out to them and leading them astray, or off-point from their investigations, as if they should spend all of their time in that one room.  The one where Nick felt like something was trying to possess him and the evil vibes.  As well as the same room where Katrina's name was constantly called out.  And something being thrown there too.  To Katrina being grabbed on her elbow, which she hates, i.e being touched.  It's no wonder no one spent a night in that room, it would've proven to be next to impossible and dangerous.

The best evidence of the night was when Nick actually got "I'm Edward Kreischer" on the EVP.  Reinforcing he was still around, Edward was the one who committed suicide and his house was also the one which burnt down.  Had a feeling of deja vu whilst watching, the feeling I've seen the house before, something eerie anyway.

After the seance I wonder if they returned to that one room for one last time to see if they got anymore negativity or responses.  Even during the seance it was as though once again that room was attempting to distract, to pull them away from what they were trying to do in closing the doorway opened by the seance conducted by Edward's brother Charles and Frieda.  What I wanted to know is whether there was still activity in that room or whether this decreased after their own seance, using medium Colleen and whether the atmosphere in the mansion was still the same or if it changed.  Also was Edward still there and was it Edward on the EVP recorded during the seance, saying he was sorry, was that for taking his own life, or being driven to do it.  I ask since when Nick turned on the Geobox in the morning and Edward came through, Nick asking if he'd like some breakfast, sure there was a 'nooo' there in response.

The voice on the Geobox that says, "kill him," has an accent.  After Nick asks if something bad happened here, the voice replies, "I was hunted..."  If that was Edward and it did sound like him, it suggests there was more to his death just a suicide.  Considering the bad luck he encountered, including having his house burned down too, or was he driven to do it.
Though I have to also say that the Mafia killing could have also involved their intended victim hunted down and murdered too as he was lured there.  I was half expecting something to appear on the thermal camera and also on Nick's phone when he took the stills in that dark area of the doorway behind them, but nothing, aside from the creepy crawlies.  Katrina was right to wear her hat, I'd have done the same!  Ha.

Another compelling episode with some excellent findings as the season ends.  Hopefully there will be another season.  Though it's easy to say 6 episodes weren't enough for those of us watching, I'd also say 6 were enough for Nick and Katrina since they have to actually go through the rigours of the investigation and the lockdown itself, subjecting themselves to 72 hours of physical and mental exhaustion, whilst putting themselves out there completely.  Another 6 eps will do us just fine!

Mysteries Of Laura 2.2 "The Mystery of the Cure to Loneliness" Review

                                                  
Laura (Debra Messing) investigates the death of a woman in her apartment who allegedly committed suicide.  However with the Diamond sixth sense on the trail it appears she didn't, since there's an abundance of evidence stating otherwise, like the junk food, a whole pot of linguine.  No suicide note and why would she kill herself with hemlock when there are far less painful ways, that was my observation.  She's been getting meals delivered to her which leads them onto the suspect list which grows per investigation as we know.  But Santiani (Callie Thorne) isn't too convinced it's a homicide. Now that she's also got that marker board to display suspects and evidence (along the lines of Castle) which Laura doesn't like and I don't blame her.

Apparently she faked her cancer and only feigned to have it so she could meet people, which she did and helped out with various charities and helping sick children too, including helping with all the donations that came through after an Internet journalist did a story on her and her friend April (Krysta Rodriguez).

Well my suspect radar was on the ball as usual since it would have had to have been someone with access to her apartment and who else but Ted, (Richie Moriarty) especially since shifty Ted passed the buck onto another poor unsuspecting, er, suspect to get the heat off him as being the last one who saw her alive.  I mean as a suspect he couldn't even make a convincing getaway, crashing the car with the money inside and yeah you greedy people give that money back!!  Funny Laura picked on that man in the suit rather than anyone else, as if he's loaded cos he's wearing a suit!  Ha.

Silly line they gave Laura when she asked who takes the labels off their pill bottles, if you're going to dispose of them that's what you should do, hello, Laura police officer/detective, heard of ID theft!! Pill bottles here carry not only your name and address, but also your doctor's too, how easy would that be to get your identity stolen and cloned!

However how many of us only watch the show (okay investigations aside) to see the dynamic between Jake (Josh Lucas) and Laura, did I say dynamic, I mean the smouldering chemistry, those lingering forlorn looks, oh boy ditch Tony (Neal Bledsoe) he's just not right for her and I didn't like him last season either!  Yes Jake betrayed her, yes he's sorry, will he do it again, who knows but we both know where his feelings lie and I have to say Laura does have a soft spot for him.  Only a few minutes before I said they forgot what Jake said to her in the hospital last season finale and then forgot moments later, about his love for her and here Laura mentions it to Meredith (Janina Gavankar).  Loving Laura and Jake as partners, but it was a shame he had to take a demotion to hang around at the precinct.
Also obviously he still hasn't recovered 100% from his shooting, still needing pills for the pain which he's also hiding, was that out of his eagerness to get back to work, or not wanting to be a burden on Laura for longer.

Oh and Tony turns up empty handed, I mean what happened to all that food considering the way to a woman's stomach, I mean Laura's heart is through her stomach.  Skimping out on the food now and getting to second base already!  That's not on.  But I liked how Jake turned up at the end, cos an ending's not complete with him!  Laura really wanted him to recall what he said to her and gosh he looked so confused, didn't you will her to put him out of his misery, but it seems the writers are getting her and us to wait it out!!  Ahh that line, 'is there something you want me to say,' paraphrased of course!!  Poor man!  Which has nothing to do with me being a fan of Josh for THE longest time!! But maybe I am biased by an awfully large smidgen!!

And no I don't want to know any spoilers, I've strategically missed any and all tweets from September until now, so I'm not going to start reading either.  Though I still managed to hear about the season finale, which I'm putting out of my mind until I watch it, which is easier said than done, since I never forget a thing!!  When we getting news on a third season seeing as we only got a measly 16 eps this season?!!

Once Upon A Time 5.2 "The Price" Review

                                             
The Dwarfs packed up and wanted to leave Storybrooke for good but didn't know what they'd be in    for so one volunteered, Dopey (Jeffrey Kaiser) to cross the Storybrooke line once more and he was turned into a tree,a and in the middle of the rod, now that was safe; did this have connotations to or with Merlin then?  Seeing as he's somewhere in a tree in Camelot.  Speaking of, Regina (Lana Parilla) pretends to be the Saviour since Emma (Jennifer Morrison) can't, but you can tell she was getting peeved at being ignored and not being able to use her magic, with Regina taking all the credit for it.  Regina having to explain everytime Emma uses her magic she risks destroying them and Arthur (Liam Garrigan) is also looking for the dark one, so it makes sense if she doesn't actually advertize who she really is. Well for someone who didn't want magic and almost give it up last season, she's pretty much changed her tune and not cos she's dark either.  However Emma not using her magic can only be dangerous cos she'll need some way to vent her anger for having her glory taken from her.  Then again she can't be the Saviour and the Dark One too.

Also back at the ball, Henry (Jared Gilmore) meets Violet (Olivia Steele-Falconer)and David )Josh Dallas) calls it his first crush.  Whilst everyone is having a ball(!) Percival (Andrew Jenkins) dances with Regina and reminds her of a little boy in a village she destroyed as the Evil Queen and looked at the boy and smiled, as he tries to kill her, using the necklace he gave her.  However Robin (Sean Maguire) attempts to save the day and gets stabbed.  However Regina's magic can't save him, so they tell Emma to use her magic on him.  With Rumples (Robert Carlyle) appearing and telling her it comes at a price, so if she saves him it'll be one life for another.  Emma willing to be that price, but it doesn't work like that dearie!

Back in Storybrooke, Henry summons Emma and Regina also arrives, Henry saying that her speech wasn't meant for him but he didn't do anything to hurt her in Camelot like the others did.  Regina says she should just tell them what that was.  Hook (Colin O'Donoghue) sets it upon himself to break the curse using true love's kiss and questions Belle (Emilie de Ravin) on why this didn't happen with Rumple and Belle.  Cos as we know he wanted power and to keep his power and was afraid of losing it.  Wouldn't that make Emma the same since she's all dark now.  True love's kiss won't mean the same thing to her, if there still is any true love between them still.  So Hook does try it as Emma invited him into her lair, I mean new house, which really wasn't doing much for her, it wasn't as palatial or as regal as Regina's when she was evil, but she doesn't have any practice at being regal. He notices a locked door which later Rumple opened.  However no amount of snogging made any difference to Emma, who was just interested in having Hook stay around for a 'quick' one, which he refused, he's not into dark ones!!  At least not Emma when she's dark.  Well let's face it, all this time he wanted her when she was good and she just put him off and now she's Dark and in the mood, she expects him to do what she wants.  Maybe that does sound sexist but he wouldn't want Emma like that or to take 'advantage' of her in that way.  Though his way was okay in past seasons, I joke!

Arthur's also in Storybrooke along with his knights and others from Camelot who find themselves in the merry woods, as Robin and the others try to help, Robin's taken away by a dark flying creature and Regina can't save him.  Regina venting on Gold, is shown a book by Belle who says the creature is a Fury.  The only way she can save Robin is if it takes who the fury was originally meant for, that being her.  As they find him by the lake before the moon rises, and the Ferryman approaches to take him to the underworld, cos we'll also be in that territory soon, Snow (Ginnifer Goodwin) joins hands with Regina saying she won't be alone, as does David and Grumpy (Lee Arenberg).  Showing they're no match for the Fury, well that's one plan foiled for now.

Rumple led her through the locked door into the basement where there was Excalibur waiting for her. Foolish girl had no recollection of the past and the warning in the cinema and tries to pull it out of the stone. Failing miserably.

So why couldn't Regina use magic to stop Percival and funny scene with David offering to teach her to dance, how many times would she have had that chance but as she told Snow, her father also danced with her and not his wife.  Henry playing music on his pod or whatever, which actually seemed to work and not freaking Violet out with that loudness.  At least got to see Hook in his red waistcoat again!  Which was probably the highlight of the ep!  Emma got her hair done from the mess it was last ep.

Didn't Guinevere (Joana Metrass) remind you of Marion, seems Arthur scoured the lands to find someone who wasn't much of a queen.  Almost a cue for Zelena to inhabit her body too, ha.  There must be something about Once Upon A Time and trees since Regina used to have her red apple tree in her garden and she also said last season how she feels close to Daniel since they used to meet under it.

Once Upon A Time 5.1 "The Dark Swan" Review

                                               
The episode opens with Emma (Jennifer Morrison) as an even younger and more cuter version of herself sits in a cinema, watching what else but The Sorcerer's Apprentice.  She steals some chocolate from a woman and as she sits down the usher warns her not to do what the boy attempts in the cartoon, to remove Excalibur from the stone.  Then cue some knights from Camelot, viz, Lancelot (Sinqua wells) Arthur (Liam Garrigan) and someone else chancing upon Sir Kay (Lee Majdoub) who attempts to remove the sword and is turned to dust.  It's Arthur's turns next and he manages to retrieve it, though the bottom part is missing.   He can't rule Camelot without the tip of the sword but he will have to fool the people.  Guess that's where the woes of Camelot also began, I mean it's not an entire sword.  Since the tip is none other than the Dark One's dagger, which brings us back to Storybrooke, Emma is swept away by the darkness, as Hook (Colin O'Donoghue) attempts to use the dagger to summon her.  Regina (Lana Parilla) stops him.

Seems she and Hook were on opposing sides here but she really has to stop him from doing things without thinking about them or their consequences, which he doesn't do much of anyway.  True love is one thing but attempting to go in half-cocked is another.  Regina resorting to calling Hook, "Guyliner."  The sorcerer's apprentice gives them a wand which they can use to find Merlin but it needs dark magic to work.

The Blue Fairy (Keegan Connor Tracy) thinks Belle (Emilie de Ravin) can help them and gives her a bell jar with a rose, when all the petals fall off then Rumples (Robert Carlyle) will die.  So she can leave his side.  Regina thinks Zelena (Rebecca Mader) will help or they'll make her help but how pointless was that.  All she said was how she's having the baby and will have someone to love her all of her own.  Sorry but this was Regina's story with Cora in 4.21 Mother when she drank the potion and decided she wouldn't have children, all for the wrong reasons of course.

As Emma is in another realm, that of Camelot, she emerges in rather dishevelled clothing and limp hair, whereupon Rumples emerges, he's the darkness within her and not the Dark One who's still in a coma in Storybrooke.  She asks a peddler the way to Camelot and he asks for silver but she uses her dark magic on him instead and chokes him, what she couldn't rustle up a coin or two?  Rumples tells her she has to find Willo the Wisp and catch it so she can ask it questions, but Merida (Amy Manson) is already after it and catches it.  Of course she says she'll share it with Emma as she's on a quest to rescue her kidnapped brothers.  But changes her mid after she hears Emma talking to Rumples who tells her the wisp only answers to one person.  Lots of running around and getting arrows fired at her which don't work on Emma, but she seemed to relish catching them all, erm, you'd think she'd have learned by now.  With Rumples making a jibe at Merida's accent!  Ha.

Hook asks Henry (Jared Gilmore) to write Emma good but he can't cos he broke the quill.  Then they hatch a silly plan to get Zelena to use he,r powers but she instead lops off her hand with his dagger and gets the magic inhibiting bracelet off her.  Then opens up a portal which will take her back to Oz. However Regina overpowers her putting the bracelet back on and they use Granny's (Beverley Elliott) diner as a way to transport them through the portal to Camelot instead, with the help of Emma's baby blanket.  

Then just as Emma's about to crush Merida's heart cos of the darkness within her, she didn't even try to resist it, the others arrive in time and Hook stops Emma from going dark on them, well at this time. Stopping Snow (Ginnifer Goodwin) from using the dagger cos it has to be Emma's choice not to use dark magic.  Sounds like he was speaking from experience.  Maybe all that time working with Rumples in sesaon 4, through no fault of his own, has taught him a few things about darkness.  He was after all just a pirate rogue himself, once.  Emma giving the dagger to Regina cos at the end of the day she knows if anyone has to use it on her, it'll be Regina cos she won't hesitate and knows what it's like to go dark and also it was like she was appealing to the dark in Regina, or at least the dark that was once there.

As they arrive back at Granny's so does Arthur and he takes them back to Camelot where they will need to help him find Merlin, or rather bring him out of the tree.  You see, Merlin prophisized they would arrive and the Savior would help.  Where they also have time for a banquet, well they skipped the banquet in favour of a ball, including dress-ups which the Charming's were used to.

Before we're transported back 6 weeks later and once again they had their memories wiped.  Enter Emma in her new costume for season 5, which doesn't suit her at all.  It's very 'Regina' in most ways especially with her skirt, but she looked more school marm than Dark!
My comment, hey it's the same day but everyone went away for a three month hiatus and all got their hair done, as if that was the highlight of their time off, ha!

Longmire 4.2 "War Eagle" Review

                                                 
Walt's (Robert Taylor) working overtime as usual and collects soil samples to compare which ones were found in the shell and by the river, so they can be analyzed.  Henry's (Lou Diamond Phillips) botanist friend can do that and he deputizes him so as not to break the chain of evidence, thus allowing Nighthorse to get off on a technicality.  He gets a call from Ruby (Louanne Stephens) about some kids hearing Asian voices by War Eagle.  Henry says he can hold Walt's hand if he's too scared to go down there at night.  As he'll look into it at first light.  Walt says he was 12 at the time.

Next day he takes Vic (Katee Sackhoff) and they find Thorvin Hampton's DB after he was locked in a room and tried to scratch and claw his way out.  There's a radio mast there so he was a CB enthusiast and those were probably the voices they heard.  Walt wants to investigate this rather than Vic being lead since he has to investigate all crimes, not pick and choose and that's not why he was elected.  He has her check out the kids who made the report.  She manages to talk to some of them except one, who she finds outside his home with a baseball bat, causing her flashbacks to when she was abducted and subjected to the same.  She calls Walt for back-up.

Ferg (Adam Bartley) checks out the radios and he was a bit of a dab hand at radios too, his call sign, 'High Plains Drifter' well Clint, he can radio around and find out anything on Thorvin.  The government set up the internment camp for Japanese Americans during World War Two and Thorvin was renovating the place, wanting to turn it into a museum.  Speaking with Rett Jacky (Jeremy Ratchford)  his son, Caleb (Eddie Hassell) says they were there but they didn't see anything and only heard the noises, and didn't steal from the donation box either.  His father doesn't like what Thorvin was doing but they didn't start the war and reminds Vic about Pearl Harbour.

Back at the office Walt takes prints from Branch's computer, hoping to get lucky and find Nighthorse's prints on it.  Vic says his suicide note sounds just like him for a fake, so Walt surmizes whoever wrote it, knew Branch really well.  Ferg and Walt pay a visit to Sunshine Sally (Leslie O'Carroll) who keeps tortoises and tells them how she and Thorvin used to talk all the time.  He was angry they set up the camp and how they even interned babies.  As a tortoise plops into Walt's hat. They learn that Thorvin's father was a guard at the camp and he slept with a Japanese woman, Birdy, who had a son.  This was Francis Igawa (Sab Shimono) and they pay him a visit.  He has dementia and his daughter, Shiori is a nurse.   He looks for something in the house and gets angry when he can't find it.  She knows about his half brother.  Obviously it wouldn't be her father who killed him, even if she does say he's still strong, even if his mind has gone.

Ferg learns from a man over the radio that Sunshine Sally lives in Florida, and finds a photo of a blonde woman in a bikini.  It's not her but she went to talk with Thorvin at the bar and he didn't even notice her since she didn't look like the photo.  She heard where they found his body over the radio, since it's not very secure.  Vic tells Walt she should check Nighthorse's prints over the database but he doesn't want to give himself away.  Vic sarcastically commenting that Nighthorse doesn't have a link to an FBI database.  She does that for him and finds that Jacob Nighthorse is actually Jacob Blankenship.  He was arrested and was part of the American Indian Movement.  His partner was found dead with a gunshot wound to his face just like Branch.

Malachi's man, Darius (Joseph Daniel Avila) follows Henry to the university and he gets a letter to Hector from a young woman who's money is being stolen by Lane Potter (Adam Gifford).  Henry follows her to the store with her daughter and she doesn't have enough money to buy what she wants. Later at the bar, he comes across him and puts a note under the toilet door with 'Thief' written on it, as well as writing 'Hector lives' on the mirror.  Henry's friend tells him that the pollen found in the soil was from balsa wood and it doesn't like water.  As Walt recalls Martha tried growing some. Meaning branch was killed somewhere else.

Rett brings Caleb in cos he stole the money and they also found a lighter with a Japanese inscription on it.  It belongs to Shiori's (Michelle Krusiec) grandfather and he was drafted in the war, whilst her grandmother Birdy was in the camp.  Vic has an App cos she ordered sushi and needed to read the menu, which translates the writing.  Walt calls Shiori and tells her to bring her father to the camp.  He'd rather not see him get locked up.  Where he confronts her when she lies about following signs here, didn't she realize there weren't any signs on the road, oh and she's never heard of GPS either, even if Walt doesn't use it!  She locked him in the room and left him there with a clear conscience.  That's what they did to the Japanese who didn't do anything either.  He lived in the past, but she is an American who doesn't. Her father at then end, ironically saying how beautiful it is there.  Oblivious to what his daughter has done.

Walt does know that life and his investigations must go on and he can't focus full time on Branch no matter how much he w ants to.  Besides we can't be getting a conclusion to what happened to him so quickly.  As for this episode it showed the futility of war, but more importantly how people were treated back then, as possible traitors, as much in the same way as today, not so much traitors but outsiders, refugees seen as terrorists and the like.  Also showing the callousness of Shiori and how she held Thorvin responsible when he had nothing to do with the camp, but was trying to ensure people didn't forget about it.  Some sort of revenge on her part where she coldly didn't blink an eye as she left him there, even if he was related to her.

Henry meanwhile wants to continue where Hector left off as we know and maybe a response or rather reason for it is his heart is no longer in the Red Pony.  Vic still has to deal with her ordeal but won't talk to Walt about it, as he wants her to get help.  However she doesn't feel she needs any, though the flashback she has when she sees the bat shows otherwise and Walt noticed this too when he told her to leave the bat.

The Vampire Diaries 7.17 "I Went To the Woods" Review

                                                 
Valerie (Elizabeth Blackmore) finds the burnt out car where Nora and Mary Louise died and says they destroyed the phoenix stone with them even before they knew that Stefan (Paul Wesley) had already been taken by it.  Damon (Ian Somerhalder) says they need to find Rayna (Leslie-Anne Duff) before and that Thelma and Mary Louise were selfish and didn't think of anyone but themselves. Valerie leaves Damon there and when he returns to the airport Stefan's body is gone, he thinks she took him.  Stefan wakes up in the middle of the road and sees a burning bus, from which he rescues cheerleaders.  He later gets checked out and finds he can recall he's Stefan but he's in his own hell. The policeman finds a wallet belonging to a Marty (Ryan Dorsey) the bus driver, he crashed the bus whilst under the influence.   He makes Stefan walk the line.  As Damon drives up he sees Stefan walking on the road and takes him into the car.

Matt (Zach Roerig) calls Alaric (Matt Davis) to tell him he's sending some people his way, Rayna and Valerie and that he kidnapped Caroline as she was bait but he freed her.  Caroline's in hiding with the twins and Alaric packs to leave.  Valerie arrives with Rayna as she told Matt on the phone when she asked for help and he refused, how she had trapped vampire souls and now they're free since the stone was destroyed.  So when Matt needs to help them he can't.  Telling Alaric he's three states away, so he also didn't really get his revenge since Stefan is free, but not only that so are the worst vampires around.  You'd think Matt would want to help instead of sitting in a bar, very poor story for him, since he hates vampires and would so anything to save humans from them, including finding them.

Rayna says she can feel them and it's painful, so Valerie tries to make her concentrate on seeing Stefan, who by this time has escaped from the policeman and is in the woods.  Coming to an abandoned cabin.  Stefan's human now and has withdrawals, as well as human tendencies, such as pain, hunger and as he later tells Damon, the worst thing about being human is how he can't compel people.  Valerie sees everything, as Alaric recalls the news report about Marty having a tattoo since he's a merchant sailor.   Valerie uses a locator spell and Damon knows it's not Stefan, but gave him his journal to read.  er, who brought Stefan's journal.  Unlikely Damon would have it considering he spent three years in a coffin.

They manage to locate Stefan to Arkansas as Damn needs to keep his body with him and head there. However the fake Stefan knows Damon's realized who he is and leaves the car, wanting to head to Memphis, not before having a conversation of how Stefan hates him.  Rayna hears he's heading to Memphis and says he's a dangerous vampire.  It snows as Stefan gets stuck on the road and stops a passerby who just happens to hear the news on the radio about Marty and Stefan asks for her phone. Damon arrives pretending to be Matt and compels the policeman to let him conduct the investigation, as the woman arrives and gives up the location of where she saw Stefan.  She also lost her phone and Stefan didn't even know the phone was there until Damon rings it.

Giving the two time to have a heart to heart of sorts on how Damon bailed on him, not just the spell, but three years ago, he walked out on him and gave up, deciding it was best to live in a coffin, than face life and be around.  He hates him for that and resents him and Damon uses this anger to make him walk towards him so he doesn't freeze.  Stefan says he had 160 years before Elena to lived without her, but he didn't want to and didn't care about anyone not even his brother, until Elena came along.  Stefan recalls hide and seek and how he used to hide in their father's study and how Damon didn't find him.  He was afraid, not of going in there but afraid for Stefan.  Stefan bets he won't find him again, that's why he mentioned the game.  Sorry Stefan but he did find you.  Cos he couldn't really lose his brother and deep down he knows that.  Even if he hates him and doesn't forgive him, they have 48 hours to find his body before he dies as a human.

Alaric and Valerie are stuck in a diner as Rayna already escaped and she talks about Caroline and how Stefan coming back will be a spanner in the works of their wedding.  He says Stefan left her to go round the world with Valerie, but she knew he wouldn't be hers.  Alaric fell in love with Caroline and she knew it was the best  thing for the children, he's not bothered about Stefan returning.  The locator spell finds him in Memphis.  Alaric recalls what Rayna said about him being dangerous and also how a serial vampire killer lived there during he 1800's;  he used to frequent frat houses and make the people murder each other, as Stefan arrives with some beer and locks them inside.

So the phoenix stone is destroyed and the souls inhabit any humans they can find, as we saw with Oscar.  A bit of a Supernatural theme going on here, not only with the souls being released to wreck havoc but also the storyline between Stefan and Damon.  Though here Damon is made out to be a bit of a worthless sot, than heroic, since he's never around when needed and has to think twice before doing the right thing.  But at the end of it all, they're still related and are brothers.  And I would agree with Stefan, Damon doesn't need Elena around to bring out that good side in him.  He won't have her around for another 57 years, so he has to stop being selfish.

Paranormal Lockdown 1.5 "Hinsdale House"

Hinsdale House was exactly the sort of location that gives me the shivers, it was unnerving and even before the investigation started and the clock ticked on the lockdown, knew it would be an eventful 72 hours.  I have to hand it to Nick for his dedication and willingness to see this through, even when he said he had a 'dream' before he got here.  The girl warning him.  As Tony Spera rightly said, demonic presences as we know, present themselves in any form and most usually girls.  Even the EVPs were warning to 'Get Out.'

Here's a first typing this, my mind's drawn a blank and I have no idea what to write next!!!  I never get writer's block!! Ever!  Maybe it's got something to do with the fact that I'm writing it between 'Devil's hour' of 3am, but I don't think so as it's not the first time I've done that.

That was a woman's voice on Katrina's recorder and sounds like she says "yes" when Katrina asks "was that you that who just said something?" "Where's Nick" was very audible too.  As for the "There's no heaven" EVP, was that more of a response to Nick asking he needs to know what happens after you die.

I said that about Nick's eyes they didn't look like his at all and Katina wasn't there until later, when she also said that too when she returns to the house.

Sorry don't wanna creep anyone out!

Also when he went down the stairs for the first time, it looked as though his camera was out of focus, or he wasn't focusing it properly.  And Nick's scream, reinforcing this place was worse than bad and so very evil, cos never have I heard Nick scream like that, or at all.  Like he was genuinely distressed. Didn't think of it as a way to bring Katrina back to the house, which is exactly what she did and should have done.  Is there some sort of a voice at 37.54, can't hear it clearly cos of the music, but it's not the music of the show, but sounds like a mumbling, "mphh" sound.

What also struck me was how Rob arrived to wake Nick up this time round and he looked drained, so he wouldn't have got much sleep, but he wasn't able to get up either.

Most of you will have seen Hinsdale House featured in A Haunting episode Dark Forest, but a 'live' lockdown in real time was just as creepy but even more so since we could actually see the events taking place before our eyes.  This by far has go to be one of the most ambitious and dangerous lockdown undertaken by both Nick and Katrina.  I wonder if Katrina spent more time in the woods, not only to lure out whatever was there and direct it towards Nick, but also to give him  a bit of room to carry out the investigation alone, thus yielding more results, which it certainly did!

What I also liked about this episode was that we were actually told on film/camera what happened to Nick after the investigation and also at his home.  It's all good and well mentioning it like other shows do, but only when we get to see it, without being too intrusive, do we really get to see how horrific and prolific those lasting effects can be.  I don't know about anyone else, but to me, it's like experiencing it firsthand and personally, that's how I felt it.  Hope Nick's fully recovered from it and especially after his cleansing.

The last episode of season 1 is Kreischer Mansion, it's being billed as a "season finale" and not series finale, hoping the show will be renewed, as I keep saying a lot I know!!

Longmire 4.1 "Down By The River" Review

Longmire returned to Netflix in Season 4 (and 5 USA in the UK) without losing any of its charm or hard-hitting stories with the emotional impact of loss and yet still retained the essence of essentially still being a mystery show.  This episode packed a punch to draw back viewers, as if they wouldn't, as Vic (Katee Sackhoff) comes a-calling on Walt (Robert Taylor) only to find Henry (Lou Diamond Phillips) there who notices Walt's taken his wife's ashes and he vowed only to do that when he deals with his wife's killer. This time he's gunning for Nighthorse (A Martinez) as he returns on his plane.  Only Henry gets there before the plane has time to land and they find themselves engaging in a tussle.  Cos Henry wants him to bring Nighthorse down the right way and by the book.  (Though it could be argued Walt has his own book.)  He backs down when Henry reminds him how he promised Henry wouldn't wind up back in prison.  Thus the conversation with Nighthorse ends with asking if he's got anything to           declare.

As for Vic well she's still carrying round those feelings for Walt, as she did arrive with his favourite six pack of Rainier and her top undone, so she was expecting some sort of action.  Though it wasn't action of the dramatic variety we were treated to.  Don't know about you, but I'm one of those who doesn't want to see that relationship come about or really go anywhere.  There I said it again.  Henry also realizing the he signed over the deed of the Red Pony to Malachi (Graham Greene) and no longer owns it, another thorn in his side, as if the fallout over Hector wasn't enough for him to deal with.  He takes it upon himself to return the money to anyone who pitched in to save him.

With all this going on, the main highlight was Cady (Cassidy Freeman) looking for Branch and finding his 'suicide' note on his laptop.  Though didn't think Branch was one for leaving notes on a computer, seeing as technology in the office is few and far between.  That aside, Walt finds him at the river, hence the title, with shotgun wound to his face.  Again a shotgun isn't really the best way to go, but again didn't think Branch was the type to use a shotgun; let alone commit suicide.  As we knew him to be made of sterner stuff.  Walt wants to treat the scene as he wold any other and conduct a proper investigation as is befitting Branch and would do the same for anyone else.  Asking Vic for a pair of gloves, which he never wears.

Ferg (Adam Bartley) is left with the task of breaking the sad news to Cady, as she already suspects it will be bad news.  As Walt sits in on the autopsy, having to leave cos he spoke.  Pointing out Branch's scar so we know it's really his DB.  Though the coroner could've done a better job than he did, even if he did call it a special favour for Walt later on.  Who doesn't want anything released until he finds the family, which he does when Branch's father, Barlow (Gerald McRaney) leaves a message on his phone.  Obviously he doesn't take the news well of losing his only son.

Walt has a feeling it's not suicide and there's more to this as he counts the pellets in the shell, coming up with six short of the 202 that should be there.  Could be washed away, or could be there's more going on, like a staged suicide.  Vic gets drunk blames herself for Branch and Walt silts the river looking for pellets, telling Ferg to canvas the area for anyone who should have heard the gunshot. Also deciding that Nighthorse may have been behind his death, since Branch was working on that case.

Vic tells him it's over if it's been ruled a suicide and he should let it go, then clumsily knocks over the evidence box, where Walt sees the shell has dirt in it, which couldn't have gotten there unless someone tampered with the scene afterwards.  Cos Branch couldn't have put the shell back into the gun after he shot himself.  However the coroner refuses to change the ruling, which only a court can do.

Of course Nighthorse comes a-calling emblazoned with the rest of the tribes as one, to remind him of how they were betrayed by the Whiteman, as Walt tells him he was behind Martha's death. Nighthorse adding he doesn't kill women and children and that he's after their money in the form of the casinos.

Opening up this mystery which nicely sets up the episodes for the entire season, as all the usual traits which made this show such a hit are still there, primarily the emotions and still the heartbreak of his wife's murder hanging around, which doesn't appear will be laid to rest for awhile yet.  But here most noticeable is Walt's determination that he won't let this one go cos he missed the glaring signs, including that of Barlow and his intentions.

The Vampire Diaries 7.16 "Days of Future Past" Review

                                                   
A bit of an episode that jumps about from Three Years Later, to Today, To the Present day to Two Years Later in the Philippines and not many tying up of loose ends.
Three Years Ago which now = Present Day, Damon (Ian Somerhalder) tells Stefan (Paul Wesley) he wants to take the scar and it wasn't Rayna's (Leslie-Ann Huff) idea but his.  In this way he can be marked and Stefan can live his life.  We also learn that Rayna now has a 'mystical connection' to all those she's marked and so feels everything they do and on top of that knows everywhere they've been and what they've been doing.  Funny she couldn't quite catch up to Stefan in the Philippines though. Where apparently a bartender tells Valerie (Elizabeth Blackmore) he can help them to finding a solution to Stefan's scar and as Stefan replies that's what all the bartenders say.

Stefan is released by Damon when he says he can use his phone to call and he gives him a headstart on Rayna by strangling her and she reaches for the gun and shoots him.  Ah Damon, you never think of what's next to you!  Ha.  When she comes too, she chases Stefan and Damon still wants to go ahead with the transfer.  As the action's moved to Dallas.  Damon thought of the transfer spell cos of Alaric's babies and if they could be transferred to Caroline, then why not the scar.  He tells Valerie when she tries to help him, after Stefan sends her to him, cos he's been infected with werewolf poison.  However he knocks her out and doublecrosses her and Stefan in the process, to an extent.  In the car on his way to find Stefan at the airport, since he says he will get the Armoury to help him, he tells Valerie if he could work out the transfer spell, then why not her.  I.e. she already knew of the spell, but didn't want to use it cos she wanted Stefan to herself otherwise he'd have gone running back to Caroline.  Damon also tells her Elena made him a better person and he's good cos of her.  He needs her back.

Whilst on the phone to Stefan, he asks if he's going to go ahead with the spell and Damon tells him he has a plan, cos there's really no way to tell little bro that he doesn't want to go through with it.  By the time Elena wakes up he'll be dead cos of the scar and cos eventually Rayna will die too.  Taking all those she's marked with her, if they're not already dead by then.

Alex (Mouzam Makkar) sends Nora (Scarlett Byrne) to find Enzo (Michael Malarkey) as he wants him back at the Armoury and also that he released Rayna.  She's got Mary Louise (Teressa Liane) and she can have her if she complies.  However she's been injected with pills made from Rayna's blood and Alex will let her have everything about her blood if she brings him back.  Rayna's blood is poison to witches.  So Alex has all these resources at her disposal but she can't find Enzo for herself.  He's that good at evading her.

Rayna catches up with Stefan after he threw the sword onto a moving truck, so she managed to retrieve it and also find him too.  She's hurting cos she doesn't really want to do this to him, but must. Cos she got to know him.  Flashback to Stefan and the scar and to getting Damon out of the coffin cos the scar opened up again and then having Rayna chase them.  She tells him he could've had Caroline, Valerie but he goes after Damon.  It's in his blood isn't it, they're both brothers that's why and it's that fatalistic kind of love shared by Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) too in Supernatural.  They will do anything for one another, except here Damon does a lot of letting Stefan down.  Damon agrees to finally take the scar and Valerie begins the spell, but it's too late, Rayna stabbed him with the sword.  As Damon arrives  he finds Stefan and vows to get him back again.

Enzo finds Matt (Zach  Roerig) and holds him hostage for a bit wanting to know why he let Rayna escape.  He doesn't answer and says he should ask Stefan.  Nora arrives and fights Enzo as Matt makes a getaway.  Also Enzo tries to make her swallow a pill.  They finally call a truce cos Enzo needs Rayna and he calls Alex to meet him at the airport.  When she arrives Alex wants to know why Enzo stole the pills and has been using them, saying they're family and she knows about Bonnie. Nora finds Mary Louise as she learns from Alex there's no cure.  As they drive away Rayna tries to stop them and throws the sword, wounding Nora.  She's marked now and so Mary Louise wants to take the scar for herself but Nora doesn't let her. As they both die together and the car goes up in flames.  Rayna is angry, so what happens with the sword now.   As we realize Matt helped Rayna cos of Penny's death.  Why else.

Ian had plenty to deal with in this episode and a lot of storyline to flash back and forth with and did a great job, considering it could've gotten a bit bogged down with all these timelines back and forth. Showing his professionalism as an actor and director too.  Though Damon's plan once more goes awry.  Like all plans do in this show!  Ha.

Now that Stefan's back in the Phoenix Stone, suppose we'l relive his hell now as we did with Damon. It just strikes me as funny Damon was so willing to let the scar become his, be that martyr and then he changes his mind cos he finds he won't be alive to see Elena.  Was it just cos of that he was going to let Stefan suffer and die earlier than his time.  More comic lines from Damon such as, "are hashtags still a thing, it's been three years."  So is that the end of the Heretics as we know them with Nora and Mary Louise gone up in flames, even though there probably are more luring around somewhere, the lot that came with Lily have all been killed off, aside from Valerie.  As that chapter closes.