Agatha Christie's Ordeal By Innocence Parts 1, 2 & 3

                                                
From the outset you knew this wasn't going to be an ordinary fare served from the BBC as they like to excel in their own way when they redo these dramas and also change them significantly from the books.  As they did with And Then There Were None and Witness for the Prosecution - in some ways - ( the stage production of which is currently at County Hall is exceptional!) This one began in screaming fashion with the maid/cook/housekeeper, Kirsten (Morven Christie) finding the DB of Mrs  Rachel Argyle (Anna Chancellor) and events take a turn from there.  As her adopted son, Jack (Anthony Boyle) the outspoken 'do as I please' son, is suspected of her murder, professing and protesting his innocence to his father, Mr Leo Argyle (Bill Nighy).  The damning evidence being his fingerprints on the murder weapon, the decanter.  Of course back then there were massive miscarriages of justice and very little forensics involved.  Thus he was sent to his death, or would have been if he hadn't been involved in a prison fight.  The implication being that when Dr Arthur Calgary (Luke Treadaway) showed up to clear Jack's name he was still meant to be alive.  Of course things wouldn't be that easy or else this wouldn't have been a drama.

Resorting to flashback to paint the picture of how the entire family were not just misfits and easily falling into the category of suspects, including prodigal son, Michael (Christian Cooke) [hot off the heels from his stint in Knives in Hens on stage.  Looking so completely different here than he did on stage!] who has fought in Korea and returned home for the funeral for Jack.  Everyone wearing veils, jokingly I said they should have given him one too. ha.

Then there's the mysterious Kirsten who sneaks around hiding in the bunker and Hester (Ella Purnell) with the blood on her night gown.  The intended new Mrs Argyle, Gwenda (Alice Eve)  who is preparing for her wedding to Argyle when Arthur turns up, claiming he was in the Arctic and is shocked to find Jack isn't alive but nonetheless wants to instrumentally and guiltily clear his name, stating he picked Jack up on the night of the murder and dropped him off at 9pm.

Seems she wasn't that good a mother considering she wasn't the one who bought them up as seen from Part 2.  Thus Kirsten had plenty to lose and lots to gain when she died.  Also showing some resentment towards her.  Then there's Mary (Eleanor Tomlinson) and her wheelchair bound husband, Phillip (Matthew Goode) who does seem a bit of a cad and the only one how couldn't have done it and thus he had to be taken care of in Part 2, where more skeletons from their sordid closets are revealed.  Such as Michael and  Tina (Crystal Clarke) being in the woods and confronting their mother.  Seems it takes two to tango!  All of them at loggerheads.  With Michael warning off  Arthur and then taking him to the train in Part 2 to leave here.  But Arthur changes his mind and comes back.

Part 2 also showing what Jack was really like and free with the women and one reason why the inspector didn't like him and would've framed him for his mother's murder, friend of the family or no friend.  Especially as Jack was getting it on with his wife.  As he comes to run down Arthur after he calls the police.  Argyle showing his fatherly qualities towards Arthur when he wants to leave.  That was another big clue as to the real killer's identity.

Don't recall Richard Armitage being this way when he starred in the ITV production of Ordeal By Innocence with Miss Marple in the proceedings and Jane Seymour as the lamentable Mrs Argyle.  In that the nanny did the dirty deed and also offed the intended fiance cos she didn't like her.  However in the book it was Jack who convinced Kirsten to kill Rachel after making her believe he loves her and then his wife turns up.  So Jack was married and did have a penchant for older women..

Then we got Hester and her recalling how she told Tina she could have done it cos of the blood on her.  Yet again we were still kept being drawn back to Kirsten who has so many secrets and how she nonchalantly strolled in behind Leo and Arthur and moments later they find Phillip dead in the shower.  She was my suspect but considering writer Sarah Phelps stated she changed the ending. Gotta wonder why writers have to take such liberties man, ha, no really, sometimes you don't want writer's licence coming into it and them doing what they want, a little slap in the face stating how Agatha Christie didn't manage to pull it off!  It does come off feeling that way!  However I did, well me and sis did manage to get it was Leo and as I tweeted it's always the quiet ones who put on this entire charade of being so very 'innocent' and of course Jack confirmed this in Part 1 when he spat at him.  If daddy dearest hadn't been a bastard then he wouldn't have done this.  Also the divorce aspect and how he'd be penniless and let's see how long Gwenda would've stuck around without money.

So the reveal wasn't that big a deal after all (putting aside that I haven't missed a suspect yet in anything I have watched over the years, couldn't spoil my record now.)  Leo getting his just desserts being locked away in the bunker and he was friends with the police inspector too so everything would've been easily arranged to get Jack killed on the inside.

A bit of an ordeal for audiences/viewers but the BBC did manage to pull out all the stops and what with refilming with Christian Cooke, managed to finally air it at Easter instead of its intended Christmas Boxing Day date.

Once Upon A Time 7.16 "Breadcrumbs" Review

                                               
NB some of this is carried over from the previous ep as I thought it'd be more fitting here than the last ep which I felt was more of an Ivy ep (which is was obviously ha!!)

Lucy (Alison Fernandez) thinks that Henry (Andrew J West) should have some fun with his friends as he's all alone and doesn't have her like Jacinda (Dania Ramirez) does and as he's at Barcade, Hook (Colin O'Donoghue) arrives as does Nick (Nathan Parsons).  They've come to keep him company and Henry realizes this was a set up.  They tell him he's going to ask out the first woman who walks through the door and obviously this was Jacinda!  Saying that if he gets the coin into the glass then all of the fairytales etc are true.  Of course he would've got that shot if the barkeep hadn't moved the glass.  She leaves to meet Sabine (Mekia Cox) for dinner so she thought she'd just booze around a little before their table was ready!  As they leave Nick gets a flat tyre which he will fix, always thought that Nick was suspicious!  Henry gets a job offer in New York to produce podcasts for other people.  Nick commenting on how that's a sign.

Before Henry leaves Rumples (Robert Carlyle) wants him to help with the Candy Kisses Killer investigation since he's a fan of Henry's book.  Henry finds pages marked and in one of them realizes that the killer's been changing lines in there and has immersed himself into the book as if he was one of the character just like Henry wrote himself into it too. 

Henry wanting an adventure as he tells Hook in the other realm.  So Hook decides he should come with him to find Davy Jones's locker as Hook has the map.  Thus they get recruited by Blackbeard (Charles Mesure) and end up on the Jolly Roger where they make their move after the treasure is found.  Henry having a look at that sapphire ring which he could easily give to Ella.  Thus he'd have a story behind it.  Of course we know Hook has a story behind his rings too.  As they fight Blackbeard, Henry realizes it was a set up since Blackbeard mentions he wanted the ring for his bride; until there's a storm approaching for real and Henry says he wants his ring back.  Thus they have to take the ship towards the whirlpool and throw it in!  Funny Hook conking Blackbeard out cos he doesn't want the ship to go there.  Henry finds he doesn't need an adventure of his own and takes Ella to the lake where he proposes to her.

Henry also finds that they're looking for Hansel or whoever thinks he's Hansel so he's narrowed down their search for them.  As he drives to the airport for New York he sort of has second thoughts and doesn't get a call from Jacinda nor does he leave her a voicemail either.  However his tyre goes flat right where Tilly's statue is and Nick comes to his rescue.

Hook gets Tilly (Rose Reynolds) a job at the foodtruck with Sabine since she's eating Hook out of jam and home and it's getting expensive.  She gets on well with the customers and sales increase.  She also gives Margot (Tiera Skovbye) advice about her mother and how she must be feeling the same way without being able to talk to her openly about everything.  She also has made the Beignet into a real heart shape as Margot notices.  She makes a joke about her name Targo, but it's a 'T' at the end.  As Alice did with Robin's name a few eps back when they first met in the woods.  7.14 The Girl In the Tower.  Would've thought she would have introduced herself back then too when Margot got back to Hyperion Heights and saved Tilly from that murder charge.

There doesn't appear to be literal breadcrumbs here more the clues that Hansel/Nick left in the book which narrowed down they were after Hansel in the end.  But not who Hansel really is.  However he didn't get any flashes here to Gretel which was a missed opportunity to see them grown up and together.  Henry gets a little more backstory but again it was just marred by Jacinda and wanting her, wanting to prove he's a hero and having his own adventures.

Once Upon A Time 7.15 "Sisterhood" Review

                                            
The reveal come at the end for the Candy Kisses Killer and it didn't come as a surprise, they really didn't have a bevy of suspects and at the risk of repeating myself, I did say Hansel and Gretel were the only ones with the sweet tooth and came across a witch who was wanting to feed on them.  In this ep we get a box of chocs sent to Drizella (Adelaide Kane) too and she turns to Reggie (Lana Parrilla) for help.  But Reggie is a little hesitant and tells her to stay at the bar cos she'll be safe there.  In the other realm, Drizella is given a coin by Gothel (Emma Booth) and she wants to join the coven of witches.  Only Gothel leads them on a wild goosechase telling them to find the two golden flowers and then the two can join the coven.  Drizella meets with Gretel (Sara Canning) who is sucking lollipops and they decide to team up after Gretel saves Drizella from the trap.
Only Gothel makes them doublecross each other cos there isn't any flower and they fight.

This is the ep where Ivy/Drizella redeems herself and is reunited with Anastasia (Yael Yurman).  As in the other realm she finds her with the use of the lantern.  Facilier (Daniel Francis) visits Drizella at the bar and shows her the cards.  Offering her a magic bean to return home.  So she lights up another lantern leading Anastasia to find her.  She wants to make amends and admitting she truly loves her.  But she knocks her out.  At the office Facilier is about to extract her magic when Gothel shows up and pits the two sisters against each other again as Facilier makes his escape.  However Anastasia comes to her senses and Ivy begs forgiveness and is ready to die.  Reggie arrives with Rumples (Robert Carlyle) and the two use the magic bean and return home reunited.  Seems so simple doesn't it but can't help thinking Drizella would've been an ample ally in their fight to break the curse.  Particularly as Zelena returns home too in ep 17.  Reggie will explain to Jacinda but right now she doesn't know anything anyway so why bother.

Reggie doesn't forgive Drizella but she knows what it's like to be a villain and be wrong and sometimes in their attempt to make things right or do what they think is right.  Rumples is still going for that fateful meeting with Belle and he actually helped someone else here even if Anastasia was The Guardian, rather than being one tracked and focusing solely on himself.  Also he tells Reggie he knows about Facilier being after his dagger even letting Facilier in on this.  Yet no one else knows where the dagger is.  Facilier still comes across as a bad guy and it doesn't really matter what Regina thinks of him, even if he claims he took the magic as a gift for her.  Yeah but what's the payback gonna be for that.  But Henry (Andrew J West) and Jacinda (Dania Ramirez) soo boring still, wish that ship would sail.  She's just not right for Henry.  He had more chemistry with Ivy and a shame writers didn't realize this. 

The City and The City Series 1 Part 2 "Ul Qomo" Review

                                       
Part 2 was more of an extension of what we learned from part 1 with Borlu (David Morrissey) heading to Ul Qomo to find out further about Mahalia.  Of course before that he had to get into more strife otherwise his job wouldn't be worth doing.  This means heading to Major Syder (Danny Webb) and getting into an altercation with the TC - True Citizens: the Fascist mob.  Well it was more getting beaten up by the mob cos you just knew that that cue ball was gonna hit its mark and that was gonna be someone's head!   He's also stomped upon in fascist fashion, leading the Beszel authorities to hand over the investigation to Ul Qomo.  He can be a part of it but will require permission and training.  Of course Corwi (Mandeep Dhillon) is peed with this and enter her usual f**ing around in no uncertain terms.  It's just so funny listening to her cos that's today's society also for ya!  You'd think they'd have found an alternative expletive, especially since they managed to come up with 'wanker' in Ul Qomo speak!  Yeah as said before, it's so Big Brother 1984 territory!

Borlu recalls how he met Katrynia (Lara Pulver) and attended that training and how even the children were being taught at an early age about Breach and outcasts.  Taught by a school teacher who gets into a bit of a tizzy when she asks Borlu about the car and he tells her all the details about it.  Obviously no one in Beszel would be able to afford that.  He asks Katrynia to lunch of the liquid variety and also he reads up, well picks up the book by Dr Bowdon (Christian Camargo) The City and The City which tells of Orciny.   Borlu also attends a lecture given by Bowdon and sees Kat again as she draws that symbol like a compass point in circular fashion.  He tells her not to be so loud about it.  At the lecture he speaks of those symbols and how they're calling out. 

Corwi is angry about being off the case but he still wants her to investigate for him.  Arriving at Ul Qomo, one side of the street is blurred out cos it's the other City and isn't meant to be in view and then he crosses the border with us seeing red everywhere literally !  Ha.  Then comes back in a red taxi later on.  He's picked up by his other half,  Senior Det Dhatt (Maria Schrader) in that city and she gives him the lowdown on things and how they work there.  He doesn't really have any authority and advises him to stay in his hotel as much as possible.   Also gives him a phone which was bugged apparently.  As well as smoking being frowned upon as shown by the doorman of the hotel.

Borlu visits the site where Mahalia was digging and professor Nancy (Paprika Steen) in charge but he's restricted in what he can do and ask there.  They've been finding artifacts from the other city and one of the workers there, Rebecca (Marama Corlett) asks him for a light whilst asking about Yolanda who has vanished now.  She was also her best friend.  At the bar he speaks with Dhatt who wants to know who the woman in the photo is after they stake out Bowdon'd room but he's not around.  He tells her about Yolanda and her call, well he had to after putting his foot in it by letting slip she was Mahalia's best friend. 

Borlu meets with Rebecca who takes him to the dig and the vast symbols everywhere.  Telling him they can go to the other city but they must be invited. Where there's none of this rubbish that goes on here.  They are found out and the guard pushes him over the edge, as he falls and lands in the water.  That fall took forever!  He also rescued Kat earlier on when they first met, as she fell off the bridge or was she pushed after an argument with Bowdon.  She's wearing yellow, a colour not to be worn in Ul Qomo and so Borlu goes after her.  Just as well then.  As said not much going on here just bits and pieces setting us up for the next part which is about the third city Orciny.

Some people have been confused with the blend of the two cities but it works well and can't really see what's to be confused by it, especially once you grasp that Beszel is the poorer forerunner of Ul Qomo which has excelled in terms of wealth but by removing immigrants and not allowing them in with stringent checks and controls.  These are found on the other side in the city of Beszel, the poorer relation, if you like, which is all yellow and stained in a sense with the stench and pee of that other world where all live.  Ul Qomo being a clinical state of pureness.  Thus it's red signifying danger but also coldness in stark contrast to yellow.  Perhaps they're more confused by Breach and what this is which will be dealt with in Part 4.

Paranormal Lockdown 3.7 "Return to Monroe 'Demon' House" Review

Nick and Katrina's return to Monroe House aka Monroe Demon House, Hartford Indiana, was always going to be eventful from the findings of last time and this episode was no exception.  They have been researching the house further over the past year in an attempt to find out whose bones they found: who was/is still buried in that crawl space.  Even taking their findings/photos to an anthropologist who stated the bones were indeed human, but belonging to someone who was not fully developed yet.  Thus most likely a teen (my opinion.)  However upon return they spoke with homeowner Eddie, who told them he had two different policeman here and one of them told him to step back from these events/findings and leave it alone as there were no missing persons reported.  However how do you leave something like this alone, without closure not just for yourself as a homeowner, but also to the person who is buried there after meeting such an alleged gruesome end.  They were real people, had a soul and need their voice to be heard.

Eddie continuing with repairs to the property, also had to board up the entrance to the crawl space for legal reasons and so that no one interfered with the findings there.  There is plenty that speaks volumes when a policeman tells you to let things go, why?  As a homeowner you have the right to find out what went on in your home even if the police don't want to investigate further.  Nick and Katrina said since they can't interfere with any of that for legal reasons, they can still conduct their paranormal investigation in the hopes of finding further answers and any findings they could give to the police in the hopes of opening the investigation and getting closure for all concerned.

Eddie told them that the activity at the house has gotten worse and people telling him they were doing rituals there.  As well as one group getting into a physical fight.  Some voices on the Geoport with Nick's name coming up quite a number of times.  "Nick Groff" or 'Nick Off' as it sounded like; as in 'get lost.'  Even being antagonistic towards them, a negative presence telling them to "fu*k off" on numerous occasions coming through.  Katrina saying it was a difference between the positive and the negative which was attempting to frustrate them and get them aggressive.  Most of the negativity took place on the first floor: kitchen/living area and the basement felt more positive.  Not surprising cos of that spirit or whatever is buried there and needing help in getting the story told for all to hear.  The past needing to be brought into the present.

There was more water in the kitchen again but only in the lower cabinets and Katrina even had a taste of it!  YUKKKK!!  The expression on Nick's face when she did that when it could've been anything!  The house shook again and Nick saw a shadow figure which didn't get picked up on camera.  Actually when he saw that my phone lit up for no reason at the same time!!  Was it telling me to tweet something??!!  Ha.  Or was it something more sinister.

Nothing concrete (no pun) was found in the kitchen when Katrina also slept there on the second night after Nick did and he slept in the basement (knew he would) inside a sensory deprivation tent.  Where you float in the water and get transported to wherever.  Katrina was up before Nick who she said was stuck in the tent for longer than he should have been.  He later wanted them to follow his journey as he was in there, which took him upstairs to the front door and out of the house.  He was taken to the garden area where he felt something woody, like a coffin.  This prompted them to get in a ground penetrating radar expert (I said they should do that too!) and he found that the thermal image was an old flattened coffin.  Meaning there was also a body outside or something buried there.

Obviously they can't dig it up and Eddie said he needs closure so he was going to contact some people and let them know what he's done.

They used the thermal camera and the 3D camera inside and they got a figure appearing in a funny way.  It was doing something and as Katrina walked through it, the figure grew like it was shooting out some form of energy.

The figure in pink looked to be studiously at work digging, watch it closely when you do and also in the above pic looks like it's got its hands around someone's throat and is int he process of strangling.  of course this is just an observation on my part, but clearly makes sense if you look to the first episode where they got those voices telling them to "dig."
Also Katrina got holy water and sprinkled it on the walls and the house shook, with Rob being moved back by the tremor.  Katrina also felt pressure, a little nauseous and also compression on her heart whilst there.  The water being a sign of demonic activity which isn't surprising with all the occult rituals carried on there.

This house was also in Indiana, why is that State such a 'demonic' hotbed of activity?  Remember Zak's Demon House.  Sorry it's not often, if at all, that I bring in other shows/investigators but this house wa sso similar in many ways.  Even the front design of the porch.  In actual fact it just completely reminded me of Hinsdale.  Not only in terms of its design too but also of the activity.  So in many ways not surprised Nick's name came up quite a number of times.  Also Eddie's name came up too when asked about the activity, "it's Ed" was heard frequently.

All in all there were still more questions than answers still and the police being no help whatsoever.  And no answers as to who Anna is as Katrina said this was the name that they kept getting.  Awaiting more news on this as it's one investigation that needs not only answers but also closure.

This was Ep 5 shown as ep 7 here.

https://mila255.blogspot.co.uk/search?q=monroe+house  Monroe House season 2 investigation.

Paranormal Lockdown 3.6 "Bobby Mackey's Music World" Review

Nick's return to Bobby Mackey, Wilder, Kentucky,  again in a bid to find out what is really haunting the place and again to confront it and to put to rest those feelings and what he went through the last times he was here.  He does say it himself how he said he would not come back but cos he was followed and had those attachments from here which affected him at home, he was going to return for closure.  As I already wrote about in my Nick book.  Katrina and Nick did their own research on the history and the hauntings and discovered that the murder of Pearl Bryan took place a few miles away from here.  Pearl Bryan’s decapitated body was discovered on John Lock’s Orchard in Fort Thomas,  along Alexandria Pike Road.  As well as her killers, Scott Jackson and Alonzo Walling and who were hanged away from here.  The news reports having stated that Bobby Mackey's was not the site of the murder.  Thus to find out who or what was and is really haunting the place.

Katrina felt pressure one her chest, under her neck as soon as she entered the place and this was a first for her.  She had only ever heard about the hauntings from other investigators and now she was in awe at actually being here.  The atmosphere was different and Nick had feelings of nausea and other emotions.  He met Bobby and his wife.  She believes in the paranormal and the haunting's here, having seen figures here and apparitions on the dance floor.  As well as caretaker Mike, who you will recall from before and from Nick's visit here filming Ghost Adventures.  Bobby however remains sceptical about the place.  He wanted to start a country music bar and here he is 39 years later, as he commented.

In Carl's apartment upstairs there were a few light anomalies/orbs that were seen and Rob felt touched on his ear.  The orb shoots out from where he is.  Also Katrina felt her hair being tugged.

Plenty of bumps and footsteps were heard mostly.  Katrina spending the first night on the dancefloor, sorry did that sound like a pun, ha, sleeping on the dancefloor and was really tired.  Nick chose to suspend himself over the well in a hammock, which he had brought along with him for the occasion, setting up some lights which would come on when there was a presence or movement there.  They did come on a few times.  Both days Nick was up before Katrina.  Using the Geobox they got some responses such as telling them to go to the basement.  Katrina asks "where are you, show yourself" and it responds with "basement." Where that particular energy and weirdness was felt.  Again a more darker atmosphere here.  Nick stepping into the well and feeling dizzy when he came out of there.  Guess nothing happened to Nick when he had to use the loo there for three days.  Well one must ask such things mustn't one!

They also got "Nick Groff" afterwards Katrina says "he's back" and they get the reply, "yep" on the Geobox.  Using a God helmet, originally called the "Koren helmet" and invented by Stanley Koren and neuroscientist Michael Persinger, used for paranormal research, religious experiences.  Todd Murphy tested the results of the God helmet.

 Nick sat by the well blindfolded and wearing the helmet when he said he saw an old man trying to get in through the wall.  Katrina used the 3D mapping camera and managed to get a stick figure.  What was amazing was the night before, the camera caught a mass of energy moving towards her when she was sleeping and it appeared to grow in size.  So it was no coincidence that when she used the 3D she got the figure there. 
The ball can be seen in the video, hopefully it works! Otherwise have got some pics below it.

They also got that growl there.  Strangely wonder if that could have been Carl.  Kind of more of a deep moaning.  However Nick said he thought Carl was watching over him when he slept in his apartment and protecting him.

Nick felt he got his conclusions and what he was after.  That the haunting, whatever was present there, was there for years before anything else and before the hauntings began.  Something very ancient.  Which made me think of Ghosts of Shepherdstown season 2 and that dark entity being there for decades before and even itself saying that it is ancient. 

It was good Nick went back there with Katrina this time and they hope to return again.  It's always better to confront whatever is affecting you than to show it fear and never go back.  Even if  there wasn't that much they caught there, but that light ball of energy was a great catch.

This episode was 3.4 but shown as 3.6.