Doctor Who 7.4 "The Power of Three" Review

Amy: "life with the Doctor was like this..." Flashbacks to previous eps.  "Real life was like this."  Quite boring. Rory (Arthur Darvill) says they have two lives: "real life and Doctor life."  Should they choose?  The TARDIS lands, they "don't have to choose yet."  Amy (Karen Gillan) "Everytime we flew away with the Doctor we'd just become part of his life [more flashbacks.  ]But he never stood still long enough to become part of ours, except once.  The year of the slow invasion.  The time the Doctor came to stay."  Perhaps cos as said before, he knew something was about to happen.   Notice in the flashbacks they showed that same scene again when they look out of the TARDIS at earth and he watches them both from behind.

Brian (Mark Williams) comes in with a cube in hand, they're everywhere.  The Doctor (Matt Smith) has one too.  "Invasion of the very small cubes.  That's new."  Lots of news broadcasts with more BBC newsreaders. As well as Professor Brian Cox, who doesn't know what the cubes are and suggests they, "ask a better man than me."  That of course would be the Doctor.  Brian comes up with lots of theories of the purposes/intentions of the cubes, which the Doctor compliments.  They need to watch the cubes and Brian does this effortlessly.

The Doctor needs to use their kitchen as a lab.  Rory's heading to work, "what you do isn't all there is," and he says he should imagine what they do when they're not with the Doctor.  Doctor: "mostly kissing."  Which they do a lot of between them too, such as Rory kissing the doctor later on.  Amy is a travel writer.  Amy: "ten years older, ten years of you on and off."  Doctor: "all grown up."  Their house is raided and Rory comments, "there are soldiers all over my house and I'm in my pants."  Something Amy always wanted to say.  A woman from UNIT, Kate Stewart (Jemma Redgrave) comes in.  The Doctor asks since when does science runs the military?  They've tested the cubes and the Doctor talks of people taking them home.  perhaps he should have said his 'sciency-wiency' phrase here.

The cubes have to be observed and for four days nothing's happened.  He's impatient so he has to occupy himself.  Mowing the lawn, kicking a ball, stains the garden fence.  He's only been gone an hour.  He wants to take Rory and Amy away but they don't want to go.  His job is important.  Rory accepts a full time job at the hospital and Amy's to be a bridesmaid.  Real life's started and they like it.

Brian speaks on camera referring to 'Brian's Log.'  Rory tells him he can't call him that.  A girl sits at the hospital with a cube in her hand and a man is taken from the hospital by two aliens.
June the Doctor arrives back.  June 26th 1890, he takes Amy and Rory to the Savoy hotel for their anniversary.  Rory kisses the Doctor on the cheek.  Later the Doctor laments about there being a Zygon ship under the Savoy.  On another trip, they hide under the bed all cos Amy said 'yes' and agreed to marry Henry VIII.  She left her phone charger there.  The Doctor sneezes under the bed, which is good, since no one ever does that when they're hiding out.

June again.  Brian says they've been away as they're wearing different clothes, which no one else noticed.  They've been gone 7 weeks.  Brian asks what happens to others who travel with him.  Doctor: "some left, some left behind, some, not many, but some died.  But they won't."  It's like he's convincing himself they won't or whether he'll believe it if he says it enough times.  The Doctor is staying to keep an eye on them as he misses them.  Cue The Apprentice with Lord Sugar firing someone for not selling enough cubes.  Er, why would anyone buy them when they've been picking them up for free!!

They eat fish fingers and custard and the Doctor mentions them being  pudding but savoury.  The cubes move and one attacks the Doctor.  He tells it the planet and people are precious to him and he will defend them to his dying breath.  He also comments on having  a"metal dog that could do that."  Hover that is.  Rory takes Brian to work. Whilst he heads to the Tower of London with Amy.  All the cubes activated at the same time.  All cubes were monitored and behave individually. The Doctor tells Kate her father, Brigadeer Lethbridge-Stewart didn't despair.  She dropped his name as she didn't want any favours.

The cubes become dormant.  The Doctor needs air.  He knows that Amy and Rory are stopping, at least they're thinking about it.  She doesn't know yet.  There were years when she couldn't live without him and since he came back they have their own life.  Travelling feels like running away.  The Doctor denies he's running, as each corner of the universe never remains the same and there's so much to see.  'I'm running to things before they fade forever...one day soon, you'll stop, known for a while.  You were the first - the first face... and you're seared onto my heart Amelia Pond.  I'm running to you and Rory before you fade from me.'  See he knows/knew something's coming; something will happen to them and he wants to spend time with them.

He gets a brainwave, the cubes have stopped since they've scanned everything - in every room.  The power goes out and the cubes begin a countdown from 7.  Why 7?  Seven Wonders of the World, 7 sides of a cube, the inside counts as 7.  They must get the people away from the cubes, (or the cubes away from the people.) The cubes have profiled earth's existence.  Kate says they can work out how to attack them.

Brian is abducted at the hospital and Rory follows, ending up in a spaceship.  The Doctor sits with the cube, but there's nothing inside.  He says every action was deliberate and people are dying across the world from cardiac arrest.  He is also affected, but why him?  He only has one heart and the other's not working.  They sucked power like signal boxes and were targeted at the human heart - that's how to destroy humans.  The scan he was running, is located to the hospital.

Doctor; "how do you people manage with one heart, it is pitiful."  They must locate the portal and he notices the girl, an android monitoring everything.  The Doctor suffers cardiac arrest and Amy uses a defibrillator on him, getting both hearts started.  Doctor; "welcome back Leftie - two hearts back in the game.  Never do that to me again."  Well, she won't.  Along with his disco moves and Amy ripping his shirt open.  Not that she hasn't seen him naked from 5.1 The Eleventh Doctor!!

The energy signals converge in the lift and they find Rory.  The Shakri (Steven Berkoff) appears to him saying there are so many crawling the planet.  The Doctor doesn't believe it's possible, the Shakri are a myth to keep the Gallifrey young in their place.  Like the Keyser Soze of Gallifrey.  They travel alone and together: 7 portals, 7 minutes.  They're targeting humanity before they colonize space.  The Shakri speaks of the 'human contagion and the Tali' which is judgement day/reckoning.  Shakri serves the Tali.  Amy mentions him having weird bedtime stories.  The Doctor replies what about the wolf in grandmother's nightdress.

The Doctor believes humans to be "creatures of hope, make mistakes, learn, strife for greater and achieve it...will back humanity against the Shakri everytime."  A second wave will be released to kill more people so they must stop it by disconnecting the Shakri portal.  They can use the cubes to turn the hearts back on.  They escape from the ship before it explodes.  Take it everyone else on there couldn't be saved.

Kate calls him "remarkable" just like her father said and kisses him on the cheek.  Doctor: "a kiss from a Lethbridge-Stewart."  The Doctor leaves and Amy and Rory have beautiful, messy lives and shouldn't give them up.  Brian replies they can't give him up and shouldn't.  He encourages them to go with the Doctor and save every world the can find and he should "bring them back safe."

Amy: "So that was the year of the slow invasion when the earth got cubed and the Doctor came to stay.  It was also when we realized something the Sakari never really understood - what cubed means.  The Power of three."  So there you have it.  Yet more sad moments interspersed with jokes and humour.  As we know how much they all mean to each other and to us and how we'll miss our fave companions when they go.

This was an enjoyable episode focusing on Amy and Rory before their swansong.  Also moving away from the Doctor's dark side on display over the past few weeks.  Being more comedic and sombre in tone.  Re the Doctor loving his companions, missing them and spending time with them before "they fade."  Was this some sort of fading reference to how they leave?  Fade from existence, from memory.  Probably their final scenes will be something completely different to how we all imagined!  The scene with the Doctor and Amy outside the Tower was exceptional and they were having their own heartbreaking farewell, along with us.  Doctor: "You were the first, first face this face saw.  You are seared onto my hearts."  Which was so true and what more could you ask for in terms of sentiments.

The cubes were stopping human hearts, inducing cardiac arrest, so it follows the aliens would be at a  hospital, where the Shakri could observe what happens during cardiac arrest and what is done to help people.  They were there after all, for over a year and so found the best, according to the cubes/Shakri, method of wiping out humans.

The Zygon ship under the Savoy, the Zygons were in the Fourth Doctor, Terror of the Zygons.  UNIT HQ was last seen as the Tower of London in The Christmas Invasion.  Apparently it was said Matt emphasized 'Twitter' as he stated he wasn't going to be on there.

This episode was the final one filmed with Karen and Arthur as Amy and Rory.  After they got into the TARDIS with the Doctor, they all hugged and cried.

There was no filming at the actual Tower of London due to the Olympics.

NCIS Ten Seasons and Many Many More...

You may not have noticed but our very special show will reach a milestone of ten years next year having first aired 23 September 2003 in the US.  Back then I wonder how many thought this show would become an instant hit, perhaps not instant, but it was bound to catch on.

Coming from the pen of Donald P Bellisario (always wanted to say that) it would be watchable, irrespective of whether it would attract the necessary audience to keep it going.  He has after all been the mastermind behind many TV shows, which everyone knows by now; but if you don't, the better known ones include Magnum PI (Tony's favourite) Airwolf (with Tony's favourite name of Stringfellow Hawke, which he called himself in Dead Man Talking.) Quantum Leap and JAG.

NCIS followed hot on the heels of JAG and the introductory episodes of NCIS were part of JAG, which could be called its parent show (or as some like to joke, grandparent.) NCIS is of course a real agency having its roots in NIS (Navy Investigative Service) becoming NCIS (Naval Criminal Investigative Service) as we know it today.

On NCIS Donald Bellisario commented, "If you want to look at it in the Law and Order mode, NCIS is law, JAG is order.  NCIS is about military investigative officers operating in a protective way.  JAG is about investigative officers operating in a reactive way."  Also the show when it began was called NAVY NCIS which Bellisario wanted to keep to maintain the distinction and so viewers would knwo instantly what the show entailed, but the network, CBS wanted 'Navy' dropped from the title.

Many stories in NCIS are based on real life events and have been declassified lately.  Infact Mark Harmon has a real life NCIS agent to ensure the stories and his character are also portrayed as true to life.  Not sure about the headslapping though, ha.  "It is an extremely dangerous job - it is not extremely well paying for the danger.  I am proud to be representing these people.  It is a job and I couldn't do for real."  Commented Mark. "It takes a very rare individual."

The highlights of the show are not only the stories, the jokes, the heartaches, but also the actors themselves who keep the lines coming and their characters whole and fun loving, at times, as well as emotionally charged;  not to mention the writers who keep the scripts finely tuned.  As Mark said, "the scripts either move you and and you get through them or you stop at page 20 and say, 'No thanks.  I'd rather not be  a part of this.'  But this was a real page turner and I was excited about closing the last page of the script."  He also added, "I had to kiss a lot of frogs to get here - this is one of those lucky groupings of actors.  It is a terrifically talented ensemble and they make it look easy."

Mark: "the White shadow' sometimes it is just in a name.  Leroy Jethro Gibbs was Donald Bellisario's dad's best friend growing up in Pennsylvania.  I read that name and it stopped me."

Michael Weatherly spoke of how "really great is the way NCIS operatives have to work in the field by the seat of their pants.  They're trying to figure stuff out in a country where they don't speak the language, they don't know what the behaviour is...but they have a mission and an ethical code that they adhere to as much as they can."  Surely they need to know some languages and something of the country they're in or life would get very messy and difficult if they don't observe certain protocols or customs of that country.  Which humorously enough brings me to Ziva, who started out as a foreign national in a foreign country and the strife she got into with the language!  Thus her 'Ziva-isms.'

Ziva  in Hiatus Part 1: "Ducky drip it."
Ducky: "Do you mean drop it or zip it?"
Ziva: "Ah, American idioms drive me up the hall."
Ducky: "Well - actually never mind."  Or as Tony would tell her, 'you're in America now, assimilate already.'

Cote de Pablo was brought onto the show after Sasha Alexander left after two seasons, as Donald Bellisario wanted "an European or Australian girl who is very comfortable with her femininity".  Cote is Chilean American and was happy in NY, but within the space of a fortnight she was on her way to LA.  "I had one little bag and moved into a one bed apartment and my life became NCIS."  She found the early years to be hard but fun and challenging too.  "It was like a boot camp as I'd never really been in front of a camera for 15 hours a day and as a lead.  You embrace it."  As did we with her endearing character, warts 'n'all.  Nah she don't got no warts, just her little idiosyncrasies, which make her Ziva.  Like "18 ways to kill with a paperclip."

Abby Sciuto (Pauley Perrette) everyone's enamoured with the feisty, fun loving forensic Goth.  Pauley has Abby's larger than life happy persona and attitude.  She feels everyone on the show is a real family.  "We've been through so much together, we've kept each other together and on our feet through so much trauma over the last few years and really happy times too.  It's almost amazing like this full circle thing that we get to do this together!"

Abby's tattoos are real and she has about 13 or 14 but she's given more on the show.  The one on Pauley's neck isn't real, as you will have noticed from photos, it's a vinyl transfer and she doesn't like it, describing it as "old chewing gum."  Or something you'd stick behind you ear; under Tony's desk.

Creator Donald Bellisario told her that, "when he created Magnum PI, he wanted to introduce a Vietnam Vet who defied the negative stereotype.  So with Abby he wanted to take an alternative style person with tattoos and make her someone who is happy, totally put together and successful.  All the script said about her was black hair, caffeinated and smart - she looks weird.  She thinks she looks pretty and never calls herself anything other than happy and I fight for that."

No show would have been complete without Timothy McGee (Sean Murray) sweet geek extraordinaire.  Computer whizz and the show's resident Probie when the show was in its early seasons.  MIT grad as well as Johns Hopkins and forever the butt of Tony's teasing and jokes.  Not forgetting nicknames: "McGeek, McGoo, McProbie, McNerd, McFlowerpower.  In a conversation between Vance and Gibbs about the best model NCIS agent in season 6 Collateral Damage, led to Vance saying McGee was his model agent, whereas Gibbs prefers Tony's traits as an agent.

Sean said, "The only thing I ask writers is to evolve my role to avoid the routine...in the beginning he mumbled.  He couldn't manage to express himself clearly and he couldn't manage to do anything else but read what was written on the computer...today he manages to conduct an interrogation, thanks to Gibbs who believed in him."  He says in real life, he's rather discreet like McGee is and his friends are reserved too, so meeting Michael/Tony must have been enlightening, to say the least ha.  McGee, "deep down he can be frank without being aggressive."  Someone we'd all like to meet.

Dr Donald 'Ducky' Mallard ME, who has something to say about everything, he's very opinionated in a nice way and that's why at times, you see the characters run away.  David McCallum said, "at my age doing a part like this is like having having eaten the most wonderful chocolate cake all my life and now I am eating the cream.  I feel incredibly lucky and delighted to be with all these people."

Brian Dietzen was brought onto the show as Ducky's assistant, Jimmy Palmer and has made it to the opening credits as series regular in the tenth season.  He also exhibits many of Ducky's character traits, such as having plenty of stories and anecdotes to tell, as well as getting lost a lot in Washington traffic and streets.  Though Ducky doesn't do that.  One other thing Ducky doesn't do much of is actually date.  Let's face it, Palmer has seen more female action in Autopsy and around the NCIS building, no doubt.

He's giving Tony a run for his money.  But not so as he met Breena and got engaged.  One of the first NCIS characters to do so, aside from Gibbs, don't mention his 4 wives, or divorce.  Okay it's safe to mention wife number 1, Shannon as she was his soulmate.  The others just didn't compare or rate a mention.

Brian was only meant to be in one episode, which became 9 years.  "They liked the chemistry between David McCallum and myself...I became friends with everyone so...8 years later I'm still showing up for work."  And for the show he calls it, "a really big testament to hard work paying off...everyone has a really great time on our set...working extremely hard and being sure to enjoy it while we can.  These things don't happen twice in a lifetime."

As for being similar to Palmer, Brian states they have the same pants size and that's where any similarity ends.

Those in charge.  NCIS has had three Directors, Tom Morrow (Alan Dale) in season 1 replaced by Jenny Sheppard (Lauren Holly) (an old flame of Gibbs) after Morrow went over to Homeland Security.  Jenny was killed in a shoot out at the end of season 5 and went out in style, it could be said.  Though she was dying anyway.  Jenny was replaced by Leon Vance, (Rocky Carroll) a man with many secrets and ghosts.  Gibbs has had a friction between the latter two; a tentative peace/truce with Vance, they do really trust each other but don't see eye to eye.  Must be something in the air seeing as Rocky was also on Chicago Hope with Mark.

Mark said he "worked with Lauren Holly briefly on Chicago Hope.  She came at the end of that run.  We sparred when we first met each other...but I like her a lot.  I like her more now in this role. [Jenny]"  Lauren commented, "he had big input into me coming onto the show.  I was wary of coming back into that [hour] drama world, and to join a show that's already on - you never know the temperament of the set.  You better love working there, because I can't tell you how depressing it can get if you don't."

Rocky recalled the final episode of season 5 when "Vance breaks up the team and I'm standing at my desk with the other cast members standing there so I can give them their assignments...Vance usually has a toothpick in his mouth.  They all decided that on my closeup, they were all going to have toothpicks in their mouths.  SO when their backs were to the camera and where you couldn't see them, each one of them very calmly grabs a toothpick in the middle of the scene...everybody's there because they deserve to be there."

Couldn't talk about the show without mentioning movies.  Each one brings something to the episode but most especially to Tony's character.  A movie or TV show will sometimes make or break a case for him and he gets riled over it by the others.  As in Corporeal Punishment episode when Ziva and McGee think he's going to mention The Fugitive again and tell each other not to remind him, but he does it anyway.  That's the endearing nature of the show and just a small part of its success.

Ooh written too much, so I penned an unofficial book to one of my most very special and favourite shows, in celebration of 10 seasons. Ten years next year!
My NCIS An Unofficial and Unauthorized Guide to NCIS - The TV Show which you may or may not find interesting, appealing.
It's available here:  http://www.lulu.com/shop/mila-hasan/my-ncis-an-unofficial-and-unauthorized-guide-to-ncis-the-tv-show/paperback/product-20366043.html

as well as at amazon.

Happy watching, reading and all the rest!

Merlin 4.6 "A Servant of Two Masters" Review

Out on patrol to look for mercenaries, Merlin (Colin Morgan) comments no one would be in the Valley of the Fallen Kings.  That's why Arthur (Bradley James) chose it.  They're attacked and Merlin saves Arthur and is hurt.  Arthur has seen worse than this.  Merlin: "on a dead man."  Arthur says he won't die and he'll get the glory when he's not around, that's what happens.  Merlin's a loyal and brave servant, how many times have we heard that line.  Merlin would save him too.  Arthur carries Merlin back and he wants to be left here.  They're attacked again.

Merlin uses magic to cause a rock slide and is cut off from Arthur.  Agravaine (Nathanial Parker) takes Merlin to Morgana (Katie McGrath) and she wants to kill him.  Agravaine wants him saved as he can be useful.  See that's Morgana always needing help again.  He condemned her sister, Morgause to a slow death.  Merlin wants Arthur to know of his achievements so he can die happy.  Morgana tells him he won't die.  There's no sign of Merlin, but the knights find Arthur.

Morgana heals Merlin, he's loyal but she won't understand why, no, she's healing her own enemy.  A piece of Merlin's clothing is found and there's no trace of the mercenaries.  Agravaine thinks they were sent by Alinor.  But Arthur tells him the route was only known to a few.  Sir Leon (Rupert Young) says they "have a traitor in their midst," yeah and they're looking right at him.  Gaius (Richard Wilson) looks at Agravaine.

Morgana conjures her pet Femorrah with seven heads.  She cuts one and plants it in Merlin to control his mind.  It will suck his life force and replace it with one thought - to kill Arthur.  Arthur gets a new servant, George (Leander Deeny) yeah that was quick, who brings him a feast for breakfast.  Arthur says he already has a servant.  He spends most of his time in the tavern.  Arthur doesn't have a shirt - again. Gaius doesn't want Artur going on his own to search for Merlin, so Gwaine (Eoin Macken) is going with him.  Arthur says George "...condemned me to a day of mindless chatter."  Merlin is found in a ditch.

Merlin looks for the strongest bottle of poison, Aconite and takes the whole bottle as he needs to kill someone and laces Arthur's food with it.  Gwen (Angel Colby) already prepared his food and he dumps it in the pig sty.  Merlin adds he'd take Gwen's side.  No one knows Merlin's not himself.  Merlin doesn't want to share his problems with Gaius.  Merlin gets a crossbow from Leon for Arthur and they joke Merlin wants to kill Arthur.  He's getting on Merlin's nerves.  Arthur: "Don't worry Merlin, I don't think you really want to kill me."  Gwen had to find the pigs dead and the food.

Gaius mentions wolfsbane which is known as aconite  and notices Merlin is acting strangely, about time.  He's not in his right mind.  The crossbow misfires and misses Arthur when he opens the closet.  Merlin thinks of who the traitor could have been, such as Percival (Tom Hopper).  Arthur thinks of Elyan (Adetomiwa Edun).  Arthur in yet another shameless, shirtless scene, ha.  Merlin is knocked out with a sword.

Gaius finds the Femorrah and explains what Morgana said.  The serpent can be paralyzed but it grows back.  Arthur accuses Agravaine of being a traitor as he was the only one who knew the route, but he talks him out of it. He doesn't have any reason to doubt him.  Arthur is all that's left of his sister and he would never betray her.  He tells Arthur Gaius knew the route.  Oh he'd turn traitor now after serving Uther all those years and Arthur too.  Also Agravaine wants to see Arthur dead cos he's Uther's son, never mind being his nephew.

Merlin pours acid in Arthur's bath which burns the sword.  Gwen sees Arthur naked! completely.  Merlin is knocked out again.  Are they just going to stand around then?  The serpent is paralyzed again and Merlin is revived.  "Arthur's socks smell." Gaius says they must kill the mother beast.  Merlin comes up with the idea of becoming his old self, Dragoon, once more.  That's getting old now.  He reveals himself to Morgana as Emrys who she's seen in her dream.  The knights think he's stealing  a horse.  Merlin dresses the same under his robe and no one's noticed and not even his boots are different.  He's also got a new shirt this episode, which disappears at the end.

He asks Percival if he's bigger and Arthur's in danger if he sees him.  Elyan threatens Arthur and he uses magic.  Pity he didn't arrive there in time to see Agravaine with Morgana as he implicated Gaius.  Morgana isn't happy since Gaius isn't dead.  How did the two of them get together anyway?  Oh Merlin does see Agravaine leave, finally.  Morgana runs when she sees him.  Merlin was a bit slow wasn't he.  He's not here to kill her, more's the pity but his magic is still stronger than hers.  She has the audacity to beg for her life.

Merlin's cured now.  Arthur introduces George and he's going to give Merlin some training, in armoury, his fave lesson number 1 is polishing.  Merlin says that's his fave too.  Arthur says George is boring and he wouldn't give him the job.  Agravaine sets off to Morgana again!  Agh will he never learn!

Arthur is concerned for Merlin once again and it seems seems episodes where both or either one is injured are coming thick and fast.  Yet when Merlin is found, Arthur doesn't notice he's not wounded.  He also can't see Merlin's acting stranger than usual, he acts like a buffoon a lot of the time, but not every moment he's with Arthur.

Morgana finally gets to see Emrys in person but is no match for him.  Yet whenever she uses her magic, she seems to get one up on Merlin, when he's Merlin.  Merlin was a clumsy assassin but then Arthur always accuses him of being clumsy, weak, a girl.  Probably why he didn't notice the change in him.

The Closer 7.15 "Silent Partner" Review

Goldman (Curtis Armstrong) is in prison and talks to Reggie Moses (Dennis LA White).  He can appeal his death sentence and set up a new trial appeal for him.  All he needs to do is to prove the police officer who took his confession is corrupt, just as in the Rampart scandal.  When Reggie was arrested no one was trying to kill Turrell and he was blamed for the murder.  Reggie called his friends to tell them he was being released.  Goldman has a witness who can testify to this.  Brenda (Kyra Sedgwick) loses everything if he testifies and he'll be free.

Provenza (GW Bailey) tells Brenda and Gabriel (Corey Reynolds) they must sign in.  The Vic was parked illegally.  Taylor (Robert Gossett) was called, who in turn called Major Crimes. Cos the car was registered to Turrell Baylor.  James Turner was shot in the backseat four times.  Sanchez (Raymond Cruz) IDs him as a member of the 1-10 Cripps.  Flynn (Tony Dension) tells him Goldman's card was found in his pocket.

Pope (JK Simmons) says there's no connection to the Federal law suit and Brenda adds finding the card on his DB is a clue. Gabriel interrupts them yet again and mentions his friend who carried out a credit rating check for him, the info is untraceable.  Goldman was in Oakland and specifically at San Quentin.  Reggie made a call.  Buzz (Phillip P Keene) says the prison is sending them the audio file of the call to a disposable cell.  The audio file tells of 5 investigators on the case and one talks too much.  Gavin (Mark Pellegrino) says he is to be interviewed by Raydor (Mary McDonnell).

Goldman refuses to answer questions.  Raydor comments he signed in at the prison so his visit is a matter of public record.  Brenda says he has a good motive, meaning J Rock, the DB, was a witness to Turrell's murder.  He says he couldn't ID the gang members.  Raydor says Goldman is withholding their names.  Gabriel finds the cell is registered to a company in Seattle.

Brenda confronts Goldman, cos no one saw her leaving and offers him protection.  He refuses and she comments she'll know where to start looking if he doesn't show up for work.  He's afraid but doesn't admit it.  Gavin adds if Goldman knows the names then they can settle the lawsuit.  Raydor tells them Brenda wants to be cleared in court.  Pope wants to ensure Goldman doesn't wind up dead and he tells Brenda to also address the leak in the Division, "be aware of all the moving pieces on the board."

Sanchez finds the family already knew of J Rock's death.  Morales found he was shot by 9mm bullets.  Provenza tells Brenda that if Goldman doesn't give up the names, then he's not their problem.  Taylor says Turrell's mother would give J Rock the car.  Tao (Michael Paul Chan) found lots of prints in the car, especially inside.  Sanchez offers to show her what happened and she tells the others to listen to the audio tape as they converse privately in the car.  J Rock was killed by his own gang and this wasn't done without permission.  Brenda wants to follow the money.  Sanchez says they won't get the man in charge that way.

Brenda realizes the violence goes back to the store owner, Charlie.  They have to find out who paid for the funerals.  Sanchez suggests she should follow up without the others cos of the mole.  "if when you're not sure who you can trust Chief, don't trust anyone," which are Sanchez's words of wisdom.  She replies she knows them.  Boy they sure are making it difficult for us to figure out who the mole is with all these red herrings floating around.  It's okay for those who have watched it, but we've still got another 6 eps and I don't want to read anything until I figure it out myself 'til the end.  Provenza looks at Sanchez.

Fritz (Jon Tenney) wants her to figure out what she's doing here.  She asks if he wants her to give up "everything I own, or everything I am."  Charlie's daughter sold his store for three times it's value and was converted into a cell store by Marvin Evans (Jason George).  He covered the cost of the funerals.  Brenda tells Fritz he's the only one she can trust and he's happy he can actually help.  Adding if Goldman finds out about Marvin then so will the leak.

Brenda didn't order surveillance, it was requested by Raydor to protect Goldman.  There were 12 prints in the car belonging to Cripps' members.  Brenda wants the entire team watching the interview with Marvin.  Marvin's lawyer is Tommy Wong (Tom Choi) and Marvin isn't going to cooperate with her.  Notice how Taylor was last in the room along with Flynn.  Though don't suppose that means anything.  Brenda tells him he has to care about J Rock.  Fritz sends her a message she's 'good to go.'  Brenda tells him Goldman is implying he knows the names of Turrell's killers which could put him in danger.

Flynn says that didn't go well.  Raydor; "it all depends on what you think just  happened.  Goldman knows who Marvin is and she told him .  Marvin will put a contract out on him, which still changes nothing.  Brenda says protection can still be arranged and Goldman admits he knows the names.  Raydor tells him this isn't  a pre-trial conference.  Pope wants the list of Turrell's murderers who were Ided by J Rock.  Brenda: "so much for the conscience of the justice system.

C Jazz and Deloin have tickets to Vegas, Turner a trip to NY.  Bugsy was paid money.  Brenda goes off to finish the conversation with Marvin, her team can't know about it.  Well, she wouldn't go alone so obviously she's got something up her sleeve and it's not a wire.  She's not here to arrest him, which she wasn't but he searches her for wires.  J Rock was meant to expose Brenda and Marvin killed him for himself, not her.  Marvin ordered the hit on Turrell and that's when her troubles started.  Marvin didn't want him to talk.  Charlie was there for all of them and helped them survive.  Brenda wonders if Charlie would be proud of how he paid them back.  Goldman needs to go.  Their partnership is at an end and the FBI arrests him.  That's the message from Fritz, telling her his place was wired.

Ricky Turner shot his own brother.  Gavin has reached an agreement and Raydor wants her to read it anyway.  Brenda's name is dropped from the suit and Goldman is paid a million dollars.  Brenda doesn't agree with this.  Gavin says it doesn't matter if she agrees cos she's no longer being sued.  She doesn't want The Johnson Rule : a special order that states when the LAPD releases a suspect, they will not be released into a knowingly or hostile environment.  Brenda angrily fires Gavin.  The rule is disgraceful and "you're selling me out."  Which in effect they were.

Goldman is in danger when he leaves the building and Brenda wants Raydor to ask him to reveal the leak and order protection for him, whether he likes it or not.  Raydor calls it the 'honourable thing to do.'  Brenda: "it's the Johnson Rule."  Well, they were selling her out just to save themselves really and the LAPD.  Isn't the Johnson Rule a roundabout way of actually admitting Brenda was responsible for Turrell's death and that she knew he was in danger when she let him go.  Haven't they been denying that all along!

Another great episode of the show with yet more references to the leak but did Brenda really think Goldman will reveal who the leak is, when she told Raydor to ask him, they should be able to find this out for themselves, if they can catch criminals, surely they can come up with some sort of a trap to catch out the leak.  Loved the way Brenda used her police 'methods' she uses on suspects on Goldman, having the tables turned on him like that and putting him in danger was good to watch.  He deserved a little of his own medicine acting all high and mighty and as Brenda told him, it wasn't about justice at all.  It was making  a name for himself and taking that money too, re the settlement.

Sad to see they could hang Brenda out to dry like that with the Johnson Rule, after all she's done in her line of work and putting away dangerous criminals, she doesn't deserve this sort of treatment.  But this storyline was all for Kyra leaving the show.

Goldman mentions the Rampart case.  This was the revelation of widespread corruption in the LAPD's anti-gang division, Rampart Division of the late 1990's.  This was brought to light by Officer Perez, leading to convictions being overturned due to his testimony.  However the extent of the corruption is unknown as many cases have not been solved.

Amanda Tapping plays an Angel in Supernatural

Great news for Amanda Tapping fans and those who loved her in Stargate SG1 and Sanctuary as she has been cast as an angel in season 8 of Supernatural.  She plays Naomi and will be seen for the first time in the episode 8.7 A Little Slice of Kevin.  She is set to have a recurring role on the show.

Jeremy Carver who returned to the show this season as writer said she's "cool and mysterious, part of a new group of angels we've never seen before."  Wonder how Castiel (Misha Collins) will receive her as well as the Winchesters.  Apparently she's not altogether as she looks and has deeper issues.  Isn't that Cas all over again.  He seemed to be rational, naive and 'together' until he met the Winchesters, I jest.  Though he did unravel as the war in Heaven heated up.

Other Stargate SG1 actors who made it onto Supernatural include Michael Shanks in season 5 and Corin Nemec in season 6.  As was Kavan Smith in season 3.15 Time Is On My Side as a gym Vic.  Malcolm Stewart played Dollen on Stargate SG1 and was Aaron Fuller in Supernatural.  Ty Olsson played Col Barnes on Stargate SG1 and played Eli on Supernatural.  He returns to season 8 as Benny.  Andrew Airlie was Dr Carmichael, Kalan on Stargate SG1 and Larry Pike in Supernatural.  Colin Lawrence was Major Lawrence, Warren on Stargate SG1 and Jason, Reggie Hull on Supernatural.

Alex Zahara was Eggar, Iron Shirt, Michael, Shy One, Warrick Finn, Xe'ls on Stargate SG1 and was Vance in Supernatural.   Kwesi Ameyaw was a professor in the season 2 What Is and What Should Never Be.  In Stargate SG1 he was Olokun.  Adrian Holmes was a Special Operations sergeant in Stargate SG1 and was a Demon in Supernatural.  Garwin Sanford was Narim on Stargate SG1, one of Sam Carter's love interests and was Deacon in Supernatural.  Steve Bacic was Camulus and Major Coburn on Stargate SG1 and played Dr Sexy in the Supernatural episode Changing Channels.

Downton Abbey Series 3 Episode 1

Series/season 3 of Downton Abbey opened with news that Robert Earl of Grantham (Hugh Bonneville) has lost his investments in a pre-war railroad investment and practically all of Cora's (Elizabeth McGovern) inheritance.  Which comes as a blow especially with Mary (Michelle Dockery) and Mathhew's (Dan Stevens) wedding so close.  Spelling the arrival of Sybil (Jessica Brown-Findlay) and husband Tom Branson (Allen Leech) in tow, ensuring friction is never far behind in this show.  Not forgetting the arrival of grandmama Martha (Shirley Maclaine) to add her two cents worth.  Was that harsh? As she introduces herself as being "an American"  Just to ensure the point gets home.

Robert breaks the money news, or lack of, to Cora, who wants him to hold off telling Mary.  As we all know Mary will marry into money.  Yet another thing for the two lovebirds to argue over, as you know that's brewing too.  Seems to me there was some trouble in paradise there as soon as the show began, almost got the impression they didn't want to marry after all, which is confirmed when Mary after finding out Matthew may inherit money left to him by Swire, urges him to keep it to help poor old papa keep Downton.  Well, he's going to be part of the family now.  Their argument being overheard by Edith (Laura Carmichael).

Yes Edith who is still pining over Sir Anthony (Robert Bathurst) and seems to be throwing herself at him every chance she gets.  He however, is oblivious to this.  Lots of goings on downstairs too, with the help getting into a tizzy over having to bow to a lowly chauffeur, Branson, when he arrives!  Carson (Jim Carter) point blank refusing to play valet to him, as does Thomas (Rob James-Collier).  This is seen by his arrival and Branson clearly sticks out like a sore thumb in his 'ordinary' suit.  He won't waste money on 'appropriate' attire so as not to become "one of them."  Sybil thanks Robert for sending her the money which obviously he hasn't cos there's none to send!

Lots of goings on about Branson not having a proper morning coat or tails for dinner and he refuses to get one even when his wife asks him to.  Now he's not into all that refinery but if she asked him, he could have made an effort instead of looking like a scruff.  This was left to the Dowager Countess (Maggie Smith) to take it upon herself to get him wear a proper suit for the wedding, albeit one of Matthew's hand-me-downs.  Again he objects to this and Isobel (Penelope Wilton) and the Dowager after listening to his objections, insists he's getting the new suit.

Cue the arrival of Lord Merton (Douglas Reith) and Larry (Charlie Anson) an old beau of Sybil's so naturally there'll be lots of jibes and jokes there at Branson's expense.  Again shown when Larry remarks on Branson's luggage being lost which explains his clothes.  Branson replies it wasn't lost unlike his manners.  Sir Anthony spots Larry getting up to something, which is revealed at the dinner table when Branson goes into a rant about politics and the Brits yet again, appearing drunk.

Sir Anthony capturing Edith's heart all over again as he defends Branson when he tells everyone Larry put something in his drink, a pill, making him appear drunk.  To which Larry's father Lord Merton objects in the strongest possible terms and Matthew asks Branson to be his best man. A favour returned by Branson when he talks Matthew into marrying Mary after their blew as he wouldn't be happy without her as long "as she roamed the earth."  As he wasn't without Sybil.  They're marrying/married into the family and need to stick together.

Thomas and O'Brien (Siobhan Finneran) are at loggerheads, what happened to their conniving alliance of two series.  Thomas now valet to Robert doesn't want to help new footman Albert (Matt Milne) fast track his way into being a valet. Daisy (Sophie McShera) is in a sulk as she wasn't made Mrs Patmore's (Lesley Nichol) assistant and there was money enough to hire Albert but not a maid to take her place.

Bates (Brendan Coyle) is still in prison with scenes interspersed with Anna (Joanne Froggat)  visiting him there, just so we know he's still around. She finds a journal written in Vera's handwriting and they again discuss the issues surrounding her suicide.  He also tells her to go on the honeymoon with Mary and Matthew to the South of France for them and to make some memories for them.  Seems nothing much happened with the case then, which is being dragged out.

Robert finally accepts Branson into the family and Sybil finds out it was the Dowager herself who sent them the money so she could come over for the wedding with her husband.  Which is news to everyone.

I found this episode to be a little slow off the mark and not quite the same as the other two.  Though it did have its moments such as the arguments, over politics, over money, it didn't have the same feel to it.  Wonder if there will be any point to the marriage seeing as Dan Stevens has said he may not be back for another series, wishing to make his mark on Hollywood. He doesn't like the way in which they're only given a few scripts so they don't know what's happening throughout the series.

Still hope it does get better as we hit the roaring twenties and roaring they were as far as all the arguing, ranting and raving that was going on.

CSI:NY Personal Relationships in Season 9

Isn't it great when you can predict the future, ha, or at least what will happen with your fave character, glad to see I was right on both counts, especially with Flack (Eddie Cahill) and the upcoming new season 9.  In my last blog entry about CSI:NY season 9 stories, I mentioned a new detective Lovato (Natalie Martinez) and that hopefully she wouldn't become Flack's new love interest, agh, I'll eat my words!!  Cos that's exactly what is happening.  NOOOO and I also said she'd be like Angell (Emmanuelle Vaugier) and she is, even in terms of looks.

It's not fair maybe I should keep my mouth shut, but where's the fun in that?  Come on, the poor guy needs to get away from work and meeting women at work in a romantic capacity.  Anyway, Pam Veasey told XFinityTV.com exactly what I wrote!   Saying, "There may be a hot, little fire going on between these two...he can't resist what is just inevitable."  Yeah he can, by meeting someone else, ha.  Yes I did write my blog entry before reading this article if anyone's curious.  Also that Lavato would be Flack's type.  Oh well isn't that just transferring what feelings he still had for Angell to her instead as she is similar to Angell.

This was in response to the show taking a more in depth look at the character's personal lives, well they didn't have to get so personal with Flack, ha.
She added, "this year we thrown caution to the wind, and take a left turn - either on the concept of the episode or the lives of our characters - so the audience goes, 'Wow!  That is satisfying.'"

Also re Mac (Gary Sinise) and his shooting, he will have psychological scars from his shooting and the fallout from that to deal with.  As for his relationship with Christine (Megan Dodds) Veasey said, he needed to move on from Claire (Jamie Ray Newman) and now he will be "making a continued pursuit, driving toward that relationship.  He did need Claire to say, 'Go, don't give up on this.  Don't give up on the hard stuff.'"

Let's hope the producers and writers also do this and make the season as good as the other 8 seasons!

Actually what about poor Adam (AJ Buckley) when's he going to get a love interest, it'd be great to see him stumbling and bumbling about in his lovable character trait, trying to balance everything at once and still be the Adam we know and love!  He misses out yet again, especially since he is an important part of the show as well.  He needs to be shown some appreciation!

CSI: Miami 10.9 "A Few Dead Men" Review

1992 Tripp (Rex Linn) in uniform at the time, comes across a murder, a DB of a boy tied to a tree, tortured and murdered, that of Troy Faber (Spencer List).  With Tripp's reaction, he vomits after finding him, it appears this is his first chancing upon such a gruesome murder in his capacity as a police officer.  Three other teens were arrested and charged with his murder.

2011 the three men charged with his murder are released after the main witness recants his statement and they hold a press conference with singer, Kayla Bledsoe (Susie Abromeit) one of their supporters.  Toby's parents are disgusted and Horatio (David Caruso) has to prevent Toby's father, Bruce (David Andrews) from attacking the three.  Tripp has to lead them away to safety and he's clearly disgusted over that.

A party ensues at Kayla's mansion where she seems to be 'free' with them.  One of them, Rocco (Mac Brandt) is killed in the bathroom, the Vic of an apparent copycat killing.  He's stabbed several times, ME Tom (Christian Clemenson) counts ten wounds.  The murder is exactly the same MO as Toby's, including having his genitals cut.  A piece of info that was never released.  Walter (Omar Miller) thinks that as the crime happened a while ago, that things happen overtime, such as parents or other people talking.  There's an impression on Rocco's pants which Ryan (Jonathan Togo) analyzes as belonging to the Shadow Elite, a knife issued to members of this group of Marines.  Bruce happens to be a member, surprise, surprise.  He asks Horatio what he would do if it had been his son.  Horatio being quite flippant or arrogant replies he wouldn't get caught.  Well he hasn't thus far.

Toby's mother, Connie (Michelle Greene) admits she stabbed Rocco, but only once.  Calleigh (Emily Procter) stops Kayla's trailer as she leaves and questions her but she doesn't talk with Ryan around.  Then says Victor raped her.  A sex kit is taken at the hospital and Calleigh tells her, one thing she hates are liars.  Don't know about a male conducting the exam, especially after what she had gone through and she didn't even object to it.  That was insensitive to say the least, not to mention intrusive.  Why couldn't Calleigh do it for herself like they used to before; like Catherine and Sara in CSI or Stella in CSI:NY.

Connie didn't kill Rocco and the other stab wounds are found to be caused by a different blade.  Walter notices some trace on Rocco's leg, which ME Tom either didn't see or didn't get round to finding yet.  When analyzed, it's revealed as being dried blood belonging to Toby.  Therefore he was killed with the same murder weapon, said murder weapon never being found.

Tripp and Horatio need to find the other two and this leads them to Zach Anderson (Josh Coxx) a supporter of Darren's who was also on the same track team.  He refuses to give the location of his boat, which Victor escaped on, throwing Darren (David Meunier) into the water.  Darren having said the boat belongs to a friend.  Zack refuses to give his phone to Tripp, allowing Tripp to use some 'persuasive' measures - he grabs the phone from him and pinpoints the location of the boat.  Zack feels some affinity towards Darren as he too could have been falsely accused.

Horatio warns Calleigh that Victor is headed her way, where she wields her gun at him but he gives her the slip, not surprised in those heels, was she really going to give chase in those, no wonder she gives up at the top of the stairs.  Victor is confronted by Horatio and he shoots him as he takes hold of a woman hostage.  Calleigh and Tripp go over the old case files at the station and Tripp confesses this was his first murder case which has affected him deeply.  Calleigh thinks the murder weapon could still be in the woods, which no one thought about all those years ago.  Here Ryan finds a piece of metal embedded in the root of the tree which is coated with zinc and is identified as a javelin belonging to Darren.

Thus Horatio is convinced Darren is guilty. He tells them he overheard Rocco and Victor at the party when  found at Toby's grave.  They admitted to killing Toby and ruined his life in the process.  Toby was going to tell coach about their PCP use.  Tripp is kind of glad to see Rocco dead and he doesn't hide his contempt towards these men, believing they are guilty.  Horatio having the 'forgiveness' question asked him again by Victor before he dies, as with Memmo.  Horatio tells Victor he won't be forgiven.

Darren found his javelin at the CS and exacted his own revenge on Rocco and Victor.  Yet this revenge lands him back in prison again.  So was it worth it?  It could be said he has nothing to lose since he spent over half his life in prison anyway paying for something he didn't do, so now he'll spend time there for something he did.  He thanks Horatio for taking care of Victor for him.

Tripp takes Troy's photo from evidence and places it at the tree where he was found.  He tells Horatio he'll never get over this case with Horatio adding that's what makes him a good man.  (Can't say much the same about the others or Horatio, seeing as how their characters have changed so dramatically over the years, as they terrorize suspects and enact a kind of vigilante justice.  Not the behaviour of officers or CSIs at all.) Also seen by Horatio's reply to Bruce, "I wouldn't have got caught."  Sums up entirely what the show has become really.  Reinforcing the CSI's tactics towards suspects and also how they have fallen from being good CSIs.

Tripp doesn't get such episodes too often and when he does, he conveys his emotions strongly. The same can be said when he gets the more funny lines and scenes; as in the vampire episode 10.6 By The Book.

This episode was CSI: Miami's take on the case of the West Memphis Three.  The three also were allowed an Alford plea where they speak their innocence whilst still reaffirming that if there is a re-trial, there is sufficient evidence for a conviction.  No such problem here though.

The Memphis Three were accused of killing as part of a satanic ritual, had long hair and were listeners of heavy metal.  They were released after 20 years on the undertaking they could not sue for wrongful imprisonment.

Doctor Who 7.3 "A Town Called Mercy" Review

"When I was a child my favourite story was about a man who lived forever, but whose eyes were heavy with the weight of all he'd seen.  A man who fell from the stars."  Could also be a reference to the Doctor (Matt Smith) himself.

A craft lands on a  planet where it's met by some sort of a cyborg telling the occupant to "make peace with your gods." Before firing upon him as he reaches for his gun.  Of course Terminator would come to mind with a blue eye substituted for red.  The Doctor arrives in Mercy with Rory (Arthur Darvill) and Amy (Karen Gillan) already in tow.  Apparently they were heading to Mexico to see the Day of the Dead festival, which is kind of appropriate under the circumstances.  Especially when the gun toting cyborg will shoot anyone who crosses the line out of Mercy and threatens the entire town with this fate later on.

The Doctor notices something's not quite right in Mercy as there are electric lamps which are flickering and the Doctor puts right with he use of his trusty Sonic.  Question being, where they always flickering or did they begin that only after the three arrived?  The Doctor asks for a cup of tea in the saloon (no Custard Creams or Jammie Dodgers though.)  This is music to the townspeople's ears, well sort of, and as he's a Doctor he's marched out of town and made to cross the line.  The cyborg approaches in random flashes but he's not the Doctor he's after.  A man holds a gun and brings the Doctor back in.

In the sheriff's office he introduces himself as Issac (Ben Browder).  Amy reminds the Doctor he is still an alien.  A man behind bars admits to being the Doctor the cyborg is after.  His name is Kahler Jex (Adrian Scarborough).  His ship was damaged when he crashed here and being the Doctor and helpful soul that he is, he offers to repair his ship for Jex.

The Doctor comes up with a plan, that being Issac dresses as Jex and takes Rory along with him as bait to lure the cyborg after them, whilst the Doctor looks for the ship.  To do that, he needs a horse, who the Preacher (Byrd Wilkins) tells him is called Joshua.  The Doctor corrects him, he speaks Horse and the horse is called Susan.

The Doctor comes across an electric wire and this leads him to the ship, which isn't danged at all.  Meanwhile Rory and Issac are shot at by the cyborg and are pinned behind rocks for cover.  The Doctor access the shop's personal files after overriding the self destruct.  He realizes Jex is a scientist who experimented on people who lost their lives in the process.  Kahler Mas, the cyborg (Dominic Kemp) is his creation, which went wrong.  He is hunting down Jex for his crimes.

Here the story becomes a bit of Frankenstein's monster.  As well as being a reflection of the Doctor's own past as far as killing is concerned.  Jex even tells the Doctor that his own life mirrors that of the Doctor, in yet another dark moment.  The Doctor accuses him of being a murderer but Jex responds he's "a scientist."  Believing himself to be a war hero.  Many have been killed in the hopes of making things better, which is familiar to both.

The Doctor takes Jex from the cell and forces him to cross the  line, making himself out ot be as bad as Jex.  Amy wants him to not do this and Rory is in agreement with the Doctor.  The Doctor once again demonstrating his dark side, having no tolerance for murderers (a point he proved last episode.)  That was the only bit of darkness we saw since in no time at all, he's back into comedic Doctor mode.  The cyborg comes for Jex and Issac rushes to push him over the line, only to be shot in his place; making the Doctor sheriff before he dies.

The Doctor comes up with yet another plan but not before he's confronted by one of the men who wants to give Jex to the cyborg, as they no longer agree with Issac's decision.  The Doctor talks him out of it as he's here to help them, adding, "give me a Dalek anyday" than people.  Yeah he won't be seeing a Dalek anytime soon.  Amy reminds him this is what happens when he's without a companion for long periods of time.  So meeting at high noon, the Doctor tries to outsmart the cyborg by having as many people with painted faces similar to Jex running around the town as decoys, enabling Jex to reach his ship.

Jex however grows a semblance of a conscience and sets the ship to self destruct so Mas can't follow him anymore.  Begging the question of what the whole purpose was in getting Issac killed if he just wanted to end it all anyway.  Jex could have done that a long time ago and saved everyone the rouble. Many have asked the point of this episode.

Amy and Rory decide to head back home as they've been gone a long time and their friends will begin to notice they're ageing faster than them.  They've never had that problem before (a hint for the next episode.)

Mas decides he's fulfilled his purpose and will set to self destruct also as he's only a killing machine.  He can't go back to his world, as he's a "creature of war - no role to play during peace."
Doctor: "except maybe to protect it."  The Doctor wanted to take Amy and Rory to see the dogs and monkeys that were first sent up in space.

"By the time the gunslinger arrived, the people of Mercy were used to the strange.  Where he came from didn't matter as someone once said, 'America is a land of second chances.'  Do I believe the story, I don't know, my great grandmother must have been a little girl when he arrived, but next time you're in Mercy, ask someone why they don't have a sheriff, a marshall or a police officer there.  'We got our own arrangement' they'll say.  Then they'll smile like they've got a secret.  Like they've got their own special angel watching out for 'em.  Their very own angel who fell from the stars."

apparently they arrived in Mercy when Rory left crumbs whilst eating at the console which the Doctor disapproves of.  Matt Smith excels once again as the Doctor's dark side takes over.  The anger is always ready to implode or explode onto the scene.  At least he gets to don a Stetson once more, even if it is bullet ridden as in 6.1 The Impossible Astronaut.  Also got Issac (from Farscape and Stargate SG1) to mention his bowtie.  Many were impressed with Ben Browder actually being in a Doctor Who episode.  Which was a bit Westworld meets Terminator meets Doctor Who.

This episode was filmed in Almeria, Spain and was written by Toby Whithouse who also wrote season 6's The God Complex, one of my fave eps, School Reunion (2006) and The Vampires of Venice (season 5) (See my comments for that episode elsewhere in my blog.)

The Doctor mentioning he knows what happens when his mercy is on show: mercy towards the Daleks et al; it comes back to haunt him several times over.  A lot of mentioning of the Daleks since they are meant to be gone forever from the show.  It's also his other actions which come back to haunt him, like taking lives especially as he used to say "no one dies today" very frequently and he hasn't said it at all recently.  He says, here, "today I honour the victims first."  In much the same way he did in the previous episode.

The Wild West hasn't been seen in a Doctor Who episode since The Gunfighters (1966) so it was long overdue, even if it was cliched in places.  Matt Smith said of Ben Browder that he made " a good cowboy...with...that great drawl."  The Doctor carries a gun and he hates those as once again he battles his own morality with the situation he encounters.  It would have been better if we saw more of Amy and Rory who were relegated to the sidelines, especially since  they'll be gone soon!

By the way, was meant to mention this in my review of the previous episode but did you notice the flickering lightbulbs in each of the three eps.  In Asylum of the Daleks the light bulb was flickering just before Amy got abducted by the Dalek in her dressing room.  In the dinosaur ep, Rory and his father were replacing the lightbulbs in their home and also at the end when they returned.  This ep, the town has flickering bulbs in the lanterns.  Wonder if that's some sort of foreboding for the future, re the departure of the two, or whether it's just coincidental.  Anyway, have to look out for that occurrence in the next episode.

CSI: NY Season 9: More Photos and Guests

With less than 2 weeks to go until the season 9 premiere of CSI:NY on 28th September 2012, more photos have been revealed from the episode to air on 5th October, Where There's Smoke... continued on from the season's first episode Reignited as they chase serial arsonist, Leonard Brooks.

Gotta say, Flack (Eddie Cahill) looks positively beguiling, even when he 'dons' (my great pun!) that cute frown on his face.  Well, you know me, I had to say it!!

Don't know what to make of the new detec though, Jamie Lavato (Natalie Martinez) as long as she's not another detective love interest for Flack we're okay with that!  Come on, I mean another detective after Angell (Emmanuelle Vaugier) let's give him some credit for having a private life that doesn't revolve around work or female detects!

Yep the CSI's (Sela Ward, Carmine Giovinazzo, Hill Harper, Gary Sinise) are all gathered and ready to impart some serious forensic justice!

Other guests signed up for the show include Meredith Monroe as April, a mother whose son has been missing for 20 years, reports Zap2it.  This is the fifth ep and is also the one flashing back to Flack and his sister, Sam (Kathleen Monroe) when they were both younger, with their father.  Marilyn has been in Criminal Minds.  Another two cases the team must solve which span a multitude of years.

Tara Summers from Ringer, also guests in an ep later on where she plays a psychiatrist, Dr Carly Emerson, whose patients are killed.

Desperate Housewives - 7.22: "And Lots of Security..." Review

Susan is questioned about Paul's poisoning. Lee tells Bree that Chuck is gay and Lynette and Tom's reconciliation weekend ends in disaster, signifying the end of their marriage.

Mary Alice: (Brenda Strong) "Susan Delfino (Teri Hatcher) had always played by the rules...obeyed every label...performed her civic duties.   So when she was questioned about the poisoning of Paul Young (Mark Moses) Susan was more than a little upset." Susan is asked her age by the detective and she asks why he wants to know that.   She lies by saying she's 38 and says Felicia (Harriet Sansom Harris) poisoned Paul.   The detective still thinks Susan was Felicia's accomplice, as she was the one who delivered the food.   She liked Paul's wife, she gave her a kidney.   Which the detective adds was Paul's fault since he caused the riot in the lane and suspects Susan poisoned the school since she didn't get her job back.   Mary Alice: "Yes, Susan Delfino had always played by the rules...she was about to find out, this wasn't a game."

Mary Alice: "Sometimes it's the little things that make us feel secure...an old friend at bedtime...small comforts are up against big challenges..."  Lynette (Felicity Huffman) thinks they should have gone away ages ago.   Chuck (Jonathan Cake) wants to wait to be with Bree (Marcia Cross) until after his divorce comes through.   Bree kisses him.   Bob (Tuc Watkins) tells Susan evidence was found at her house, but Susan insists she was framed.   Mike (James Denton) admits Felicia called him from prison and offered him money to kill Paul.   He considered it and there was a time when he would've killed Paul for free.

Juanita (Madison De La Garza) is eating again and Gaby (Eva Longoria) is being watched.  Carlos (Richardo Antonio Chavira) is away on business and they both want him to bring them something back.   Gaby asks Bree for a gun and states she lets Bree borrow things all the time.   She'd like a small gun, the type Nancy Reagan would use.   The detective calls Felicia in for questioning and she gets worried.   Lynette suggests they should go candle-making.   Tom (Doug Savant) would rather work things out and talk, that's what they're here for.   They meet Lisa (Erin Hayes) and Andy (Jonathan Scarfe) who are here for the third time, agreeing to go candle-making with them.

Mike is adamant that of all the people who want Paul dead, Susan isn't one of them.   Lee (Kevin Rahm) asks Bree about Chuck and wants all the gossip, he tells her Chuck is definitely gay.  He saw "Detective Hottie at the gay bar."  Lee has a 'homographic memory.' They haven't been together yet and thinks Chuck needs a girlfriend for show.   Lee: "Time of gay: 11.21."  Tom and Lynette avoid being alone and he accuses Lynette of always stealing his punchline.   Lynette knows how to tell a story and he's always complaining about money, but she was the one who wanted him to take the job in the first place.   (Makes you wonder if Tom doesn't think he'd have been better off with Renee (Vanessa Williams.) Just a thought.)

Chuck is free for dinner and introduces Bree to his work colleagues.   She looks at photos of Chuck and Pete, they were partners for 9 years.   Bree getting the wrong end of the stick with the word 'partners'.   Pete transferred and she thinks Chuck was in love with him.   Gaby attends gun classes and the instructor asks if she could fire a gun, shoot him and live with killing him.   She leaves.   Paul cleared Susan of the poisoning and he's leaving, he doesn't belong here and the past caught up with him.   Susan believes he's a good person and he could start over.

Bree takes Chuck to a gay bar for a nightcap and Chuck attempts to explain he's not gay.  He worked here undercover and he loved Pete like a brother, but Pete had an affair with his wife.   She wants Chuck to mess up and he doesn't want to sleep with Bree until after the divorce.   Lee was wrong so much for his gaydar.   Gaby eats a snack and replaces the empty box back on the supermarket shelf.   Yeah, the number of people who get away with doing that!  A man follows her.   She wants to look at the security footage claiming someone took her purse.   It's her stepfather, Alejandro (Tony Plana)  he's meant to be dead.  Said that was him last episode.   Gaby fires a gun in class.

Lisa and Andy are fed up of Tom and Lynette who just want to tag along with them, they want to be alone.   Knew Felicia would go after Paul, this storyline wouldn't end that easily.   Tom and Lynette resort to weather speak, just grasping at straws.   Lynette recalls if they were in a room together twenty years ago, they wouldn't talk about the weather.   She doesn't think Tom's trying and he gives her a ring, he changed the stone for a real diamond.   He recalled he'd give "her a decent ring someday."  But Lynette never being satisfied with anything, liked the old ring.   She joked about the ring but still loved it.   Tom is out of ideas on what to do.   Lynette says they've survived so much, so why can't they get out of this bind.   Tom doesn't like what's happening to them.

Felicia threatens Paul with a syringe through the heart, whilst she's slowly poisoning him on the drip.   She speaks with Beth's ashes, who she claims was always here.  Susan sees them.   Felicia demands repentance from Paul for Martha, but she drove Mary Alice to suicide, Paul isn't sorry for her, Martha got what she deserved and Felicia records what he says as a confession.   They'll find him dead and this video.   Paul will always think she's crazy.   Sirens are heard but it's just MJ's car.   Anyway, Paul doesn't actually confess to killing Martha, since he only says she deserved what happened to her.   Felicia attacks Susan and Paul strangles Felicia.   Susan wants him to stop, letting her escape again in the process.   But she can't be that lucky can she.   Paul killed Martha, he wants to be that man again and gives the police a statement.

Mary Alice: "A sense of security is something we all search for; whether it's knowing we're desired...taking control of our fears or finding the strength to do the right thing - but the danger of a sense of security is that it may prove to be false."  Felicia knocks over the urn with Beth's ashes in the car and drives into a truck.   Will that be the end of her.

Coming to the end of the season, things were a little rushed to say the least.   Bree finding someone else already, whereas she would've mourned  and moped for a lot longer.   Paul admitting he killed Martha, so what happened to him and is Felicia really dead.   Also Susan conveniently getting back her house when Paul was so reluctant to leave.   Finally Tom and Lynette just fed up with each other, when not that long ago she was seducing him into taking the new job and doing his office up for him.   That was fast moving on their parts, especially after not wanting their children to be affected by their marriage failure.

CSI: NY - 7.16: "The Untouchable" Review

Mac is abducted and warned off an investigation. Finding a DB in an alley of someone he knew, he is determined to find her killers and solve the murder she told him about a year earlier.

A couple dump a hooded man in an alley, who turns out to be Mac (Gary Sinise).   That didn't come as a shock but more of  a surprise.   Since if it had been someone else, they most probably wouldn't have been dumped alive.   He was tasered in the neck and they threaten to shoot him next time.  Should've recognized his striped shirt!  He calls on the emergency phone and asks for Jo (Sela Ward) at the New York crime lab.

48 hours earlier.    A DB of a woman in an alley is found, Flack (Eddie Cahill) says by uniforms.   Jo thinks she died from an overdose.   Danny (Carmine Giovinazzo) finds traces of heroine and candy wrappers on the ground beside her.   Lindsay (Anna Belknap) doesn't find any prints on the syringe, most likely wiped down.  Mac knows her and IDs her as Tessa James (Kate Towne).   Jo questions Mac, "...enough of this quiet man crap."  Mac tells her Tessa would always find him; he met her almost a year ago, which he terms a "series of strange encounters."  Jo thinks it may have been romantic, that was funny for a brief moment.  

Tessa believed she was being followed and she can trust Mac, she saw him in the paper.   She describes a woman with purple feathers and blood on her face.   She saw bright lights and angels.   Men carried the woman away.   She is dead.   Mac couldn't find Tessa, only that she was fired from her job.   Jo thinks she could be suffering from extreme OCD.   He didn't have any proof of her story, but he believed her, because of his gut.   Jo comments about Mac telling the others to use their heads and not their hearts, but he corrects her, I said my gut."  Which is not the same thing at all.   Yes recall him telling Stella (Melina Kanakaredes) to use her head and not her heart, in one investigation all the way back to season 1 in the episode Creatures of the Night.   Mac: "City's the city...  use your head and not your heart."

Sid (Robert Joy) found heroin in Tessa's system, but no other drugs and no track marks, just one injection mark on her arm.   Mac doesn't think she was an addict.   All organs were healthy and the injection site was on her left arm, but she's left-handed so someone else injected her.   Mac says her death was disguised, she was  murdered.   Lindsay wonders if it's a grease stain on Tessa's coat.   Danny, "...hope it's that given where we found her."  That wasn't a nice thing to say from either of them and excuse me, Lindsay, urine would stink!  What, did she have a blocked nose.   Danny finds a paint chip in the seam of her jeans.   (Something or another is always found in, or on the jeans.)

Hawkes (Hill Harper) analyzes it to find layers of other paint underneath.  There was lead in the first layer, the others were more recent and lead free.  Mac guesses the building was painted before 1953-1983.   Hawkes found the more recent paints were industrial.   Cue Lindsay butting in, with sulphur dioxide being found in killer smog, between 1953-1966, the stains on her coat show she came into contact with this smog.   Danny finds the price tag on the sweater was made in the 1970's.   Mac recalls Tessa carried a 'Braggmans' paper bag.   Leading to where she lived.

Flack, Jo and Mac check out the building, a sky bridge near to Braggmans.   With lots of clippings on the wall, along with masks and photos.   (I thought of Mardi Gras before Jo says it, cos of Tessa's reference to purple feathers.)  Flack: "I don't think the elevator goes to the top floor, if you know what I mean."  Why give him that line, it implies Tessa was crazy and she wasn't.  Mac spots a green napkin with a logo, which Hawkes discovers is an 'L' and a 'T' for 'loyalty and trust,' belonging to the Vonner Club.   Lindsay has to be given yet more lines, asking Mac if there was any hard evidence indicating Tessa witnessed a murder.   Mac replies there's nothing to disprove she didn't.   (She didn't actually witness a murder, she witnessed a body removal.)  She wasn't delusional but Tessa was murdered for what she knew.   Mac comes up with Tessa not being delusional now, but was silent when Flack had that line to say earlier on.

Jo comments you need to be a billionaire boy and know the funny handshake to get in.   Mac asks her why she's got a problem with gentlemen's clubs, being a Southern girl.   It's not the clubs she has the problem with, but with gentlemen "who may have committed murder."  Mac recalls Tessa saying it was cold and asks what time of year is on the clippings.   February 17; which Jo connects to Mardi Gras.   They need to know how the club celebrated.   Mac asks the manager of the club, Keith de Young (Matt Corboy) for a guest list and they need to look around.   The club does have a room with bright lights and angels.   Mac uses ALS to search for blood.   Flack observes there being plenty of sex taking place, so the VIP room means something else.   Mac replies sex isn't a crime, oh but it can be.   He finds blood spatter on the wall, suggesting a GS wound.

A woman falls in front of Mac on the road, so we're back to what happened 48 hours later and he notices a black SUV in the mirror.   He is tasered when he gets out.   (Roadside abductions seem to be the norm for CSIs, as Calleigh (Emily Procter) and Ryan (Jonathan Togo) also got abducted in a similar fashion in CSI:Miami.)  He's put into the back and he describes what he felt and heard to Flack and Jo.   He felt the seats, he didn't see the woman, he got fibres under his fingernails from the car and he felt metal under his shoulder.   In a reversal, it's Mac who now becomes the Vic and has to be processed by Jo for evidence and there's plenty of that.   Jo thinks there could have been trace transfer onto his shoulder and takes a sample, revealing a licence plate.   Jo: "...all the little details that criminals never pay attention to...I love this job."  Which manages a smile from Flack.

Danny sends the photos from the wall to Adam (AJ Buckley) to compare with the guest list from the club, but none of them match.   Mac surmises they had a smaller party of their own.   Well they did, in the VIP room.   He recalls Tessa telling him about three men with a girl: a "crying man with white hair; muscle guy with a tiger."  Jo notices the Stratford candy wrapper on the wall, similar to the candy wrappers found at the CS.   Tessa brought them there.    The inside of the wrapper reads, 'Comisky'.   Which Danny alludes to Charles Comisky and the Chicago 'Black Sox' incident, referring to the Chicago White Sox team.   Lindsay has to get the comment about Danny being obsessed with baseball, which we already know from past episodes and also because Carmine is a huge baseball fan.   It was going to be his intended profession.   Tessa mentioned George Weaver, the third baseman for the team.   They threw the World Series in 1919.   Danny refers to them as the bad guys.  

Whittaker owned the team, like Matthew Stratford (Don Fischer) owns the confectionery company.   He's the "white-haired man" Tessa described.   Lindsay recalls all the articles on the wall are about death, except for one about Derek Perry (Jon Fleming) who is Weaver.   Perry was suspended from baseball for a year after taking cocaine.   Gleason saw Tessa.   Danny tells them Billy Gleason was the manager of the Sox, so he's the manager of the club.   This is how Tessa put together all the bad guys.   The manager of the club wanted the fact he gave Mac the list kept quiet.   They exchanged cards.

Flack says they found the luxury car service with the number plate.   Mac recognizes the man's voice and he attempts to hide between the cars.   Was he really getting out of there, apparently not.   He almost shoots Flack and he just happen to knew that Flack would look under the cars at the particular moment!  Peter (Steve Richard Harris) doesn't talk, he'll be killed.   His accomplice, the woman,  is also arrested.   Flack comments, they "work together, play together, kidnap cops together."  Lindsay throws her weight around, now they've got her conducting an interrogation with Jo, oh dear.    The manager denies seeing Tessa, but he's bad with faces.   So how come he described Tessa to them so they could find and kill her!  Tessa delivered papers to the club.   He feels sick.   Jo tells him to go ahead, she's used to it as she's got two children of her own and was covered in it for most of he life.   Lindsay has to agree.

Sid finds the Jane Doe Mac asked him to look for, a strangulation on February 16.   In the flashback, Mac says February 17.   Her DNA matches the blood found at the club.   She had cocaine in her system and blood in her nasal cavity.  She OD-ed and was strangled.   She had a tattoo on her arm, which is the symbol Tessa drew.   Hawkes examines the buttons from Jane Doe's coat and Adam finds a foreign print on one of the buttons, matching to the manager, of course.   That wasn't a surprise.   He had to know what was going on there.   He didn't kill Jane Doe, but he let them know about Tessa.

Mac says his compassion gave him away.   They matched his print from the card he gave Mac.   He let Tessa in and she saw them carry her out.   Perry and Stratford left him to clean up the mess.   The manager saw Tessa and he took his gloves off to button Jane Doe's coat as it was so cold outside, when he dumped her.   Flack's look on his face when arresting Stratford, turning his nose up at that club and rightly so.   It was left to Danny to arrest Perry, so not one of his baseball heroes!  Also the cocaine connection should have been made to Perry earlier on.   Sid tells Mac she'll be buried in a pine box as she didn't have any friends or family to make a formal ID.   Mac sees the clipping on her wall with his name and 'trust' written on it.   Mac says he's her friend and identifies her as Tessa James.   In contrast to the first Jane Doe, who will be buried as such.

An episode also showing Mac's compassion for Tessa too and especially when she became a Vic herself, of the very people she was attempting to get arrested for Jane Doe's murder in an ironic twist of fate.   One episode where the rich didn't get away with murder and the moral being, you can't kidnap and threaten Mac and get away with it.   Speaking of Jo inferring Mac and Tessa may have been romantically involved, what happened to the doctor (Madchen Amick) Mac was seeing.   Ahh, Jo she's such a romantic when it comes to other peoples' love life, what about her own!

Mac is from Chicago, but it was left to Danny to draw the necessary inferences to the Chicago White Sox.   Danny and Lindsay working together again.  Not a highlight!

Supernatural's Super Seven Years

So as all Supernatural fans know today marks the seventh anniversary of the show when it first aired back on September 13 2005.  At least for the US.  Can you cast your minds back and remember what you were doing on that day.  How many of you watched the show out of curiosity and how many watched cos they knew it'd become a sure fire hit?  Oh here's a dreaded question, what would we have done if there was no Supernatural?  OOh sorry, someone has to ask.

Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki wowed, charmed, broke hearts, fought demons, themselves, family.  Met friends, lost family, loves, each other.  Only to come back over and over.  Met an angel or two, fought Lucifer and much more. I along with many others can't really imagine a day or year going by without watching Supernatural and having it in our lives.

It may just be a show to some, but for many others, devoted followers, it's more than that.  It's a way of life, a phenomenon.  We've been there every minute laughing, crying, sharing the jokes, songs, movie refs and wish we could also share the Impala too!!

To me, it's more than a show, admittedly I watched cos of the amazing trailers we got down here and the tagline for the UK: "Scary just got sexy!"  Well, okay the tagline wasn't my main reason it was Jensen.  Having watched him in many other TV shows, films, he became a firm favourite with me over the years, so naturally I would watch anything with him.  Another reason for me which is extremely personal and painful was that at the time we got the show, I had just lost my father and season 2 In My Time of Dying, with John Winchester (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) dying struck a cord with me.  In short, it was there when I needed to see something like that.  To go through the emotions and the loss which was so real to me.

No matter what it means to each of us, we're all grateful for Supernatural being a part of our lives.

Okay, deep breath!  In essence the show has continued to capture the hearts and minds of so many, not just in its native US but also globally.  It's astonishing, but not surprising that Supernatural can unite so many people from all backgrounds, faiths and countries as it continues to go from strength to strength.  Propelling two of the nicest guys in showbiz into household names and what makes it even better is how Jensen and Jared have gotten right in there with the show, not only in terms of being there for fans, taking part in conventions and well, just being Jensen and Jared!

That goes for the rest of the cast too, in Misha Collins, Jim Beaver, to name but two out of many, as well as the excellent crew, writers and well, not forgetting Eric Kripke who brought it all together for us to begin with in his love of urban legends.

"Carry on my wayward son" to another few good years of Supernatural and here's to season 8!!  Let's keep on this never ending roadtrip.