Mr Selfridge Series 1 Episode 1 Review

                                       
So another drama about a department store; the biggest in the world this time.   Described as "Downton Abbey with tills..."  Okay so I'll get The Paradise similarities out of the way first, since we all know it's a much more bigger version than that.  Based on the book, Shopping, Seduction and Selfridge by Lindy Woodhead.  ITV wanted to screen this last year but didn't until the BBC had screened The Paradise.  Though the BBC maintain The Paradise had been scheduled eight months in advance.  The similarities, well there's the boss, John Moray (Emun Elliott) and Selfridge (Jeremy Piven) both with big aspirations of making their dreams come true: large department stores with all the trappings to seduce buyers from all walks of life.  Though in essence only those who can afford to live the high life will be buying.

There's shop assistant Agnes (Aisling Loftus) who resembles shop girl Denise (Joanna Vanderham) both wide eyed and bustling with huge ideas.  Moray doted on his dead wife and was in  a 'relationship' of sorts with Miss Glendenning (Elaine Cassidy).  Selfridge is married with children, yet he neglects his wife, Rose (Frances O'Connor) failing to show up for dinner since he was at the theatre watching actress Ellen Love (Zoe Tapper).  Whom he wanted to be the "face of Selfridge", encompassing her beauty, and standing for quality.  Whose in it for the money and other perks.  As is Lady Mae (Katherine Kelly), whom Selfridge had to approach for funding the store when his partner, Waring changed his mind and withdrew his investments.  Lady Mae, one of those upper classes who marries for convenience, has a toyboy lover and then will hold Selfridge to owing her and she'll collect.

Selfridge purports to get Agnes fired from her position at Gamages store after asking her about gloves, how she would sell them and display them.  Not intentionally, but it was obvious she'd be fired.  He sends her his card with the red gloves and she keeps it since she'll need a job with him in the future.  Supporting her brother, you're meant to think it's her no good husband, but then she couldn't work in the store if she was married, as was the taboo of the time.  Also the same rule in The Paradise.  Which also boasted two assistants who didn't like Denise, well one did, Pauline (Ruby Bentall) and the other, Clara (Sonya Cassidy) didn't.  Here there's Kitty (Amy Beth Hayes) and Doris (Lauren Crace) who think Agnes is  a tad arrogant when she's given a job as senior shop assistant; working under Miss Mardle (Amanda Abbingdon) who happens to be Miss Audrey (Sarah Lancashire) from The Paradise.  Kitty comments how Agnes is more the name of a servant and Agnes replies they had cats back home called Kitty.

Miss Mardle who is secretly seeing Mr Grove (Tom Goodman Hill) and are spotted by Agnes holding hands in the lift at the station. That probably won't bode well for her.  What was a little surprising was how Selfridge couldn't recall Agnes, or that he would have gotten her fired due to his flambouancy and eccentricity.  Of course the assistants are in awe of him, the ladies in particular, as they were with Moray.

Selfridge perseveres and doesn't spare any expense in ensuring the store does open one year on, much to the chagrin and unrealistic tendencies of his finance man Crabb (Ron Cook) who is cynical of the store and its success.  Though we know it will be successful, part of the pleasure in watching was seeing how it was all done, though in part to dramatic licence for TV purposes.

Agnes turns up at the hiring at the store without references and Miss Mardle was in thinking she made up getting a personal invitation from Selfridge to visit the store and ask for the chief of staff.  Agnes later meets another employee there who appears to be enamoured with her, who shows her the restaurant where he's a waiter and then asks her for a dance.  Before proceeding to deck her brother reg (Nick Moran) cos she can do better.  Does that mean Selfridge himself, ha, well he is portrayed as a womanizer, although not apparent in this opener, he did however not have dinner with his family in favour of Ellen.  And he couldn't keep his gaze from her when she was behind the screen, changing even if he appeared to.  Though his dalliances were more for showgirls.

Selfridge had the sole intention of making "shopping as interesting as sex" and was the first to coin the phrase, "the customer is always right" as well as his extravagant window displays.  The series is set in 1909 when women were coming into their own, like being able to walk the streets alone, demonstrated here.

Jeremy Piven relished the title role and wanted to play him as a showman, since he was interested in PT Barnum and showmanship.  Shown by his glamorous window displays, the brainchild of  Henri LeClair (Gregory Fitoussi).  In this episode, Henri sets the sprinklers off whilst smoking in the displays.  Crabb reminding Selfridge they're not insured if the sprinklers go off in the store, being a new untested innovation.  As well as taking on board Agnes's idea of having a silk red rose flower for the woman to hold in the window display, as a token of love.

It's still early days but you have to get away from the remnants of The Paradise,  wipe it clean from the windows of your mind,to judge whether this lives up to its potential of providing thrilling entertainment for the next ten weeks, now nine.   Fans of Jeremy Piven will tune in after his eight year stint on Entourage, personally I recall him more from the role of Cupid, in the short lived TV show of the same name! Ha.  Then maybe I'm funny like that.

Desperate Housewives 8.19 "With So Little To Be Sure Of" Review

Mary Alice:  "When it came to throwing a bridal shower, Bree Van de Kamp believed everything should be done with taste and dignity...personalized party favours...and she insisted on traditional gifts even if they received an untraditional response."  Bree (Marcia Cross) made all the arrangements for Renee's (Vanessa Williams) bridal shower, especially when she gives Renee a blender for perfect soups.  Gaby (Eva Longoria) however hired a male stripper and the doorbell rings, cue Det Heredia (Jose Zuniga) and two policemen here to arrest Bree.

Mary Alice: (Brenda Strong) "Bree Van De Kamp believed in doing everything with dignity, even in the most undignified of circumstances."  Even having time to give the stripper a dirty look.
Mary Alice: "Sometimes no matter how much we plan things don't turn out the way we expect.  A sterling reputation may become tarnished, and one person may end up paying the price for a crime that everyone thought was shared."

Bree returns home with Bob (Tuc Watkins) who bailed her out.  The police have the letter Orson sent them but can't be used as it can't be corroborated and the conversation she had with Ben doesn't prove much either, being ambiguous.  Bob also tells them of Bree's fingerprint on Alejandro's shirt button.  Bree believed out of respect she should tidy Alejandro.  The women want to confess but Gaby insists Carlos (Richardo Anthonio Chavira) will go to jail.  Besides Bree knows she's best equipped to take the wrap since she's alone and has no job.  Lynette (Felicity Huffman) tells her she has "a halo over your head."  Bob knows a lawyer, "a real shark, he's not cheap but he's worth it."  Susan (Teri Hatcher) says they will all pay.

Det Murphy (Michael Dempsey) is still harping on about Bree killing Chuck and therefore wants her to go down no matter what.  Gaby tells Carlos the news and he won't let Bree suffer either.  Gaby warns this will be his third strike and he will end up in prison for life.  Bree will be okay as she's getting "a hotshot defence attorney" which she loves saying.

Susan puts away Mike's things and finds Lee (Kevin Rahm) crying, oh he turned up now did he after the funeral.   He discovers a box which Susan hasn't seen before and Lee thinks it may not be a good idea to open it since it's locked, adding if this was in his house he wouldn't want Bob looking it it.  Lee suggests he open the box and he'll tell her if she needs to know since, "men have secrets."

Renee feels she's owed another bridal shower and Lynette is baking for phase two of "get Tom back."  Tom (Doug Savant) says his children are throwing him a party and Jane (Andrea Parker) reminds him to take his divorce papers.  He promises to get round to it, cos he's putting it off, of course he doesn't want those served, but Jane decides she should do the dirty deed.  Well Lynette should have served her on a silver platter instead!

Lazaro (Matt Winston) suggests Gaby try the men's department and she should show more cleavage and remove her ring.  Bree waits for her "hot shot lawyer" who arrives having a phone conversation about his client being innocent and takes one of her muffins, asking if it's got raisins, cos he hates those.  He tells Bree to call him Trip (Scott Bakula) and liked her muffin.  Bree tells him her case and he has a reason for everything the police have against her.  She thinks Bob was right, Trip is actually "amazing" though, yeah isn't he just!   He doesn't take her case though as it's a "snooze" besides no jury would convict her.  He likes cases with challenges, Bree leaves, taking his half eaten muffin with her.  Suppose it was still her property.

Gaby goes down a storm in the men's department and Susan ponders over the box contents.  She knocks down Lee's door and he opens the box finding cheques he had written to Jennie Hernandez (Sarah Zimmerman).  There are also drawings inside the box and an address for Jennie.  Jane arrives at Lynette's whilst she's beating the cake mixture and she tries to put her off her beats.  Lynette claims she's like Rain Man.  Tom has signed the divorce papers and Lynette should sign them now.  Lynette confronts about the divorce papers and whether that's what he wants, that he already signed them.  She does so too and later she cries.

Tom confronts Jane and they argue, Tom will always care for Lynette as she is his children's mother and she has to deal with that.  Jennie tells Susan the cheques were for Laura (Stephanie Jones) Mike's sister.  Who is autistic.  At a resting home, Murphy and Heredia come across some of Ramons' belongings, in particular a map with Wisteria Lane circled.  Murphy writes Bree's house number on the map.  Murphy later shows Bree the map and that she should come clean now otherwise he can't help her.  Bree will wait for her lawyer.  Trip is also there and sees Bree by the water cooler.  She says she's fine and she's waiting for Bob, that they found some evidence and she doesn't know what it means.  Trip enters the room to rescue Bree and tells Murphy he's Bree's lawyer.  Bree asks what makes this case so interesting and he says Bree may not be the killer but she knows who is and that makes it interesting.

Carlos is annoyed by Jason (Sean Kanan) whilst he and Gaby are at dinner and then leaves, angry.  Gaby calls him a hypocrite for all the times he wanted her to show cleavage to his clients.  Gaby enjoys her job cos she can now treat Carlos after all these years.  Julie (Andrea Bowen) finds a letter about Mike not knowing about Laura until eight years ago, or rather the writers thought about writing that in now.  Mike was keeping the secret from Susan cos his mother asked him to.  Susan wonders how a mother can give away her own child, which hits home to Julie.  Who admits the baby is inconvenient but she's resolved to keeping the baby now.

Mary Alice; "yes in life we all make plans, but sometimes they don't turn out the way we expect...by attempting to reach out we may push someone further away...but then there are those who refuse to let go of their plans no matter how badly they're turning out."  Heredia reminds Murphy that Trip has the case now and he won't give up until he gets what he wants.

The title is from a Stephen Sondheim song of the same name from the musical Anyone Can Whistle.  A lot of repetition in this episode with Tom and Lynette going over old ground again, how many times have they had arguments and bust ups when they didn't need to.  Tom not really telling her how he feels and then doing the same thing with Jane.  He doesn't answer Lynette when she asks about him signing the papers and yet with Jane he says he will always care for Lynette.  Sounded like her being the mother of his children was just an excuse.

Murphy turns out to be as bad as Chuck what with 'doctoring' the map just to get Bree, without that he doesn't have a case and to add insult to injury he's reminded Trip is now her lawyer, though they didn't have much more interaction.  Gaby will always be Gaby and this time round she's the breadwinner doing exactly what Carlos used to do yet it hits home with him and he doesn't like the flirting with her clients.

Well call me biased, but I liked Scott as Trip, he was much better than Karl and yes, he was a "hotshot" lawyer in more ways than one.  Not to mention intelligent and on the ball (no pun!) even liking Bree's baking straight off, her orange glazed muffins.  It was funny watching her bring in muffins when she's about to go on trial for murder.  That can wait, "I've got baking to do..."  Liked the ball scene with Trip (Scott) too as a nod towards his role as Captain Jonathan Archer in Enterprise and his love of water polo!

AJ Buckley Engaged

                                                           
It's official for all you gal fans of AJ Buckley, he's off the market!  AJ proposed to his girlfriend, Abby Ochse in Hawaii on New Year's Eve.  Also present were his mother, Patrica and Abby's sister, Alyshia.  Abby is an oncology nurse and they had been dating for two years.

That makes AJ spoken for but on CSI:NY in which he has been starring in for almost eight years now, he still remains single.  Perhaps art will mirror life one day.  There were some pretty mean comments floating around on various sites as to the appearance of his fiancee which were uncalled for.  It amazes me still how shallow some people really are, not to mention cruel.

Anyway AJ had the ring stored in some fireworks, imagine if that had gone off with a bang before he popped the question!

Enrique Murciano: Another Great Detective

                                                      
Typecasting can be a dirty word to actors but sometimes they're suited to their role or the part they play and so they end up being cast again, doesn't necessarily mean that's a bad thing.  That's how we could view Enrique Murciano.  Seems like he's forever been playing detectives, FBI Agents and the like for as long as can remember.  Best remembered for his endearing and captivating role as FBI Agent Danny Taylor in Without A Trace, bet many a fan would have wanted lovable Danny on the case if they ever went missing.  Only in TV land though, not in reality.

Danny Taylor is the role that propelled Enrique to stardom and firmly put him on fan radar.  Also earning him two ALMA Award nominations in 2008 and 2009.  He should have won, at least once if not both times, cos he isn't just handsome, but he's gifted and so talented as an actor too!  He was denied that Award!

But he had played other 'cop' parts before that.  Such as a 'DEA agent' in Traffic, that wasn't a big part though.  Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous saw him play Jeff Foreman, another FBI agent, which was more of a comedic role rather than all-action.  Proving he's great whatever genre he appears in.

Without A Trace saw him grounded in agent 'training' as an actor, so to speak and this led nicely onto the part of Det Carlos Moreno in CSI.  His first appearance in the show was in 2009 in the episode Coup de Grace and held him firmly in stead and was a character who did make a huge impact with viewers.  That's not easy when you find yourself a new guy in a procedural show that's been running for nine years at the time.  However it wasn't until three years later in 2012, that his character was revived again in CSI.  This time we had a little more background on Det Moreno as we found he was the step son of 'disgraced' Det Sam Vega.

As a detective in Vegas, Carlos had extensive knowledge of gangs and this led him to helping Sara Sidle (Jorga Fox) solve the case in Coup de Grace.  Wanting to be just like his step father when he was younger, as revealed in Altered Stakes.  Women can't help falling for him, which is no big surprise as he got engaged in Without A Trace to fellow agent Elena Delgado.  Even Finn fell for the "cute guy on third" in Altered Stakes, but she was cold towards him in Homecoming.  Agh, he didn't deserve that!

In NCIS he was CIA Agent Ray Cruz, AKA "CI-Ray" to Tony.  Where once again Ziva (Cote de Pablo) couldn't resist his charms when she met him in Miami.  He also wanted to ask Ziva to marry him in Pyramid, but alas he just presented her with an empty ring box - ah the miser, ha.

Photo from Enrique's Twitter, @enriquetwiter

More recently we'll see him in yet another, dare I mention it - detective role in the Pilot of the rebooted version of The Saint, where he's been cast as Inspector Henry Fernack.  A New York detective who first made an appearance in a Saint production, in a Pilot for CBS called, The Saint in Manhatten in 1987; the first time since the 1940's.  In this, Inspector Fernack was played by Aussie actor Andrew Clarke.  Inspector Fernack has been likened to an "Inspector Estrade-like foil" to the Saint.  (Inspector Lestrade was of course a character  in Sherlock Holmes.)

Hopefully this series will extend beyond the Pilot stage, so we will have ample opportunity to see Enrique.  Oh you wanted me to say so that we can watch the show, well if you like, that too.  Just goes to show how much we like to see Enrique in a good guy role, it's just as a sexy as a bad guy but you get the added bonus of the good guy always winning at the end of the day!  Playing a true hero to our heart's content.

Desperate Housewives 8.17 "Women and Death" Review

Mary Alice: "Everyday on Wisteria Lane, women face their share of problems.  Like a paper boy who's off the mark...these everyday problems can seem like matters of life and death but then something truly horrible comes along and we rush to hold onto what really matters...before it's gone forever."

Mary Alice: (Brenda Strong) "When a loved one dies, certain decisions have to be made...preparing a body for burial is never an easy thing to do, but unearthing one can be even harder."
Gaby (Eva Longoria) has a flash to Carlos (Richardo Antonio Chavira). She's a mother, her wedding dress and agrees to quit his job.  Mike (James Denton) tells him he's a great man if he feels he needs to do this to be happy, then he should.  Mike helps Carlos out in rehab.  He doesn't want Gaby here cos she'll be ashamed to see him like this.

Mary Alice: "As she arrived at Mike's funeral, Gaby considered what her friend, Susan (Teri Hatcher) must be going through, after all Mike was the love of Susan's life and that got Gaby thinking about the love of hers."

Bree (Marcia Cross) is questioned by the police.  They caught  Mike's killer and Bree talks Renee (Vanessa Williams) into attending Mike's funeral.  It's not about heh guilt but it's to honour Mike.
Lynette (Felicity Huffman) sees Tom (Doug Savant) turn up with Jane (Andrea Parker), cries on his shoulder but Jane doesn't let her have her moment.

Mary Alice: "As Lynette looked at  a wedding photo of Susan and Mike , she thought about the tragic end of their marriage and that started her thinking about the beginning of her own."   Haggles over a cheque at a restaurant with Tom. Which means there will be a second date.  Lynette didn't want children or a ring but likes white picket fences, she plans to become VP of the company. Tom buys the house for her on Wisteria Lane but she doesn't recall the fence.  Mike helps Tom move out and tells him he should fight harder for his marriage since Lynette and Tom are meant to be together.  Which is apparent and they do get together eventually.  The time apart won't help them since they'll grow further apart whilst they are waiting.  Someone has to make the first move.  "Hope it's not too late for either one of you."

Karen (Katherine Joosten) tells Lynette she shouldn't be bothered about Tom bringing Jane.  Mary Alice: "Bree Van de Kamp found herself helpless in the face of a powerful man and this got her thinking about the ways she handles powerful men before and how she'd learned to do it." Bree learned to cook from her mother.  How to handle questions and wear a mask to conceal emotions.  If she knows what a man is thinking they won't have power over her.  Her father cheated on her mother.  Rex (Steven Culp) thinks he can read Bree which Bree knows and puts on her her 'plastic' face.  Bree doesn't think it's safe feeling every emotion she has.  Rex complimented Gaby and was hurtful to Bree when he tells her she's the most gorgeous model he ever met.  It was insightful of her mother as she serves his favourite waffles for breakfast.

The detective asks if she knows Ramon but Bree has never met him.  They have a tip that Bree killed him.  He also tells her she's hard to read which she takes as a compliment.   Her mother raised her to be graceful.

Mary Alice: Susan and her wedding day.  Mike is happy and wrote her a poem.  Bob (Tuc Watkins) writes a will for Mike and Susan, she thinks they are being jinxed.  Mike tells her it's not doing it that will jinx them.  Mike: "If something happens, there's nothing more important than knowing you're taken care of."  MJ (Mason Vale Cotton) mentions getting killed, has questions on death, heaven.  Susan says he's in heaven with the people they love.

Susan speaks at the service and says they didn't talk about what he wanted for the funeral as they didn't talk about it much.  She realizes he's in a better place, "in a diner eating cheeseburgers with his family...fishing at a waterfall and watching football with his son."  She will say goodbye now and reads Mike's poem: "I love you once, I love you twice, I love you more than beans and rice.  Renee sings.

Mary Alice: "Yes, as much as death takes from us, it also gives.  It teaches us what is truly important, like giving back after a lifetime of taking...going after something we should never have let go of..but sometimes the lessons learnt after a person's death aren't the ones we expected."

Where were Lee and Roy at the funeral?  Not much of a proper send off for Mike, since the episode was meant to be about him and his funeral, instead we get kind of a selfish look at the women's past and their lives, reminding them of what they're missing out on in their lives.  Aside from Susan and her recalling his poem and Renee's singing, everything else revolved around the women, as said.   Lynette seeing Tom at the funeral with Jane.  Should he have brought her considering she didn't really know him and especially after the flash we had with Mike helping Tom move out and telling him he and Lynette belong together.

The flashes to how Mike affected the women and men's lives reminded me of 5.13 episode The Best Thing That Ever Could Have Happened, the show's 100th ep and which guested Beau Bridges as the handyman, Eli Scruggs, who suffers a heart attack and dies, and the women have flashbacks to how he affected their lives, whilst playing poker.
The title of the episode is a Steven Sondheim song from the score to the film  Stavisky.

Covert Affairs 3.3 "The Last Thing You Should Do" Review

                                            
Auggie (Christopher Gorham) and Parker (Devin Kelley) are in the Red Sea on the boat with Debbie and Wade (Brendan Hines).  On the beach Auggie proposes to Parker and she finds a ring in an oyster shell.  When they return they find Debbie fell and injured her head.  Wade's radioed for help.  Auggie says this wasn't a good idea and a small boat approaches.  They're pirates.  The opening credits remind me of a cross between Alias and Spy Game (the TV series, not the movie).  Auggie tries to remove the ring from Parker's finger but it's taken.

Annie (Piper Perabo) receives a call from Parker's phone which was made by Auggie.  Debbie is taken to hospital.  An American woman is the hostage negotiator.  Her name is Annalise (Julianne Nicholson) and she appears to be running this band of pirates.  She puts her hand in front of his eyes in the old ploy to check if he's really blind.  Joan (Karri Matchet) warns off  Lena (Sarah Clarke).

Auggie doesn't want to be separated from Parker and tells the man she and Wade are engaged, only Wade's left the ring at home to be resized.  Their families will be involved since wade's father has money and Annalise is obsessed with Auggie's physique.  He wore a uniform and she sees his tattoo.  So he will get more money in a ransom.

Lena knows people at the State Department and two hostages died recently.  Annalise demands $8 million and increases this to $10 million.  There's a scuffle between Wade and the pirate as he comes to take Parker to the loo.  Wade stood up for her which was good and Auggie tells him he needs to sell that.

Auggie admits to Parker that he's CIA, he wanted to talk to her about it in Washington.  Wade thinks it was a smart move that he and Parker were engaged.  Parker really cares about Auggie and talks about him all the time.  The Peace Corps is a blast.  Well she won't talk to him now.  Wade gives Auggie his ring back, he found it on the ground after their scuffle.

Simon (Richard Coyle) needs his phone charger and calls Annie, she wants to go to Paris.  The facility is raided by Topaz Securities.  They raided the wrong house.  Annalise now demands $15 million in two hours and they will also lose a hostage.  Joan says she thought Lena had them standing down.  Reminding her she's taking risks with operatives and unkept promises.  She's reminded of Nairobi.  Jonathan wasn't professional. Well Lena doesn't really care about others, they're just collateral damage if they get in the way.

They are being moved and Auggie says they must escape since hostages don't survive moves.  The road block is the best way.  Parker freezes.  Annie says there's a ship and SEALs in the area.  But Joan wants to wire the money now.  Annie knows Auggie will follow his training and no one knows him better than her.

They escape when the truck stops and Wade grabs the gun.  They need to get to a roof but when they find one, they must jump to the next one since they're surrounded by antennas.  Auggie and Parker jump together.  That was a long two minutes for the helicopter to arrive.  Simon called Annie about his phone ad she didn't give it to him.  Lena tells Annie one day she'll be the story.  Auggie now on his knees; his only secret was his being in the CIA.  What about Annie though and their unspoken feelings?

Have to ask about Annie and Simon, she knows how dangerous he is and yet she seems to be playing games with him, like taking his charger so he calls her back and Lena encourages this, to get Intel.  So female agents aren't encouraged to sleep with the enemy in missions, but Annie did it anyway.  Lena appears to be a bad influence on her and that's another reason why Joan hates, yes hates her.   Auggie proves what a bad ass he really is, even if he is blind, doesn't mean his training won't come in handy and it does here, as he saves their lives.

Not sure about Parker doubting his sincerity just cos he didn't tell her who he is, erm, not really meant to most of the time.  You don't get round telling people, no matter how much you like them you're CIA.  Only reviewed this ep cos Brendan Hines was in it, but he didn't get that big a part.  Neither did Julianne Nicholson and besides she got away.

The engagement ring in an oyster shell was a nice touch, I was about to ask where's the pearl?  On the ring, ha.

Without A Trace 3.20 "The Bogie Man" Review

A girl near a bridge has flashes of a girl running away and tripping before being attacked.  She puts a makeshift wooden cross on the spot where the other one fell and disappears.

17 Hours Missing

Sam (Poppy Montgomery) brings Martin (Eric Close) a bagel and agrees to accompany him to his cousin’s wedding.  But Martin has had a change of heart and wants to go by himself.  Martin calls it off with Sam.

Jack (Anthony LaPaglia) takes Sam upstate to investigate the disappearance of Daisy Thorpe (Ashley Rose Orr).  Jack tells Sam to keep their personal problems away from work.

18 Hours Missing

Jack tells “the locals” Daisy’s parents called in the FBI.  Curtis Horn (John Krasinski) is the lead suspect in the case and he killed Amber Bryce (Megan Lusk) 7 years ago.  (Amber being the girl Daisy had flashbacks of.)  The Sheriff (Lindsay Ginter) found Amber’s body.  She was 13, sexually assaulted and strangled.  Sam asks what connected Curtis to Amber’s murder?  Curtis was 17, her boyfriend and they had an argument at school, and no alibi.  There were no forensics, the killer wore gloves, no prints or semen, hence no physical evidence.  Amber was the Reverend’s (Randy Oglesby) daughter.  Curtis came from a degenerate family, his older brother’s in prison on a manslaughter charge.  Curtis tells them he was here yesterday afternoon as he can’t get a job in town.  Jack wants the files on Amber and a 24/7 surveillance on Curtis.

19 Hours Missing

Sam asks why her parents waited so long to call them in.  Her mother thought she was acting up again like she a did a few months ago.  She got piercings and argued.  She’s run away a few times but hasn’t stayted away all night.  Yesterday morning she didn’t want breakfast and flaunted her birth control pills in front of her mother, saying she was sleeping around with everyone.  Daisy doesn’t have a boyfriend.  Sam asks for her pills and her toothbrush for DNA.

Viv (Marianne Jean-Baptiste) is having trouble opening her pill bottles.  If her heart doesn’t kill her the bottles will.  Danny (Enrique Murciano) calls her about the 26 open cases on missing persons and 2 belong to Viv but he’s having trouble with her handwriting.  She gets a call on the other line and hangs up on Danny.

20 Hours Missing

Daisy got her pills from the Hudson Falls Family Planning clinic.  Danny finds that Daisy made a lot of calls to the Reverend.  The Reverend owns a red truck.  Her parents are in the choir and Daisy asked him a lot of questions about Amber, whether she liked poetry, EE Cummings, animals, if she had pets, her own father’s a vet, if she played sports.  Her father played tennis.  He got angry with Daisy.  Amber’s murder affected the whole town.  He tried to stop Amber from going out with Curtis and the next day she promised not to see him, so that’s why he believes Curtis killed her.  Sam questions Daisy’s clinic partner from her confidential charts.  He went with her but wasn’t her boyfriend.  She told him she wanted to annoy her mother with the pills.  Daisy was obsessed with Amber.  She told him no one cared enough about Amber to find out who did it.  There were stories on the net about Amber.  Daisy saw Curtis the next day.  Jack and Sam find Daisy’s cardigan at Curtis’s place but he’s not there and neither is the surveillance.

21 Hours Missing

Curtis drives a light blue Volvo wagon with New York plates.  Jack reprimands the deputy for not sticking with his surveillance.  Sam finds a knife in Curtis’s bin with blood and a partial barcode.  Bob (Thomas F Duffy) sold the knife to Daisy for protection as the children are afraid of Curtis.  Jack knows Bob’s lying.  The Sheriff tells him nobody trusts outsiders and Jack tells him they’re only here to help.

Reggie (William Turner) is brought home by the police.  He missed school to go drinking beer with his friends in the park.  Viv tells him this is no time to play up.

Sam questions a local boy who rides his bike as a shortcut near Curtis’s place.  Two days ago he heard Daisy talking to him.  She the was talking about someone killing Amber and that he’d try to kill her too.

23 Hours Missing

Danny finds in Amber’s files that the Sheriff made a note about finding hairs in Amber’s watch, but it’s not mentioned in any other reports.  The Sheriff tells Jack that’s someone's lost them.  Jack thinks he got rid of the evidence for someone.  The Sheriff later tells him alone, that he was a deputy back then and he found her body.  He was first on the scene and he knew her.  He didn’t like the way she was lying there all exposed so he covered her with a blanket.  He kept it quiet and realized it was the wrong thing to do.  Jack tells him he let the town believe Curtis was guilty.  Curtis’s car is found.

24 Hours Missing

Jack finds Curtis’s dead body near the car.

25 Hours Missing

His car has a broken tail light and traces of red paint.  Curtis was beaten but doesn’t have any stab wounds.  The marks on his face could’ve been from a ring or a rock.  Jack says his car has been searched.  Jack drives up to the church where the Reverend’s red truck is parked.  He tells him when Daisy disappeared it was the final straw, so he and some others ambushed his car.  Curtis told them to kill him as his life was nothing without Amber, he loved her.  The Reverend couldn’t go through with it and stopped them.  He was beaten up, around noon.  Jack tells him the Sheriff knew Curtis was innocent but covered it up.  Sam asks him for a list of all the blonde haired men Amber knew.

26 Hours missing

Danny finds Amber had a blonde haired tennis coach, who’s dead.  A blonde haired piano teacher who lives in Florida. A blonde haired neighbour who was in Taiwan on business when Amber was killed.  Martin finds a George on the sex crimes database, he has blonde hair and blue eyes. He’s in Rikers since 2002 for a sexual assault on a minor.  Danny thinks they may have solved Amber’s murder.  The DNA results on the knife show a partial match for Daisy, 50%.

Her mother found Daisy at the old bridge, she’d been drinking and told her she takes after her father.  She thought he killed Amber.  But they didn’t even live here then.  Daisy was 6 and a half and Amber was dead before then.  Daisy returned home later that night.  She works as a bookkeeper from 9-5 or 6.  Her husband keeps flexible hours.  Sam says he was probably molesting Daisy.  He took the car.  Danny mentions a call made from 11:55am from Thorpe to Curtis.  This was before the Reverend met up with him at noon.  Danny thinks he either has Daisy or he’s killed her.  Jack tells Sam the State Troopers have found Thorpe.

Jack confronts him and tells him he knows what he’s been doing to her.  She cut him on his arm.  He wanted forgiveness for what he did, it only happened one time, 6 weeks ago.  Jack tells him that’s not okay, he’s a paedophile and he needs help.  He wears a ring.  He found Curtis and beat him.  He hit his head on a rock.  His phone rang and it was Daisy.

ALBANY, NEW YORK
Sam speaks with Daisy.  She’s going to New York on $200.  She tells her Curtis is dead.  She wanted him to come with her but he wouldn’t.  They’d suspect him first if they both went missing.  He gave her his number and money and promised not to tell anyone.  Daisy says he kept his promise.  Sam tells her she can go back as her father’s going to prison.  The Sheriff is resigning and Jack tells him he should clear Curtis’s name.  The town needs a new start.

Reggie tells Viv he’s not angry with her.  Viv is angry at everything. She’s afraid of losing him and his father.  She hates hospitals.  He gets her a pill and they hug.  Martin is sending the files back and Amber’s case is still unsolved.  He didn’t want Sam to fight for their relationship to work, she didn’t have to.

An episode all about children playing up and getting into trouble, especially when in contrast you have Reggie drinking probably because of what his mother’s going through and Daisy drinking and playing up because of what she’s been through with her father and being angry at her mother for not being there or noticing.

Jack asking Sam to talk to Daisy since she’s been through it before, i.e running away from home but for different reasons.  Daisy taking the pills because she had to due to her father and not being able to talk to her mother or anyone else about it.  Viv taking pills because she needs to.  Like the way that Sam asked for Daisy’s birth control pills and the scene switches to Viv wrestling with her pill bottle.

Sam walking happily into the office with a bagel for Martin (on another health kick!) only to be confronted with being dumped!  Their relationship went up and down over the series with us the viewers not knowing what was happening, one minute they were talking, the next they weren’t.
Sam: “I’m nervous to meet your family – but I think you’re right.  I think it’s time.”
Martin: “I already booked my flight – that’s not true – I didn’t but I’m going to go by myself…I don’t wanna do this anymore.  I’m just tired of playing games and frankly I’m not interested in waiting around while you figure out your problems.”
Sam: “My problems.  So what’re you saying  - we’re done, I mean we’re done.”
Martin: “Well, not just like that, but yeah, I am”

Jack: “I don’t know what’s going on with you two but I want you to keep it out of the office.”  Jack senses there’s something wrong between them.  Sam should’ve said she won’t be spoken to like that, even if he is the boss and especially since it’s not affecting her work.  Well, Jack didn’t didn’t really keep it out of the office when he was seeing Sam.  Maybe Jack was just surprised as he and Martin have nothing in common aside from work.  They’re both different people and characters.  Martin didn’t really think Sam was viable wife material – because that’s what he’s doing looking for re season 2 opener when he said that and she said she didn’t want children.

Jack: “The locals.”
Sheriff: “Malone and Spade: FBI.”  The way he said it it almost sounds like Mulder and Scully: FBI.

Jack: “All that’s missing is the banjo music.”

Jack: “like what, go to the donut shop.”  Yet another cliché.  You’d think from the sound of things Curtis was a real life urban legend.

The Sheriff is to blame for everything that happened since Amber’s murder setting off a whole chain of events with lasting repercussions.  If he hadn’t messed up the murderer would’ve been caught; Curtis would never have been blamed and ostracized and Daisy wouldn’t have gone looking for Amber.

Danny has a model train on his desk.

Danny: “Ooh, sounds like your type.”  Obviously referring to Sam and not to George, though Martin would’ve been oblivious to this anyway…  Great line referring to Sam.  Well it wouldn’t be to the criminal.  Even if Danny was referring to him, Martin would’ve been oblivious re Pilot episode.


Jack: “When I talk to you, you look at me, you understand right in the eyes…I told you to look at me in the eyes when I talk to you…”

Jack: “Listen to yourself – one time, you think that’s OK.”
 As Jack has worked in the FBI for so long and in the New York and surrounding area why did he have to ask what area code 518 belongs to, especially since they’ve had lots of missing persons cases in Albany or related to the area.

Jack: “You should handle this one.”  Sam having had personal experience of being a run away.  As for Curtis telling Daisy they’d suspect him of kidnapping Daisy, first they’d have to find them and secondly he would no longer be around to suffer the town’s wrath.

Wouldn’t it have been cool for Danny and Martin to have solved Amber’s death.  The most obvious suspect being Bob.  All this modern technology and they couldn’t figure out who killed Amber; like some overlooked piece of evidence, not necessarily forensic or clue.  All the men she had contact with turned out to be blond!  We thought it was Bob, he looked the type that killed Amber.  Would’ve been kinda cool if Danny and Martin had solved the case – for once, you know from the comfort of their chairs.

Martin: “…guess some cases aren’t meant to be.”
Sam: “You wanted me to fight harder.”
Martin: “didn’t have to be a fight.”  Yes, but we know Sam she doesn’t like to do things the easy way, to sit back and let nature take its course, so to speak.
Martin dumping Sam when she bought him a bagel, he refused to go on a health kick with her.  That was the real reason, ha.

In the Sheriff’s office, what were they thinking, we’ve not seen a blonde before – let alone a fe-male agent!  But we have seen lots of blond men through.  Perhaps Jack could find the missing banjo for them!  The banjo being an allusion to Deliverance cos of the banjos in the soundtrack.

Daisy Thorne is named after Poppy's sisters, Daisy Yellow and Rose Thorne.

The Mentalist 5.9 "Black Cherry" Review

                                               
Lisbon (Robin Tunney) and Patrick (Simon Baker) arrive at a CS with Patrick busy writing down names of everyone he shook hands with.  He doesn't need to include Lisbon in there cos she's a friend.  He can't recall the name of the CBI agent with the red hair - which was Harken.  Recalling Lorelei said he had met Red John, but didn't become friends.  Funny Lorelei was so clumsy and inept to have given away that piece of vital info about Red John but wasn't prepared to talk about him, or to even believe he woud have a hand in her sister's rape and murder, in Red Sails In the Sunset.   Patrick back to his usual obnoxious self as he antagonizes yet another hapless, arrogant golfer in Chip (Dan Gauthier) at the golf course.  Patrick asking if he did it and then accusing him of murder, only joking.  The Vic was a former gang member who was turning his life around and took on a job in  real estate company.  He left behind a sister Juliana (Kyla Pratt) and brother, Noah (Bryce Clyde Jenkins).

Lisbon and Patrick question them and Patrick makes an impression on Noah, he likes children and you can see he's comfortable talking with Noah.  Okay not all children, Patrick asks for a cup of tea and in the kitchen has a chat with Noah.  He notices his brother in a photo with his car which wasn't found at the CS.  Lisbon takes a photo.  They then question his colleagues and find the company was into giving second chances to criminals etc.  Patrick asks the boss Nathan (Robert Curtis Brown) if he also needed a second chance. When in walks Victor (Anthony Ruivivar) with another sale to add to his name.  Patrick finds out he was a former lawyer and quite frankly any one of these lot could have done it.  They were so ugh, slimy.  No really would you buy a house from them?  Luckily I got all three killers before it was revealed.  Phew that was cutting it close, usually they're obvious from the start to me.

Patrick also makes an appointment to view a model home with Tiffany (Senta Moses).  Juliana thinks one of her brother's former gang members were behind his shooting and pulls a gun on them.  Then fires shots into the wall.  She's arrested and Lisbon has called the ADA and Social Services for Noah.  Patrick wants Lisbon to "do the right thing" and hold off calling anyone.  They should be together and she should drop the charges against Juliana.  For a second there, thought Patrick would ask to look out for Noah, but that wasn't to be.  He was playing on, appealing to Lisbon's good nature and kindness to show through and not separate the two.

Cho (Tim Kang) meanwhile has a meeting with the gang unit agent Tamsin Wade (Monique Gabriela Curnen) to see if the Vic was still into any gang activity.  Whilst there he checks out an automatic weapon which reminds him of his time in the Special Forces.  She was a Marine.  Of course Cho will have a soft spot for her but with Cho his expressionless face usually gives away what he's feeling, it does.  You have to cold read him like Patrick does sometimes, ha.  Rigsby's (Owain Yeoman) ex, Sarah (Jillian Bach) is on the case and Lisbon tries to talk her out of filing charges against Juliana since they may need her to testify against gang members.  She  knows Lisbon doesn't really want to see her in court.  Lisbon also asks how Ben is.

Cho and Tamsin raid the gang HQ and bring in the man suspected of killing the Vic.  Here they find his car which Shade (Viscellous Shannon) stole since he was inside a model home.  This means he couldn't have gotten back home without his car and this makes the place where he was killed.  Patrick takes a tour of the model homes with Bosch (Larry Poindexter) but wants to see Catalina Number 2 instead.  When Bosch is driven away by Patrick as he wants to feel the "aura" of the house alone, he quickly falls to the floor and searches under the couch to find a missing ring under one of them.  That's the actual CS.  Patrick gets an idea to drive the car to the company and leave it there with a note: stating time and place and an amount of money to be be brought there.

He and Lisbon hide out in the kitchen of Catalina 2, until the suspects arrive, all three of them.  Before they arrive, Patrick tells Lisbon the rug is missing which was used to move the DB.  Apparently whilst hunting at the company retreat, Victor shot a deer, supposedly and the hunter and the others followed suit.  It was a hunter they killed and it was an accident but none of them wanted to report it and even talked the Vic out of doing the same.  He insisted and they killed him.  Lisbon once again asks Sarah not to bring charges and that Noah and Juliana should stay together.  Sarah says she owes her one.  Lisbon gets a hug from Noah.

Patrick in his attic space again adds more names to his burgeoning list.  Some interesting ones too, a few which have crossed my mind and yours too, I'm sure, like Walter Mashburn, or Virgil Minelli.  Others include:
Brett Partridge: CBI Forensics Dept, Totally macabre, handled RJ cases.
Ellis Mars: Bumbling sort, "Psychic," Todd Johnson investigation.
Dean Harken: Agent at CDCA Biotech facility, red hair.
Jason Cooper: Second in command at Visualize, Stiles coup.
Walter Mashburn; Playboy, Unlimited $$, intrigued by murder.
Vint Molinari: CBI Missing Persons, Searched for Kristina F,  Made no progress.  (Oh she's on the list but not as a possible Red John, which it seems has been decided is definitely a man.)
Dr Linus Wagner: Early case, in prison, Copycat RJ.
Virgil Minelli: Old CBI Boss, retired.
Dr Towlen Morning: Family Doctor, Deceased?  Early RJ Victims.
Osvaldo Ardiles; DA's office, road block.

Brett partridge appeared in the Pilot episode and the season 2 finale Red Sky in the Morning.  A possible inclusion to ensure that the writers and producers will be able to say Red John has been on The Mentalist since its Pilot, we just had to endure to find out who it is, when the big reveal does happen.

Ellis Mars was in 3.9 Red Moon as the "psychic" who didn't now who Patrick was and then proceed to use Patrick's own methods of deduction and cold reading against him. Was this an act?

Dean Harken from 2.16 Code Red and he does have red hair, though that's no big clue.
Jason Cooper 4.16 His Thoughts Were Red Thoughts, second in command after Brett Stiles and he was voted to take over from Brett after he was accused of murder.

Walter Mashburn 2.13 Redline and season 3's Red Hot.  In Red Line he told Lisbon, "I have no love for danger. Nothing's dangerous if you think ahead. If you plan it right, you can get away with... well I was gonna say you can get away with murder, but you know what I mean."  

It's interesting to note Patrick's list includes an array which narrows down people in some of the more interesting settings and cases that Patrick encountered them in.  Such as Visualize, Mashburn, whom he encouraged Lisbon to get to 'know' better.  Patrick's perfect memory.  This list is either revealing Red John or was a very convincing RED herring and not one of them in there is Red John.

Others: Vint Molineri: 3.3 The Blood on his Hands.
Dr Linus Wagner from the Pilot episode and season 3 Ball of Fire.
Virgil Minelli is suspected by many fans especially since he made that deal with Alexa Shultz of the FBI.
Dr Towlen Morning in His Red Right Hand, what's odd about Patrick's inclusion is that he was a Vic of Red John and was found in a cemetery, shot and frozen.  Not sure how Patrick could have met him, yet he recalls him and suspects him.  He was also the family doctor of Red John's third and fourth Vics.
Osvaldo Ardiles was in Rhapsody in Red and Panama Red, the ADA Patrick doesn't like and the feeling is mutual.

Anyway these names were intriguing to us and particularly since we won't be getting anymore episodes until next year, and not early either, so that leaves us still mad, angry and guessing, since one of the names on the list appears in the next episode, 5.10 Panama Red.  We'll have a long wait for that.

Nice to see Patrick actually getting back to business at hand this week and helping out 100%, apart from the beginning, but then he has been working on his list so it was a good follow on from the last episode.  Also Lisbon showing she still has a heart in making sure Noah and Juliana stay together.  Proving why we like her even more.  She has to understand what it's like not having a mother and how she was there for her brothers too.  It's a sister's place, I was going to say job but that wouldn't sound right.

Wonder if Sarah and Rigsby will get back together since they didn't get any scenes together.  Cho and Tamsin will prob get together romantically, there's an attraction there. But we know Summer is set to make an appearance again in a future episode, so...Anyway, fun part Lisbon telling Patrick at the beginning as they leave the scene, that he should add her on the list.  Patrick telling her she talked in her sleep when they were in the kitchen, she just appeared to mumble or make a sound, no didn't see any drooling either!
Other great scenes from Patrick: he needs the right "aura" before he buys a house; his little bit of dancing too to check out the kitchen floor.  It's a wonder Simon didn't direct this ep! ha.

Dan Gauthier is best known for playing Lt John McKay in Tour of Duty.  Didn't get much of a part here. He also played a Chip in Friends, The One with the Cat ep.

Doctor Who "The Snowmen" Review

                                          
England 1892  A boy in the snow says he doesn't need anyone and the snowman repeats what he says, "they're silly, don't talk to them...Don't need anyone else."

50 years later  The boy becomes Dr Simeon (Richard E Grant). He bottles the snow and states.  "humanity celebrates and ends."  Simeon feeds the men to the snowmen so they will keep their secrets.

A woman works at the Rose and Crown and notices the snowmen outside.  The Doctor (Matt Smith) appears from nowhere and she asks if he made it. Grumpy Doctor acting out his Scrooge.  It's snow that can remember.  She calls him silly and there's nothing wrong with silly and then follows him.  They were just getting acquainted.  Doctor: "those were the days."  Weren't they!  She then runs after his carriage.
Vastra (Neve McIntosh) asks if he's taking an interest in her, Clara (Jenna-Louise Colman), he's not and she doesn't have his name.  He asks what two words Vastra means?  Doctor: "Doctor Who."  How how many times was that going to be said in this? Since he doesn't exist anymore.

The pond has frozen since the night the children's governess died in it.  Simeon tells Captain Latimer (Tom Ward) that the governess (Julie Cadzow) died in the pond and "ice remembers."  Giving him his card: Great Intelligence.  The pond may belong to Latimer but not what's inside.  Vastra approaches Simeon who describes her as "the veiled detective."  Dr Doyle (as in Arthur Conan) is basing his stories on her exploits.  "The Great detective in reality is a woman.""  Vastra tells him there's no impropriety involved between her and Jenny (Catrin Stewart) as they're married.  The ice can respond to the thoughts of those around it, it's "memory snow."  Simeon: "Winter is coming, the last ?? of humankind."  She knows a man who can stop it.  The Doctor.  They must pray for a miracle.

Strax (Dan Starkey) watches the Doctor collect samples of snow, which he calls "new and alien."  He asks if they should look for a grenade next.  The Doctor suggests they look for a prophet, "Victorian values."  This isn't their business and calls Strax a "psychotic potato dwarf."  Doctor: "Over one thousand years of the universe, I thing I've learnt: the universe doesn't care."  Strax calls Clara a boy.  The Doctor tells him they need the memory worm which will make her lose the last hour of her memory.  Strax forgets what he went to fetch since he didn't wear the gauntlets and does the same for a second time.  That was the comedy sketch.  If the worm bites, you could lose decades of your memory.  Clara suggests they try a "who."  Doctor: "Doctor Who."

More snowmen appear since she was thinking about them and they were feeding off her thoughts.  She needs to imagine them melted.  The Doctor wants to forget about her since the snow isn't his problem.  Wonder if he thought of using the memory worm on himself, you know forget all his troubles and woes re the Ponds.  Clara follows him to his TARDIS in the clouds.  Then knocks on the door and runs away, leaving her shawl behind.

She returns to the pub telling the man she's got her own work to do and if she told him what that was, "you'd never believe me."  She changes in the carriage into Latimer's children's governess.  Francesca (Ellie Darcey-Alden) and Digby (Joseph Darcey-Alden) missed her.  She now sports a posh voice and is known as Miss Montague.  Francesca is having nightmares about the old governess.  Clara tells Latimer if he asked Francesca properly about her nightmares, she'd tell him.  The governess is coming back to punish her.  They love her secret voice: her cockney accent and they show her the pond.  That being the operative word. Francesca's being punished for Christmas and she does return.  Digby: "I think she needs a doctor."  Clara finds his ladder to the clouds again and Jenny stops her from shouting.

Vastra asks Clara some questions and only wants single word responses, since "lies are words... Truth is singular."  "The Doctor...Doctor Who."  There it's said again.  She's looking for the Doctor.  Replying: "curiosity; snow; help; danger; kindness; man.  Vastra tells her he's not her salvation or protector.  He was different once; kind, a hero and saver of worlds.  (Whereas the Daleks referred to him as the "destroyer of worlds, at least Davros did."  He has suffered losses which hurt him.  She test her and lets her give Vastra a one word message for the Doctor about the snow in one word.  This being, "Pond!!"

The snowglobe in Simeon's office recognizes a danger, "an intelligence beyond anything else in this time and place."  The Doctor arrives dressed as Sherlock Holmes (!) complete with deerstalker.  Simeon tells him Sherlock Holmes is fictional, so is talking snow.  Doctor: "Takes one to snow one."  He's making deductions (and bad jokes!) and tells them to "shut up."  Which is what he and Amy used to say a lot.  He deduces the snow is Moriarty and has learnt what it does now.  It has to evolve and needs human DNA in ice form: hence the governess in the pond.

The Doctoe then checks out the pond saying Clara made a good point.  Strax asks if he needs grenades now and he needs help with the investigation.  The Doctor replies he's not investigating cos "some bird smiles at me."  Strax also calls him Sherlock Holmes.

Clara tells the children stories and one about a "man lives on a cloud and helps children.  He's been on holiday.  The governess appears and they should imagine her melted but it doesn't work.  The Doctor is hiding out in the puppet box as Mr Punch, "Doctor Who."  He sonics the governess with anti-freeze and it seems to work. Simeon arrives with his snow machine and blows snow over the wall.  The Doctor doesn't do this anymore, help out. Then looks at his grumpy face in the mirror, well it was, grumpy.  Then at his bow tie.  "Old habits."  Clara remarks "it's cooler" cos it's snowing outside.  Doctor: "It is very cool.  Bowties are cool."  The room's cold is what she means.  They rush out.

The Doctor refers to himself as Clara's "gentleman friend" and they were upstairs kissing.  Well they will be.  Vastra introduces herself as "the lizard woman from the dawn of time."  Latimer is upset over the 'friend' revelation.  The governess mimics Punch "that's the way to do it."  (But no one mentioned that phrase, so how can she mimic him?)  Jenny uses the forcefield to keep her at the top of the stairs.  The Doctor says they're not engaging but are under attack.  Then says his "shut up" again.  Strax objects to getting a "noogie" from the Doctor during combat.  It's the "ultimate fusion of snow and humanity."  The governess is the blueprint and Simeon will build snowmen and it "will be the last day of humanity on this planet." Didn't this line and episode kind of remind you of the one with the Timelords making their invasion of earth in a bid to wipe out humanity in the Christmas special with David Tennant.

Clara follows the Doctor and grabs him for a kiss under the mistletoe.  Doctor: "You kissed me."
Clara: "You blushed."  Shut up.  He kissed her back    He gives her an umbrella and they head for the roof.   The governess is engaging in "random mirroring."  Clara's bustle gets stuck in the window and he tells her to take her clothes off, not in that way.  He has a plan and she's got the umbrella.  He's clever and so she should tell him his plan. They're standing on the roof so the umbrella can pull down the ladder.  She's wearing a dress so he should go first, "eyes front soldier."  Hers aren't.  This was a similar scene from the season 5 episode The Eleventh Doctor where the Doctor changed his clothes and Amy couldn't keep her eyes off him.  Even when Rory wanted her to.

She looks at the TARDIS and runs all the way around it before saying, "it's smaller on the outside."  Usually it's the other way around, i.e it's bigger on the inside.  He's not sulking.  The TARDIS has a new interior, ah he's revamped after the Ponds left.  The TARDIS "is mine."   So he's not 'borrowing' it anymore.  She asks if there's a kitchen, "I like making souffles."  He didn't get that remark here.  She followed him.  He's about a foot taller than her so he wouldn't need the umbrella, it was for her.  Doctor: "I never know why.  I only know Who."  He gives her a key to the door...he's giving in.  "This is the day everything begins."  The governess takes Clara and they both fall back to earth.

Clara will live.  The Doctor knows it.  She didn't even look injured.  Clara is a machine/robot, yes? then why has she vital signs of  a human.  Strax didn't detect any irregularities, but then maybe he wasn't looking, since he couldn't tell the difference between a boy or a girl.  The Doctor adds if he saves the world then will she come with him?  He shows Simeon the tin with the ice lady inside and they'll meet at the office.

Vastra ask if he's making a bargain with the universe?  As the universe doesn't make bargains.  This was his fault. He knows who the giant snowglobe is.  The tin has the map of the London underground 1967.  He never liked a tunnel.  Stripping the disguise away, he realizes Simeon was the little boy.  The Intelligence was his snowman.  The snow is a mirror and reflects back feelings.  His darkest dreams turned into the snowman.  Doctor"...carnivorous snow meets Victorian values and something terrible is born."  Don't you just love those lines.

The tin contains the worm and when Simeon grabs sit, the worm bites him causing him to lose his memory.  Without Simeon the snow will have no voice and without the governess it won't have a form. However the snow Intelligence returns and creates more snowmen.  The "dream outlives the dreamer."  He now pulls the strings. When the Doctor removed Simeon it made room for him.  Simeon rises and attempts to freeze the Doctor.  Clara tells Latimer his children are afraid and need him.  She cries and her tears melt the snow: salty tears.  Doctor: "the snow is mirroring something so strong, it's drowning everything else...a whole family crying on Christmas Eve to melt the snow."  The only force on earth which can do that.

The Doctor says there aren't anymore clouds since it rained.  Clara: "Run, run you clever boy and remember."  The Doctor now recalls at her grave.  The Intelligence learnt to survive . Great Intelligence "rings a bell."  Clara's name was Clara Oswin Oswald: souffle girl again.  He didn't see her face when she was with the Daleks.  She died twice, the same woman.  He has "to find Clara."  Vastra thinks "the universe makes bargains after all."  Clara is in the same cemetery with a girl and tells her she doesn't "believe in ghosts."  Doctor in his TARDIS: "Clara Oswin Oswald - watch me run!"

Clara is of course Oswin from Asylum of the Daleks and it's strange why the Doctor doesn't recall her, especially since she asked him to "remember."  And when she remarks she likes cooking souffles.  Which sounded like clues for him to do just that; remember.  Appears the Doctor has closed himself off from his memories perhaps in an attempt to shield himself from the hurt Vastra says he went through.  Whilst he has been alone in his exile.  It could be seen as an exile since he no longer exists and has cut himself off from everyone, including his friends or helping humanity.  It's no longer his business so he doesn't interfere.  The Doctor did appear to be Scrooge-like and saying "bah humbug" to anyone who needed his help.  He even looks as such when he looks at himself in the mirror.

The second Doctor met the Great Intelligence in the serial, The Abominable Snowmen and The Web of Fear.  Based on the 1960's and the Doctor refers to The Web of Fear when he shows the tin with the London underground map.  In these stories, the Great Intelligence uses a yeti robot and it appears the Doctor was instrumental in instigating the future attack on London which began in the underground.

Vastra, Jenny and Strax were in A Good Man Goes to War from season 6 and Strax was brought back to life.  The Doctor says, "he gave his life for a friend once [the Doctor].  Another friend brought him back." which is all we get to learn.

Richard e Grant played the "quite handsome Doctor" in Doctor Who and the Curse of the Fatal Death.  Sherlock Holmes of course, several times, was an unashamed reference to Sherlock, also written by Steven Moffat.  Not to mention fans and viewers got to have their wish and see Matt Smith play Sherlock, albeit in the deerstalker form since Doyle based Sherlock Holmes in the Victorian period in his books.  Showing us how good a Sherlock Matt would have been if he got that role.  As good as Benedict Cumberbatch, oh don't all throw things at once!!!

There's a new TARDIS interior, a new theme tune and new credits.  Plus new costume - which Matt described as "the Artful Dodger meets the Doctor."  (What not Jammie Dodgers). His outfit is now purple (ooh my fave colour.)  Matt said, "there's a lot of purple this year which is nice.  I've always wanted something purple...it's taken three years to get a jaunty hat and a purple coat."

Matt also said of how the Doctor is attracted to his female companions.  "he's certainly taken by this striking young lady...he meets a jaunty new companion - a hot chick."  Where's his wife, River then? and what would she say to this new "hot chick?!"  New word for 2013: "jaunty."  Ha.

This was one of the best Christmas specials in a long time, on a par with A Christmas Carol special.  Frightening snowmen, lots of snow for Christmas.  We need some memory snow just to have a white Christmas every year.  We got the addition of Sherlock Holmes and a new companion who is fun-loving and intriguing enough to to get over the departure of the Ponds.  Building up our curiosity as to how the Doctor will find Clara and WHO she really is.  As he said, "It's not the why with me but the WHO."  Also we get Matt Smith as gorge as ever as the Doctor as we go into the show's fiftieth year in 2013...at least something positive to look forward to in   year ending in 13.

Dalek Intelligence in Asylum of the Daleks, where Oswin knew she had immense intelligence and called herself a genius.  Also as I said this reminded me of the 2009 Christmas Special The End of Time Part 1: where the Narrator said: "And so it came to pass, on Christmas Day, that the human race did cease to exist..."

CSI:NY 7.22 "Exit Strategy" Review

                                            
After a close call with a suspect, Mac re-evaluates his career and life at the lab doing what he does. He opens his first ever unsolved case and then solves it too; in what would have been the series finale.

Mac (Gary Sinise), Flack (Eddie Cahill) and Danny (Carmine Giovinazzo) are on a raid .   Mac crosses his crucifix, which he wears under his shirt and we didn't know that.   Danny kisses Lucy's photo and, er, couldn't come up with anything for Flack, so he just puts on his badge.   It's all about the job for Flack.   Ahh how sad, there was nothing or no one for him to kiss.  It begins to rain.   Mac chases a suspect to the roof, where a struggle ensues and Mac is overpowered.   The suspect reaches for Mac's weapon and holds it to him.   Cue opening credits.   Hey that suspect with the dope bag, was he really gonna flush that big bag down the loo, bit late for that.   The gun jams and Mac takes it back, and gets it to work, and maybe looked like he wanted to shoot him or at least he would have shot the suspect if Flack and Danny hadn't arrived.   Then again it's Mac and he wouldn't have fired, unless it was in self-defence.

The others go over cases in the conference room and Mac can only drown them out.   Hey they don't normally sit down like that, unless they're on an active case and usually not everyone is there.   The sounds from the, almost near fatality, all echo in Mac's ears, especially with Sid (Robert Joy) and his pen sounding like the trigger jamming.   Jo (Sela Ward) notices something's wrong, as usual, which is great to see.   Mac has 3 files on his desk and he wants to solve his first ever unsolved case.   He says there's no pattern to Hexton's (Michael Irby) movements, 9 years ago.   He'd move whenever they were close to him.   His girlfriend, Jackie (Allison McAtee) never ratted him out.   Jo questions Mac on why he walked out of the room.  "I know you better than you think;" and she hasn't been here that long either.   He uses the normal excuse of being Head of the crime lab so he can re-evaluate any case, anytime.   Jo refers to herself as his colleague and friend but asks why this case and why now.   (Cos the show might've been over and they wanted him to solve all his cases.   Yet there are still some more outstanding cases, like the suspects that got away.)

Mac calls this case his last one.   Jo tells him to use a computer instead of the stringing method on the map.   Mac: "Old case, old habits."  He meets Flack at the bodega where the robbery and shootings occurred.   Hexton was bleeding from his GSW and they left through the door at the back.   This was his first case as Head of the crime lab (and he didn't get anywhere with it.)  Flack asks why he's looking over it now and Mac doesn't give him an answer, just replies, "no reason."  There were blood drops where the things fell to the floor.   Flack calls him 'buddy' when he asks if he's okay.   No he's not and everyone can tell, well at least Jo and Flack.

Then we get a boring scene with Danny and Lindsay (Anna Belknap) about their future and she calls Danny's Pacino impression bad.   He tells her he took the sergeant's exam and is awaiting the results.   It will take him away from here if he passes.   Oh and he actually said, away from her too.   We wish.    Hawkes (Hill Harper) examined the blood samples from the shooting, mostly belonging to Hexton, but he found a second profile from the epithelials on the purse using a different genetic analyzer (conveniently) this new machine picked it up.  The DNA belongs to Olivia Dalton (Kayla Carlson) who was reported missing the morning after by her mtoher.   Mac ascertains Hexton took her with him, along with his accomplice, Wes (Clayne Crawford) that's why they used the back door.

Her mother, Natalie Dalton (Lisa Sheridan) bought her the purse and she went out to buy her aspirin, she was more interested in drinking than her daughter.   Mac's not here to judge her.   No, but he has judged others in the past, even if they didn't warrant this kind of treatment, like the mother in 7.2 Damned If You Do episode, where he judged the son as being guilty and that his mother identified him as being their attacker, when she didn't.   Jo talks with Jackie and says she wanted to be beaten by her boyfriend cos of what her father's put downs.   She tells her about Olivia and and she gives Jo a postcard sent to her by Wes.   The writing is practically invisible.

Boston, MA.   Again the same rituals from Danny and Mac, with the crucifix and Lucy's photo has shrunk now, this time Flack gets to check his weapon.   Said rituals will be forgotten in the next season no doubt.   Mac still thinks about that night.   Yes Flack, knew that ice bag was coming, he needed cooling down, ha.  Hexton tells Mac that Wes beat him up and took Olivia, who had her chance to escape, but didn't take it.   Was it cos she didn't want to return to her drunken mother - perhaps - or she identified Wes as a father figure she never had.   Was she exhibiting Stockholm Syndrome.

Adam (AJ Buckley) brings up the writing on the postcard using infra red.   Mac wants the writing sample put out on the billboards etc, like the face of a missing person, someone might recognize the unique style of writing.   Adam refers to Mac's "out of the box thinking," which he isn't impressed with, again.    Danny tells Flack they've got a hit from a woman named Samantha (Jeanette Sousa) in Twin City, Georgia, where they both head.   Wes, under the name of Tony, left 9 months ago, with Olivia.   He called her his daughter, Madison and 'princess'.   She needs her heart medication.   Lindsay doesn't get any hits on Dr Miller.   Mac sending Flack and Danny to Georgia where they didn't find Wes, but he goes to North Carolina himself, cos Wes would actually be there.  Mac posits normally the suspects keep the first names of the Vics and change the surname.     There's a Madison Hughes in Shelby, North Carolina.

That was a bit obvious Flack turning up in the van and no one getting out.   Wes goes for his keys and is shot and killed.   Olivia pulls a gun on Mac, that's a second time he's had a weapon trained on him this episode, not mentioning the number of times he was shot at last episode.   He talks Olivia into putting the gun down and tells her her mother looked for her and loves her.   Olivia calls Wes her father.  Mac tells Jo, Wes could have let her go at anytime, but didn't.   Jo questions Mac as to why he didn't tell anyone about the roof.   Mac was trying to work things out.   Death "was staring me right in the eyes."  Jo says she knows he must have questioned why him.   Mac reveals when it was over, he asked himself what he was doing and how long he can continue doing it.   Jo understands he needed to find closure with this case.   Mac: "I've done a lot of good, maybe I've done my part."  So now it would have been for the others to take over, like Danny with his sergeant status.

Danny passes his exam and calls himself Sgt Messer.   Flack knocking down more doors in his same outfit!  Hawkes and Sid in autopsy, where he gets a call from Camille, with a photo on his phone of her.   So Mac walks away, leaving Jo et al.   In the words of the song Holding On and Letting Go at the end, by Ross Copperman;  "one door swinging open" again next season 8, luckily!

That's how 7 years would have ended and I have to say, not very satisfactorily.  The producers and writers may have been happy with the ending, but I know many of us weren't.   Fine to see Mac walking away into the sunset, or rather the street, but everyone else hardly got a mention.   Jo watching him from the balcony, he didn't even look up to see her, let alone acknowledge her.   Flack going about doing what he does (they had a similar scene with him in the Super Men episode; appears they can't come up with anything different for him; they didn't even try.)  Same for Hawkes and Sid, at least Hawkes got Camille out of it all; and Danny passing his sergeant's exam.   That came out of the blue.   Though he always wanted promotion since season 1, even before Lindsay came along, but they had to mention the obligatory, it'd mean more money for them, line.  It all seemed so hurried and rushed, like no one could be bothered to come up with a more fitting ending.   The show wasn't and isn't just about Mac.

At least Mac actually raised a smile at Adam's antics; which will long continue, he's Adam after all.   Mac didn't even say goodbye to anyone, maybe the scene didn't warrant it, thus leaving the path clear for another season.   Only dilemma being what's gonna happen with Danny now he's a sergeant.   Hawkes still with Camille, as I said and Sid hardly getting any lines.   The last episode clearly concentrating on Mac and it's been done before, staring down the wrong end of a barrel, making people re-evaluate their lives and their choices.   There wasn't much about Jo either, she just stays.   Basically, the last episode concentrated completely (as said already) on Mac which if this was going to be the series finale, would have been rather unfair on everyone else.

Having Mac kiss his crucifix reaffirming that he's always had his faith, going back to season 1, even if he hasn't talked about it much over the past few years.   Showing he still believes in good over evil, as we know, he's mentioned evil a few times this season, so it was only fitting he had his crucifix this episode.   But showing Mac and Danny doing all that kissing this episode, was new, they've never done that before.   Oh that didn't sound right, not kissing each other of course.   They could afford to go out of state this episode, ha (though they weren't really) but to Boston, Georgia and North Carolina.

As I've said 2.19 Super Men episode had them all go on about their daily routines, which was kind of like this ending here.   Indicating life will continue for everyone else; that their work: fighting crime never ends and when they finish/leave, someone else will carry on - the next generation even.   People like Flack, Danny, Jo, Hawkes.   In their never-ending quest to seek justice - oh okay - I sound a bit repetitive here, but that was the purpose of the ending in Super Men and here too.   Just wish the ending had been more original.   So this was the Exit Strategy: for Mac to solve his first ever unsolved case, which would have been his final case ever and leave.   What would he have done.

Well at least I'll get to write about about another season and more importantly watch another season along with everyone!

Jeanette Sousa played the crossroads demon from the season 2 Cross Roads episode of Supernatural.