QVC Beauty Bash January 2016

QVC's dates to remember kicked off in the freezing London weather with the annual Beauty Bash 2016.  Once again at Billingsgate 19-21 January. A bit like seeing old friends and familiar faces again, as well as some new ones! And plenty of must see items coming up too!

OPI birthday this year as they celebrate 20 years with QVC and many new fashion trending colours to look forward to, especially in the upcoming TSV. Am looking forward to the first TSV which launches 8 March: the New Orleans Collection.  Not only for the fashionable shades but also as it's a favourite city of mine.  Can't wait to revisit!

Photo courtesy of the OPI Celebrating 20 Years With QVC brochure.

I don't have a particular fave brand when it comes to nail polish I use them all, as long as they have my favourite purple colour at some point in their collection!  NailsInc, Leighton Denny, love them all and they were all there.  Some great collections coming up there too, including more Kale from NailsInc.  21st April  for a must-see/smell Leighton Denny Temple Blossoms.

A new range of nail polish for this day and age of always on-the-go are from Little Ondine, less time consuming as they are simply peeled off when you want them removed.  Innovative too as the range is not only non-toxic but cruelty-free, can be used by vegans, as well as children and mothers to be.

Another well loved brand celebrating 20 years with QVC is Gatineau Paris. How time flies when you have access to such excellent products, no one can tell you're twenty years older, or should I say younger! Two special TSVs to look foreword to, one on 30th January : the five piece Daily SkinCare Collection which includes a new Gentle Eye Make-Up Remover  containing Aloe Vera, cucumber and green tea.
The next TSV is 24th April the Perfection Ultimate also launching the new Perfection Ultimate Anti-Aging Complexion Cream.
Loving the sketch on the back of the Gatineau 20th Anniversary brochure.

Oh and finally got a pic of Andrew!  Don't shy away from the camera!! ha.

Always on hand are the wonderful presenters and always great to chat with them, as well as the people tirelessly and continually bringing their range of products for us to use and enjoy.  The wonderful resident QVC beauty expert Alison was so in demand and the queue was never-ending for her helpful advice and tips!

Oh Miceal we must stop meeting like this!! ha. Our on-going running joke! ha

Ali, Jackie and Debbie were on hand too.

 

Oh Will!!

Mr Selfridge Series 4 Episode 2 Review

                                             
Harry (Jeremy Piven) dreams and finds himself in a graveyard where he sees Rose's gravestone and then his own next to hers.  He awakens in a hospital and says he's still alive.  A reporter accosts Gordon (Greg Austin) as he leaves home and asks him about Harry and the store.  He says everything is in good hands.  Harry rests at the country home and he loses at cards to his grand daughter, Tatiana (Abigail Eames).  He misses the store and the others have to get along without him as best they can. Grove (Tom Goodman-Hill) and Crab (Ron Cook) take over the running and Mae (Katherine Kelly) has requests for the new fashion line which fall outside of the approved budget.  She then says she wants her own machinists and carte blanche to hire whoever she wants and will design her own line. Obviously within budget.

Gordon turns up for dinner at the home with Grace (Amy Morgan) and troublemaker Violette (Hannah Tointon) also arrives on her own plane.  She shows Harry the newspaper headlines where it states that Gordon is managing the store now and Harry is practically retired after being at the helm for 20 years.  He's done no such thing and is upset, heading back to work.  Not believing that Gordon didn't say anything to the press.  He's going to have words with Wynnstay (Robert Pugh).  

He has new ideas and announces to the press the opening of a new technology department, next to cosmetics and Kitty (Amy Beth Hayes) was't pleased with that and also the launch of Mae's new fashion line.  He wants the Dolly sisters to model it but she's after an English rose, he doesn't listen to her though.  Meryl (Lottie Tolhurst) is rude to a customer as Connie (Sacha Parkinson) refuses to train her and Meryl tells a customer the colour yellow won't suit her and the line isn't correct for her figure, implying she's old and fat.  Connie must apologize and sends her to work in the storeroom. You'd think Meryl would have some common sense about how to be tactful and actually flatter to get a sale.

A black woman is shown getting ready and leaving for the store, she's there for an interview as a new machinist, as she arrives through the front door everyone stares.  Clearly she's seen as an outcast and treated as such, even by Meryl who seems to have her own airs about her.  Telling her she should use the service entrance at the side.  She gets the same look when she arrives at the line for the interview. Grove asks for references, character references that is and Mae likes her dress.  She copied it from a magazine, a Chanel design and changed some of the design.  Mae hires her much to the chagrin and disgust of the other workers there.  Tilly (Mimi Ndiweni) also has an idea of how they can make the dresses fit any sized women and once again the other workers don't like her getting ahead.  The supervisor says if they can get their work done she'll take then for tea at Lyon's teahouse.  Obviously that doesn't include Tilly, as she sends her for beads and they make a run for it when she's not there. She talks with Meryl after she hears the other girls referring to her as "Mr Grove's daughter" and that's the only reason she got the job, but she's in the right place now.  Tilly and Meryl get to be on first name terms with each other.

Harry's mother, Lois (Kika Markham) tells him he should make it up with Gordon as he didn't tell the newspapers anything and Harry tells him he knows he wants to be his own man and not stand by his side, as that's the impression Gordon gives him after he tells him about marrying Grace and it's up to him who he marries.  Clearly that's not sorted out.  Harry also gets five pages of advertizing from Wynnstay and tells him he's not going to threaten him with a story like that again.  The Dolly's are late for the show and when they do arrive they've been out all night and drinking.  They manage to pull off the show with much gusto and some women are disgusted and leave when they see how long it takes to remove the clothes, even if they did behind the screens.  Mae isn't happy at all and later tells Harry that they're her designs, she's grateful for what he's done but she'll make her own decisions, or she's out.  He also brings in Alberta Hunter (Cynthia Erivo) to sing again over the wireless, surprised they listened to her singing over the radio or didn't they know she was also black.

Rosie (Emma Hamilton) invites Harry to an overnight party on a ship where they'll be playing baccarat and kisses him.  Seems Harry was just waiting for that, here he's with Rosie, when it was actually Jenny (Zoe Richards) he wanted.  He asks her about death and how he was almost there a few weeks ago after she remarks on resting when they're dead.  He arrives home late and finds his mother has died.  Adding more woes for him and taking him further into that downward spiral.  Mae thanks Jimmy (Sacha Dhawan) for the flowers, telling him she's not Harry's plus one and she can look after herself.  As they also kiss.

Grove wanted to ask for some time off but he sees how Harry hasn't recovered yet and doesn't ask. Miss Blenkinsop (Deborah Cornelius) and Miss Plunkett (Sadie Shimmin) ask Kitty about having children of her own and how she's not fulfilled as a woman until she does so.  She takes it the wrong way and leaves saying she doesn't want children and that's what she asks Frank (Samuel West) later. They both decide they're "not that sort of couple" and she enjoys her work and wants to keep working, which he says just makes her ambitious.  Miss Plunkett tells her about having a fiance who died in South Africa.  She didn't find anyone else and she apologizes for saying what she did cos people just assume and it's no one's business.

Not much happening here as you can just guess, even if you don't know the real story.  As Harry and Gordon are further alienated from each other over the store since Harry doesn't want to relinquish any part of it and that was what led to his downfall in part and being removed by the board.  He's not willing to see the real picture and how he can't still do things his own way.  Even after the story Jimmy tells him about coming to the store with his mother, thinking it was a palace and asking who lived here.  She told him it was a store and it was Selfridge.  She bought him a clockwork train set, which Harry tells him is still their best seller today.  Always doing market research.  Jimmy mentioning how Harry invited him to the store and not his club, cos they wouldn't let Jimmy in, unless he was accompanied by Harry.  But it doesn't make any difference cos it's not about who accompanies him, rather his skin colour, just like with Tilly, discrimination knows no bounds, even if you've got money, you're still treated in that way, though it may be less subtle and not so apparent. Either that or they'll just stick by him cos he's got money.  They each ask the other how they made it big.  Even if Harry was discriminated against, it was cos he was an American and nothing else.
It appears Harry's dream about dying was more of a foreboding about Lois.

Jekyll and Hyde Series 1 Episode 10 Review

                                                
Everything was going to come to ahead in this and was expected, even if things were going to be left on a cliffhanger just so there's another series.  However ITV chose to cancel the series, so we'll never know if the ending was as planned, obviously not, but this means effectively the incubus was so powerful, it wiped everyone out and then some, including this show!  Obviously it was all about ratings.  Though plenty of bruhaha was made about it being too violent, violence is out as usual, but sex and gratuity is a big yes as far as certain executives are concerned!  However the comparison with Doctor Who weren't warranted, that's an established show and not something viewers really wanted, but critics just couldn't leave well enough aloe!  Maybe it would've fared better on a channel other than ITV!  I will miss the eyeliner!!

Robert (Tom Bateman) et al are stopped on the road as the Incubus tries to get into this world, that's why he can't turn into Hyde to fight it cos it's not their realm yet.  However Fedora (Natasha O'Keeffe) arrives to take it with her and is stopped from shooting anyone by Garson, (Donald Sumpter) Bella (Natalie Gumede) and Hils (Ruby Bentiall).  Olalla (Wallis Day) isn't around but she comes back to the house since she tries to work out what the Jezequiel book really is, a book within another book and she finds this out as she reads and the pages change. Should've known it wasn't what it seems as there are two of them as well, thus the book would also have two sides to it.  Renata (Melia Bullmore) tells her what it really is and Olalla wants to take on hr role as the guardian of the gate.  As Renata explains everything to her, she tells her why Robert has to be the one to kill Dance (Enzo Cilenti) cos she's too 'involved' with him.  But she does help Robert by calling him to tell about the calyx, even though she is too late.  Saying he's the only one who can open it and must smash the heart inside before it beats too much, otherwise it'll get stronger with each beat and hurt everyone around him.

But before all that we have a flashback to the Carpathian Mountains where Dance found the twins and Robert is rescued by their father, leaving behind Olalla.

Bella tells him he needs to tell Lily who he really is before she finds out, of course she already knows.  Lots of dubiousness going on here.  As he gets to her house he finds Hannigan (Phil McKee) there and walking through the house he find sit leads to MOI HQ.  Mother being Belstrode (Richard E Grant) (which I said weeks ago, you know like Mother in The Avengers.) Though he finds this out as Robert, as Hyde he jokes about the name and yes you should've known.  "MIO, MI Other mother" But it's strange Robert went to pieces over Lily (Stephanie Hyam) and hearing who she really is. Okay he truly loved her, but he was a tad wimpish about it.  Thus needing to change into Hyde to handle the betrayal.  As for everyone saying Robert lied to Lily it's really not the same thing cos he wasn't sure how she'd take something like this and it's not exactly something you blurt out in your first meeting and first date or anything.  They didn't even date in that sense of the word.

Lily knows about Bella of course, even if that was Hyde having his way with her.  Lily being the grand daughter of Sir Danvers Carew who was killed by Robert's grandfather after he found out he was being used.  So she wasn't as vulnerable as she made herself out to be.  Also knew her being attacked in the first ep was all a set up and a way to rope him in.  Hyde fancying the wicked Lilly. Er, she was just the same to me!  ha.

Dance didn't want to have an incubus inside of him but accepts it especially as he tries to open the calyx. Ravi (Michael Karim) was a bit slow too in telling that Dance is close by but not exactly how close, as he arrives at the house and everyone's attacked.  Grandmother Maggie (Sinead Cusack) and Garson declaring their love for each other at this point in time.  So Dance opens the calyx after having it stolen from MOI HQ and time stands still for everyone as Hyde tries to stop it.  Leading everyone to be knocked out with some deadly powerful force being unleashed... and so it ends! Typical no conclusion!

It had to be dark and that's a given from the outset since the story itself was always dark.  Though it would've been better if it was aired a little later.  Maybe they thought this 'jumped' the shark after Hyde got a sister in the vein of the Hammer film Dr Jekyll and Sister Hyde.  Though it was actually Jekyll who used to turn into the female Hyde in this.

Saying Goodbye to Michael Weatherly

                                              
Having heard about Michael Weatherly's departure from NCIS left me a little sad.  Oh who am I kidding, it left me "gloomy and bitter and blue...!" He's been the driving force behind many an episode and not to take anything away from the rest of the cast, who are all suberb in their respective roles, Tony was the joker, the vulnerable serious guy who was always there through it all and for everyone too.  So it falls on me to put two words together or maybe a few more and bid a fond farewell to everyone's "Very Special" Agent Anthony DiNozzo, without whom we'd have had a very dull 13 seasons!

Tony started out as a fresh faced agent and I don't mean that in any nasty way, obviously, but looking back he (Michael) was soo young and that hair too!  Which I guess he got cut shorter to go for a more sophisticated mature look.  From all the jokes Kate (Sasha Alexander) used to make about him, the womanizing ways and all that.  Kind of grated.  She wasn't perfect, anyway this isn't about her.  He did finally develop a soft spot for her, even naming a goldfish after her.  I liked Tony with a cat too in 12.7 The Searchers, the one that ran away.  It was very Breakfast At Tiffany's.  Speaking of, everyone remarked on his resemblance to Robert Wagner, who played his father, Senior, on the show.  I thought he's more closer in looks to George Peppard.

Somehow think that maturity was shown by Tony's lack of film references.  There haven't been that many recently, not how they used to come thick and fast in previous years.  But that was a highlight and something to look forward too.  Guess he had plenty of time on his hands to watch those movies over the years. But I could relate to that, not out of loneliness or anything, but have watched my fair share of films and stuff. I also loved the way he'd always suspect the spouse first, cos that's officially how the job is done and I used to do that too.

Tony even got the offer of his own team in Spain which he turned down and was needed by his colleagues, they were more friends, when Gibbs (Mark Harmon) was in hospital.  Showing his leadership skills and no he wasn't trying to be Gibbs' replacement, though he did learn plenty from him. " On your six boss." One of my fave lines, among many!
Jenny: "So you're turning down a promotion because of a moustache?"
Tony: "His memory is still screwed up.  He called Ziva Kate yesterday."  Always putting others first, he knew the team needed him at this time.
Also got less of the McGee (Sean Murray) 'nicknames' over the seasons too, probably exhausted the possibilities, 'ey, McNerdy.  McScout, McRomeo, McProbious.

Three NCIS Directors during his time too, Tom Morrow (Alan Dale) his name was more like Tomorrow, ha!  Jenny Shepherd (Lauren Holly) and Vance (Rocky Carroll).  Jenny being the one he had the closest ties with in terms of keeping secrets from Gibbs, especially when she sent him undercover as Tony DiNardo to 'seduce' le Frog's daughter, Jeanne (Scottie Thompson) sorry, la grenouille.  Leading to many repercussions overtime and tensions.  Turned out to be pretty dangerous for Tony and he survived his car being blown up, but more so as he fell in love with Jeanne.  That came back to bite.  She just wasn't right for him.  So it was a shock when Jenny was killed when she was under his and Ziva's (Cote di Pablo) protection in LA.

Michael said in an interview how he recalled Jenny dying and how he was shocked and, "I didn't see that coming at all." To when the same scene was reproduced again in season 12.11 Check and as soon as I saw that diner that's exactly what I blurted out, that it was a "rehash" of the episode when Jenny was killed.  It was good to revisit that but in a completely different way.  This time the re-staged scene being related to Gibbs.  Michael also recalled Mike Franks (Muse Watson) being killed in season 8 by the Port to Port killer and said how, "those were major changes."  And in his own way he stated, "and somehow it's [NCIS] so sturdy that it withstands all of these changes."  And he was right it did and it will surely survive now with Michael's departure, but he will be sorely missed!!

In her own way, Ziva did help Tony and the rest of the team get over Kate's death.  She wasn't a conventional agent, but she wasn't an NCIS agent either, until much later.  He also had much to say about her idioms, she should 'assimilate already!'  But as we know Tony, or got to know him by now, he would inevitably end up falling for her.  Yes inevitable, but we all saw it coming.  She surely must've been his true soul mate cos saying goodbye was so painful for both of them.  And I'm not saying that just to appease the Tiva shippers (am not one of them.)

Then Tony's bed being too small, always thought that strange but loved his apartment, it was cool! No more scenes in that lift, or coming out of the lift and that bull pen...at least with Tony...oh can't think about all that now!
                                                       
Some outstanding Tony eps: Bounce, where he helped to prove the man he put away was innocent. Even if it meant having to deal with his mistakes and putting his reputation as an agent on the line. Obsession, was very Laura the 1944 film noir with Gene Tierney and once more Tony let his emotions get in the way.  I guess the one that endeared Tony to us all was SWAK in season 2.
Jet Lag on the flight from Paris was memorable too.  Well that sounded like a pun there, wasn't meant to be!

There was some controversy when Cote de Pablo announced her decision to leave and Michael's comments in an article which many fans didn't like and resented.  Which I won't go into here, of course it was understandable and everyone had an opinion, you can't hold it against remaining cast members for what was entirely her decision to leave.  Link below.
http://www.buzzfeed.com/arianelange/wonderfully-weird-michael-weatherly-thinks-his-onscreen-rela#.gwj0zGjQd

Will have to listen to some of his great songs now, like Under the Sun: "...you can't control it no way to hold it, life just keeps going on..last thing I'd do is send a message to you, if  I, had the time..." All the time in the world now!!

As Michael tweeted "diNozza is a wonderful, quixotic character and I couldn't have had more fun playing him over the past 13 seasons...I will miss the amazing cast and crew, who are like family to me, and to all the fans all over the world - THANK YOU it's been a fantastic ride!"
Gonna miss you Michael.  Thank you for an amazing 13 seasons!

What am I going to do without the Gibbs' slaps?? *sobs uncontrollably*


Quite a few fave fan eps in this NCIS book, I was lucky enough to send Michael a copy, I hope he received it! Aww should've done one just for the best Tony eps!

http://www.amazon.com/My-Ncis-Unofficial-Unauthorized-Guide/dp/1291032177/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1452391899&sr=8-2&keywords=mila+hasan

Was also lucky enough to get an RT from Michael for the following piece I wrote:
http://mila255.blogspot.co.uk/search?q=confessions+of+an+ncis+addict

Mr Selfridge Series 4 Episode 1 Review

Biaritz, France 1928 finds Harry (Jeremy Piven) gambling again and living the high life and  he tells everyone he has under his gambling control.
Back in London, Harry heads to the Colleano club which is doing better than ever and listens to a nightclub singer sing about no one wanting to know you when you're down and out.  Some early foreshadowing here of events to come.

A new unveiling of the statue "The Queen of Time" outside the store, which is still here today is about to take place.  Harry calls it 'the best of times' and there's no better way of marketing the store than this.  Grove (Tom Goodman-Hill) says it'll be here even after they're gone.  Everyone's flouting around, "the Earl of Oxford Street" title now.  It's Grove's birthday and he's been at the store 20 years. As Mr Crabb (Ron Cook) says but Harry says they started the store in 1909 which strictly speaking is 19 years.  Anyhoo, being pedantic.

Frank (Samuel West) mentions the black boxer, Joe Langford (Bentley Kalu) who can't fight cos of the colour bar and Victor's (Trystan Gravalle) hosting the match at the club.  Lady May (Katherine Kelly) returns to London with more woes for Harry.  Seems her husband, Renard is cheating on her and his latest conquest doesn't want to remain a mistress, so he's divorcing her and she doesn't get a penny.  Nor can she go to court since she can't have a scandal.  Thus she must sell her shares to live. Harry wants to help her but she won't let him.  And lets her stay at Violette's flat.  She's got a fashion boutique but it's only small.  Of course that marks the beginning of the end for Harry, since the store will eventually get taken over and he still can't stop splurging.  He asks May to stay, at least for the unveiling of the clock.

Rosalie (Kara Tointon) talks of how Harry needs to find a proper woman for himself and she has a daughter now.  But Serge is in Paris and up to no good.  He's also been having an affair with a Countess, probably with mother's approval.  Which Lord Wynnstay (Robert Pugh) has gotten wind of as the Countess is willing to tell her story.  He tells Frank that Harry wants advertizing but he has a personal story for him.  Later telling him of this, as he also meets Rosalie and makes small talk. Frank and Wynnstay also discuss the emancipation of women and he comments on how he'll get their votes cos they'll vote the way his paper wants them to.

Grove's eldest daughter, Meryl (Lottie Tolhurst) has found a teaching job but just wants to work at the store like her mother, Doris, did.  But Grove doesn't like what "shop girls" get to see.  Though she doesn't give up.  The nanny leaves and he misses Ms Mardle who's in New York.  He tells Crabb they had a mutual parting, a clean break, since she couldn't be mother to five children.  Meryl later asks Harry for a job and he says she could work in fashion with her father's approval and he finally relents. Harry saying Violette asked him for a job and he didn't let her have it, which was a mistake.

Kitty (Amy Beth Hayes) and Frank have moved into a new extravagant house and she invites George (Calum Callaghan) and Connie (Sacha Parkinson) for dinner.  Where she tells Kitty she's having a baby, leaving Kitty jealous as she's feeling clucky too.  Frank however is at the boxing match organized by Jimmy Dillon (Sacha Dhawan) a man with a scandalous past himself, apparently his mother had an affair with a Maharajah in India and he's self made.  That match looked so fixed, as Harry bets on the American, Joe and obviously the Englishman would win.  Who says Britain wasn't racist?  Jimmy saying he won cos Harry made all the punters bet on Joe after he did.  All the while Jimmy watches May.  He wants to get 'cosy' with her, but she doesn't and Harry feels he had to defend her which she doesn't like.  Especially cos of his reputation with the women and those Dolly sisters, but she's capable of speaking for herself.  All out for a good time and Harry saying he knows some movie producers as the sisters want to get into talkies!  Ha.  Yeah with their voices!  Think Singin' In the Rain is all I can say, Lina Lamont.

Connie gives May the idea of making affordable ready to wear clothes which the French already have, knowing it'd so well and Harry wants her to design them.  They didn't have pret a porter for nothing you know.  Gordon (Greg Austin) returns after being sent to the provincial stores and Harry has no time for him.  He and Grace (Amy Morgan) have two sons now and she hopes he doesn't fall out with them.  Harry is also approached by the London Civic group, Keen (Oliver Dimsdale) who wants to meet him as they're shareholders, but he ends up meeting Gordon instead.  See Harry's so flippant and not concerned about the store so much as he is with the people and his friends.

At the unveiling he reveals the "Queen of Time" Harry steps back and has a fall.  See yet more foreshadowing.  This final series 4 opener was a bit slow to get off the ground (no pun) setting up storylines for future episodes like Kitty wanting a baby, Gordon and Harry's relationship not boding well for the store.  But particularly as the Dolly sisters make their presence known.

Jenny(Zoe Richards) and Rosie (Emma Hamilton) who were actually Hungarian, Jancsi and Roszica. They were showgirls, as they said and Harry became enamoured with Jenny, lavishing expensive gifts on her, buying her a chateau and furnishing it with antiques.  But she never married him.  She had her own affairs and in 1933, she suffered a car crash along with a French mobster/gangster named Max. She was terribly disfigured and in 1941, Jenny hanged herself, after suffering from depression and loneliness.  Harry paid all their gambling debts and "squandered" his fortune on them.
What happened to Frank's book he was writing about the soldiers and also no mention of Harry's housing project.

Sherlock Special: "The Abominable Bride" Review

                                            
Some spoilers sweetie, if you'd call them that!

All the rigmarole of the Sherlock Special and all the hype, yes I use hype even if I am a fan myself, cos at the end of the day and the year, I was saying that it wouldn't really be set in the Victorian era, per se. Sherlock and this version of Sherlock at any rate is firmly set in the modern age.  Thus it would be hard pressed for it to be transported back to a bygone age.  Bygone since other versions were set in the past but not this one.  This Sherlock is definitively and decisively set in today's world. Thus as soon as we got the Previously it was evident (can I say elementary) that the Special would contain references to everything that had gone before.  Back taken to the past.

With Watson (Martin Freeman) serving in the military, the Second Afghan War and having a narrative now to explain how he got to where he is and to meeting Sherlock (Benedict Cumberbatch). Again through a mutual friend, used loosely.  Sherlock beating up a corpse just like he did earlier in the opener A Study in Pink ep.  To test how long bruising takes before it appears on a DB (dead body,)  To having Watson (I've taken to calling John 'Watson' now) as a house mate and having to give out his address of 221B Baker Street.  All points were leading to the Moriarty (Andrew Scott) question and 'Miss Me.'  Offset from 3.3 His Last Vow.  Even having Lastrade(Rupert Graves) around and (can I say arriving back at Baker Street to be greeted by Mrs Hudson (Una Stubbs) cos she doesn't do that by the front door and of course the stories Watson used to write as they appeared in The Strand magazine.   With reference to The Blue Carbuncle in this one.

So on with the case, The Abominable Bride here, which Watson doesn't name until the end of the episode for his story.  A bride, Emelia Ricoletti (Natasha O'Keefee) who apparently committed suicide by shooting herself on her balcony for a crowd to witness.  Then mysteriously turning up to kill her husband, Ricoletti (Gerald Kyd) after her DB having been identified by both her husband and a cabbie.  Lastrade says Scotland Yard's put it down to suicide, but then there were reports of the bride turning up, as a ghost, or spectre as Homes preferred, though "there's no such thing as ghosts;" in other murders.  Sherlock putting that down to people needing to describe something like her in their own cases and crimes, cos she's in the papers.  Kind of like a suggestion, a thought implanted that this ghost of the this bride is real.  But then why would she be murdering complete strangers and turning up in their homes or wherever the 'events' took place.

Sherlock asks who will be working at the morgue and if that idiot is there and sure enough it's Anderson, or who we know to be Anderson (Jonathan Aris) in modern era.  However he's not the coroner, which is Molly Hooper (Louise Brealey) disguised as a man.  Here was an amusing part where Watson knows she's a woman, but Sherlock hasn't figured that out, so much for being more intelligent than everyone in that room.  Okay let's not say Watson knew cos he's a doctor.  It was evident as Watson tells her near the end, she had to disguise herself to get ahead in a man's world. Much like Mary (Amanda Abbington) had to disguise herself as a woman who wants to hire Sherlock just to see h r husband.   Apparently Watson has/had moved into the flat with Sherlock.  She also seems to be away a lot, as he says.  She tells Lastrade she's part of the campaign for women's votes.

They pay a visit to Mycroft (Mark Gatiss) who tells them about a woman who will be needing his help on a case.  Sure enough Lady Carmichael turns up, who says her husband will be murdered as he has received five orange pipes in an unmarked envelope.  Sherlock keen to know if he's been to America cos that's where the idea of the pips emerges from and Eustace (Tim McInnerny) must've been there without her knowing.  He must prevent his murder and promises to do so.  Later explaining he hoped he could do this cos he didn't think there'd be a murder to solve anyway.  Still at least we did get a conclusion to this case, of sorts.  The spouse did it, always suspect the spouse first, as we know, helped by a bunch of females!  Should I say 'klan' of women in purple!

Sherlock and Watson together waiting for the bride to appear at Eustace's house and having their little tete a tete, or as Watson referred to it, their talk on a man to man basis.  Where he quizzes him on why Sherlock isn't married and why he hasn't found a wife.  Especially since well, in the Victorian era, it was the 'done' thing.  Even questioning him on his needs of the flesh and implying that Sherlock is still a virgin.  How did he manage to keep a straight face there?  That he saw Irene Adler's photo in his pocketwatch.  There would be reference to her, short of her actually appearing in the show.  It was Sherlock's mind palace we were were dealing with after all.  Sherlock thoroughly "bored" with Watson's conversation and implications, asking for the gun now to put himself out of his misery of having to listen to him.  Then Watson spots the bride.  Who in mordern parlance would be nothing more than a hologram, if the technology was there.  But as it isn't we'll call it smoke and mirrors.  Seeing as how Sherlock deduces it was a piece of glass that was involved in the deception, but all that's later.

As they run toward the house, they hear a window smashing and that's odd since the doors are locked as are the windows and there's no way for them to get in either, without breaking a window themselves.  Sherlock leaves Watson on guard and heads upstairs where he meets Lady Carmichael who raves on about how he was meant to protect Eustace.  Sherlock follows the blood trail and finds him in the attic, stabbed with a rather female looking dagger.  Watson sees the bride behind him and runs away.  Letting the bride get away.  Otherwise the case would've been solved then ad there cos she wasn't a ghost.  Would've thought it more conducive for them to be hiding inside the house, instead of outside, but there you go.

Strange that in this episode Sherlock was surrounded by women; when they get to the church and the mention of the campaign for votes by Mary was a huge piece of foreshadowing.  Since the figures in the hooded robes were women.  Not only Watson's maid, Jane (Stephanie Hyam, Lily from Jekyll and Hyde) but also Janine (Yasmine Akram) as we get a flashback to Sherlock kissing her in 3.3.  But also Molly as herself and a conversation again about how Watson knew that she was a woman and Sherlock didn't.  As the bride creeps up behind him, revealing herself to be Moriarty.  All the while Sherlock trying to deduce how he died and could've come back.  Of course what started this conversation and plot going was Sherlock telling Eustace that he found his wife to be rather intelligent for a woman and far superior to her husband in his thinking.  A subtle reference to Irene. Sherlock wouldn't really say that about any woman, except Irene.

So Sherlock got on that plane and was high in four minutes or less, for him to 'dream' about this entire case in an effort to figure out Moriarty's game.  I didn't know whether to call that a cop out, or just something to be expected from Moffat and Gattis by mow.  Something that we're meant to get ourselves involved in completely and unconditionally, surrendering ourselves to the storylines and the directions they want to take fans in, since by now we know not to get too immersed or to expect any answers.  Again shown by reference to how Sherlock possibly survived the fall from St Bart's in The Empty Hearse.  Again demonstrated here by the need for Sherlock to dig up the grave of Emelia and see what they did with the 'other' body they used.

It was a reflection of how he jumped and how he got Molly to substitute the DB for his own.  But here when they dug up the grave, there was no other body in the coffin and nothing in the grave itself. So if we didn't get an explanation of how Sherlock survived his fall, how would we get one about Moriarty, he shot himself, lost half his head and yet Sherlock et al were expected to believe he was alive.  This episode seeking to reaffirm he was and remains dead.

Some clever tactics involved here once again with a repeat of Moriarty turning up at his flat over six times, as Sherlock tells him and he knew he'd turn up.  As well as the references to his flat having a smell of being so "manly."  Obviously with Watson there, or he used to live there, but that once again reminding us Sherlock has no woman in his life, nor will he.  This time Sherlock, in the past had taken a 7% solution of cocaine.  Oh and he has a list which is what Mycroft provides him with.  As you notice he was quick to pick up the pieces when Sherlock tore it up and threw it down.  As Mycroft says he was always there to help him.  Flashback to Sherlock passed out from his addiction and taking his list.  Hmm, had a silly thought here, thinking out loud, what if Mycroft 'feeds' Sherlock's 'habit'?  It's helpful to him on occasions.  Guilt for leaving him in that prison for over a year, or cos of Redbeard??

From having a rather overweight Mycroft and having a bet with Sherlock as to how long he has to live until his eating gets the better of him, and Mycroft asking for his list, to Mary working for Mycroft as she receives a note in the beginning from 'M', that was Mycroft naturally, not Moriarty as some thought.  So it wasn't any surprise she was sent to keep an eye on Sherlock.  Since Watson wouldn't be doing that.  But it was the 'other' Watson who did.

Then there was the two references to Redbeard (possibly a foreshadowing for the next series, when it comes about.)  But Redbeard was also written in the notebook next to some calculations and Vermeer.  (from The Reichenbach Fall ep)  As well as Moriarty coining the phrase, "dead is the new sexy."  Oh but is it?  Sherlock was meant to be dead, he survived, Irene was meant to be dead, she was still alive and what of Moriarty?  Sorry this must sound like some rantings instead of a review. Then again it was that sort of an episode, leaving more questions again than providing answers.  Or conversely just a fun ep in getting away from all the thinking and questioning and just seeing it as a piece of entertainment.  I know that's what it is at the end of the day, but I can't help thinking about it in greater detail.

Interspersed with scenes on the plane, showing us that clearly Sherlock was not 'set' in the Victorian era, except in the mind and eyes of Sherlock himself.  As well as the end scene with Moriarty where he's 'thrown' off the Reichenbach Falls, not by Sherlock and their fight, but Watson!  As if it's a final good riddance to Moriarty, is it, we can't really tell with the deviousness of Moffat and Gatiss as I said.  Perhaps my note to self or New Year's resolution should be 'don't overthink Sherlock.  Easier said than done!  Also you somehow knew you weren't in Victorian times with overweight Mycroft's reference to "the virus in the data."  Really who would have spoken like that back then and Moriarty's reference to data gain.  As he said, Moriarty will always live on in Sherlock's mind.

Forget about The Abominable Bride, did you think this was an abominable episode.  Sure I thought, the Abominable Snowman somewhere whilst watching.  Ha.  On the existent scenes in places that were all in Sherlock's mind palace and nothing more.  So did we get anything new in this episode? I'd say not.  Besides Moriarty licking the dust from Sherlock's mantelpiece and telling Sherlock and Watson to 'elope'  A shoutout no doubt to all the John/Sherlock shippers out there, of which I am not!  Speedy being re-named 'Speedwell's.'
Guess the suffragette's could be summed by:
John: "I'm taking Mary Home."
Mary: "What?"
John: "Mary's taking me home!"
Oh and the five orange pips, don't forget the pips, like the leftovers of a Christmas tangerine!! ha.

The title being from a line, "Ricoletti of the club foot and his abominable wife..." in The Adventure of the Musgrave Ritual, mentioned by Sherlock in one of the original stories, but isn't an actual case that was written about, casting a more mysterious picture to this episode.  Maybe also a red herring in that this episode wasn't really about the bride at all.

So it was a mixed bag of reviews, some liked, some didn't, some were on the 221B door knocker! Acting and cast: superb as always.  The story: could've done it a bit better! (My opinion and I care not if you disagree! ha.)

For Benedict fans, check this out:
http://www.amazon.com/Continuing-Letter-Benedict-Cumberbatch-Author/dp/B00Y34Q918/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1451754519&sr=8-8&keywords=mila+hasan

Jekyll And Hyde 1.5 "Black Dog" Review

                                              
Was going to review this weeks ago as you know, but didn't get round to it until now.  But it was just as well I waited and started with this ep as it was different to the ones before.  These are the sorts of eps which this show needs more of.  Moody, atmospheric and well not that scary.  Though people still complain their children find it so.  Maybe they shouldn't watch then.  It could be said this episode was a little Hound of the Baskervilles in places but was still different from the classic Sherlock tale.

This one opens with a man, Willard Neysmith (Tim Downie) in a graveyard and is warned off by a woman who shows him her sharp teeth and blue eyes and tells him to run.  Afterwhich we're meant to believe she chases him as if hunting him down and kills him.  Robert (Tom Bateman) searches for other members of his family which may be alive and this leads Max (Christian McKay) to showing him his family tree.  Most of them have died but there is a side of the family known as the Jezequiels. So Robert and Max travel to the house.  Stopping at a pub for directions, where they're warned not to stay and to leave by the landlord (Kevin Eldon) of the Black Dog.  Also sneaking them a peek of a copy of the newspaper which shows how Renata's (Amelia Bullmore) husband died mysteriously in an accident and then shows the headlines which talks of a mysterious dog on the lose.

Ignoring this advice, they head to the house anyway and meet Renata Jezequiel.  She tells them to leave and after Robert introduces himself as family and they shake hands there's a moment of a flash of images they both share.  Her turning into something and he turns into Hyde.  Though he doesn't mention this to Max until much later and as an aside that he believes Renata is a shapeshifter.  He believes there's more going on than she's telling them.  Robert also notices she walks around barefoot which is supposed to be another clue that she's to blame for the killings.  However it turns out to be a red herring.  As she tells Max she just loves the feel of the ground under her feet since she was little. It seems Max who's never really found anyone remotely interesting is now smitten with her and thinks they could have real possibilities.

Max sees Renata hiding a book the next day as Robert suffers nightmares as Hyde.  Of course she avoids anymore questions and tells them to leave.  As they go exploring the next day, they come across the graveyard and paper with the initials 'WN'.   Left behind by the man in the beginning, Willard.  The chapel door is locked and Renata warns them off.  Robert doesn't give up and heads to the house again as they seem to be chased by a dog.  Robert finds the book and looks through it. Depicting monsters through the ages and he thinks Renata is also tenebrae.  Coming across a picture of the clawman they met with when he rescued his grandmother.  As well as a drawing that looks like Captain Dance.  Robert thinks this is their refuge and she helps them.

So Max hits her over the noggin and they tie her up as Robert goes to the chapel.  She tells Max it's not her.  It's her son, Brant (Duran Fulton Brown) who was meant to be at Cambridge.  However he's the killer, as you already worked out.  Who Robert stumbles upon in the chapel.  Renata tells him about a sword they use which they guard until it's needed against such monsters.  As her tells he his feelings for her.  After telling Robert he didn't declare his love for anyone cos of his heart condition, which means he could drop dead at anytime.

Robert fights Brant and tries to get hold of the sword in the crypt but he's too strong for him.  Until Renata says he gets his strength from the ground so he's go to keep him of his feet.  As they fight he throws Hyde across the way and he bangs against a wall with a face on it which cracks.  Max takes the sword and stabs him but he's also killed by him and he dies after Renata tells him they could've had a chance together.  Yeah ain't it always the way.  She can't go back with him but has to stay here and as the ep ends there's a mist that floats from the crack and into the crypt as a man's hand is revealed.

Robert apologizing to Lily (Stephanie Hyam) for his behaviour (as Hyde) and what he said about her mother.  Though Lily is suited to Robert, how many of us prefer the banter and attraction between Hyde (eye liner 'n' all) and Bella.  This ep setting up more questions and future plots than answers.  Also that Hyde isn't the result of any potions but that his condition actually runs in the family blood, which casts doubt as to whether there is actually a cure.  He may be able to use the pills and medicine to keep Hyde at bay, but it appears there's no way to get rid of him altogether, which may not be all bad since he's around when needed and he also adds more to the other half of Robert's character, so to speak.  There'd be no show without him!  ha.

The Vampire Diaries 7.9 "Cold As Ice" Review

Three Years From Now
We now see Stefan (Paul Wesley) and Valerie (Elizabeth Blackmore) together, but that was apparent from the moment she arrived back in Mystic Falls.

Today
The Christmas episode which begins with Lily's burial and Damon (Ian Somerhalder) still not showing any remorse or any emotions other than she deserved what she got.  Makes you wonder why he was there, other than being there out of having to or necessity.  Even after the others say their goodbyes, he just says she was a bad mother, feeling that yes, she got what she deserved too for all the pain and misery she caused them and put them through.  So the plan still stands to kill Julian (Todd Lasance).  Easier said than done cos we know he's in it for the long haul.  Bonnie (Kat Graham) doing a locator spell and finding him in a town.  Not so much Christmas spirit in this ep, unless you look at Damon's egg nog and binge drinking as per usual.  He still has nothing fitting to say about Lily and he runs out of egg nog and thus enters a pub.  Where they, lo and behold, find dead Santa's, courtesy of Julian.  Someone's poisoned the egg nog.  Ha.

Stefan still tries to get Damon to go through the seven stages of grief bit, he's still in denial as Stefan tells him.  But it's to no avail, he still not sorrowful.  Not finding Julian there, he calls Bonnie for help who thinks she might be able to get some info from Nora (Scarlett Byrne) as she's now feeling charitable and wants to do some good after breaking up with Mary Louise (Teressa Liane).  Like that'll last for long.  So Bonnie lets her go to the hospital to deliver toys to the children with her and she also finds out the town is Julian's haunt and he has friends there.  OH too late since he rocks up there in drunken state looking for his "cellular device."  Only to find the two of them there.  Still carrying around the sword which he tells them wasn't complete when they used it on him since it needed the stone on the end of it.  The stone that takes everything bad that's been done and makes the person relive their own personal hell.  Lily was the only owe who could've stopped him and she kept him sane.  Which Damon finds funny. Cos all his killing and murdering is being sane.

His friends arrive just as Bonnie texts back telling them to get out of there.  Julian did underestimate Stefan and Damon, but then they do let him get the better of them.  So what if he's hundreds of years old, that's why he needs his friends around to help them.  Damon goes to plan B and has doused the Santas with fuel setting them alight and they escape.  Stefan blames Damon for their failure since he wanted to kill him as soon as he arrived in town, but Damon wanted Lily to suffer.  Damon says she staked herself which he also tells Julian when he turns up at the house.  He didn't run, well it wasn't likely he would.  

Mary Louise still doesn't believe Valerie's story about Julian and she calls her a charity case at the hospital cos she broke up with her and threw the ring back at her.  Of course she doesn't see herself as being flawed and hanging on every word Julian says.  Stefan's plan is to kidnap Mary Louise and texts her photo to Julian.  Who subsequently sends it to Nora thus spoiling all the inroads Bonnie made with her.  She thinks Bonnie and her friends were in on it too and she knocks her out with a spell.  Clearly she's not over Mary Louise, who was she kidding.

Damon burns Lily's clothes cos he's ridding everything about her from his memory, telling Julian he needs closet space.  Julian taking over their house still as his.  He says Damon cared for her that's why he can't live with the guilt and all her possessions.  He tells him he doesn't have a quarrel with Julian and he doesn't know about Mary Louise.  Julian with his sword again, really you'd think that was his 'man tool' or something, ha; as he tries to stab Damon with it.  Stefan stops him, but again he's not a match for the brothers.  He stakes Stefan and stabs Damon with the sword.  Allowing him to enter his on hell which Stefan doesn't believe he can survive.  Julian rescues Mary Louise right from under Valerie's nose.  Caroline (Candace King) tells Stefan they will bring Damon back and calls Bonnie but she doesn't answer, only just waking up.  Damon flashes to the civil war and his part in it.  As we listen to 'Silent night...'  Well it sure was silent!  Nora turns up with the sword and she stabs Stefan also.  They don't have the phrase 'bloody Nora' for nothing you know!  That's what you get, nothing but betrayals from the Heretics.  None of them are to be trusted.  We're left to ponder what Stefan will endure now and also Damon too.

Elsewhere Caroline and Alaric (Matt Davis) attend the birthing class after she's read up on all the material going on babies.  She overhears some students talk about her getting high grades in his class and that Caroline's a student here too.  She begins to vamp due to the hormones which she refuses to believe.  She visits her mother at the cemetery and talks of being responsible and looking after the children.  Nice to see some 'fake' snow!!

Just had a thought but it's pretty silly about the three years from now, what if it's what Damon and Stefan are going through in their present state.  But that'd be too far fetched even for me.  Cos we've seen things happen to everyone else Three Years from Now as well.  Thought that since in the previous ep Damon was hallucinating seeing Lily and clearly that's his guilt there.  Just as long as we don't get any references to Elena when they go through their personal hell.  What a climax to leave the show on until next year!

Highlights Damon sticking to his guns, or stakes and not giving in to his emotions like Stefan wanted him too, he'd just be seen as hypocritical and he's certainly not that.  He has no love lost there when it comes to Lily and why even try to be nice now in death.  Stefan was just being moral for the sake of it and really it's his decision however he chooses to mourn or not mourn her.  Also Damon and that reindeer glass!! Like to think the title was referring to Damon and his drink, rather than his cold feelings!  It's more fitting.
No Matt this ep, Christmas be be a busy time in a half deserted Mystic Falls, but no mention of Enzo either.  Besides Bonnie and Nora don't get together nd not after she attacked Stefan like that.  It was Bonnie and Enzo in three years anyway.

Downton Abbey Christmas Special 2015

                                             
The family walk outside and have cocktails on the lawn as they speak of Marigold and how Edith (Laura Carmichael) wants to move to London and put her in a school there.  Of course they can speak freely now since Mary (Michelle Dockery) found out about her.  Henry (Matthew Goode) has gotten over his friend's crash and wants to stop racing but doesn't know what to do.  Which Mary will be happy with.  He also doesn't want to live off his wife, as he's taken to lounging around at the house and on the bed.  The Dowager (Maggie Smith) hasn't had a visit from the family and Robert (Hugh Bonneville) decides they should visit her.  But Cora (Elizabeth McGovern) can't go as she has a meeting.  And he finds this unbearable cos she sees more of them than she does of him and he feels left out.  Mary and Robert decide to visit her instead and she wonders if they'll be staying long enough for tea.  She also talks of Edith and Bertie (Henry Hadden-Paton) and this gives Mary an idea.  She arranges for Rosamund (Samantha Bond) to take Edith to dinner whilst arranging a blind date of sorts with Bertie.

He misses her and was a fool for leaving but can't live without her.  He hasn't told his mother about Marigold and won't want to either but he wants Edith back and still wants to marry her.  He invites Edith down with the family to visit his mother (Patricia Hodge) and meet her.  She's very moralistic in tone and wants Bertie to be more moral and upstanding than his predecessor, whilst the family raise their eyebrows at that.  Edith decides she can't get married with a lie hanging over her and so comes clean with her.  She's disappointed but Bertie says he's going through with it no matter what.

At dinner, to announce the engagement, Robert tells Bertie's mother to do the right thing, otherwise she'll lose her son. Later saying she does approve of Edith as she was honest and forthcoming, instead of getting married without telling her.  When they return home Edith knows Mary arranged it but can't think why, calling her a paradox.  She's made her life miserable for years and now she wants her to be happy.  As Mary says the Dowager made a comment which struck her.  Obviously she's over not being titled like Edith who'll become a Marchioness.

Thomas (Rob James-Collier) breaks the news of having a new position and George doesn't want him to leave.  He also has a chance to thank Baxter (Raquel Cassidy) Anna (Joanne Froggatt) and Andy (Michael Fox) for saving him.  Anna hopes he'll think about what made him do it.  He also tells Baxter how she shouldn't let Coyle have power over her and shouldn't go and see him, but put it all behind her.  Which she does.  As Thomas and Bates (Brendan Coyle) also part as friends.  Thomas thanks Robert for all he's done and how he's grateful for everything he's learned from him.  "I came here a boy and leave a man."  And return as a butler!  ha.  But instead of making new friends, he finds there's only another two people at the estate and feels out of place.  As we cut to the lavish grandeur of Brancaster Castle.
                                               

Carson (Jim Carter) it seems, has the shakes but it's an inherited condition his father and grandfather had before him, they called it a 'palsy.'  He was hoping it'd pass him by and Mrs Hughes (Phyllis Logan) is worried for him.  He also spills the wine at diner which was new to him, in terms of it being highly irregular. He's not done that before.  His condition materialized out of nowhere, he was perfectly fine all through series 6.
Isobel (Penelope Wilton)  realizes she loves Dickie Merton (Douglas Reith) after all and can't fathom why she didn't marry him before.  As she and the Dowager head to rescue him from the evil clutches of his son and Amelia (Phoebe Sparrow) after finding out he has pernicious anemia and there's no cure.  The Dowager making a spectacle of herself by speaking loudly and getting Dickie out of his room.  Isobel tells him he's moving to her house and she intends to marry him too; he's glad to leave. Giving them the house.

Rose (Lily James) arrives with Atticus (Matt Barber) and was eager to share photos of the baby with the servants and Mrs Patmore (Lesley Nicol)comments on why she didn't include her mother's name in the baby's names.  As she shares news of her life in America.

Denker (Sue Johnston) tries to get Spratt (Jeremy Swift) fired for his writing in Edith's magazine column and she doesn't like his tone, implying there's something going on with him and Edith.  Even after she was listening in at the door, which we knew she'd do.  So she tells the Dowager to do fire him for this indiscretion.  She however finds his column very amusing, especially also commenting how Denker already had the page open to the column too.  She later tells Spratt that she'll ask him for fashion advice in the future and didn't know she had such a hidden expert in the basement.  Denker trying to say she thought the Dowager already knew about the column.  Spratt gleefully tells Denker that the Dowager doesn't like being predictable.  Thus she wouldn't have fired him.  Though she didn't notice Denker with her nail polish shade, even if it was  a nude shade.  Denker was quite irritating making comments about being honest and the truth.

Cora must attend a meeting and won't be here to help with the flowers for Edith's wedding.  Much to Robert's chagrin.  Leading Robert to ask for more claret from Carson but he can't help him, asking Andy for help instead.  Cut to Thomas and his boring job where he just stands around with nothing much to do.  He's been invited to the wedding though and will be glad to get away.  Henry and Branson also have an errand to run and Rose will help with the flowers.

Mary and Robert find out what's wrong with Carson  and he offers his resignation as he can't perform his duties.  He'll stay for the wedding and will interview prospective butlers.  Should've just asked Thomas instead, which is what all this was leading to anyway.  Mary thinks Carson can stay on run things as before, but he's adamant the new butler wouldn't want to work under such circumstances.

Dickie has more tests since he should've been much weaker by now and he's not.  He feels quite well. Clarkson (David Robb) runs more tests.  Rose takes Robert to the village and he watches Cora speak to the locals about the hospital and he tells Rose she reminds him of when she ran Downton as a convalescent home during the War.  Branson and Henry show Mary their new car sales business. They aim to sell new cars too eventually and even produce their own.  Mary is proud of Henry and she tells him her news of being pregnant.  But doesn't want to steal Edith's thunder by announcing it just yet.

Daisy (Sophie McShera) wants to spruce herself up a little bit and says how nice and smooth Rose's hair looked.  She cuts her hair and next morning looks a bit of a mess.  Seems Mary's new hairdryer came in handy for all.  See no one caught her in Mary's room.  Anna has to help fix her hair and Andy couldn't help but laugh and Mrs Patmore tells him she made a fool of herself for him.  He thinks she looks like Clara Bow.  And he says they should sort this out.  Did anyone think, "Daisy, Daisy give me your answer do..."  ha.  Maybe just me then.  She also decides to move to the farm.

Henry wants to break the news about the baby already.  Rosamund hopes they'll be happily married and the Dowager says they'll be happy enough, blaming the weather for the way the English are.  Branson meets Laura Edmunds (Antonia Bernath) and obviously there's another romance waiting to happen.  Dr Clarkson tells Dickie he has anaemia but not the serious kind and he'll live.  Anna asks Thomas about his job and if he's getting on with everyone.  Not that there are many of anyone to get on with.  But she tells him it feels good not to be at war with anyone,

Robert is proud of Edith and how beautiful she looks in her wedding dress.  He has seen her in a wedding dress before in series 3?? when she was stood up at the alter, or rather jilted at the alter.  She hopes he'll be as proud of her for as long as possible.  The other romances being Baxter and Molesley (Kevin Doyle) and Mrs Patmore and Mr Mason (Paul Copley).  Henry asks Mary if she'll get on with Edith now and she tells him not to mind that cos they're "sisters and sisters have secrets."    Robert feels "a great sense of achievement" at having the last of their children off their hands.  Robert was proud of Cora too after he watched her at the meeting and she's a "woman of real substance" and seems Robert is proud of many people in this final Christmas episode.   The servants gossip about Marigold heading for Brancaster Castle and wonder if they'll tell Bertie's mother about her.  Just as well they didn't know about how she already knows then, with their gossiping.

Carson loses the plot when he's unable to pour the champagne and "cannot pour the bloody stuff." Robert decides Thomas will be the new butler and Carson will stay at the old house and have a pension.  Carson trained Thomas and so he'll be able to handle the job.  See after all that drama they could've just had him stay anyway, what with Molesley leaving.  Anna has her baby in Mary's room and Carson dictating that Anna can't have it now and in Mary's bedroom either.  They have a son.  As well as Robert taking them champagne, Anna's going to drink straight after giving birth.  So what was the son named?  Think it was a first Anna calling Bates "John" maybe they'll name the baby after him.  What with Molseley leaving to teach and getting a cottage on the grounds, everything was moving so fast here.

Laura catches the bouquet of course.  Edith tells Bertie's mother she won't disappoint her and she just wants her to love Bertie.  Robert having to console Carson.  Downton will be different without him there running things.  The world is changing he replies.  Robert wants to give them plenty of booze to see in the New year (!) and they're grateful to Carson for everything.  Cora believes the more adaptable we are the more we'll be able to get on through the years.  She just wants a long and happy life to watch the children grow up.  Robert thinks they have a good chance of that.  Cora and the Dowager make up and she thinks Cora will do an excellent job.  It's all hers now, the village, the hospital.  As they all ring in the new year.  Mrs Hughes knows they can make it work, echoing Cora. Isobel says they're moving into the future and to the past, somehow the Dowager would've preferred moving back to the past like Carson.

Lots of jokes from the Grantham's after Edith's call to them, like Cora saying she's pregnant again or she's been arrested for treason.  Also we didn't quite get to hear what Cousin Peter did in Tangiers that was so scandalous!  As well as Bertie finally standing up to his mother in favour of the woman he loves, so what took him so long.  Apparently Cora was right about the pregnancy, but wrong daughter.  Mary certainly did turn over a new leaf and it was like a butterfly emerging from a selfish cocoon.  She was in the helping mood, what with being sad at Thomas leaving, helping Edith and being worried for Carson and being thrilled Henry had given up racing.  You'd think that really wasn't Mary.  Seems being married to Henry agrees with her.

SO it ended, five years of love, laughter, scheming, scandals, weddings, deaths, back stabbings and everything else this show could fit into six series.  Maybe someone might come up with a movie or two in the future.
"Should old acquaintance be forget..."

Doctor Who Christmas Special 2015 "The Husbands of River Song" Review

                                            
The TARDIS is in a village, well planet where the set looks suspiciously like the one where Clara was killed, as a man calls out for a surgeon and knocks on the door.  The Doctor (Peter Capaldi) agrees and ends up at a flying saucer, as a woman in a cloak approaches.  It's River Song (Alex Kingston) of course! But she doesn't recognize the Doctor who immediately does her, of course.  She introduces him to hr husband, a man's head inside a machine, which looked more like a giant robot in the vein of a lobster! No, really.  So as they tip toe around, but more vocally in who he is, King Hydraflax (Greg Davies) (how many times was that name mentioned) and he needs an operation, which the surgeon will perform.  Naturally the Doctor has no idea of how to remove the projectile in his head.  As River takes the head, she shows him a hologram image of the projectile which is actually a diamond.  She needs the diamond, the most famous and valuable diamond i the universe. During all this she still has no inkling who he is.

She's an archaeologist and says she was hired to find the diamond, still insisting she didn't marry Hyrdaflax but the diamond.  She was his nurse and they were married within a week.  The Doctor saying she was a fast worker, whilst all the time trying to keep a straight face.  His body which is more a computer manages to catch up to them after taking Nardole's (Matt Lucas) head.  However they manage to put his head in a bag and get away to the TARDIS.  Meeting Ramone (Phillip Rhys) on the way, as River shares passionate kisses with him, to the doctor's chagrin, well he wasn't too pleased.  Ramone's her husband, but they're not married yet.  Also she pulls out the pictures of all twelve Doctors she's looking for and he does try to drop massive hints as to who, or WHO he really is!  Even attempting to point to his chin.  As we recall Doctor Eleven had plenty of jokes made about his big chin!! Ha.  Ahh the good old days.  But she hasn't heard the Doctor now has a new face. Where's she been then.

She says she's stealing the TARDIS, changing the name to a box and she has a key.  She needs to time travel and she has a key.  The Doctor also referring to it as the TARDIS, er box.  She warns him it's not so snug on the inside and true enough the Doctor plays along and acts shocked.  Going on about how shocked he really is and spouting lots of lines on the technicality of it all and he always wanted to say that.  A scene to savour!  She comments about being taught technical things at his medical school.  As he tells her not to push a certain button.  They're not able to take off since the head is slit from its body and so the doors aren't able to close, but not for long.

The body finds Ramone and takes his head too and takes off like a Transformer, well no other way to describe it.  Finding the TARDIS it comes in and River closes the door as they take off and arrive on a ship, a cruise ship: "Harmony and Redemption"  which was neither on this starship, as River puts it, "it's where genocide comes to kick back and relax."  This one containing all the criminals and bad people, where they come for a holiday.  So there weren't any tears shed when they met their doom. Just desserts.  Even the Doctor doesn't regret it.

 River orders a table for dinner and wants the baggage hold secured.  At this point Hydraflax's head speaks and the Doctor says it's his stomach.  At the table, after spraying herself a new outfit, she pulls out the diary.  The blue book the Doctor gave her and she says time is short for her as she's coming to the end of her diary ad the Doctor told her this once.  She then makes a bargain with Scratch (Robert Curtis) Scratch appropriately having an awfully large scratch across his face and head.  Having the money transferred to a bank account.  However all the people on the ship are loyal to Hyrdaflax.  As the Doctor turns the events into a bidding auction and they bow before Hydraflax.

Shifty Flemming (Rowan Polonski) makes a bargain with the body saying he knows where he can get an ever better head.  So as they enter a stalemate.  As he reads from her diary, River states she doesn't know where the Doctor is.  He doesn't love her and so wouldn't be here to rescue her.  She loves him but he doesn't return the favour.  The body scans her and finds she's not lying.  All this time the Doctor wants to stop her especially when she says it can scan the ship for two hearts.  Yes she went too far and the Doctor finally says, "hello Sweetie."  River's catchphrase.  She times all this to the second as there's an impending meteor strike and they've calculated the exits.  The body disintegrates the head as it's no longer required, revealing the diamond.  The meteorite hits and they make their escape.  However the body finds them too.  The diamond falls from the ceiling and River catches it in her bodice.  She runs to fix the engines and the Doctor will deal with the body.

Talking of stock markets the Doctor plants the ball containing banking information on the body as a head and it can't deal with the influx of information and the firewall, having a massive breakdown. The Doctor joking it couldn't deal with the markets.   River tries to stop the ship from heading to the planet and the Doctor tells her that's his job.  She recognizes the planet as Derrillium (delirium?) but he doesn't want her on the ship as it's about to crash.  He transports her into the TARDIS, however she gets out and there's no time to save the ship.  So they both head for the TARDIS, as it takes the brunt of the impact of the crash, they're knocked out.  The Doctor gets up first and sees the crashed ship outside.  He then makes the TARDIS move again and opens the door once again.  Taking the diamond from the floor.  He runs into a worker who looked for survivors but there aren't any, the Doctor telling him they won't be missed not being good.  He tells him to build a restaurant here and gives him the diamond to get the hefty reward for it.  What if he kept the diamond for himself.

                                               

He then returns again for reservations to the restaurant and has to wait four years for an opening on Christmas Day.  He brings River here and she changes once again.  Did he read her diary, or there's really no need as he knows what's in there.  She listens to the singing and then talk about her time nearing the end cos of the diary.  But adding he's the Doctor and there's always some last minute thing he does and fixes everything.  Echoing Clara when she thought he could save her.

She catches him crying and he replies it's the wind.  He's sad but she's sad too.  He talks of how nothing lasts forever and things come to an end and can't be changed.  Obviously he's still lamenting Clara, not that we'd expect that to be mentioned here.  That's the impression, but he's not supposed to remember her.  As I said, he probably does.  He can't be sad for River.  Firstly he hasn't thought about her in a long time and secondly River's not really going anywhere.  She asks him how long this night is on the planet and he replies 24 years.  Cue lots of laughter...

Past eps mentioned include The Pandorica Opens, and The Byzantium, which was apparently made into a movie and Manhattan.  All eps with River and where Amy and Rory ended up.  As read from her diary.  This episode wasn't going to be dark, as the rest of series 9, it is Christmas after all, but it was going to have plenty of comedy, that's always expected when River's around and boy have we missed River!  As well as a sombre moment at the end, it was needed especially to have a conclusion to her line of nearing the end of her diary.  Which was first mentioned in the eps The Silence in the Library and Forest of the Dead.  Well it was a conclusion of sorts, she's got plenty of time yet.  Oh and the Sonic, he gives her a gift of a proper Sonic, whilst still using the shades here. So what happened to the return of the Sonic at the end of 9.12?

Lots of choice lines and jokes from the Doctor in this festive episode and none of the mushy stuff entered the picture until the end, when the Doctor and River end up on Derillium, the singing planet where River said he promised to take her to diner, but always cancelled.  Was there a reason for him cancelling, like wanting to prolong her life.  This time they actually get there, Christmas Day four years later after the events of the ship.

Funny one liners as the Doctor needing a flowchart to explain things and "I'm going to need a bigger flowchart."  Other moments included when they landed on the snow and the Doctor has a moment of uncontrollable laughter.  At least he had it in him to smile, especially after past events.  As well as his hologram antlers on the Doctor's head at the beginning which the TARDIS has planted there.

Was this River's final moments and swan song, hopefully not, but nothing is final or permanent on Doctor Who.  River's not recognizing the Doctor also was a twist on The Silence of the Library ep, where she knows him but he doesn't know her.  It's nice when that bit of continuity shows up.  Also the bittersweet moment when she remarks on how she loves the Doctor more than he could love anyone and how the legends say this is where they spend their final moments together.  A bit of a one night stand thing here, except going on for 24 years!  Ha.  Okay I don't know why I said that! Bittersweet cos the Sonic is the same one that she used to save Doctor Ten and lost her life in the process.  As they also discussed being happily ever after doesn't really happen.  So ironically all these words appear at the end of the episode and magically vanish away being left with the word "happily" for a few seconds longer.

All in all it was an exciting and very different Christmas ep that we're used to, comical, sad, happy and all emotions rolled into one.

Hey we didn't get the usual 'The Doctor will return' writing at the end of the episode!!

Tongue in cheek title as River only really has one husband and it ain't the head!

The Vampire Diaries 7.8 "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me" Review

                                          
Three Years From Now

Damon (Ian Somerhalder) is tied up and apparently he doesn't know by whom.  Though it's revealed he hallucinates seeing his mother, who tells him she's dead.

Today
Stefan (Paul Wesley) and Damon decide to take out Julian (Todd Lasance) now and Lily (Annie Wersching) helps by making it happen at the surprise party Julian's thrown for Nora (Scarlett Byrne) and Mary Louise's (Teressa Liane) anniversary.  Though I have to say the less said about that the better since it just gave Julian a chance to act out his usual aggression and smarminess.  Devouring the guests and also getting Lily to join in.  Seems all the Heretics want is a good time and daddy Julian does that for them.  The look on Damon's face when Lily ravages a guest's neck said it all, he was actually disgusted with her.

Caroline (Candace King) writes in the diary for Elena still (and yes we had to get another name dropping!) telling her she's pregnant.  Matt (Zach Roerig) calls and tells her the people from the school have vanished.  She tells him she's pregnant after all.  So he carries on the search himself.  She wants to tell Stefan but when she arrives they're leaving for the party.  After telling him, he doesn't know how to react and leaves.   Leaving her clueless either way.  Although as she said it's the timing and followed on the heels of Stefan finding out he lost his baby.

Enzo (Michael Malarkey) turns up when Lily's buying a present for Nora, she recalls the poem she used to read out to them in prison and Enzo recites it, The Nymph Reply to the Shepherd (Sir Walter Raleigh).  He thinks she should run away with him and he's mourning a lost love still and they kiss. Well savour the moment Enzo, cos there'll be no more.  Julian gives Mary Louise a ring rumoured to be from a princess, okay it wasn't a ring it was a big chunk of rock! ha,  as she's going to propose to Nora.  As Valerie (Elizabeth Blackmore) tells them how Julian killed her baby and beat her until it was over.  Lily believes her cos it was the only way she'd go to Europe with him.  If she'd have known about her grandchild she wouldn't have gone.  Beau (Jaiden Kaine) and Nora believe her too, but you know Blondie's having doubts.  Yeah that was obvious, Julian can do no wrong in her eyes. Stefan asks for motherly advice about Caroline and what he should do.  She replies tell her he loves her and be there for her.  In the end she'll make a sacrifice for her children.  Ironically that came down to Lily too in this episode.  She didn't choose Damon or Valerie, but chose to end it, even if it was erroneously.

Lily signals Stefan and he and Damon attack and tie up Julian.  But got to ask how he was so useless in this fight when he hasn't shown this weakness before.  However Mary Louise helps him and releases him.  Damon and Valerie finding themselves tied up.  He wants Lily to chose which one will die, Damon or Valerie.  She refuses and she kills herself instead.  Julian telling her the link was already broken.  Yeah about that, thought Lily would've gone for him, not staked herself.  They have a short while to say goodbye and though Stefan is genuinely sorry, Damon can't bring himself to say goodbye to her, or tell her how he feels, lousy in life, lousy in death is probably what he thought. Aside from boozing in typical Damon fashion.  Knew that plan was going to backfire, as said in many reviews, their plans always do, so it's best not to make any.

Matt finds Enzo feeding and tells him no one wants him here.  Enzo says he's fighting a losing battle, with a gun for a knife.  As Enzo leaves, he's tasered ad taken away by a group of men. Guessing they have something to do with the three years from now bit.  So will we be getting any answers about this, or will that be dragged out for another season?  Or was that Matt taking matters into his own hands with Enzo.  Also think Damon will eventually regret not saying goodbye to Lily.  Even if Julian did taunt him by saying she took Elena away from him for sixty,seventy years.

Was wondering when that title would show up, but it's not really apt for this episode I thought anyway and not for the Heretics either.  Valerie was right when she said he's their army and not his family.  Oh they really need to say Julian properly, it's not pronounced 'Julienne'!  OH and wrecking the house, Julia, so not on, it's what Damon's done in the past over Elena.  But he did it so much better!!