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!

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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!!

A Boyfriend For Christmas

Not one for sentimentality, ahh who am I kidding!  Just want to gush oodles of praise for A Boyfriend For Christmas!  It's a little old now but it'll never age!  Such a feelgood, romantic movie and has everything. Great cast in the two leads, Kelli Williams and Patrick Muldoon - always perfect in anything he's in!

Such brilliance from the outset when Holly makes her Christmas wish you know you're in for a treat and plenty of heartbreak too.  Okay so he's a lawyer and we know the bad press they have, but he's much more than that.  Ryan goes out of his way to reunite the family for Christmas and on top of that he even starts to volunteer and help out Santa!

Wouldn't we all love him under our tree and all wrapped up for Christmas. Bows 'n' all.  There's just something about Patrick and his on screen presence which adds so much more to this movie.  Even if he does tell fibs like being called Doug Firtree, you know he's not into lying, it's just not in him! There's comedy and smarmy Ted gets what he deserves too!

Best scene or one of them for me, when Ryan drives away from her family house and heads to the hills, his fave place.  The emotions are so rife and real, you can't help but cry along!  Also must be a first for us with Patty crying!  Oh man tears!!  Bring 'em on.

I also liked the way he stood up for what he believed was right and how sweet to sit in a meeting and doodle your true love's name!!

If you're not big on holiday cheer or Christmas movies, if you only ever watch one, make it this one, you won't regret it!  Trust me I'm a lawyer!  Ha. Or as I wrote, Patty's not just for Christmas but for life!  That includes his movies!

http://mila255h.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/patrick-muldoon.html

Not enough words to do this movie justice you just have to lose yourself in the moments!  Still waiting for one to come along which had such everlasting appeal for me.  It's something we can all relate to, finding that special someone, losing them and to top it off, having to find them again!! Such a long and arduous search, if only real love was as easy as love in the movies.

Okay before I get too mushy just go watch and enjoy!!!

Oh just a thought next time I watch will have to play Patrick's songs over the soundtrack!  Hmm wonder how that would sound!!