Confessions of an NCIS Addict

We all have our moments of watching TV shows by accident, surfing channels or the web, but I didn't come across NCIS like that.  Nope it was in Kansas 2004, when after watching an ep of JAG, or at least trying to without my friend's neighbour's coming in and both getting started on Dreamboat David James Elliot being "eye candy!"  Now come on, there was more to that show than that. Huh, but they droned on and I couldn't get a word in or listen to the TV, not that I wanted to get a word in.  Then NCIS came on after it.  This was new, of course it was.  Considering the UK didn't get season 1 until later that year and the US was already onto season 2.  We were lucky in that we got seasons 1 and 2 one after the other, but after that we lagged behind, now we're a year behind, no fair.  That's why DVDs were invented, ha.

So what caught my eye about this show wasn't the story, the plots or what NCIS actually stood for, (that came later) nope it was none of these.  Truth be told; which is what I'm doing here, it was for Mark Harmon.  Yes that gorgeous actor with his steely good looks (can I use that word - steely?) and well, having seen him many moons ago in 240-Robert as Thib and that smile of his, ahh that smile.  Now who's being shallow?
Well here's one gal who was a fan for life!  So couldn't believe my luck when later he turned up in Flamingo Road too and many other films and shows after that.

                                               

So it wasn't so much about the entire show, at first,  but Mark and Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs.  Here was a man who meant business and so did his name.  He wasn't taking any prisoners, including fans like me, darn shame!  He had that look, that smile that would make any female suspect melt and the 'no words' demeanour signifies plenty of attitude. Yes Gibbs smiles and laughs, take that you cynical critics.  Felt like they were associating him as being a bit of a male 'Greta Garbo' type, you know, how she never really used to smile in (m)any of her roles.

                                                    

It was later and a quite a few episodes later that I realized what made this show also worth watching was Michael Weatherly.  Not in a 'oh you're so dumb you didn't even notice he was in here' way; but more of a oh it's Logan Cale from Dark Angel kind of way.  SO that's where he turned up when he left Seattle.  Oh you know the way sometimes you associate the character he plays, more than the actor.   First thing said about him was how he managed to be in a show that was so short lived - again.  But hey, I for one was expecting  a satisfactory conclusion to Dark Angel, which no fan ever got!  We woz cheated!  With Logan it was always about the hair, the glasses.

                                                  

So he turned up in NCIS with that hair, that voice (no I don't say that about everyone!  Do I?)  Michael played Very Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo and these two guys were as different as chalk and cheese on the surface, but deep down they shared  a lot of the same traits: caring about people, their job and catching the baddies.  Tony is juvenile, always joking which made him irresistible as a model TV Character.  Not  a model as some of you may be thinking, though he wouldn't have gone amiss with his looks and the clothes too.  These days TV expects everyone on it to be so serious with oodles of baggage!

                                               
                                                 
Not leaving out the NCIS ladies, well Cote de Pablo made a serious impact on the show and viewing figures too, no doubt.  As the dust died down from Kate's shooting and Sasha Alexander's leaving.  But as Ziva David she kicked lots of butt.  Still does!  So trigger happy; wonder what she'd have done if she left her gun at home.  No fear she doesn't really need such weapons considering she knows 18 different ways to kill with a paperclip.  She's tough and never floundering but underneath it all, Ziva's as soft as the next person but with her training and upbringing she hides her feelings well.  At least we know she's human.

                                                        

Her fashion sense can be a little eclectic, just like her "Ziva-isms."  But she can dress to impress.  Whether it be in her boots and khakis or a little green number.  She's beautiful and beguiling with flowing dark tresses to add that little bit of mystery.  Cote has amazing hair!  She's the kind of gal who you'll  always want as your friend, also staunchly loyal.

                                                       

I watched NCIS without looking to any promos, or ads, no publicity as to what the show was about and who was in it.  Even if my addiction stemmed from a season 2 episode.  Maybe it was better that way since I didn't have any expectations of the show and whether it would push the right buttons in the interest department. It was worth waiting to watch season 1 on TV in the UK cos when it came we got seasons 1 and 2 in a row.  Allowing the stories and characters to be on continuous play and replay.

Appealing stories, likeable characters, superb actors.  Not many personal stories or revelations to begin with in every episode, but when they came they were gut wrenching, heart breaking.  Doubly emotional; side splittingly funny. Incredibly engaging.  All I can say, well I can say plenty, is that if I'd missed this show, I'd be kicking myself and a few other people in the process too.  No matter what your age or background, country of residence, there's something about this show that is endearing.  Including the ability to bridge gaps between nations, devoid of language barriers.

When it comes to NCIS I'm as loyal as Ziva.  Addiction comes in all forms and all substances.  NCIS is my fire.  I sit down, tune in and go along for the ride, no matter how long it lasts.  Forever being a long time.
I know I haven't mentioned all of the cast and what an excellent cast it is, past and present; but this was why I became an addict and what made me watch for the first time.

My NCIS: Unofficial and Unauthorized Guide to NCIS The TV Show available now at amazon

Revenge 2.4 "Intuition" Review

The episode opens with the Grayson maid mopping up blood and Victoria (Madeleine Stowe) burning a paper in the fire.

24 Hours Earlier

Emily: "Some think intuition is a gift but it can be a curse as well.  A voice calling to us from places that are better left unexplored.  An echo of memories that will never die no matter how hard we try to kill them."

Emily (Emily VanCamp) demands to know about her mother and asks Aiden (Barry Sloane) what happened since he didn't tell Emily he found her.  She also tells him Det Lasky  doesn't exist.  He warns her if that woman on the phone was her mother, then she's dangerous.  Emily then ropes in Amanda (Margarita Levieva) again for yet another encounter with Victoria, this time she tempts her with her father's diaries.  With Amanda reading her an extract and then Amanda refuses to give it to her.  Victoria says that's up to her and Charlotte (Christa B Allen) interrupts them, prompting Victoria to plan a baby shower. Thus
leaving Emily to come up with yet another plan.  Amanda should ask Victoria for money in return for all the diaries and that way she'll write her a cheque and can compare her handwriting on the sign in sheet from the hospital.  Like the way Emily uses a sob story about her mother being alive this time round to compel Amanda to help.  She needs to think about it.

Trey (Michael Nardelli) doesn't have the goods they stole anymore and the guy he sold them to would sooner break their legs than return them.  Thus Jack (Nick Weschler) has to foot the bill with Ryan (JR Bourne) and come up with an arrangement to pay him back.  Which leads him into more debt as the inspector rejects the work to the bar so Jack can't open.  Padma (Dilshad Vadsaria) up to no good as usual, shows Nolan (Gabriel Mann) a letter about his father and his belongings being in storage.  he finds out his father is dead.  She brings back a scrapbook his father kept and urges him to go there.  Nolan recalls how he started his company from the garage and when he told his father he wouldn't be returning to school, he threw him out. She finds a box of papers for the company and looks over them.  Leaving Nolan the chance to kiss her.  Don't do it man, she's trouble!  Why would Nolan's company papers be in his father's storage?

Aiden confronts Kara (Jennifer Jason Leigh) and tells her he's FBI, deepcover just like Gordon (white haired man) was and she needs to trust him.  She takes him to a hotel room and feigns there being a hard drive in    the safe which Gordon wanted anyone who knew things about him to have.  Then knocks him out with a taser out and ties him up.  He didn't see that coming, no he turns his back on her, especially after telling Emily she's dangerous.

Conrad (Henry Czerny) wants Ashley (Ashley Madekwe) to keep an eye on Daniel (Josh Bowman) as he will be away and he meets with Helen Crowley (Wendy Crewson) from the Initiative.  She tells him they're looking for Gordon and can't understand why he would betray them like that.  Daniel continues his pursuit of delving into Conrad's documents and Ashley gets a call from Conrad when she and Daniel are together which she doesn't pick up.  Daniel later checks the voice message on her phone and realizes Ashley is working for daddy dearest.  When Conrad returns Ashley tells him there's nothing to report and she wants out.

Amanda brings her own friends to the baby shower from the club and Victoria gives her a baby journal with a cheque inside; proving the writing is a match.  Emily coaches Amanda to insist on answering questions about her mother and they stand in front of the balcony and any fool knows what was coming next. Victoria snatches the papers from Amanda and she falls backwards to the floor.  She wants them to save the baby. AT the hospital she's placed in an induced coma.  Kara hears reports of this and visits her there.  Emily sees her there and recalls a memory of her mother pushing her underwater with her father calling out to her.  Looked at another way, it could be seen as Kara hiding Emily from her father, otherwise why call it a game? Victoria thinks Kara certifiable and comments Amanda maybe heading that way too.

Jack has a baby boy and Declan (Connor Paolo) comes to him and to Charlotte.  Aiden comes to Emily and she cries in his arms.
Emily: "When at a crossroads my father was fond of saying, 'go with your gut.'  Intuition he said always has our best interests at heart.  It is a voice that can tell us who is our friend and who is foe.  Which ones to hold at arm's length and which ones to keep close.  But too often we become distracted by fear, doubt our own stubborn hopes and refuse to listen."

Amanda was right about Emily never being done with this (cos that'd be the end of the show) but she always manages to go after someone or something with her plan failing dismally.  Well it has been lately.  Yet another 'fall' in the presence of the Grayson's or caused by the Grayson's.  There was Lydia in season 1 when Frank 'threw' her over the balcony onto the taxi and here Amanda falls whilst 'wrestling' with Victoria.  Not to mention wearing heels in her condition!  Mind you Lydia got better albeit with amnesia.

Emily accessing such a repressed memory at this time was both amazing and eerie at the same time.  That Victoria was right about Kara trying to kill her and how David Clarke cited Kara as the source of his troubles. Still it's good Kara doesn't know the real Amanda is Emily cos she can now play off her.  Daniel keeping Ashley, his enemy close, as he tells her that Victoria's kidnapping was faked by Conrad so he could use the money for the company.  Seems he's trying to play Victoria's game.  As Ashley suddenly grows a conscience, or does she? wanting out of spying on him.  Can she really get out from Conrad so easily and who cares anyway?  Ryan's after the bar but why?

Conrad thinking it was Victoria's blood or the children's, does he really care.  Also asking if she fell in their house, cos Amanda can sue you know.  Why doesn't Jack just ask Emily for a loan or even Nolan, he would have done that once upon a time, last season.  But these three hardly interact anymore with new players Padma and Aiden on the scene.

Mr Selfridge Series 1 Part 4 Review

                                               
Harry (Jeremy Piven) stomps from the lift with his staff in tow and demands Miss Bunting (Pippa Haywood) lifts her skirt, well okay Miss Mardle (Amanda Abbingdon) must check her hems as she's smuggling out lace and silks from the store.  She's caught redhanded, but who gave her away?  Also how did she get all that into the hem of her skirt without anyone noticing all this time.  Harry is angry since you don't "steal from your work family."  In which case, wonder what he'll do when he finds out what's happening in the loading bay.  Miss Bunting is fired and she is despondent since she has her mother to look after and won't get another job without a reference.  Would've thought Groves (Tom Goodman-Hill) would have obliged her with one without Harry knowing.  But no one goes behind his back or they'll suffer his wrath.  Harry ignores the rest of Ellen's (Zoe Tapper) notes and throws them unread into the drawer.

Anna Pavlova (Natalia Kremen) is in town, the famous ballerina and Harry arranges Rosalie (Poppy Lee Friar) and Rose (Frances O' Connor) to watch her perform at Lady Mae's (Katherine Kelly) whilst Ellen Love waits for Harry to come see her.  Would've thought she'd be singing, "I'm just wild about Harry..." by now, but that'd be too cliched, especially since all of London knows about Harry and Ellen.  Lady Mae still teaches Rosalie a thing or two about etiquette, such as how to clap like a lady, whilst Rose tells her maybe it's cos she's an American that she likes to show her appreciation by clapping properly.  Harry watches Rose throughout the performance and is pleased he's done something right by Rose.  As he later tells her about how enchanted she looked when watching Anna.

Rose comments every woman should have her moment with Anna Pavlova thus the idea Harry gets to invite her to the store, think of the publicity.  He even wants Anna to have tea with Rose and Lady Mae, who is now enjoying Rose's company.  Miss Irene Ravillous (Anna Madeley) cycles to work as the new Head of Fashion and promptly proceeds to throw her weight around by asking for lace from the Accessories department.  Kitty (Amy Beth Hayes) refuses but has to give in and says she needs to ask permission from Miss Mardle before taking anything else.

Irene is introduced to the rest of the staff at a meeting and she used to work at Liberty, which Harry calls their loss.  Fashion will be a big thing and she's brash enough to ask Harry if he's telling her that or asking.  Miss Mardle notices the length of her skirt and she has it high for cycling.  Also telling Miss Mardle that corsets will be obsolete, she prefers exercise to keep her figure trim.  Harry wants his staff to come up with ideas as to how they can accommodate Anna Pavlova and at the same time make customers want to buy.  Business is about keeping them happy.  Agnes (Aisling Loftus) didn't have any bright ideas this time round, maybe cos she's too preoccupied with her father and Henri (Gregory Fitoussi).

Irene comes up with an idea about placing large pieces of lace type piping as collars around their store capes in honour of Anna Pavlova's tutu.  At least it seemed that way.  Harry is impressed with the idea and Irene's plans to have ready made dresses available for women immediately, so they don't have to have a seamstress and try them on.  Crabb (Ron Cook) is put at ease by his difficult question of "shapes and sizes," as they will cater for all.  he's always given the women's questions to worry about for some reason.  Last time it was the make-up uncertainties.  Miss Mardle is disappointed no one had any ideas and she doesn't want Irene taking anything from Accessories anymore.  She even says as much to Groves, whom she thinks no longer likes her as he turns down tickets to Drury Lane, as he has to keep an eye on the nurses at home.

Agnes and George (Calum Callaghan) have troubles of their own with Reg (Nick Moran) still around, as he tries to get into their flat, but they've changed the locks.  Victor (Trystan Gravelle) still watches Agnes at work and how Henri interrupts them when talking.  He warns Agnes about George and what he's doing since he's still loading and unloading the blue vans with stock.

Rose spends time with Roddy (Oliver Jackson-Cohen) and she wants her portrait he's painting for her husband.  He convinces her to come to the Chelsea Art club even though she's got to be at the store for Anna Pavlova and she doesn't get out of it.  Roddy finally reveals he's going to the store to see Anna Pavlova and Rose must come clean about really being Mrs Selfridge.  He then makes a flippant comment about how Ellen Love and Harry are the talk of the town.  Rose already knows and confesses she and Harry have a bond and she loves him.  Also that if she's honest with Roddy, she was tempted by him.  Tony (Will Payne) listens to everything they talk about.  Thus opening up the possibility of blabbing to Harry when next they play poker.

Lady Mae finds the chicken in the restaurant bland and is in fear of turning into one herself as she clucks.  Victor spices up her food but she hardly eats anything.  She's saving herself for tea.  She prefers anticipation, whilst Victor prefers to eat when he's hungry.  Oh the innuendos.  Anna Pavlova looked like she was milking the store for everything she could get, as well as the fee Harry was paying her.  She even got a Sable out of it.  Ellen gatecrashes the photo opp and insists on a photo with Anna.  Since Ellen is the 'Spirit of Selfridge.'  Harry is clearly angry since his family is here.  He wants Frank (Samuel West) to take Ellen home and ends her contract with the store.

Reg also crashes the do and after an altercation with Agnes, gets pushed into a glass display case.  Victor takes him down and punches him.  Reg hopes Agnes has lost her job over this.  Victor now realizes why Agnes wouldn't let him come over and promises to look after her.  But she tells him he's got his own family to support. Harry offers Anna the ultimate gift, her very own window, which turns out to have a display of a ballerina.  Harry was instrumental with Henri in coming up with the display and this was it.

Harry kind of looks like he's into a downward spiral now all cos of Rose and even seems to be jealous she wasn't at the store when she makes excuses of being unwell and is avoiding him.  But he can't have it both ways, in this case have his Pavlova and eat it too, okay had to get that one in! Seems Rose is finally showing Harry that she wants a life too and that she's put up with enough from him, wonder if she'll follow through with it.  Agnes doesn't seem to be interested in Victor either, irrespective of Reg and being ashamed and is more in awe of Henri still, as he ropes her in to help him fashion flowers from ribbon for the occasion.  Kitty's also jealous at not being asked to help instead of Agnes.

Seems every week Harry comes up with a new innovative way to impress the press and the crowds but this one caused a bit of an uproar with Ellen turning up and Reg too, but not that anyone hardly noticed.  Ellen has a foolish notion that Harry will leave his wife and be hers which Frank notices the full extent of, as well as her drug abuse.  Agnes is humiliated but it doesn't appear that Harry would fire her for Reg turning up drunk, it's not something she could have handled herself anyway.  As Groves said to Miss Bunting (odd name for someone in Fashion, ha) if she had come to them they would have helped and especially Harry.  Which is what Victor said to Agnes, that she should go see him.

Finally it seems as if things are hotting up and getting interesting after four weeks of easing and teasing us into the characters and how they fit into the scheme of things in and out of the store.  Wonder if we'll get an episode opening where Harry isn't filmed coming out of the lift with his entourage (pun intended) in tow?  As you know he means serious business everytime that happens!

Without A Trace 3.22 "John Michaels" Review

                                                             
The scene opens with an old man carrying a bag of shopping to the roof.  He stands on the edge of the ledge of the roof before disappearing after he drops his shopping bag.  He is watched by a young boy.  Jack (Anthonly LaPaglia) is alone, asleep at his apartment where he receives the call about the old man.  Viv (Marianne Jean-Baptiste) is already at the scene, she’s been given the all clear by her doctor to work.  The boy is Robert and lives in 2A.  He saw him being taken away in a black 4 door Sedan.  Maybe he knew the men since he stepped off the ledge.  They talked and he went in the car.  Jack investigates the old man’s apartment.  He was John Michaels, 71, an insurance claims investigator and kept his case files at home.

Danny (Enrique Murciano) brings Jack a cup of coffee.  He worked in the same place for 30 years and was in 2 campaigns in Korea.  He was divorced with 2 daughters.  Martin (Eric Close) tells Jack, John lived in the apartment for 12 years and no one recognizes him or saw him get into the car.  Sam (Poppy Montgomery) tells Jack forensics were sent and Jack wonders why he went shopping if he was going to kill himself.

John called his ex-wife Martha Scoggins (Rosemary Forsythe) twice on consecutive days.  They were 1 minutes calls, Sam thinks they were probably messages.  They were divorced 21 years ago and Jack comments that’s a long time to hold a grudge.  Martha calls him selfish.  He showed up at her house and apologized for not being much of a husband.  She couldn’t forgive him.  He wanted to contact Helen (Susan Misner) his daughter.  Helen was in Newark 2 years ago and her boyfriend did drugs.  Katherine (Sarah Brown) his other daughter doesn’t know much.  She re-married and at least her new husband is around.  She hasn’t seen John in 16 years.  Katherine’s a lawyer in Philadelphia.

Viv interviews a man Danny names as Barry Mashburn.  John was investigating the claim of a his wife who died in a housefire.  He didn’t pay the claim since an electrician found problems at their house before the fire.  He confronted him 3 weeks ago at Farber.  Barry doesn’t have a car and is bankrupt.  He had to sell everything.

Martin tells Jack about the strip club in Jersey where John went.  Jack takes Sam there and orders a scotch on the rocks.  Helen tells him he wanted to talk.  He was there on the day he disappeared and wanted her to leave here.  She told him it was too late to be her father now.  He called Freddie her pimp and John had a gun.  The strip club is called Déjà Vu.  For obvious reasons, cos we've seen it all before in some form or another. Freddie (Michael Cudlitz) told John all his girls have a father complex.  Jack tells him 3 hours later John was taken in a car like his.  Sam wants the car processed.

Helen takes Jack to her place.  There’s a message on the answer machine from her father and he apologizes for everything.  He’s changed his life insurance policy and she gets half which he wants her to use to clean herself up.  There’s no point in punishing him and he loves her.  Jack tells Katherine that Helen spends most of her life half naked.  Helen’s in trouble and Katherine says she’s done everything to help her. She hasn’t heard from their father since June, 6 months ago.

 Jack tells Danny he’s been doing this job for 14 years.  Danny tells him John and Jack’s father, Frank (Martin Landau) know each other.  Frank says they were army pals and he was there a few days ago.  His daughters blame John for everything that went wrong in their lives.  Katherine calls Jack, Helen’s dead.  She came back and found her.  Helen asks Jack “Where were you?”

Sam visits Jack at home, his door’s open. She tells him preliminary forensics show John wasn’t in Freddie Katan’s car and Freddie was at the club when John disappeared.  Jack says he should’ve sent protection.  Sam tells him not to blame himself he didn’t know.  Sam finds the pills prescribed by Lisa.  Jack tries to kiss Sam who pushes him away.  Her phone rings.  Martin tells her John took out 2 life insurance policies, one for this daughters and one for Susan Smithwick (Veronica Cartwright) who works at Kinosha Securities.  It was for half a million and he changed it 4 days ago.

Susan tells Jack he was here a week ago, talking about old times.  Susan told him she was young and stupid and didn’t know how to look after herself.  She’s going to be a grandmother soon.  Hence she had the affair with him.  John didn’t re-marry.  They worked on a case together and never solved.  He can’t forget it even though it was 30 years ago.  That’s how they got involved in the first place.  A woman gassed herself in her car.  She had life insurance and John was convinced her husband killed her and made it seem like suicide.

Jack checks the files at the office and has a flashback to his mother.  He finds the file on Doris Malone.  He then confronts his father saying he lied to him.  Everything’s in the files, all the affairs his father had; the police report where he broke his mother’s arm.  He says it was an accident.  There was a new note in the file.  He tells Jack he thought about leaving her but he loved her.  He has a photo of her, their wedding photo and tells Jack his life was over the day she died.  Jack arrests his father.

Sam shows Jack photos of a car and the number plates.  It belongs to Jack.  He angrily confronts the rest of the team and demands to know who took his car.  Doris tells him the case is closed.  Viv tells him to go home.  He’s tired.

Jack brings home an identical bag of shopping to John and scrabble letters.  He unscrambles them to spell BEGINNING.  He finds John on the roof.  He found her suicide note.  This is about Jack and he tells him to let go.  Jack tells him he doesn’t need anyone. John asks him to state his name.  John pulls a gun on Jack.    Viv turns up and John shoots her.  Jack takes his gun out  She dies.  Danny sees Jack with the gun in his hand and tells him to put the gun down.  John shoots Danny.  Jack fires at John but nothing happens to him.  Jack finally says his name.  John tells him they’re waiting for him.  I.e his team.  They watch from below as he steps to the edge and jumps with open arms, watched by the boy who is young Jack.  Jack wakes up in his apartment.  He was dreaming and the phone rings as the scenes play back…

A chance for the show to take a different approach to stories in its third season and be daring.  A surreal-ish episode in which as soon as you recognize Jack as the old man you know something’s not quite right, but it's obvious what's happening.  Also the younger boy is young Jack, as seen in season 2 episode 5.  Anyway this episode has quite a lot going on especially as far as Jack is concerned and his life, work and affair with Sam.  Unless you’re a fan of the show and have seen every episode from season 1 onwards or at least the important ones mentioned in this episode, you won’t get the references to past episodes and to what has been happening between Jack and the others.

That coffee gag between Danny and Jack must’ve been running from episode 21.  Jack still didn’t want any of Danny’s coffee even though he didn’t make it himself.  Danny: “Morning I figured you could use one of these.”
Jack: “Oh, no thanks I’m good.”

As for Danny getting shot – not knowing what was happening was a bit silly.  Maybe’s Jack’s premonition leads up to the season 3 finale and season 4 opener, so maybe Danny gets shot, or not.

When Jack asked who took his car they all looked guilty of something didn’t they?
Where did Sam disappear to.

Viv: “My doctor gave me the all clear I’m good.”  Again you know this isn’t true.
Jack: “I can’t help it I do [worry].
Viv: “You’ve gotta take up a new hobby.”  Which is why he got this storyline about himself.  Recall Viv telling Jack’s father in episode 10 how he never tells anyone his problems.

Danny: “Company man.”  Just like Jack.  He’ll probably work in the FBI for a good 30 years too.  He’s halfway there now, almost.

Jack: “I don’t know it’s been playing since I got here.”  Then he put it on again.
Danny: “End of his life and this is all the guy’s got. Sad.”
Jack: “somebody’s gotta know him.”  Well, nobody really knows Jack either.  Wonder if his neighbours know him.

Jack: “Why?”  When Sam tells him the bag is at forensics.  Like he doesn’t know why it would be there.

Martha obviously a substitute for Maria and yes, she married her sleazy lawyer, Bernie Scoggins.  (See episode 10.)
Jack: “…cheat on you?”…with his secretary.”  A direct reference to him and Sam, though she’s not his secretary, they do work together.
Helen is Hannah and Katherine is Katie, Jack’s daughters. So Katie followed in Maria’s footsteps and became a lawyer; or maybe she didn’t have any other choice.

Martha: “At least he’s around.”
Sam: “You were really hard on her.”
Jack: “Well, sounds like she was really hard on him.”
Sam: “Well, sounds like he deserved it.”  Would she really say that about Jack; especially since she was the one who had the affair with him.  Oh the clichés.  Jack has no sympathy for Maria and going back to episode 10 and the way she treated him just for revenge, it’s no wonder why.

Danny: “Barry Mashburn.  His wife dies about a year ago.  She was burnt to death in a fire in his house.”  Barry was in the season 1 finale Fall Out Parts 1 and 2.  His wife died in the WTC in 9/11.  He was bankrupt and he did own a van.  Farber. Name of Syd’s firm?

Jack: “I’ll take Sam to the strip club.”  Then winks at Martin and proceeds to order scotch whilst on the job.  The club happens to be called Déjà Vu and that’s exactly what’s been happening in this entire episode.

Katherine: “…not happy till she kills herself.”  A mirror of what may happen in Hannah’s life, early signs of her getting a boyfriend and not telling Jack.

Katherine; “It’s a cliché.  Unemotionally unavailable father, uptight, frigid mother.  Divorced.  Lousy stepdad.  Younger one survives, older one takes on all the crap.”  Word for word Jack’s own family.  Also re Danny and his brother where he was the younger one and he made do whilst his elder brother had to put up with the beatings and the crap.

Doris: “…there are some people who are concerned about you…and with everything that’s going on in your personal life…is that any way to talk to your boss…all I’m saying is that you’re not alone Jack.  You should know that.”  Doris, his mother, his boss.  Maybe it’s something he needs to be told over again, that he’s not alone.

Jack: “I’ll believe anything.”

Jack’s father’s comment about his daughters blaming him for everything going wrong which is not entirely his fault.
Jack: “dad, I don’t hate you.”  Jack thinking his father is inadvertently having a go at him.

Sam mentions Freddie Katan, re season 1 episode 18 The Source, Freddie was responsible or the disappearance and murder of the reporter Delia Rivers.  He had  a black car and threatened Jack’s daughters and wife, hence Jack’s comment here about offering or providing protection.

Sam: “Can I just say you don’t really look like yourself lately.”
Jack: “I really don’t feel like myself lately.”  No he doesn’t he feels like John Michael's and the combination of lack of sleep and pills.  Also Jack is a shortened form of John.
Jack: “You one of the people concerned for me.”
Sam: “We’re all concerned for you.”  Just as Jack tries to kiss her, the phone rings and lo and behold it’s Martin!

Susan Smithwick a pseudonym for Sam Spade.  Sam hails from Kinosha.  (season 2 episode 16 Risen.)

Susan: “You were smart and charismatic and the boss of course, that was sexy.”
John: “and I was married.”
Susan: “That was sexy too.  I’ll admit it.”
John: “If I ever hurt you I’m sorry.”
Susan: “…married a wonderful man and had children.”  A reversal for Sam as she said she doesn’t want children.  (season 2 episode 1).  We take it she married Martin.  So Sam must have thought all those things about Jack, but how was him being married sexy since she didn’t want marriage?  Cos he was unavailable.

John: “never had the stomach for it…[re marriage.]”

When Jack rummages thorough the files the names Sydney Harrison (season 1 finale) can be seen; she was Barry’s wife’s boss, the woman he kidnapped.  Also Scott McCallister, the fireman, from season 2 episode 8 Trip Box who went missing and was found dead.

Deep down you think Jack blamed his father for his mother’s death but here it’s taken a stage further to where he actually thinks he physically killed her.

Jack: “Who took my car…stole my car and they took him?”
Martin: “I think you’re asking the wrong questions.”
Jack: “What questions should I be asking?”  Martin's right about Jack asking the wrong questions, like asking Sam why the bag was sent to forensics in the beginning.  They all had a guilty look on their faces when Jack confronted them and where did Sam disappear to?  I know I've said that before.

Doris: “…not too late for you though.”

John: “…this is about you…it said to ‘let go’, reach out to people close to you.  You happy the way your life’s turned out so far?”
Jack “Who the hell are you to judge my life?”
John: “You know damn well who I am.”
jack: “I have no idea who you are.”
John: “For the record I want you to state your full name.”

Viv: “Your business is my business.”

John: “Sooner or later you’ve gotta face the truth Jack, this is who you are.  This is who you’re gonna be.”

Viv: “No, my heart.  Why didn’t you just let me help you?”
Jack: “You’re the one who’s dyin’ I should be helping you.”
Danny: “What’d you do to her Jack?”

John: “All you have to do is just say your name.”
Jack: “Danny, this isn’t what you think!”

John: “Just admit to who you are or this is what happens.”  Points to Danny.
John: “Say it, just say your name.”
Jack: “John Michael Malone.”
Jack: “No, now I am alone.”
John: “No you’re not – like I said all you have to do is let go.  They’re waiting for you.”

So will Jack learn from this dream and change his ways, only time will tell.  Will he realize he’s not alone?
Susie Misner and Michael Cudlitz guested in season 2.14 The Line.
This episode was Veronica Cartwright’s third appearance as she also appeared in season 1’s There Goes The Bride episode and in season 2.20 Shadows, about Martin’s missing aunt.

You either loved this episode or you just hated it.  At least it was a change from the norm and in a roundabout way shows how Jack is suffering in silence since he won't talk to anyone about his feelings or the trouble he's going through,

Music: David Bowie Space Oddity

Elementary 'Pilot' Review

                                               
Got round to watching this now and I have to ask why I bothered.  It wasn't as if it was anything new, it's been done before, even if it's not exactly in a Sherlock Holmes storyline.  I admit I even tried to watch this with 'blinkers' on in relation to the BBC Sherlock which I enjoy.  Okay it's brilliant but that's cos Benedict Cumberbatch makes it so, as does Martin Freeman as put upon Watson.  It works.  Simple as that.

This version tried to be clever, Holmes (Jonny Lee Miller) in need of a minder/babysitter/companion, cos he's a recovering drug addict who really abhors sex but must partake, handcuffs 'n'all.  He's got tattoos, so? Doesn't mean he's slap bang in the middle of  modern living.  His father pays for him to be 'kept' in the manner to which he is accustomed and quite frankly with a son like this Sherlock, don't know why he bothers.  How many people can afford to have a live-in "sober companion?"

The story predictable, it was obvious a mile off who the real killer was, is there ever a spouse who hasn't killed their respective partners.  Very Special Agent Tony DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly) from NCIS, would have been quite at home here with his theory the wife/husband did it.  It wasn't exciting she was found in a 'safe' room and a marble rolled across the floor showed the room was at an angle.

It was formulaic detective stuff.  Watson, Joan Watson (Lucy Liu) is a failed doctor, having lost a patient on the operating table.  Sherlock knew that but was trying to spare her feelings by saying she had lost someone close instead.  How did he know, not mere powers of deduction but Google.  Same thing with telling her that her father had an affair.  There was an earlier scene about deducing things about her from her phone and her parent's photo on the phone which reminded me of A Study In Pink (BBC Sherlock) when Sherlock first met Watson and was trying to figure him out.  All the things he said about his sister, partner and the damaged phone, are exactly what I thought of here.  I tried not to.

The fact that oxycodone tablets are meant to be white not pink, he couldn't fathom this for himself and had to disturb Watson at her night at the opera and he was obnoxious too.  I would have given him an earful for disturbing my night. Then calling the detective Olshansky (Manny Perez) to confirm the pills in evidence weren't white but pink and round.  Pray why was he not privy to this evidence beforehand.

Getting one of the survivors of the serial killer to lose her temper with him so she'd open up to Watson was just another old ploy.  As was the 'deduction' the killer kept rice in his cupboard cos he was using them to dry his phone, again obvious.  This Sherlock's power of deduction wasn't that crash hot!  Certainly not in the league of a consulting detective.  He keeps bees.  He's writing a book on bees in his mind and has written 18 chapters.  Thank God we didn't get to hear them.  An allusion to Sherlock and the inner workings of his mind. Better portrayed in BBC Sherlock when he had all that stuff going through his head and his thoughts were spilling out onto the screen in those clever graphics.

Watson: "It's so incredible the way you can solve people just by looking at them.  I noticed you don't have any mirrors around here."
Sherlock: "What's that supposed to mean?"
Watson: "It means you know a lost cause when you see one."  I concur!

Shacking down with Sherlock cos she's his sober companion was kind of forced.  Their relationship/friendship didn't just happen naturally and develop.  They didn't just meet but she was made to come to his house to look after him.  As if Sherlock needs to be looked after and pandered to.  It's so wrong and miles away from the original Conan Doyle writings.

I didn't enjoy myself at all watching this piece of hokum finding I had too much contempt for this character and portrayal of a superb character when played by others.  We're entitled to our opinions and this was mine.  It just didn't appeal and neither did the chemistry between the two.  Sherlock had too much pent up rage which he demonstrated by ramming Watson's car into Dr Mantlo's (Dallas Roberts) car and he got away with it.  If I was Watson I'd have packed my bags and never looked back!
It's as outrageous as Jennifer Garner as Miss Marple!  Now where can I vent my anger and pent up rage?

CSI:NY Season 9 Reveals

Some more photos to take your fancy or to tempt you as the case may be.  Haven't mentioned Danny (Carmine Giovinazzo) for a long time, yes since last year, has it been that long?  SO had to post some photos of him from the February 1st episode White Gold which guest stars Daniel Roebuck as the Vic's uncle.

                                                 
Ahh, he looks so much better without Lindsay hanging off him, does our Danny in pensive mood!

This episode revolves around the carjacking of a pizza maker and the CSIs must determine what happened and why.  Oh CSI:NY mentions pizza once again, don't think we've heard mention of that since season 1's Officer Blue when Aiden (Vanessa Ferlito) had to investigate the death of a teen; where the pizza place was a front for sports bookings.

The CSI/CSI:NY crossover episode, entitled Seth and Apep, where Mac (Gary Sinise) and DB Russell (Ted Danson) from CSI must delve into the evidence to find Christine and rescue her from the kidnappers before time runs out.  The CSI:NY part to air February 8th.
Lots of Flack (Eddie Cahill) for our pleasure.
                                                     
Check out Eddie's cool, blue eyes!

Okay I won't leave out fans of Mac and DB either.
                                        

Can't wait to watch.
.

Revenge 2.3 "Confidence" Review

                                          
Emily: "In a race between danger and indecision the difference between life and death comes down to confidence, faith in our abilities and certainty in ourselves and the trust we put in others."

The episode opens with a now familiar narrative by Emily as a prerequisite to what the ep will be about.  Emily (Emily VanCamp) and Aiden (Barry Sloane) are being chased in a maze by dogs and they have to find a way out.  She suggests the only way is to climb over and he picks up the white flag before she does.  Which she calls cheating. Of course Takeda (Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa) will have words of wisdom as to what his actions really mean, trust no one.

Victoria (Madeleine Stowe) watches Emily with Daniel (Josh Bowman) again and he tells Victoria how she cleans when she can't sleep, yeah cleaning up the messes she has with the Grayson's when her plans fall apart.  She steps into the white haired man's (James Morrison) blood.  They search his DB and Aiden takes a key to a motel when Victoria calls Emily.  As well as finding Victoria's fake passport.   Emily asks Nolan (Gabriel Mann) to check out his phone but he can't find anything on there.  There's a number on the simcard belonging to the white haired man and he won't be answering, he tells her.

Aiden drives to the motel and searches the empty room and then looks at the air con sign outside.  Inside the air con he finds the flight recorder, what a stupid place to put that.  He meets Kara (Jennifer Jason Leigh) but doesn't recognize her as Emily's mother.  This was strange, why doesn't he know what she looks like.  He aims to swap the flight recorder for everything the white haired man, Gordon Murphy had on him.  Emily keeps the pocket watch.  She doesn't trust Aiden and he keeps saying Takeda didn't send him but he's also after the Initiative too.   We hear mention of them again but nothing more.

What with more  twists this episode than usual, could that be possible in a Revenge episode.  Victoria has arranged a press conference and she tells Conrad (Henry Czerny) the family will all stay together at the mansion for the Summer.  They are not leaving the house.  He tells her Summer is a long time.  Charlotte (Christa B Allen) feels Victoria should tell Daniel the truth but she's still angry with him for taking Conrad's side and believing his lies.  Thus there's a plane load of people dead cos of him.  She fears for her life and Conrad says the entire family should leave.

Padma (Dilshad Vasaria) rears her ugly head again at the office still under the guise of helping Nolan out, re lunches and tax deductions.  He cancels her meeting with him cos Em's needs him and she overhears his conversation about things hotting up and the ten o'clock news, as does Daniel.  Emily ropes Amanda (Marguerita Levieva) into helping her out again and threatens exposing the truth about Jack (Nick Wechsler) not being the father of her baby.  Amanda says she finally has the family she always wanted and has  no choice but to help Emily out with her scheme of giving Charlotte their father's journal, written by Emily of course, in which she makes statements about Victoria.  Amanda lies to Jack  about going shopping with the godmother since he didn't want her to be anywhere near the Grayson's.

Daniel is angry with Victoria and Charlotte interrupts her interview by saying she knows about her involvement with David Clark and that she's his daughter.  Someone hands in Victoria's fake passport with a note to Daniel and he learns how Victoria faked her own death.  Charlotte admits she wanted to tell him.  Emily is at the mansion too even though she was meant to stay away and Victoria takes the initiative (no pun) and shows a united Grayson family for the benefit of the press.  Introducing Charlotte as David's daughter, Conrad and Daniel, as well as Amanda to the world.

Declan (Connor Paolo) is out robbing houses with his new found buddy and he drops his driving licence behind.  A man, Kenny Ryan (JR Bourne) arrives and wants his belongings back in return he won't go to the police.  Well Jack didn't give him much of a talking to or even ask why he's doing that.  Seems he's preoccupied with Amanda.  Jack tells her he'll accommodate her lies this time and will commit to their baby but he can't commit to her.  She tells him Charlotte begged her to come and he claims he'd do as much for Declan.

Aiden attacks Nolan when he arrives at the beach house and Nolan leaves the house, telling her he's leaving town.  Well he won't really be going anywhere cos the show won't be the same without him around.  Emily explains about the white haired man being dead and she'll try to repay Nolan one day for everything he's done for her. That was a touching parting.  Aiden and Emily were lovers and he tells her even Daniel wants her back and wonders why Emily can't trust him anymore.  Conrad breaks the exclusive news to the reporter about his and Victoria's intended wedding with the honeymoon being in Tuscany.  Payback for sharing how he was a  cuckold to the world.  That's the second time he's used that phrase.  Well she didn't think she could get away with it that easily.  The Initiative will leave them alone if they cooperate and he blames her for having to deal with them again.

Kara calls the white haired man and leaves a message about a detective coming down.  Emily realizes she and the white haired man were intimate with each other and in a first this episode ends without a narration.  Daniel seemed to have doubts about his mother's honesty re her kidnapping and Emily confirms them here by telling him he needs to play her mother's game but be better at it than her, which he obliges as he plays the dutiful, loving son once more.  He may be with Ashley (Ashley Madekwe) as he tells Victoria but he still has feelings for Emily.

Declan becoming a thief in the space of a short while was unbelievable, is he really that stupid and how long did he think he could get away with it without big bro finding out.  Though Ryan clearly has an agenda, calling Jack "barkeep," how does he know that and maybe he'll have something to do with the sinking of The Amanda.  Apparently it was Aiden who revealed Victoria's passport with the note at the mansion, but it looked like it was Emily who did that as she usually does, also cos she was there when told to stay away.  Funny Victoria asked her to stay away from them and Jack asked the same of Amanda, but none of them listened.