Knives In Hens - Play- Review

                                               
Knives In Hens by David Harrower at the Donmar Warehouse, London

The title itself suggested no ordinary story and being set in pre-industrial society spoke to many traits that can still be seen today and demonstrated in many villages the world over even now.  Thus it was topical in many ways and easily understandable.  Women treated like chattels, belongings, for the satisfaction of men and also as labourers, tasked, ordered to do more work by their men folk, husbands.

The contrasts between the ploughman, William and the miller, Gilbert were abundantly worlds apart!! The ploughman was looked up to in his village and revered for the farming and work that he did. Able to take any woman and not only as his wife and more.  Seen as the 'bread winner' and most of all one to be obeyed.  The miller in contrast, more well read, hands-on in his work too and a tier above the ploughman.  Also highly intelligent.  Shown by many lines, but particularly the line when William comments on why he has so many books?  Miller: so he can read a new one.  That's reflected in the world, so he can get ahead with what's going on and strive to be better and most importantly to have dreams.  This he showed to the ploughman's wife and that meeting where he asks her to write her name.  That he writes his thoughts on paper so that he can look back on them whenever he wants. The pen is mesmerizing to her as all she's ever seen are tools and more importantly, knives, on display frequently in her hands for her work.  The pen is seen as an object of evil by her, as are words, but it's fascinating for her to know little by little there's more to her life than what William has made her believe.  In the age old expression: the pen is mightier than the sword!  Until this is turned around on itself in a way in the penulimate "act" as I call it.

Lots of taboos associated with the miller and that fateful meeting with the wife as she drags the bags to his mill, yeah it's her doing the heavy labouring whilst William looks after the pregnant mare.  It's the miller who plants thoughts in her head about what is out there, what can be done.  As she sits down to write her thoughts.  It is these same wily thoughts in her head which lead to lust and ultimately tragedy.  Knew that was coming!  Not giving anything away!  At first she refuses to accept any of what the miller tells her as real and there's a scene reminiscent in my mind, of Lady Macbeth from Macbeth, as she scrubs her hands from the ink in desperation.  Mirroring Lady Macbeth's "out, out damned spot after the King's murder.  Hiding her indiscretion from William in actually holding the pen and using it.
                                            
Excellent cast performances from Matt Ryan as the miller Gilbert (as I tweeted he would play that role).  In many ways for someone who writes a lot, he curiously appears as a man of very little words, but still intensely passionate in his beliefs, wanting more to this life of hardship, to explore. Judith Roddy as the put upon wife who discovers there's more to life than just work and discovers dreaming and the world around her.  Christian Cooke as William, I so want to write "Pony William" here!! Okay I did.  But yeah happy Matt did climb back down from that ladder as he seemed to vanish! Ha.

In some respects it shows how far society has progressed when the majority of us don't have to live in a world where there is only toil, where we're not allowed to think or most importantly, to do: do what we want, not what someone tells us to do: follow our dreams!
Was there some form of magical charm in the Miller's hold over her, my interpretation was that he could, according to the superstitions of the day have a magical hold on her.  But I think the magic behind his actions were to teach her, as I said to be independent, more an intellectual.  Which somehow bought out the carnal instincts in them.

As one Evening Standard review wrote of how Matt played "brooding".  He always was good at that, in my opinion, in Constantine and in much, much more.
Wonderful to have seen Matt again as always - and to have had a quick chat afterwards!!

Ghosts of Shepherdstown 2.8 "Excellent Day for an Exorcism" Review

Before I start writing, unbelievably my sis said the EVP was "Ca-hill" seconds before Dana said it!!
Well it is believable!!  She didn't hear it in the clip posted cos she doesn't like to watch those beforehand, but on the flip side, I can't believe I missed that!!

So this one led to the ultimate showdown with the demon as Sharon, the owner of the teahouse, found the place wrecked, as well as a knife being thrown at her and she couldn't stay there anymore.  Nick, Elizabeth and Bill came to check it out and felt a heavy presence, with Elizabeth sensing something was there.  With the EMf readings being extremely powerful and picking up on plenty of static electricity too with none of the electricals being faulty or impacting on this.  Elizabeth and Nick feeling drained and then the wire being yanked away from being plugged into the wall on camera, giving Nick goosebumps.

Back at HQ, Dana found more evidence of the 'ocurrences' historically telling of the "Wizardclip" story; where a man who owned land, Adam Livingston, was met by a stranger one night knocking on his door and he was ill and asked for last rites.  Adam wasn't able to do this and the man died. Thus he beginning of poltergeist activity and he buried him in some corner of his land fearing he may have been possessed.  He found the heads of his chickens ripped off and other happenings inside the house, hearing the sound of shears.  Finally he went to the priest, who happened to be Father Cahill and he finally performed an exorcism.  The same Father Cahill that we met in episode 2.5 Now You're In That Sunken Place.  I was going to add this was one reason why the Father's spirit was roaming as he wasn't able to administer last rites to the dying couple in the cave.  As Dana said the demon probably didn't know he returned to Ireland, but it was ironic that his spirit came back here.  Also the teahouse is in the same location where Adam asked for the Father's help.

Each of the cases led to the demon attempting to exact his revenge on Father Cahill, with the apparent possessions of John and Jen, almost, and the Watson farm which was next to the Priestfield, the land given to the church by Adam in return for his exorcism.  The Benson's experienced the mutilations, the shears, antique scissors they found in the cave and all of these being connected.  Bill says it's time they carried out an exorcism too and calls someone he knows, an ordained priest who has carried out exorcisms in the past, Jeff  Leeper.  He sensed the oppressiveness to and said they needed to deal with the demon right now.  Also that there's no time limit on these things, it could still return and Father Cahill's exorcism was so long ago.

Setting up their equipment, you could see some entity on the 3D camera, small and at one point, when it turned, it looked like it had a tail even.  Even looking a bit insect like.  But it was trying to attach onto someone and trying for Nick's back as he said.

As well as going after Jeff in the basement when he began the exorcism, after drawing the circle on the floor and giving them blessings and the Seal of Solomon on their palms for protection, as Lorie did the same.  As well as needing trigger objects, which were the scissors, which Nick had to go into the narrow opening to retrieve, I thought they would've taken them already; the bell, the bones, the rosary from Nina.
Lorie felt something was going to come out of the kitchen and go towards Nick and a glass is smashed behind the closed doors, having been flung from the shelf.

The demon also threw everything ti had at them, trying to scare them, like the spider walking in the circle and then tonnes of crickets.  The spider heading towards Sharon.  Later the entity is picked up again on the 3D as it was next to Sharon.  With the power going out at command too, gathering as much energy as possible.  Finally the entity goes and Jeff blesses everyone, then tests them with holy water, as does Lorie to see if they have no further attachments.

That was an eventful episode and with the demon gone Nick said hopefully it will be gone for another hundred years or so.  Elizabeth finding further evidence as to why Shepherdstown seems to be a hotspot and why the demon may have been awakened, since the last time they were here, there was flooding and storms.  Maybe Shepherdstown is just that sort of a hotspot attracting spirits and entities.  As Chief King hands Nick the box of trigger objects which they couldn't leave behind!

I know fans already want a season 3 and Nick said they have been in contact with the town and whilst that may be intriguing for us, as i tweeted Elizabeth after season 1 ended, many people, if not all of Shepherdstown especially and the surrounding areas wouldn't want to go through that again and keep on going through it.

Victoria 2.1 "A Soldier's Daughter" Review

                                           
Series 2 is upon us and there's not much changed since series 1.  Her family is still 'plotting' against her, Albert (Tom Hughes) doesn't want to burden her with the affairs of state and the country so soon after her confinement as Peel (Nigel Lindsay) put it.  Yet she has to strive on and do what she thinks is best for the country even if Albert et al disagree.  Such as the Army stranded in Afghanistan, as Peel said why were they over there to begin with.  Victoria (Jenna Coleman) not being told about the harsh conditions and the decision to withdraw them from Kabul (spelled Cabool.)  She even has trouble with baby Victoria, wondering when she will like her or not.  She can stomach sitting in that awful chair no longer, she's had a baby, not been ill.  But she can't even venture out without going to church and being removed from all sin.  As she said she's the one who had the baby.

But her, "I am the queen" she can do what she likes was begging to grate a bit.  We know you are, no need to rub it in constantly.  Even the food at the palace is substandard and they wouldn't even feed it to the dog.  As new chef Craddock (clearly no relation to Fanny!) holds a knife on one of the kitchen hands for taking a stale loaf of bread.  The royals disgust shown by the cockaleekie soup at dinner.  Yuk!

Victoria gets a new Mistress of the Robes in Lady Buccleuch (Diana Rigg) as she chose her from Peel's list and she's not much for doing anything, bringing along her niece, Wilhelmina (Bebe Cave). Ernest (David Oakes) finding that the Duchess of Sutherland (Margaret Clunie) has left and returned to her husband.  His first meeting with him and ours at Victoria's christening, where he refers to his wife as "an ornament."  Much to Ernest's chagrin.

As Albert's family arrive and her uncle Leopold (Alex Jennings) proceeds to suggest along with Albert's father, the Duke of Coburg (Andrew Bicknell) that she should have more children and spend more time in the nursery, wanting a future grandson.  Albert finding Ernest is the only one he can converse with besides Peel, but he can't confide in Peel about Victoria.  As Earnest tells him she should respect her more.  She attends Albert's inspection of his regiment and approves of their fashionable uniforms, whereas Albert finds them impractical for fighting and has designed his own, such as a more practical helmet.  She replies she'd feel brave wearing one of those feathers in her cap, more like.  She doesn't however, want to attend affairs of the state which have got to do with the sanitation commission.  Pooh is not in the order of her business, her baby's or her subjects either!

Her uncle plots to pour "oil over water" which he claims he's good at doing and once again suggests that she should be spending more time on the baby.   As she proceeds to tell him "what my country needs is a Queen not a brood mare."  She receives news that the soldiers crossing the Khyber Pass have been massacred and there's only one survivor, hence victory was not theirs.  She meets with Dr Brydon (Alexander Owen)  who tells her about his friend who was singing 'God Save the Queen' and her picture doesn't do her justice.  She feels she should address the people at the ceremony for the ship named Trafalgar, in honour of the victory at Trafalgar, but Peel and Albert decide against it.  However Wellington (Peter Bowles) suggests she should go and give the country a moral boost, since the victory came after a defeat.  Albert refuses to accompany her as he's got a sanitation meeting so she attends alone.  Until Lehzen (Daniela Holtz) tells Albert about Victoria as a child.  He turns up to hear her speech to rapturous applause.

Mrs Jenkin's has left and Mrs Skerrett (Nell Hudson) is now in charge and has been tasked with bringing back Francatelli (Ferdinand Kingsley).  But he refuses no matter how much he's paid and whether the Queen requested it or not.  But she gets Lord Alfred (Jordan Waller) who has a brother at the Reform club and he has to return, but he's not too happy about the sate of the kitchen and is abrupt towards Skerrett.  Who tells him she came after him but she was too late.  She gets a new dress maker when she's in tears.  Wilhelmina  has designs on Earnest it seems as he plays the piano.

Victoria and Albert finally make up and fall into bed again as if nothing has changed, cos yeah, there's babies to be made.  See nothing's changed from first series as I said.  Diana Rigg being more of a Dowager's presence from Downton Abbey to add some comic relief.  Apparently Lord Melbourne (ratings anyone??) returns next ep, should liven things up and there's a Christmas special for this year too.

Ghosts of Shepherdstown 2.7 Review

As soon as the episode began, had feelings of deja vu already, (yeah I have strong feelings in that sense) especially when they got the call from the Chief about the stalker in the house, at least the reports of a possible break-in.  Then when Kate described the events and how she had seen a woman in the park and also in their house and specifically the basement, with the noises and pleas for help, as well as the gunshot.  The single, solitary shot, that sealed it for me.  It was season 1 all over again.  As I told my sis, okay I blabbed and she got fed up of me cos I wouldn't shut up!  You just knew it had to have been a spirit.  Then the noise that Elizabeth and Nick heard outside, it wasn't a loud gunshot, but more like the remnants of one!  I thought they would have asked where Kate had gone, that she got the attachment from, but they didn't.  It would've been a place to seek out and investigate.  But why would you build around a limestone boulder with no attempt to remove it.  Again the limestone was the definitive factor in this and how it would be used as energy.

Have these deja vu-y feelings quite a bit and has nothing to do with my brain working on overtime and then Dana sealed it for me a second time, when she mentioned German Street.  That  was mentioned in 1.1 of the show, the bakery/sweet shop was on German Street/Queen street.  To top it all off, they get the call about the stalker at the tea shop.  The Chief said that Kyra has a stalker but she hadn't seen him until now, the beard, it had to be Harry, the only spirit stalker we had encountered in  the town.  Only for the place to be turned upside down in so short a space of time and this meant it couldn't have been human.  As well as my question of how the 'stalker' actually got in cos the door would've been locked and she would've heard the bell, which is what I said.

Then the Mel Meter readings around Kyra and the symbols in the table cloth, all paranormal, or as my eyes kept leading me to the crescent moon in the salt on the floor using the salt to do this, it all led back to King Street/German Street.  I had to think of Susie and Harry, her stalker and how he shot her at King Street in 1.4 Grave Stalker.  It was her cries for help and somehow they were back. Lorie feeling their presence.

Then Nick and the Chief found the cave opening in Shepherdstown, that was bloomin' narrow, but they managed to squeeze in there, hear noises and the Chief finding the upside down cross, two of them on the cave walls, was uncanny.  And not coincidental, as he said Shepherdstown was the only place where these were ever found, re the woods in 1.5 It's Behind You.  Which implied not witchcraft but a demonic presence.  The perversion of the symbol of Christianity.

As Elizabeth and Nick said the epicentre was Shepherdstown, it had to be.

Then narrowing it down at HQ with the five places they had been to, the five towns and five being a symbolic number with Elizabeth drawing that upside pentagram, which definitely confirmed demonic activity/presence.  Thus showing the entity was demonic.  Nick adding that it would need someone to attach itself to and hence the beginnings of the activity/possession with John in 2.2.  As well as the symbols on the wall in the basement.  Clearly the entity was using the spirits and attempting to influence and attach to the residents by causing the spirits to be active.  Said that last episode.  I also said that there's no pattern and here it was when Elizabeth drew the inverted pentagram; that Bill described is the devil's horns with the two points facing the top.

Lorie wanting to send Harry and Susie back to where they came from and Elizabeth setting up the device for the girls so that they would be protected within it and they would know if any spirits were present.   Harry attaching himself to Kyra and Susie to Kate.  Whilst Nick and Elizabeth conducted their investigation upstairs, again there was activity upstairs; until Harry and Susie were sent back and then it seized.  With Elizabeth hearing that creepy growl at around 36.30 and it was scary enough to get her swearing (she's not done that before!!) which could be heard on film, hey it sounded like nostrils flaring a little like a bull when it gets ready to charge; and Nick capturing that EVP, sure part of that said "go." At 36.57 does Nick's EVP say "...tea shop?"  I have to listen to it over again, not done that yet but will repost when I do.
But that growl was distinctive.  It wasn't on the recorder, but it was caught on the video, otherwise we wouldn't have heard it.

Not seen Elizabeth with this expression before!  Freaky!

What I noticed about this episode was that it contained most everything that happened in the 6 episodes of season 1.  We had the gunshot, the stalking, the EVPs, some dark presence which was put down to the witch in 1.6, the upside crosses and also the same streets, but it was also the EVP they got this time round which said "kill."  Doesn't it sound like there are two voices there, the 'K' sound is much more deeper and then the "kill" sound is more high pitched.  There was such an EVP captured in 1.2 Do You Know You're Dead, which is heard as "...trying to kill you" which I thought was a future warning back then for season 1, when they sensed the activity and the presence of Anne.  It was as if the entity was making certain events play out again in some form of manipulation and more particularly, as Nick said to attach onto someone.  Reinforced by the call that they get from the Chief back at the tea shop again.  With a butcher knife being thrown and the owner sounded distressed.
The final episode to come, but is there any way they will actually be able to rid the demon for good?  Appears some sort of exorcism will be required.

Not making anything of this so don't read into it, but was that "k-ill" EVP a residual of Harry and Susie, or something else, considering Susie was in the house and pleading.  Just a thought as I said.  Even the owner's voice sounded very high pitched over the phonecall with Chief Mike.

Ghosts Of Shepherdstown 2.6 "These Weren't A Few Birds" Review

This episode centred on the activity surrounding two neighbouring properties in Middleway.  The Brown farm and the Watson house.  The Brown's found their animals, specifically their cattle were being mutilated and killed and several dead carcasses were found scattered the land.  Including dead birds and some with their eyes removed.  There was also one cow that had completely vanished from near the river, which was too heavy to have been carried or dragged away.  Elizabeth and Bill went to both houses and found at the Watson house, the daughter, Tammy, had seem the figure of a young girl outside and which then walked into her TV.

Elizabeth and Bill were there when the TV came on by itself, hey our one switched off by itself!  Not the same thing obviously and Elizabeth explains how spirits sometimes come through using ITC Instrumental Trans Communication to show themselves.  But there's no way it could've come on by itself.

Back at HQ they meet up with Nick and Dana and if you were wondering why Nick wasn't there, well he was getting his hair done!!!  But seriously Dana couldn't find any family living in the area and especially without a name, so the girl was probably part of a slave family.  Elizabeth decides to go back with Lorie and she senses a middle aged woman looking for someone.  Once again the Mel Meter goes haywire.

Dana finds that there was a woman there named Suki who had a daughter, Daphne and worked for a slave owner.  Thus they could narrow this down and find a way of bringing them together.  Lorie said the mother is angry towards Tammy's father, no wonder he was slammed against the wall.  Nick finding the entrance to the cave with the help of tracker Gordy, the teeny, tiny entrance and managing to squeeze through it and the cameraman too!  Finding those bones in the cave and hearing further shuffling as in last episode.  Nick brings back some bones which Gordy tells them belonged to dogs.

They set up their equipment for a night investigation, as Elizabeth and Lorie return to the Watson house where Tammy's mother helps Suki and Daphne, reunite, confirming the strong mother/daughter bond between her and Tammy.  The activity on Elizabeth's device goes off after the two reunite.  Nick brings in Ben Hansen again, paranormal tracker and former FBI agent, (who was in Waverly Hills Sanatorium season 2.5 episode of Paranormal Lockdown) and they use a drone to find a herd of cattle running in the night.  You could hear their hooves nearby.  Bill finds no activity by the cave entrance as the Mel Meter leads Nick and Ben to the entrance of the cave.  Nick calls it a night at 1.43am and the time being important.  As in their later discussion, Elizabeth mentions the time and the activity stopped at both places roundabout the same time.

Silly theory on this dark entity, it's like gathering energy from the caves, gets to haunt spirits or ensure the spirits are there in its presence and then vanishes when the spirits are sent away, is it mocking the team into thinking after they do this they will leave and it can continue, cos it's not really genuinely wanting them to find these spirits and lay their souls to rest.  It's too dark and negative to even think that.

But another case where a child was involved, as in the earlier cases around the towns.  It was cruel the way in which Suki was separated from Daphne, just for greed.  And how Suki wondered the land in search for her, explaining the disembodied woman's voice and falling into the cave, as seen by Gordy.  We even got a glimpse into Dana's house.  Strange that the activity was put down to rabid coyotes, but again surely other coyotes would've finished off the animals and how their heads were just missing, as well as the disappearing cow.

As Tammy watched TV in the flashback, they showed a horse and carriage driving, reminded me of 1.3 She Didn't Have A Face with Ray Ray and her mother.  Coincidentally this case was also about a separated mother and daughter.  Good to see them getting closure and reuniting.

Thinking Bloomsburg or Falling Waters for more cave activity.  Well there are just 2 more eps left; but it's just been random activity, no pattern.

Hayley Atwell and Stanley Tucci Talk Heroes & Villains Fanfest London 28 May 2017

Just an open talk before and then a Q&A with fans.

Stanley found it difficult to adjust to languages and driving in England.  He's not used to conventions and this is his second, one and he didn't know anything about it.  But he attended one in in Philadelphia.  Exciting actor's dream for 8 hours.

Hayley says it helps with playing characters she likes, but do get some positive and rude comments playing the villains.

Stanley watches food shows, he's obsessed with them.  Hayley likes to watch Stan cooking and he likes it when she does tha.  What in  some macabre way!! ha.  He wants to do a  travelogue where can travel and talk of food.

Hayley worked with Chris and  Leander Deeny, who was so slight in composure compared to Chris, worked with him, lost weight.  Leander watched Chris and copied Chris's moves and then they superimposed his face onto Leander's body.  Chris's scene was funny, to get right the height for her, it was surreal as he was squatting.   Then he had a deep voice for a slight man.

Dr Epstein talked to Steve becoming father figure.  The chemistry between Stanley and Chris was great and Chris has a great sense of humour, excited to do it.   Stanley was insulted at first to be playing a 70 year old man.  It was funny and a great experience, stayed friends.   Chris is king of games especially, charades, but Stanley wouldn't tell kids about the games  as they were inappropriate.
There were no 'chemistry' auditions for Hayley, only eight pages of dialogue, hair, make up and last scene, a fight sequence, she also loaded and unloaded a gun.  That was intimidating, didn't think she'd hear from them again.  Then 3 weeks later she got the part of Peggy Carter.

She met Chris at Shepperton with Sebastian Stan and was in the film.  Stanley's didn't have to audition, they just asked if he wanted the part.  He had a German accent and studied it for 3 years in high school like 75 years ago.  Stanley's obsessed with the 70 numbers, me thinks!  ha.  He listened to a dialect coach and his accent was based on  Gunter Grass (German novelist and playwright) it was based on his accent, could understand him, his accent was thick, but not too thick.

Hayley's fighting ability took a lot of confidence and little skill, "quite a few stuntmen were hurt in the making of Peggy Carter".  She practised the first scene with the 'guy in the green suit' in season 1 when he comes out of the cupboard and she hits him "in the balls."   The fight scenes are all choreographed like a dance. so you feel safe when doing it.  Gave perks up in the morning with all that energy.

She was in Agents of Shield as well as other TV.   Saying there were a few other jobs where she just turned up and do the best you can and go home and do the next best thing, on being asked if she thought of her job and role.  No, it was just a job to her, no views/opinions on character and that's it.  Not  a very good attitude for an actor to have in my opinion, for a character/actor that's revered by so many (not me) that you have nothing to say about it, nor did any research on it or her character and have any views to share about it, like many others do when they play a character they love and for so long!  They have so much to say and bring forward about how must they enjoyed it, but that was boring of her!  Acting is more than just a job, there's a lot to think about to bring into a character to make it all round and real

Marvel Company president called and asked her if was interested in a spin-off and Peggy came from there.  She keeps on popping up.  Hayley got a text from Chris; sent her texts when filming her funeral scene and he was so asd she died and she told him to keep away from her niece and she was filming in London.
Stanley would like Dr Erskine being revived and cooking and return as the doctor and Hayley  in a show about chemistry and food!

Fan Q&A

Their fave roles in careers today. Hayley:  Howard's End based on Barbara?? Schaffer's work.  Emma Thompson called her up and her  character of Margaret was relatable and real.  Good experience to work with that sort of writing.

Stanley loved Devil Wears Prada, had a caustic sense of humour and  Nigel was fun and extreme.  Hayley said fashion Peggy has sense of it.  Stanley's pink hair etc not very comfortable.  Hayley saying filming is restrictive, she only wear clothes she can rough it in.  Her fave Peggy outfit were the loose pants.   She renewed licence at the DMV and had all the gear on, the spanx etc.  Her photo for her driving licence is Peggy Carter; which fits in well.

Hayley and Captain America weren't frozen, could they be together, so busy been amazing had little time for him.  She saw something in him, kindred spirit before he transformed.   They would've had adventures together.  Captain America introduced Peggy to her husband.  Filmed the Captain American Winter Soldier picture on her bedside table, originally it was Peggy's husband and kids.  Her husband was just an extra, an extra wouldve launched his career as Peggy's hubby, so had to be edited out cos they didn't know she was married then.  So still had possibility of who she ends up marrying.  would it have been such a bad thing for an extra to have gotten a career break.  God the movies, actors and the establishment are as greedy as ever, holding people back in such a mean way!  How did she and others get her start.  Sorry not a fan of hers, never was.  Just posting this talk for those who are!  The best thing about Agent Carter was James D'Arcy, now her's a super kind and down-to-earth actor and human being!!  Only reason worth watching!

Stanley which film was his fave Undercover Blues (1993).  An extreme film comically and was his wife's fave, she was 10 at the time.  It was shot in New Orleans for a few months??

Hayley if she'd like to be the first female Doctor Who.   She doesn't want to play her, but respects it.  She's a big fan of Phoebe Walle-Bridge, big fan of and was talk of her being the next one, but she didn't get it.  Actors gets to reinvent themselves and the part, which is brilliant.  Well she had an opinion on that.

Which period of time for fashion would they have lived in?   Hayley was an '80s kid and loved Madonna, the big hair, stonewashed jeans, leather jacket.  Stanley loved the '20s-40's, interesting out of the Victorian era and elegant and beautiful stuff.

Stanley said he always has input with the costume designer in Hunger Games, collaboration, it's good to have designer with clear vision of what they want.   The nicest, simplest costumes a long time ago were in Road to Perdition, costumes were beautiful, built from the fabric designer had chosen.  Tom Hanks fabric was made for his suits in Upstate New York.

She liked the scene Captain America when she was in the pub in her red dress, Joe wanted alternatives, so she was flirting with him, and with Bucky! Agent Carter the series was more physical, season 1 diner scene, gets to hit someone on the head with a tray.   A lot of fight and action sequences.  Shooting the shield in Captain America filmed with Dominic and Chris and she knew Dominic from years before, good to have laugh between scenes and trust each other.  A sense of responsibility, training for it, but Chris not so much into the .

Hayley and season 1 with the ghost of her brother, wanted to explore where she came from.   Support for her to live again in the future if there was some way to bring her back, she'd want to explore the relationship with  Edward Jarvis (yay James!!) fans liked him in season 1, so they brought him back in season 2. He and Peggy had a working relationship and knew each other, great wit and wordplay.  She wished to live until 96 and would would love to see Peggy through the years as in the '60s civil rights movement, shoulder pads in the '80s like Working Girl.

Ghosts of Shepherdstown 2.5 "Now You're In That Sunken Place" Review

Well that title sounds ominous!
The episode we were all waiting for: the caves but for me it was a little anti-climactic, sorry but investigation-wise it was interesting, but I don't know, there just seemed to be something missing. Perhaps it was the fact there was nothing captured in terms of EVPs.  Don't get me wrong I'm not putting the episode down, far from it, maybe it was just the rainy day, watching it probably felt a little down.

However it was great to see Bill actually locating Keith, the curator of the Adam Stephen's house who told him about the cave entrances still being open on this property.  Of course meaning they'd be able to investigate down there.  Apparently there were two openings and they led from one house to the other house, again all overflowing with limestone.  The discussion in the Beast was all about the limestone and the river not having much of an impact, thus far.  But again my question is why would the negative entity need such a cave system to move, aside from the fact that limestone is a great conductor of spiritual energy and so maybe this is one reason why the entity needs to get energy from its surroundings in order to to so powerful; and my question being answered in a roundabout way by Elizabeth when she said the spiritual conductor aspect of the limestone that is.  The cave openings being in Martinsburg.  (Another 'burg'.)

What was creepy was the growl which was clearly heard, though it sounded more like a breath and the scratching.  The scathing question being what was on the other side of the cave when Elizabeth and Nick finally managed to get down there.  Elizabeth using her 'X-Boss' device which along with the Mel Meter was going off the charts again, just like it was in Nina's house in episode 2.  Due to the presence of the Native American woman's spirit.  Wonder if the scratching could have been the 'two' that the Father referred to when Lorie was doing her 'psychic sweep' of the house and land.  The coupe who died down there due to illness with the Father being unable to administer last rights to them.

Who Dana found out was Father Dennis Cahill, the only Catholic priest in the area dating back centuries.  Who also appeared to Keith and Rose in the form of a green mist.  His spirit being more residual as he was following the same path, in an attempt to get closure for himself but also for the two unfortunate souls he couldn't save.  It was good that Elizabeth managed to talk Rose into telling her side of the story since it did vilify and reinforce what Keith saw, but also that she wasn't imagining it or going crazy.  As well as others allowing who don't feel they can share their experiences too to come forward.  As well as Chief King having the friend, Bob, who was able to take Nick and Elizabeth down to the caves [you know I wrote mines here with that tweet of mine to Nick about him looking like a miner in his helmet on Monday, guess still had that on my mind!] and finding that there are also caves in Shepherdstown.  That was a revelation.  Which means the river probably isn't the only means of 'spiritual' travel now.  But heck, thought Nick would just jump right on down into the cave opening, he was rearing to go!

This map's getting interesting!  The locations are next to the river, some of them, but also now the caves taking a prominent lead in this mystery!

That negative entity really doesn't want to have anyone coming into it's domain and territory as it tried to gas them out when Nick and Elizabeth were down there.  Maybe it contributed to that couple dying down there by releasing the gas.  Though that's just speculative on my part.  At least Dana also found records showing that there were skeletons discovered under the kitchen floorboards during renovations.  Confirming the Father's reason for being around.  As well sa the activity starting up with the excavations in the caves.

Lorie giving them last rites and using the black salt clearly only held the entity back for  awhile and we still need to know why it's there and why it's got such a strong hold on the land and attaches itself to people so forcefully?  What is its real intentions?  Also Elizabeth giving closure to the couple and the Father at the end to help them move on.  Then there were more train tracks here as they also featured in Shepherdstown season 1.  Though I don't really think there's any connection to that.

Ghosts Of Shepherdstown 2.4 "I'm You're Biggest Fan" Review

                                                   
Episode 4 and halfway through the second season, as the quest now leads to The Opera House in Charles Town with reports of activity in the basement (again) and how smoke was smelt by Ashley, the manager, but there wasn't any fire.  Also how the children rehearsing there have also heard noises and and footsteps but haven't seen anything.  When Nick went into the basement with Ashley, they heard more noises down there, as well as in the area above the stage.
That is until the teacher's assistant, Addison, tells Nick and Elizabeth how she saw a 'lady in grey' with a wreath around her neck and ringing a bell.  She also heard the bell.  Dana's research comes up with a Annie G Packette, who was the patron of the Opera House and single handedly gathered funds to build the Opera House.

Back at HQ, they collated their facts and put together everything they had found over the past 3 weeks of their investigations in the 3 different towns, which showed that 2 of them were nowhere near any water.  But the basement, limestone, caves, dark entity, attachments all featured highly on their list.  Not to mention I also added that activity also involved children too either directly or indirectly, as in the first and third cases as well as in this one.  Whether that's just a coincidence remains to be seen.  Dana also mentioned there was a fire at the opera House in 1951 and Annie's business partner died in the fire, Percy Synder.  As soon as she mentioned Synder, I couldn't help think of the Snyder's in 1.3 She Didn't Have A Face episode.  Synder was Ray Ray's family name as her father, Harry Synder was the newspaper owner.  However that's probably just a coincidence with the name.  Although Shepherdstown does still feature into this, as the activity is spread around the town as if it's emanating around or from there.

[Interesting article here: http://www.journal-news.net/opinion/local-columns/2016/07/there-s-always-a-snyder-in-shepherdstown/ ]

As for the fire was it accidental, deliberate, as Annie knew about it when she waved her fan to warn of the fire and how did Percy manage to get killed in it when it seems it was only in the basement area.  However  a news clipping from the Maryland Express 12 November 1951 states a Percy Synder was killed in a fire at his apartment, not sure if the same Percy but the year matches. A tad confusing.
However Elizabeth along with Lorie finds that Percy isn't the one they're dealing with but an even
darker entity who doesn't want them in the basement and is below ground, with the cavern system running throughout the town and the surrounding towns too.  An entity which Lorie says is 'ancient' thus reinforcing the EVP caught on the Geobox stating it's "2,000 years old" back in 2.2 We All Go A Little Mad Sometimes. Lorie adding it's neither male or female, so I had to question how it managed to communicate through the Geobox, with the laughter and the other responses.

A perfect investigation for Elizabeth to use her gadgets such as Pandora's box which rotates with sound and movement. (As she demonstrated on her blog as an intruder.)  As well as her GTS device, which apparently Nick kicked over and broke in half!  What were you doing Nick??

During their night investigation Lorie saw Annie and heard the bell too saying she was protecting the Opera House over the years and doesn't want to leave it as it's her home.  She carried out a ritual with the sage so the entity would be kept underground and not roam freely, drawing a cross on the floor with the sage and leaving the bell there, which appeared in front of her when she was in the basement.

At 33.13 there appears to be an anomaly which goes shooting across the stage from left to right again after Elizabeth finishes her narration about their questions not being influenced.

At 34.15 is that another anomaly.  Doesn't look like a bug. which is seen when Nick asks "Annie are you here with me?"  However it's seen at the stage just like the first one above, not on the balcony where Nick is.

That evil laughter though, so mocking, yeah it's 'in the caves and you can't get in!!'  The approach was a good idea to keep the questions and responses away from one another.

"Are you the one everyone's been seeing," Nick asks, it says "yes I am..." very faintly, at least it sounds like it.

Clearly the caves do warrant further investigation to drive out this entity once and for all and hopefully the caves will be in episode 5.  As well as determining what it is and where it came from, why it's there.  So many questions!