CSI: Miami - 8.6: "Dude, Where's My Groom" Review

A groom fails to show up for his wedding, leading the CSIs in search of not only him, but also the missing groomsmen, whilst stumbling across a theft and a murder.

Groom, Charlie (Charlie Koznick) doesn't turn up to his wedding and his groomsmen are missing too.   The bride-to-be, Kim (Alexa Havins) says if he doesn't show he'd "better be dead or dying."  Naturally she'd have to make that comment and then take it back.   A call is made where it appears there are two DBs in a bloodied fountain.   They're not dead, but the missing groomsmen; Jack (Tug Coker) and Sean (Greg Winter).   Tripp (Rex Linn) says the blood in the fountain is human, from their clothes, but it's not theirs.   Horatio (David Caruso) says "someone's dead." Calleigh (Emily Procter) asks for Charlie's brush and a photo so they can check the blood for his DNA.   Calleigh gets the last line before the opening credits now, which was always left to Horatio in the past.

Natalia (Eva LaRue) takes a sample from the fountain for analysis and to check the DNA.   Jesse (Eddie Cibrian) prints Sean and Jack and tells them that "not remembering, doesn't mean not guilty."  Their blood is also taken for the Tox screen.   Jack was the best man but hadn't spoken with Charlie for over a year.   Sean had a crush on Kim that he couldn't get over.   Jesse shows Ryan (Jonathan Togo) the bloodwork results on "Dumb and Dumber" which had traces of Scolpamine, if added to alcohol, it impairs memory.   Jesse comments it's abundant in the LA club scene.   Just incase no one knows or remembers that Jesse returned to Miami from LA.   They need to "rely on the evidence to tell them what happened."  Says Jesse.   How many times was the word, phrase, needing to rely on the evidence, etc, said in this episode alone.

Jesse notices some residue on the bottom of the champagne bottle.   Ryan finds some green flakes on Jack, when they process the two.   Ryan thinks it's confetti.  Jesse uses the UV light and finds a stamp on Sean's hand from the Ciel Blue hotel.   (In much the same way that Mac (Gary Sinise) shined the UV light on the apron in season 7's CSI:NY episode, Do No Pass Go.)

To Natalia's dismay, all the blood samples prove to be contaminated from the chlorine in the fountain.   So Horatio knows the blood can't be confirmed as Charlie's.   He tells her Walter (Omar Miller) should check the paper from Jack's pocket for any writing.   Jesse and Calleigh check out the hotel and find nothing of any use.   Calleigh doesn't find any evidence of blood but does find a pair of undies with a logo of a drop of sweat on there.   Jesse identifies the logo as being from Club Perspire which perks Calleigh's interest, of wanting to know how Jesse knows.   Trying so hard to give him some sort of a character, but it was just not enough for Jesse to be around as a character for much longer.   He replies Walter told him about it.   As only Walter would or could!

At the club they find the undies belonged to Carmel (Jessie O'Donahue).   Charlie  was here with Jack.   She calls Jesse "Dimples" so Calleigh had to follow suit.   Jesse wonders where Sean was and accuses him of getting Charlie out of the picture so she could have Kim.   He's over her and is married with a baby on the way.   Calleigh didn't do a very good job of watching the video footage from the club, when it's left to Horatio to spot Kim near the door, "catching her fiance in the act."  Charlie left her a message promising there'd be no strippers and she accuses him of lying.   Which Horatio sees as motive enough to kill him.  She went back to her parents house.

Walter only now analyzes the paper, when Horatio mentioned it ages ago.   He didn't have to wait to analyze it in front of Horatio.  He uses Haematol to remove the blood and see what is under there, it should absorb and dissipate the blood, but instead it begins to destroy the writing.  Horatio sends Calleigh to check out Julio, the bails bondsman (Sal Lopez).   Jack was there alone and bailed out Sean with a cheque.   That's why Jesse explains Sean wasn't at the club with them.   Jesse calls them 'Frick and Frack'.   Why take the two there, when they could have just shown the bail bondsman photos of them.   Calleigh takes the cheque which was signed by Kim's father, Timothy Hewitt (JC MacKenzie).   He tells Calleigh Charlie turned down an offer of a job with him and he gave him the cheque for a downpayment on a house.

All three of them were at Clay Bennett's (Philippe Brenninkmeyer) house.   He called the police to have them removed and Charlie and Jack stole his limo, so he sent his security man after them.   The limo is found with a DB inside, that of the security man, Tito (Chris Gonzalez).   Tripp asks if 'The Three stooges' could be capable of something like this.   Natalia found DNA in the back pant pocket and it doesn't match Charlie so he could be alive.

ME Tom (Christian Clemenson) finds epithelials under his fingernails.   Ryan finds the same green flake on Tito's body and wants it for analysis.   Tom tells him it's his as the body is his.   Ryan: "Territorial much?"

Tom replies, "Snarky much?"  It's protocol and belongs to him since it's on the DB.   He lets Ryan have the limo.   Another scene in which Ryan is shown as being rather forceful and not getting on well with ME Tom either.   Just as he made the remark to Jesse in the episode In Plane Sight, about him checking out the toilet on the plane.   Don't think they knew quite what to do with Ryan this season.   He finds blood and more flakes inside the limo.

Walter's analysis on the flakes reveals the cheap green paint is leaded on the other side.   Azurite was a pigment used before World War One.   His mother made him minor in Art History, which Ryan sneers at.   SO what, he's rather judgemental these days! Ryan thinks Bennett was more concerned with the art in the limo than the limo itself.   They check out the hotel room and Walter comments he's more of a Guitar Hero god.   Taking the dart out of the deer painting on the wall, Walter finds there's a painting under it.   Probably a Cezanne.   Ryan tells him it's a Matisse.   Ryan didn't take Art History too, as Walter suggests, but says the painting is signed.   The painting had been stolen.

They search Bennett's house but there's no sign of Charlie.   Calleigh states the DNA shows Tito has an altercation with both Jack and Sean.  Tom explains the murder weapon was the car door, it was swung twice with brute force.   So Jesse says one person did it.   The photos showing the COD have prints on the ear and cheek on the limo, so they know the position Tito was in.  Calleigh sees the prints are smudged.   However Jesse notices (as always, must he do all the work!) a finger pattern in the smudges.   So the killer braced himself with his right hand and swung the door with his left., explains Calleigh.   Jack signs the form for his belongings with his left hand.   Calleigh, the "evidence always remembers." Sean is an accessory to the murder.  Calleigh feels Jack's lawyer may be able to argue diminished capacity as he couldn't remember what he did and he was drugged.

She only says this to Jack and not to Sean, implying Jack was the only one who was drugged.   Why was Sean drunk, or drinking, as he said he's been sober three years.   (Unless he isn't quite over Kim as he claims to be - which is a bit far-fetched.)  Also he was missing from the strip club, as he had been arrested by Fort Laudadale police, so he couldn't have been drugged by Carmel; causing him to have no memory of the night's events.   However, the bottle was found with them, so the implication must be that Jack took it with him, explaining why Sean also drank from it.   Unless this was a major boo-boo on the part of the writer.

Tripp notifies Jesse about Carmel leaving the club, she was the last one to see Charlie.   Jesse grabs her bag and finds Scolpamine instead.   Yeah she thought she'd hang onto that, even after she was already paid a visit by them.   Calleigh attempts to dissuade Jesse from searching her bag as they don't have a warrant.   Did she think Jesse would gamble with Charlie's life if he was still alive by wasting time waiting around for a warrant.    She was paid to take Charlie to a car outside and the man had a Southern accent.   Of course it was obvious her father would have dealt with Charlie, as he told Calleigh earlier on he turned him down with his job offer.   It was apparent the cheque was to buy him off so he'd leave Kim.

As always in the CSI shows, in the flashbacks to the crime or the incident in question, they always manage to give the game away when they show the killer with the same clothes as one of the suspects is wearing, or similar ones.   Here, her father was wearing a striped shirt and in the flashback, the abductor was wearing a striped shirt also.   (Something to watch out for, if you never get your suspect/killer.)

Kim telling them now she called her father from the club and not earlier on, she could've saved valuable time there.   She just said she went to her parent's house.  As said, the cheque was to make Charlie go.   He wouldn't take it so he left him in a raft on the ocean.   So Coast Guard helicopters don't take the Vic's to hospital then, be much quicker than driving.   Oh and on go Horatio's shades!

A bit of a routine episode, so how many wedding episodes has CSI:Miami had now.   Also meant to be a send-up of sorts of the movie, The Hangover (2009) sharing similar plots.   It was good the way they pieced together the events and their actions with only the evidence, which explains the many references to the evidence.

Jesse had no patience with Carmel, implying there's something going on with him as far as women hiding things, or keeping secrets.   That was a little varied character trait to the Jesse we've seen so far.

Lie To Me - 1.7: "The Best Policy" Review

Cal has to investigate an old friend of his. Alex continues his betrayal of Gillian, who is on a case relating to a brother and sister being held hostage in the Yemen.

A brother, Marcus (Brian Noons) visits his sister, Nicole (Jessie Lande) in Yemen on Spring Break and can't help but bring out the drugs.  A convoy of military approach and arrest the two of them.   Later the two publicly apologize and ask for forgiveness.   The State Department Official, Peters (Rick Hoffman) shows this to Gillian (Kelli Williams) and Eli (Brendan Hines) who are hired to see the reactions of the Yemeni officials in negotiations for the pair's release.   Gillian notices the reaction of Nicole.

Cal (Tim Roth) has a case of his own - close to home - when an old friend, Jeffrey (DW Moffett) whom he knows from Oxford wants him to find out who stole the formula for their groundbreaking drug, Priox.   A man is in a coma after taking the drug and suffered a stroke.   Jeffrey introduces Cal and Ria (Monica Raymund) to Erica (Alexa Fischer) who pioneered the drug and they believe the inferior version of the drug is the cause.   Jeffrey tells Ria that Cal used to be a pathological liar.   Cal talks with three suspected employees and tells them they have found fingerprints after the computer was accessed.   The two men protest but the woman, Aisha (Deidre Henry) freely volunteers her prints.    Cal immediately knows she's lying since she used gloves and so she knows no prints will be found.   She then confesses she didn't want to take the formula or give it away but there's a cover up and Priox is causing the deaths.   She's turning whistleblower.

Cal shows Jeffrey an analysis done by a lab showing Priox is not safe.   Jeffrey prefers to believe Erica, having an ulterior motive for putting so much faith in her, well he has to.   Either he knows about the drug or there's something more personal involved.  Gillian shows up at Alex's (Tim Guinee) office and his secretary appears flustered at seeing her there, telling her he's out.   Gillian monitors the Yemeni along with the negotiators and notices that Ambassador Hassan (Nick Hodaly) is just a puppet.  Ambassador Rafik is the only one holding the real power, since in Arab culture, the most powerful person enters a room last.  They show Peters a tape of Arafat with another man and they both want the other to enter the building first.   Eli looks over Marcus's tapes.

Ria and Cal have that same old conversation about knowing Alex is lying to Gillian and again Cal replies it's none of her business.  He asks her how many people she trusts and she says 6.   By the time she reaches Cal's age that number will be reduced to 3.   When Gillian wants to talk, she'll come to him.   Aisha has been arrested and Jeffrey tells Cal he's fulfilled his part in finding the thief.   He tells Cal she has a large amount of money deposited in an offshore account, after selling the formula.   She again admits she did sell it but she had a change of heart when she found what the drug was doing to people.   Cal thinks turning whistleblower is a convenient way to keep the money.   She sends Cal to the original lab that tested Priox.   Their contract has been withdrawn but the drug wasn't any good.

Gillian shows Cal the videos of Nicole and Marcus and Nicole is slurring her speech on purpose.   Gillian then shows the tape of a soldier from the first Gulf War to her parents showing the military are trained to speak in a certain way.   Nicole is communicating in that way to show she hasn't been broken.   She's a spy which her mother knows nothing about.   Peters tells Gillian one person will be released and they want Nicole back, she's the most important with all the info she knows about CIA safehouses.   A Red Cross worker shows their father, Rob (Lou Richards) photos of Marcus smuggled out by a nurse who attended him, showing bruises when he was beaten up after an attempted escape.   He has been denied medical treatment and will be executed.

Cal cunningly tells Erica reporters are interested in the drug and want to meet with him.   Erica bit her lip everytime Cal mentioned the drug.   He meets with an FDA official, Jim (Marc Vann) who has no evidence to pull the drug.  Cal wants to be certain Jeffrey didn't know about the drug.  Ria shows him a video of Erica speaking about the drug and each time she bites her lip and turns to look at Jeffrey, who lowers his head in guilt.   Which Cal thinks is a sign he knew about the effects of the drug.   When confronted Jeffrey admits he was having an affair with Erica and Cal warns him to keep away from Erica.

Gillian and Peters tell Rafik he will be invited to an important event at the Whitehouse where he will sit next to the President and shows him an invitation.   The US will honour every humanitarian demand from Yemen.   Jeffrey goes straight to Erica, as Cal knew he would which is one reason why he said not to go there.   They talk about the drug unaware Cal has planted a bug on him.   Erica was in a hurry to release the drug and needs more time.   Erica is arrested and Jeffrey is angry.   He tells Cal he could count the number of friends he could trust on one hand and Cal was one of them - thus Cal telling Ria that the number of people she can trust will be reduced to only 3: the number counted on one hand.

Gillian tells Cal Jeffrey will get over it eventually and is disappointed Alex cancels dinner.   She comments she was at the State Department during the day and he spends his nights there.   Cal takes a rain check on dinner as he's got something to do, spying on Alex with a blonde.   An episode that's personal for Cal and for Gillian.   He loses his best friend who was there for him when his mother died and as he said to Ria, they all have secrets which they don't want anyone to know about in the workplace and she must respect that.  

Cal: "Yeah, congratulations.   Once again you've earned the apparently foreign destination of 'none of your damn business.'"
Ria: "I don't get you."
Cal: "Good.   Stop trying."

Gillian is still oblivious, maybe she's in denial about Alex's cheating.   Wonder if that started when their baby was taken from them, or is he just no good?   Jeffrey is also having an affair with Erica which Cal didn't pick up on.  How did he miss that?   Cal says if they're one of them, then it's different, they don't talk about it.   Obviously he's got secrets he doesn't want to share as Ria found out in an earlier episode he was hiding something, as she also finds Gillian was hiding something here.   Let's hope this doesn't continue for too long for those of us who haven't seen the show in its entirety yet.   Gillian doesn't eat anymore, not her junk food and not much of anything really, did someone forget?

Doctor Who - 5.11: "The Lodger" Review

The Doctor becomes a lodger to find why people go up the stairs of a house and don't return, whilst also giving a couple a helpful nudge towards true love.

The Doctor (Matt Smith) lands on the ground and the TARDIS explodes and vanishes and he can only shout to Amy (Karen Gillan) who is left on board.   A voice from a house attracts passers-by, asking for help and the door at the top of the stairs opens to let the person in.   Sophie (Daisy Haggard) notices stains on the ceiling of Craig's (James Cordon) room downstairs.   Sounds can be heard from upstairs.   Craig has placed an ad for the spare room.   Sophie asks if he's found her a man or she might just have to settle for Craig.   That was an apparent hint.  Notice the Vincent Van Gogh card on the fridge advertizing the exhibition at the Museum D'Orsay.  

The Doctor arrives, he's the new lodger, "this is going to be easier than I expected."  Craig says "I love you" whilst opening the door to him.   He describes himself as an "ancient amateur and an absolute dream" and Craig is lucky the Doctor just happened by.  He likes sweets and he's called the Doctor and he calls himself Doctor too, but he doesn't know why.   He's got one of those faces where people blurt out their plans to him.   He hands Craig a bag full of money.  The stain has gotten bigger and spread.   The Doctor doesn't identify it as mould or mildew.   He has references including from the Archbishop.   The Doctor attempts to make Craig an omelette.

Amy attempts to land the TARDIS.   The Doctor cooked in Paris in the eighteenth century, no the twentieth and has been told he's weird.   He comments Craig is beginning to look like the sofa.   The Doctor can cook, but in 5.8 The Hungry Earth, (sure there's a pun there) he said he couldn't even make a meringue.   Craig tells the Doctor whenever he wants to bring over a girl, or a boy, then Craig will leave him alone.  The Doctor warns against touching the rot, as he refers to it.   The Doctor realizes a materialization loop means the TARDIS can't land, whatever's in the flat is preventing the landing.   The room upstairs claims another victim.

Sophie mentions the Doctor's bow tie, as is mandatory now every episode, ha.   He can't use the Sonic or any technology.   He scrambles the signal when talking to Amy so anyone who listens will hear gobbledygook, which Craig does.   Amy: "Bow ties, get rid."  Doctor: "Bow ties are cool."  There's time distortion and the zig-zag plotter will keep the TARDIS steady.   The Doctor brings back a trolley load of stuff, looking like junk, to build a gadget and then sings in the shower.   The Doctor's starkers and then in his towel and Amy's not around to have a good look again, ha.   But Sophie sees him in the towel.   Craig refers to Sophie as his date but says he didn't.   He's playing football and the Doctor must make up the numbers.   Doing blokey things is our Doctor, which is unusual for him cos they're very human.   The Doctor mentions Sophie has two sets of keys to someone else's house, she likes it here too.   Sophie says Craig didn't mention the Doctor was gorgeous.

The Doctor loses his bow tie now and wears shorts to show off his footy skills.  A girl's voice is heard on the intercom now asking for help.   Well, whilst the Doctor is out indulging in  human pursuits, another person falls victim.   He could have refused to play football with more important matters at hand; he was there about the upstairs after all.   He then says, there's  to be no violence when he's around, "I'm the Doctor - the oncoming storm."  mentioned by the Daleks more recently in 5.3 Victory of the Daleks.    He gets serious when violence is mentioned.   Time begins to repeat.   Amy tells him the scanner reads '9'.   He thought the TARDIS had gone into the vortex with her, it reads '5' now.

Sophie comes round again and the Doctor interrupts them, asking where the switch is for an ordinary screwdriver.   He takes a sip of wine and then spits it back into the glass.    Everyone's got dreams he says, but only  few will achieve them.  "So why pretend."  His words of wisdom.   Sophie can do anything she wants and has to work out what's keeping her here.   The Doctor uses his gadget to find there aren't any traces of abnormal technology from upstairs.   He can't go upstairs without finding out what's there first and get himself killed.   Well the others were killed.   Craig touches the rot and the Doctor makes him breakfast.  He needs to reverse the energy decay in Craig.   He then takes Craig's place at work where he's also a big hit.   And also gets to eat Custard Creams, his favourite biscuits.   Thought they were Jammy Dodgers.  Sophie thinks about volunteering with an animal charity.

Craig noses around in the Doctor's room and the cat's been upstairs.  The Doctor talks with the cat and Craig wants him to leave.  The Doctor calls his gadget art and he must stay, headbutting Craig to reveal various versions of Doctors and the TARDIS, time travel is possible.   Amy hasn't written the ad yet and it must be in red ink.   The girl calls out to Sophie for help and she calls her "my love" (River's phrase.) There's a time machine upstairs and people are being used to launch it.   Time repeats, Sophie is dying there.   Amy has plans of the building and there's no second storey.   The time engine is the flat and the Doctor says someone's attempting to build the TARDIS.   The perception filter is in use again.   The Doctor gets upstairs and calls himself, "Captain Troy Handsome of International Rescue."

The man is the hologram of the crashed ship and he's slaughtering people until the correct pilot is found which turns out to be the Doctor.   The Doctor posits the entire solar system will blow if his hand touches the panel.   He asks why he wants Sophie? The machine wants to escape and leave here like she does.   Craig shouts "Geronimo" and he must think of everything that's keeping him here, he loves Sophie and so does she and they kiss.   The ship's imploding and then vanishes.   The Doctor explains there never was a top floor.   The rot's gone.   Craig lets the Doctor keep the keys.   'The Doctor rocks' can be seen on the fridge and behind the fridge the Crack appears.   Amy must leave the ad for him in the shop in red ink and she finds the ring box.

An episode clearly about the Doctor trying his hand at being human, without using his Sonic but still manages to build a gadget to help him out, using only things available on earth; not to mention playing football too, even though people were still dying upstairs.   Not much for Amy to do, but to leave the note and that will become clear later.   This episode humanizes the Doctor and he repeats the line the Daleks did about him being the "oncoming storm" which he is in the context of the final two episodes of this season.

The Doctor refers to himself as Troy Handsome, an allusion to Troy Tempest from Stingray  and International Rescue  of course from Thunderbirds.   He also wears the number 11 on his footy jersey, alluding to the eleventh Doctor and the eleventh episode.   In the shower, the Doctor can be heard to sing, 'La donna e mobile.'

CSI: NY - 1.3: "American Dreamers" Review

A skeleton found on a tour bus leads to the mysterious disappearance of a boy many years ago, as the CSIs struggle to ID him, it appears he was behind a murder.

A tourist on a tour bus finds a dressed up skeleton.   First on the scene is Stella (Melina Kanakaredes) with lame joke in tow and Mac (Gary Sinise).   Stella "How long was that soda?" That was meant to be funny.   Mac on the other hand comments it's a "new take on a bitch ride to hell."  Wouldn't expect to hear something like that from Mac.   Stella thinks perhaps it's an urban legend or a joke shop gag to scare tourists and the skeleton was probably bought from a store.  Mac has to describe to her the difference between store bought and an actual skeleton and she's come across how many skeletons during her career that she can't tell the difference.   A store bought skeleton would be bleached, have drill marks when assembled.   This is brown with no such marks.  Mac: "This is a joke I'm not laughing.   These bones are real."

Aiden (Vanessa Ferlito) comments this wasn't clever as whoever assembled it didn't take anatomy class since the bones are reversed, held together by wires.   Stella uses adhesive putty to get a print.   Hawkes (Hill Harper) examines the skeleton which has a pronounced brow ridge.   The head is long and narrow and the nasal bone and spine stick out over the maxilla.   He's white.   From the fusion of the clavicle and other bones, Hawkes determines the age and Mac says he wasn't even 18.   The skeleton was shielded from the elements and has black discoloration.   Mac needs a finger.

Danny (Carmine Giovinazzo) comments about the newspapers posting the story and Mac doesn't call it news even if, as Danny says it will sell papers, cos of where it was found.   Danny: "The media don't care."  Mac: "I do."  Aiden wants the skull, "human skull, big fun."  Another insensitive comment.   Danny notices the dark substance is layered and has been there a while.   Mac finds aromatic hydrocarbons and engine exhaust from a diesel truck or a bus.   Benzene is concentrated in a  deeper sample, maybe from an old engine.  He appears to have been dead for 10 years.   Mac mentions between 1990-1993 there was a two thousand per year murder rate. "Dream with me a city that can be better than the way it is now."  That was Mayor Giuliani's inauguration speech in 1994.   Stella was working narcotics back then at Brooklyn North.   (Should've stayed there, ha.)

Six prints were found and one belonged to Lester Jayne (John Ross Bowie) at the NY bus terminal who reads the paper and laughs, admitting he did it as a prank..   Flack (Eddie Cahill) comments "NYPD didn't find it funny."   Mac notices exhaust fumes from a  bus, leading to a vent and almost causing him to be run over by a  bus in the process.   He comes across clothes and more bones decomposing.   Stella thinks this is where he died and Mac adds he lived here too, was probably a runaway.   The initials 'AM' are on the backpack.   Blunt force trauma from a pipe and a pocket knife is found in the shoe.   A copy of Bright Lights, Big City is found, copyright 1984, indicating he may have been here for 20 years.   The book was about a man who gets out of the city before it gets him.  

Hawkes assembles the skeleton bones.   Mac processes the clothes and finds a paper in the pocket of the jeans.   Danny prints the pipe.   Danny: "It's tough being in the bullpen waiting for your nod."   Hawkes determines the full skeleton would have been 5' had his teeth pulled and saw a dentist.   Last time he saw a doctor he had a broken tibia and left with a  limp.   Aiden boils the skull.   Places markers where the bones, features should be, then sketches a face.   Puts in glass eyes, moulds features and adds hair.   Prints aren't in AFIS.   There are no DNA matches from the bones.   Nothing on the missing persons database.   Mac finds a diary, a sketchbook of pics of the Flat Iron building, the NY skyline with the WTC.  Mac says the man was following his dreams, he never got out.  Why?

The parents of John Doe, Mrs Moreland (Susan Ruttan) and Mr Moreland (Charles Parks) arrive and say their son, Aaron was a musician.   He left home in 1987 at 17.   His backpack was monogrammed by his mother and his father doesn't think it was him.  Mac tells them they're not looking for their son, but they stumble across him anyway.   Danny uses a different approach and  finds 113 arrest records of crimes committed 3 blocks away from where the skeleton was found.  Stella tells them they need to stick to the hard evidence first, only cos she wasn't able to come up with a plan using lateral thinking for herself.   His last sketch was a landscape which wasn't native to NY.   He was alone here and lost.   Mac: "reality rarely lives up to expectations especially when you're a teenager."  Criss-cross beams in a sketch resemble the Port Authority, he was looking at it, which means he was inside the only building in the city which allows homeless children free range of all the floors.

They talk to a man, Joel (Johnny Sneed) at the shelter.   Faces all look the same after a while.   Danny processes the clothes and looks in the directory of logos.   Fibre analysis comes up with nylon microfibre from the 1990's.  Aiden asks Mac about giving the reconstruction photos of the face to the media. "I figured it was one of the few times that us and the media are on the same team." Mac uses an ALS (Alternative Light Source) on the paper he found in the pocket.   He's only just analyzing that now.   It shows 2/2/90  3.50pm.   His shirt wasn't on the market and was a prototype  from 1988.   It was off the rack from 7th Avenue.   Danny says to be a rack runner you don't need any experience.

A watch was pawned at Bruno's pawn shop and was picked up by the owner.   Mac doesn't believe it was a coincidence it was picked up after 14 years.   Why was the watch still there after 14 ears?  Mac comments it's not easy to hide anymore cos of CCTV.   Reflections are visible from the man's glasses and NTSC signals are over scanned.   He touched the guitar so it can swabbed for DNA.  Danny: "creative enough for you."  Dr Giles (Grant Albrecht) puts the swabs into CODIS; the missing persons database.   Aaron, who is Joel, is now 34 and a prime suspect in a murder.

Arron wasn't ready for NY.   The boy ran racks and he saw him there, he always had money and Aaron always needed money.   He sold the knife.   He wanted more money.   Six years later, he was clean and helped others.   Mac tells him he killed for $2.   Stella says the watch connected him  to the Vic.   That line was intended for Mac since he's into 'all the evidence being connected'.   His parents never stopped looking for him.   They don't know the boy's name.   This ended up being like Blink, where they never found out Jane Doe's name either.

Mac reads from the book, "...leaving a dwindling trail of images and emotions, until all you can remember is a name." Stella: "His name is the only thing we don't know." Mac: "Now we never will."  Stella asks Mac for a drink and he asks what the coffee's like.  He'll love the Irish coffee.   She loosens his tie and he tightens it back.

A strong story which develops from a joke into a real human interest episode about how lonely life can be in a big city and how it can eat you up.   The twist being Aaron left home for an exciting life in a new city and he becomes attracted by its seedy underbelly and he turns to a life of crime, to satisfy his insatiable greed for money to support his habit.   Mac understands how the city can swallow you up - but he's from Chicago and that ain't no small town.   Stella however, is every bit as uncaring as she'll be in later episodes.   Ordering Danny to focus on the evidence: something she had trouble doing in the last episode, Creatures of the Night and doesn't manage to find any sympathy.   Fast becoming the shallow, inconsistent character she'll remain throughout.

Not much is seen or heard of Flack in his third episode, momentarily only suspended in his short role as eye candy, ha.   Neither do Danny and Aiden get to shine.   The book Bright Lights Big City by Jay McInerney in 1984, was turned into a movie with Michael J Fox in 1988.   In the CSI episode Who Are You? a Jane Doe's face is reconstructed.   When Aiden was reconstructing the face, the hands shown were not Vanessa's.

Castle - 1.10: "A Death in the Family" Review

Castle looks into the murder of Beckett's mother, even after she warns him against this, whilst they investigate the death of a plastic surgeon. Alexis goes out on her first date.

A DB is towed away in a car.   Castle (Nathan Fillion) asks a reknown forensic pathologist, Clark Murray (Robert Picardo) to look into the death of Beckett's (Stana Katic) mother.   He comments Castle usually contacts him to ask about a head in a microwave.   It's a ten year old cold case.   Martha (Susan Sullivan) asks what 'Dr Death' was doing here.   Beckett doesn't know what he's doing and Martha tells him to drop it as it's Beckett's private business.   Castle tells her there's no reason to say anything until he knows something for certain.   It's not like he's snooping in her underwear drawer.   Alexis (Molly Quinn) announces she's going to the Prom with Owen.  Castle hasn't even met him yet.

Beckett refuses to do a background check on Owen for Castle.   Ryan (Seamus Dever) claims he should be more worried that Owen is a teenage boy.   Esposito (Jon Huertas) wouldn't let his daughter out of the house.   Castle wonders why no one noticed the car had 6 parking tickets, or looked inside.   Hey no one even stole the car either.   Castle notices the plastic bag and duct tape used to kill the Vic.   Which Beckett says makes the killing personal.   Lanie (Tamala Jones) finds his finger nails were removed and his fingers were broken premortum.   The DB, Dr Leeds had a fiance, Courtney (Carrie Southworth) who he was meant to meet to sample cakes.   Ryan says there aren't any security cameras on the street.  His office was mid-town so what was he doing in Harlem.   Castle thinks he might have secrets his fiance didn't know about, like being involved in black market organ harvesting, which is a great idea so he has to write it down.

Castle asks Beckett if she's thought about re-opening he mother's case.   They can work together on it, he has resources.  Beckett threatens to send Castle packing if he does that.   She memorized every line in the file and worked on it all her free time for 3 years.   Spending a year in therapy.   She had to let it go.   At the Doctor's office, Beckett asks what it is with men and boobs.  Castle replies it's biological, they can't help it.   Beckett comments even if they're not real.   Castle: "Santa's not real - we still like opening his presents."  But they're not from Santa.   Got my suspect here, as soon as they got to the staff.   They think of Jacey Goldberg (Delane matthews) a patient who had 3 facelifts and sued Dr Leeds.   She was committed for psych treatment and Dr Leeds testified.  Look at Maggie casually standing by and not saying anything.

Esposito wonders how anyone can do that to themselves, when looking at Jacey.   Castle thinks she's escaped from the Island of Doctor Moreau.   Ryan's got Castle's book again.   Castle makes pouty lips when he sits in on the interview.   Castle: "Well if you wanted the surgery so badly, why didn't you see another lips...lip doctor?"  Her alibi checks out, she was having surgery.   Captain Montgomery (Reuben Santiago-Hudson) asks what else she had left to have surgery on.  Beckett replies they can do plenty 'down there'.   A surgeon with broken fingers means someone's sending a message.

Alexis goes dress hunting and tries on a pink number that looked straight out of Beckett's closet.  Castle is upset Martha's trying to give Alexis "body image issues," which Martha says everyone has.  Castle recalls Alexis looked beautiful in a pink tutu and tiara.  No wonder he said she looked good in that awful pink dress.  Esposito and Ryan check out Leed's office, he didn't even have any porn on his computer, an oft used line in this show; and Ryan notices the wedding file contained patient records.   The nurse doesn't know about his secret.   He didn't use regulars for a nine hour operation.   Castle mentions one place where you can get info from is the billing department of a hospital.

Castle is going home to a long-standing tradition of torturing the boyfriend.   Ryan recalls at his Prom, the girls' father checked his wallet for condoms and showed him his gun collection.   Esposito locates the wire transfer to pay for the operation was from the US Attorney's office.   Beckett says the operation was to change soemone's ID.   He had to be in witness protection.   Castle and Beckett pay a call on 'Hard Candy', Candace (Ion Overman).   When they don't get any answers from her, Castle suggests they ask the other side, they should know who was out to kill Leeds.   Beckett asks if this is a Mamet play.   He forgets she reads plays.   Castle knows a capo with one of the families, who owes him a favour.   Sal (Robert Costanzo) tells him, Jimmy 'the Rat' (Joe Martinelli) turned state's evidence on the Spolano family.   Castle reminds him of his novel, Storm Warning, where the hitman had a signature style.   That's something Sal says Jimmy would know.

Beckett thinks they should talk to Will (Bailey Chase).   Castle: "tall, brooding and judgemental." Castle's not the one he's trying to get back together with.   She takes Will a donut with sprinkles.   Beckett says he should think of the doctor that was killed cos of them and give her the info for him, not for her.   Castle dresses in a bloody coat with severed head in hand.   Martha and Alexis want him to put it away.   Martha comments at least one child has grown up, meaning Alexis.   Castle does an imitation of Chris Walken, which Beckett doesn't recognize when she calls him to tell him about the meet with Jimmy.   Where was Beckett taking her files and bag, she doesn't need those.   Castle refers to the garage meeting as being cliched, and how the car will be a black suburban with tinted windows.   Someone's been watching too many Bruckheimer films.   The bag over the head is Jimmy's MO so someone's sending him a message.

Castle informs the others cos of them, Jimmy refuses to testify.   Captain tells Beckett the van was fired on and Will's in hospital.  Esposito says they used Teflon rounds which went through the door.   They were followed.  Beckett: "If I were a better cop..." she'd have known.   Oh finally, she admits she's not  a good cop.    Castle tells her she cares and never gives up, that's cos she has his help now and has to follow the leads he provides her with!  Castle waits up for Alexis and tells her he won't be doing that for much longer and if a gold digger steals his money, then he'll come and live with her.  

Beckett's been at work since 4 and called the others in at 6.   After what Castle said to reassure her, he didn't want her going all Beautiful Mind on him.   Out of all the  staff, Mario  was the last one to join the office.   He was working late at the office, Julia was alone and Maggie started work there a few months ago.  Maggie, I got her as soon as they showed her in the beginning, stole someone else's ID.   They arrive at the hospital before her, while she attempts to kill Jimmy.   Castle tells her they knew she was coming.

Maggie turns state's evidence too.   Beckett tells the Captain, "I don't think I could have done it without Castle," finally another admission from her she can't do her job without his help.  Murray gives Castle the results of his analysis and that her mother was stabbed and the knife was twisted.   The other marks were just for show.   This wasn't random and not an isolated incident.  Martha tells him he has to let Beckett know even if he doesn't work with ehr anymore (yeah that'll happen.) Castle tells them he's on the last chapter of his book and Will lets Beckett know that Castle likes her.   He's meant to tell Beckett about her mother, but seeing as this is the final episode of season 1, that'll have to wait for season 2.   Unless you've already seen season 2 and were watching repeats here, like many were.   Or if you can't wait, you can always read up on it, watch the DVD.

Beckett gets to say what I've been saying all along, that she's not that good a cop and she needs Castle's help!  Will getting shot was obvious and again Beckett couldn't tell on their way there whether they were being followed or not and didn't take any precautions for this eventuality.   She told Will they were responsible for getting the doctor killed, but she was responsible for getting them both shot.   Castle has been investigating Beckett's mother's case, as we know, but it's only mentioned here again since it'll be continued over as a cliff hanger.  

Beckett was naive, thinking he wouldn't look into it just cos she told him to back off, he doesn't listen to her and she knows that.   Also after saying she couldn't have done it without Castle, she refuses to let him help with her mother's case, is it out of guilt, embarrassment she didn't get anywhere with it, or just that she doesn't want to be indebted to him, as she knows he's more than capable of getting to the truth and solving the case; something she couldn't do and had to let it go for her sanity.   Others would have persisted until they made a breakthrough  and not think about themselves.

The title could be a reference to the family as in mob family or refer to Beckett and her mother.

In 1.20 Red Sauce episode of The Mentalist, the team investigate the mob style killing of a man in witness protection.   Patrick (Simon Baker) tells Lisbon (Robin Tunney) not to be grumpy.   The interrogation of Jacey reminded me of the season 2 episode of CSI:NY, Grand Murder at Central Station, which involved the death of a plastic surgeon.   His patients were suing him for surgery gone wrong.   One patient they come across resembled a cat.   The patient asks Flack (Eddie Cahill) what type of animal she resembles and he replies without hesitation.   He even tells one woman who has over-botoxed lips, that she's "got something to smile about," that she's going free.   Here Castle can't resist bringing up Jacey's lips and the expression on his face says it all.  Whilst he's happy for other women to have their surgery for boobs etc, he doesn't want that for Alexis.

The Vampire Diaries - 3.8: "Ordinary People" Review

Elena gets a lowdown on her family's past by Rebekah and how they became vampires. Alaric deciphers the cave drawings, Mikael turns up and Damon tries to find a better way to help Stefan reclaim his humanity.

Alaric (Matt Davis) brings Elena (Nina Dobrev) to the tunnels and advises her to ignore Damon (Ian Somerhalder) as he's doing.  Alaric believes the story tells of a "really old moon cycle of a man, a wolf.   Damon: "It's the Lockwood Diaries Pictionary style." Werewolves have been in Mystic Falls longer than the Lockwood's.   The drawings appear to be runic and containing Viking script.  He can make out the names, 'Niklaus', Rebekah' and 'Elijah.'

This leads to a flashback to Rebekah (Claire Holt) and Klaus ( Joseph Morgan) in the tunnel.   Rebekah is carving on the wall.   She tells Klaus he's afraid of their father and adds that he scares them all and so they should all stick together.   Alaric doesn't think this wall is a fake as he makes out the name 'Mikael', whom Damon refers to as "Papa Original."  The images tell a story.   Away from the tunnels, Damon trains Elena whilst Alaric continues to piece together the drawings.   Elena decides she's going straight to the source of the original stories, Rebekah.  

She wonders why Klaus is running from their father, Mikael (Sebastian Roche)  and tells Rebekah where he is buried.   Another flash to Klaus and Elijah (Daniel Gillies) fighting.   No wonder Klaus ran off, his life is too precious for him to stay and be killed by Mikael.   He's just a coward when the shoe's on the other foot.   Mikael tells them off saying they fight for survival not fun and he calls Klaus "foolish and impulsive," referring to him as just a "boy."  Elena is convinced Stefan (Paul Wesley) will be free of his compulsion if Klaus can be killed.

Damon checks on Stefan calling him "pasty and pouty."  Elena can take care of Rebekah and Damon isn't too keen on "Lexi's recovery plan."  Elena is convinced it will work.   Stefan having to get in that Elena's plans always work, sarcastically.   Well he's right. None of their plans ever work.   Stefan doesn't believe Elena will be safe with Rebekah.   Damon thinks if Stefan believed Elena was in danger then Stefan would be working harder to get better and get out of his restraints.   Damon thinks that Stefan has really given up and undoes his restraints.   Last episode it was Stefan untying him.  This week, it 's the other way around. Seems that's all we're going to get, the same thing happening to each of them.

Rebekah has compelled some girls to try on dresses and wants Elena to pick one out for Homecoming.   She threatens to bite one of them and so Elena chooses one.   Bonnie (Katerina Graham) returns the necklace to Alaric who calls Jeremy an idiot, he knows cos he was just like him too.   There's an image of the necklace on the wall everywhere.   The symbol stands for 'witch.' Rebekah recalls how a plague struck their homeland.   Their mother, Esther (Alice Evans) knew a witch, Ayana, (Maria Howell) and they all lived with the werewolves around.   Another flash to caves under their village, where they would hide when the wolves howled, meaning on the full moon.   Klaus and her younger brother, Henrik, snuck out to see the transformation and Henrik was killed.   So they were no longer at peace with the werewolves.   This was the last time her family were together as humans.

Damon tells Elena he knows what he's doing with Stefan and takes him to the bar, compelling Callie (Karlee Morgan Eldridge) for a "shot of you" for Stefan.   He says Stefan's been on his blood free diet for 50 years so how come he's so good at the drinking game.   Stefan remarks, it's "precision out of boredom." Stating Damon's worse than Elena at all this stuff, especially the brotherly bonding.   Damon likes to be on the edge, but Stefan falls over it.

Rebekah doesn't understand the attraction between Stefan and Elena as a couple.  Rebekah knows Stefan's a vampire and tells her the necklace wasn't Stefan's, it belonged to the original witch.  She turned them into vampires.   Flash to Esther wanting the spirits to find a way to protect their children.   Elena says a curse isn't a form of protection.    They stayed out of pride and to be superior.   The magic will have consequences and the "spirits will turn on them" warns Ayana.   Esther was a witch too from the original family, "the original witch."   She could only be a witch or a vampire not both.   Esther didn't turn but turned to the white oak tree to turn them into vampires.   They were given wine laced with blood and Mikael killed them with swords.

Flash to Rebekah having to drink more blood to finish the ritual.   They felt powerful.   'The spirits turned and nature fought back', the sun, the neighbours kept them out of their houses.   The white oak flowers burnt them and they prevented compulsion so the trees were burnt.   They only craved blood.

Damon: "I thought you could use a hug Stefan."  Damon knows he's given up and wants him to do something about it.   Cue Mikael.   When Klaus killed for the first time this triggered his werewolf gene and Esther put a curse on him to suppress his werewolf side.   Mikael's pride increased as a vampire and he killed half the village and also Esther.   She broke his heart so he tore hers from her chest with Klaus watching.  

Why would Mikael kill Esther when she had done everything to protect his children.  Rebekah and Elijah agreed not to turn their backs on Klaus.   Rebekah is stubborn, Elijah is moral and Klaus has 'no tolerance over those who disappoint him.'  She loves Klaus cos she doesn't want to spend an eternity alone.   The same reason Klaus gives for wanting more hybrids, but he doesn't feel the same emotion towards Rebekah as she does for him, since he'd still have her around, even if he didn't have any more of his kind.  She is his family after all.   Rebekah threatens Elena if she comes after Klaus. She is her father's daughter after all and yet she still fears him.

Mikael posits he's been a vampire hunter longer than Damon's been alive and threatens to rip out Damon's heart unless Stefan tells him where Klaus is.   Stefan can lure Klaus back to Mystic Falls.   Mikael lets Damon go and just wanted to rile him up.   Stefan must get Klaus to return or be killed.   Alaric discovers the tree symbol is a weapon and notices a bleeding heart and a witch figure.   Rebekah doesn't know the real story behind Esther's death, Elena reveals what Klaus told her was a lie to turn her against Mikael.   A symbol for hybrid combines both and the symbol for her mother.   Elena shows Rebekah the story of Esther's death.   Esther rejected Klaus, he was aggressive and violent and he killed her.   Elena wants to make Klaus lose his control over everyone.  

Stefan says Damon didn't get through to him. Damon only proceeded in reminding him what his freedom felt like, when he kills Klaus he will be free.   Damon has to save Stefan as he owes him for saving his life.   Stefan: "Be careful brother, your humanity's showing." That's what Damon just said to him and then Damon lashes out at him.   Damon tells Elena about Mikael and thinks his weapon is a stake.   Elena only sees Rebekah as a girl, "she loves blindly and recklessly even if it consumes her."  Family is important to Elena.   Damon thinks she should tell that to Stefan.   Elena believes Damon will save Stefan from himself not cos Stefan loves Elena, but cos Stefan loves Damon.

Damon always lashes out when anyone mentions humanity: his, or other human emotions.   Like he killed Alaric out of rage and anger for people trying to change him, confirming he's a vampire firstly and foremostly.   So why does he want Stefan to find his humanity so badly, other than owing him his life?  It sure isn't for Elena cos Damon wants her for himself.   Didn't see Elena objecting to Damon being on her bed - nor did she tell him to move or leave, in actual fact she looked quite comfy with him beside her.   Seriously who wouldn't mind him on, or in, their beds!  Perhaps Elena's reference to Rebekah being a girl who loves blindly speaks more about Elena too.

 Lots of background on the "original" family of vampires, which made a change to learn that Klaus, Elijah and Rebekah didn't choose to become vampires and how this elaborate scheme to protect them was born of magic and necessity, by none other than the original witch herself, Esther.   Was she unable to come up with some other means of affording them protection from werewolves?   Also how as well as Mikael rejecting Klaus as he wasn't his son, we find Esther rejected him too and placed the curse on him.   So naturally it only follows he would be the one to kill his mother.

There seems to be more behind Mikael wanting to find Klaus than just to kill him.   On the same note, he doesn't seem to have any urgency in reuniting with Rebekah, in fact he hasn't even asked about her or Elijah.   What of Katherine, no mention of her either in this episode.   Take it the 'witch' mentioned in 3.7 was Esther and the reason for the necklace being returned.  As well as the "original" family being the focus of this episode - the other family in the limelight were the Salvatore brothers and their relationship, though one of sarcasm, jokes and feel-good feeding, there was more serious issues involved in Stefan saving Damon at the end from Mikael.   Yet he hated Damon talking of his humanity and vice versa, which is the part I liked, when they both fight, cos Damon can't stand Stefan associating him with humanity.   It's a sore point for Damon as we know, but now Stefan doesn't like it being alluded to either, or is there another reason for him not wanting to be called human?

CSI - 12.4: "Maid Man" Review

The former Mayor of Vegas is shot at the opening of a mobster museum where the opening is attended by most of the CSIs, and the killing of a hotel maid is investigated.

Greg (Eric Szmanda) Catherine (Marg Helgenberger) DB (Ted Danson) and Ecklie (Marc Vann) attend the opening of the Mob museum, officially opened by former Mayor of Las Vegas, Oscar Goodman (Oscar Goodman).   DB does the rounds with Ecklie and then talks to Catherine and Greg about the two wives standing with the wife Joanna (Frances Fisher) of the hitman, Vinny Sapphire who killed their husbands.    As the Mayor toasts all hell breaks loose as shots are fired shattering his martini glass and hitting him three times.  Sheriff Liston (Barbara Eve Harris) also at the event wants Ecklie and DB to get to the bottom of this pronto.

The CSIs compare notes and find shots were fired from two different areas of the room.   DB finds the gun behind one of the dummies, a .38, as is the weapon of choice in a mob hit and the shooter would always characteristically dump the gun at the scene.   DB leaves Greg to process as he and Catherine check outside, where someone by the door would have seen what happened.   The security guard's DB is found shot in the face, Catherine replies he "snorted a bullet."

Inside Greg tells DB there's no blood on the floor so DB has to do his usual act and play a DB again, spotting a mushroomed bullet.   At the hospital Oscar is fine as his jacket took the brunt of the bullets and he's had his fair share of enemies as a mayor and lawyer before that.   DB finds another mushroomed bullet in his jacket.   The security guard was killed with a .44 which Doc Robbins (Robert David Hall) removed from his brain (lots of slicing action on show in autopsy).   He voted for Oscar three times in the past and once for his wife, as he's done a lot of good for Vegas.   Catherine agrees.   They're on the search for three shooters.

One of the guns is traced to Vinny Sapphire, missing since the 1980's and Brass (Paul Guilfoyle) questions his wife, Joanna.  She claims not to have seen him in years but Brass obviously has a soft spot for her and she tells him to come down and she'll fill his whiskey bottle he keeps in his desk. Well, she can't do that from prison.   Not many suspects to go on but as is always the case it's apparent who the killer is and she even gives herself away later when DB and Greg go to the crematorium to find out where the elusive Cesare Mastrantonio is located.

DB calls upon Greg to utilize his knowledge on mobsters.   Still no mention of Greg's elusive mobster book he was writing some seasons ago - which it appears he's shelved for good!  DB calls him twice by yelling for him instead of using the phone.   Take it that's his MO at home with his children and his wife! ha.   Oh and no mention of Sara (Jorga Fox)  this episode.

Also new ballistics expert Xiomara (Monique Gabriela Curnen) was used in two scenes; but DB didn't want to listen to her stories - he wanted to tell his own and hog the limelight.   Hodges (Wallace Langham) has discovered footage from the street cameras of a 1979 Cadillac Coup de Ville which circled the museum.   Catherine states Sam Braun had one too and Hodges delves into another personal tidbit about failing his driving test.   The plates match Vinny's car and there's an unidentified driver inside wearing Vinny's hat.

Greg is unable to find any bullets outside the museum and DB gets Greg to "shoot" him with a fake finger gun, but shoots off bullets with his own finger gun before Greg barely manages to point to him.   Thus he won't find any bullets and DB posits the security guard was involved.   He fired through the glass case and through Gedda's head (a statue of him had to be included).   He was the thorn in Warrick's (Gary Dourdan) side and he was one of the last cases he worked on.   Catherine commenting Gedda was shot - again.   Inside they discover something is missing from the display case.   Photos reveal it was Gedda's journal and one page had a list of mob hits, including Cesare, who never existed.   The security guard was thus shot after he stole the journal.

Vinny's Cadillac is found at a motel and inside a female DB lies shot on the bed, a hat next to her.   A cushion was used and feathers can be seen.   Brass saying "a  hat on the bed is bad luck."  Catherine recognizes the woman as a friend of Sam's, Monique (Joyce Hyser).

DB asks Greg if he checked on a death certificate for Cesare, which leads them to Joanna, feather in hair from the cushion at the motel.   Gedda's stash of cash was meant to be in Cesare's memorial and Vinny left her to run away with Monique.   The two women got together after Monique contacted her about Vinny's death and they were meant to get the money.   Monique dumped Vinny in Lake Mead.

Greg tells DB about Catherine's past and her history with Sam, including leaving her a casino.   DB saying he's here with his 'work wife,' i.e.  Ecklie.  

Nick (George Eads) and Morgan (Elisabeth Harnois) investigate the death of a maid at the Eclipse Hotel, found in the room of a Prince Jalal Najib.   This is a first for David (David Berman) as Maria (Ana Isabel Mercado) was stabbed in the eye with a swizzle stick.   Morgan thinks the Prince refers to a rapper when Brass tells her the name.   The room is in disarray.   Nick processes whilst Morgan questions another maid, Paulette (Karen Bethzabe).   She tries to make it appear the Prince was behind this as he always requested Maria, implying there was something sexual in it, yet Morgan didn't notice her nervousness and she kept looking left and down.

Nick spots a hidden lipstick camera pointed towards the direction of the bed so there could be sex tapes.   He thinks they could see who bought it with the serial number.   He also collects towels as evidence, along with the Prince's clothes.   Prints from the camera belong to Matthew Lapaz - a former hotel valet, who has priors for drug possession.   The camera was directed towards a safe so it was safe tapes they were after!  A woman's hand is seen to switch the Prince's watch and jewelley for  fakes.   Morgan takes DNA and the Prince's jewellery. He is brash and arrogant, showing contempt for the hired help, as well as Morgan.  He asks for a male CSI. Morgan takes no prisoners and tells him he can pay her $1,000 afterwards and that she's paid by the hour so she's got all the time in the world.

Nick notices the towels, the one from Paulette's trolley were new and the ones he collected had been used as they have the Eclipse's name on it for laundry purposes leading to Paulette. Obviously it wasn't Maria and it was Paulette's hand in the footage.   She tried to stop Maria and she wouldn't agree to a cut, opting to report her instead.   Morgan returns the Prince his possessions and he can't believe Maria died for saving his things.   He leaves her a cheque for $100,000 for Maria's family.   So Morgan has a change of heart about him.   Loving Morgan - she's great and it's nice to see a CSI who isn't smug and can admit when she's wrong.

Mandy (Sheeri Rappaport) saying she hates it when Nick is sweet whilst waiting for a print after he comments they're both wearing purple.   Morgan: "I'm not sweet."  She likes Morgan.

The National Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement opened in Las Vegas in February 2012.   Sam wasn't a 'goodfella' as DB assumes but he wasn't a mobster either, more a 'go-to' man.   Greg commenting on the  three mob wives who lost their husbands cos of Vinny, who was Gedda's hitman.   He was shot in season 8 and in the finale Warrick was shot, yet there's no mention of this, or any mention of Warrick even by Catherine or Greg since he was saying plenty.   Would have been good to get a mention.

Xiomara has to tell DB what her name is again, more like how to pronounce it.   Her story was that the gun was associated with unsolved murders from the 1980's.   This episode was Greg's turn to put up with DB as Nick had to "endure" him in the season opener.   So it was only fair we got to see Greg having this interaction as all of the team, barring Nick, had already worked with him.   Thus we the audience got to see this in action too.

Oscar deciding to represent Joanna and Ecklie commenting if he gets into trouble, he wants Oscar defending.   DB says if he gets into trouble, he wants Oscar's jacket.   Yes, but what about the head?  No guarantee shooters will shoot at the body.

The Prince asking Morgan if he saw her topless at the club.   Nick attempting to ensure Morgan sees all sides of the story and not become 'fixated' on the Prince as a suspect.   Also she got to work with Nicky alone this ep - but no repeat mention of any events from last episode when she asked Greg about Nick's personal life.

Stargate Atlantis The Lost Tribe Part 2 Review

Knew they'd be shielded from the blast and Sheppard (Joe Flanigan) gets glass in his back.  Zulenka (David Nykl) comments on losing the stargate.  Todd (Christopher Heyerdahl) contacts Atlantis but Sheppard doesn't know why the gate blew up - where's Rodney (David Hewlett) when you need him?  Well he's miles away.  Rodney says the effect isn't seen here as there's no stargate on this planet. Dangerous radiation is created inside the gate.  Millions will die everytime the gate is is dialled.  Ooh Sheppard shirtless, now come on, gratuity if ever there was any! But who's complaining!!

Woolsey (Robert Picardo) awakes and is used to send a message to Atlantis.
Sheppard will give $5 to anyone who figures how to get in touch with Daedalus and Amelia (Sharon Taylor) says it's on screen now.  Though technically it wasn't her idea so she shouldn't get the money.
Todd will return his ship and crew if the device is shut down.  He's impressed as it was first used by the Ancients ten thousand years ago and its use wasn't continued with as humans would die.  Woolsey is the first one threatened to be killed.  Sheppard claims they didn't do it and Todd is the only one with the ship to deal with this.  Todd demands the coordinates to the planet.

Ronon (Jason Mamoa) opens the doors and intends on crippling the Daedalus and he knows how.  Katana (Daniella Alonso) is sent by Larrin as stargates are blowing up and they can use her ship.  Teyla (Rachel Luttrell) is left in charge.  Ronon shoots out the control systems and the ship drops out of hyperspace.
Daniel (Michael shanks) wants the device shut down, but the people aren't of any concern to the aliens.  They don't use gates and Daniel thinks they're no better than the Wraith. Their planet is dying and will have to venture out into the galaxy with the Wraith.

Mila [!] (Claire Robertson) is the chief engineer and she's only 16.  Jennifer (Jewel Staite) turns herself in for destroying the ship.  Daniel asks why they're still in their armour and the alien reveals himself as an Asgard.  Daniel has worked with them and they were a noble race.  The Asgard were clones going back generations and they conducted research on humans like Loki.  They were attacked by the Wraith and had to live in a toxic atmosphere planet.  They knew why the Ancients built the device.

Daniel says they can't justify what they're doing.  Todd claims to be on a mission for Sheppard.  Rodney must figure a way out and Daniel tells him taking on a third person is a sign of mental instability.  They have to escape and shut down the device.  Rodney suggests an explosion and Daniel asks why people would go rushing towards an explosion, well to put out any fires, rescue casualties...Rodney says he would.  They take the spare alien suits, one size fits all.

Sheppard is surprised Larrin never mentioned him.  The Wraith in the bay are locked out of the flight controls.  Rodney encrypted access to the work station and the aliens leave the planet.  Todd locks the Daedalus guidance system on a collision course with the planet.  Rodney pulls the control crystal manually and Todd leaves the Daedalus.  Sheppard needs the hyperdrive of the ship and takes the Daedalus into it and they travel through the planet.  Daniel is hit by a ray in the enclosure and both are beamed on board.  Woolsey wants the device destroyed.

Sheppard suggests Larrin can drop by.  He's a lot "more charming when my freinds are about to die."  Larrin talsk about him now and then.  Jennifer is interested in Rodney.  Daniel claims it's hard to get a fruitcup and is going back to Earth.  He thanks him for respecting Daniel when he thought he was about to die.  Rodney regretted Daniel being here and all this wouldn't have happened if he wasn't here.

Had to have been the Asgard as I mentioned in my earlier review for part 1, since Daniel was around and he's had dealings with them before in the past.  As with all races there had to be more bad Asgard out there so that shouldn't have been so shocking to Daniel.  mind you, they did believe they were doing the right thing for self preservation and seeing as the rest of their kind were involved in the mass suicide.  Rodney said Daniel's line to Ford (Rainbow Sun Franks) in the episode Runner, "...referring to yourself in the third person does indicate clinic dissociation."  Daniel met Loki in Stargate: SG1 episode Fragile Balance.
As for Sheppard taking the Daedalus on a jump through the planet that was similar to Sam Carter (Amanda Tapping) in season 5 Fail Safe ep, where she does the same to an asteroid on collision course with Earth, sending it into a hyperspace window and through the Earth.

Merlin - 3.1: "The Tears of Uther Pendragon"

The first episode in series 3 and the search for Morgana, with new reveals along the way and the battle for Camelot coming to a head.

Arthur (Bradley James) and Merlin (Colin Morgan) chance upon a battlefield of dead soldiers in their search for the missing Morgana (Katie McGrath).  It has been over a year since she disappeared.   Uther (Anthony Head) is determined the search will continue, regardless of how many men are lost.

Arthur jokes about Merlin being on a horse all day and his bottom being sore.  To which Merlin replies, "I may be a wimp, but at least I'm not a dollophead."
Arthur: "There's no such word."
Merlin: "It's idiomatic."   We all know what he means by "idiot" there.

 Merlin tells Arthur he should be more in touch with his people.   They are attacked and Merlin uses magic causing one of the attacker's helmet to fly off.  It appears Merlin causes the sword to become magnetic, however, when watching, it doesn't seem that obvious this happens.   Arthur tells Merlin they're "not playing hide and seek."  Since as always, Merlin is never observed when using magic, that would be self-defeating.  Merlin calls Arthur a "dollophead" again.  As soon as the attack is over, they coincidentally find Morgana; I should say, she stumbles across them.  Though in a change to her normal demeanour, she looks dishevelled.  She's examined by Gaius (Richard Wilson) and appears to be fine, to Uther's relief.

Merlin questions Gaius as to whether Morgana's said anything about him -- she doesn't know Merlin has magical powers.   (Excuse me if I'm wrong, but in a previous episode, Morgana did find out Merlin's secret and he was always concerned she would reveal this to Uther.)  Here the writers have him say he's worried she'll tell about how he poisoned her at the end of last season.   Gaius reassures him he had no other choice and she had to be poisoned so that Camelot would be saved.   Morgana was the source of the enchantment.  Merlin is warned that Morgana will tell Uther of her poisoning, but why would she, when she hates Uther, the only reason for this would be if she wanted Merlin out of the way.  Then there'd be no show!  Merlin wonders what Uther will do if he finds out he has magic.

Arthur wants to see Merlin in Morgana's chamber, where she tells Arthur she escaped about a week ago.  She thought she would gain her freedom when she saw Camelot's army, but they were killed and she escaped whilst her captors were distracted.  Morgana finally has a chance to speak to Merlin and reveals she knows he poisoned her but adds she understands why he did it and she would have done the same if need be.   (By now, Merlin should realize she's not being honest with him and he's naive to believe she would understand his attempt to kill her.)  Telling him she didn't comprehend what he was doing, but now she's a "new woman" and can see the evil Uther has to fight and she regrets what she did in the past.   (Of course when she mentions evil, she refers to herself.)  Merlin's sorry for her ordeal.

Another scene in Arthur's chamber with him shirtless!  Merlin questions Arthur on how he could possibly know how doing Merlin's work feels, when he's never done a day's work.  In another comedy scene, Arthur uses the bucket and pours water over Merlin's head.

Morgana and Uther's first meeting since she got back is almost like a dream sequence.  Uther cries he never gave up on her and loved her like she's his own daughter.  (Clues already here as to what will soon be revealed.)  Morgana promises to show him the love and respect he deserves and has an evil smirk on her face.  Morgause refers to Uther as a "snivelling dog."   Morgana tells her Merlin believes she's a different person now, "Soon he will see exactly how much!"  Morgause (Emilia Fox) congratulates her, commenting that "the tears of Uther Pendragon have only just begun to fall."  She boils mandrake root and the screams from it are heard by both.  Only people who possess magic can hear these screams.   Morgause weaves her evil spell saying Uther's kingdom will mean nothing to him when he goes mad.   All I can say is that Merlin should have heeded the Dragon's words all those times he said the witch, Morgana, must die.

Uther recalls Morgana inherited her bravery from her father (yet another clue).  A feast is prepared in her honour.  Merlin and Arthur continue their friendly rivalry, as Merlin comments he's seen better sword-fighting than Arthur's.  He helped rescue Morgana and wasn't hiding behind a tree.  Merlin mimics Arthur in a girly voice, "I'm Merlin, don't hurt me."

Uther still persists in telling Morgana how much he missed her and that losing her was like "a blade to his heart."  Morgana wishes it really were.  Uther walks to the well, where he sees the ghost of his dead wife.  He takes a turn for the worse and has to be dragged away.  Morgana places the mandrake root under Uther's bed.  Gaius reassures Arthur they will just tell the people that Uther was unwell.   Cenred tells Morgause, he wants to please her.   No one catches Morgana sneaking out of the castle at night, until now, when she kills a guard who thinks she's been hurt, when the mandrake root leaves a trail on the ground.  Gwen (Angel Coulby) checks on Morgana, who abruptly dismisses her, as she's hiding the root under her cloak.

Morgause informs Cenred (Tom Ellis) of Uther being ill and Camelot being vulnerable.  Taunting him by calling him a coward.  But Cenred doesn't "think with his sword."  Cenred puts together an army of mercenaries, ready to invade Camelot.   Morgana laughs at Uther's dismay.   As Gaius sums up for newcomers to the show, that Uther drowned anyone he suspected of using or having magic, when he purged the kingdom.  Most of those killed were children, which is why he is now haunted by their ghosts.  (Merlin was saved.)  The sentry is found.

Gaius mentions the "Citral of Bloodguard," i.e a dagger, they were sworn to protect the old Priestesses.  Morgana finds the recovering sentry in Gaius' chamber and poisons him.  Merlin feels Uther's agony and finds droplets from the mandrake root on the floor, spotting the root under the bed, just as Morgana enters to remove it and replace it with a fresher one.  He later follows her to the woods.  (Why doesn't anyone do that more often -- as he will do later on.)  Cenred will march on Camelot and it will find itself without a leader, but it still has Arthur.  Once more, Morgana and Morgause are aware of Merlin's presence.  Morgana asks where his magic is now, as he can't escape them.  See, she does know he has magic.

Gaius informs Arthur he must take over Camelot, but Arthur calls this treason.  He swore "allegiance to my King and as long as there is breath in my body -- it is my duty to uphold that."  Morgause wonders why Merlin, a servant would risk his life for Camelot.  Merlin believes in fairness, but since he poisoned one of her own, he can die with his secret.  (It took Morgana a year to hone her evil grins!) as shown when Gaius tells her that Merlin is missing.  Morgana comforts Arthur at Uther's side.

Merlin can't escape his chains and rid the giant scorpions with his magic either.  He calls to the Dragon, Cenred rides on Camelot.   Morgause watches in her crystals.  The Dragon saves the day, or rather, night and carries Merlin away after saving him.

Smallville - 10.9: "Patriot" Review

Oliver signs up to the Vigilante Registration Act (VRA)and gets more than he bargained for. Aqua Man, aka Ac returns bent on putting a spanner in the works of the VRA. Clark reveals the Darkness to the others.

"Liberty, equality, freedom" is what have been threatened by the vigilantes, postures General Slade Wilson (Michael Hogan) .   The trust of the American people "lies in a new breed of hero  and the league is growing."  The President has appointed him to oversee the VRA.  (Vigilante Registration Act)

4 miles off Coast of Florida: Aqua-man aka AC (Alan Ritchson) and a woman blow up an oil rig and then kiss as it explodes.   Meanwhile back in Metropolis Dr Emil (Alessandro Juliani) removes the tag from Clark (Tom Welling).   Oliver (Justin Hartley) found it hard to get to watchtower un-tracked and unnoticed.   Clark says they're taking all the heat and they need to prove they're the good guys.   Oliver thinks the VRA has got everyone scared.   Cos of Godfrey  they're no longer trusted like they were, "sometimes words are the greatest weapons." Clark believes in a system of laws and Oliver suggests Clark should sign up, which Clark takes seriously.   Oliver agrees to do it instead as he's already compromised himseIf as Green Arrow.

Oliver dons dark shades and cap to talk with Lois (Erica Durance).   He's also got a body double now, begging the question why his double hasn't been accosted or kidnapped.   She's covering the conference and he needs to find out what the VRA entails.  Clark was volunteering but Oliver "took him off the ledge." Ahh but Clark looked great standing on his ledge, (sorry, that was a ledge of another kind I know.)  Lois is peeved Clark hasn't confided in her.   Oliver tells her the world needs her.

Aquarium of the Atlantic, Miami: AC was easy to find and the time for talking has past for him.   No one was hurt in their raid and he throws Clark into the pool.   The woman is his wife.

Fort Ryan, Kansas: Lois interviews Slade regarding the VRA and brings him Cuban cigars and bourbon.   He knows who she is that's why he agreed to meet her and gave her clearance, but she also advocates in favour of the vigilantes.   They have to do their part, which is why Lois says the vigilantes do what they do.   Lois snaps a photo of the blueprint on his desk and he hears the click from the phone.   She shows him a lighter.

AC tells Clark  the government can't be prevented from targeting them, but they can fight back.   His wife is Mera (Elena Satine) and she asks Clark who his hero is.   Th oil rig was a prison for vigilantes below the earth.

Tess (Cassidy Freeman) doesn't want Lois to write about the VRA as it's a conflict of interest and she thinks Lois' concern "seems personal."  Oliver is registering.   Tess asks if Clark is working with her and Lois makes up an excuse about him being on jury duty, which Tess knows isn't true.   Lois calls the VRA more of a "water board" than being above board.   Slade has rumours of war crimes surrounding him.   Lois finds out he's building prisons all by herself.   She attempts to stop Oliver signing but he's taken away after he does.

Lois threatens Dr Emil to reveal Clark's location.   He gave in easily.   Clark accompanies AC on the next rig run.   Mera helped AC understand his "true origins."  A not so subtle allusion to Clark and Lois.   He's far more with Mera than he is alone.   A reference to Clark keeping Lois out of this.

Oliver is put through a series of rigorous physical tests and Slade wants his help to being in other vigilantes.   Oliver agrees to be his poster boy and Slade should give them a "chance to be heroes we all need."  Slade reveals AC tied up  Mera strips in front of Lois.  Lois: "Brazen much."  AC is embracing his destiny and leading his people.   Part of another reference to Clark/the Blur.   She knows Lois wants extraordinary and superior companions.   Lois now calls her "squid lips."  What's with Lois and her lippy comments.   She made one to Lucy as well.    Lois is in the dark, protected but not included.   She's also surprised when she sees Tess and that she knows about Clark already.   Tess says the alloy can change properties and can be used as a weapon.   Lois has the blueprint to help locate Oliver.   There's one operational facility in Alaska, so there's Lois' snowboarding comment coming into play from earlier, ha.

Oliver is being tortured as Lois said.   Slade tells him he has flaws, a hero with no powers.  Oliver is dunked.   The alarm sounds and Mera breaks Oliver's glass cage, hydrating AC in the process, before she's caught in bars.   Slade arms the self destruct.   Hey it's just another chance for them to be shirtless!  Clark reveals himself to Slade who calls him a "man of steel." Green Kryptonite bars surround Clark, they'll contain his kind in their place.   Clark sees the Omega symbol inside Slade's head and the place explodes.

AC is glad Clark didn't find his "Davy Jones" down there.   Clark prefers land to water.   Clark wishes he could believe in what his parents raised him to believe.   AC admires Clark's optimism.   They stopped trusting each other and have to stick together.   AC trusts Clark to do things his way.   Clark kept Lois on the outside and AC believes Lois can handle what Clark does and who he is, but can Clark do the same to Lois.   Lois moves into the farmhouse.   Mera says Clark needs Lois, even if she isn't like them.   She treats Clark as an equal and he should do the same.

Clark has to deliver justice not bombs as a patriot to this country.   It's no longer Clark alone, but the two of them.  He relies on her and she's the only one he's told about the darkness he tried to fight, but failed.   Lois is everything Clark isn't.   When Clark went off to save the world, she realized what her mother went through everytime her father left. "She was stoic." They're "in it together, no matter what."

Tess welcomes Lois to the team, finally.   Clark tells them how he allowed something else through the portal he used to send the Kandorians away.   They "can't see it to fight it.  It feeds on fears, doubts and mistrust."  It affected Slade.   Omega is the sign of corruption.    The darkness will affect everyone.   Slade is shown to be still alive.

When looked at critically, or should I say seriously, Patriot was a rather confused, hurried episode.   Lots happened but plenty didn't or was explained away too readily.   This bears no reflection on Tom Welling's directing of the episode, just the way it was written.   Clark keeping Lois out of the loop when he so openly confided everything, including his darkside, didn't make sense.   Why not tell her about his intentions to sign up for the VRA, and everything else that was happening.   This incidentally, led to Oliver signing up instead and subsequently being captured and tortured for his troubles to keep Clark's real identity out of the light.    Similar to Lois going through all that pain of trying to keep Oliver's identity as Green Arrow from hitting the news, courtesy of Godfrey, but Oliver went ahead and admitted it himself in episode 10.3 Supergirl.

Clark still wants to protect Lois, so what did he say to her some episodes ago: that they compliment each other?  Another secret he kept from Lois was Watchtower and Tess already being clued up on who he really is.

Seems this episode, primarily about trust, but Clark wasn't showing much towards Lois.   And lots of exposition on trust too and patriotism.  Perhaps a bit overboard (no pun) on the ol' red, white and blue, I mean, the Blur hasn't even stepped into his colours yet, or become Superman.

Then Godfrey and the Darkness he's let in is mentioned.   (Though Darkseid hasn't been said by name by any of the team.)  Also lots of references and similarities to AC and Mera's situation being similar to Clark and Lois.   The need to let go and remain open completely.   Surprised Lois wasn't angry at Clark for Tess knowing his secret already.   She just seemed to accept it and that's not really like her, especially the way she didn't like Clark keeping things from her.   Kansas is landlocked so where's the current and water AC and Mera need to swim away in, or do they have some kind of special transport, but  who will drive that.

CSI - 12.5: "CSI Down" Review

The CSIs are on the search for one of their own this time around as a helicopter carrying Morgan is taken over by the patient; a suspect in two murders.

 Morgan (Elisabeth Harnois), Greg (Eric Szmanda and DB (Ted Danson), arrive at a crime scene where a dead body has been discovered.   He turns out to be alive and DB gets them to process as much of the scene and suspect as possible, before he's flown out.  DB wants Greg to accompany the flight but Morgan volunteers.  For obvious reasons, so Greg can feel guilty later and act out for being the one who should have been there.  Beforehand Morgan rants about LA and its virtues over Vegas, so why make the move here, other than to reconcile with her father, Ecklie (Marc Vann).

The suspect has marks on his wrists showing he was bound and tazer marks on his neck.   Nick (George Eads) calls for help with the CS he's at, a double homicide and Catherine (Marg Helgenberger) and Sara (Jorga Fox) are in court.   they must really be short staffed.   Another reason why Morgan volunteered cos she could spend some time with Nick, albeit on the job.

Nick finds plasma cutters were used to gain entry to the house, belonging to the gang Mad 10.  Two members were tazered and strangled with wire.   Nick finds the plasma box outside and Brass (Paul Guilfoyle) makes a phonecall.   The cutters were stolen by Frank Cafferty (Johnny Messner).  

From the helicopter Morgan points out the direction of the primary CS to Greg with plenty of blood around and he owes her.   As well as blood, bullets are found, DB photographs tyre treads and Greg also finds two bullets without blood on them and a bloody fingerprint which matches Frank.  Nick's name is on file too and DB calls Nick, his murder suspect turns out to be their Vic.   Frank was released after serving time for manslaughter.   On the helicopter, Frank mumbles Samantha's name and after a fake convulsion, he grabs Morgan's gun, ordering the pilot to fly South to Mexico.

Doc Robbins (Robert David Hall) finds the two DBs were tazered.   Hey what was up with Catherine's make up this episode, she was looking rather pasty on her face and her neck was a different colour, no blending in there.   Sara goes through Frank's belongings and finds a photo of his daughter Samantha (Vanessa Marano) with a man, as well as a letter to Frank.   Catherine IDs the man as one of the Vic's.   The URL on a scrap of paper displays a porn video with a drugged Samantha.   Confirming the reason Frank went after the gang, in order to save her.  Other photos Frank took show Mad 10 members and one drives a Porsche Cayenne, which Hodges (Wallace Langham) matches to the tyre tread DB found.   A partial plate from the photo is traced to Alexander Zadian.

Henry (Jon Wellner) discovers one blood pool at the primary CS was a match to Frank and the other matched a Tiffany (Heather Sossaman).   She's traced to a hospital and she admits she was made to impersonate Samantha; was beaten and then the gang pretended to shoot her in front of Frank.   Nick offers her protection but she sees a tattooed man come into her room and wants Nick to leave.   Did Nick think that was a gang member.

DB tells Ecklie the news about Morgan and she'll be fine.   Ecklie shows genuine concern and emotion for her well-being.   DB is cool under pressure, but that's cos she's not his daughter, just one of his team.   Wonder how DB would react if it was his family.   Ecklie calls DB a better supervisor  than a father he turned out t to be.   DB thinks if they can contact Frank about Samantha, he'll surrender.   Ecklie wonders how they'll locate Samantha, he's meant to be Under Sheriff, sure he could think of some way.   When lo and behold in walks Samantha, after seeing the story on the news.   Yet neither one of them recognized her.

A radio message is broadcast about Samantha being alive and Frank finally hears this.  She tells him to meet at the 'wishing well' where she'll send someone to help him.   They assume this is an escape plan and pull the pug on the radio.   The helicopter changes direction and is almost out of fuel.

Morgan takes an opportunity to bond with Frank, talking about her own parents and how her mother took her to California when she was fourteen and her father didn't fight for her to stay.  DB then believes it may be to kill her father as Samantha admits she's a true member of the gang and they're her family.   Prompting Greg to lose his cool and throw about some chairs.   DB and Catherine look over the rest of the photos and find the wishing well is at an old theme park.   Sara and Nick look at surveillance footage from the carpark and see Samantha being dropped off outside by the same Cayenne.   Reaffirming she wants her father dead.   Well she got her cold wish granted.

From the helicopter Frank spots cars with armed men and running out of fuel they crash land.  Frank and Morgan hide and Brass et al arrive in the nick of time, a bit too quickly.   Morgan gets off two shots at one of the gang and Frank dies.   Ecklie hugs her; she's fine and moves away from him; telling Greg he still owes her.   When she's with DB she cries, hey where were the tears?

Eckile is emotional over Morgan as any father would be and hopefully he sees this as a chance to start over.   Morgan appears indifferent, even when he hugs her, she's shocked but wants to leave with DB.   Bridges can't be mended so soon, but she just appeared to not want to bother right now.   Their problems won't be solved in one moment but she chose to act tough in front of her father even after her ordeal.

After this ordeal, Morgan is the only one who survives which was a little had to swallow, just cos she's a cast regular.   Greg was out of character this episode, as we've never seen him lose his cool over a case before.   Not even affected in this way in last season's 11.14 A Kiss Before Frying when he was burned by the femme fatale, Ellen.   His passionate outburst stems more than just from concern over a missing colleague.   Yet he had the chance to keep this to himself as Ecklie was there to restrain and he won't be telling Morgan anytime soon.

Johnny Messner was in the second ep of season 1 CSI Cool Change, as Ted who was thrown over the roof after he won a jackpot at the casino.   They suspected he had killed himself.  This episode eleven years later gave him more screen time.

Hijacking of a MediVac was also done in CSI:NY episode 2.18 Live and Let Die when a liver intended for transplant purposes was stolen.   CSI changed this to have one of their own in peril instead.   Heather Sossaman was also recently seen in CSI:NY season 8.11 Who's There.

Doctor Who - 5.10: "Vincent and the Doctor" Review

Amy and The Doctor travel to Vincent Van Gogh's era after they see a disturbing creature in one of his paintings at the museum. Amy doesn't remember Rory.

The Doctor (Matt Smith) takes Amy (Karen Gillan) to a museum to see Vincent Van Gogh's exhibition of paintings.   Amy comments the Doctor's being nice to her, well that's cos of Rory.  (Arthur Darvill)  Children point out the painting of a doctor who helped Vincent, but not our Doctor.  The Doctor notices something in the church window of one of Vincent's paintings, The Church at Auvers.   It's a face, he knows evil and he sees it in the window.  He pulls out his ID and claims a Ministry of Art inspection, questioning the museum guide, Black (Bill Nighy) about the painting; painted between 1-3 June 1890.   The Doctor comments on Black's nice bow tie.   Doctor: "Bow ties are cool." Yet again, well of course they are, but they don't look good on just everyone.

They need to find Vincent Van Gogh so he can can take them to the church.   He should be at a local cafe.   Amy has a book with his paintings.   A waitress (Sarah Counsell) tells the Doctor Vincent is mad and he never pays his bills.   The Doctor points out he's a good painter and they laugh.  The Doctor offers to pay for the drink or buy the painting.   Vincent (Tony Curran) says he buys his own drinks and no one buys his paintings and Amy is cute.  Amy buys the wine and they can share.   The Doctor introduces himself as the Doctor, but he's not that sort of a doctor.  Amy's hair is orange and she replies so is Vincent's.  The Doctor asks if he painted churches.   A woman shouts about her daughter, Giselle being murdered, throwing stones at Vincent, blaming him.

The Doctor calls Vincent kind for allowing them to stay with him.   The Doctor points out the starry night, (which was one of his paintings.) The Doctor must remain with him until he paints the church.   All of his paintings are there and Vincent refers to them as "clutter." The Doctor says he needs to be careful with his paintings as they're "precious" he's just "casually interested" in the church.   Vincent talks of there being more wonders in the universe if you look really hard.  Doctor: "You don't have to tell me." Amy has ventured outside all the time they were talking and is hit from behind.   Vincent can see the creature and the Doctor gets thrown to the ground, twice.   Can Vincent see the creature cos of his madness, or he just generally can, which is why he painted it.

Vincent paints over one of his works so he can show them what the creature looks like.   Amy doesn't want the Doctor leaving cos he could get torn to shreds by an invisible monster.   He takes the painting to the TARDIS and gallery photos of two of the earlier Doctors can be seen.  Doctor: "Impressionists not accurate enough...not happen with Gainsborough or proper painters, sorry Vincent."  I.e that he'd get a better painting so the monster could be more easily identified.  The mirror gadget allows him to see the monster and none of the villagers heard all that noise.  Vincent snores and Amy puts sunflowers everywhere - he could paint them.   Vincent doesn't like sunflowers and they're a challenge.   The Doctor identifies the monster as a Krafayis; scavenging in packs and then are abandoned and just kill.

The Doctor tells Vincent if he paints the church the Krafayis will come.   This is Vincent's greatest year of painting and if they're not careful  his paintings will disappear, at least half of the ones in the Museum D'Orsay, all cos of them.   He's the greatest artist who ever lived.   The Doctor says there's always hope in his experience.   Vincent: "It will not end well."  The Doctor witnesses Vincent's last decline into madness, he'll kill himself within months.   Amy doesn't want him to say that.   They'll have to go to the church alone.   (She would have been going to a church with Rory when they got married.)  Amy is sorry Vincent is unhappy, but he's not.   Vincent can hear Amy's sadness, "you lost someone." And asks why she's crying, Amy doesn't understand cos she doesn't recall Rory.

The Doctor doesn't have a plan, "it's a thing, it's like a plan but with more greatness."  The Doctor tells Vincent he's not sure he's mad, since depression is complex.   He saw Michelangelo paint the Sistine Chapel and Picasso too in his Cubist phase, both were miserable, the Doctor doesn't seem to be able to stop talking.   Doctor: "...Time passes really slowly."  The Doctor realizes something isn't right and sees the Krafayis in the window. "Overconfidence, this and a Sonic" is what the Doctor has, 'this' being the gadget box of his.  No one follows the Doctor inside, but Amy always follows him.  Vincent confesses his love to Amy.   The Doctor can't see the Krafayis as it's moved.

They hide in the confession box and Amy can't breathe any quieter.   The Krafayis begins to tear down the box and he's got impressive hearing, the Doctor observes.  Vincent calls to the Krafayis and the Doctor gets thrown again.   Doctor: "Here's the plan, Amy, Rory." Amy: "Who?"  The Doctor's force of habit calling out to Rory.   The Doctor attempts to talk to the Krafayis and knows he can understand him.   He doesn't belong on this planet and he's alone. "Trust me." They can reach an agreement.   The Krafayis is trapped and moves around the edges of the room.   Doctor: "I am really stupid."  Amy replies this isn't the time to question his self-esteem.   The Krafayis is blind which explains his perfect hearing.  

Vincent stabs the creature with his easel, saying he didn't mean to kill it.   Vincent was scared of the Krafayis like the villagers are frightened of him.   Doctor; "sometimes winning is no fun at all."  No and what happened to the Doctor's no one dying today line and there being no violence.   Vincent, Amy and the Doctor lie beneath the night sky, holding hands to see what Vincent sees.  He's alive (ironic) to see the world, the starry night sky again and as he describes it, it forms his painting.   Doctor: "...nothing quite as wonderful as the things you see."   Vincent gives them his self-portrait.   He won't do so well on his own.   The Doctor is thinking he'd like to take Vincent to the museum.   The TARDIS is plastered over with ads.   He shows Vincent inside the TARDIS.

Paris 2010 AD.   Black at the museum recalls the Doctor complimented him on his bow tie and the Doctor asks where Vincent Van Gogh rates in the history of art.  "Popular and great, the most beloved...used pain and passion to paint...world's greatest artist and greatest artist who ever lived." Vincent cries tears of joy.   He's the first Doctor who ever made a difference in his life.   Amy says she's not the marrying kind thus clearly showing she's forgotten she was engaged to Rory.    She says "time can be re-written" but after they drop Vincent back home, the Doctor tells her there won't be any new paintings in the museum.   The Doctor did make a difference and he calls life being about "a pile of good and bad things."  The Krafayis is no longer in the window of the church and Amy heads for the sunflowers where she notices the flowerpot has her name written on it, "For Amy."

Amy recalls if they got married their children would have the reddest of hair, Doctor: "the ultimate ginger."  Of course everyone knows Van Gogh killed himself and this episode is poignant in that they know it will happen anyway, even if Amy says time can be re-written, for our purposes, it can't.   This episode reflects scenes of Vincent's struggle with his depression - what people around him thought of him, whilst interjecting with humour.

The song playing at the museum is Chances by Athlete.  The first (William Hartnell) and second (Patrick Troughton) Doctors are visible in the Doctor's mirror gadget.  The Doctor wanted to be ginger once himself and said this in the episodes The Christmas Invasion and The End of Time, when he generated into the tenth and then the eleventh Doctor.   This episode was again filmed in Trogir, Croatia, at the same time as the Vampires of Venice.