The Vampire Diaries - 3.17: "Break on Through" Review

Elena tries to help Alaric and seeks Bonnie's help, who has her hands full with Abby and her transition. Sage returns to town looking for Finn and double crosses Damon in the process, as she reads his mind.

Meredith (Torrey DeVitto) tests Alaric (Matt Davis) to see if she can find something to explain his behaviour and if she can medically treat him.  Elena (Nina Dobrev) asks when she suspected him.  It was after she saw his ring and her grandmother had told her about Samantha Gilbert. Meredith doesn't like seeing someone get hurt by something they have no control over.  She wants to help Alaric, who sees his alter ego appearing like Jekyll and Hyde.  Everything's normal with him physically and he still denies the killings. He thinks he's gone insane like Samantha.

Elena calls Bonnie (Kat Graham) to see if she has a spell which can reverse the damage, since the ring was made by the Bennett witches.  Alaric doesn't want to wear the ring anymore.

Damon (Ian Somerhalder) asks about Alaric ditching the "house of horrors" and whether he should bring chicken soup.  Elena talks about Stefan's (Paul Wesley) vampire pub crawl.  Damon confesses he made Stefan drink, "We're predators, not puppies."  Stefan needs to learn control. Elena claims he was fine when he was drinking Elena's blood everyday and Damon didn't have any right to teach Stefan self-control.  Yes he does, they're brothers.

Caroline (Candice Accola) brings blood and the hospital was having a blood drive.  B+ being her fave.  Bonnie made Abby (Persia White) a daylight ring.  She's still adjusting to becoming a vampire.  Abby is upset and angry she doesn't feel anything when she touches the plants.  Bonnie explains a witch's connection is to the earth and they can feel nature.  Abby's lost her connection.

Damon knows Rebekah (Claire Holt) is up to something and comments the world can't stop because, "You're an accidental serial killer."  Carol (Susan Walters) complains about Alaric not bringing the restored sign for the bridge.  Sage (Cassidy Freeman) is in town.  Damon was her fave student and she's his fave teacher.  Oh enough with the false flattery, you can tell Sage is up to something.  She's here to see Finn who went in search of her.  Sage hates the "elitest original bitch," referring to Rebekah.

Elena drops by the house in search of Samantha's book and bumps into Stefan.  That was awkward.  She doesn't have to read the book as he can tell her what happened.  Samantha bled to death on the cell floor trying to give herself a labotomy.  Thus Elena can't help Alaric.

Finn was Sage's true love and he turned her.  Damon comments on his "hate sex" with Rebekah and Sage claims she can help him by getting inside her head to find out what she's thinking. She's still a girl and can exploit her weakness.  Damon thinks Sage is sexy when she's bitchy.  Damon attempts to seduce Rebekah.

Jamie (Robert Ri'chard) refuses to see Abby since he's afraid of her.  Caroline tells him she connects to people she loves and she won't let herself die for them.  Alaric looks through his restraining orders and was stupid when he was younger.  He needed to find a way to deal with his darkside and became a vampire hunter.  He slayed Logan Fell, Meredith's cousin.  He even tried to stake Damon once, who ended up killing Alaric.  Stefan comments on Damon and his blonde binge and wants to be left out of it next time.  Damon: "Own it, live it, love it." In reference to the vampires that they are.  He mentions the "Sage/Rebekah sex sandwich."

Jamie wants to be there for Abby who has an uncontrollable urge to bite him and does just that. Rebekah has a fear of being left alone like her brother, Klaus and she comes to the party.  Damon tells Sage Finn's gone and he tells Rebekah he wants her, not Sage.  Damon dancing with Sage was hilarious, for some reason.

Abby decides to leave and will end up hurting Bonnie if she does.  Alaric gives important info to Elena and Jeremy (Steven R McQueen), such as his bank details, will etc.  She's confident Bonnie can reverse the effects of the ring with a spell.  She needs a personal effect before he wore the ring.  Alaric thinks of his wedding ring.  Sage shows Damon what Rebekah is planning, she's searching for the oak tree.  It took them getting naked in the shower for this.  Damon looks through the family business records, as we get more shirtleess action from him!  Stefan found out more on Samantha, that Alaric can still be violent without the ring.  So after this discovery, no one thought to call Meredith and warn her.

In 1912, the Salvatore's chopped down the forest and used all the wood for the bridge.  This is a weapon and Sage thinks Damon can use it on Finn, so it's a problem for her.  Damon burns the records. He promises to leave Finn alone if Sage helps him kill Rebekah.

Stefan tries to make Elena realize it's not her responsibilty to save everyone.  He finds photos of Alaric's Vics.  Sage is gone.  Alaric has a file on Jeremy with a note wanting him to take over from him as far as the killings go. He asks Meredith if she feels remorse?  The council is ignoring their responsibilities and attacks her.  Rebekah burns all the wood from the bridge, but then you get all that ash from it. What did she do with the ash which can still be used for something?  Damon's plans go awry as usual.  Sage knows about the originals being linked and she got inside his head too.  Damon will end her and he'll start with Finn when he finds him. Yeah he forgot the sign as did everyone else since there had to be a reason why Carol mentioned it.

Elena reaches home and lies about not finding Alaric's ring.  Stefan helps with Meredith and feeds her his blood - it's only fair as she does that to other people.

Damon looks after Alaric and makes sure Bonnie's spell doesn't turn him into a toad.  The darkness got hold of Alaric's psyche everytime he died.  Bonnie has herbs for Alaric to take everyday.  He let the darkside take him over.  Elena and Bonnie hug and Abby leaves.  Caroline tries to talk her out of it as she can help her be a vampire but not how to be a parent.  She has an eternity to make up for leaving Bonnie, but she chooses to go again.  Caroline: "No one is better off without their parents."

Elena rings Jeremy as she misses him.  The song played here was appropriate, Rosi Golan's Can't Go Back.  Damon, forever the philanthropist, as he calls himself, locates the sign which is made from white oak.  Stefan realizes they have a weapon.  Damon: "Game's back on brother, let's go kill some originals."

Yes let's and by that I mean it won't be Klaus or Rebekah who willl get killed.  Maybe one of the 'extra' originals, like Finn or Kol.  Since Klaus and even Rebekah (dare I say it) have picked up quite a fan following.  Many have also clamoured for Damon/Rebekah 'sharing the love' to continue - cos it's that whole love/hate deal going down!  People think they have good chemistry together, but I said Damon would have good chemistry with anyone!  Okay moving on.

Finally Alaric gets a story he can sink his teeth into, not being a vampire though the imagery still somehow seems relevant.  Maybe should have used the phrase, 'dig his daggers into' instead of teeth.  It was interesting seeing him with his alter ego making an impromptu appearance when he was being tested in the opening.  He transforms into Mr Hyde right before our eyes, like being on one of those (not so) scary movies.  As for Bonnie's herbs will they prove to be a help or a hindrance and has her spell really done anything for him?  Especially since she wasn't shown actually casting the spell.

Bonnie faces her own problems with Abby and her transition, who chooses to run for a second time.  The first time was to protect Bonnie and now she's also got Jamie to think of.  But if Abby really leaves she'll just leave a trail of Vics wherever she goes.  Caroline won't be around to help her.

Alaric recalls trying to stake Damon and it's fun to see their scenes together, as it's Damon who comes to get him out of hospital and then it's Damon who's roped into watching him under house arrest.  Have to say not liking Sage one little bit and her betrayal of Damon just to protect Finn who was all ready to help his mother with the ritual to kill his siblings.  Can't believe Damon didn't see her reading him coming as he just blatantly trusted her.

Vampires can read people, but why can't Damon do that too? Let alone remember she would do that to him. So much for him keeping the fact 'to kill one original is to kill them all' to himself.  So Damon should have been able to read Rebekah, no?  Elena in the past has mentioned Damon isn't able to get into peoples' heads but in the Rose episode, Damon got  into her head.  Damon has also gotten into Elena's mind in the past.  

Stefan smelling Meredith's blood but only after he knocked out Alaric.  Then almost changing into his vampire face in front of Elena who must now realize how difficult it is for Stefan to exercise control.  Elena finds that newspaper in Alaric's drawer about Brian being murdered, in the sub-heading the word 'found' is spelt incorrectly as 'fouund.'

Merlin - 3.11: "The Sorcerer's Shadow" Review

Another tournament in Camelot, this time open to all and sundry; leads to a meeting between Merlin and a fellow kindred spirit. Morgana encourages Uther to take part and he faces off with Arthur.

A boy by the name of Gilli, (Harry Melling) uses magic to fend off his attackers on a lowly road to Camelot.   Hiding a ring in his belongings, but how could they have not found it, it wasn't very cleverly concealed.  He's taking part in the tournament.

Merlin (Colin Morgan) wonders the sort of riff raff that will turn up, just for the money.   Arthur (Bradley James) tells him it's an open tournament and it's a tradition that takes place every 10 years.   Arthur: "The only rule is, there are no rules."  As soon as he said this, I thought Fight Club (1999).   So I ask you, "what is the first rule of fight club - there are no rules." Merlin's own version of the movie, circa medieval times.

Camelot is over-run with participants, as Merlin pointed out, so won't Uther (Anthony Head) fear there being sorcerers around.   Merlin is menaced by the same thugs who attacked Gilli, also here for the tournament, well they wouldn't turn down the winnings and Gilli saves Merlin from a whipping.

Uther brags he's won the tournament 3 times.   Morgana (Katie McGrath)  urges him to compete by playing on his sense of pride.  Merlin can only speak of the number of people killed in the tournament as if Arthur really wants to hear that. Gwen (Angel Coulby) is strangely absent from this episode, and in the past she would have had to sit with Morgana in the stand.   Strange she wasn't there to cheer on Arthur, from a distance of course.  Having said that, notice the purple favour on Arthur's arm, it was suggested he was given this by Gwen, as she may have been the subject of a scene being dropped.  This is not questioned by Uther, probably thinking he was given this by Morgana.

After the first round, Gilli is wounded and uses his magic ring to heal himself, within the castle; leaving behind a burning odour.  Dropping his ring when chased by guards.   Uther suspects sorcery at work  (now that's what I said already).   Gaius (Richard Wilson) finds the ring on the floor and picks it up before Uther can see it and convinces him the smell is from the brewery.  Gilli was very amateurish in his use of magic and talk about using it in the most obvious places.   During the fight, his eyes would light up when he used magic on his competitors and yet nobody noticed; not even Uther in his fight scene.

Merlin attempts encourage Gilli to refrain from using magic and Gilli refuses to show him his wound.   He denies he's using magic; giving Merlin the chance for his spiel on the old religion and he has nothing to be afraid of.   Gilli believes his father was scared of Uther and of using magic and he wasn't proud of who he is for this reason.   Merlin reminds him of someone, himself no doubt, but he doesn't tell him who.   Gilli: "Without magic, I'm a nobody."  Merlin calls him "special" and  warns Gilli he'll be executed if he continues using his magic.   (Prompting the question if those who were sorcerer's were put to death for using their magic, how come they never used their magic to evade death?)

One by one the opponents are whittled down.   Leaving Arthur to face Uther in the next round.  Arthur raises his doubts about fighting him: he could either kill him or humiliate him.   Arthur: "Do you have any idea what it's like to live with a man who constantly thinks he's the best?"

Merlin: "....must be irritating."  Conversation alluding to Arthur and Merlin here obviously.   Arthur lets Uther win.

Gilli continues to fight in the tournament because people respect him now, he's the underdog who can take on the king.   Merlin knows what it's like to be him and shows him some magic of his own.  "It's lonely to be more  powerful than any man you know and have to live like a shadow...to be special and have to pretend you're a fool.   I know how it feels." Summing up Merlin's raison d'etre.   Magic is for good, not "for vanity."    Merlin did sound a little arrogant here, as if he's better than everyone else because he has powers; for someone who was meant to be convincing Gilli to be proud of his ability, but not to use it.   Merlin is protecting Gilli and hasn't forgotten who he really is.   Merlin shows who he is everyday, but he uses his magic only when absolutely necessary and only to save others.

Merlin calls upon the Dragon (John Hurt) who says, "I was beginning to hope you had forgotten me."  Ahh, not so easily, poor Dragon.  Merlin ignored his advice last time- and comments a Dragon Lord shouldn't abuse his power.   He should hope that Arthur "brings about a new age...where the likes of you and I are respected once again...if he sees his father killed through the use of magic, it will harden his mind forever...all great struggles demand sacrifice."

Merlin: "...some choices...stay with you forever."  It's difficult ro see why Merlin didn't know this for himself as he knows how much Arthur does care for his father, so if anything did happen to him he knows he wouldn't stop at hunting down those who would harm him.   In the same way if Uther was harmed by magic, Arthur too would begin to see all magic as evil.   Merlin can only converse with the Dragon since being of magic he is the only one who can advise him.   Merlin's line of choices staying with him forever means merlin having to be the one to protect Arthur and ensure he brings about a better age for all, not just those with magic.

Merlin shakes his head towards Gilli in the tournament, in the hope he won't use magic and kill Uther.   Morgana's absent from this scene, would've had her there in a flash to gloat at what Uther was going through!  It was her suggestion he fight after all. Merlin uses magic to obstruct Gilli in the fight.   That was a bit of a cheat, in the same way Gilli was going to use magic to win, Merlin used magic to make Uther win.

Merlin tells Gilli he was going to kill Uther regardless and "there's no honour in that."  Gilli comes to see his father wasn't really afraid of magic, but he was frightened of how magic could corrupt.   One day Merlin assures him, they'll be free to use magic in the open.   They are kin and will meet again.

Uther is aware of Arthur throwing the fight, as if he wouldn't know and hopes Arthur's sons will give him the same honour when he's king; causing Morgana's blood to boil.   Arthur's actions have "shown that he is now truly ready to be king."  Prophetic words from Uther.   A little confusing as to why Morgana would encourage Uther to fight, considering there are other ways to have him killed, was she so sure he would be killed as he has been champion 3 times in the past, granted he was younger then, but he hasn't lost his fighting prowess, even if Arthur did let him win.   The heir apparent is still alive in Arthur, or did she think Arthur would also succumb to a stronger opponent.   But wait, Morgana, Uther hasn't told anyone she's his daughter yet, so how would she succeed to the throne?

Don't much like these tournament episodes, they're usually more action than intellect; nevertheless, a chance for Merlin encountering a kindred spirit in Gilli.   Again showing how positions could have been reversed and how Merlin could have found himself in Gilli's place, if he hadn't been taken in by Gaius.   Some character development for Merlin, which was good to see, at least he's not stagnant and he is being moved forward and moulded into the merlin he will become one day.

Admittedly this episode felt out of place here, like it was just thrown in before the two part season finale.   Since it's clear Morgana has no clue as to how to go about killing Uther and maybe it would have better served its purpose earlier on in the season.

Desperate Housewives 8.22 "Give Me The Blame" Review

Mary Alice: "Karen McClusky had never been sure what her neighbours thought of her...did they see her as merely a baby sitter - or just the mean old lady who lived down the street...but for the first time in her life, she found herself thinking about such things.  Because she knew that her life...was coming to an end."  The women agree to care for Karen (Kathryn Joosten) at home so she doesn't have to leave for the hospice and can die at home like she wants.  Wow Gaby (Eva Longoria) carried  a lot of things back to the house - don't over do it Gaby!

Mary Alice (Brenda Strong) "The town of Fairview have been rocked by scandal.  A housewife had been accused of murder, and her trial was growing more sensational each day.  It truly was all anyone was talking about."  WEll after 8 years of murders, deaths, divorces, betrayals and marriages etc, seems Fairview is still besotted with its scandals.  (Hence the name of the other ABC show, Scandal.)

Gaby tries to hide the newspaper from Carlos (Richardo Antonio Chavira) as it has the bombshell headlines about the trial, but he sees it anyway.  Susan (Teri Hatcher) hasn't told anyone of her decision to move and wants Lee (Kevin Rahm) to remove the sale sign - paying him a compliment about his ass.

Trip (Scott Bakula) believes Ben's (Charles Mesure) testimony could be damning but Bree (Marcia Cross) tells him he doesn't need to worry.  Stone (Christina Chang) plays the tape (from Any Moment) about how Bree put  a body in the ground.  Ben refuses to testify and is held in contempt.  Tom (Doug Savant) tells Lynette (Felicity Huffman) he's filed for divorce and she thinks he was coming round to get back with her.  Renee (Vanessa Williams) meets Ben in jail and recalls the night of the progressive dinner party, though how she could have recalled must be amazing even for her seeing as she was drunk.  She saw Bree coming out of her car and tells Ben this in jail.

Stone hears everything she said to Ben as there's "no expectation of privacy in jail."  She got that line from CSI:Miami no doubt.  Stone threatens to send Ben back to Australia, yeah cos it's a deprived country isn't it and Renee falls for her threat.  The next day, Ben still refuses to testify and tells the judge to "save time and send me back to jail."  Renee testifies as to what she saw to the women's surprise and disgust.  Even though Renee was drunk, Stone was was so desperate for a conviction that she didn't want to check the facts.  She recalls Bree in her car and carrying a shovel.

Lynette is angry as friends don't turn on each other.  Renee was forced to testify to protect Ben.  Picking the man she loves over them. "judging by how I was treated..made the right choice."  She was kept in the dark for a year and that's something Susan can relate to when she complained about the others keeping secrets from her earlier on in the season,  which prompted her to paint that picture.

Trip demands the truth from Bree but she promised her friends.  He tells her she should be scared and admits he has feelings for her as they passionately kiss.  Which prompts Bree to blab, well she was easily convinced, I don't mean that in a horrible way, I like Bree, but after everything she's been through she still falls for a man in the same way as before; admitting it was Carlos and tells Trip everything.  Susan hides the sale of her house from Gaby and tells her the old couple are friends from high school.  Gaby: "What year did you graduate?"

Trip recalls Gaby to the stand and he made a promise to keep Bree out of jail.  Yes but that's his job and besides how unprofessional was kissing his client and then doing the exact opposite and breaking his word to her.   No wonder Bree was angry.  Gaby doesn't recognize Ramon but she knew him as Alejandro, her step father.  Bree feigns a fainting spell and tells Trip not to touch her.  Gaby and Carlos argue at Karen's house and she isn't really asleep which was obvious.  Carlo's admits the truth.  Gaby will tell them she was a victim of abuse and the jury will side with her, not Carlos.  Gaby was selfish and wants to change.  She could have buried the body and killed him out of fear, adrenalin, "you'd be surprised what people can do."  Meaning Karen as she overhears everything.

Gaby wakes and knows it's 2 in the morning without looking at the clock!  Carlos doesn't want Gaby to sacrifice her life for him, she's their daughter's role model. Karen wants to testify that Renee was drunk and convinces Trip to put her on the stand.  Gaby: "I've always been in charge and made Carlos wear the coat.  If it's cold in the courtroom, why was she wearing such a skimpy dress.  She planted a knife in the coat to keep Carlos out.  Karen talks about the Lane and how they "protect each other" and tells of how Gaby's stepfather abused her and confesses.  She did it with "adrenalin, fear" and repeats Gaby's words.  Gaby is too late to confess, well she couldn't even do that right, ha.

Stone accuses Trip of knowing this and he claims she wanted it off her conscience.  She drops the charges against Bree and doesn't file any against Karen.  Roy (Orson Bean) is proud of Karen and got her recipe card for her pot roast.  He tells Tom to not leave anything unsaid, which makes him change his mind about Lynette.  They celebrate Bree's freedom. Bree wants Trip to leave her private party and he wants to explain why he put Gaby on the stand.  He lied to her to win.  In fairness Bree did the same, I mean the man was her lawyer, everything was confidential, to a point.  She claims he was pretending to care about her but she manages to forgive Renee.  Calling Ben her hero;  but not her lawyer!  How could Bree not expect him to do what he had to for her.  Yet she was once a stickler for doing the right thing, irrespective of the consequences.

Tom admits his feelings to Lynette as does she.  She'll "always be the love of my life."

Hey no one mentioned what Lee was doing with Lynette and that it was him who unzipped her dress, that was  a bit of a niggle.  Nor did they get Murphy for falsifying documents in order to arrest Bree for Alejandro and Vance's hit and run which wasn't really solved either.  It was obvious Tom and Lynette would be back together, that is after all how the show began.  E4, dedicated this episode to the memory of Kathryn Joosten who passed away the week this episode was aired in the UK, which made it even more poignant.

Only fitting this episode was more about Karen and how her final swan song was to save Bree - not to mention a few eps ago she actually wanted Bree to end it all for her.  Lynette looked smart in her trouser suit, she should have worn those more often.  Loved the courtroom scenes and they didn't detract from the remainder of the stories either, since it was all kind of interlinked anyway.    Aww Bree treating Trip like that, I mean she had feelings for him and when he reciprocated she was just setting herself up for more heartache!

The title of this episode was from a lyric in the song Last Midnight from the Stephen Sondheim musical Into the Woods.  Which kind of started the whole season going with burying Alejandro in the woods.

Supernatural - 1.6: "Skin" Review

Sam is called by an old friend to look into the arrest of her brother for murder and the duo find more than they bargained for when they run into a shapeshifter, who takes on Dean's appearance.

St Louis, Missouri.   Police stop Dean (Jensen Ackles) and tell him to drop the knife.

One week earlier:  Dean: "Sam  (Jared Padalecki) wears women's underwear."  Is the first line Dean utters.   Sam's reading some e-mails from his Stanford friends.   Dean jibes him about keeping secrets.   Sam: "I just don't tell them everything."  On a job like this, it's not wise to get close to people.   Sam's told them he needs time alone and is on a road trip with his brother.   Dean calls that lying.  Leading Dean onto his fave topic, when he asks, "Is she hot?"  Sam mentions Rebecca (Amy Grabow) and her brother Zach's (Aleks Holtz) been charged with murder.   He was arrested for killing his girlfriend.   Dean: "What kind of people do you hang out with?"  Same kind Dean does, but it's all part of the job for him.

Rebecca tells them Zach came home and found his girlfriend in the chair, he could have only killed her if he was in two places at the same time.   As he's seen in the ATM footage.   Sam tells her Dean's a detective in Arizona.   Dean doesn't  think this is their kind of problem, so Sam can't help out an old friend now if something supernatural isn't involved.   Sam wonders how Zach could have been in two places at once and they've looked into a lot less before.   There's blood everywhere in the apartment and one week later there was a break in and Zach's clothes were stolen.   Dogs keep barking outside.   Sam looks at the photo with all three of them.   Sam comments that animals have a strong sense of the paranormal, hence the dog barking.   Kind of got the feeling here that the dog was barking cos Dean wasn't really him, but that couldn't be possible yet.   Dean looks at the video Rebecca stole from the lawyer.

A husband says goodbye to his wife and his eyes shine, which Sam notices on the video and it's not a camera flare.   Many cultures believe a camera can catch glimpses of the soul and the dog saw it.   Sam believes Zach is a double, Dean: "a doppelganger."  Which would explain how he could be in two places at once.  Sam doesn't see the killer leaving the building in the video, so they have a trail to follow.   There's blood on the tree and an ambulance drives by.   The husband allegedly killed his wife, but he was driving home so couldn't be in two places at once.   Dean decides this is their kind of problem.   Sam thinks they're dealing with a shapeshifter.   Dean explains every culture has a lore on this.   Sam refers to them as skin walkers, werewolves.   The shapeshifter ran out of the back, but the trail ends there.   Dean suggests they go down into the sewer.

Dean notices slimy mucus on the ground, which means it sheds when it changes shape.   The only way it can be killed is with a silver bullet to the heart.   Rebecca finds out Dean isn't a detective and she doesn't want his help.   Dean says Sam lies to his friends "because if they knew the real you, they'd be freaked - that's just easier."  Sam replies it would be if he was like Dean.  But they're not like other people.   Dean finds more mucus.   Dean: "I think we're close to its lair."
Sam: "Why do you say that?"

Dean: "Cos we're close to its puke-inducing bile next to your face."  Sam didn't smell that.   Love that part, it was just like Mulder's  (David Duchovny) scene from the X-Files episode, Squeeze.  Sam sees the shapeshifter behind Dean, who attacks Dean on his left arm with a knife.   Sam shoots and it escapes.   Dean says they need to get back to the car and his eyes flash when he crosses the road.   Sam throws Dean the car keys and recalls Dad (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) facing a shapeshifter in San Antonio.   Sam tests Dean.   Dean catches the keys with his left hand.   Sam is knocked out, very easily again.   Shapeshifter Dean says he used to worry about himself but the more he knows about Dean's background, he was better off.   He tells Sam about Dean's "issues" with Sam being able to go to college and he had to stay home.   Dean had dreams of his own but he had to be there for Dad.   He claims Dean is jealous of Sam having friends and he had dreams of his own.   Shapeshifter Dean: "Me, I know I'm a freak and sooner or later everybody's gonna leave me."

Shapeshifter Dean says he's met the nicest people and Dean would sleep with Rebecca if he had the chance.   That's nothing new to us, we know what Dean's like after all and this would be nothing new to Sam either.   Though the part about Dean's jealousies is new.   of course he'd have dreams of his own and want a life of his own, but nothing's ever easy for the eldest.   Dean wakes up and hopes that's really Sam and not that "freak of nature...  he's not stupid, he picked the handsome one."  Shapeshifter Dean visits Rebecca, thought she wanted nothing more to do with him.  He tells her of the shapeshifter and maybe it was born human, but was hideous and hated and learned to become someone else.   His eyes flash.

Sam tells Dean he was becoming him, downloading all his thoughts and memories.   Dean: "Like a Vulcan mind meld."  Dean believes they need to be kept alive for a psychic connection.   Shapeshifter Dean is alone and wants someone to love him.   He beats her up when she doesn't comply.   The police go after shapeshifter Dean and shoot at it.   It sheds its skin.   They see Dean's sketch on the news.   Dean: "First I want to find that handsome devil and kick the holy crap out of him...there's a guy walking around with my face, so it's a little personal."  Sam says they have no weapons.   Dean: "The thought of him driving my car, it's killing me!"

Sam: "Let it go."  Police car sees them and Sam holds them off.   Dean enters the sewers and finds more bile.   It's now shifted into Rebecca.   Sam is knocked out, again! If he kills Sam he'll be hunted forever.   Dean has good qualities, he should appreciate him more.   Shapeshifter Dean puts the knife down and Sam tries to cut loose after being tied up.   They fight and the shapeshifter tries to strangle Sam.   Dean shoots him through the heart, taking his necklace back.   Thus leaving the dead shapeshifter with Dean's face.   Sam tells Rebecca what they really do, Jessica (Adrienne Palicki) didn't know either.   It's his family and he can't do anything about it.

Dean is the police's suspect for the murders.   They find the murder weapon and blood stained clothes in his lair.   Dean's sorry and he wishes things could be different, that Sam could be 'Joe College'.   Sam didn't fit in at Stanford.   Dean: "That's cos you're a freak.   Well I'm a freak too.   I'm right there with you all the way."  Dean's sorry he's going to miss his own funeral and not many guys get to do that.

Once again we delve into their family life, or lack of and how Sam got to live his dream, go to college and get out of hunting.   Whereas Dean felt he had an obligation to Dad and he needed him.   The shapeshifter does tell Sam some home truths about Dean and as we know, Dean's not one to talk, so he won't tell Sam any of this.   Preferring to keep it to himself.   Good to see he thinks he's as much a freak as Sam is, since he calls him a freak on many occasions.   What else can he call themselves since not many people would do what they do and if push came to shove, they would opt out for a normal life too, instead of saving people.   Also good to see some people from Sam's past to show he did have a life outside of the family.

The Closer - 6.15: "An Ugly Game" Review

Brenda is tasked with a case that isn't the usual realm of Major Crimes by Taylor, who doesn't want them sitting around idle as that's what Chief Delk would want.

Two mounted policemen find a man smoking crack.   He's arrested and tries to resist especially by dropping some keys to the ground.   The policeman puts the keys back into his pocket.   He also has blood on his shirt and claims to have been attacked.   At the station he's stripped searched and his pockets are emptied, but only a pack of gum is found.   The keys have mysteriously disappeared.   One goes back to search for them and finds them discarded in the rubbish.   The policeman takes the case to Taylor (Robert Gossett) and tells him the suspect's name is Thomas Arthur Gavin III, known as Trey.

Taylor passes the case to Brenda (Kyra Sedgwick) as Delk doesn't want them sitting around doing nothing.   Provenza (GW Bailey) reads out Trey's academic achievements.   He's told to make copies of the keys and find the Mercedes they belong to.  Brenda questions Trey (Riley Smith) and he asks for chocolate as it helps him when he's in withdrawal.   He claims to have been treated badly at the rehab clinic, Credence and Brenda takes him under her wing by ensuring she'll look into it, as well as speaking to his parents on his behalf.   Of course knowing Brenda, she won't do this and she 'strings' him along the entire time.  Flynn (Tony Denison) posits Trey could have left rehab anytime he wanted as it wasn't court ordered and so he left last night.  Flynn also knows the rehab clinic isn't run by a bunch of cons.

Trey offers to talk but asks for protection from the man who attacked him, known as Sarge.  (Matt McTighe)  The police should know of him, stating also the keys belonged to him, he also has a knife.   Sanchez (Raymond Cruz) finds out the Merc was stolen but that a girl - Kimberly Adams - was reported missing by her father, Kevin Adams (Matt McCoy).   Kimberly was able to withdraw money from her card but it was in the name of K Adams like her father.   So explains Flynn, she could still use it.   Kevin brings in photos of Kimberly and says she had an appendectomy scar but no tattoos.

Gabriel (Corey Reynolds) finds she bought drinks for two people at a bar.   Sarge is known as Edward Cain and Brenda asks Sanchez to assist the police in bringing in Sarge unharmed as she wants to check him for wounds.   Buzz (Philip P Keene) sends Provenza Kimberly's photo.   Sarge has been pepper sprayed as he resisted.   Also Gabriel calls in Pope (JK Simmons)  who wonders why a drugs case was within the remit of Major Crimes.   He also tells Taylor he hasn't left yet and he may not leave, even if Taylor doesn't want him around.

Sarge claims he didn't rob anyone and the knife is Trey's.   Gabriel can't shake the feeling he has about the keys and why Trey would throw them away.   Trey wants out and throws a chair through the glass.   Gabriel warns Brenda to be careful of Trey and not trust him and he shouts back to Trey that he's treated like a criminal cos he is one.   Provenza locates the Merc and finds a DB in the boot/trunk they assume is Kimberly.   Morales (Jonathan Del Arco) doesn't find any scar on the DB, but she has a tattoo on her ankle.   Kevin IDs her as Michelle, Kimberly's best friend.   Kimberly is still missing.

Fritz (Jon Tenney) is also called in by Pope and he admits to Brenda everything he did when he was  an alcoholic, including shooting up his car one time.   He was lucky he didn't shoot anyone.   He calls himself a "monster" as well as being good.   That's who he used to be be as well.   Gabriel shows Brenda ATM footage of Michelle  being attacked brutally by a man in grey hoodie, who beats her up over and over.   Brenda can't stand what she sees and is upset she believed Trey.   Brenda lies to Trey by telling him someone in his condition can't be held legally responsible for what he did within ten hours and he left the clinic nine hours before.   If anything happens to Kimberly then he will be responsible for her death.   He tells them she's in a container, still alive.  Sanchez, Gabriel and Provenza also find a bloody hoodie.

Trey confesses to killing Michelle when she ran out of money and Brenda points out he could have got more money from Michelle.   Brenda views him with contempt calling him a "monster," in Fritz's words.   He's arrested for first degree murder.  Brenda talks to Gabriel about going over her head to Pope and she hopes he doesn't have cause to do that again.   Gabriel insists he's always on her side.   Wonder if Brenda believes tha?  It looked like she had her doubts, especially since Gabriel has been watching out for her since she arrived in LA in season 1 and had a better rapport with her even before the others warmed to her.

Fritz talks to Brenda about his life as an addict cos he thinks they need to as it's been too long.   An episode where you almost think Brenda suspects Trey from the outset especially when she tells him she'll talk to his parents and help him.   Yet it's just a 'ploy' to use as leverage and get him on her side and trust her; to open up to her.   Not until she tells Fritz she was wrong about him do we realize she did believe he was telling the truth.   Even Gabriel suspects Trey, but at least she doesn't falter when she finds the truth and uses this to get him to confess and find Kimberley.   Maybe if she had spoken to Fritz about his addiction earlier, she'd have seen the warning signs and how addicts lie to get their next score or drink and would do anything for money.

Then again she's had such suspects in the past and what makes her so trusting of Trey?   Surely it can't have been his privileged background.   Flynn has to point out to Brenda and Gabriel that they still have a missing girl to locate when she and Gabriel are at loggerheads over Trey's guilt or innocence.   Will  her relationship with Gabriel be the same again?   Also in 6.6 she saw firsthand what addiction can do when the addict killed the man at the ATM for cash.

Fritz: "Okay you know that conversation you never want to have - we've put it off as long as we can.   I'm an alcoholic which means I'm an addict."
Brenda: "You're making it sound like you're some kind of monster.   You're the most decent person I know."
Fritz: "I'm not honey, I'm sorry but I'm both."

Desperate Housewives - 8.6: "Witch's Lament" Review

Bree ropes Gaby into finding frogs in an attempt to halt the development. Carlos reluctantly attends an AA meeting, then relapses. Lynette asks Jane to stay away from Tom.

Mary Alice: "Paranoia: it's the irrational fear someone is after you.   That you're going to be exposed at any moment.   Paranoia sneaks upon you causing you to stumble at every turn...paranoia reminds you that no place is truly safe." Bree (Marcia Cross) Gaby (Eva Longoria) and Lynette (Felicity Huffman) stumble about in the woods as if someone is after them.   Actually the part with Bree in the opening was good, it was like she was having a nightmare, but don't think she has nightmares really.   They need to dig up Alejandro and Gaby wants it over with already.

Mary Alice: (Brenda Strong) "Paranoia: it's the irrational fear someone is after you, but even after you hope it isn't real, it can still scare you to death."

3 Days earlier  Mary Alice: "Susan Delfino (Teri Hatcher) had always been a great student...knew how to be the teacher's pet: gifts, extra credit and some just liked her...in her new class Susan would learn not every teacher was in line for a pet."  Andre (Miguel Ferrer) selects Susan as his intern.   Gaby checks Carlos's (Richardo Antonio Chavira) cup for booze.    He's not an alcoholic but agrees to attend an AA meeting.   Gaby makes him "promise not to be one of those whiny ones" if he turns out to be one.   She's no compassion does she, really who's the whiny one in that family?

Jane (Andrea Parker) brings Penny (Darcy Rose Byrnes) home with Tom (Doug Savant) and she's agreed to make Penny a cat costume.   She's also teaching Tom French, show off.   Lynette tells her she's making the costume for Hallowe'en since it's a mother/daughter tradition.   Bree draws the curtains before trying to tell Gaby about the development and they're interrupted by Juanita (Madison De La Garza) who is going as a fried egg, with Celia as bacon.   Bree tells about a witches story which Juanita thinks was lame.   Bree describes the development at the woods in her story.   Gaby thinks the story was scary.   Er, who is going to see them though the window anyway, aren't they more afraid of being heard?   It's not the windows that have ears, but walls, ha.

Ben (Charles Mesure) hasn't seen Renee (Vanessa Williams) for two weeks and wants to have dinner for Hallowe'en.   She wants him to beg for a date on his knees, plus it gives her a chance to check if he's got a bald spot.   Knew there had to be something shallow going on with her.

Andre introduces Susan to Jasper, (Mason Cook) his son and she's to watch him for the weekend.   It's an internship and not a babysitting gig cos he doesn't have to pay her.   Renee thinks she and Ben will be 'getting it on' tomorrow.   Lynette: "Eeww, not in front of my kid's costume."  She got some sex drugs from Chinatown and recommends her friend in New York who is a fashion designer and is always in need of money, so can make the costume.

Carlos attends the meeting in the hopes of being able to talk and meets Alan (Scott Lawrence) and he's jealous cos he could recall all his benders.   Carlos pretends nothing much happened to make him start drinking two months ago and can't think of how it was triggered.

Bree eggs Ben's window and tells him it's people against the development, they shouted Australian slurs.   He hasn't heard any Aussie slurs before and asks what they said.   He's already moved the development once, when the environmental impact report found some endangered frog species.   Giving Bree an idea; as she goes frog hunting with Gaby, who adds she'd never kiss a frog like the story with the princess.   Carlos then lies to Gaby about the meeting and getting a sponsor.

MJ (Mason Vale Cotton) is going as a candy robot and Jasper hates he can't go.   Susan tells him it's the best day of the year with free candy and dressing up.   Andre doesn't want him to go as Hallowe'en is for kids, which is what he is.   Susan takes them both after hiding his painting.

Bree lets the frogs out and they all escape.   Bree suggests they need to dig him up and of course it's obvious what's coming, there won't be a body.

Susan thinks of Andre as the cowardly lion from the Wizard of Oz and he prefers to call Jasper by his first name.   This year Susan was dressed as Glinda the good witch from the Wizard of Oz. Last season, she was a maniac rag doll.

The costume arrives in time, but it's missing a bottom and Tom says that's not right for Penny, unless she's "trick 'n' treating for money." Renee takes more than a few drops of the potion and they kiss.   Didn't they want to draw the curtains with all those children about!?  She gets rashes.   Andre knows most people don't like him and his work comes first.   Susan thinks being a better father will make him a better painter.   He thinks painting blocks out everything and Susan won't let that happen to her.   Renee gets an allergic reaction and scares the children.

Jane tells Lynette her husband left her too (wonder why) and she thinks Lynette is smart, confident and they could she friends with her.   Lynette thinks she could be her friend too but she asks her to leave Tom alone.   Lynette will fight for him and he told Jane that Lynette is always fighting.   Gaby and Bree come for Lynette and who'd she leave the baby with.

Ben tells Renee she told him about the woman love fluid and she wanted the night to be special cos she likes him.   He likes her too.   Carlos opens the door and imagines Alejandro there and then goes into the room he said he couldn't be in last episode and drinks.   Lynette thinks it's a bad idea to return to the scene of the crime.   Bree methodically tells them what to do and has brought supplies.   Someone chases them and they discover the empty grave...

Mary Alice: "paranoia it's the irrational fear that the whole world is against you, but it's no longer paranoia when you discover someone really is out to get you."  They start running around the woods, where we came in, in the opening.   Those three looked like Charlie's Angels running around like that.

A bit of a fun episode for Hallowe'en, even though it had its dark moments.   Carlos not coming to terms with having a drinking problem and Gaby thinking everything's okay with him cos he says he's attending AA.   Susan teaching Andre, at least attempting to show him the error of his ways in not being a father to Jasper.   Susan may be ditzy but no one can accuse her of not being a good mother.   Renee and her own Hallowe'en mask, wait it wasn't a mask, ha.   That was one way to save on the candy.   Will Ben be the right one for her or turn out to be another loser she's fallen for?

Oh that Jane came across as a marriage wrecker, some may say Lynette had it coming.   No wonder Harm (David James Elliott) didn't end up with her in JAG, ha.   I digress.   Andrea Parker was in the Pilot episode of JAG and in a few other episodes.   Scott Lawrence was also in JAG.   Anyway Tom and Lynette aren't even divorced, they're separated and yet she makes no bones about being after Tom and seems to be using Penny to get into his good graces too.   Tom can't see that of course.   Alejandro had to be missing which means someone's dug him up - either to move him somewhere safer or someone really is out to get them.   The episode was about paranoia but don't think anyone's out to get them by moving his body.   The blackmailer seems to have some other motive or purpose.   Like driving them crazy, particularly Bree.

Nice bit where Carlos opens the door and sees Alejandro and they find he's gone at the end. It makes it look realistic since his grave was empty.   Apparently where Gaby swerves the car and stops when the frogs escape is meant to be where she parked when Alejandro was chasing her in season 7 Come on Over for Dinner.   Renee's rash has been done before in the show, back in 2.6 I Wish I Could Forget You when Bree was dating George.

The title is from the Stephen Sondheim musical Into the Woods.

Smallville - 10.19: "Dominion" Review

Clark and Oliver journey to the Phantom zone when Slade is returned to earth in a coma, succumbing to Zod's trap to ensnare Clark there and kill him, whilst signing up Oliver to the darkness within him.

Lois (Erica Durance) and Clark (Tom Welling) furnish their apartment and Lois comments on how Chloe (Allison Mack) and Oliver (Justin Hartley) managed to fix up their place without any clashing between Oliver's Green Arrow colours.   They need to take the time to find the perfect spot for their things and Clark thinks his perfect spot is with Lois.   Tess (Cassidy Freeman) interrupts the cosiness with the news that Slade is back on earth and has been discovered in a coma.  

Clark realizes the crystal activating the gate between the Phantom Zone and here can only be activated by someone from his family, with the House of El blood.   Short memory here as he seems to have forgotten he gave blood to save Zod's (Callum Blue) life in season 9.   As you'll recall his DNA/blood was also used for Superboy.   Lois comments someone stole Clark's key, but the crystal is the only way out of the Phantom Zone.   So if this was the case why didn't Zod return to earth instead of reinforcing his 'dominion' in the Phantom Zone.   He could have reeked just as much havoc here.   Only Clark would have his powers on earth.

At Watchtower, Tess prepares to send Clark to the Zone and Oliver arrives to help him, without even so much as a welcome or a thank you.   As he says he risked his life and he's not acknowledged for it.   He's right cos at the end when he asks Clark about what would happen to anyone of them who may be infected with the darkness, all Clark replies is that they'd have to be locked up.  Sorry but Clarkie appears a bit dense in some of these episodes, he's oblivious to the fact that Oliver may have a genuine grievance or problem, but it's all about Lois, no really it is.

Tess has to practically beg Clark to take Oliver as he has experience in such situations, where Clark would be powerless and yet he still isn't convinced, he'd prefer to play hero alone.   Yeah that'll work.    She gives Clark a bracelet, which according to Booster's upgrade will achieve audio through it.   As Clark leaves, Oliver rushes in with him and ends up in the Zone too.   Oliver tells Clark he should have more faith in his friends but he still hasn't cottoned on to that 10s season on, since he wouldn't have managed anything here if Oliver wasn't around.   Clark's hair appears to change in the Phantom Zone, for some reason.

Clark tells Oliver Jor-El built the Zone so that Krypton's worst criminals could have a life here.   He notices the crystal is missing and the crystal is the gate.   Lois, at Watchtower sees they haven't returned yet and the crystal loses transmission with them.   Tess can't do anything and they're on their own.   WEll they were on their own to begin with, not like anyone would be sent after them.

Clark is taken to Zod for some kneeling and Oliver is taken away.   Zod lectures him on the powerless feeling when he knows he can't use his strength.  Clark will have to work twice as hard to defeat him.   Zod made an acquaintance with the original Zod's Phantom.   Clark was his enemy in both lives and Clark adds he also defeated him in both.   Zod orders Clark to kneel and serve him until he dies.   Clark left him to the mercy of the Kandorians and Clark now tells Zod that this place was built for people of Zod's kind by Jor-El, well he just said that to Ollie.   Wouldn't Zod already know why it was built.   Zod comments on the no trial, no jury, "only the rule of Kal-El" aspect of the Zone.   He admits sending Slade back to earth was a trap and Clark fell for it.  Reminding him that they're both blood brothers.   They have the same blood when Clark saved him and he forgot!

He and Zod share the same instincts and they "were meant to be leaders."   Who else can Zod put his faith in, but himself.   Then mentions Cain and Abel, asking which one is Clark, well clearly he's Abel.   Clark claims he'd never murder Zod and he saved him.   Zod was exiled by him.   Clark will fight to the death in the arena.   Knew Clarkie and Ollie would be pitted against each other eventually.

Clark fights but doesn't kill his opponent which is what Zod does for him.   It's kill or be killed and only one walks away.   Then the most silliest comment from Clark for the entire episode, if not series, that this only happens in Zod's world, well this is his world.  As Zod rightly tells him.   Who came up with this line.   Tess is unable to locate them and Lois realizes Tess was going to self destruct the gateway.   Lois has been to the Phantom Zone and Clark is running out of time.   Tess tells her about the plan Clark had so that nothing escapes from there.   Oliver, meanwhile is caged and he also realizes Clark's plan to self destruct the gate.  There's no other choice.   Oliver asks him how Lois feels about that and obviously he hasn't told her.  Thought they weren't going to have anymore secrets from each other episodes ago.   Tess refers to it as a last resort, but Lois can't accept she's playing with Clark's and Oliver's lives.  So she pulls a gun on her to make her change her mind.   Tess is meant to be a team member.   Clark knew the risks and she didn't turn on them, Tess is only following Clark's orders.  

They have a responsibility not to put the world at risk for selfish reasons.   Tess: "being with a hero means accepting that hero's sacrifices."  Lois turns this around and posits, "being a hero's wife means never accepting defeat."  That's probably the General in her.   (No, not Zod, her father.) Zod is looking for Oliver's dark side, the darkness within him that he's afraid of.   Zod has seen Darkseid's powers when he came for him;  promising lordship over this dominion if he took Clark out for him.  That could be interpreted in two ways, ha.   Obviously kill him.   Oliver tells Zod they blocked him and his minions, but Zod reaffirms there are millions on Earth waiting to surrender to Darkseid's will.  Speaking of which, what happened to Lionel and his encounter.   Oliver was angry when his parents were killed and wanted revenge.   He can feel the darkness now.

Oliver is confident he can win over the darkness but Zod is adamant he's "already an agent of Darkseid."  Oliver believes Clark would stand by him.   Zod however knows better, his faith in Oliver would be compromised and Oliver would be cast aside just like Zod.   That's why Oliver asks Clark at the end what would happen and wasn't really happy with his response.   Who would be?  He tempts Oliver with the gesture they could rule here as brothers (he'd want Chloe anyday over Zod.)  "I was looking for a brother in Kal El," but they don't have anything in common.   He releases Oliver from his shackles and believes they do have plenty in common.   He must be brave enough to walk the dark path, to honour the darkness or die.

Oliver and Clark engage in battle, for Zod's benefit of course.   The bruises and cuts are real.  The way the fight scene was shown in slow motion, appeared that Clark did have his strength.   Oliver stabs Clark.   Zod intercedes to finish Clark off himself, giving Clark the chance to grab the crystal from his neck, what they were after all along.   Clark's wounds heal.   Zod: "I will have my revenge."  Zod is imprisoned in a  crystal and sent way into space.

Clark was certain that whatever Zod said to Oliver, that he wouldn't give up on their plan.   Oliver tells him the darkness is everywhere and Clark is positive they can fight it when it returns.   Oliver then asks the burning question of what they would do if one of them was infected.   To which Clark replies they'd be locked up.   The Darkness is powerful and almost got him once.   Yes but it's not all about Clark.  Also Supergirl saved him that time; so he didn't fight the darkness off himself, like Oliver is attempting to do.   Clark: "once in, no way out."  He then tells Oliver that half the things Zod says are lies; takes people's fears and uses them against them.

Lois has finished the apartment and it appears they've been away almost 3 weeks, in comparison to what seemed like a few hours in the Zone.   He believes the crystal being crushed altered time.   Clark says Tess was meant to blow up the gate after 3 hours, but Lois found out his secret plan and convinced her to come round to her way of thinking.   She wishes he had faith in Lois.   He's part of her and in future she wants to be able to make that choice for herself.   Clark tries to control the situation but his Kryptonian side takes over.   He should try to explain it to her instead of hiding it.   The wedding is in two days and that kept her going, also knowing he'd come back to her.   Clark replies nothing in the world would stop him from walking down the aisle (isn't that a bit of a girly line, since technically the bride walks down the aisle, not the groom.)  Well he shouldn't have said that anyway cos he's just jinxed his own wedding.

Tess brings Oliver the constellation chart he asked for, as found in the Veritas journal and Carter's notes.   Hey look Carter, aka Hawkman (Michael Shanks) is mentioned again.   He was searching for Orion's Bow, it's not a treasure as Oliver explains, but Hawkman's quest, which was used on Darkseid.   Hawkman never had Oliver's family journal to find it, but Oliver knows where it is now.   Tess doesn't believe fighting Darkseid is Oliver's personal fight, but he needs to do this for reasons not known to her, but to us.   Oliver prays in church and the angel bleeds as he looks at it and leaves.  I was about to say, 'weeping angel!'  (Doctor Who  fans will know that allusion.)  Seemed to weep dark tears rather than any resembling blood.

Funny how this is Oliver's first trip to the Phantom Zone and the first thing he encounters are skulls with the Omega signs emblazoned on them, since he too is afflicted by this.   Poor Ollie first the skulls, then Zod.   Zod asking Clark, "when are you going to learn it's kill or be killed?"  In reference to Clark letting him go.   Well kneeling galore in this episode, guess he was making up for lost time and the last time this would be done, ha.

The fighting scenes between Oliver and Clark were clearly an allusion to the movie 300 (2006) but the angel's tears looked more like dark ooze.   In the comics, Orion is Darkseid's son.   The Justice League are always there to help each other so didn't much appreciate Lois' line saying they didn't want to send anyone else to the Zone to help them out.   She just had a go at Tess for not being part of the team and then she comes up with this nonsense.   The script sometimes defies logic, know it's the last season and everything, but really?

Zod's clone is from season 9 when Tess opened the orb releasing a younger clone of Zod, who went by the title of Major Zod and has combined with the version of General Zod, who was evident in Lex in the season 5 finale Vessel.   This episode was directed by Justin Hartley and clearly you can see this, especially from the fighting scenes and how even though this episode was about Clark, Oliver's descent into the darkness is only subtly hinted at.   He doesn't come out and tell anyone about it, that was nicely done.   Cos it's not over yet for him and he hasn't thrown in the towel.

We shall always remember Callum Blue from the Sarah Jane Adventures and here he clearly underwent a bout of training to buff up and  play Zod in season 9.

Without A Trace 3.1 "In the Dark" Review

A blind teenager and her instructor go missing froma campsite; they appear to have been abducted.  Sam and Martin fall into bed together.  Viv calls Sam and then Martin.


6 Hours Missing
The girl is 16 year old Kelly Cochrane (Angela Goethals) and her counsellor is 26 year old Luisa Cruz (Iyari Limon).  Tyre tracks are found nearby and Danny (Enrique Murciano) tells Viv (Marianne Jean-Baptiste) whoever took them was staking out the campsite and got his chance, driving up to the site.  There were two males as there are four sets of footprints.  The Camero was  nearby.  Viv gives a statement to the press whilst Jack (Anthonly LaPaglia) watches his daughters sleep.

The instructor had been working with Kelly for 6 months she got Retinitis Pigmentosa a year ago.  Kelly’s father says a light blue Camero dropped Kelly off.
3pm-6pm…
8 Hours Missing
Danny finds white paint on a pole at the site near the tent.  The kidnapper backed onto it.  The tyre is a Michelin and belongs to a Ford Panel van.  Jack tells his daughters he’s not going with them as he has to take care of work.  Hannah (Vanessa Marano) says they’re getting divorced.

9 Hours Missing
Trent Barker, (Chris Owen III) the waiter missed his shift.  He was Employee of the month and never missed a shift.

10 Hours Missing
Sam (Poppy Montgomery) and Martin (Eric Close) call at Trent’s house.  Martin feigns the need to use the bathroom and checks out his room.  He finds sketches of Kelly in a book.  Sam distracts his mother by telling her she’d like some tea and Martin had a bout of food poisoning last night.

Martin defies Viv every opportunity he can. Saying they have to save Kelly firstly and foremostly.  Jack’s lawyer berates him for letting Maria (Talia Balsam) take his daughters with her.  Custody cases are difficult.  This is exactly how Maria wanted it springing the divorce on him the night before.  There are multiple calls to her divorce attorney on the phone bill.

13 Hours Missing
Danny finds the Pennsylvania authorities  saw a white panel van at the Toll stop between 3-330am on the Strasbourg Exit to the Poconos.  Kelly escapes and runs into a red van on the road.  Which left her at the ER.

Jack  says Maria wants sole custody.  Her attorney was called 6 times in the past month.  Jack gave his job away to a friend.  He doesn’t want his daughters in Chicago: they grew up here, have friends and family here and their grandfather.  His lawyer tells him all this doesn’t matter unless he gets his job back.

15 Hours missing
Luisa was attacked and had her leg broken.  They drove to a cabin in the woods.  One was smoking pot and passed out whilst the other one left.  Kelly untied herself and Luisa made her go.  She didn’t recognize any of the voices.  She remembers Trent, she gave him a hard time before she lost her sight now she’s being punished for being mean.

16 Hours Missing
Martin spots Trent at work.  The van in the parking lot at Hardigan’s is registered to Lott (Matthew Boylan)  Trent denies everything.  Danny tells him Kelly identified him because she knows his voice.  Viv suggest Kelly should talk to Trent so he’ll come clean.  They’ve been working him for over an hour and he hasn’t talked yet, they’re running out of time.  Martin tells him his mother’s on the phone.  Kelly talks to him and he asks for a lawyer.  Jack watches Viv’s interview on the news.

17 Hours Missing
Jack calls Viv at the hospital, he’s still in New York.  Martin defies Viv again and drags Danny down with him.  He questions Trent without his lawyer and tells him he’ll make a good defendant on TV and when they look into his life story, they’ll turn him into a freak.  Trent wanted Kelly, Martin’s been there too and knows the feeling.  Trent admits he wanted her.  She stopped coming and then returned one day.  He dropped his tray and he showed her to her table.  That was the first time she was nice to him and she didn’t even remember him.  Lott planned it all since she wouldn’t be able to identify them.  He broke Luisa’s leg in the car door and owns the cabin.  Viv is angry at Martin for talking to him without his lawyer.  He says he got results.

Viv tells Sam that Kelly can show them the way to the cabin.  Kelly heard a drill or a saw and went towards the noise so the cabin is in the opposite direction.  The helicopter spots the cabin from the air.  Lott is gone and has taken Luisa with him.  He’s shot and leaves Luisa behind.

Viv reprimands Martin and Danny as they can’t bring a case against Trent.  He didn’t tell her what they were doing so she could deny it.  She sends them both home and tells them if they’d have asked her, she’d have considered their request.

Sam and Martin aim to continue where they left off this morning. He goes ahead.  Jack watches Viv in the office putting up her FBI plaque.

Danny: “Pretty blind, white girl goes missing from the woods – there’ll be a lot more where that came from.”  The press always jumps onto the band wagon when a white girl goes missing.  Echoes of  CSI:Miami here season 2 where Delko made the same comment about the press only being concerned by a blonde haired blue eyed girl going missing and the missing Hispanic girl didn’t even make the papers or TV.  At the end Horatio tells the reporter to concentrate on the other girls too.

Viv: “I’m Special Agent Vivian Johnson.  I’m in charge here.”  You know as soon as she’s said that it’s not going to last.

Jack watches his daughters asleep again reminiscent of the season 1 finale when he went back home and this time they’re leaving him.  The TV reporter files her story with Danny in the background, re future cases involving him going undercover.  An unintentional pun she says “…have FBI stumped.” When Danny is examining the pole with the paint!

Notice Sam drinking tea from an empty cup.  Martin getting food poisoning when he didn’t even eat the night before, as we’re sure food was the furthermost thing from their minds!

Martin: “first priority is to save the girl.”
Viv: “Obviously, Martin.” (!)

Jack: “This is not premeditated, I think I know my wife that much.”  On the contrary  he doesn’t.  But we could tell as soon as Maria told him about her promotion that she was being evasive and didn’t want him with her.  Jack: “She was planning it.”

Jack: “Baptism by fire.  You guys are all over the news.”  Not a good thing.  Also when will they stop using mobile phones in the hospital.

Martin: “sitting here with our thumbs up our asses.”
Danny: “He’s lawyered up.”
Martin: “If Jack were here right now, we wouldn’t think twice.  He’d be the first one through that door.”  Martin never learns and now he’s inciting mutiny in the ranks too.  Well, Jack’s not here and I’m sure if he was he’d have reprimanded him too.  Shame on Danny for going along with him; okay shame on the writers!

Danny: “Tabloids – big suckin’”
Sam asking how Kelly can show them where she was?  Wrong choice of words and not very tactful.

Martin: “We were willing to risk the conviction in order to save the girl.”
Viv: “Oh and it was your call to make?”
Danny : “No it wasn’t.”
Viv: “Why didn’t you tell me what you were doing?”
Martin: “Because we wanted you to have deniability in case it went bad.”
Viv: “You were protecting me.”
Danny: “It was wrong.”  Martin and his use of ‘we.’  Martin  makes sexist comments about Viv and her ability to do the job alluding to how Jack would’ve handled the situation and reacted.  He really doesn’t like taking orders from a woman, that’s the impression he gave.  Either that or he likes getting into trouble with the boss.  So he’s like his father in that respect.  Didn’t like the way Danny just went along with him, hence Viv’s surprise, she would’ve expected better of him, loyalty just as he is to Jack.  Me thinks he would’ve pt up more of an argument such as in Season 1 where he played ‘bad cop’ much to Martin’s chagrin who told him to inform him next time Danny does that.  Not even being talked into something can't believe he could so easily be talked into going along with Martin against Viv.

Have to do the job and fast but there are rules and procedures that have to be adhered to, other than just jeopardizing the conviction, Trent could’ve been just as guilty as the other guy and could’ve been lying all along.  If Luisa had turned up dead that’s a murder he could’ve gotten away with.

Jack, Jack, Jack, don’t you monitor your daughters, they could be making premium phone calls, not to mention talking to strangers or chat lines.  So he obviously didn’t pay the phone bill.  This was a bit silly since he’d notice discrepancies when on a case but not when it’s happening right under his nose.  Don’t say it was because he was never home!

Didn’t  the writers make Viv out to be an ineffective leader – like she needed Jack or a man to hold her hand and guide her through an investigation – aka the blind girl.

Martin acting like he was the boss and ordering everyone about.  He is every bit like his father (in some respects) though he tries to make out he isn’t.  ‘Let’s do this, let’s do what Jack would do’ and he had no respect for authority either; even after Jack’s admonished him in the past for his hasty, over zealous actions.  Not to mention his sexist remark, i.e. Jack wouldn’t sit around on his ass.  Or have them sitting on theirs.

I didn’t like the scene where he made Danny go along with questioning the suspect, Trent without his lawyer.  That made Danny look rather weak – whereas in the past the writers would’ve made him argue about whether it’s the right thing to do; or they shouldn’t be doing that because they wouldn’t be able to charge him with anything and in the past he’d have protested.
(A bit of sloppy continuity and character development.)

When Viv reprimanded them and Martin said he was protecting her by not telling her, i.e. he just didn’t ask her permission first; it felt like he was almost getting payback for Viv protecting him in season 2 episode 6.  She was disgusted with Danny and rightly too, as she would’ve expected some sort of betrayal from Martin but better from Danny.  Well maybe betrayal is a bit harsh, but if things had gone wrong she’d have to take responsibility for her team.

Viv would’ve made a good leader for at least another few episodes.  She didn’t even get a chance to warm her seat in her new office.  No wonder she didn’t unpack her things when she was turfed out.  Five episodes in and her desk is still devoid of personal effects.  Sam asking Viv if she’s okay whilst secretly eyeing Jack.

Funny moment: Danny finding that piece of evidence, the paint on the pole and the reporter standing in front of him and ,er, reporting.  Now he’s been on TV too and so has Viv so it’ll be a little difficult for them to go undercover.

Viv gets the domestic cases – Danny seems to have an affinity with teens, children and those victims who are hard done by so he should’ve interrogated Trent.
Notice Danny remove his jacket to question that pro – he doesn’t usually remove items of clothing (!) to do this.

CSI: NY - 1.15: "Til Death Do We Part" Review

Another two cases for the CSIs to investigate, this time round with a dead bride who dies on her wedding day and a possible haunted monastery where a dead man is found.

In Story 1, a bride dies at her wedding after dead doves fall to the floor.   Mac (Gary Sinise) asks if anyone is superstitious here as it's bad luck for birds to fly indoors.   Mac: "It could happen to you, you know."
Danny: "What marriage?"
Mac: "Love."
Danny: "Don't even say stuff like that Mac, it's not even funny."  Well someone found it funny and appealing since Danny (Carmine Giovinazzo) did find love and marriage, but sadly most of us thought with the wrong woman.   Mac notices redness in her eye, caused by external injuries or allergies.   She has a slight redness on her skin and Mac thinks she's displaying symptoms of chemical exposure.   Mac: "Two dead doves, one dead bride, looks like foul play to me."  Ahh so bad you'd think Stella (Melina Kanakaredes) thought of it!

Det Kylie Macca (Kelly Hu) returns to investigate the case and has a comment to make, "Gives new meaning to the words cold feet."
 Danny: "You know if I was to say something like that, you'd call me insensitive."  Yes they would, the women in this show, especially at the start and some didn't change later on; were into their lib and yet tried to be one of the men at the same time.  Kylie: "No, I would've asked you if you wanted to grab a drink later.   I'm attracted to a man with a dark sense of humour."  Funny she didn't say that about Flack (Eddie Cahill).   Mac interrupts their flirting, "You two wanna be alone, I'll drag the body outside." Danny blames Kylie for starting it.   Yeah and he just went along.   Kylie would have made a much better love interest for Danny, she was more his type.   The bride complained of headaches and so could have been poisoned, her father doesn't want an autopsy conducted until she's been blessed by a Rabbi.

Story 2, involves an abandoned car and a hand is found an old monastery, rumoured to be haunted by monks.   Aiden (Vanessa Ferlito) calls it an urban legend.   The DB has an NYC pass and some change, he was just out of prison.   He has dermal tissue in his mouth.   Stella thinks he chewed his hand off as it was the only way out of the handcuffs.   The SUV was stolen 4 days ago.  Aiden finds a map in the car and an ear print.

Danny finds of alcohol use in the bridal suite, but no drugs or any signs of poison.   Mac reverts to Plan B, the birds.   Danny and Mac cut open the birds, someone wanted the birds dead.   Della (Diva Zappa) calls this cruelty to animals and a crime.  She didn't kill the bride, Hannah.   She trained the doves and it was her idea but the hotel took all the money.   Danny finds a hair on the wedding dress and it's not a match to the bride.   Hawkes (Hill Harper) determines she and the birds were poisoned, but the deaths aren't related.   There's discolouration on the skin causing coagulation and necrosis of the skin.   I.e tissue death, there are clots in the blood due to formaldehyde.   Audrey (Bess Wohl) has access to this.   The groom, Walter's (Rick D Wasserman) hair is on the dress.   Audrey went out with Walter and he left her, they were friends.   Mac: "Who couldn't love $50 million?"  The dress was brought at a second hand shop, with all that money and they resorted to second hand dresses, yuk.

Story 2: Hawkes finds COD to be exsanguination, starvation, hypothermia and there's blunt force trauma to the side of his head, with traces of black around the wound.   He would have lived longer if his hand wasn't chewed.   Wounds were caused by throwing a punch.   Stella refers to "meatball surgery," he was stabbed and a tip of the shank is left behind.   Rick (Chris Watters) was stabbed but the man claims there was a fight over stealing his food so he cut Rick.   Stella says they know everywhere he went between two places.   Stella insists on driving.   Flack wants to drive and asks for a cracker or a piece of candy, cos "when you drive, we don't eat."  Clearly signs here that Flack loves his food.

 At the diner the waitress says there was a fight and he was thrown out.   Flack: "Did they continue their 'thang' outside?" The SUV was taken from the owner's house.   There are no hits on APHIS concerning the gun.   The flesh under Rick's nails is a close match to a relative of Victor Mulcahey, who has a son, Connor (Sam Huntingdon) and Rick killed his father three years ago in a bar fight.   Connor claims he didn't steal the car.

Connor was in foster care after his father died.   Flack says any DA would want proof of pre-meditation and they collected everything on Rick from the apartment.   Stella argues with Flack that Connor confessed to stealing not killing. "The evidence is not conclusive."  Flack asks what's wrong with good old fashioned motive and she replies it doesn't place Connor at the CS.  Flack tells her he's going to the DA.

Danny finds the dress has a large quantity of formaldehyde so she was killed by her dress.   It's lab grade formaldehyde and there are traces of deodorizing powder, eeww.   The dress came from a dead person.   There are twenty others from the same designer.   Truman has a receipt but no details.   John Swinton doesn't ask questions.   He also has two suits which they take and analyze.

Stella uses ALS to swab the stain on the map and finds an arrow showing directions.   He was digging for something at the monastery and he was lured there.   Mac tells Stella he had a call from Flack, he was afraid Sella would lose her temper again over Connor, which is exactly what she does cos she doesn't listen (as usual).   Flack wanted her to know he won't go to the DA until they both agree and her phone's off.   Stella gets close to Connor cos he reminds her of herself and then she alienates everyone in the process cos she can't handle her anger.   The visitor's log at the jail shows Lugano (Jeffrey Vincent Parise) was visited by Moretti (David DeLuise).   Stella deduces he was there as all this started over food.   Flack says it was for revenge.    No one found the body.   Moretti owed Lugano.

Danny finds large amounts of embalming fluid and deodorizer on the suits.   Mac determines he works in a funeral home and sells the clothes.   Mac thinks someone could be "wearing another killer outfit."  Hawkes examines a body outside of the morgue for a change.   Samuels has the same COD as Hannah.   Initial on his handkerchief and it's swabbed by Danny, showing Peyton M Davis held up a clothes store.   Mac refers to this as desecration of burials, theft, two counts of murder.   He wanted to make money and there's one more suit to find.

Stella says she was an orphan at St Basil's orphanage until she was 18,  never met her parents.  Connor replies she's lucky since she doesn't know what she's missing.   Stella says he's not int he system yet, it's up to him to stay out of trouble.

Mac locates the suit and stops the wedding, removing the suit from the groom.  "I'm here to save your life, so you can live happily ever after."  Drone, so many cheesy one liners here and jokes.   This episode had plenty of forensics and an opportunity to lose the plot if not following closely.   Especially Stella's storyline and the elaborate plans to seek revenge.

Aiden also has a one track mind, if Danny was to say things like that he'd be accused of being sexist etc, as would Flack.   Such as the remark Aiden made to Danny in Tanglewood about him having to pay for girls and he's paying for it one way or another, when he tells her he didn't have to pay for any girl.   Aiden can't resist teasing him about the monastery being haunted and he fell for it for a moment.   One suspect Stella actually believes is innocent, cos all the others are outright guilty when she gets on the case.

In CSI season 1 episode $35K O.B.O notes from a pad were 'lifted' to show the planning of a murder, as it did here when Stella looked at he pad in the prison cell.   Bess Wohl returned to the show in season 4 as lab tech Kendall, friend of Adam (AJ Buckley).   Jeffrey Vincent Parise also returned in 7.8 Scared Stiff.

The Vampire Diaries - 3.16: "1912" Review

Alaric is arrested as a suspect in the murders and Damon recalls his time and meeting a vampire named Sage for the first time. Rebekah tries to grill Damon for info on the white oak.

Mystic Falls 1912 Sheriff Gerald Forbes (Lee Spencer) is worried about the safety of Zachariah Salvatore (Marcus Hester) after a councilman is murdered.  This fate soon befalls him too.

Carol Lockwood (Susan Walters) is worried about the present day sheriff  (Marguerite McIntyre) solving the murders.  Alaric (Matt Davis) wakes behind bars and he's a suspect.  Meredith (Torrey DeVitto) thinks he could have stabbed himself.  Only he believe she's being framed.  Damon (Ian Somerhalder) resolves to find out what happened and the sheriff suggests his involvement could just make things worse.

Matt (Zach Roerig) has talked to Bonnie, and Abby has decided to become a vampire and she doesn't blame Elena (Nina Dobrev) who disagrees.  All this was to save her life and it's her fault.  It almost always is about Elena and that won't really change.  Damon thinks he should "rip out Dr False accusations throat or tongue."  Elena wants him to show some compassion towards Abby.  "Should I send Lasagne?" She warns if he "keeps pushing people away he'll end up alone."

Damon: "You hate me the world is back on its axis."  Damon returns home to read one of Stefan's (Paul Wesley) journals and comments they could "activate our Wonder Twin power."  He wants to bond as brothers.  Damon recalls 1912 when Mystic Falls also had a serial killer.

Stefan was Zachariah's nephew as he speaks with Samantha Gilbert (Lindsay R Garrett) and Mariana Lockwood (Hannah Fierman).  No one is discussing Zachariah's death.  Samantha says he was murdered.  Damon arrives, "Have you been eating the relatives again?" he asks Stefan. The brothers haven't seen each other in 50 years.  Stefan turned him into a vampire and he's been spending time drinking peoples' blood.  Stefan has missed Damon.

Present day:  Stefan thinks Damon's bored and he agrees to help Damon solves the murders. Rebekah (Claire Holt) grills Carol about the tree records.  Carol assumes they were probably cut down as as the Salvatore's owned the logging mills.  Damon: "She-Devil 9 O' clock!"  That look Damon gives Rebekah was either enough to send shivers down someone's back but not in a cold way, rather seductively actually!  Damon comments Bill and Brian were all on the Founders Council.

Alaric doesn't have a motive for the killings and he spoke with Meredith for over an hour on that night, though he doesn't recall the conversation since he was drinking.  He doesn't have an alibi for Bill's murder.  Damon refers to Rebekah as "Blondie Bex" and if she wants more sex then she should just ask.  Stefan ponders the possibility a vampire could be behind the killings.  Damon thought it could be Stefan.  Charming!  There wasn't any other vampire around then.

Sage (Cassidy Freeman) was around in 1912. She was a boxer.  Flash to Stefan being able to show Damon how to survive without human blood.  He can't lecture Damon anymore.  Back in the present, Rebekah says she knew Sage and then Stefan suspects it could be Sage behind the killings.

Elena defends Alaric and Meredith questions what Elena knows about him - that Isobel got  a restraining order against him twice.  Elena dates vampires so she shouldn't be shocked Alaric is a murderer.  Damon then calls Rebekah "Lushy Pants" and that she's not invited to join their conversation.  Elena and Zach break into Meredith's apartment, since she'll have a skeleton in her closet.  She's got files on Brian, Bill and Alaric.

Damon doesn't believe Meredith could be a killer as she couldn't stab three men, but Rebekah says she could.  Stefan doesn't kill human beings anymore and Damon hated how Stefan used to be all self-righteous.  Damon reads from Stefan's journal and how he wrote about Damon continuing to waste his life.

1912  Damon doesn't want fun as the woman he loves has been entombed for 100 years.  Sage tells him his technique is all wrong, "bad vampire."  Women are for pleasure.  Damon's spoken for. He should relish the pleasure of being a vampire and look for the women who are buttoned up. They secretly crave seduction.  Damon's a vampire and it's all his for the taking.

Sage was obsessed with Finn over 900 years ago.  Damon wants Stefan to admit he wants to eat the staff.  Meredith has the Gilbert journal.  A letter from the Coroner's office states the TOD was wrong and Meredith returns home to catch them both hiding in her closet.  The sheriff already has the letter and has apologized for accusing Alaric.

Damon talks of Stefan's "eternally guilty conscience."  He's stubborn  and has opted for a life without drinking blood.  Rebekah offers to help Damon, as he feeds on a random woman.  Stefan stops him. It was just to lure Stefan and Damon's version of tough love.  He threatens to let Rebekah lose on the woman unless Stefan feeds.  Damon tells him he let blood control him and he must fight it.  Stefan feeds ravenously.  Damon wants Rebekah gone and Elena and Matt catch Stefan in the act.  Damon refers to Stefan's actions as an "experiment."

Matt doesn't see why Elena  has a "thing" with them.  After her parents died she wanted to feel safe and being with Stefan felt this way.  He'd always love her and never die like her parents.  As for Damon, he "snuck up on me." He gets under Elena's skin.  Matt comments once you're in love he doesn't know if you can "ever shake 'em."  Then he and Elena have a moment of closeness. Obviously he's talking about their past relationship.  Matt stole the journal for Elena.  He's "invisible in a town of vampires," being human.

Damon believes Stefan did fine and Elena will understand.  He's not bothered with what she thinks but why does Damon care?   He thinks he's getting Elena to hate Stefan so he can go back to hating him. Damon's trying to help.  Last time Damon tried to help in 1912, he convinced him to drink human blood.  Sage reminded Damon it was worth it to drink human blood and Stefan picks out a woman.  Stefan drinks and can't stop, eventually killing her.  Stefan then became the "Ripper of Monterrey."

Damon watched Stefan go over the edge back then and didn't stop him.  Stefan doesn't think Damon could have stopped him.  Damon didn't want to, now he does cos he's the only one he has left.  Alaric doesn't want Elena to get into trouble for him.  She has to since there's no one else around to get into trouble for.

Samantha was as crazy as Jonathan Gilbert.  Stefan found the archives from 1900 and a confession ten years later.  Samantha was locked up in an asylum and her trail ends.  Damon had killed her.  Meredith forged the Coroner's letter to clear Alaric's name, that was apparent.  The sheriff was easily fooled.  The journal had extracts of "not feeling like myself" and "losing time." Stefan wonders if Samantha is still alive since she was a Gilbert and had a ring.

Alaric had black outs, his weapons were used in the murders.  Meredith asks, "How many times can you die before it changes you?"  The same thing happened a hundred years ago.  Elena hated to say it but Meredith was right.  Samantha had a ring and she was the one who killed Zachariah and the others back in 1912.

Great twist the way they had us going as Meredith being the killer.  Turned out to be Alaric.  Talk about heading head first into murky depths.  Never pegged Alaric as the killer, though there were obvious signs, like his weapons and not being able to recall.  The clues were there, especially since no one knows the effect of using the ring so many times.  So what now with Jeremy (Steven R McQueen)?  He's used it once only and they have to let him keep it, as Elena sent him away to be safe.  Also good to see Damon made the same discovery about Alaric at the same time too.

Damon's and Stefan's flash to 1912, where Damon was going to teach him how to live without human blood was so reflective of today.  Here Damon enticed Stefan with human blood in order to help him control it.  Trust Elena to appear when she did.  Caught in the act. If ever that phrase was so relevant, it's here.  Damon didn't want to know Stefan back in 1912 and he didn't want to help him either as he walked away .

This now changed dramatically as Damon wants to help.  Would've thought that would have still been the case back in 1912; seeing as Katherine was entombed.  also the parallels here between Elena saying she didn't want to be alone and that's why she felt safe with Stefan; then telling Damon he'll end up alone if he keeps pushing people away.

Stefan's journals transported us back to season 1 of the show.  As well as Matt wanting to know why Elena got involved with Stefan and Damon to begin with.  Didn't expect her reply to have been so enlightening and also selfish in a way.  Stefan would always be around, even when she would eventually grow old and would leave him alone, just as she lost her parents.

The reveal that Alaric's ring was the cause of his changing personality, whilst interesting, as it drew parallels to Samantha Gilbert (Elena's cousin) who suffered the same fate as him by using the ring many times over.  Still has along way to go in terms of storyline.  What is interesting is that the ring is a Gilbert family heirloom and Alaric kind of 'inherited' the ring as he married into the family and as such is now left to face this consequence.  Seems like a Gilbert family curse in that wearing the ring ensures life, but at the same time, it takes away the user's faculties.  Wonder if Jeremy will endure the same fate.

One thing I didn't like was how Alaric was introduced as having a tainted past.  A violent one too. This was probably just introduced as adding some sort of weight to the mix of Alaric being someone of questionable character and predisposed to violent tendencies.  (Think they're mistaking him for Damon, ha.)  This isn't the case shown by the love he has for Elena and Jeremy. Hey the guy even likes Damon, now that's saying something about the man.

Stefan's flashback's were amazing and I know the Vic's head falling from her body could be viewed as a funny moment in a macabre way. Yet the desperation in Stefan trying to piece it back to her body was sad.  Illustrating how the frenzy he showed here was going to turn him into a killing machine and earn the name of "Ripper."