Without A Trace 3.17 "Lone Star" Review

 Estate agent Lance Hamilton (Lochlyn Monroe) gets a visit from a woman as he’s showing a house and disappears.

21 Hours Missing

Martin (Eric Close) tells Danny (Enrique Murciano) he’s Lance Hamilton, 32 from El Paso, Texas and relocated 10 years ago to New York.  He works for Windsor Shore.  Danny wonders who’d hang cattle horns in their house.  Martin comments he may be "trying to compensate for something.”  Danny finds lipstick on a wine glass.  Martin finds a piece of a shirt cuff with blood in the fireplace.

22 Hours Missing

His secretary tells Viv (Marianne Jean-Baptiste) and Sam (Poppy Montgomery) that Lance didn’t check in with her so she called around.  She doesn’t recognize the woman Lance met with in the sketch.  Sam asks her about his personal life.  She recalls a woman came to see him a few days ago.  Lance tells her she’ll spoil everything and doesn’t want her here.  She wore a wedding ring.  She hasn’t seen her before either.  Viv asks for his files.  Sam comments he’s probably got problems with most women.

Danny finds out he sells houses in pairs and sold some to a James Fusco, aka Jimmy the Tooth (Jon Polito).  He’s on the white collar watch list and has been in trouble for money laundering, etc.  On the day of the disappearance Jimmy called Lance seven times within 4 hours.  He tells Jack (Anthony LaPaglia) he wanted to buy another house because his wife is picky.  He was meant to see another place yesterday but he didn’t show up so he went to Lance’s house.  There he saw a woman catching a cab.  When he walked in he saw him burning clothes in the fireplace.  Lance denied anything was wrong.  He identifies one of the women in the 2 sketches.

Martin checks the records of Lance’s female clients.  Danny tells him the Tox report on the blood was HIV positive but it wasn’t his.  Martin calls up a hit on the other woman in the sketch who brought commercial property 6 months ago on Riverdale: Valerie Serbanesco (Alexia Landeau).

26 Hours Missing

Danny and Martin visit the property and Martin asks for Valerie.  Danny asks if she’s available and stops Martin from showing his badge.  Valerie brings out the girls and they flash their FBI badges.  Ooh.

27 Hours Missing

All the girls were kept in locked rooms.  Danny finds their passports locked away too and says there was no way out for them.  Jack comments on the sort of life they didn’t come here for.  They think Lance runs the place and are afraid of him.  One girl tells them she had to pay to come to the US and do what she does.  They do this to pay for coming here.  Lance paid $40,000, that’s $5,000 for each girl.  They were told they’d be here for 3-6 months but no one leaves.  Ariana (Sarah Demeestere) couldn’t run away as they threatened to kill them and their families.  They caught one trying and was beaten up as an example: Nadia (Katerina Mikailenko) is missing since the night before last.

Danny tells Jack they’ll have to inform the INS.  Jack tells him they can’t be deported.  Danny comments he’s bothered about Lance being a real estate agent.  Viv informs Jack of a woman boarding a flight at JFK with a gun heading for Texas.

29 Hours Missing

The woman is Beth Norwood (Bridget Flanery) and she tells Jack she forgot to declare the gun.  She wasn’t on a return flight.  Her husband gave her the gun: Lance.  She has a contact if there were any problems.  His name is Lance Norwood and he’s an undercover policeman from Nassau County PD.  He called her the other night drunk and told her to leave.  There was blood on his shirt.  He gave her the gun.

31 Hours Missing

They found out there was money laundering going on through real estate.  (Alex Sol) Pelosi ran a brothel with Jimmy, who got into the flesh trade.  Lance hated what he saw and talked Pelosi into buying better properties so he’d get better clientel: lawyers, bankers etc.  Martin mentions Nadia and they tell him Lance brought her in a few nights ago.  She told them about the teacher who recruited her in Romania.  They had to send her back in because they needed the number one man.  It would take them at least another 3 weeks.  Lance told them she was 15 and only a child.  Martin tells them she was beaten up.

Beth doesn’t know Pelosi.  Jack tells her about the girls and trafficking.  She met Lance at the pier and he told her he had to do this. Sam catches Viv fixing her heart monitor.  She asks her not to tell anyone yet, “even Martin.”  She gets a call; Olivia (Audery Wasilewski) rented a 12 seater van.

32 Hours Missing

Olivia says Lance called a few hours after they left and told her to take the money from his boots.  He collected the van.  Viv and Sam find Nadia in the boot of Lance’s car dead with a note: THREE MORE WEEKS and his badge.  Martin thinks he’s not waiting around for the police.  Sam says the blood is HIV positive and belongs to Nadia.  The car belongs to Valerie.

Valerie wants witness protection.  The day after Nadia escaped, a friend of Pelosi’s was arrested, he thought someone had been talking so Valerie suggested it was Nadia.  He was at one of his warehouses in Queens, she called Lance but it was too late.  They found Nadia.  Lance was angry and told her he was a policeman.  Danny asks her what he meant when he said he’d take care of it.  She tells them about his lawyer friend.

Jack and Viv question Pelosi.  Viv rings up charges of child endangerment, exploitation and violation of  the White Slave Traffic Act.  Jack tells him he killed and tortured a 15 year old girl and they have evidence he killed a policeman.  He tells them he saw Lance a few hours ago.  He drove up in a van with a gun and took the girls.

Danny finds the lawyer, Wayne Aguliera (John Gallucci) an immigration lawyer.  He was at the University of El Paso with Lance.  He contacted the judge for 6 emergency T Visas.  Viv and Jack question Aguilera who tells them Lance had nowhere else to go and said he had to leave town.  He gave him money.  Jack comments he wouldn’t leave without his wife and takes Beth to him at the pier.  Jack tells him he found the car.  Lance says he saw them with the other girls.  They’re getting T Visas and Pelosi will talk.  Jack shakes his hand.

Danny and Martin make small talk about each other and Danny mentions Martin and Sam when no one’s told anyone there’s trouble in paradise.
Danny: “What have we got other than a little South Western flair?”
Danny: “I see you and Sam in a place just like this.  I do.  Barbecuing out back with the kids.  Uncle Danny coming over to shoot some hoops.”
Martin: “I’ve seen your hoop shot – you’d better start working on it now.”
Danny: “I’m unstoppable.”  Maybe someone should remind Martin in the season 2 opener Sam said she didn’t want kids.

Danny: “He’s not married because no woman would allow that.”  Well if she was from Texas she would, probably.  With his comment about the horns he must have angered a whole lot of red necks out there; he was married after all.

Danny: “We’ve got lipstick.”  Of course he would find that!
Danny: “Looks like somebody messed with Texas”
So Danny and Martin have been playing basketball together.

A much covered subject: slave trade from Eastern Europe, also covered in the season 3 episode of CSI:Miami where the girls also had their passports taken and locked away and in The Closer where the girls thought they’d become nannies.  As well as CSI:NY and just about every other show around.

It appears Viv also knows about Martin and Sam so despite Sam's objections to everyone finding out wonder if she told her or whether Viv found out like Danny and Jack did.

Sam: “Sounds like he’s got himself into some kind of a love triangle.”
Jack: “That’ll get you into trouble everytime.”  Jack and Sam always end up commenting on the subject of love, especially when it’s so close to home for both of them.

Danny and Martin sharing some more amusing moments: Martin: “It’s about time …I saved you half….I was talking about the stack of files.”
Danny: “D’ya mind?”  Funny Martin eating a sandwich and not his obligatory fix of junk food.  Danny eating for the second time this season.

If the police department had Pelose under surveillance why wasn’t he followed when he picked the girls up and when Lance turned up?

Danny:  she’s “directly responsible or she knows who did it.”  He was right she was responsible for Nadia getting killed to save herself and she knew who did it.  He usually gets the case breaking lines like asking what Lance meant when he said he’d take care of it.

Olivia called the FBI when Lance disappeared and not the police.  As for searching his office how come no one thought to look in the boots.

At least Viv was consistent and commented on the legal violations as she did in season 2 episodes too.  Strange how Danny mentioned calling the INS to Jack, maybe he thought this was the last thing on Jack’s mind and so he had to mention it.
Lance had blood on his face and part of his mouth too only no one thought of mentioning she was HIV positive to him.
Good to see Martin having to follow Danny’s lead this time re flashing! Badges.  Sam and Jack hardly getting soaked in the rain.

Twitter @mila255h

Desperate Housewives 8.20 "Lost My Power" Review

Mary Alice: "When it came to her divorce, Lynette Scavo (Felicity Huffman) was determined to make things go smoothly...and when Tom left something important behind, she bought it to him...after years of fighting had left her nowhere Lynette decided to take the high road."  Greg (Reed Diamond) tells Lynette Tom (Doug Savant) is an idiot for letting her go and asks her out.  She's the woman most men are looking for.

Mary Alice (Brenda Strong) "Lynette had tried hard to take the high road in her divorce but sometimes the low road was easier to find."

Mary Alice: "Carlos Solis (Richardo Antonio Chavira) was used to sitting in a position of power...the head of  a power lunch, helm of a powerful company.  Now Carlos Solis started a new career he suddenly found himself in a much humbler place."  Gaby (Eva Longoria) visits his new place of work and tells him all he needs is a "yellow tape and a noose and you're ready to entertain."  She has to get to work early and she's earned $12 already listening to him tell her he makes $12.  She doesn't care about his "meaningful work."

MJ (Mason Vale Cotton) is down cos he can't enter the father/son soapbox derby and Susan (Teri Hatcher) decides to build him one.  Trip (Scott Bakula) tells Bree (Marcia Cross) there are too many cases where the wrong person has been convicted, but she'll be fine for the pre-trial hearing.  All she has to do is look classy and innocent.  His success rate is impressive.  He tells her about a prostitute he got off and she comments that defending a prostitute is terrible. To her "sex is sacred."  That's why she was engaging in so much of it with complete strangers!  Then she's shocked when he tells her he's anti-gun. She has guns.  Trip asks if she "coordinates your firearms with your shoes."  They do have one thing in common, they both agree the salad "sucks."  But Bree doesn't agree with the language he uses.

Gaby dismisses with an old lady at the store, she's looking for personal shopper.  Before she hears about her rich husband, William Hammond and wants to help her now.  Gaby went into the library once for directions.  Gaby takes the cape back from the other shopper.  Renee (Vanessa Williams) plans her wedding.  Ben (Charles Mesure) receives a subpoena to appear as a witness and Renee doesn't think it can be a coincidence, re the Db found at the construction site.  He can't keep a secret about a murder and she will walk if he does.  Her first husband kept secrets and it ended their marriage.

Gaby invites Doris (Doris Roberts) to dinner and Carlos knows it's just to make money off her.  Carlos and Doris discuss philanthropy and Carlos may get money for the centre.  Not if Gaby can help it.  Lynette wants to save the discussion of Jane (Andrea Parker) and Tom's attraction to another night and Greg will make Tom work the weekend.  Lynette tells Susan Tom can help with the car, it's okay to ask for help..

At the per-trail hearing DA Stone (Christina Chang) brings up a list with the men Bree brought home from the bar. She didn't tell Trip about the list.  Bree never met Sanchez but had her print on his shirt button.  He calls Bree "a champion of conservative values."  He needs the truth, who and when.  Bree "can't talk about this with you."   Doris returns the clothes as she wants to help Carlos.  Her husband used to say "those that do well, also need to do good."  Gaby is angry over her commission, Carlos has taken her golden goose.

MJ pushes the car in the road and it's run over by a truck.  He's treated differently at school as he doesn't have a father and it will be worse at the father/son derby.  He wants his father.  Greg told Tom about Lynette and he finds it awkward.  Lynette isn't embarrassing him like he kissed Jane at the office  Penny (Darcy Rose Byrnes) asks for chocolate and in return she'll tell Lynette about Jane losing her temper cos Tom hasn't filed the divorce papers.  Ben loves Renee but if he tells her what's happened she'll get dragged into it and the secret is to protect her.  She brings up spousal privilege and once they're married he'll have to tell her.

Trip turns up at Bree's and comments she's alive cos she's not answering her phone.  He doesn't judge people, he defends them.  He knows everything but she has to tell him to his face and "own this part of your life."  Trip tells her his sexual secrets.  Bree replies men aren't embarrassed by their conquests.  He had sex at 24 and he wasn't good.  Also mentions his enlarged prostate, which E4 cut out from the afternoon showings for some reason.  Bree was in a dark, lonely place, in pain and drinking.  Bree was so drunk she forgot everything.

Gaby asks if her hotshot lawyer didn't object along the lines of "you can't handle the truth."  The worst thing for her was the look on Trip's face.  She believes in him.  Gaby says she has a crush one her lawyer.  Susan says she's smitten and Lynette mentions his dreamy blue eyes.  Bree corrects her, they're green with a hint of brown.  Yes Scott does have dreamy green coloured eyes!!  Susan adds how we fall for men who rescue us.

Gaby has done up Carlos's office so Doris doesn't give him any money.  Ben, Tom, Lee (Kevin Rahm) Bob (Tuc Watkins) help build a car for MJ.  Greg says Tom and Jane will fight when Tom has to work late and he's thinking about transferring him to the Mumbai office for a year.  Carlos said Doris thought them both nuts.  Gaby calls him a shark, it's in his nature to go after something.

Mary Alice: "It isn't easy giving up power. Admitting that we might need help from our friends and neighbours, deciding that a loved one might know what's best for us.  Giving up our better judgement for a slightly darker agenda.  But for some the hardest kind of power to give up is the power to control their own desires.  Trip invites Bree to dinner and she accepts.  As she would, well who could resist.  Bree's storyline was what made this episode interesting, especially since it sets up the finale.  Always great watching Scott in anything cos he's always so good.

 Lynette and Tom were just repeating themselves and their own history in just splitting up and really wanting each other. As was Gaby and Carlos's story, a repetition.  Gaby becoming money hungry like Carlos used to be, well she did always want money and it was kind of poetic justice that in the end, neither one of them got any of Doris's money. So much for their bickering.  The same with be and Renee and how could she have backed off without putting up more of a fight for him to open up to her, she was just repeating the same mistake in her first marriage.

Th episode title is from Stephen Sondheim musical Into The Woods, from a lyric in the song Ever After.  Maybe the title refers to 'lost the plot' as this ep had some highs and lows.

Twitter @mila255h

CSI:Miami 10.19 "Habeas Corpse" Review

                                       
The episode opens with Ryan (Jonathan Togo) regaining consciousness after what appears to be a fight.  He struggles to move.  He appears to have a flashback to everyone at the bar with Delko (Adam Rodriguez) mentioning how tough it's going to be to get the State's Attorney and Walter (Omar Miller) is also there, along with Natalia (Eva La Rue) who blames everything on Sam (Taylor Cole) she still isn't convinced that Sam is entirely innocent (and neither was I.)  Sam overhears her conversation and Natalia tells her she's said her piece.  Sam calls her a 'bitch', ooh steady on, think the shoe will be on the other foot, literally by episode's end! and leaves after Ryan does the same.  Sam warns him against going after Josh (Ryan McPartlin).  Well that was only cos she was somehow involved.

Ryan notices Josh lying on the floor but he is dead. Then pulls a small object out  of his own hand, before calling Horatio (David Caruso) for help.  At the lab, Natalia is frustrated that Ryan was only there cos of Sam and Delko processes him and notices a burn on his hand.  Ryan got that when he ran into the lamp, he says.  Then Ryan was knocked out.  Horatio notices blood trace on Ryan's jacket.  Ryan attempts to convince Horatio he didn't do it. Suppose Horatio had doubts about him, well that was rich coming from Horatio after everything he's been up to this season and last.  He was being judgemental about Ryan and the evidence wasn't even in yet.  Natalia can't bear to watch Ryan being treated in this way and mentions the one person who could testify against Sam messing with the evidence is dead and leaves.

Walter processes the CS along with ME Tom (Christian Clemenson)nwho examines the DB, Josh was hit with a bottle.  Walter also notices blood spatter on a pillar in the apartment and ME Tom tells him to string it, which he refuses, that's Calleigh's  (Emily Proctor) job.  Calleigh is having her interview with the adoption people about adopting Austin (Ty Panitz) and his sister. They ask about her work and the phone rings.  She has to get to work and asks for a reschedule.

Calleigh strings the CS and finds the blood spatter on the floor is there as the killer swung the bottle away after hitting him.  Notice in the flashback of Josh getting hit with the bottle, the assailant is shown masked and dressed in black, normally CSI:Miami used to show articles of clothing similar to what the actual killer was wearing.  Here they didn't show Sam's orange blouse.  That would have been too easy.   Horatio arrives with Ryan's jacket in an evidence bag and finds there's a void between the blood spatter on the floor, showing Ryan was lying there and was already unconscious when Josh was killed.

Ryan is cleared and joins Walter at the CS.  Walter tells him next time he wants to go rogue, he should give a brother a call for back up.  Ryan is grateful Walter had his back.  They don't find Josh's phone and Ryan calls the number, it vibrates and Walter notices it react like a transmitter.  Ryan checks the landline which is bugged.  Dave (Wes Ramsey) checks the bug and finds it belongs to them.  A CSI checked it out.  Horatio confronts Sam who tells him she planted the bug and left. She wanted to get Josh and take him down.  Horatio removes her from the case and in his anger he throws the equipment off the bench.  Horatio later has a plaster on his right wrist, probably a result of this reaction.

Ryan thinks Vogel (Malcolm McDowell) bugged his phone.  Horatio calls him and he says the bug was concealed without a warrant so he can't use the results of it, which was Josh on the phone to Vogel.  Calleigh tells Delko she thinks she'll lose the children to another couple there and he tells her not to worry, they'll choose her.  Thought they'd talk about themselves there but alas no.  Delko gets a hit on a conversation between Vogel and Josh, it's an illegal wire tap and so can't use it.  Vogel tells them Josh wasn't one of his direct clients.

Sam is frustrated too and Ryan asks her if she can tell him anything about Josh as she's been dating him for two years.  He wants to help her and believes in her.  That was just his crush talking. She recalls he had a boat she never went on and they argued over it.  Natalia and Tripp (Rex Linn) check the boat out but shots are fired before they get to it.  Natalia shoots the shooter and inside she finds drugs.  Ryan and Delko check the drugs, which is meth and their composition leads to an Eddie Coster (Jamie Harris) who was one of Vogels' clients and never convicted.

Coster is brought in and tells them he made a deal and the police took his drugs.  He doesn't have any of them so he hasn't made a profit on them.  Delko goes to the adoption agency and tells them about Calleigh and working with her for ten years.  It was actually less than ten, not forgetting he wasn't around full time in season 8 and wasn't working at Miami-Dade per se.   Ryan and Walter check the drugs in evidence and Ryan notices the bag move.  He tells Walter to check it out but he declines.  Ryan tests the drugs which don't test positive for meth.  He says it's flour, so someone replaced the drugs.  The flour has weevils in it.  Josh probably replaced the drugs.  Walter goes for the file and finds Sam checked the drugs in.

Sam goes AWOL and can't be found.  Coster has her hostage inn a car along with Vogel.  A chase ensues and Sam drives the car over the edge of the road.  She's injured, as is Vogel and she tells Ryan she broke her ankle.  He takes her shoes and finds a piece of glass wedged on the bottom.  See shoe on other foot. Analyzing the glass, it matches the bottle and also the chard he removed from his hand.  Sam was there on the night of the killing.

He visits her in hospital and tells her his findings.  She warned him to stay away and turned up when Ryan was unconscious.  She hit Josh with the bottle and left.  Ryan is angry she left him there and repeats it a few times.  Yeah she could have called it in.  As a CSI she was useless, why didn't she check her shoes and herself for any evidence and she wore the same shoes!  Not to mention she had the same clothes on.  Ryan defended her and she just left him.

                                                     

Calleigh's adoption is approved and she sends a photo to Delko and calls him, again we don't see them getting back together but it's open for them to do this somewhere down the line.  She thanks him for speaking on her behalf.  He joins the others at the bar who funnily lament and joke about Ryan not having any luck with women.  ME Tom is also there, which was a nice touch since he's part of the team now.  He shows them a photo of a woman, Lulu he met online in a science chat room and they're all a bit jealous of him.  So after all that we find he has a girl and none of the others do.  Also Natalia doesn't have a man in her life either.

Natalia tells Ryan he'll do okay as he's good looking and nice and he replies he'll take her on the table right now!  Natalia suggests the Hummer and they all laugh.   So there's no longer any chemistry between the two, as you'll recall both Ryan and Delko also wanted Natalia earlier on when she arrived at the lab. Ryan says he's got hair, no offence to Tripp and they all joke.  Horatio arrives to join them for a drink and Delko won the bet saying he would turn up.  Then tells Ryan he won't be alone as they're a family, much the same thing he said about Calleigh to the adoption agency.  Horatio will have a drink if Ryan's buying.

So seems Horatio et al were left to carry on fighting crime, even after all of Horatio's indiscretions. A shame they didn't have time for Rick Stetler to turn up as the one behind this and working with Vogel to bring down the lab and Horatio.  That would have been an interesting touch.  Always wanted to see something like that.  Makes me wonder if Rick had Vogel for an attorney would he have gotten off too, ha.

So ends CSI:Miami, think they could have done better as a final episode and Calleigh hardly did anything, just strung the CS.  She was more concerned with the adoption and she wasn't in the final scene with the others.  It's amazing that Horatio would even suspect Ryan was involved especially since he's been in that position more than once and was always cleared or had an explanation for his actions.  Surely after everything Horatio has done to suspects he couldn't really think that Ryan would do something illegal.

Glad Horatio did tell Sam to leave as she was compromising the lab, that was the best thing he did all season!  Never liked Sam and always suspected she was a bit of a loose cannon.  Natalia also felt the same and her reasons for not liking her were justified in the end.  Walter didn't have much to say about her particularly since he was the one who knew her better than the others. They worked together on the nightshift.  Which seemed to have been forgotten or not alluded to.

Seems Ryan didn't get the girl after all, he should have got his bracelet back at least!

Twitter @mila255h

Merlin 5.8 "The Hollow Queen" Review

Gwen (Angel Coulby) is out with some knights and they come across a boy who she helps to 'rescue' cos apparently he's one of Morgana's lackeys. He was out looking for frogs under the full moon, which Gwen says she used to do too.  Though why was Gwen out at night again?  For someone who didn't venture out much when she became queen, it's a little strange she has places to go now and things to do.  She returns to find Arthur (Bradley James) in romantic mood and has made up the bed along with flowers sprawled across it.  No doubt it was Merlin (Colin Morgan) who had to do all the romantic gestures and the work!!  Merlin leaves.

The boy uses the key to gain access to Camelot and then returns the key above the gate where it's located.  Kind of reminded me of Hitchcock's Dial M For Murder, where the murderer came in the door and returned the the key under the stair carpet after he'd opened it.  Anyway he finds Merlin and wants him to help heal his sister who is suffering from sweating sickness.  Yeah a bit of a sweat breaking into Camelot.  Again it's obvious there is no sister and Merlin, Arthur's trusty, overworked and under appreciated servant and friend is being lured away so Gwen and Morgana can engage in some more nefarious activities.

Merlin tells him he's not a physician, only Gaius (Richard Wilson) can help, but he agrees anyway.  Merlin thinks he's a Druid and so can't refuse to help.  Arthur prepares to meet with Sarrum of Amata and to sign a peace treaty with him since he's an enemy of Morgana (Katie McGrath).  But he's peeved Merlin isn't around, he needs him to dress him you know!  Before that he can't find his comb and he and Gwen again share another scene together.  Let's see now, if we analyze this scene, before she was under Morgana's spell Gwen was hardly amorous with Arthur and now she is bewitched, she's all over him like a bad egg, ha.

Arthur asks Gaius about Merlin who makes an excuse he's collecting rare herbs.  Of course I knew the tavern line would rear its head again and Arthur assumes that's where Merlin is and Gaius is covering for him.  Gaius has to help Arthur dress and he gives him Gwen's nightdress instead of his shirt!  When Gaius said it's too small, you can just hear Merlin's voice echoing a joke about Arthur putting on weight, as in the past.

Daegal (Alfie Stewart) leads Merlin on a merry dance through the woods until he reaches Morgana and she surprises him with her magic, well poor Merlin doesn't see it coming and then pours poison down Merlin's throat.  Wanting him to slowly suffer.  Then pushes him off the ledge.  Oh would've thought Merlin would have been prepared for any ambush since he doesn't see his sister at the spot.

Sarrum (James Shrapnel) arrives and at dinner, Arthur talks of Morgana and Sarrum reveals how he caught Morgana.  So it's finally revealed that he was the one who captured her and Aithusa; keeping her captive without her resorting to 'sorcery' cos he threatened the dragon.  The dragon grew in a cramped space and it was agony for him, his cries were worse than those of Morgana, so he grew twisted.  She escaped after a momentary lapse on his part. That was a bit difficult to believe, she's a high priestess with so much power, wouldn't he have taken as many precautions as possible.  Gwen sits there listening to every word and you can just see the anger boiling in her. She excuses herself to retire early.

Then she traipses off to meet with Morgana again in another rendezvous in the dark, in another scene  reminiscent of Morgana and Morgause.  She wants Arthur to be killed by Sarrum and Gwen can persuade him to do the deed.  She can then rule over Camelot with the knights behind her (already discussed last episode) so it was unnecessary to do that again since we know Gwen already has the knights on side.  Also it's surprising that Morgana comes up with this plan again to kill Arthur when it backfired last episode.  This time round choosing to poison Merlin instead of Arthur.

Sarrum has his best swordsman fight with Arthur and he manages to beat him.  With Gwen watching.  Gwen then approaches Sarrum with the proposition of killing Arthur for her and she will give him a third of Camelot.  Sarrum sees this as an opportunity to take over Camelot for himself with Arthur dead, since the servant girl is no powerful queen.  Daegal returns to help Merlin who can't move and asks Merlin what he can do to help.  Merlin mentions herbs to form a tincture which he drinks.

Gaius is worried about Merlin and conveys this to Gwen, she thinks he's fine and they can't send out a search party since Sarrum is dangerous and everyone is needed here.  This time round Gwen helps Arthur dress probably cos she thinks this time will be the end of him for good.  Gaius once again expresses his worry for Merlin and this time Gwen makes up a story about him going to see a girl, which is news to Arthur, he's more concerned about the girl than Merlin.  Merlin must get to Arthur as he manages to convince Daegal to tell him Morgana's plans.  She paid him, he has no sister but his mother had magic just like Merlin and Uther had her killed.

Merlin arrives at Camelot as Arthur and Sarrum are about to sign the treaty and finds one of the doors ajar, which isn't meant to be.  Upstairs he finds the assassin, Albin (Matthew Clancy) reminded me of Jason Statham! with a crossbow and finally manages to defeat him with magic.  The crossbow hits not only the assassin but the weapon is fired and hits Sarrum too.   So much for his plans of conquest.  Just as well really, Arthur couldn't really trust someone who was willing to stab him in the back,no pun.  Daegal is also fatally injured in the crossfire and Merlin doesn't or can't use his magic to save him, again, so what's the point of it.  Of course he had to die, which is what I said since he knew Merlin has magic.  Can't have too many people running around with this knowledge.

Arthur is grateful to Daegal and ensures he has a proper burial.  Also he asks Merlin about his girl which has Gwen face pulling, again confirming to Merlin that she's not herself.  Merlin tells Gaius they have to act and make sure they out Gwen.  Hopefully this will happen next episode as this is being dragged out now, just as the case with Morgana when Merlin and Gaius couldn't tell Arthur about her.  Seems like he will tell Arthur about Gwen.

Though Merlin looks as if he's about to shed a tear for Daegal when he dies, asking if he did good, this doesn't happen.  He's more concerned about Arthur and Gwen.  Once again though he tells Daegal he hopes Arthur will one day allow magic to return to the land and this time we don't get any such scenes between Arthur and Merlin.  Instead the focus is more on Gwen and how Morgana has her eating out of her hand still.  The knights didn't have any lines this week, apart from Leon (Rupert Young) and were just meant to stand around and look pretty in their cloaks!

Arthur in a shirtless scene, but not to detract from the main plot that he is now a statesman as Gaius observes. He has to deal with a despot like Sarrum who Gaius also reminds him not only kills men but also tortures women and children.  (Hint there that Morgana is a woman, as well as high priestess who also suffered at his hands.  But no sympathy from us though.) With Morgana wanting Merlin out of the way to get to Arthur, does this mean Gwen knows Merlin has powers too?  If so, she may forget when Morgana's magic spell is reversed or removed, if she's not to know about his magic yet.

Gwen with another smirk when she watches Arthur get beaten, kind of and says to Sarrum, ""I'd be happy if he died tomorrow..."  Yeah that'll happen.  As Morgana bungles one hit on Arthur after another!  Oh the looks passed between Gwen and Merlin, 'if looks could kill.' (Morgana hasn't come up with that one yet) as Gwen thinks she's gotten away with her plotting as she knows Merlin can't say anything to Arthur.

Arthur demanding,"I want Merlin back" cos Gwen does such a rotten job of dressing him, ha.  Morgana not only wanted Merlin to suffer in agony but also Sarrum who inflicted the same on her.  Well if you want something done do it yourself, no wait, Morgana's not capable of that either!  So wonder how Gwen broke the news to Morgana about her plan going awry yet again!  So all the action took place on the balcony but Sarrum and Gwen were the only ones who knew what was happening, didn't catch anyone else's attention then!  Also how did Arthur find out about Sarrum holding Morgana captive as no one else seems to know this?

Twitter @mila255h

The Mentalist 5.4 "Blood Feud" Review

Rigsby (Owain Yeoman) is arrested for a crime and viewers don't get to see what that's for until kind of flashback moments throughout.  He's arrested in front of his son Ben, but one of the agents says they shouldn't handcuff him in front of his son. He then has to answer to La Roche (Pruitt TaylorVince) who is back.  Rigsby's father, Steven (William Forsythe) appears again when he's found shot at a CS at Carson Springs California.  Following the death of a man who had associations with a drug family.

Rigsby and Lisbon (Robin Tunney) are at the hospital and Rigsby must question what his father did, calling him 'dad.'  Though Steven never calls his son by name, only, 'son.'  Yet through all their problems, Rigsby is genuinely concerned about his father's health.  Steven however is more interested in the gender of his grandchild and Rigsby tells him he's a boy.  Then asks if Lisbon is the mother, calling her pretty.  That was a funny moment and also rather  touching in that Rigsby wouldn't have relationship with Lisbon, not only as she's his boss, that agents can't date fellow agents, but that he's already gone down that route before with Van Pelt (Amanda Righetti).  He replies she's his boss.  Lisbon persists in her questioning even if Steven continues to evade the subject, even by being crude at one point, where Rigsby has to stop him.  Lisbon tells Rigsby to go home and spend time with Ben.

Lisbon and Patrick (Simon Baker) question Samantha (Daisy Eagen) Andy's business partner and Patrick determines she's holding something back as she didn't react when they told him Andy was involved with criminal Steven.  She replies she doesn't want to be involved.  Andy's father was an Overton and they have been feuding with the Lo Ryders, another gang.  Alluding to Rigsby and how his mother raised him and he became a good guy rather than following in his father's footsteps which is what many children do.

Rigsby tells La Riche Lisbon didn't want him on the case and was told to be cautious.  Cue Rigsby at the diner with Steven as he waits for his girlfriend.  Rigsby comments how Steven isn't going after his shooter cos he doesn't know who he is, if he did he would be doing exactly that.  A bit like Rigsby himself cos he too will think that way, when everyone suspects he will be gunning for revenge.  Steven tells them someone wanted to burn down the barbershop and then asks to see photos of his grandson.  As for the mother, Rigsby replies, "we're split up...the team was working a case, I faked my own death, she got mad, it's complicated."  Steven then keels over and Rigsby tells him to fight, but he dies.

The team express their sympathy, especially Van Pelt and Cho (Tim Kang) goes after him to tell him not to do it. He won't want Ben growing up with his father in jail. Patrick gets out of the lift and tells him the same.   Rigsby's motivation for finding his killer: cos his father would have done the same and killed him for it.  Thus he does believe his father had some feelings for him as a son if he could resort to such measures, him being a criminal aside.

Anyhow, the team pays a visit to Sue Overton (Jeanetta Arnette) and she's reluctant that she was dealing drugs and spits on her own rug.  She runs a dry cleaning business and Patrick comments she can clean her rug.  Then they visit Beltran (Michael Irby) the Lo Ryders leader who tells them she had a gang member killed.  Patrick devises a plan to get both of them talking.  Van Pelt is sent to the gym where she meets with Moss (Max Martini) who is very helpful to her.  He trains former gang members and keeps them out of trouble.  Of course it was immediately apparent he was a suspect and more involved in this, being too nice to Van Pelt for starters.  Anyway, Patrick's plan is to set up this meeting and Moss will be a kind of neutral referee, so to speak.  Overton and Beltran realize he was the one behind the killings so that the gang war would erupt again between the two sides.

Rigsby is also present and he gives chase to Moss, finally catching him up and shooting him.  Which was apparent otherwise he wouldn't be in front of La Roche now.  Patrick now perched in Lisbon's office tells her she's got too much paperwork one her hands.  La Roche frees Rigsby and enters Lisbon's office to tell her Rigsby acted "appropriately and with good judgement."  Then turns to Patrick, "you got away with it."  Patrick had the chance to set up the meeting at a remote place, Moss escaped and Rigsby was there.  Lisbon interjects that he shot at Rigsby first.

Patrick says he's flattered but he can't take the credit.  Yet he did have this cunning plan up his sleeve.  Even if Lisbon tries to unwittingly defend Patrick.  Seems La Roche has gotten to know our Patrick and his games.  Patrick feels "it's better to regret something you did do than something you didn't do."  Oh so sheepish Patrick.  He of course would say that, especially since a few seasons back he told Lisbon he was going to kill Red John and to make him suffer, when she told him he has to bring him in, she will bring him in and he'll have to go through her, cos she'll stop him.  Here he's given Rigsby the revenge Patrick so desperately wants against Red John. An opportunity to avenge his father's killing.  Also Lisbon was right as well, Moss didn't have to run.

Patrick also admits he called Rigsby and Lisbon didn't.  La Roche tells Lisbon her instincts in protecting her team are flawed and I love Patrick's reply here, "Well we all have our flaws here, don't we Agent LaRoche." Referring to the secret Patrick knows about him from Strawberries and Cream.

The scene where Patrick tries to get a slap from Beltran when he does the same to one of his gang, was included by Simon and wasn't written into the script by Jordan Harper.  Rigsby clearly was in some sort of agony after the shooting but it was self defence on his part, not his fault Cho was a little slow in giving chase and it's not in Rigsby's character or nature to take out hardened revenge like that.  Especially since Moss was also begging for a shoot out with his line of not being able to move.  Again it's in contrast to Patrick who is still gunning for revenge for Red John and feels he's helped Rigsby achieve that same goal too for his father.  Even if that's not what his real purpose was.  Moss was after all a ruthless killer and had his plan worked would have led to several more deaths and murders.  It appears in that sense Steven is more alike to Patrick with their sense of doing what's right for family and exacting revenge.

It was a revelation that Rigsby's girlfriend has left him especially after convincing him she was so in love with him and having the baby.  Again I have to ask, my cynical nature, is he really Rigsby's.  Of course once again it leaves the road open for him and Van Pelt to have some sort of a possible relationship, or not.  They clearly still have feelings for one another.

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Scandal 1.5 "Crash and Burn" Review

                                          
The episode where it all crashes and burns.  The gang arrive at Amanda's (Liza Weil) apartment to find she's gone.  Quinn (Katie Lowes) thinks she just left but Huck (Guillermo Diaz) tells her the trash is gone so she's been taken.  They are also being watched a government car.  Olivia (Kerry Washington) asks for help from ASA David Rosen (Joshua Malina) but he can't help her.  Their next case leads them to the field and a plane crash, it's a wonder Quinn managed to make it down with her heels.
Gideon (Brendan Hines) tells Quinn he no longer has a story cos Amanda's missing, her father filed a missing person's report.  Gideon comes and goes so freely now at Pope and Assocs.

The press guy has already allowed the airline to go first at the  press conference where the airline blames the pilot.  They have a meeting with the NTSB who tells them anything they hear they can't record, and any notes them make they can't take out with them and they hear the final conversations.  Everyone makes notes except for Harrison (Columbus Short) who listens with his eyes closed, thought he was recording on his phone.  When later he tells them he has a good ear as he hears the pilot trying to push the rudder down.

Huck examines some CCTV footage from near the apartment and freezes it on someone he knows, someone he used to work with at the Agency.  He later meets with him and he laughs at his name being Huck as in Huck Finn.  He's called Charlie (George Newbern) now and they talk about the past and he was seen on the road near the apartment.  He's Charlie as in Manson.  From this meeting, Huck concludes that Amanda is dead and lets the others know.  Olivia tells the agent in the car across the street she knows what the President (Tony Goldwyn) did and he relays this to him.

At the office, they try to determine if it is pilot error and if the female pilot could have frozen but are stopped by the arrival of her husband, Andrew (Darren Pettie) who corrects them, she couldn't have frozen.  She was sober for twenty years and also a war hero.  Which makes it into the news, about how the pilots had been drinking and the waitress at the bar Abby (Darby Stanchfield) interviews tells her the pilot had been drinking.  One of the stewardesses, Lisa (Leslie Grossman) didn't turn up for work and she tells Abby it was cos her birthday party and the pilot was only there cos of that, but she didn't drink.  Olivia talks at the press conference saying they have a witness to this effect and gives some personal background on her.

The President also gives a press conference on how one of the Vis on the plane, a senator who was sanctioning the bill for illegal immigrants to have an education was a great person.  Their main job now as Cyrus (Jeff Perry)tells him is to ensure the D.R.E.A.M Act passes.   So the President calls people, getting them on side, and it finally comes down to a tie.  He has to call upon the Vice President, Sally Langston (Kate Burton) the right wing, church-going female who has ambitions of becoming president herself one day.  She's against the Act but he talks her round after telling her every Vic President who ran for President had the backing of the President.  He claims he's back.

The Pres calls Olivia on the private line and informs her it wasn't him who killed Amanda, she knows him and it wasn't him.  She replies "murder is murde" and thinks it was Cyrus cos he let him off his leash.  He wants to see her face to face, "Livvie..." but she's not falling for that one.  Then again Mellie (Bellamy Young) is really shifty, calling the Secret Service Agents over and asking if they'd take a bullet for him.  She definitely knows more than she's letting on and I have a sneaky suspicion she is involved...Amanda's father hank (Grahan Beckel) shows up and Quinn promises they'll do what they can to find her.  Olivia riles her, they do not make promises, especially when Amanda is dead.  Only they can't tell her father as they don't have her body.  Oh and where exactly was Quinn when Huck told the others?  Sneaking off somewhere herself.  She's a bit of a dark horse, also why is she in the show anyway?

The President tells Cyrus about Amanda and he's quite thrilled at the news, he's sad at the deaths in the planecrash and at US troops being killed, but not at that news.  Olivia asks Huck to revisit his past and find Amanda's body.  Thus he engages he what the CIA taught him to do, torture Charlie until he gives up the info.   Huck was also tortured by the CIA when he lost the plot and he was homeless when Olivia found him, so he owes her.  They find her body in the river and it's being ruled a suicide.  Rosen wants to know what Olivia knows about the murder.

Stephen (Henry Ian Cusick) finds the mechanic's reports were forged as there's two reports from different destinations which have the same spelling mistake of the word "controll."  would you trust a mechanic who can't spell to carry out inspections on your plane?  Harrison finds the woman who was in charge of filing the reports though it more important to be at her daughter's piano recital and so she copied the same report twice.  Olivia uses this for the airline to accept responsibility.

Cyrus tells the President they have a blackmail letter and finally admits it wasn't Olivia behind it.  Showing him a video of Nixon's resignation.  The President makes a deal with his Secret Service security detail and leaves the Whitehouse to visit Olivia, who else! Who is on the phone with Stephen telling her Amanda wasn't having his baby.  Thus leaving the way clear for them to get down and dirty next ep?!

Abby still watching Stephen longingly, well she was and Stephen resorting to using his "tools" to get what he needs, throwing his engagement out the window!

Quinn shows up at Gideon's place in tears and he's made grill cheese, bless him cos that's all he can manage and it's comfort food.  Don't trust that Quinn.  Now we have the lowdown on most everyone except her.  She tends to disappear and appear quite a bit and not to mention also has this thing about her where she can play the 'innocent' but she doesn't quite appear to be so wholesome!  Again reminds me of the lying Harrison mentioned last ep.  Quinn was quick to jump to the conclusion that Amanda ran away, why was that?  She was so desperately trying to be her friend and not just cos Olivia asked her to keep an eye on her and here she comes up with and running off, without even telling her of all people.  It was like Quinn was trying to cover her tracks.

Speaking of Gideon, nothing on that photo he took a copy of last episode, what's happening with that, so really sorry but you were just eye candy this week Gideon!  Oh and that apron.

                                

This episode didn't quite live up to the excitement and fast pace of the one before but actually gave a chance for the President to show us what he does when he's not brooding over a lost Olivia.  She tells him she no longer has her gut when it comes to whether he had Amanda murdered or not.  She also told David Rosen "the white hat looks good on you," when he tries to delve for details from her.

You can follow me on twitter @mila255h

The Vampire Diaries 4.6 "We All Go A Little Mad Sometimes" Review

Elena (Nina Dobrev) can't sleep and warms up some hot milk, yeah she's really going to drink that.  She has more hallucinations of Connor (Todd Williams) and he remarks on her guilty conscience for killing him.  She thinks he's a ghost and she stabs him, but it's really Jeremy (Steven R McQueen) she stabs.  Agh, Elena, she's doing my head in, especially how she's going to keep on doing that throughout this episode!  I mean how many times will Jeremy et al, be stabbed and killed.  Damon (Ian Somerhalder) says he should be grateful he didn't lose the family ring.  She's not talking to Stefan (Paul Wesley).  Damon is adamant she should have called Stefan.  Damon: "PS I killed Stefan."

Elena says this isn't about Damon or working with Klaus (Joseph Morgan) who shows up at Tyler's (Michael Trevino).  Caroline (Candace Accola) brings over Tyler's things in a charade for Klaus to highlight their "break up" drama.

Elena has yet another hallucination, this time a scene from Psycho, with blood in the shower.  Damon comments on how "shady people get outed" with regards to Stefan and he replies it wouldn't have happened if he had kept the secret.  Klaus knows about Elena's hallucinations since he killed the five hunters.  The hallucinations are a consequence and was spelled by witches which prevented him from his destiny.  He needs to take Elena with him or she'll kill herself.  Which he does cos she stabs Stefan next.

Jeremy tells Matt (Zach Roerig) about Connor's mark and he can see one too.  Shane (David Alpay) hangs out with April (Grace Phipps) and he looks familiar to her.  They tell Bonnie (Kat Graham) about the curse and she can't do magic to break the curse but she can ask Shane, cos after knowing him for a short while she trust him completely.

Klaus went through the same hallucinations for 52 years, he felt time.  Elena wants to know what else Stefan knows.  The hallucination eventually stopped.  Hayley (Phoebe Tonkin) wants to help Chris (Ser'Darius Blain) and others break their sire bond.  He's no longer sired to Klaus.  Connor had a family and he's not happy, he's dead.  Katherine appears and tells her it's Elena's fault her parents died.  April recalls she knows Shane cos of her father Pastor Young.

Shane talks of Silas creating a spell to grant himself mortality and he was buried alive.  Is he Silas?  Well I had to ask didn't I?

Katherine tells Elena she's like her now and Elena'll kill again until she becomes like her.  Stefan will hate Elena but at least she'll have Damon.  Who tells Shane he's into origin of the species, monsters, not Darwin.  He shows Shane the drawing of the tattoo.  The Hunter's Mark  is a legend of how the curse torments until a new hunter awakens, i.e. Jeremy. They are called "potentials."

Caroline goes to the bar and distracts Klaus so they can rescue Elena.  Who now stabs Stefan.  Jeremy needs to kill a vampire and they need Klaus's help now since Stefan loses her.  Jeremy comments on killing Damon if he had a stake.  Damon must find Elena.

There's ye olde bridge again and her mother appears to her now positing she should kill herself cos she was meant to die.  It's the right thing to do and Jeremy will have a ghost for a sister who helps him.  Just how many ghosts does Jeremy need around or to encounter anyway.    She doesn't hallucinate Damon at first.  "Third time's a charm."  She sees Connor again and she doesn't wear her ring.

Klaus confronts Chris and Hayley takes the blame for Elena.  Stefan daggers Chris and Jeremy stakes him.  Damon isn't as fast as Klaus and Elena moves from him.  She begins to burn, which has all been done before.  Now it's Elena's turn to feel the burning sensation of the sun and not just the sun, ha.  Damon says vampires hate disappointment.  She knows Stefan has been lying.  Now Damon spills and tells her there may be a cure for her.

Tyler is angry about Chris, he was his friend, just like Elena is to Caroline.  She has a date with Klaus.  Matt isn't a replacement for Alaric as he tells Damon about the Pastor's phone records and how he called the same number everyday and he called it ten times the day of the explosions.  He was calling Shane.

Damon says she should talk to Stefan but she can't.  She's become different, darker.  Stefan asks her who or what she wants.  Something's changed between her and Damon and she feels more for him.  Stefan calls it "magnified".  Her feelings for him now she's a vampire have magnified.  When he was the ripper he understood why Elena cared for Damon.  He can't do this anymore and she wants Damon now.  Ugh!!

So we finally get that break up moment where Elena admits she wants Damon now and what an excuse that was, turning into a vampire caused the little feelings she had for him to be "magnified" and now cos of Stefan's secrets and all that, she can have Damon.  What a cop out, why didn't she just come out and admit it was really Damon she had the hots for, irrespective of whether she became a vampire or not.  Who's she fooling she always wanted him and was in denial.  Yes I am ranting, cos after all the hooha and breaking up with Stefan, "oh Stefan I love you" blah, blah, and then getting back together, this is what it boiled down to.  Nooo, they should have let Elena suffer, not get her own way and end up with Damon.  He's too good for her!

Now she'll probably be in two minds about the cure cos if she becomes human again, highly unlikely, will she still have the same intense feelings for Damon.  What was funny, was Katherine telling her Stefan wouldn't want her anymore cos she's a vampire and no longer human and he treated Katherine in this way too.  Yet he didn't say that to Elena, he still wanted her but he can't cos she has feelings for Damon, so actually she's the one who did the breaking up, getting in before Stefan could even if eh did want her to choose.

As for Jeremy becoming the hunter, that was always obvious and perhaps it looks like Caroline will go the same way as Elena and end up with Klaus, especially over Tyler's carry on and how he's lost a friend when they kill Chris to save Elena from the torture of her hallucinations.  It's all about Elena and just for once I'd like to see her suffer and suffer for longer than one episode, not end up with the hot guy!! Ha.

Bonnie trusting Shane and how he's ingratiated himself into their lives for his own purposes.  As for the title referring to Elena, she went more than just a little mad, but on full blown murderous spree, stabbing everyone within her sights, except for Damon, who had to save her, as usual.  No she had goo-goo eyes for him.

CSI Meets CSI:NY

CSI and CSI:NY are to crossover in a two part episode to air next February 2013.  Mac (Gary Sinise) will visit his girlfriend, Christine (Megan Dodds) in Las Vegas and discovers she's missing.  As her hotel is a CS, he will enlist the help of DB Russell (Ted Danson) and the two will investigate together.  The CSI episode is titled In Vino Veritas.

The action will then switch to CSI:NY when this time DB will touchdown in New York to help Mac continue the investigation.  It will be determined that Christine was kidnapped, so they must find out if she's still alive or not.

The CSI franchise has had cross-over episodes before.  CSI:Miami was introduced in the episode 2.22 Cross-Jurisdictions when Warrick (Gary Dourdan) and Catherine (Marg Helgenberger) travelled to Miami to solve a case and we were introduced to the CSI:Miami team, headed by Horatio Caine (David Caruso).  Two years later CSI:NY was also introduced with a cross-over, when Horatio headed to New York to find the killers responsible for a gruesome family slaying in Miami.  The episode was 2.23 MIA/NYC - Nonstop.

CSI then also had a crossover episode with Without A Trace, 8.6 Who and What which focused on Gil Grissom (William Petersen) joining forces with FBI agent Jack Malone (Anthony LaPaglia) to investigate their case after a serial killer escapes capture in Las Vegas.  The investigation was concluded on Without A Trace episode, 6.6 Where and Why.  Later all three shows did a Trilogy, though it was actually Ray Langston (Laurence Fishburne) who travelled to Miami in Bone Voyage, then New York in Hammer Down and then back to Vegas in The Lost Girls, where he investigated human trafficking.

Merlin 4.13 "The Sword in the Stone" Part 2 Review

Merlin (Colin Morgan) returns to cover their tracks and calls for the Dragon (John hurt) which we knew he would.  Agravaine (Nathaniel Parker) manages to escape.  Arthur (Bradley James) needs to lose them.   Merlin: "yeah do I look like an idiot?"
Arthur:"YES."  Merlin says he hasn't changed.  Agravaine enters the tunnels.  Arthur overhears Tristan (Ben Daniels) saying he's not a good king.  Gwen (Angel Coulby) replying he doesn't know him.

Merlin says he needs to create a diversion, he knows the tunnels.  Agravaine is about to kill Merlin, but he uses his magic in front of him cos we know Agravaine is getting killed as not only did he find out about his magic, but also cos he was in league with Morgana (Katie McGrath) after all and betrayed Arthur.  Merlin was born with magic, he's Emrys.  He deceived Arthur just like Agravaine who comes at him with the sword and Merlin repels him.  Arthur returns for Merlin - his servant.

Merlin asks if he was worried about him.  Arthur came for him cos he's "the only friend I have and I couldn't bare to lose you."  Then adds not really.  They decide to head to the woods to find the others, towards Camelot.  Morgana comes for Gwaine (Eoin Macken) to take part in some more fighting.

Tristan says there's "nothing special about Arthur."  He's like everyone else. Arthur feels he doesn't deserve to be king.  He had a moment of weakness in Elidor and everything he cherished between them no longer exists and won't change.  So he says.

Morgana gives them mouldy bread to eat which Elyan (Adetomiwa Edun) gives to Gaius (Richard Wilson).  Merlin says he shouldn't listen to Tristan.  Arthur trusted and was betrayed.  He misjudged Morgana and Agravaine.  All his decisions were wrong; he should be more wise, a statesman.  Merlin feels he is a worthy king.  People love him and he's given up on everyone including himself.

Merlin calls for the Dragon  to thank him.  He responds that Albion and the future is in danger.  The fate of Camelot is in Merlin's hands.  Only he can restore Arthur's faith and make him believe he can be a king again.  Merlin has an idea and finds the others in the forest.  He thinks of the sword in the stone which he put there in The Coming of Arthur.  Merlin tells Arthur the story Gaius told him.  The land was at war and one man drew plans for the land to be divided.  First king of Camelot, Bruta was taken into the forest and put the sword into the rock. The test is that only the true king of Camelot can pull it out, with a little help from Merlin.  History isn't a strong point for Arthur.  Merlin's found the sword.

Merlin tells him he's "the true king of Camelot."  He is special.  Helios (Terence Maynard) gives Morgana news of Agravaine's death and she knows only Emrys could have done it.  They plan an attack on Camelot.  Arthur must fight for Camelot.  Tristan says he'd lay down his life for him, Percival (Tom Hopper) and Merlin too would all fight for Arthur.  Isolde (Miranda Raison) says Gwen should not give up on her love for Arthur.

Arthur knows Morgana's power is great and they have nothing to fight with.  Merlin finishes the story where the king when in need of the sword, pulled it out and united Albion into the greatest kingdom.  Merlin isn't making it up and Arthur's head is already "as big as his waist."  Merlin has always believed it. (The story and Arthur's head being so big, ha.) Merlin enters Camelot and changes into Dragoon.  Morgana sees him as Emrys and is afraid.  Asking why he's tormenting her?  She always needs help and then manages to fall asleep so soundly too.

Tristan wants to fight.  Arthur is different from the others and he wants to fight for what's right and fair.  Arthur tells them they stand as equals.  Gwen never stopped loving him.  Percival frees the others.  Arthur wonders what happened to Morgana as they were friends.  She can't blame him for his father's sins.  Morgana says he's not as different to Uther as he thinks.  Arthur adds she isn't either.  Also saying Emrys can't help Arthur either, like he knows who that is.  Her magic doesn't work and she has to run.

Isolde is stabbed as she saves Arthur from Helios.  Morgana is injured, where was Gwen all this time?  Merlin conjures a rock slide in front of Morgana and she escapes as usual.  Isolde's death makes Arthur change his mind about Gwen.  Arthur wants her to stay and marry him.  She can't forgive herself.  He doesn't want to lose her.  "Long live the queen."

Morgan is healed by Aithusa, who will become an ally of course.  She'll manipulate him into becoming evil, yet can she command a dragon not being the Dragon Lord?  A bit implausible if that's the right word in how the sword in the stone legend developed, felt almost like Merlin made it up as he went along.  The last part of his story was exactly that, made up, making Arthur believe his destiny is to be the greatest king that Albion has ever known.  Also aside from Arthur marrying Gwen, there wasn't much to be said about this episode.  Morgana's still out there and will get up to yet more dastardly deeds as we know, now she'll need other people helping her as usual since Agravaine is dead.

Gwen being crowned queen at her coronation isn't the same one that Morgana imagined in 3.10 Queen of Hearts.  The sword in the stone, aka Excalibur was last seen in 1.9 Excalibur and in 3.13 The Coming of Arthur Part 2.  Also the straw doll has been used before in 1.1 The Dragon's Call, 3.8 The Eye of the Phoenix where Morgana used one in the form of Arthur to bind the magic of the bracelet she gave him.

CSI:NY Season 9 Episode "The Real McCoy"

Lots still to come in season 9 of CSI:NY as the CSIs investigate the murder of a Speakeasy owner with money also going missing.  The Real McCoy airs on 7th December in the US.

                                   
Flack's (Eddie Cahill) on the case again along with Mac (Gary Sinise) and the rest of the team. Oh wish they'd give Flack a decent outfit, can't have one of New York's finest dressed like that!!

                                  
Meanwhile the episode is a personal one for Adam (AJ Buckley) as he heads home and an appearance is made by James Handy as Charles Ross.  Yet Adam neglects to tell his girlfriend, Michelle (Melissa Fumero) a thing or two.  Adam has a girlfriend, get out!

This episode is partly Adam orientated at least as far as CSI:NY's foray into the personal lives of its characters continues.

CSI:Miami 10.18 "Law and Disorder" Review

A woman staggers through a nightclub and the waiter asks if she's okay, she needs some air and walks back through the crowd.  Yeah great help you were, weren't you meant to call for help, not leave her on her own to get some air!  She's run over outside and the driver tells Tripp (Rex Linn) he didn't see her.  He thought he drove over a dog, whilst Tripp does all the tests on him.  ME Tom (Christian Clemenson) finds signs of poisoning, there's foam in her mouth and she was dead before the car drove over her.

Horatio (David Caruso) wants the club locked down and Walter (Omar Miller) tries to get the people gathered to question them.  Calleigh (Emily Procter) and Delko (Adam Rodriguez) question the waiter and he tells them about her walking out again.  Calleigh makes an appointment on her phone for two O'clock and Delko overhears her. The DB came from the bathroom where Calleigh notices a purse in the trash.  Now who'd throw a purse away?  Her name was Denise (Jessica Garvey) and Delko tells Calleigh about overhearing her phone conversation.  She's not becoming a PI.

ME Tom narrows down the poisons, they could be dealing with Sarine and Calleigh thinks if she ingested it, then there must be something in her bag.  Delko gets a positive reaction from her eye drops.  Calleigh positing that if she put those in her eyes, it would be enough to immediately shut down her system.  Anyone nearby could have been affected.  Walter and Delko talk with the valet (Lawerence Adimora) who tells them he noticed a woman needing a taxi and she was sick outside.  She paid him $100.  He still has the note and Delko finds it has traces of Sarine.  He's not affected though.  Walter calls the taxi company and gets an address where she was dropped off.

Tripp and Sam (Taylor Cole) check out the deserted warehouse and Tripp gets beaten by a woman.  She attempts to hide the canister.  Finally Sam catches up to her.  She's an assassin and put the poison in Denise's eyedrops in the bathroom, but she turned around too quickly and she injected herself with a bit accidentally.  She won't tell them who hired her.

Natalia (Eva La Rue) and Delko check out Denise's apartment, which is a mess.  She has papers everywhere and was writing a story for the Miami Herald, which Delko finds amusing.  It was an expose.  There are a lot of take out containers in the room, so she had company and Natalia finds some trace on a dress on the floor.  Natalia returns the key to the landlord and leaves Delko with the evidence which he leaves on the ground outside unattended and heads for the shouting he hears.  A man and woman fight and the woman hits Delko.  Well obviously they were a diversion as anyone knows since he left the box behind.   Calleigh attends to Delko's face and she tells him she wants to adopt Austin and his sister.  He thinks she'll make a good mother and then they talk about their own relationship which is on and off again.  So they don't have any stability.

The DNA is matched to Councilman Randall Stafford (Richard Burgi).  Horatio sees him at a press conference and loudly says he's involved in Denise's murder.  He was having an affair with her as she was working on his profile for the paper.  He won't say anything else without his lawyer.  Who arrives in the form of  Darin Vogel (Malcolm McDowell).  Accompanied by Gaby (Danielle Bisutti) she was lawyer for Esteban Navarro.  Delko is questioned on where he put the evidence when the couple were arguing and he says it was unattended.  Something the judge will deem inadmissible.

Natalia goes over Denise's notes, written in shorthand and finds Denise was writing about the city council.  She was getting info from Stafford.  There's one part about Stafford approving paving for an area involving Cassell and Ruiz.  Cassell was accused of murder but wasn't convicted.  Natalia has the street dug up and they find 5 bullet casings and blood.  Er, why not just remove the casings after the shooting.

Sam and Ryan (Jonathan Togo) examine the casings and take photos of them.  ASA Josh Avery (Ryan McPartlin) is also at the lab as he'll be prosecuting the case.  Cassell (Troy Kittles) asks for his lawyer, cue Vogel and he points out the bullet casings were for a 9 mm but there's one for a .45 there as well.  So someone switched bullet casings.  Of course it could only only be Avery, but is Sam involved too.  If she's not then she and Ryan can get together like he wants ha.  Okay  digression over.

Walter ad Delko analyze the clients Vogel represented and find they were all acquitted or freed on lack of evidence and that he was blackmailing his clients into helping him.  Delko notices the man who had the fight with the woman was also one of his clients.  Horatio tells Stafford about Vogel and he needs his testimony, however he's concerned for his family.

Vogel gets Gaby to take the fall for the blackmail and Natalia and Horatio ask her if she knows what it's really like in prison.  Vogel also accuses Sam of messing up at a press conference and thus all the cases in which she examined the evidence will be overturned, meaning Esteban will also be freed.  Avery meanwhile shares a drink with Vogel. Sam fears she's lost everything but not if Ryan can help it.

CSI:Miami was certainly trying to go out on a high note bringing in Malcolm McDowell again to reprise his role of attorney Vogel.  The same one Horatio crossed swords with on Jesse's (Eddie Cibrian) behalf in season 8.16 LA.  Here a murderer could be freed due to an event from Jesse's past.  Jesse was cleared here when they came up against Vogel so it seems unbelievable that they'd be stymied here when he makes an appearance in Miami and seems to outwit their every move.  Nevins also told Horatio that Jesse would be tainting and and all the evidence he handles in the Miami lab and that she would reject everything he handles as he is compromising Horatio's lab.  Horatio replied he'll have to clean his name then.  Similar to Sam here, only it's Ryan who will bat for her and get into strife over it.

Malcolm McDowell loves playing these sorts of roles, as he plays something similar as Brett in The Mentalist.  Anyone would have worked out Avery was on the payroll especially since he wasn't very forceful or strong during the Esteban trial.

All of Sam's cases being overturned and reviewed reminds me of CSI:NY 3.8 Consequences episode where Mac went ahead and arrested Det Dean Truby against Flack's wishes, knowing his arrest would have consequences and all of his cases would be looked at, including criminals going free as a result.

Also looks like Delko ad Calleigh may get together and Sam and Ryan too, in the final episode.  Richard Burgi loves playing his philandering roles.

Vogel telling Horatio he loves Miami.
Horatio: "Don't get too comfortable."
Vogel: "You know I love Miami...can you recommend any good restaurants?"
Horatio: "You heard what I said."
Vogel:" Oh come on you're such a grouch.  Cheer up.... have   nice day...not you."  To Delko, that was funny. It's a bit late for Horatio to cheer up after what he's been through, but more importantly after all he's done and how he's changed, not for the better either.

NCIS Season 10 Snippets

Seems so far away for us and those who haven't even had season 9 of the show yet, sucks being a year behind but sometimes it's good to know what's coming - eventually, not really spoilers but the way the storylines and plots are heading.

Spoilers, did I say spoilers.  Well it's not new but Alex Kingston, as said earlier, will be making a guest turn on the show as Gibbs' (Mark Harmon) potential love interest.  Is that a sigh I hear...well she'll be playing Miranda Pennebaker, states TVGuide as the show steps into the area of human trafficking.  Apparently Gibbs will need her help.  Will this be like Holly Snow (Dina Meyer) in season 7 or completely different?  Holly was a good character but not in the love stakes for Gibbs.  Said executive producer Gary Glasberg: "They [Gibbs and Miranda] clearly have a bit of a sordid past.  It's never really determined how far their past went, but there's flirtation in the air.  This is the first time that they are really working together on something."

Not really giving anything away here, but Gibbs with a sordid past, never.  Who'd have thunk it?  Or in Gibbs' words, "D'ya think?"

It's also said Tony (Michael Weatherly) has to deal with some emotional issues and whether that will involve a romantic interlude with Ziva (Cote de Pablo) remains to be seen.  They are meant to be sharing close secrets.

Gary Glasberg also told TVLine that "Tony will have some decisions to make as the season progresses, decisions that could leave him at a real emotional crossroads."  This is nothing new for either Tony or Ziva and we've been skating around this area for many seasons now, especially season 6 and how Ziva treated Tony for killing Rivkin.  After that there was little possibility or hope of the two getting together.  Yet there have been moments between them in season 7, not least shared in the men's room where they could have had a brief hint of something romantic there, which passed them by.

I'm actually hoping that Tony and Ziva don't get together, as Tony says quite a bit, "that ship has sailed" and I think they really need to move past that now on the show and concentrate on other stories.  The same with Gibbs.  He is a bit, okay a lot of  a loner and that's just his character, so any romantic longterm attachment could change him a really big way, not just emotionally but also who he is.  Shannon is and forever will be the love of his life, never mind any other woman!  She makes Gibbs who he really is.

Any romance would just detract from the premise of the show and the jokes, the one-liners, which seem to be missing of late.  There are may fans out there who don't want that and feel a romance between the team characters, or players would just diminish the show and the reasons why they watch.

So let's just leave them all as friends and co-workers.  Except McGee (Sean Murray) and Abby (Pauley Perrette)  they need to explore them more as a couple.

Don't forget My NCIS unofficial NCIS book is available at amazon.com

Merlin 5.7 "A Lesson In Vengeance" Review

Arthur (Bradley James) and Gwen (Angel Coulby) head out for an anniversary picnic after Arthur is pleased he recalled the day, which Gwen reminded him of a while ago, as did Merlin (Colin Morgan) but Arthur still insists he remembered what day it was.  With Merlin following behind so they won't be completely alone.  Soon a piece of cloth explodes and Arthur is thrown from his horse, only to be attacked by two mercenaries.  Having fought one off, Merlin uses magic to thwart the other one, allowing Arthur to kill him.  Not had such gratuitous violence from Merlin in a while.  You know outright sword stabbing like that, ha.

Leon (Rupert Young)  finds Arthur's saddle had been re-stitched and this leads to Leon and the knights questioning Arthur's steward Tyr Seward (John Bradley).  Well he's just an extra, as we know so he'll be disposed of pretty quickly.  A search of his house leads to Percival (Tom Hopper) locating the red twine and Tyr is arrested. Of course he'd have twine at home, he looks after the saddles and horses doesn't he?! Questioned by Arthur, he claims he didn't do it and pleads his innocence only to fall on deaf ears.  He refuses to tell Arthur who may have put him up to it, or more importantly who actually did the dirty deed.  No prizes for guessing who is actually was, er, someone by the name of Gwen.

Arthur doesn't believe he had the intelligence to act alone, has no choice but to sentence him to death for treason.  Merlin tries to plead his case but Arthur resorts to the laws of Camelot, even reluctantly, as Gwen once did.  Of course no one has noticed that Gwen is different, surely she would have wanted Tyr's life to be spared and would have accused Arthur of acting hastily.  Yet there's no chance of that, as she is the one who is behind it.

Merlin brings Tyr food and questions him, eventually Tyr says he was threatened his mother would be killed so he can't say who it was.  He saw someone when he was in the stable.  Merlin having to tell Arthur in front of Gwen, prompting her to talk Arthur out of confronting Tyr until the morning.  She can then take care of the loose end and stabs him to death, without so much as a ruffle of her hair extensions!  Arthur blames himself when Tyr's DB is found so he should have questioned him sooner.

Merlin suspects Gwen has changed and tells Gaius (Richard Wilson) about this change who puts it down to her losing Elyan, her only family.  Merlin thinks it's more and can't put his finger on it.  Gwen takes a stroll to the woods to meet Morgana (Katie McGrath) and breaks the bad news that Arthur is alive, but she's taken care of the only witness who saw her mess with Arthur's saddle.  Well Gwen's been busy, managing to find the time to plant the twine at Tyr's house.  Gwen is almost caught by Gwaine (Eoin Macken) as the two scarper, Gwaine gives chase and Morgana throws him off his horse using magic.  Did you see Gwen's hood fall on and off again in several shots whilst she was running?

Gwen arrives back at the castle to be met by Merlin and he tells her of the patrol being ambushed in the woods.   Arthur sees that Gwaine is okay and he and Merlin speak about Arthur and his life being in danger.  Gwaine must look after him closely, all the while Gwen listening to them in secret.  Arthur sends out Gaius and Merlin to search for clues in the woods and Merlin comes across a dead branch, showing the magic is at work.  Surprised he didn't send the knights to do that bit of investigating as the did at Tyr's house! Also they find a rag on some twigs.  Merlin searches Gwen's closet and Arthur catches him in the act, which is what I said.  Oh Merlin looking for a dress to match your eyes! Ha.  He tells Merlin he should be doing his laundry.  Finally Merlin finds Gwen's cloak in the basket which matches the rag he found, Gaius identifying it as an expensive piece of embroidered silk.

Once again we get evidence against Gwen, yet Gaius and Merlin can do nothing with it, cos this time they'll be accusing the queen, as in the past it was Morgana and Agravaine.

Morgana buys some poison henbane from the apothecary (Tony Guilfoyle) and has to pay him double for him to keep his mouth shut.  One drop of valerian will make Arthur unconscious and a drop of henbane in his ear will render him dead.  Thus Gwen gets a chance to do exactly that.  Having made the cloak connection, Merlin rushes to help Arthur but he's too late.  The deed has been done and Gaius can't do anything for Arthur.  Once again a replay of sorts of the scene with Uther last season, when Morgana ensured magic would not save Uther.  Here Gaius tells him only Merlin's magic can save him.  That was what Merlin also tried to do with Uther but Morgana getting the better of him cos of Agravaine spilling to her.

Before all that though, Gwen being busy once again accuses Merlin of poisoning Arthur.  Of course Arthur's in no position to speak up for his loyal servant.  Thus it's Merlin's turn to be thrown into prison.  Morgana having told Gwen that she has to act like her wholesome self  as the knights must trust her and ensure she'll be the one who will rule after Arthur's death.  Which is exactly what Leon tells Gwen.  First we used to get face pulling from Morgana and now we get it from Gwen, as she smirks when Gaius tells her there's no hope for Arthur.  Niggle, Gwen accuses Merlin of poisoning Arthur and yet she implies he ingested it, he only drank the valerian but that wasn't the poison; yet Gaius says there's signs of a tincture near Arthur's ear.  No one picked up on the mistakes she's been making.  This was straight out of Hamlet, as his father was killed in this way.

Gaius helps Merlin get out by giving him his potion to turn into Dragoon and after making a fool out of the guards he manages to leave his cell.  Yet he changes back too quickly and the knights give chase.  Merlin, his eyes lighting up now as he uses magic, blows out all the torches and lights in Camelot.  Oh look, Mordred's (Alexander Vlahos) made an appearance now that Elyan's gone and gets a line.

Merlin climbs up the building to Arthur's chamber and works his magic, eventually Arthur recovers after Merlin chants some magic over him, touching his chest.  Which doesn't sound right, no it was like resusitating him, Arthur has Merlin released and  tells Merlin he didn't believe it was him for a second.  Also the cook confirmed his alibi, that dreaded cook who was abused by Dragoon.
Arthur: "I also told them you simply weren't bright enough to organize an assassination attempt."
The apothecary tells them it was Morgana.  Merlin watches Gwen and she him.  No signs of a smirk there.

Some parts of this were a repetition of what has gone before, as already mentioned, but with different characters.  Such as Gwen meeting Morgana in the marketplace, Morgana once again disguised as an old woman, which is exactly what she used to do when she met Morgause.  Only it was Morgause who used to disguise herself.  It's good to see Gwen being so darkly evil, cos then we get an excuse to boo her and shout at the TV, ha.  Would have thought Arthur would have noticed those little mannerisms of hers have changed and the way she spoke to Merlin when he caught her coming back from her 'stroll.'  It wasn't normal, confident Gwen, but she seemed rather uppity and arrogant.   She's a queen now, it's a wonder she's left to wander alone outside.

Also it just happened to be Gwen who found the bottles were from the apothecary and the knights all applaud her, "long live the queen."  Merlin doesn't though, which is good, especially not after she tried to kill Arthur, making Merlin's task of ensuring Arthur doesn't die that much more difficult as he now has an enemy working inside Camelot.  That should read, another enemy inside Camelot once more.

So the grate in the cell ceiling can be used to send stuff in, why has no one thought of that before, so probably merlin could have gotten out through there using his magic, it looked large enough.  Can also be used to eavesdrop too.  No signs of Aithusa either, what has Morgana done with him?

The Mentalist 5.3 "Not One Red Cent" Review

Another opening scene where we have Patrick (Simon Baker) driving up in his Citroen, this time he pops in to have his shoes repaired.  Choosing this place most probably as it's a "while you wait" shop.  Though the cobbler doesn't know how long he will actually take to repair his shoes.  Meanwhile there's an armed robbery in progress at Sacramento Federal bank.  The robbers get away with the money but then one of the workers, the assistant manager, Ernie (Mark Provencher) is shot in the vault.  Of course it's obvious the robbers didn't do it cos they had what they needed, no need to kill anyone.

Patrick hears the gunshot and watches from the shop, as we know, he's not one throw himself into danger or the line of fire.  Poor Patty he won't be getting his shoes back in a hurry as the cobbler is in shock and collapses.  The shoe story being only ancillary to the main plot, giving Patrick the chance to sport some white shoes, with his grey suit, yeah we know the writer was having a laugh here.  When was the last time we saw Patty without his trademark brown shoes, just the one time they were dumped in the alley.  Oh and there was the time there was that blooper in season 1's Flame Red when his shoes changed from brown to black in the same scene when he drove that tractor.  But hey off topic here with Patty's shoes, he'll do that to you.

The ring leader gives the other robbers their share and wants them to leave town, so we get to see their faces so early on in the show.  That's cos as said, none of them fired the fatal shot.  Lisbon (Robin Tunney) arrives and Van Pelt (Amanda Righetti) fills her in, pointing out Ernie's fiance Nancy (Katie Walder).  Cho (Tim Kang) has been taking statements and Patrick asks him if the vault door was open or closed.  It was open, when it shouldn't have been.  Clue for later.

The employees are interviewed and they're all a mismatched bunch but none of them look the type to be killers or bank robbers.  Thus the robbers enlisted an inside an, that much was obvious and even I said that ages ago.  Not to mention getting my suspect very early on.  As soon as the manager, Armin Gagnon (Don Stark) and then Nancy said they were both in the loo, away from the sight of the others, there could only have have been two suspects.  Nancy was overdoing the waterworks.

FBI Agent Mancini (Ivan Sergei) argues over who should be in charge of the investigation and Lisbon says they have the homicide which supersedes the robbery.  Bertram (Michael Gaston) compromises with Mancini having access to the files.  Mancini asks why Lisbon doesn't like him and she asks if they're in school, admitting she doesn't like him.  He invites her to a law enforcement poker game which she may attend. So Lisbon tells Mancini outright she doesn't like him and especially since he lost Lorelei.

The robbery wasn't the first and Rigsby (Owain Yeoman) finds that no one was killed in any of the other ones.  He's taken surveillance camera footage and found one of the men is the same height and is always at the scene.  The other accomplices are always different.  Van Pelt thinks if they can ID the man without his balaclava on camera since he probably cases the banks beforehand, then they can find the others.  Patrick up to his usual antics bets Van Pelt lunch for a week whoever finds the suspect first.  Van Pelt agrees to this even though Rigsby says he's not going for it.  He tells her he found the man two hours ago and asks Van Pelt to write his name down, using the old 'watching what she's writing' ploy, he deduces that she wrote John Hutten.

Hutten (Paul Schulze) is arrested but is giving nothing away.  Whilst waiting for that pesky lift, Patrick asks Hutten about the inside man.  Attending Ernie's wake Patrick questions each of the employees and deduces none of them are the killers.  Lisbon has to contend with Ernie's grandmother.  Patrick sneaking to Ernie's room finds an air ticket to Brazil wedged under his drawer.  At one point he even sees if his shoe size matches Ernie's shoes, well he would, they were brown after all.

Patrick then questions the manager, Nancy and Casey (Joanna Canton) and asks them where they're from.  Another clue when Nancy says she was from Upstate New York.  He notices Ernie was different in his photos and she tells them how she helped him change.  He lost weight and she got him this house.  Also Patrick lets slip, on purpose, that Ernie was the inside man.  Again that was obvious the way he volunteered to open the safe for them.

Patrick gets a list of the people holding safe deposit boxes at the bank, after he talks the manager into recalling that when he came from the loo, the vault door was open.  He thinks someone put something in the box rather than take something out.  He and Lisbon confront the employees in the vault and Lisbon offers them a deal for 10, 15, 20 years, if the killer comes forward and opens the box.  Like a gameshow! Ha.  Patrick narrows down the names to three people, one of them being Hudson, re New York and Nancy being from there, which again was easy to figure out.  Said that when she mentioned where she was from.  Ahh, couldn't we get some difficult clues?

Nancy admits it was her and gives them the key and the gun is found inside.  Ah stupid woman, what was wrong with dumping it in the toilet flush or somewhere else!  She recalled she forget to shut the door but couldn't go back as the manager was already there.  She tells Van Pelt she helped him change but he was leaving her.  He flirted with Casey and she followed him to an Internet place.  She even hacked into his secret e-mails where she found out what he was planning.  She knew where everyone would be and took a potty break at that time.  Lisbon gets her man too as the e-mails provide evidence as to Hutten's planning and involvement in the robbery.

As in last episode Nancy doesn't show any remorse over the killing, he deserved it.  These women killers are getting ruthless in this show and it's always Van Pelt who has to deal with them.  Van Pelt asks Patrick how he figured out Hutten's name.  He tells her he saw her writing it and asks her to write something else, this time it's Rigsby.  Wonder why she wrote his name, got that too, especially since the last letter she wrote was a 'y'.  She writes something else and he figures out what the last word was but not the first.  He looks at the pad, "that wasn't very nice."

Lisbon arrives at the poker game and finds Betram also there.  SO there's something that will definitely go down there.  Also in Red Handed Lisbon never mentioned she plays poker or may even be good at it as she tells Bertram here that "it's not gambling if you win"  suggesting that she is good.

Patrick: "I love it when you get all authoritarian on me."  Well he's never said anything like that before, so again let's hope this doesn't signal any romantic notions between the two, cos I for one don't want them going down that route.  No seriously that happens in practically every other show and we've had that 'romantic interlude' with Rigsby and Van Pelt and though Patrick is only a consultant, they do work together.  Patrick telling Lisbon of Nancy being a powerful one in the relationship, "they date down so they have all the power in the relationship."  Lisbon's not like that and besides don't think Patrick would be the type to be subordinate in any relationship.  I mean what does that say about his one night stand with Lorelei and his attraction to Erica in Every Rose Has Its Thorn.  They come across as being tough women.

Lisbon as a power dater was kind of funny cos really the only man she's been with is Walter Mashburn and well, she did seem to the the powerful one in the relationship, what relationship, oh you know, their one night thing and she was kind of coaxed into it.  Also it took her a while to actually give in to him.

Patrick threatening to keep those white things he's wearing, "these shoes are actually quite comfortable!"  SO not much happened in this episode, kind of a filler after the fast paced two opening episodes of the season.  Loved the scenes with Van Pelt and Patrick as he tried to be really friendly with her and she went along with it.  Even telling her he'd like Chinese, then Italian and then Indian for lunch.  She didn't seem to mind his attention either.  Suppose Patrick needed someone to occupy his time seeing as Lisbon was otherwise detained.  Also I have to say Patrick and Van Pelt do make a sweet couple!

Don't forget the scene with Patrick and the foot powder, on his socks, oh Patrick has too much time on his hands! ha.

Oh and fun watching Amanda being told to hide behind furniture and other obstacles to disguise her real-life pregnancy.    Don't think season 5 would mark the end of The Mentalist if only we'd get more satisfying Red John episodes and more characterization of the main cast, cos I think this is one of the best cast ensembles around at the moment!  No one annoys me in this show at all.

Bank robbery also done in Fugue in Red.

CSI:NY Season 9 "Blood Out" Photos

This episode involves Det Lovato (Natalie Martinez) investigating a Latin street gang and gets her cover blown.  The CSIs look into the gang, as well as having IA on the case too.  CSI:NY delving into another episode involving gangs as in season 7's Sangre Por Sangre.

Love these Flack (Eddie Cahill) photos, looks like he's getting really physical this season!  No not in that way, at least not that we know about - yet - ha.

                                 

At least we get to see more of Eddie, sometimes he gets so little screen time!

                                  

Doing what he does best, observing, well apart from investigating, cracking jokes and witty one liners, being sarcastic and looking so great at the same time.