CSI: NY 7.19 "Food for Thought" Review

                                          
Hawkes skips work spend a day with Camille at a gourmet food festival, where he witnesses a murder and gets into trouble with Mac, so what's new.

Hawkes (Hill Harper) attends a food festival, coerced by Camille (Lesley-Ann Brandt) where one of the food truck explodes.   The chef, Derby Chayson (Daniel Bonjour) is dead.   Flack (Eddie Cahill) thinks it may have been a terrorist attack.   Mac (Gary Sinise) states the position of the truck and the time of the blast would not lead to loss of many lives.  Mac finds traces of TATP, an explosive made from household chemicals, that's why liquids are not allowed on planes.   Jo (Sela Ward) comments on Hawkes calling in sick and he should save the explanations for Mac.   Jo finds a bottle lid on the floor.  Mac indicates the splash pattern shows the blast originated from the side panel, where the propane tank would have been located.   The ignition source was the bottle.   Mac thinks if they piece together the shrapnel it may tell them something.

Regular as clockwork, Lindsay (Anna Belknap) pops up.   It's a CS, but she's complaining about not eating anything.   No, it's all about her again and her food cravings, though she's not pregnant.   I won't repeat the hefty food list she asks Danny (Carmine Giovinazzo) for.   Lucy is now 2, that was fast.  Danny and Lucy made her breakfast and she says it was 2 years ago for Mother's day.   Now she's keeping score!  That was a boring, senseless scene, she's not the one into food, that's Flack and Jo! But she gets all the foody lines and the food!  Instead of doing the job, she's more worried about not getting out before it's dinnertime.   Jo scarcely mentions it's lunchtime, later on, but we don't see her and Flack grabbing  a bite.  

Danny tells Hawkes, he'd have taken a day off for Camille too.   Don't let Lindsay hear that!  Hawkes notices writing on the inside of the takeaway container, but why write on the inside?  Sid's (Robert Joy) autopsy reveals the force of the blast, smoke inhalation and burns were the COD.   His apron kept him intact and prevented the flames from coming into contact with his T-shirt.   Which reveals a contusion on his chest.   Sid's seen the pattern somewhere before but he can't recall.  

                                             

Camille calls Hawkes about a  party she's throwing and talks him into coming even though he's busy with work.   Thought Hawkes would have had more restraint and will power than to give in to her so easily.   She's a bad influence on him.   Danny brings Lindsay a burger, if they can't eat in the lab, why's she telling him to bring it in and she was going to eat with those dirty hands of hers.   She found dark surfaces on the propylene tank.   Wasn't it full of propane as Mac said earlier on.   Danny thinks it could be glue used to attach the bomb to the tank.  And she couldn't work that out for herself either, until later, no she has to run off with the burger bag.  (Thought she'd disappeared for good!  No such luck.).  

At the party, Hawkes walks in on people smoking joints (weed).   Camille refers to herself as a goody-two- shoes, yeah maybe in another life.   Hawkes tells her he's "done many things in his life and, not all of which he's proud of."  Camille's never smoked a joint before and wants to live for now.   Hawkes oversleeps the next day and Danny covers for him.  Showing how far their relationship has come, where it was probably second nature to him.   Adam (AJ Buckley) analyzes the T-shirt to find traces of bird spit from the Chinese Cave Swallow saliva.   Mac has to say "excuse me."  Still don't know what Mac's problem with Adam is, well I do, and it's not even funny, but it's getting old news by now, not one nice word to say about him and Mac's always so abrupt with him too.   Not like Adam's done anything wrong, or was he venting a little of his anger over Hawkes onto Adam.  

The stain is where Derby was hit on his chest; but Adam can't find anything exotic on the menu, and he can't find the 'No 3 Special' either, that Hawkes told Jo about.   Adam questions Mac whether if a bird spits on you if it's the same good luck, and Mac walks off abruptly, telling him to work it out for himself.  No need for that type of behaviour.

Flack tells Jo he sometimes has thoughts of the pastrami truck outside, okay, he said he looks at it, and there's plenty of competition between gourmet trucks.   He found 8 complaints against Derby, filed by one man alone, Odelin Gonzalez, (Raoul Trujillo) who owns a hot dog stand nearby.   Flack asks him to tell them about his "au natural beef" with Derby.   Jo and Flack believe he isn't capable of murder.   There are plenty of hot sauce bottles with those lids in New York.   Jo mentions the TATP trace on the bottle fragment, (it was a lid), and that they need "hard science connecting him to the CS."  Jo uses science instead of evidence, which is the normal word used.   Danny and Hawkes are selected for random drug testing, causing frustration for Hawkes...we're meant to believe he shared a joint with Camille.

Sid tells Mac about the Summer cookery course he undertook and recognized the contusion pattern is from a potato ricer, which is part of a chef's kitchen.   Adam finds that bird spit is used in bird nest soup, which Jo immediately tells them is made from the nests of the Chinese Cave wallow, so all he had to do was ask Jo, ha.     Which was used by the former employer of Derby.   Jo states they should have focused on fine dining.   Mac: "Let's go see if murder is on the menu."  Braxton Langley (Anthony Azizi) says Derby was stealing his recipes so he beat him with the potato ricer.

Mac, "there's a nice table waiting" for him downtown.   Hawkes matches the writing on the take away box, which points to a hotel address and a Gus Stilton (Matt Nolan).  Okay, this is about food, partly, but did they have to call him Stilton, as in cheese.   Flack knows the name but can't place it.   He owns 50% of the truck, as well as owning 6 other trucks.   He has a record for pandering, which is why Flack recalls the name.   There's a lot of that going round in this episode, first Sid not recalling the potato ricer, then Flack not remembering Gus and Hawkes bumping into the bomber in the opening.

Flack had some "fun" with the 'No 3 Special,'  so at least some laughs from him.   Flack: "Am I gonna get everything I paid for...on second thoughts I'm not that hungry!" Great!  Mia (Tyler Kain) tells Jo it's better than working the streets.   Flack recalls Gus trying to keep warm with his girls under a bridge and guess who had the blanket!  Mac calls him a pimp and Flack calls him a criminal.   Jo asks Mia how she felt about Derby and she replies it was good work.  Jo: "And all he had to do was serve you on the side."  Well, at least she got one foody remark in.   Derby turned away customers.  

Gus says he had a perfect operation going on without the knowledge of the NYPD so why would he kill Derby.   Mac is perturbed they don't have any evidence on either of their suspects and no lead on the killers.   Hawkes concentrates more on looking at the drug testing guys.   Cue Lindsay, as smug as ever.  Thought she was missing as per usual and had to make an entrance.  Finding a partial print on the ceramic glue, well Danny already said it was most likely glue; belonging  Odelin Gonzalez, Jnr (Alex Merz).  Quick someone wipe her smile off her face!

First thing I said was all that pottery was gonna smash!  Flack had to announce their presence.   Hawkes recalls passing him at the festival now.   Finding the son as the killer was a bit convenient and too easily wrapped up.   Flack tells him he made  a mess (and not just of the pottery) of things.   His father didn't have a future with his business.   Hawkes suggests he could compete by working harder, that's easier said than done, does he think it's easy making a meagre living from a hot dog stall!

Made Hawkes look like a complete unintelligent fool in this episode (Sorry Hill!) and we know he's far better than that.   Hawkes should apply that logic to himself where Camille is concerned, he can't help being led astray by her and he should work harder at thinking for himself.   They question him at the shop and not downtown.   Odelin knew the best meal in town doesn't cost $500 and something was going on.   Mac posits he did something his father wouldn't do and blew him up.   He was rather clumsy getting glue on his fingers and leaving a print behind, considering the number of ceramics he must have glued together.

Mac waited until the end to give Hawkes his dressing down and that was a bit of an anti-climax.   He didn't have much to say and Hawkes sounded like he was just making excuses for himself, exactly the same as Camille said about her life passing her by and not living.   Mac doesn't want to talk about this at all.   Hawkes says he wasn't using and that the cannabis was secondary exposure.  Mac has to believe him, like Mac adds he had to believe he was sick.   The show likes these lines in here, you know, believe and trust like in season 3's  episode where Flack said why should he trust Mac after what he did in Consequences episode.

Mac tells Hawkes it's about bad choices, not bad luck.   Hawkes and his sob story about having to do good and not being able to do anything else, Camille understands that.   There's no policy against having a good time and he should show up tomorrow and honour his oath and get some sleep.   Yeah don't think so.   He didn't have any problems like this when he was an ME, that's cos he didn't venture out, ha.   Ahh the good old days.  Camille turns up naked and he can't say no to her.

At least Hawkes didn't get "told off" in front of the others.   Hawkes gets a love interest , but clearly she's no good for him and he's too easily swayed by everything she wants.   As for her being a goody-two-shoes, she isn't really.   She knows who Hawkes is and what he does but she still insists he should cross the line: miss work by taking a 'sickie' and then drag himself to her party when he needs to work.   He needs to either find a way to put her in her place, being blunt, or ditch her.   It's what Jo said in the Smooth Criminal episode when we first encountered Camille and she saw them together, she said they look like they're talking about "hot, steamy sex."  It's more "lust at first sight" between these two than anything deeper.   Let's face it, does Hawkes really want or need someone like Camille in his life.   His character is much stronger than that and she's just bringing him down.

TATP was mentioned and used in CSI season 11 episodes, Shock Waves and Targets of Obsession.    In CSI episode Recipe for Revenge, a chef was also killed.   Lots of food episodes in CSI:NY, including season 1 Grand Master, where food was served on nudes and Danny was way into that!  had lots of one- liners in that too, including 'the killer being the table'.   Season 2 Dancing with the Fishes, where a food market was involved.   Also Fare Game which had an exotic cuisine event boasting strange creepy crawlie delicacies of the several-legged variety.   Also many bomb episodes, including Charge of this Post and Green Piece.

Great to see CBS have renewed the show for an eighth season, but no news on the number of episodes yet.   Finally seeing sense.   Yay, more Eddie/Flack fixes for me!  ha.   Also that means we can watch the remaining three episodes of the season without baited breath, done that already with the earlier episodes.   Wonder if the season finale will be viewed by us in the same way as US viewers, that the episode could have been the series finale.   Expect some people just won't care either way.  (Written a while ago)

The Vampire Diaries 4.7 "My Brother's Keeper" Review

Stefan (Paul Wesley) tells Caroline (Candace Accola) he and Elena (Nina Dobrev) have broken up and he's not coming to the party, the annual Ms Mystic Falls pageant.  She has feelings for Damon (Ian Somerhalder).  Caroline: "He's Damon...and I'm revolted."  Being a vampire has changed Elena and all Stefan wants to do is to rip into someone's neck, oh dear wrong choice of words from me, you know, he was the Ripper after all.  Klaus (Joseph Morgan) sneaks up as usual and is angry Stefan's told everyone about the cure.  He has to find more vampires for Jeremy (Steven R McQueen) to kill.

Damon comments on "Shady Stefan being back."  Stefan breaks the news to Damon which is music to his ears but they need to find a different hunter.  Damon also mentions Shane (David Alpay) being "shadier than you are."  Stefan tells Damon not to "pretend this isn't the best day of your life."  Well what's to follow will ensure that it is.  Caroline knows Stefan is Elena's soulmate but Elena says she's confused as per usual.

Elena is going with Matt (Zach Roerig) and Jeremy is April's (Grace Phipps) escort.  Jeremy demonstrates his super strength to Matt now by lifting two kegs when Matt couldn't manage one.  Also should I have remarked on his strength being superhuman?  Stefan looks for patients for Jeremy to kill and finds a murderer, so he's now judge, jury, executioner and vampire.  Caroline has to plan the pageant again and Klaus arrives asking for his date.  Hayley (Phoebe Tonkin) wants to go to the pageant and also cos it's at Tyler's house.  Hayley is just a troublemaker and is up to no good, she just wants to see Tyler get jealous of Klaus but there's more to her.  Don't trust that shifty smile of hers.

Jeremy stops acting like Elena is his sister and dreams of strangling her and wakes up with a knife in his hand without knowing how it got there. He confides in Matt and thinks he could be turning into Alaric.  Matt orders him to tell Elena or he will.  Caroline and Elena help April pick out a dress for her and Damon turns up to express his opinion, he thinks red, Elena has agreed on blue with Caroline, but as soon as Damon opened his mouth, Elena changed her mind.  Caroline calls him a "lurker."    This hasn't been the best year for Elena.  She talks to Damon about Stefan who says he went on about it but he didn't.  He hardly said two words, oh okay, four words.

Damon tells Shane he's looking for a hunter as the potential is a problem and asks why Shane is here?  How did he convince the Pastor to kill all those people?  Stefan gets Jeremy to kill and to convince him it's for Elena.  Oh cunning, evil Damon knowing about the sire bond all along. Especially since he had Klaus's blood in him when he was bitten by Tyler in season 2.  Suppose this was the only way Damon could get Elena to succumb to his wily charms.  Let's hope they can break the bond cos I for one don't think Elena and Damon should be together, especially since she doesn't really want Damon.

Caroline thinks Klaus is perfect and can't look at him, she sees Tyler (Michael Trevino) with Hayley.  Matt blabs to Elena about Jeremy's nightmare and Damon convinces her to let Jeremy go.  He's not worried so Elena shouldn't be either.  Caroline thinks Damon is sneaky and he's "never right."  She doesn't like seeing Elena with him and she opens up as a friend, she's also trying to warn her but Elena doesn't listen.  SO where was Bonnie?  No one mentioned her, didn't they notice she wasn't there.  Stefan knows Elena isn't herself anymore and now Jeremy's into sticking knives into Stefan and he can't be compelled.

Klaus wouldn't take the cure since he'd stop being the most powerful creature on the planet.  Tyler watches them.  Jeremy tells April her father died a hero and he was doing the right thing for the town as we see more of Jeremy changing.  Shane doesn't know of any other hunters and Damon reveals he's a vampire to him, which he knew anyway.    Only a certain witch can perform the spell so even if he finds all the pieces to the map, they'll still need Bonnie.  April is crowned Ms Mystic Falls and Jeremy thinks Connor was right as he can only think about killing vampires.  He must kill Elena as she's one too.  She sees blood on his hand and he stabs her in the neck.  Hayley asks Tyler if his mother (Susan Walters) has the gene but his father did, she seems to be curious all of a sudden, why ask now?  She also lies by telling him she's only just met Shane.

Klaus thought about being human when on a trek in the Andes, he saw a humming bird which had to stay alive everyday and work hard at it.  Stefan takes the blame for Jeremy but Elena doesn't want him to lose his humanity just for her and Stefan shouldn't love her like that, no cos only Damon wants to and that's what he's been telling her all along.  The old Elena died when the car went over the bridge and he should let her go.  Matt moves in and tells Jeremy Elena's gone, yeah to be closer to Damon, why couldn't she just go somewhere else, no she has to torment Stefan even further and so he moves out, well crashes elsewhere.  Hayley tells Shane they broke another sire bond.

Damon won't give up on Elena, he thinks she's more alive now than ever before.  She recalls when they danced together and they do the same thing now and that dance turns into one of a different kind.  Caroline doesn't want Stefan giving up on Elena cos "you and her...epic."  Something's wrong with Elena and Caroline has a revelation as Elena has one of her own, she and Damon get down and dirty.  Klaus said Elena has problems and Damon is there solve them for her.  She did everything Damon told her to do, name one vampire who can't drink from a blood bag.  Damno said she couldn't.  Damon's blood made her a vampire, what if this is really happening?  Stefan:" Elena's sired to Damon."

Jeremy's turn to go darkside now as the pull of the hunter is too great for him to resist.  How many times did they want Matt saying he's human, "I'm not one of them..." Once was enough.  Caroline and Klaus seem to be the couple of the moment, at least fans want them to be, he rather acts the perfect gentlemen vampire around her.  Caroline working out the sire bond, so she's not just a pretty face, ha.

The Mentalist 5.5 "Red Dawn" Review

                                              
Patrick Jane (Simon Baker) comes to the CBI for news on their investigation into Red John who committed the murders of his wife and daughter.  Looking dishevelled and rather out of sorts, though his hair is immaculate ha.  Lisbon (Robin Tunney) is adamant about sharing the info but he is determined and he wants to speak to her boss, Minelli )Gregory Itzin)  who is sympathetic towards Patrick and wants her to show him the files.  Hannigan (Gar Basaraba)  is  weary of Patrick and doesn't like him when Lisbon asks him to show  Patty out.  Patrick questions him about the Red John case and he can't divulge.  His advice is to move on, find someone else, which he takes exception to.  Next thing you know, Patrick gets another punch in the face cos he antagonizes Hannigan by asking why Lisbon made boss and he's much older and didn't.  Adding "That's why they gave you to Lisbon, cos no one else would work with you."

Well who would, the man was downright cruel and unfeeling, you don't talk to Vics or their families like that, which explains why Lisbon has him stalk around the office, or gets someone like Cho (Tim Kang) to go with him.  Bet Lisbon was glad to see the back of him when he left, not that she couldn't handle him, but constantly having to keep him in check would have wasted valuable time on her part.  Nor that she doesn't have to do that with Patrick, but at least he helps her solve cases.  As well as not being bad to look at either!  A call comes in about a homicide ad Minelli tells her to take Patrick.  Also so he doesn't sue the CBI for assault.  Oh the line about who talks to Vic and their families like that, scratch that, Patrick often gets away with doing just that!

Strangely Lisbon tells him Sacramento PD (SAC PD for short) lost track of him about six months ago and we get to know why at the end of the episode, though we already know having watched the episode Red Brick and Ivy when we found out Patrick spent time in a mental facility.  And we were also shown his psychiatrist, Sophie Miller.

A driver is found dead in the car and Patrick tells her to find the woman Winston (Christopher Carver) was on a date since had had breath mints, heavy scent and his clothes and Hannigan fears he really is a psychic.  Patrick: "there's no such thing as psychics."  Later on he says he hasn't met one yet, well that was remedied later on with the introduction of Kristina Frye.  Liked the way Patrick tells Cho to ignore him and that's exactly what he does.  Before telling Lisbon what they discovered at the CS.

Lisbon interviews the Vic's father, a judge and Patrick isn't meant to be part of the conversation but inadvertently becomes part of it.  Judge Dillinger (David Clennon) explains how any of the defendants he imprisoned could have a motive for killing his son, adding if you want to hurt someone you "don't kill the man, you go after his family."  Exactly the Patrick Jane scenario, that would have hurt.  Patrick discerns his son was an alcoholic and misreads the judge here by saying he was disappointed in his son.  The judge replies he's annoyed with himself  for the way he brought him up and asks if Patrick has children.  Again an oft asked question, of course he did but he won't say that.

Cho explains Winston had been on a date and she's in the interview room, Lisbon thinks that's a good call, but Patrick interjects it was based on a cold reading.  Something Lisbon isn't familiar with so he gives her an example using her "Dysfunctional, alcoholic" father as the subject and that's why she puts up with Hannigan.  Lisbon suggests he should move away, get on with his life and Patrick responds Hannigan said the same.  Thus having a change of heart she tells him to come back in the morning and to lean up.

Patrick turns up next day much to the surprise of Cho and Rigsby (Owain Yeoman) and adds Lisbon told him to come by to look at the Red John files.  They point him to a desk by the window in the corner, well a table really, the same on in his attic now?   Lisbon is also surprised he came back and at this point in time she only had a cubicle for an office.  Rigsby tells her the files haven't arrived yet.  Lisbon commenting also that Patrick has "a homeless vibe about you."  Grief will do that to you.

The files finally arrive and being called "an eager beaver" by the delivery guy, Lisbon asks Patrick to help her solve the case.  Before we get into that, there are other suspects not mentioned, the officer, Nathanial Kim (Ian Anthony Dale) who investigated the drink driving case and the killing of Maria De Santos who tells Cho there was no match to her blood.  He was my suspect, sorry he was cos he could get away with so much being a former policeman.  Cho doesn't look too happy about him wither, not that Cho looks happy about much of anything.  We didn't get his character trait here of enjoying his reading either.

Maria's parents were also possible suspects.  They found out the Vic was dead as their lawyer told them, they were suing him for wrongful death.  Another suspect was Emmet (Ryan Ahern) who is brought in for questioning.  He was going to rough Winston up and steal some money from him but denies killing him.

Lisbon tells Patrick everyone's gathered in the room and one of them must be the killer.  Patrick tells her he's not a psychic, he's a fraud.  Lisbon: "...whatever it is it's a gift..." Plus she has no leads.  Patrick asks for tarot cards which Lisbon doesn't have, so he draws his own.  He leaves them on the table and asks them to close their eyes and think of the last fearful dream they had.  Even Rigsby does the same, until Cho looks at him.  He was a bit like Van Pelt here (absent from this episode and taking time off as she was pregnant at the time.)  Van Pelt is always willing to take Patrick on when he comes up with something.  Maria's mother dreams about helping her daughter but she can't.

Kim had the magician card cos he can get away with anything cos of his job.  I said that even before Patrick did, great minds, ha.  Emmet had the magician card also but Patrick says he couldn't have had that.  Neat trick, notice Patrick kept one card back for himself, this was the hanged man card which he swapped with Kim's card.

Kim tells Cho the motive behind it, being a silent owner of the bar he was being sued and would have gone out of business.  He made a deal with the judge he'd doctor the evidence, keep his son out of jail if he ruled in his favour in the civil trial.   He was called out to the CS and Winston was going to expose the deal if he didn't help him, so he shot him.  Cho tells him he ran over a deer, so really it was for nothing.  Lisbon is happy with the outcome, Patrick also caught a crooked judge too.

Patrick is now consultant with the CBI and she leaves him with the files. Also finding him asleep on the couch, his home from now on.  Rigsby and Cho look through the files for a new agent as Hannigan refuses to work with Patrick and Rigsby takes a shining to Van Pelt.  Cho telling him she's out of his league.  A throw away comment, as she certainly wasn't.

Minelli thinks Patrick an asset to the CBI.  He gets a call from FBI Director Alexa Shulz (Polly Walker) (whom we met this season) and tells him she would appreciate heads up on the Red John case if they uncover anything.  Also not so subtly adding Patrick has been in an asylum for the past year.

Immediately alarm bells start ringing since we know that Red John has mole in the FBI and other acolytes.  Minelli believes in inter-agency cooperation and agrees to this.  She hangs up and asks the man, Robert Kirkland (Kevin Corrigan) in the car with her  if that was okay.  Was this our first glimpse of Red John?  That would be too easy  For all the time we've heard his voice and decided he could be a she, this man did have effeminate features, so...for the one hundredth episode of The Mentalist were we indeed given a shot of him?  More like we were being teased to keep us guessing and our interest peaked.

Patrick hugging Lisbon was cute, not in the romantic way either.  She was surprised and a bit reluctant to hug him back.  Rigsby with a goatee, made him look a little older, didn't like Lisbon's wig, but hey we can't like everything but the cast did an exceptional job in going back to their (pre)season 1 personalities and characters.   Though they don't seem to have changed much, aside from the two leads.  Patrick showed his vulnerability here and how he was rather coy and reserved when talking about his family and wanting to know how the investigation is proceeding.  That didn't last long.  A nice touch was also the way in which he was hit by Hannigan, something which is an ongoing theme for him.

                                             

Note this ep was billed as taking place "Several years ago."  Note it was actually nine years ago as they have been together for four years when he joined them in season 1 and we're into season 5, so simple maths here.  Also this ep told us the real reasons behind Patrick being at the CBI, it was for info and not to seek revenge, though at that point he could have been doing both.  We know how cunning he is and how his mind works, maybe he had the year to think about revenge during his time getting help and treatment.  He just didn't reveal it here. Especially since his emotions at losing his family were still very raw.  Lisbon then hired him and from presumably reading the files, getting to know them inside out, his thoughts turned to revenge, or at least catching Red John himself.

I still think he manipulated Hannigan after cold reading him and thought he could get some info out of him.  He got out of the asylum and he came here first, which explained his physical appearance, but that's cos he had made up his mind about revenge over Red John even before he got here.  Also why would Minelli be so eager to keep Patrick around, lawsuit aside, the police don't do things like that, was it to keep a watchful eye on him, perhaps he's in league with red John, then again he got he call from the FBI after Patrick was already hired as a consultant, so I don't think he's a possibility of being Red John or being in cahoots with him.

Merlin 5.9 "With All My Heart" Review

Gwen (Angel Coulby) walks the castle again without getting caught or stopped but this time Percival (Tom Hopper) comes after her and she puts on an act of wanting to be herself, "I don't always want to be your highness..." and go to the town and also remember Elyan like that.  She meets with Morgana (Katie McGrath) and gives her the route the knights will take. The twist being Merlin (Colin Morgan) and Arthur (Bradley James) are watching.  Arthur can't believe she would do something like that and Merlin reminds him she's under Morgana's spell.

Merlin promises he can help Gwen and he wonders why he said this to him.  Gaius (Richard Wilson) believes he can do it and tells him to go and see the Dochraid (Maureen Carr) who will know how to undo Morgana's magic.  He must go as Dragoon since she will sense he's a wizard, which she did anyway and called him Emrys so much for the disguise.  She doesn't think he has enough magic to kill her and is very sure of herself.  Merlin takes his sword and cuts her.  She relents and finally tells him he must find the White Goddess and Gwen has to willingly step into the great Cauldron of Arianrhod whilst a spell is  uttered.   Only then the spell will be broken, but Gwen may be lost forever if it doesn't work.  Merlin cuts her again with his sword, forged in a dragon's breath, and we assume he's killed her.  Well we did the way he looked back with that smirk.  Didn't think Merlin would resort to so much violence, well it is for him.

Arthur is talked into doing this by Gaius, he must if he wants Gwen back.  Arthur also begins to act suspiciously around Gwen, no longer showing his feelings as her loving husband, to the point that she senses something is wrong.  He feigns being late for training, but she finds he didn't go training.  No, instead he went to change the route the knights would take and only tells Leon (Rupert Young) and Mordred of this change.  They must not reveal it to anyone.

Gaius gives Merlin a tincture of Belladonna, to be applied to Gwen every two hours as it will cause her to sleep.  Proving a little difficult to administer the first dose as she doesn't want anymore wine.  However Arthur offers up a toast to her.  As they all watch and wait for her to fall asleep, well flat on her face with Merlin pushing the bread under her face for a soft landing.

Arthur and Gaius have to wheel Gwen out of the castle and are met by Gwaine (Eoin Macken) and Mordred (Alexander Vlahos).  Gaius coming up with an excuse of the poor man having red thrush fever, which they don' wan to spread in Camelot.  Mordred was suspicious of this explanation and his this is confirmed when he notices Gwen's hand sticking out from underneath the cover.  Merlin must administer the Belladonna to keep her asleep and Gaius also convinces Arthur the only way the spell can be done is by sorcery.  This time he'll use a woman sorceress.  Arthur is weary since it didn't work for Uther, that was hardly Dragoon's fault, it was Morgana, as per usual.

Merlin must dress as a woman, the Dolma to perform the spell and so looks for clothes to wear.  Gaius remarking black is his colour.  Merlin and Arthur ride out with Gwen on horseback, Merlin being told by Gaius not to remark on how much Gwen weighs, he could be charged with treason.  Merlin senses they are being watched and Arthur takes that as another feeling he has. "One of your funny feelings again?"  Which is enough to convince him since in the past he would have questioned it.  Of course it was Mordred, I said he would follow them.  Merlin must carry the bags as they have to walk and soon he stumbles over the edge of the cliff.  Arthur also falls down after him.  Arthur running to help Merlin here and yet he resorts to calling him his servant later on and forgetting to take him back with them.

Merlin is knocked out and Arthur's arm is pinned under a boulder.  In the meantime the Dochraid is still alive, more's the pity and sends a note to Morgana informing her of Arthur's intentions and of Emyrus thwarting her plans.  Morgana watches them from the cliff.  Having roped in Aithusa to help her.  Poor, skinny dragon having to do her bidding.  Arthur is rescued by Mordred and Merlin is now awake.  Another conversation about how Merlin doesn't trust him and only thinks he's a good knight.  Mordred hopes they can be friends one day.

Before arriving at the cauldron, Morgana sends out Aithusa to stop them in their tracks, little knowing the Dragon Lord will make him cower and return back.  As Merlin and Mordred leave, Morgana strikes them down and Merlin escapes.  She won't kill Mordred cos he's like her and he says he's not, he's a knight.  Also cunningly telling her he doesn't have enough magic to defeat her.  Making us wonder if he is true to his word or just playing along, as he knocks her back with his magic.  Once again Morgana passes out after taking another flying leap backwards.  So who's got more powerful magic, Merlin, Mordred or Morgana?  Clearly it's a toss up between Mordred and Merlin.

Merlin takes the sack with the dress and it falls out, thus having to come up with an excuse that the sorceress likes clothes, she can't get to a tailor, no but she could conjure something up with her magic, no?  He dresses as a woman and the last minutes of this episode were remarkably funny.  Merlin as campy sorceress.  Reminds Arthur he must make Gwen enter of her own free will.  As well as keeping Merlin for surety which explains his disappearing act.

Gwen wakes and tells Arthur he's stupid for thinking she loves him.  He reminds her of their wedding and how she said she loves him and would marry him "with all my heart."  Whilst stepping back into the cauldron and causing Gwen to follow after him.  The magic spell is broken and Gwen is back to normal.  The Dolma asks if Arthur's forgotten someone, the boy.  Also for payment she asks Arthur recall how sorcery helped him win back his love.  Adding it's not sorcery which is bad but people's hearts.  Arthur promises and he also promises to give Merlin half a day off.

On the way back Mordred says he knows Merlin did the spell but he'll keep the secret, would Arthur believe him anyway if he did tell.  Mordred at this point showing loyalty to Arthur, even when back at Camelot he tells him he'll do anything for him.  Merlin in drag, er, as the sorceress adds more comedy to the mix as both Arthur and Mordred ask if she looks familiar?

Would have thought Morgana's "quarrel" was with Mordred after his treachery towards her, he stabbed her in Arthur's Bane Part 2 and left her there.  Yet she chooses to forget all that, perhaps the writer did instead.  Mordred not recognizing why the path had flags along it since he is a Druid and should be up to scratch on the old religion, it should have been something that maybe Arthur would have asked, but he probably already knows cos of last season's episode 4.10 A Herald of a New Age or at least have some idea.

A shame this will be the last series of Merlin as there's still so much that could be covered since the show got better and this was one of the best series.  Let's hope the final four episodes aren't rushed and bring the show to a dramatic conclusion as the final two episodes promise to be.  Still it's better to go out on a high and maybe there's the possibilty of some future films or a spin off.  The cast have continually excelled and will be missed as will the show.  Oh look at me getting sentimental already!

Twitter @mila255h follow if you dare...

Smallville's 'Supergirl' To Fly onto CSI:NY

                                                
Fans of Smallville and particularly Supergirl and/or Laura Vandervoort will be happy to hear she will appear in a CSI:NY episode to air next January.

Her character of Macy gets released from prison after serving a two year sentence for possession of stolen property and she's out for revenge on her boyfriend who let her take the blame.  A change of character for her from the heroic Kara.

CSI:NY often does these wrongly-accused, out for revenge/justice episodes and they always seem to revolve around robbery or stolen property.

Scandal 1.6 "The Trail" Review

                                            
The President (Tony Goldwyn) arrives at Olivia's (Kerry Washington) continued from last episode as we now get a series of flashbacks, he even tells her he only slept with Amanda (Liza Weil) cos he was nursing a broken heart over her.  He also gives Olivia, shall I call her Livvie, the sex tape sent to Cyrus (Jeff Perry).  Which we now know is of him and Olivia and not of him and Amanda.  Cue flashbacks.  The Governor, as he was then is now on his campaign, laments the ratings in the New Hampshire primary, so along comes Olivia to bail him out, brought in by Cyrus.

Her solution he and his wife, Mellie (Bellamy Young) must show more affection for one another in front of the Press.  Things don't go smoothly there and as Olivia wants to leave cos of a remark made by Cyrus, the man has no diplomacy, yet he's meant to be his number one man.   Cyrus calls the Governor a "sausage" which is for his you-know-what, the Governor, I should just call him Fitz,  rushes after her and they share moments of intense staring and oohing, well they could probably out stare each other.  We also get our first glimpse of Amanda who is at an event for the opposition, as pieces of the puzzle fall into place.  She was used to set up the President so that the opposition will win when his big scandal is revealed.  That's why she didn't want to go any further with the deception and was killed.  Also why the President was adamant she wasn't having his baby.

Rosen (Joshua Malina) and his assistant, Alissa (Brenda Song) put together pieces of who Amanda could have slept with at the Whitehouse.  As she goes through photos coming up with possibility, one she overlooks is Billy (Matt Letscher).  He was shifty, never liked him the way he 'smarmed' (that's my word now) after Olivia.  Also he told her about Cyrus and his investigation on her entire team.  Proving he couldn't keep a secret to save his life.  However Rosen and co give up on finding the real 'daddy.'  Even after he used the phrase "baby daddy."   He was investigating her murder and yet he just gives up on the father's identity, do your job man!

Okay so the episode we were waiting for, the one where Gideon (Brendan Hines) gets it and after he was just naked with his grilled cheese with Quinn (Katie Lowes), but work calls for this up and coming journo, at least he had a last moment of pleasure!  Anyway he gets out that video again and we get flashes between him watching the video and The Presidential campaign.  Olivia convinces him and wifey to become a perfect couple for the benefit of the unsuspecting public and the press.  They come out of their children's school, kiss, eat ice cream, cuddle and everything couples do, except Governor wishes he could be doing all that with Olivia.  In one scene on the bus he tells her he shouldn't have been a coward and should have waited for her and not marry Mellie (yeah Smelly Mellie).  Much to the chagrin of Sally Langston (Kate Burton) who is a Senator and Vice President.  Billy is her aide.  Aide to getting up to no good that is and yes politics is a dirty world but he wired the Governor's room, just to get dirt on him.

SO why did when Fitz, aka, Governor, Aka President, tell Olivia his room was that way in the hotel and she went to his room, instead of inviting him into her room, don't think Billy would have had the nouse to bug her room, unless he bugged everyone else's room too.  Mind you, Olivia was lucky she didn't say anything when he told her "take off your clothes."  Ooh Olivia wears lacy undies, erm, yes well the press would have a field day with that.

Anyway, the polls look good and Cyrus finds there's a story going round about Mellie having an affair.  Billy wants Olivia to make the Governor take the Vice President place instead but Olivia isn't finished with her job yet.  Langston wins New Hampshire.  Olivia brings in her ace, it's Huck (Guillermo Diaz) underneath a mass of hair and going back to the story where he told Charlie he was homeless and she rescued him.  Huck tells them about Mellie being followed and photos being snapped of her.  Once again if this was the case why were Governor and Olivia so free in their conversations and actions, of course there'd be other such snooping people out there.

The so-called man Mellie was having the 'affair' has associations with some Adult movie company and was being paid by them.  He's convinced to declare he's not having an affair.  The Governor and Olivia share a moment where they just watch each other "for one minute."  Women voters seem to not like this Governor so Mellie makes up a story of a miscarriage and it's lapped up.  He tells Olivia the story was fake.  At the press conference he later talks about Mellie and the woman he's in love with, but that's Olivia as we know.

As said, the interlude between Governor and Olivia was being taped and Amanda passes on the USB to Billy, who wants to convince Langston to use it, but she's already accepted to be his VP.  Billy is angry and we find he's Amanda's killer and Amanda's boyfriend.  Cos you see between the flashbacks, Gideon worked out Amanda had a boyfriend and after a few calls finds out he lives at Logan Circle.  The Trail, as in the title leading back to Billy.  He confronts Billy with this knowledge, foolish boy and even tells him about Amanda being pregnant and having the coroner's report.  Er, didn't anyone ever tell him, not to meet someone alone with news like this.  Gideon tells Billy this is his story and Billy finding the whole thing too much grabs scissors from Gideon's desk and stabs him in the neck, blood dripping everywhere.  Poor Gideon in agony and we shall see him no more!! Which is a shame.  What was this, Alfred Hitchcock's Dial M For Murder, stabbing with scissors.

Billy was also the one who provided Gideon with the breaking story about Amanda and the President, he figured this dumb reporter wouldn't be able to put two and two together.  Yet Billy wasn't even aware who the President was really with, so he took the opportunity to provide him with the Amanda scandal, as he sent her to sleep with him.

Olivia and the President have their moment together, present day as they say goodbye and have "one more minute" which turned out to be more than a minute, okay even if it was meant to be a "TV minute."  So Quinn had nothing to do with Gideon's demise but she still has secrets, we don't know her background yet, so I may be right about her after all.  Pity pretty Gideon was killed, he would have made a good associate for Olivia to hire since he was the one who worked out the real truth about Amanda and who was behind it.