CSI: NY 7.21 "Life Sentence" Review

                                                                        
The crime lab is engulfed in a hail of bullets. Mac finds the reason for Harris's vendetta and as usual it's more closer to home and has nothing to do with him but with his former partner.

Hunt (Peter Fonda) meets Mac (Gary Sinise) at his office on the basis of being sent a text, but Mac didn't send it.   In a split second, a barrage of bullets hit the crime lab.   What was Lindsay (Anna Belknap) doing walking too and fro back there anyway, not like she was actually doing anything, no but she had to get in on the action!  Just so Mac can rescue his pet Lindsay.   Never mind coming to the aid of the 'extra' lab assistant, and she was shot, Lindsay wasn't; worse luck.   Oh never mind I'm just projecting my personal opinions, at least something exciting should happen to this pointless character.   The rescue of the lab rat was left to Hawkes (Hill Harper) and Adam (AJ Buckley.)  Then Lindsay acting all gung ho in wanting to stay behind and process the CS.   Like the lab's not complete without her.

Mac works out the bullets were fired level to the centre of the windows so the shooter was directly opposite them.   Hunt is wounded in the arm and asks Mac what he can do, er, hasn't he done enough.     Mac arrives to find the building is empty, well it would be, the shooter wasn't going to stick around.   He leaves behind a rifle and a map on the floor, the one he lad last episode, when Flack (Eddie Cahill) gave him directions.   Wonder if he left that behind on purpose so Mac knows it was Harris (Clifton Collins Jr) suppose he did, he wouldn't have just dropped it, mind you he was leaving clues left right and centre, as well as leaving the rifle behind too.   Harris was just waiting for them to come to him.   Flack asks why Harris is trying to kill him after stealing his wallet.   Think Mac should have been more on the ball with this case.  Flack's/Eddie's gorgeous eyes when he looks through the window, when Mac finds the map!

Hawkes also processes the CS.   Think they wanted a new set.   Flack says there's no sign of Harris at the boarding house and he's shocked at the state of the lab.   Jo (Sela Ward) thinks it a miracle no one was killed.   (Yes wasn't it!  Okay no snide, sarcastic comments, from me, yet.)  Harris cloned Mac's phone to send the text.   Hunt tries to convince Mac he successfully persuaded Harris into leaving them alone and he even lies about being intimidated by Harris.   yes he really looks the type to be scared.   Mac thinks pushing Harris around put them in danger, but it was more than that, 17 years worth of anger.

Danny (Carmine Giovinazzo) after that scene in attempting to comfort Lindsay we didn't need to see, processes the rifle.   Adam finds there was no physical trace at the other building, but someone sprayed the surveillance cameras.   Danny got a hit on IBIS relating to the gun, which was used in a drug robbery, gone wrong.   The AK47 wasn't found.   Hawkes says it was hidden as he found traces of copper, gypsum, asbestos, on the slugs.   They were hidden behind a wall so the bullet picked up the trace.   Mac goes to Harris's old apartment and he and Danny are involved in a shoot-out; killing a man who opens fire on them  (and no Flack either! darn.) IA Det Angela Sayer (Jennifer Mollen) questions Mac and Danny about the shooting.   She got there pretty quickly, like they were waiting for Mac to make the wrong move or something, or step out of line.

Meanwhile, Harris walks into the precinct to file a harassment complaint.   Funny Flack walking right into him and he didn't display the usual animosity he would've done in the past towards suspects.   Mac refuses a Union Rep as he did nothing wrong and the suspect opened fire on them.   Danny: "Bullets above my head were visual enough." She takes Mac's weapon, why not Danny's too, or didn't we see that cos he was just as much involved in the shooting.   Danny: "This woman's got a bug up her ass."  (Don't all IA officers.)  Hawkes answers his question saying she probably hasn't been in a shooting before.   Danny: "It was a clean shoot, no?"  Almost as if Danny was looking for some sort of confirmation from Mac, after his fiasco with clean shoots in season 1's On the Job.   Also cos next episode he's going to pass his sergeant's exam.   The DB didn't have any connections to Harris.   No, but that apartment was just rented to another crim.

Mac knows it was Harris.   Flack calls Mac and asks Harris how he got an AK into the building, but he's got nerves walking in here.  He was there when Harris stole his wallet and he put over a hundred rounds into the lab.   Harris describes Hunt as his assailant but refuses to ID him in a line-up.  He's after justice.   Glad Hawkes was the one to find the wall space, couldn't take another smug comment or look from Lindsay if she'd have found it.   She later tells Jo that 'they' found it.   No dear,  it was Hawkes.  She however finds dry blood under the carpet.   Mac is adamant Harris can't win this game and Harris doesn't want to kill him now, there's no surprise in it.   He wants them looking over their shoulders.   Flack asks if that's a threat.   Mac wants to know what he did?  He wants a tail on Harris.   Det Sayer clears Mac of the shooting and returns his weapon, telling him to stay away from Harris.   Well he's the one doing the stalking.

Lindsay tells Jo the carpets were laid after Harris was already in prison, there's a blood pool under the floorboards from a female donor.   Jo says he doesn't have any family or friends so how do they get into his head?  Silly question for Jo to ask Lindsay, she knows better than that.   Mac only now reviews Harris's file, what took him so long, thought he would have been onto that already.   Jo asks if he wants an outside perspective.   Mac said it was a routine bust, he resisted arrest and they subdued him.   Mac was a beat cop and only put Harris in the car.   There was blood on the duffel bag with the money.   Jo describes the blood stains as circular and not elliptical.   Mac surmises the blood lands on a  full bag at a 90 degree angle leaving circular drops.   Jo says the drops on a half full bag are elliptical, so the bag wasn't full when it was turned over for evidence.

Mac punches Hunt, seems he wanted to do that for a long time.  Mac hates what he did and loses all respect for Hunt, didn't know he still had any, though last episode Mac said he respects him.   Mac knows he stole the money.   It's the same old excuses about retirement, walking the beat and having nothing to show for it.   No one would question the property voucher if Mac's name was on it.   Mac didn't think he'd cross the line.   Hunt had a $35,00 pension coming.   CSI:NY likes to specify amounts, going as far back as season 1, Tanglewood, when Stella (Melina Kanakaredes) specified how much they earn and they work hard for every penny.   Mac posits this is more than about money.

A DB is found, identified as Lucius Woods (Michael Worth) a drug king.   Wow and Lindsay nowhere to be seen.   Hawkes determines he's been here a few weeks from the high level of decomp.   Jo says he was tortured.   Mac believes Harris sat and watched him die, he was Harris's boss and the drugs and money belonged to him.   Mac wants them to bring Harris in for the murder since they can't link him to the lab shooting.   They need to prove he was here, cue rosary beads on the floor, which Mac had to spot.   If Miranda (Alana Morshead) gave those to Harris, why was he so clumsy and dropped them on the floor, unless he wanted to be caught.   Jo says Danny Id-ed the fingerprints on the rope and the air fresheners to Harris.   The female DNA from the epithelial tissue on the rosary matches the dried blood from the apartment, and belonged to Miranda.   She was beaten to death and two weeks before Harris was arrested, they had applied for a marriage licence. Jo thinks Harris believes Woods killed her, but again it couldn't be that simple.

Mac calls Flack (and calls him Don now) who tells him Harris is in a diner.   Lindsay mentions finding an impression on the wood from the apartment and Mac recognizes the design and where it's from.  Flack asks Officer Stone (Vince Pavia) how long the truck's been obscuring the view to the diner, "5 minutes too long.  Harris is gone."   Mac asks Hunt for his pearl-handled gun.   He killed Miranda.   Of course it'd be him since he had to retrieve the money from the apartment, but he didn't think about covering his face, just in case.  The imprint belongs to Hunt's ring.   He thought about turning himself in but it didn't matter anymore.   It would have made a difference to Mac.  A truck drive into Mac's truck, that's an old ploy.   How did Harris know exactly where mac would be and that Hunt would be with him.   Since he was still in the diner, not 5 minutes ago.  

Did he have a tracking device on him, he couldn't have tracked his GPS.  Harris shoots Hunt and then fires at Mac, who shoots him with Hunt's gun.   Some would call that poetic justice as it would be like Hunt shooting Harris, but more likely it's as though Hunt saved Mac, as Mac was out of bullets.  Mac finally gets to tell Harris he didn't kill Miranda.   Flack's car looks rather sportier than the one he had last season.   Mac looked as though he genuinely felt sorry for Hunt dying.   Even Flack didn't have anything to say, what could he, but it had to be Mac saving the day for Mac.  That police officer was bit lax, sitting in the car, could he see through the truck.

It appears they were coming to the end of the series' run, with Mac having this case with his former partner, him being killed, the lab being shot up and again Mac looks defeated, as of he's given up on everything, especially the job, when all around him he sees deceit and betrayal and from those who should know better.   He's not in this job to punish their own, he shouldn't have to.   That's not what his work involves, it's about catching the bad guys, yet corruption always rears its ugly head, eventually.   mac taking that bag in for evidence - similar to Flack and the drugs in season 3's Consequences episode, where one of Flack's men stole stole the drugs and killed to protect himself.   A bit similar here as Mac checked the bag in, but no one noticed the missing contents, or indeed that anything was missing, until later.  No one would have suspected Mac of foul play, just as Flack had to ask if Mac suspected him and was certain one of his own wasn't a dirty cop.   Mac had to ask for Flack's memo book and prove himself right.   Here Mac's past comes to haunt him now; at least that of his former partner's catches up to him.   Showing he was self-righteous in his attitude towards that case back then and towards Flack too in Consequences.

This episode reminded me of season 3's Snow Day, only the opening shooting part.   In this episode, Flack and his team took hold of cocaine and weapons from a drug lord.   Here, they find the DB of the "snow king" as Flack refers to him, also into cocaine, hence his name.   Said drugs lord in Snow Day was also found dead, like Woods.   The lab was stormed then too and here it was swept by a  hail of bullets.   Flack mentions Mac's GPS in his car, how come they didn't have access to his GPS in the season 4 finale Hostage.

The car crash was reminiscent to the one in season 6's Rest in Peace Maria Garito and in an episode of the final season of Without A Trace, when another car hit Sam (Poppy Montgomery) at an intersection.   Danny wanting Lindsay to get downstairs, but Hawkes and the others were there too and no one told them to leave.   Again in Snow Day, Hawkes, Mac and Stella stayed behind to get their lab back.

In the season 8 CSI:Miami finale, All Fall Down, everyone was dropping like flies in the lab too and Delko (Adam Rodriguez) rushed to help Calleigh (Emily Procter) never mind helping anyone else, like Mac and Lindsay here.

Nicholas Bishop in CSI/CSI:NY Crossover

Nicholas Bishop formerly of Body of Proof is set to appear in the CSI/CSI:NY crossover episode when it airs next year.  The episode entitled In Vino Veritas (read here for more info:  http://mila255.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/csi-meets-csiny.html  )

On his Body of Proof character, Peter Dunlop, a medical investigator, he said he is a cop but with more of forensic edge.  So he makes an appearance in CSI but his character, Tom has nothing to do with forensics or indeed any sort of medicine.  Nicholas described Body of Proof in a ZAP2it interview how people say "it is like CSI.  Even though I highly respect those shows, they're very much about the shows, whereas our show is very much about how we are all affected by the case."

Yet the CSI shows are so very much about the affect the case/investigation has on the CSIs themselves, as well as the Vics involved.  Sometimes it can get very personal.

Nicholas was also seen in other US shows such as Necessary Roughness but will be best remembered for his role as Det Peter Baker on Home and Away.  There are some shows people just don't forget and also for being mistaken by most people for that other cute Aussie, Simon Baker aka The Mentalist.

The Saint: The Series?

                                                    
Looks like it's all go for a new "back door" Pilot of The Saint, well it will become a TV series if it is picked up as such.  With Eliza Dushku and Adam Rayner.  Roger Moore is to co-produce and we all remember Sir Roger himself played the title role of Simon Templar in the 1962 TV series, the series of books were written by Leslie Charteris. Also involved in the production is Geoffrey Moore, Roger's son.

Jesse Alexander is writing the script and he was involved in many shows including the five year hit show Alias as executive producer, Lost, Heroes to name a few.  Adam Rayner, a Brit actor known for his role in Hunted series 1 alongside Melissa George (who also had a stint on Alias season 3) will play the eponymous Simon Templar and Eliza is cast as Patricia Holm, his on/off romantic interest.  Of course we  know Eliza from Buffy and Dollhouse, hey no one mentions Tru Calling anymore, wonder why?  The character of Patrica Holm was featured in the books but did not make it to screen in any of the incarnations, except for one film from 1943, The Saint Meets The Tiger; where she was played by Jean Gillie.

There have been many versions of the popular novels, including The Saint TV series, as well as The Return of the Saint with Ian Ogilvy, liked that one.  As well as black and white films where Simon Templar was played by George Sanders.  Most people would prefer not to recall the movie version with Val Kilmer.

This Pilot will also feature Greg Grunberg and Enrique Murciano, it appears from photos posted on Twitter, but no news on what characters they will play. At least we will get to see Enrique on our screens again, he gets so little air time as it is, well he does!!

By the way my Alias book, Inter Alias: Unofficial and Unauthorized is also available at online book sites.

The Vampire Diaries 4.9 "O Come All Ye Faithful" Review

                            
Damon (Ian Somerhalder) should have made Elena (Nina Dobrev) leave since he promised Stefan (Paul Wesley).  Everything she feels isn't real and Damon should make her leave by revoking the sire bond, which he doesn't do.  He told Stefan he'd set Elena free but he wants her "back in my bed and never let you leave."  Oh get over it and her!!  Saved by the bell, Bonnie (Kat Graham) calls Elena.

Stefan walks in on Klaus (Joseph Morgan) finishing off a painting for the Winter Wonderland Charity event and Stefan thinks it looks like a giant snowflake.  He gets Adrian (Mica Joe Parker) to take it over there and uses the free labour of his hybrids.  Stefan wants the cure for Elena and isn't sure how they can keep Jeremy (Steven R McQueen) from killing them, they are vampires after all.  Klaus has the sword, the hilt has a cipher which will help decipher Jeremy's marks.  Klaus is the best friend Stefan has right now.

Hayley (Phoebe Tonkin) tells the hybrids she's found a witch to save their lives and they need the body jump spell so Klaus can jump into someone else's body so Tyler (Michael Trevino) tells Caroline (Candace Accola) he volunteered.  They can bury Klaus in the concrete.  Tyler started this and it must end with him so h needs Caroline's support.  Bonnie tells Jeremy that Damon and Elena are here to help.  Damon refers to "shady pants" being there, i.e Shane (David Alpay).  Jeremy tries to stake Elena again.

Stefan looks through more journals and Caroline needs him, she's having a crisis.  He tells heh the sword decodes the map as Klaus told him.  She tells Stefan about Tyler and the hybrids taking out Klaus.  Caroline looks at Klaus's painting and they talk about Dickens.  She says it looks lonely in there.  She also corrects him by saying, "we don't have a thing."  Stefan doesn't find the sword in his safe.

Damon thinks Stefan should try the sock drawers (er, that'd be soap dish to you Damon!) or he can kill Tyler or tell him about the hybrids so Klaus can kill Tyler.  Stefan ask about Elena and he replies she's trying to deprogramme Jeremy.  Bonnie explains how persuasion reverses Elena's conscious thoughts.  Shane adds Jeremy's subconscious thoughts will recognize Elena as someone he needs to love  and protect.  Elena talks to Jeremy and reminds him how Jenna made them come to the cabin and how their parents wanted them to stay together and fight for each other.  Jeremy wakes and says Elena ruined their lives and she's not his real sister and will kill her even if he dies himself.

Tyler refuses to call it off and can't believe Caroline told Stefan.  All the hybrids are here to help Tyler.  Stefan doesn't have a choice they need Klaus.  Damon: "I travel with the bar" as he talks with Elena and she recalls how she loved Stefan the last time she was here, but now she's happy to be here with Damon.  He doesn't respond but instead thinks they should try something else with Jeremy.  He should attach his feelings to someone else, like Damon.  Jeremy feels that way about Damon anyway.

Shane tells Elena there's no spell for her as he tried to forget his wife and son after they died and not miss them.  Damon wants to know why he's after the cure.  Shane knows where it is as he's already been there.  Carol (Susan Walters) drinks a toast with Tyler little knowing it'll be for the last time.  He tells her he's the hybrids alpha and has to help them.  His father would have been proud of him as Tyler is la leader like him.

Shane brings out that rock again and mentions the story about Silas again.  The witch  who was in search of an immortality spell and wanted a cure for immortality.  Human blood being the life force of mortality.  Silas's DB is the cure so they don't need the sword.  Oh another plan to go awry.  How do they know Shane is telling the truth, cos like Damon, I wouldn't trust Shane as far as Damon could bite him.  Shane explains the mark of the brotherhood of five leads to the murder of a girl (who April?) and when the mark is complete, they will have the spell to dig up Silas.  Shane is interested cos up until now it's only been a myth.

Caroline tells Tyler they'll fight plenty as he has to get someone else's body, thinking of Rebekah and they can bury her.  Tyler thinks Bonnie can help. SO when they kill Klaus what of the vampires he sired, they will die too, no?  Hayley tells Shane about this plan and he wants her to fix it.  Elena trusts Shane now and Damon doesn't, telling her about how he blew up 12 people.  Shane coming up with a convenient story of the Pastor being depressed, hey he has a story for every occasion doesn't he.

Jeremy thinks he's fine now and hands over the stake to Damon.  Hayley tells Klaus about the hybrid plan and Stefan sees them together.  Stefan doesn't trust Klaus since he found his letters, those of his Vic's.  Klaus reminds him it's similar to Stefan's wall of names, "Ripper."  He recalls their loneliness and how they hold their lives in their hands, then rip it away and are left with nothing.  In the end they're all alone.  A bit like Stefan and Damon in this episode especially when Caroline blabs to Stefan about Elena being at the lake too and Damon and her being together.  Just like Tyler said she blabbed to Stefan about their plan.  She seems to be doing a lot of 'bonding' with Stefan and blabbing too.  Shouldn't she be out looking for April (Grace Phipps) especially when the poor girl will be so distressed after what she heard.

April finds Caroline and thinks she's dead since she doesn't have a pulse.  Caroline again foolishly blabbing about Rebekah having the dagger in her and compels her to forget.  Matt (Zach Roerig) tells her about Adrian following Klaus to the cellar and that April is wearing Jeremy's vervain bracelet so compulsion won't work on her.

Hayley admits there isn't a witch and made it all up, she needed Klaus for the sacrifice, so he would kill them all.  Klaus calling Kimberley (Alyssa Diaz) 'love.'  So did killing all his hybrids pain Klaus after his speech to Stefan, he finds himself all alone again and betrayed once more.

Elena brings out mistletoe to kiss Damon under but he can't.  Elena is certain she knows her feelings are real and he thinks it's good to see her normal with Jeremy.  Christmas was Damon's and Stefan's fave holiday.  Damon revokes the sire bond and do right by both. He wants her to go home and he'll teach Jeremy how to hunt and kill vampires without her.  He's setting her free, which will make him happy.

Caroline and Stefan together for their tete a tete again.  Stefan feels guilty over Klaus and Caroline does too.  They all do horrible things but they are better than him cos they have trust.  Well not when Caroline blabs about Damon being with Elena.  Right after Damon's let her go.  Elena can't fight Damon and must leave.  Stefan's angry and Tyler finds the DBs.  April hides in the cellar and finds Rebekah, Sure you could see Rebekah breathing when April opened the lid.

Carol calls Tyler for a ride but Klaus gets to her first, knew it. She tells him Tyler is her son and she's all he is, then drowns her.  Yeah a gory revenge fueled episode for Christmas. Well it was with all that killing going on and Klaus staining his shirt red.  SO not only will we get Tyler on the war path to avenge his mother, not that he wasn't already on the war path as far as Klaus was concerned, but it seems Caroline will probably be caught in the middle, no matter how much she tells Klaus they have no "thing."  She already felt guilty about Klaus.  But she can't get together with him after he killed Carol, she has to stand by Tyler.

What about the way the carol was playing in the background (some pun there with Carol's name, oops) and how Klaus was out on a murderous spree.  Yet he was bonding with Stefan a few moments before lamenting over being lonely in the world.  When all is said and done there's not much loving for a vampire really, not unless you're Stefan or Damon!!  It's kind of macabre that Stefan and Klaus kept 'tokens' of their Vics, at least something they remembered them by and that sort of gives them something to share and have in common.  Along with Klaus threatening to compel Stefan again.

So there's more anger between Stefan and Damon, seems whenever they get close, they end up fighting over a girl!  Is their brotherly bond not strong enough for them to overcome the girly issues and make them a real family, cos after last episode, it's clear Damon really loves his little brother and vice versa, I mean they were going to war together.  But Elena the minx, ha, gets in the way over and over.   Please let the love triangle be over with and let her have Stefan.  So Damon can be mine!! ha.

Then there's Shane and his using Hayley to get his way, surely killing the hybrids was something he wanted and as for that story about the Pastor being depressed, don't buy that for a moment and I hope they keep having Damon being cynical over this and not trust him.  Bonnie was kind of boring again, not doing much if anything.  A nice touch with Jeremy having to invite Elena in showing she's the undead.

Oh and appropriate title, not so for Christmas, but in Klaus having to kill his loyal hybrids who were no longer faithful to him, after the sire bond being broken.  Then Damon doing the same for Elena, who was no longer in his control, not to mention being unfaithful to Stefan in a way, even if they weren't 'together.'

The Hobbit

                                                   
Peter Jackson's long awaited movie of The Hobbit opened on 13th December to critical acclaim, which stars Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins.  As Martin recalls it was a once in a lifetime opportunity he would have missed out on as he was contracted (and still is) to film Sherlock for the BBC.  The Hobbit is a movie role which is firmly destined to put his name on the map, as Sherlock has done so already but it's so much more.  As Martin said, the film means "people in Papua New Guinea will know me...it will be of a universal appeal, the like of which I haven't known before.

Luckily Peter Jackson called him to say he had rearranged filming so he would be able to star in both.  Other stars already associated with the Lord of the Rings Trilogy also reprised their roles, including Elijah wood, Cate Blanchett, Orlando Bloom and Sir Ian McKellen as Gandalf.

After working on the third series of Sherlock, Martin will be back in New Zealand in May to film some more scenes to finish the Trilogy.

Also in the movie is Richard Armitage who already has established heart throb status in the UK with such roles as Sir Guy of Gisbourne in Robin Hood, John Thornton in North And South, Spooks and other shows.  In The Hobbit he plays Thorin, a dwarf which was no mean feat seeing as he's 6' 2" in real life.  Yet he acquired a certain fondness for the boots he had to sport for his role.  "You had to run with effectively what felt like concrete blocks on your feet.  You had to make that look natural."

                                                                                  

For more on Richard read here:  http://mila255h.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/richard-armitage.html

No doubt this movie will be the year's talking point for more reasons than just the sheer effort involved from all in filming.

Merlin 5.11 "The Drawing of the Dark" Review

                                            
The knights and Arthur (Bradley James) come across an attacked convoy and find it to be the work of Saxons.  Mordred (Alexander Vlahos) notices one in the forest and gives chase, catching up with Kara (Alexandra Dowling) someone he used to know.  He lets her go as Arthur catches up to him and tells him he thought he saw someone, but Merlin (Colin Morgan) knows better.  Merlin once again tells Gaius (Richard Wilson) about this and believes Mordred is up to something but Gaius wants him to give Mordred the benefit of the doubt.  As they leave with medicines, Mordred enters Gaius's chamber and takes some bottles.

He finds Kara with the use of telepathy and heals her wounded leg.  They speak of his role as a knight and he talks of Arthur as being good and his friend, but she doesn't agree.  Mordred returns and Merlin is waiting for him, in a scene reminiscent of Gwen (Angel Coulby) when she was under Morgana's (Katie McGrath) spell and she returned after the meeting with her, Merlin was waiting in that same spot, sensing she was up to something.   Mordred admits he was out helping Kara and she is one of them.  He begs for Merlin's promise that he won't betray him or Kara to Arthur and Merlin hesitatingly gives his word.

Later Arthur and Merlin travel to the forest and come across the same attacked site.  Arthur teaches Merlin how to track and Arthur notices the broken plant.  Merlin thinks it's a deer and there is one there, but Arthur finds a shoeprint.  This leads them to a cave and to Kara.  She comes out of hiding, why if he didn't know anyone was there did she reveal herself?  She says she doesn't want to hurt him.  Then pulls out a dagger and tries to stab Arthur.  He arrests her and takes her to Camelot, where she is tried and is unwilling to show remorse for her actions.  She's a Druid and she believes Arthur and his father are responsible for all the misery caused to the Saxons and to those with magic.

Arthur tells her she's not on trial for her sorcery but for her betrayal and sentences her according to the law, death by hanging.  Gwen was rather silent in all of this and didn't speak up to stop Arthur as she has experienced the same sort of 'judgement' and justice under Uther when he killed her father.  Oh and what about the girl, Sefa, Gwen let go in episode 5.2 Arthur's Bane, no one heard from her again.  Point being she had committed treason, though if it was under the encouragement of her father. Arthur tells her of her wounds and how someone helped her, someone from Camelot, but she refuses to name this person.

Mordred goes to see her and we get lots of emotion and tears from this former Druid boy who left here and grew up to fall in love. Well that was a blast from the past for him but not for us, as this Kara appeared out of nowhere just to add fuel to the fire and force Mordred to reassess his loyalty to Arthur.  Oh and the guard didn't notice the tears in Mordred's eyes when he put the pot down for her.

Mordred is grateful she did not betray him to Arthur, but he will talk to his friend and get him to change his mind.  He also accused Merlin of going back on his word but realizes Merlin didn't betray him, it was his own stupidity of leaving behind his footprints.  Once again the knights, don't have much to do.  Mordred gets on his knees and confesses to Arthur how he helped Kara, the love of his life, whom he has known since childhood.  He truly believes he can help her change if he spares her, but Arthur is adamant he can't change his mind.  Even Merlin tries to persuade him but he refuses.

Merlin confronts Mordred who now knows Merlin didn't tell Arthur where to find her but he will escape with her.  He wants Merlin to keep his word and not tell.  However he tells Gaius this is not something he can do.  Merlin tells Arthur and when they arrive at the cell, they're too late.  Kara meanwhile stabs a guard as he is just a soldier of Camelot, well what was Mordred then.  Mordred is genuinely shocked she has done something like that.  Alarm bells ring out and they get to the forest but the others catch them up.  Arthur telling Gwaine (Eoin Macken)and Leon (Rupert Young) to put all friendship with Mordred aside when Leon asks if Arthur wants them caught alive.

Kara attempts to persuade Mordred to use magic and kill them but he doesn't.  He aims to plead with Arthur to let them go but he doesn't.  Mordred looks as if he's about to relent and turn to magic when Percival (Tom Hopper) knocks him out from behind.  The two now find themselves in cells.  Merlin one again tries to be the voice of reason and convince Arthur to change his mind but he can't.

The scene where Mordred asks for Arthur's forgiveness was compelling and poignant as Arthur believes him completely, thinking he's come to his senses, but how can he when it involves the woman he loves, even if she is bad.  Arthur would do anything for Gwen as we have seen so many times.  he says the same to Mordred: "You know there's nothing I wouldn't do for you."  Oh and lots of soppy romantic music in this episode too, ha.

Leon takes Kara before Arthur but she still refuses to repent and would do it over again.  Arthur has no choice but to carry the sentence out and Mordred uses magic to shake the objects outside his cell and his "nooooo" reaches out to blow the cell door down.  He escapes and heads straight for Morgana.  This time he wants to help her, though eh tried to kill her last time and does this by betraying Merlin, who kept his word and did not betray him, no matter how much he wanted to speak out against Mordred, well that's what you get for listening and trying to do the right thing.  Mordred tells her about the man she is looking for being inside Camelot and how Emrys is really Merlin. Ooh secret's out!!

It had to come anyway since we know this is the final series of Merlin, but Morgana the useless sorceress couldn't work that out for herself, it took  betrayal from Mordred for this to happen.  First thing Morgana asks when Mordred arrived there is about Arthur's death.  Arthur blames himself for trusting Mordred to begin with and Merlin can only try to assert it wasn't his fault, no Merlin should have spoken out as this episode leads us to the inevitable battle of Camelot: between Merlin and Morgana and Arthur and Mordred.  How the trouble began all for the love of a woman!  The episode was cleverly played and written since in the early part we side with Mordred, even if we know Kara isn't any good for him and nothing good will come from their meeting as Merlin waits for Mordred to put a foot wrong.  Mordred: "Everything I do, you think the worst."

Merlin doesn't, not until Kara reveals her true colours but even this doesn't perturb Mordred as he still wants to save her.  Love is blind and he asks Merlin if he wouldn't do the same for the woman he loves.  Merlin has also lost his love, Freya through fate and circumstances but did not turn to betrayal.  Merlin telling her, "I don't think you realize how special you are."  She became the lady of the Lake but she wasn't outright bad to begin with.

As we get several references to Arthur not being any better than Uther, yet Merlin still holds out hope that things will change.  He even had Mordred believing this until now. Yet Kara speaks out of the atrocities performed by Uther, not Arthur who has not done anything like that.  Her mentions are of the past and doesn't look to the present or the future that's how much she's set in her ways and the hatred just eats at her.

Merlin mentions the knight's bond here but clearly it means nothing to Mordred and especially not when a woman is involved.  If she was his childhood sweetheart and the love of his life, how come he hasn't seen her or been in touch with her until now, conveniently.  Once again the cast, specifically Colin, Bradley and Alexander were excellent in their respective roles.  Mordred keeping his emotions to himself and not revealing much at all, except to Kara.  He's not overly emotional either when he begs Arthur for her life but you can tell the pain is there.  Merlin is caught between the two as usual and try as he might he can't help stop the impending doom to come.

Mordred was ambiguous in his loyalty right until the last moment, throughout all this time he was loyal to Arthur, one of the knights of the Round Table and up to that point Merlin didn't have anything to fear, though he was weary.  But as it was bound to happen, Merlin is finally proved right in not trusting Mordred as he does the very thing he said he would not.  It's a shame the show got to find its brilliance and sense of character in the final series since after getting to this high, the show will be now more.  Yet at least there's plenty to come in the final two episodes!

The Mentalist 5.7 "If It Bleeds, It Leads" Review

 A group of cyclists stop to take photos by the sea as a car comes crashing towards them and goes off the edge.  A man drives up and goes to the driver in the car, she asks for help and he glances at her bag and then suffocates her with his hand.  Er, didn't they get any prints off her face, or did their autopsy not reveal anything like this.

Patrick (Simon Baker) arrives and is perturbed for being called out here for nothing, just a car accident, before which he asks Cho (Tim Kang) how easy it is to break into a maximum security prison.  He replies to his question and reminds him of the obstacles in his way, such as electric fences, so it's pretty much unbreakable.  He then notices the absence of a bag in the car, as well as a half eaten cheeseburger, which rules out suicide.  SO they need a CS tape.  He then walks off saying "my work is done here."  He is coming up with ideas to break Lorelei out of a Federal prison.  SO he's not much help this week, though he does manage to crack the case at the end.

So the address Munn gave him last episode, Cherry Picked was the Federal prison and Cho later tells Lisbon (Robin Tunney) what Patrick asked her.  Then again it shouldn't be big news where Lorelei is being held since it was the FBI who took her, thus it would be a federal prison somewhere close by.

The Vic was Cassandra Flood (Jennifer Peo) a journalist at a TV station as IDed by Van Pelt (Amanda Righetti) (stuck behind her desk) and she came up with many stories, most recently one about space travel, before that she investigated a black market ring for stolen cars.  Lisbon takes Patrick to the TV station.  Whilst she's talking with Cassie's boss, Ryan (Amir Arison) shows them a threatening letter Cassie received.  No one took any notice of these since they get plenty.  He wants to put Lisbon and Patrick on air as they are young and "good looking" but Lisbon refuses.  A backdown from last ep when she wanted to go on air but Brenda said she wanted Patrick instead.

Patrick walks off as he usually does and notices the blonde weathergirl and her interaction with newsreader Ed Hunt (Ted McGinley).  There's friction between them as he's lost his glasses and his assistant should be getting him a spare pair.  Note glasses being a big clue for later.  Outside Patrick feigns to know who she is Tara, (Mircea Monroe) the weathergirl.  She asks him if he wants an autograph but he doesn't.  He questions her about Cassie and how she and Ed were sleeping together and how she would take over by getting an anchor chair, after she also slept with Ryan.  When Lisbon shows up, he tells her how Tara wanted Cassie's job "She was conniving and used sexuality to get ahead." Continuing, "hell hath no fury like a slut outskanked."  Oh my, Patty using such words and such language too, where as over the four years he hasn't done anything like that.  Not to mention getting slapped again.  Lisbon can't help laughing cos he kind of deserves it and replies she hopes "that hurt!"  Which it did he responds.

Cho and Rigsby (Owain Yeoman) go to the garage and yes these two engage in yet another chase, though not very far (fast becoming the Flack and Danny from CSI:NY.)  Arresting Richard Yuntz (VJ Foster) who claims he was going to the loo, yeah what he had to to run there.  Van Pelt gets a sketch artist to work on a sketch of the man from the CS, whilst Lisbon attends a press conference attended by Ed for the launch of bidding for a seat on the Volker (Henry Ian Cusick) express flight into space.  Ed knew Volker from their time on the Dakar rally and all three were at a museum event as he shows them a photo.  Cassie was doing a story on Volker and he had agreed to it.  Lisbon wants to be introduced.

Volker was interviewed on the show and he seems to be one of those so smooth, smarmy rich men who can get away with anything, including murder.  Think Walter Mashburn but with criminal tendencies.  He gives her his card with his personal number and his assistant, Amanda (Rhea Bailey) comes to fetch him.  Now there was a turn up for the books, his assistant Amanda had a Brit accent whilst Henry Ian Cusick was putting on a fake US accent.  Patrick meanwhile drives out to the prison, telling the guard he's got an appointment, but no one gets in cos there are no appointments.  He even shows the guard his face, bold as brass and his car.  He then drives away to the electric fence and throws a bush into it, when Lisbon calls him to get down here and do his job.   He also tells Lisbon the prison break question was just hypothetical.

Once again we find Patrick plotting in his attic, there's also a bed there for him to sleep there as plotting takes up most of his time at least where Lorelei is concerned.  He tells Lisbon again that she's the only one who can help him with Red John.  Notice how he hides his secret file under his mattress, as if Lisbon couldn't get to it later anyway, if she wanted to.  Van Pelt finds Cassie had reserved a motel room near where she went off the road in the names of Mr and Mrs Flood, but she's not married.  The man, Steve Burman (Jeremy Glazer) is brought in and tells them about a story Cassie was working on, how Volker killed off a whole tribe in the Amazon since they objected to one of his geo thermal projects.  No one believes he would eliminate a whole tribe, but yeah he would.  Thus Cassie's bag was missing as she would have had the evidence in it.  Well why the bag? She could have carried a case in the car boot or something, or not have it with her at all.

Lisbon takes the sketch to the airport to show Volker and he denies seeing the man.  Amanda gets a little flustered and drops some papers, showing she knows something.  Lisbon tells him, "I wouldn't expect a man in your position to get his hands dirty."  A police joke.  Lisbon later goes to see Amanda at her apartment and she tells her about volker and what she overheard.  Lisbon wants Amanda to testify later on and will offer her protection then, what about protection now, cos the look Volker gave her at the airport showed she was a certain goner!

Patrick gets onto the case and tells Lisbon he'll meet her at the station along with Cho, he has to stop at the optometrist first, obviously to get a pair of glasses to fake the ones for Ed he keeps losing.  Patrick goes on air according to a script he's discussed with Ed but goes off point, as Lisbon tells Ryan "he tends to do that."  He asks him if he denies being at the Dakar rally with Volker which he doesn't and also if he denies knowing how to tamper with brakes as he did on Cassie's car.  He then days he found his glasses in the car but Ed lets slip at not wearing glasses, then makes a run for it.  He didn't mean to kill Cassie but only scare her.  He tells Cho he didn't know she would drive off the road.  Volker manipulated him into killing her.  But they don't have any proof against him, so Volker will go free.

Lisbon calls Amanda but she's being killed by Voler's goon and when they arrive at the apartment they see her hanging.  Lisbon can't bear to stay there and Cho and Rigsby have tot get her down.  She sits on the steps outside and Volker tells her Amanda left a suicide note on her e-mail, blaming Lisbon.  Lisbon tells him she will get him and he tells her that her job is at risk, putting his hand on her knee.

Later Lisbon has a meeting with Richard Kirkland (Kevin Corrigan) at her office and he explains he's from Homeland Security.  That she shouldn't work on getting Volker as he will be taken care of.  He also invites her to coffee which she agrees to.  Yes that Kirkland from the limo with Alexa Shulz in 5.5 Red Dawn.  He then passes Patrick in the hall, calling him by name.  Patrick: "Do I know you?"
Kirkland; "No, but I know you." Aggh, a Red John moment if ever there was one.  Then again he probably won't turn out to be Red John, cos that'd be too easy.  As we recall, "he is many..."probably.  Why is Homeland Security looking into Volker (for his 'crimes' abroad and thus a threat to them here) and why has Kirkland shown up now?  As for his knowing Patrick that was an ambiguous answer, he could know him from the FBI, Red John or other sources.  Red Dawn was a significant ep since it was the 100th of the show so there could have been an intro to Red John.

Patrick distancing himself from this case again but he has some words for Lisbon about him not always being around, "I can't promise I'll always be here to help you Teresa.  There may come a time when you may have to do this all on your own.  I want you to be prepared."  Is this some sort of an indication that he may be caught trying to get Loelei out, or that he may succeed on that front and disappear with her until the Red John saga comes to a head.  That something 'bad' may happen to him.  Setting up all sorts of scenarios here.  Reassuring Lisbon she did this job before he arrived so she can carry on doing it when he's gone.  Ironically or not, the 100th episode also being a nod towards how the team got together and Patrick got to work for them and Lisbon needing his help.  Now she may not have him around especially at a most crucial crossroads as she too has an enemy to chase in Volker and perhaps she may need Patrick even more now.

Also noticeable was the growing use of  "Teresa" by Patrick.  He never used to do that, well hardly ever but he now does that plenty of times.  Alluding to a growing fondness for her, or more seriously romantic affection.  She wants him to do his job and not stray into his own personal vendetta constantly.  Her reply "I'm prepared to punch you in the face on my own."  An extension of seeing Tara punch him earlier on, but then he's been punched by plenty. She's frustrated by Patrick for not listening to her and going off on a tangent, arguably his own tangent of chasing Red John and breaking out Lorelei.

So now Lisbon gets a nemesis of her own, her very own Red John in the form of Volker.  That we got to see the killer from the outset (Columbo's plot point, the killer was always shown and the viewer had to figure out how the crime was committed.)  Thus it had to have been someone else who was the criminal mastermind.  Volker has killed "women, children babies" as she tells Amanda, as has Red John, including Patrick's family.   Volker didn't want Lisbon to feel he was offended by her, as Red John indicated to Patrick he was offended after Patrick was on TV.  Cho mentions Ed was "manipulated" into 'killing' Cassie, just as Red John is a master at manipulation and getting other people, his acolytes to do his bidding for him.

As for Patrick, didn't he look great on the TV, so very natural, going back to his days of being a "mentalist." He looked back at home there, so very comfortable.  Let's go to commercial.  Red John was probably watching, another reason why Kirkland made an appearance.

Patrick's use of "sly minx." SO funny.  Lisbon wanting Patty to get make-up before going on air! Patrick calling her ""so tough" in her determination to get Volker.  His quote of "gives me goosebumps..."  So many laughs to add to the seriousness of the episode too.  When Kirkland said he knows Patrick why wasn't he more curious as to know why and from where etc?  He just walks away engrossed in his file.  Yes he's engrossed with Lorelei, to the point of obsession in getting her out, but he just doesn't acknowledge Kirkland, it's just water off a duck's back to him.  Even if he wasn't interested in the case, he still managed to come through in the end, though he was no help in pinning anything on Volker, didn't like that, but if someone says he knows him, wouldn't he be interested in knowing more.  I would!

Robin's new hairdo looked good and Patrick/Simon's 'quiff' keeps changing in every scene! Ha.  I hope The Mentalist does get at least another season since it can be downright intriguing at times, as most of this episode showed!  can't wait for the next one, which will be our last one for the year and then we'll have to wait at least another two months before the remainder!!

Moriarty May Be Dead...Okay He Is...

                                             
Jim Moriarty played by Andrew Scott in the Sherlock series killed himself in the last series and it appears he is gone for good.  In a recent interview Andrew said the next series should begin filming in January 2013 but he is not in it.  Sherlock Holmes evil arch nemesis it seems has been firmly laid to rest, unless there's some shock twist which seems unlikely with Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss at the helm.   As Andrew said he wouldn't ask them about any flashback sequences, "..they don't tell me much.  But no, Moriarty is now dead."  On his character he added,  "I have had an absolute blast.  He is an extraordinary character to play.  I was delighted to be given the opportunity to do it."

However Andrew has built up quite a fan following as Moriarty in his short time on the show and speaks of how much "dark" fan mail he receives.  Including from fans who write books about the characters.  Even graphically.  As well as winning a BAFTA for Best Supporting Actor, when he was up against Martin Freeman who plays Dr Watson.   Andrew would like to appear with Benedict Cumberbatch again but in something completely different.  But has signed up with another agent and will be heading off to the USA to see what he can drum up over there.

As for filming in 2013, nothing is confirmed and as we know both Benedict and Martin have busy filming schedules with Steven Moffat also working on Doctor Who, so it seems unlikely we will get an Autumn 2013 airing as has been said before.  But never say never...

Over the year, the writers revealed three words to tantalize fans and viewers to series 3 when it does finally come about.  These being "Rat, Wedding, Bow."  Possibly referring to three stories that may be filmed: The Giant Rat of Sumatra.  The Noble Bachelor and His Last Bow.  This was the last instalment in the series written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and it has been hinted that it could signal the final series of Sherlock.  Especially with so many other work commitments of the cast.  Hey 'Bow' could be read as in violin bow??

However Moffat did say he would bring the cast back together in the future even in 20 years time or so, to see what the two would be like in their '50's since that's how the shows have been filmed in the past with other actors in the roles.  Which wouldn't really be of much interest to many of us, indeed if we're still around...Oh and the time elapse between Sherlock series 3 only goes to show Elementary may be garnering new viewers and leading fans away from our own homegrown Sherlock!

Without A Trace 3.19 "Second Sight" Review

Viv (Marianne Jean-Baptiste) is rushed to hospital.  She’s 37 years old and was diagnosed a month ago.

A woman looks at tarot cards and another woman leaves her alone to close up.  She disappears after turning over the deathcard.

38 Hours Missing

Sam (Poppy Montgomery) tells Jack (Anthony LaPaglia) she is Agnes Deshamps (Alexandra Lydon) and is 25 and she owns the store selling new age products and psychic readings.  Sm tells him Viv’s out of hospital and needs surgery.  Jack hasn’t seen her yet.  Sam says she looks good. And finds a burnt doll in the drawer.

39 Hours Missing

Sam looks at her appointments and comments there’s no way to figure out who her clients are from the symbols.  Sam thinks she may have been running a scam.  Rebecca says she never felt any psychic energy but Agnes was good with her clients.  She didn’t have the gift but she tried to help.  Sam asks if her clients felt she was conning them.  Agnes didn’t ask for her help in 5 years but recently she was afraid and was involved in something.  A man was angry at her.  She told her to imagine herself on a roof away from anger, she didn’t know where the road was going and couldn’t see through the dark cloud.  She gave Agnes a candle to use for guidance.  She didn’t finish the ritual.  She was meant to carve initials on the bottom, meditate and when the candle was burnt, she’d give her a reading.  This morning she had  a vision of a van and “frantic energy.”  Sam laughs, she’s not making it up.

Danny (Enrique Murciano) questions Agnes’s neighbour who heard a noise outside and found her on the floor.  She fell but didn’t want to go to hospital and said she was clumsy.

Sam questions Edgar (Bill Brochtrup) the last client Agnes saw.  An angry man interrupted them, she told him she couldn’t go through with it.  Viv gets a call from Martin (Eric Close) frustrated he hasn’t found any sort of records.  He got a name from his father for the head of cardiology at St Luke’s if she needs a second opinion.  Jack asks Martin how she is.  He tells him they found a candle in the garbage at Luca Bella with the initials ‘L.C’.

40 Hours Missing

The doctor at the hospital tells Danny Agnes had a fracture of the radius and concussion.  He asks if the injuries were consistent with a fall.  She also had other injuries.  He doesn’t recognize the man in the sketch.  Agnes told him no one was hurting her.  She had Huntington’s.  Danny asks what that is “for the medically impaired.”

41 Hours Missing

Rebecca (Natacha Roi) talks of the the dark cloud around Agnes.  She wouldn’t have committed suicide as she had strong energy around her.  Sam says it’s hereditary, her grandmother had it.  Agnes told her of a bird she saw on a wagonwheel, white, she knew it was her grandmother.  She had a broken wing, trapped and alone.  The bird meant sorrow.  Sam tells her they found the candle.  The only client with those initials was a Mrs Countryman.

42 Hours Missing

Agnes performed the ritual for her and made mistakes in her readings.  They were having financial discussions and she called this week and told her not to sign her estate over to her nephew (as the knight had to prove himself to the lady.)  Danny asks if she put him charge for 3 weeks?  The sketch is of her nephew, Greg (Andrew Hawkes).

Danny tells Greg someone saw him threaten Agnes.  He made a deposit on an expensive car.  He tells them 3 weeks ago she knew how she could put him in charge of the estate.  She gave him back the $10,0000.  she needed $50,000 and he could get it for her.

Viv decides who should look after Reggie with her husband Marcus (Joseph C Phillips).  Not his sister but her cousin Margaret.  Rick is a Mets fan.  Viv thinks they could get Rosemary to leave him.

Sam loses it with Martin for using Viv’s computer.  Martin finds the doll’s head was from 3 states: Kentucky, Virginia and West Virginia.  His computer froze.  Danny interrupts their tete a tete and shows them some videotape footage from an Everymart store.  Agnes is being abducted and put into a van.

44 hours Missing

Danny says there was no footage inside so don’t know if she was followed.  The black van has the partial plate:…2H7….  An eye witness Hilda Cahill (Karen Austin) comes forward.  Danny thinks perhaps she needed the $50,00 after a scam.  Jack thinks they may have caught her in an attempt to escape in the van.

Sam shows Rebecca the photo of the man in the van and gets angry as she told her about the van, she’s probably in on it.  Rebecca grabs her hands and tells her she’s feeling a sick friend and having problems with ‘M’.

Danny asks Hilda to confirm her story.  She was walking in the parking lot and all the lights were out.  She heard screaming.  Danny asks if she saw the man who took Agnes?  She blames the store for not fixing their lights.  She didn’t recall Agnes at the store but she dropped her shopping bag.  Danny tells her they didn’t see any bag on the footage.  She’s confused.  Maybe she didn’t see the bag.  Viv takes her medication.

45 Hours Missing

Danny tells Martin Hilda is a moving target.  Martin cross referenced the plate and got one match: a house in Greenville.  All have crimes to their names.  A Mark Conway is on the Major Crimes watchlist.  They are a gypsy family group.  Danny says he’s suspicious of Hilda, she was trying to second guess what they wanted her to say.  She doesn’t have a car on the list but has the aliases of: Carla Callaghan, aka Heather Cahill, aka Hilda Cahill.  Martin says all the people in the house are part of a clan.

46 Hours Missing

Danny uses her aliases and acts confused and threatens her.  Martin finds Patrick Orton (John Dennis Johnston) etc on an endless list.  He owns a 2002 Dodge Ranger registered licence plate: 2H7 from there.  They drive along the west I64 running scams: abductions and threatens to sue the store.  Danny tells Hilda to tell him what Agnes was doing with them and she can leave.  She’s her niece and her real name is Margaret.  She stole $50,000 7 years ago and ran away.  He wants the names and aliases of everyone involved in the fake kidnapping.  She wants her one phonecall.  Danny gets her a phone but tells the agent to capture the number but not to let the call go through.  Danny finds the number she dialled was registered to an alias in Greenville.  They make a living selling defective RVs so Danny suggest they should buy one.

Patrick Conway drives up and Danny pulls a gun on him.  Jack tells him he’s not concerned about the scam and only wants to see Agnes alive.  She’s his daughter.  She took the money and ran away so he has to make it right with the clan.  It wasn’t up to him to let her come home.  Jack tells her she’s ill and he wants to see her.  She tells Jack she knew she was ill when she fells down the stairs.  No one will stay with her except her family.  Jack lets them go.

Sam tells about Agnes.  She wants a reading done.  Jack visits Viv who apologizes for leaving him shorthanded.  Viv says he could use some sleep.  He tells her everyone’s happy to work overtime.  She understands if he wants to fill her chair.  He knows but it’s okay.  ( Or is it.  Se season 4.)

Lots of jokes in the episode about psychics and their powers etc oh the scepticism was rife.  Though Sam believed or needed to, at least to get the reading at the end.

Jack: “She could’ve saved herself some time and just told us where to look.”

Jack seems to be avoiding seeing Viv until the last possible minute for some reason.  As he keeps asking everyone else how she is.  Possibly he doesn’t know what to say to her or avoiding confrontation perhaps.

Jack: “somebody didn’t like their reading.”

Sam: “does your vision come with an id, a recollecation – past, present, future.”  Following Jack’s lead she would ask that question!

Viv: “they’re always out there somewhere."  She could of course also be referring to the missing person not just records.  Viv calls Martin “sweetie.”  He even went to the trouble of talking to his father just for her.

Martin: “I’ll see if I can conjure up something on L.C.”
Jack: “how hilarious.”  Seems like everyone was getting in on the psychic jokes except for Danny and Viv.

The bird that Agnes saw could be herself and not just her grandmother as she felt trapped and alone too, hence the need for her to return to family.
Sam had to look up the initials L.C in her notes.

Danny: “Expensive car, eye witness, missing psychic…”

Jack: “…that’s probably good.  Technically you’re not trustworthy.”

Sam: “What’re you doing?…you haven’t  said 2 words about it since she collapsed – at least not to me and now I walk in …sitting at Vivian’s desk using her computer.”
Martin: “What, you think I’m being disrespectful to her?”
Sam: “No, I think you’re selfish and inconsiderate is what I think.  I’m sorry..”
Martin: “I think you’re just looking for another reason to push me away.”
Sam: “Martin I’m not I’m just really upset…”  Danny walks in on another Martin and Sam moment, an argument this time but never got a chance to comment on it.  As for Martin not talking about it, he obviously cared enough about Viv to call her and asks if she needed another doctor or anything else.  So why didn’t Sam talk to him about how she was feeling, especially after she knew about this for longer.
Martin and Sam having another argument and Danny interrupts – though this time he didn’t notice, no, he was too busy actually working.

Did what Sam find out from the clairvoyant woman make her change her mind and be nicer to Martin. Well she should’ve gone back and tore strips off her for giving her a wrong reading.

Danny: “I was thinking – what if she pulled a scam and that’s what the 50 grand’s about – she had to pay some people back.”  And he’s right as usual!

Sam: “So either you’re involved or you’re a psychic and that part I find very difficult to believe.” But she does believe and especially when she tells her about Viv and Martin though of course surely she would’ve named them them.

These witnesses try to be so clever come forward and attempt to be helpful when it’s apparent they’re involved somehow.  Like mentioning the shopping bag for starters.

Martin: “Sorry bro my computer’s still down.”
Danny: “Mi computer, tu computer.”  He didn’t have any qualms about him using his computer.  But then Martin figured it was much safer to use Danny’s computer than to ask Sam.

Danny: “…whole time Jack and I were talking to her, it was as if she was trying to guess what we wanted her to say.”

Danny: “Hilda, I’m sorry Heather.  Carla, Okay I’m confused…you know what else  you don’t know whom you’re talking to.  I’m FBI.  If I want to I can make your life a living hell…tell me what I wanna know.”  Yes he loves to threaten people and you know what it’s enough to make you want to talk!
Danny: “You trying to figure out all the angles but sometimes smart people complicate things.  This is simple…tell me that and you’re done.”

Hilda; “you told me we were done.”
Danny: “I lied and here’s the part where I’ve gotta tell you that you’re entitled to that one phonecall.”  Yes, but his threats are always so nice, well usually.  Danny threatening her by using the old “I’m an FBI agent” ploy/scenario.  ‘Ooh I’m scared.  Interrogate me some more so I can go weak at the knees and my heart pounds!’  Sorry!!

Jack and Danny undercover and out of their suits with Danny sporting a tracksuit and cap.
Jack finally talks to Viv and reassures her her job is safe.  Also she picks up his not sleeping, continued on from the previous episode.  Sam going to get a psychic reading after being sceptical and making all those comments/jokes after taking Jack's lead.  a bit like Danny when he went and got that 'self help' book in season the episode Life Rules.  He thought it would work, why did he need a self help book anyway?

Desperate Housewives 8.21 "The People Will Hear" Review

Mary Alice: "Since Bree Van de Camp (Marcia Cross) was arrested, she had experienced a wide range of emotions.  One moment she felt afraid, the next she was angry and through it all she felt ashamed.  But now that her trial was fast approaching, she was beginning to feel a little rattled."  The women sit in Bree's room and discuss her trial.  Trip (Scott Bakula) goes over questions for the trial and asks Gaby (Eva Longoria) what sauce Bree put on her chicken, Gaby replying barbecue, how long has she known Bree that she comes up with BBQ sauce!  Gaby blabs about Alejandro, piquing Trip's interest as Trip doesn't know who that is.  Bree thinks mentioning she'd use BBQ sauce is worse than killing.

Lynette (Felicity Huffman) states Bree is still after Trip and Bree thinks he's an "intelligent, charming, caring man."  That Scott is in real life too, one huge fan of his right here!!  She hasn't met anyone like him in ages.  She's sure he feels the same too, but Lynette notices him through the window, getting picked up by a blonde in a car.  Mary Alice: (Brenda Strong) "After Bree was arrested she felt a range of emotions...But the one thing she didn't expect to feel was jealousy."

Mary Alice; "At the Fairview Childbirth Centre there are certain conversations you expect to hear...discussions about the magic of  childbirth...but Julie Meyer (Andrea Bowen) found herself having a conversation that was rather unexpected."  Susan (Teri Hatcher) can't believe Bree is on trial for murder.  "Killer's don't wear aprons."  That's debatable, ha.  Julie wants to punch Porter (Charlie Carver) for being late and he's late for class since he's out making money.  He then faints at the child birthing DVD.

Bree visits Trip at the office and finds he's out to lunch with the blonde woman.  Gaby picks outfits for Bree's trials and Bree doesn't want stripes, giving the jury the wrong impression, or ruffles.  Bree is innocent Gaby tells her and Trip is a brilliant lawyer, but Bree feels he's distracted.  Gaby isn't worried at all but she's not the one on trial, allowing Bree to take the blame still.

Tom (Doug Savant) is heading out to Mumbai as he breaks the news to the children who don't want him to go.  Jane (Andrea Parker) and Tom aren't in a good place.  Lynette thinks time apart will do them good, but will be hard on the children. Tom doesn't want to be away from Lynette, who will tell him what to do? and they haven't been apart from each other for more than a month.  He'll miss her.

Bree meets up with Lindsay (Brit Morgan) and asks if  "part of your discretion is falling out of your bra?"  Lindsay quits, she's a PI and was working for Trip.  Lynette won't let Tom get on the plane and Lee (Kevin Rahm) adds she won't fit into that garish purple dress as Renee's (Vanessa Williams) bridesmaid if she keeps eating.  Hey purple is my fave colour but it did nothing for that dress!  Ha.  Bree turns up where Lindsay is surveilling, how'd she track her down then?  She apologizes for being rude and claims she's not jealous.  Lindsay says Trip's a good lawyer (we get the picture by now! ha) but female clients get the wrong idea, "he's into your case, not you."

Susan tries to comfort Julie by telling her the men think the birthing DVD is like a video game when they see the blood.  Mike almost passed out when he saw it too, but he always knew what to do, especially when MJ fell.  There are so many memories of Mike for her here.  Julie doesn't believe Porter wants to be with the baby anymore.

Lynette doesn't want Greg (Reed Diamond) to send Tom to Mumbai and she dumps him when he agrees.  Bree can't sleep, neither can Susan or Lynette.  They take a walk and have't been out so late since they buried Alejandro.  If only they could go back.  Gaby comes out cos she saw them walking but was asleep.  She knows Bree will be fine cos she's innocent and as the saying goes, innocent people have been convicted for less, thought I'd add that.  Susan was thinking Gaby should tell the truth and so was Lynette.  Gaby still thinks all will be back to normal if they just hold on longer.  They're mad at Gaby cos Lynette says if Gaby cares about Bree being convicted then she'd not be sleeping now either.

Bree is polishing the silver and Trip comes over with donuts and a Casablanca DVD.  He hasn't seen the film when Bree mentions "of all the gin joints in all the world you had to walk into mine..." so he doesn't know what that means.  Funny Sam would have known what it means in Quantum Leap!! Ha.  Wouldn't Bree have anything already baked, would have thought she'd be in the kitchen, not polishing if she couldn't sleep.  It's Bree's fave movie, mine too.

Prosecutor Stone (Christina Chang) asks how well they know their neighbours?  They have secrets, like Bree does and can poison Wisteria Lane.  Trip replies that she knows her neighbours and they're honest, have integrity and compassion.  Stone describes Bree as a woman of loose morals.  Trip responds if it's criminal to pick up people, there are one or two in the courtroom who is guilty of picking up in bars, pointing to himself.  Bree made questionable choices which doesn't make her a killer but human like them.  Stone adds secrets like bodies don't stay buried.

Susan sees Porter to help Julie, he's making money for her and the baby and he needs to find his own life right now.  So Susan wants to leave with Julie and help her.  It will be good for her to move.  Greg takes his anger over Lynette dumping him out in the office, calling her a real piece of work and a psycho.  She's hung up on another man.  Tom punches him over this and gets fired.

Susan is called to the stand and has  known Bree nearly 20 years.  Lynette says they're like sisters.   Gaby talks about the progressive dinner party and Susan wasn't with Bree the entire time.  She went home to check on her course and Lynette says she had sex with her boyfriend.  Gaby says she stayed with the others to help her clear up until 2.  TOD was between 10 and midnight.  Susan adds Bree didn't kill Ramon and Gaby concurs.

Jane asks Tom why he didn't like his boss, cos he was dating Lynette?  Tom still loves Lynette.  Stone shows Bree photos of all those men she was with.  She admitted her transgressions and didn't kill Ramon.  Stone says Bree has a clear conscience and rebuts this by introducing her suicide note into evidence.  Chuck was killed in a hit and run later and she reads out the letter, "...can't go on living with a secret."  Bree was in a dark place when she wrote that.  Trip believes her and hopes the jury does too.

Lynette is trying to control Tom's life as she laments to Lee.  That dress is horrible and if Lynette tells Renee, she'll just pick another one.  She did that with Tom all the time and maybe she's just unhappy.  Lee helped her get out of her dress and Tom sees them through the window.  Juanita (Madison De la Garza) and Celia (Daniella Baltodano) break Gaby's grandmother's vase and Juanita was going to let Celia takl the blame "for something you did...own up to it.  Don't you see how bad..."  Gaby realizes she has to do the same.  Trip gets the file on Alejandro and Bree tells him they all made a pact.  He asks if she cares enough to lie for them cos she'll end up in jail.  The jury think she's hiding something and she is.  She wants him to win this case.  Bree posits it won't work without her betraying her friend.  Trip says it's her only way out, to tell the truth about Gaby.

Mary Alice: "Yes...recent events in the lives of my friends had stirred up intense emotions, excitement about starting a new chapter, guilt over causing another's pain, disappointment in a failure to change.  Then there are those who are asked to put all emotion aside in order to make a cold hearted decision."  Gaby brings  a scarf for Bree, she's sacrificing herself (now she can hang herself with the scarf, sorry).  Gaby insists she's a better person than Gaby could be.  Well Bree is a better person since it was all Gaby's fault to begin with for not coming clean in the first place.  Of course then there'd be no story!

The title is yet another song from a Stephen Sondheim musical All That Glitters.  Surely Chuck Vance died on the Valentine's Day ep so he couldn't have bee killed in May.  Also how did the coroner manage to determine TOD since Alejandro was buried for months, let alone the date of his death.  Bloops writers!!

Tom and Lynette let's face it will always be a couple.  How could Tom not know that was Lee from behind.  and it was always doubtful Porter and Julie would be able to bring up their baby together.  Gaby realizing she has to do the right thing but still doesn't come clean and own up but buys Bree a scarf instead!  My scarf comment I've already made!

The Vampire Diaries 4.8 "We'll Always Have Bourbon Street" Review

                                             
Caroline (Candace Accola) mentions Elena (Nina Dobrev) being sired to Damon (Ian Somerhalder) again and that she has to make him happy. Stefan (Paul Wesley) thinks the bond may not affect her the same way, naive thinking on his part but Caroline thinks it is affecting her and Stefan doesn't want her to tell anyone else.    Caroline will talk to Tyler (Michael Trevino).  All the while Elena and Damon engage in yet more bedroom antics together. Elena wants to tell Stefan and Damon thinks she should leave it for a day.  Stefan tells Damon about the sire bond who calls it "pathetic nonsense."  He got her to a good place about being a vampire.  Stefan wants him to tell her to drink from a bloodbag and if it doesn't work he'll apologize.  Damon: "apology better be epic."  Caroline's word from last episode when she said Elena and Stefan are "epic" together.

Tyler says Adrian (Mica Parker) needs to endure more torture to break Klaus's bond but Kim (Alyssa Dias) won't let him continue.  Shane (David Alpay) has taught Bonnie (Kat Graham) small spells.  Damon brings Elena a bloodbag and she drinks it, finally tasting of blood to her, begging the observation of why if she had never drunk blood before then of course the blood will taste like "garbage" to her, as she put it.  But she has a real sense of what blood tastes like now.

Hayley (Phoebe Tonkin) says they will break Adrian and then Shane will have his 12 hybrids he needs.  He has the info she wants on her biological parents but he wants the 12th hybrid first or else he'll take Tyler.  Caroline finds there's no vampire equivalent of breaking the vampire sire bond.  Damon recalls New Orleans 1942 and they were there.

New Orleans 1942.  Charlotte (Madeline Zima) was sired to Damon and she kills a sailor cos Damon told her to "show no mercy. and she didn't.  Valerie, a witch helped him break the sire bond.  Elena, Caroline and Bonnie have  a girls' night in.  Stefan was at war and Damon didn't go.  Stefan feels it's important for Elena to know how wrong Damon is for her and then apologizes.  Stefan also apologizes back in 1942 for being the ripper and hope they can be friends gain.  Lexi (Arielle Kebbel) tells him not to pick a fight or judge.

Stefan is going to Egypt as an ambulance driver.  Damon can handle war and wants to spend time with his brother.  Lexi tells Damon he's not going.  Stefan needs balance and to see human blood and suffering.  Charlotte brings in another Vic and Stefan loses it when he sees the blood on his hands.  Damon left Charlotte at Bourbon and Du Main, telling her to count every break and then he left.

Hayley thinks Kim is challenging Tyler's position as the Alpha of the pack.  Stefan doesn't believe Damon will do the right thing, only what's right for Damon.  Damon replies he wants to "restore her factory settings." Damon calling him a dick, now he's at it.  As if it wasn't enough to hear that in Supernatural! Ha.
Caroline says they don't hang out in the bathtub cos of cooties.  Damon brings his skanks in there which Elena takes offence to, what Damon's skanks or that Caroline has labelled Elena one too.  They both fight over Damon and Elena lets slip she's slept with him (and not once either.)

Damon is looking for a witch  in Nandi's (Adina Porter) store.  Valerie (Takara Clark) had a Grimoire with a spell.  He sacrificed 12 human souls.  She says the stuff was lost during Katrina.  Caroline and Bonnie are only watching out for Elena and Caroline blabs Elena is sired to Damon.

Damon says he killed them all back in 1942, his justification, how does Lexi know they didn't deserve it.  He'd do it again.  Tyler told her "the bond affects how you act, not how you feel."  Damon returns to the store and knows she's Valerie's daughter, a practising witch.  She uses her magic on Damon.  Stefan needs her help.  Valerie called on darkness, she wanted power and Damon provided it for her with the 12 souls.  A vampire only bonds to a sire if they have feelings for him.  He must set her free and let her go, then leave her.

Kim tortures Caroline and Elena takes her place as Klaus is fixated on her.  Tyler won't hurt her since he's not Klaus.  Kim submits as do the others.  Damon wants to get on with his life and so should Charlotte, she needs to forget him and find someone else.  Stefan tells Damon it's hard to do the right thing as he's far from selfless, it's not one of his character traits.  Damon responds one day Stefan will realize he doesn't know him as well as he thinks.  Damon wears a uniform in 1942 and is ready to ship out with Stefan but Lexi stops him.  Serving in war is penance for Stefan and Damon has no conscience, Stefan will wonder why.  Damon needs Stefan, but he will destroy him.  She made him not go and Stefan says he didn't know.

He's upset at Damon loving Elena.  Stefan knows it will be Elena's choice if she doesn't feel the same way for Stefan.  Caroline apologizes to Elena and wants to tell Stefan about Damon herself.  Bonnie mentions the little spell she did is called "expression" at least the magic is and Shane is helping her with magic.  Well that puts Shane firmly in place of the dark side, since that's the 12 souls he needs to sacrifice, just as Valerie did back then and Damon provided them for her, as Hayley is doing here.  Of course we knew he was involved in dark magic.

Shane tells Hayley her parents are dead but it doesn't mean she can't see them again.  "We are the beginning."
Stefan feels sorry for Damon since he loves Elena. Damon isn't as bad as he used ot be.  Caroline wonders how he can trust Damon.  He loves Elena as much as Stefan and he can't be selfish with her anymore.  Damon tells her everything's changed; she wants him to know the time she's been in love with Damon is for real and she's happy.  Damon has to do this, he's not a good guy and doesn't do the right thing but he must do the right thing for her.  Elena makes him touch her heart and she touches his face asking if this feels real?  So will Damon do the right thing and tell her to move on, cos Elena just keeps stopping him.  She was quite selfish here too, was she afraid if he told her to leave that she'd actually do it and walk away from him.

Lots of real emotions from Damon in this episode, even if it was mostly for Elena.  He did however want to be with Stefan back in 1942 and Lexi made him see he wasn't any good for him, in the same way Damon must show Elena, but that didn't happen this time round, wonder if it will next ep.  Damon sacrificed those 12 souls for nothing and would do it again in a heartbeat, this time for Elena and Stefan can't believe he did, but why so shocked when he knows what Damon was like.  Only the 12 souls had nothing to do with the sire bond and now Shane wants to do the same.  Pastor Young sacrificed himself and 11 other council members earlier on, presumably they were all innocent and now he wants 12 hybrids.

Elena bringing up Caroline's attraction towards Damon when under compulsion and it appears we must suffer the Damon/Elena relationship for the foreseeable future, even if many of us don't want it.  Well he didn't come out and say he wants to get on with his life and Elena should leave him so she can return to him of her own free will.  It's all about free will in this show which is demonstrated by Tyler breaking the hybrid bond Klaus has over them and yet Hayley is doing it for the wrong reasons, but we knew she couldn't be trusted ages ago.

The other part is how this Tyler/Hayley/Klaus sire bond is being dragged out and I don't find that interesting at all.  Caroline and Tyler don't spend time together and she's the sounding board for Stefan these days and his woes with Elena, but even their love triangle is boring, jarring, whatever you want to call it.  It has been dragging on since a few seasons now and the characters just get pushed in one direction or another.  Do the Salvatore's have to fall for every girl each brother desires?  That makes sense?  Why not decide once and for all who will get Elena, it was the same thing with Katherine.

Let's focus more on the dark side of the show and less on the ever-lasting love triangle.  Also obviously Damon and Stefan missed how Charlotte was still sired when he left her counting bricks on the walls.   Thus the spell didn't work, or was used for other purposes.  Wasn't Damon obsessed with Katherine due to her having a sire bond over him and when she rejected him she set him free.

The title perhaps a reference to Casablanca and the "we'll always have Paris" line between Elsa and Rick.  The film was also filmed in 1942 and was set during the Second World War.  One of my faves.  Damon's fave drink being bourbon.