Revenge 2.6 "Illusion" Review

                                                      

Emily: "If we choose to, we can live in a world of comfortable illusions.  We can allow ourselves to be deceived by self-realities or we can use them to hide our true intentions."

Emily (Emily VanCamp) gives Amanda (Margarita Levieva) details about where and who removed her scar to get Mason Treadwell (Roger Bart) off the scent and to put him back on the Grayson radar, as Amanda lets slip she doesn't think the white haired man kidnapped Victoria (Madeleine Stowe).  That she saw a call from Conrad (Henry Czerny) on his phone and she thinks they set him up like they did her father.  This Emily does by getting Gordon's (James Morrison) DB from ice and getting Aiden (Barry Sloane) to help her.  She needs the gun but he'll only give it to heh if she accompanies him to the wedding as Conrad has invited him.

Preparations abound for the 'sham' wedding as Victoria looks at a photo of David when Kara (Jennifer Jason Leigh) walks in.  Victoria tells her to stay at the mansion until Gordon is found as she'll be safe here.  Charlotte (Christa B Allen) refuses to attend the wedding as she thinks they're just pretending.  Instead she goes to help Declan (Connor Paolo) at the opening of the Stowaway, where bad guy Ryan (JR Bourne) has Jack (Nick Wechsler) dispense with his spirit delivery man as he can get him top shelf stuff for only $8 a bottle, thus he must be into something illegal but Jack can't see it, even if the delivery man tells him so.  All Jack is in awe at 'what price booze?' Top Shelf reminded me of Brendan Hines song of the same name from his first album, Good For You Know Who.  Sorry, it's all this talk of booze.

Mason calls Nolan (Gabriel Mann) for help in tracing a number and he obliges, luckily Emily had to be there already before he gets the call to get him to go along with it.  Nolan: "You win with the steely eyes."  Been missing his one-liners since Aiden arrived and cut him out.  Mason thus turns up at Gordon's trailer and finds his DB as well as Conrad's missing cufflink, the same which he not mere seconds ago pointed out he wanted to wear to their wedding but he can't find it.  Charlotte gives Victoria the necklace she gave her for her sixteenth, something borrowed and blue at the same time, well that didn't bring her luck, or Conrad either for that matter.

Daniel (Josh Bowman) can't hide his ogling or his jealously at seeing Emily arrive in red (again) with Aiden.  After the wedding he asks Emily to dance and knows his pride got in the way, this could have been them at their wedding.  He asks if there's any hope of getting back together but just as he does, the police arrive to arrest Conrad.  You see, during the wedding they were checking put Conrad's office and found blood on one of his shirts, not to mention the gun in his car boot, yeah he'd really be that stupid enough to keep the evidence, or even so close to home at any rate.  Also Mason having given Victoria the heads up before the wedding of not having to spend the night with him.

Conrad from jail tells Victoria he was set up and she denies her involvement in any of it.  Thinking it was the Initiative.  Where speak of the devil Conrad is paid a visit by that nice lady from the Initiative, Helen Crowley (Wendy Crewson) and she reminds him of what he did for them.  How Grayson Global laundered money and he won't know what they plan this time until after it happens, which is exactly what he tells Victoria, after being released on bail so quickly.  

Emily is shown to plan the evidence at Conrad's place as Mason simultaneously strings together the pieces of the puzzle leading him to pin Emily and Amanda at juvvie together, that Emily is Amanda; after Victoria's little slip about Emily having also been there.  Leaving open the question of what exactly he'll do with that info, he can't reveal it just yet, unless the writers plan on removing him from the equation.  Well it's Revenge, with all the killings going on here, no one is safe.  Would Emily really get him on side?  It's too risky for starters, can't trust him at all, especially as she knows of his 'dealings' with David.

Kara finds out Gordon is dead after seeing it on the news and confronts Victoria, see her back away towards her balcony, now that was dangerous!  Then again there have been way too many of those scenes in this already.  Jack proposes to Amanda on The Amanda and Ashley (Ashley Madekwe) the minx, has her own agenda going on, and her remark about not wearing white cos Victoria wouldn't like it.  Padma (Dilshad Vadsaria) also has her own agenda.  Nolan confronts her about digging for dirt on David Clark with the Grayson's and doesn't seem to do much else with it other than asking how far she is willing to go in protecting him and NolCorp.

Aiden wants to get back with Emily but she can't.  Don't trust that one, look how he wormed his way back into her life and threw Nolan out of their little circle.  Nolan's nice touch there by referring to him as "Mr Bond."  Illusion had lots of things happening at once and merging plot lines and by far was a more interesting episode than the last.  Particularly the way in which Emily set up Conrad to take the fall for a murder he didn't commit, after getting married in a sham of a wedding.  Lots of illusions here then and not of the magic variety either. As well as Conrad giving Victoria a gun for a wedding present, to protect herself if he can't and there she was thinking he hoped she'd use it on herself.  That's reversed at the end, when Conrad walks into her bedroom to tell her of the Initiative and their plans, which he knows nothing about as before, and tells her she should use the gun on him as it'll make things simpler for him.

Kara is still quietly, or should I say slyly and dangerously  insane as she works out the Grayson's did away with Gordon as they did David, only they didn't have anything to do with killing Gordon.  Also Victoria works out there was more going on between Kara and Gordon than meets the eye.

Emily: "To successfully create an illusion the first thing you need is trust, but to perfect an illusion the false reality must be as authentic as the one it hides."

Mr Selfridge Series 1 Part 6 Review

                                            
The papers are full of the accident Harry (Jeremy Piven) suffered in the car and Agnes (Aisling Loftus) walks past the boards to the store.  When she arrives people are worried about him and it's left to Crabb (Ron cook) to break the news, that he's not out of the woods yet and Kitty (Amy Beth Hayes) asks why Crabb is wearing a mourning band.  It's for Grove (Tom Goodman-Hill) whose wife passed in the night in her sleep.  Leaving the way open for Miss Mardle (Amanda Abbington) and Grove to get together, but it seems the path is still not smooth for them.  Crabb says the staff should get on as best they can and makes Miss Mardle chief of staff until Grove returns.

Victor (Trystan Gravelle) has set himself up with Lady Mae (Katherine Kelly) and gets the "perks" of being her new 'toy boy/man.'  He thinks she can set him up with his restaurant he's always wanted and Agnes thinks they could meet his uncle later in the evening, but he's got other plans.  As he lets sleep he's meeting with her, er him, re his restaurant.  Irene (Anna Madeley)  has to run Fashion and Accessories whilst MissMardle is chief of staff and she asks Doris (Lauren Crace) for help in the stockroom, perhaps after overhearing the remark made about not wanting to work with "that dragon."  Irene finds she can't do everything and so makes Agnes in charge of the two departments, but Agnes delegates Accessories to Kitty, especially after Doris tells her Kitty wants to get ahead since Agnes wonders why Kitty doesn't like her.

Harry's family keeps vigil at his bedside and Rose (Frances O'Connor) blames herself for not stopping Harry from leaving after their fight, or at least that she should have gone after him.  Mr Musker (Tim Woodward) an investor pays her a visit to find out what will happen in the unlikely event that Harry doesn't pull through and she tells him they are there to take on the store, but he doesn't believe commerce should be in the hands of women.  She reassures him after telling him Gordon will run the store, at least his shares will be in trust for him and that she and Lois (Kika Markham) will oversee until he's of age.  Everyone talking about Harry as if he's already for the grave.  Gordon (Adam Wilson) hears this and takes a walk to the store.

Everyone thinks it unusual a boy should be in a department store, especially the women, so much for equality, especially this episode where the Suffragettes, re the Votes for Women Movement are holding a march down Oxford Street.   Also surprising is no one recognizes Gordon as being Harry's son, he has been to the store before.  Before Henri (Gregory Fitoussi) finds him and tells them who he is.  Harry has staff meetings and meetings with many other people throughout the day and Crabb finds it surprising he can get through so many.  Miss Blenkinsop (Deborah Cornelius) tells him what Harry says about giving fifteen minutes to each persona and after that anything else that's said is just hot air.

Grove returns to the store and takes over.  He's not happy when Miss Mardle tells him he's being overwhelmed with everyone and they should take it easy on him.  When he's told of the march he wants the Suffragettes to cancel their luncheon they have every Tuesday and Lady Mae  is not happy with this when Victor is left to break the news to her.  She tries to protest but her request falls on deaf ears.  Crabb tries to think of what Harry would do and has a meeting with the rest of the staff in the lift.  Ahh that lift again but no Harry this time!  See many things go on in and out of that lift, so many store-turning decisions made, ha.

Henri volunteers to take Gordon home and Agnes should accompany him since she's made friends with him.  Well, no, he just wanted to be alone with her! Gordon tells Rose he wasn't running away but went to the store he will run when Harry dies.  Rose is upset at hearing that and the rest of the girls think that's unfair.  She sends them to the library.  Violette (Freya Wilson) reads about the march and is nowhere to be seen when Harry finally wakes up.  He had it easy this episode, no lines, well hardly any.  They probably thought he's been working too hard and needs some time off.  This episode was rather dull without Harry's usual enthusiasm and flailing arms (meant in a nice way of course.)  He decides he must go to the store and Rose lets him.

Henri asks Agnes if she's seeing anyone and she tells him the man expects too much of her in telling her what to do.  She asks about Henri's French girl who is in New York and he wonders what he should do about the "innocent" girl he likes.  Agnes thinks he should talk to her, she wouldn't mind.

Frank (Samuel West) tells Lois he will try and keep Ellen Love (Zoe Tapper) away from the press as they love a scandal and Lois should tell them Harry was re-negotiating a contract with Ellen.  They are curious to know why he was driving so late and why he crashed the car.  Frank tells her he was at the club with him and had been drinking thinking of his father.  Frank offers Ellen a serious acting job and to put her in touch with some playwrights, if she doesn't sell her story to the press, which will set her up with a nest egg.  her first thoughts always about money.

Crabb thinks of what Harry would do re the Suffragette march problem and comes up with an idea to honour them in one of the windows.  So the staff get to work and Miss Mardle walks Grove home.  He can't invite her in cos he's thinking of his wife. still and it would seem disrespectful.  She thinks it would be okay for him to have this time to himself now, he deserves it after looking after her for twelve years.

Henri and Agnes' bond' over a piece of material, ha.  Harry walks to the store when the march is in full swing and he tells one of the women who gives him a leaflet that he supports their cause.  Irene thinks it's time the window was revealed and just as the window is about to be smashed, they see the display in their support.  Harry has a fainting spell and Violette finds him.  Well it's obvious she was at the march, as Rose called her a "modern" girl," complete with make up.

Irene congratulates Crabb on his foresight and ideas to dress the window and he thanks the staff for their hard work, including the female staff.

So not much happened in the usual sense this episode, sufficed to say the store was in good hands when Harry  was away, but also apparent was the loyalty he commands from his staff as a fair boss, which is what Agnes tells Rose, even when he's not around.  Seems Rose has forgiven him for his indiscretions thus far and her guilt is shown throughout this episode, as well as her concern for him as a loving, dutiful wife even allowing him to walk to the store by himself.  He can't stay away from the place.

On March 18th 1910, it was reported that Harry Selfridge refused to press charges against one of the Suffragettes who actually broke a store window during the march, thus highlighting his support for the cause. He was no fool, is was also good for business.  Also how Christabel Pankhurst encouraged Suffragettes to the store as they "must not be dowdy."  Biggest selling products were tea dresses and red lipstick.  Seen as the most "powerful tool of female emancipation." No windows were broken this episode though, at least not of Selfridges.

Serious fans of the show may be relieved to hear that ITV has commissioned another series of the drama for a further 10 episodes, which will include the First World War and how it affected everyone at the store.  This is to coincide with the centenary of the Great War in 2014.  Jeremy Piven will once again reprise his role as the eponymous Harry Selfridge and filming will begin in April in London and Kent.  Jeremy Tweeted, "proud to say we will be back for a second season."  His fans will be pleased, as will my friends.

CSI 11.02 "Pool Shark" Review

                                           
A shark attacks the guests in the pool at a Vegas hotel. Catherine meets a casino boss who knew her father and Wendy leaves for pastures new, much to the sadness and anger of Hodges.

The shark attack in the pool in the opening scene was more of an episode storyline you would acquaint with CSI:Miami  than Vegas.   But at least it was different, though I didn't much like this episode, it wasn't as explosive and fast paced as the season opener.   Yet it did have some redeeming features, such as allowing Wendy (Liz Vassey) to come back to give a proper ending to her character.   She will be missed.   Also Catherine (Marg Helgenberger) having a "Kodak" moment about her late father.   Also the story of casino bosses rivalries is the usual stuff of Vegas and has been covered before in the show.

This is Brass's (Paul Guilfoyle) "first shark call out" as he puts it and that was the first of many puns and fishy jokes floating around throughout the whole episode, as was expected.   Also got that 'funny' music you associate with a comedic episode of the show in some scenes.   The Vic, Desiree (Michelle Charlene Lee) was a cocktail waitress and it was her day off.   She was sporting lots of bling, as Ray put it, for a waitress.   Greg (Eric Szmanda) suggests the aquatic vet, Dr Holloway (Christopher Gartin) can clear the shark from the pool.   It's a saltwater tiger shark and it's outside of its habitat so it doesn't survive.   Nick is late for work as he had an appointment, we presume this was with the shrink he called last episode.   The casino boss, Boozell, aka Booze (Elliott Gould) recognizes Catherine as "Sam's little girl."

Catherine: "No, I'm a big girl."  Then comes Catherine's first joke, "biggest shark in Vegas" and she doesn't just mean the tiger shark either.   Catherine loves her job and he shouldn't mention her father.   Sara (Jorga Fox) looks for surveillance to ascertain where the shark got in the pool.   Jorga had a cold in this episode, one wonders if she got thrown into the pool at some point during filming, ha, but I jest!  Half of the pool is in a blind spot and is not covered by the camera, and Nick (George Eads) finds a smoked joint on the ground.

Wendy's back for her farewell episode and tells Hodges (Wallace Langham)  they need to talk later.   Whereas Hodges only wants to continue with their relationship.   Ain't it always the way, Hodges finally gets a girl and she's cruelly taken away from him.   Ray (Laurence Fishburne) hobbles into the morgue and asks permission from Doc Robbins (Robert David Hall) to come aboard.   Desiree has a missing arm and Doc finds a shark tooth embedded in the wound of her arm.   The tooth however, is devoid of any blood and they surmise why there wasn't any blood when she was bitten, her blood had to be flowing, so how can it be both.

Nick and Brass interview Drops (Method Man) who is an ex-con, whom Nick and Brass both know, as he was in the earlier episodes of CSI , Poppin' Tags; Big Shots and Drops' Out.   He was smoking but he didn't put the shark in the pool.   He was fired from Macklin's casino across from the Golden Nugget but wouldn't do anything to jeopardize his job, with a family to support.   Brass calls him a "co-conspirator" and adds Drops, "to a shark."

Catherine talks with Booze and he comes up with another fishy line, "sounds like you're fishing."

Catherine: "...trying to test the waters."  Did the cast keep a straight face with all these fish flying during filming.   More to the point what were the writers thinking?  He tells her he had nothing to do with it, "cards up" the same phrase her father used.   Booze thinks Macklin (Sasha Roiz) is setting him up and he was right.

Doc and Ray conclude she should have bled out into the pool, so she must have been dead before she was bitten.  Attempting to turn her body over, both their walking sticks fall to the floor.   On her back, Doc finds a needle puncture, she was injected with something.   The drop of blood from the needle attracted the shark to Desiree, so she was dead before she was bitten.   Henry  (Jon Wellner) runs tox on the syringe to find she was injected with heroin.   Ray sees Desiree's jewellery was missing when he watches the surveillance with Nick, so it may be in the pool.

Henry tells Hodges he and Wendy talk and Hodges demands to know if he's a 'friend with benefits'.   Before they leave for the pool, Wendy tells Hodges she's leaving to become a field mouse in Portland.   Henry convinced her it was a great opportunity.   Yeah Henry, if you can't have her, neither can Hodges!  At least Wendy actually cried for having to leave Hodges, so she really had feelings for him.   Macklin explains to Catherine if a shark was missing, he'd know.   Lots of card game references here.  

Hodges and Henry have a fracas in the pool, leading Hodges to hold Henry's head under the water and nobody noticed.   These lab rats have their own side stories going, which can sometimes be funny and interesting.   Henry finds the syringe in the pool.  A fingerprint on the syringe matches a woman in the system, Anya Sanchez (Alicia Lagano) who is found with Desiree's stash of jewellery.   She admits to the robbery and to injecting her, but she can only be charged with robbery.   Nick corrects her, Desiree died of heroin poisoning and that's felony murder.   What a way to go, that's the only thing she could use to rob her.   The funny part was actually watching her attempt to buy off brass and Nick with her ill-gotten gains.  Catherine calls the incidents "two separate events".   Nick states it was 'attempted murder on everyone in the pool.'

How could Ray cut that shark open with such a small knife.   The first thing he finds inside the shark is Desiree's arm.   Holloway says the shark was from the wild, but he didn't empty it of its fresh fish dinner, which someone had fed it.   He was so dumb for a vet.   As Doc says Holloway's not a 'Shark Week' watcher, since there are captive breeding programmes, where most aquariums obtain their sharks.   The shark was also sanded down to remove its serial number, which Ray recovers.   The shark belonged to Macklin.   He had to get rid of one of his sharks, it began eating the other fish.   Booze's car is clamped outside the PD, providing us with another clue.   Catherine comments, talk about  "shark infested waters" (groan) when Macklin and Booze argue.  

Sara and Nick check out Macklin's fish display, to find Holloway's DB floating in the water.   He's pink which can only be caused by some kind of poisoning, carbon monoxide, dioxide, and Nick thinks of his diving tank.   Asking Hodges to check it.   Hodges is wallowing in self-pity and tells Nick to put the tank in his mouth, but Nick doesn't want another explosion, as his hearing is only just returning.   So that's why he probably didn't hear Henry, when he spoke of his swimmer's ear earlier.   They found an appropriate song to play for Hodges whilst he was analyzing the tank; which contained carbon monoxide.

The team have their usual conference around the table and Greg reappears to suggest they 'let the evidence decide'.   Hate it when one or more of them vanish for almost the entire episode, they used to do that a lot in past seasons!  The exhaust fumes came from an old vintage car, leading to Booze.   He had dinner with Macklin last night to bury the hatchet and call their rivalry "squashed."  That was another clue, Macklin conveniently inviting him over for dinner.   Catherine has a flashback to her father telling her, "because it's squashed, doesn't mean it's squashed."

The valet is caught on the ATM using the pipe Sara found in the trash to take exhaust fumes from Booze's car.   How stupid was that valet, he also dumped the pipe at the offending site.   Brass relays the story of what Macklin did, removing the "fin number" from the shark, but he's caught, "hook, line and sinker."

Booze later tells Catherine he was wrong about her, she's "hard-working, passionate" but she's not motivated by money and she thanks him for the compliment.   He can see where her greatness extends from and Catherine had to have the final fishy pun of the night, "I don't swim with sharks."

As I said not much I liked about this episode and it's very hard for a CSI episode to disappoint me.

Some UK critics commented how they should get UK popstars/groups, to make appearances in our home-grown programmes, just as Method Man and Justin Bieber.

Revenge 2.5 "Forgiveness" Review

                                       
Emily: "They say let he who is without sin cast the first stone and to be without sin requires absolute forgiveness.  But when your memories are freshly opened wounds, forgiveness is the most unnatural of human emotions."

This episode of Revenge didn't really deliver much in terms of anything new being added to the plot or sub plots.  Other than Padma (Dilshad Vadsaria) delving into whether NolanCorp had any interest in Grayson Global, but even she got found out and Emily (Emily VanCamp) had to warn Nolan (Gabriel Mann) about this.  She's already liquidated her shares in Nolan Corp so the trail won't lead back to her.  Also Aiden (Barry Sloane) is getting pally with Daniel (Josh Bowman) to keep his foothold in the Grayson empire and eek out revenge, but there's more going on here and you can't help get the feeling that he's manipulating Emily or going behind her back.  Like he did when he didn't tell her about Kara )Jennifer Jason Leigh) as here he admits he didn't tell her cos he was worried about the effect on Emily, especially when she recalls how she tried to kill her.

Emily has further flashbacks of being rescued by her father and also when he told her Kara was dead.  Which we later find was Kara's idea.  Seems all these feelings come rushing back now that her mother's in town.   Kara keeps ringing Gordon's number and Aiden finds Emily has the phone.  She really "hides" things in plain sight doesn't she, she needs to do much better than that.

Kara pays a visit to Victoria (Madeleine Stowe) and well, ingratiates herself into her life with Victoria offering her a place to stay at their house.  Then Victoria can't wait to call Conrad (Henry Czerny) whilst he's in a meeting with Aiden.  Acting as proxy for Takeda, he's at Grayson Global to ensure the investments are safe after the argument Conrad and Daniel had.  That's his cover story anyway.  Conrad rushes out of there, leaving Aiden with Daniel who shows him the company accounts.  Ashley (Ashley Madekwe) suggests they go for drinks and she tells Aiden how Emily cheated on Daniel when they were engaged.  Which worked out well for Ashley.

Nolan tells Emily about his father's death and she's sorry she wasn't there for him.  At the hospital Amanda (Margarita Levieva) comes out of her coma, unscathed, like Lydia but she has her memory intact.  Kara turns up to see her and Emily has her first meeting with Kara when holding baby Carl.  Kara was rather aggressive when she asked what she was doing with her grandson; who isn't really her grandson.  Jack (Nick Wechsler) isn't too happy about granny being there either.

SO in this family 'reunion' who should rear his ugly head again but none other than Mason Tredwell (Roger Bart) seems he's heard about Kara coming back from the dead and smells a rat or two.  Confronts Victoria again when he finds her searching Kara's room as if she's trying to steal from her own house and also turns up at the hospital when Amanda is brought back from tests and notices her back. The pervert, er, wasn't the room a little crowded for someone who was still meant to be recovering.  No rules that hospital.

Victoria is worried about Mason and Kara and if they get wind of her being here then the Initiative will interfere in their lives again.  Conrad proposes to Victoria, that way if they're married they can't testify against each other.  Ryan (JR Bourne) makes an offer for The Stowaway and Jack thinks it would be best to get out.  Still can't figure out what he's up to yet, unless he and Padma are all connected, which doesn't appear that way and why was Padma so interested in David Clarke (James Tupper) anyway?   Amanda  doesn't recall Kara who tells her she's sorry for what she tried to do, she wasn't well.  Emily listens outside  to what should have been her conversation with her mother and not Amanda; who forgives her for what she did as Kara tells her David also forgave her.

Emily admits to Amanda she lied about Jack being the father of the baby since she wanted Amanda to help her still.  Amanda knew Emily had feelings for Jack before she came here and now she's ended up with a family.  Kara talks with Emily on the beach and thinks Amanda wants to forgive her.  A lot of bad things have happened here.  Mason admits he knows Amanda isn't really Amanda as she's no scar on her back from a fire.  It's a wonder no one has done in Mason yet the way he keeps cropping up.

The look on Victoria's face when Kara hugged her, surprised she stopped herself from using the shears, ha. Also Kara was married to Gordon and she questions Victoria on where he might be.  Emily telling Amanda she lied cos she wanted to keep her on side for longer didn't exactly sound truthful either, especially since she told her Jack wasn't the father out of sheer spite and vindictiveness.  The look on her face said it all at the time.  She can't have changed now.

Emily: "Over time we commit acts with intentions either good or bad that require forgiveness."  Hey even the closing narration didn't have much going for it!  Oh see Victoria still has her trusty chair, been meaning to mention that for a long time, since Conrad wanted it gone when she 'died.'

Mr Selfridge Series 1 Episode 5 Review

                                  
Oh what did I say last review, hope the ep doesn't open with Harry (Jeremy Piven) stepping out of the lift yet again, well this one didn't, not yet anyway.  Harry unveils a motor car which will be on display in the Selfridge's window this time and Henri (Gregory Fitoussi) will do his usual 'biz' of dressing the window with the help of Agnes (Aisling Loftus).  Henri reveals Agnes has left after the incident with her father, Reg (Nick Moran).  Incident, more like drunken fiasco.  But that won't do as Harry wants, no demands, her back, she was good at her job.

Thus Harry sets out to get back Agnes.  However she's had to take Reg back in, still drinking, otherwise she and George (Calum Callaghan) would have been out on the street, as she tells Victor (Trystan Gravelle).  He wants to take to her to Brighton and he wants to court her.  Which he had to spell out to her and it's okay now since she's no longer working.

Customers arrive asking for Agnes but Miss Mardle (Amanda Abbington) tells Kitty (Amy Beth Hayes) to serve the customer and tell them Agnes is no longer with them, which she doesn't do.  Henri asks Irene (Anna Madeley) for some coats for ladies to wear whilst motoring and reveals some not to his liking, but the brown coloured ones are.  Harry pays a visit to Agnes to personally get her back.  She's great at her job and she reminds him of Harry.  She's dedicated to the store and he can see the potential in her.  (Remind you of Denise and Moray in The Paradise - oh, okay I'm harping about that again five weeks later.)

Harry puts Reg in his place and actually gets physical with him, was hoping we'd see him do that to Roddy!  Darn, maybe next week, or soon.  Yeah we know Harry's a philanderer and all the rest of it but Roddy (Oliver Jackson-Cohen) was "up himself," taking liberties as they used to say!  Harry pays Reg off to leave London and never return.  Then has flashbacks to his own family and his father (Brendan Gibson) a Major in the Union Army and how he too was a philanderer and cheater.  He had another woman on the side and another child.  Yet his mother, Lois (Kika Markham) put up with him, just as Rose (Frances O'Connor) does.  As she tells Roddy she loves Harry and he loves her in his own way.

We see how Harry had to put up with the taunts of other children and are meant to now realize why he's like that too. As his father said to him he's got his blood.  Harry drives Agnes back in a car and she loves every minute of it, like flying she calls it and Harry says she'll do that too one day.  He also advises her, "never explain or apologize," that's what he does.

Everyone's surprised at seeing her back and Kitty would have to get a word in.  Agnes says she didn't hand in her notice so she's still employed and Miss Mardle will check with Grove (Tom Goodman-Hill). Of course she will!  Henri is glad she's back and gets her to help with the window.  Look we know there's more going on with these two and yet it's not spelled out yet, talk about dragging it out.  Agnes must be enamoured with him too considering she doesn't tell Victor she's back.

Victor tries to help George out by telling Grove about the stealing going on, about time, I just said not five minutes before that no one's found out about that yet.  Grove tells Harry not before asking if he's in a good mood and he's not happy with Harry going above his head and bringing back Agnes when he's meant to be chief of staff.  Victor gets George out of the loading bay just before Alf (Christian Patterson) and another man are kicked out.  Harry is angry about the theft and calls a staff meeting.

Roddy brings round the painting but doesn't want Harry to have it, telling Rose she's not "conventional" and to stop being "stifled."  Rose used to paint too and they finally kiss, only to be caught out by Beatrice (Raffey Cassidy).  Rose swears her to secrecy, that the painting is a surprise for pa, but Beatrice can't keep it to herself and has to tell Harry about the painting.  Well, it was rather provocative for the time and Rose being a married woman.  But of course there were different standards for men and women and what was acceptable for men wasn't the same for women.  Except if you happen to be Lady Mae (Katherine Kelly) and wealthy like her.

At the staff meeting, Harry explains about loyalty and how his staff should come to him if they have problems and not steal from him.  Victor leaves when Kitty points out what  a gorgeous couple Agnes and Henri make.  Harry explains how he started out as an errand boy earning $1.50 a week and was promoted to a stock boy and then finally got the keys to the shop.  His manager trusted him and he expects the same from his staff in their "honest endeavour together."  The spirit of Selfridge's.  Thought that was Ellen! ha.

Ellen Love (Zoe Tapper) drops by to tell the wife about Harry's affair and Rose says she already knew when she saw them together for the first time.  Explaining he's had many "chorus girls."  She already knows what Harry's like but he won't leave her for Ellen.  Since she's here it means it's over.  Rose cries and Lois sees her, cos she knows what it's over and what her son is like.  Later Beatrice also blabs about Rose kissing Roddy and how she was blushing when she did.  This leads to an argument, as Harry tells Rose they need to have it out. She attacks him by saying it's fine for him to have his fun but she can't.  She wasn't 'together' with him, but it's fine for him to do what he likes.  See, double standards.  She'll forgive him tomorrow, or at least feel sorry for him, but for now he can "gotta hell!"

Which he does at his club, getting stinking drunk like his father, whom he toasts with Frank (Samuel West) and who should turn up, but Ellen Love, declaring her undying love for him still and throws herself at him.  Not taking no for an answer.  Frank puts her in a taxi and later finds her having taken an overdose, yet she survives.

Tony (Will Payne) had fun taunting Harry with his remark about Rose being at the Chelsea art club and Lady Mae steps in saying times are changing and Lady Rutledge was also there.  Victor cooks for Lady Mae since he doesn't think he'll get Agnes now even if she said she wants to be with him too, but she's tired of being told what to do.  Typical men!    Harry takes the car and crashes it of course, which was obvious.

So Harry finally gets a bit of his own medicine with Rose kissing Roddy and his finding out already, that wasn't stretched out for weeks.  Not that it will change him, but he doesn't want to let her go, cos understandably he's nothing without her, as he wrote in the 50 white roses he sent her.  "My one and only..."  Yes but why white roses and not red, hardly romantic.  So will Rose finally succumb to Roddy's oil paint -ridden charms, or remain the ever-faithful, hard done by wife holding the family together?

Oh and there was a scene with Harry coming out from the lift with Miss Blenkinsop (Deborah Cornelius) who found the painting "interesting."  As it is now displayed on his office wall across his desk, unlike the one in Moray's office (The Paradise) which is displayed behind his desk.  Now Harry will look at it and be tormented every time he sees it.  As for Henri giving Agnes the scarf, will he pay for it next day as he said he would.  See this job has no perks, ha.

Which reminds me back when I was at school, they had a discussion on Selfridge's the store and its name.  The bloomin' teacher said it was cos they used to sell fridges!  Well they do, but that's not why it was named as such. Agh the things they don't teach you even back then! Ha.  So much for education.

CSI:NY Gets Romantic for Valentine's Day

                                        
Actually they may do, but don't be fooled by the title, my title that is.  Apparently the CSIs will be investigating three different cases all on Valentine's Day in the episode to air on 15th February entitled Blood Actually. This will mark the penultimate ep of Season 9, so let's hope there will be a season 10.  I mean if the show is to end at least give it 10 seasons, as they did with CSI:Miami.  But let's not get ahead of ourselves.

The three cases will have the CSIs team up to investigate.  Mac (Gary Sinise) will team up with Flack (Eddie Cahill) to look into the death of a man named Jeremy (Mark Hengst) in a market.  He was there meeting his wife, Wendy (Shanna Collins) but she insists she ran cos she heard gunshots and not cos she did the fateful deed!  Well you know it's always the spouse in 9 cases out of 10.  The couple have also been going through a divorce and Jeremy was meant to be violent.  Well as long as Flack gets to the bottom of it that's all we need to know!

Jo (Sela Ward) Lovato (Natalia Martinez) and Lindsay (Anna Belknap) look into the murder of a man, Theodore (Trenton Rostedt) hit by a champagne bottle in a hotel room.  They have a confession from a man and need to assess the evidence to reach the truth.  Actually champagne bottles and just bottles in general, have featured aplenty in CSI such as season 2's Cool Change, where a broken champagne bottle is found in  a hotel room. CSI: MIami in Just One Kiss where a broken champagne bottle was found and pieced together for prints and in  CSI:NY episodes over the seasons too.

Hawkes (Hill Harper) Danny (Carmine Giovinazzo) and Adam (AJ Buckley) investigate the death of Bernard (Clint Culp).  Signs show he may have died of natural causes or foul play may be at hand.  He was found by his wife, Sandra (Amy Gumenick) - recently seen in CSI:Miami (recently for us anyway.)  Bernard was also diabetic and was warned off eating chocolate by his wife, but clearly didn't listen, as shown by an empty box, but she's unaware of how he got hold of them.

Hey look, Danny and Lindsay not working together, yay!! Pardon my happiness!! ha

CSI did two eps involving chocolate, the first was in season 1's Revenge Is A Dish Best Served Cold where the poker, player, Candyman died from eating poisoned chocolate, it contained lead.  This was also the ep which guested Carmine Giovinazzo.   Also in season 12's Bittersweet, where the DB seemed to have drowned in chocolate.  Well there's nothing to beat chocolate on Valentine's day, shared with Flack and Danny!!

CSI:NY had a case in season 1.17 The Fall (one of my fave Flack eps) where a man who was also overweight, was forbidden from eating chocolate by his wife.  He had hidden chocolate outside the apartment and after being drunk, he went for the chocolate and fell.

This episode will also guest star Josh Groban, as himself, where he will sing Happy In My Heartache, from his new album, All That Echoes, released 5th February.
@joshgroban  on Twitter.
Photo from @GarySinise Twitter

Confessions of an NCIS Addict

We all have our moments of watching TV shows by accident, surfing channels or the web, but I didn't come across NCIS like that.  Nope it was in Kansas 2004, when after watching an ep of JAG, or at least trying to without my friend's neighbour's coming in and both getting started on Dreamboat David James Elliot being "eye candy!"  Now come on, there was more to that show than that. Huh, but they droned on and I couldn't get a word in or listen to the TV, not that I wanted to get a word in.  Then NCIS came on after it.  This was new, of course it was.  Considering the UK didn't get season 1 until later that year and the US was already onto season 2.  We were lucky in that we got seasons 1 and 2 one after the other, but after that we lagged behind, now we're a year behind, no fair.  That's why DVDs were invented, ha.

So what caught my eye about this show wasn't the story, the plots or what NCIS actually stood for, (that came later) nope it was none of these.  Truth be told; which is what I'm doing here, it was for Mark Harmon.  Yes that gorgeous actor with his steely good looks (can I use that word - steely?) and well, having seen him many moons ago in 240-Robert as Thib and that smile of his, ahh that smile.  Now who's being shallow?
Well here's one gal who was a fan for life!  So couldn't believe my luck when later he turned up in Flamingo Road too and many other films and shows after that.

                                               

So it wasn't so much about the entire show, at first,  but Mark and Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs.  Here was a man who meant business and so did his name.  He wasn't taking any prisoners, including fans like me, darn shame!  He had that look, that smile that would make any female suspect melt and the 'no words' demeanour signifies plenty of attitude. Yes Gibbs smiles and laughs, take that you cynical critics.  Felt like they were associating him as being a bit of a male 'Greta Garbo' type, you know, how she never really used to smile in (m)any of her roles.

                                                    

It was later and a quite a few episodes later that I realized what made this show also worth watching was Michael Weatherly.  Not in a 'oh you're so dumb you didn't even notice he was in here' way; but more of a oh it's Logan Cale from Dark Angel kind of way.  SO that's where he turned up when he left Seattle.  Oh you know the way sometimes you associate the character he plays, more than the actor.   First thing said about him was how he managed to be in a show that was so short lived - again.  But hey, I for one was expecting  a satisfactory conclusion to Dark Angel, which no fan ever got!  We woz cheated!  With Logan it was always about the hair, the glasses.

                                                  

So he turned up in NCIS with that hair, that voice (no I don't say that about everyone!  Do I?)  Michael played Very Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo and these two guys were as different as chalk and cheese on the surface, but deep down they shared  a lot of the same traits: caring about people, their job and catching the baddies.  Tony is juvenile, always joking which made him irresistible as a model TV Character.  Not  a model as some of you may be thinking, though he wouldn't have gone amiss with his looks and the clothes too.  These days TV expects everyone on it to be so serious with oodles of baggage!

                                               
                                                 
Not leaving out the NCIS ladies, well Cote de Pablo made a serious impact on the show and viewing figures too, no doubt.  As the dust died down from Kate's shooting and Sasha Alexander's leaving.  But as Ziva David she kicked lots of butt.  Still does!  So trigger happy; wonder what she'd have done if she left her gun at home.  No fear she doesn't really need such weapons considering she knows 18 different ways to kill with a paperclip.  She's tough and never floundering but underneath it all, Ziva's as soft as the next person but with her training and upbringing she hides her feelings well.  At least we know she's human.

                                                        

Her fashion sense can be a little eclectic, just like her "Ziva-isms."  But she can dress to impress.  Whether it be in her boots and khakis or a little green number.  She's beautiful and beguiling with flowing dark tresses to add that little bit of mystery.  Cote has amazing hair!  She's the kind of gal who you'll  always want as your friend, also staunchly loyal.

                                                       

I watched NCIS without looking to any promos, or ads, no publicity as to what the show was about and who was in it.  Even if my addiction stemmed from a season 2 episode.  Maybe it was better that way since I didn't have any expectations of the show and whether it would push the right buttons in the interest department. It was worth waiting to watch season 1 on TV in the UK cos when it came we got seasons 1 and 2 in a row.  Allowing the stories and characters to be on continuous play and replay.

Appealing stories, likeable characters, superb actors.  Not many personal stories or revelations to begin with in every episode, but when they came they were gut wrenching, heart breaking.  Doubly emotional; side splittingly funny. Incredibly engaging.  All I can say, well I can say plenty, is that if I'd missed this show, I'd be kicking myself and a few other people in the process too.  No matter what your age or background, country of residence, there's something about this show that is endearing.  Including the ability to bridge gaps between nations, devoid of language barriers.

When it comes to NCIS I'm as loyal as Ziva.  Addiction comes in all forms and all substances.  NCIS is my fire.  I sit down, tune in and go along for the ride, no matter how long it lasts.  Forever being a long time.
I know I haven't mentioned all of the cast and what an excellent cast it is, past and present; but this was why I became an addict and what made me watch for the first time.

My NCIS: Unofficial and Unauthorized Guide to NCIS The TV Show available now at amazon

Revenge 2.4 "Intuition" Review

The episode opens with the Grayson maid mopping up blood and Victoria (Madeleine Stowe) burning a paper in the fire.

24 Hours Earlier

Emily: "Some think intuition is a gift but it can be a curse as well.  A voice calling to us from places that are better left unexplored.  An echo of memories that will never die no matter how hard we try to kill them."

Emily (Emily VanCamp) demands to know about her mother and asks Aiden (Barry Sloane) what happened since he didn't tell Emily he found her.  She also tells him Det Lasky  doesn't exist.  He warns her if that woman on the phone was her mother, then she's dangerous.  Emily then ropes in Amanda (Margarita Levieva) again for yet another encounter with Victoria, this time she tempts her with her father's diaries.  With Amanda reading her an extract and then Amanda refuses to give it to her.  Victoria says that's up to her and Charlotte (Christa B Allen) interrupts them, prompting Victoria to plan a baby shower. Thus
leaving Emily to come up with yet another plan.  Amanda should ask Victoria for money in return for all the diaries and that way she'll write her a cheque and can compare her handwriting on the sign in sheet from the hospital.  Like the way Emily uses a sob story about her mother being alive this time round to compel Amanda to help.  She needs to think about it.

Trey (Michael Nardelli) doesn't have the goods they stole anymore and the guy he sold them to would sooner break their legs than return them.  Thus Jack (Nick Weschler) has to foot the bill with Ryan (JR Bourne) and come up with an arrangement to pay him back.  Which leads him into more debt as the inspector rejects the work to the bar so Jack can't open.  Padma (Dilshad Vadsaria) up to no good as usual, shows Nolan (Gabriel Mann) a letter about his father and his belongings being in storage.  he finds out his father is dead.  She brings back a scrapbook his father kept and urges him to go there.  Nolan recalls how he started his company from the garage and when he told his father he wouldn't be returning to school, he threw him out. She finds a box of papers for the company and looks over them.  Leaving Nolan the chance to kiss her.  Don't do it man, she's trouble!  Why would Nolan's company papers be in his father's storage?

Aiden confronts Kara (Jennifer Jason Leigh) and tells her he's FBI, deepcover just like Gordon (white haired man) was and she needs to trust him.  She takes him to a hotel room and feigns there being a hard drive in    the safe which Gordon wanted anyone who knew things about him to have.  Then knocks him out with a taser out and ties him up.  He didn't see that coming, no he turns his back on her, especially after telling Emily she's dangerous.

Conrad (Henry Czerny) wants Ashley (Ashley Madekwe) to keep an eye on Daniel (Josh Bowman) as he will be away and he meets with Helen Crowley (Wendy Crewson) from the Initiative.  She tells him they're looking for Gordon and can't understand why he would betray them like that.  Daniel continues his pursuit of delving into Conrad's documents and Ashley gets a call from Conrad when she and Daniel are together which she doesn't pick up.  Daniel later checks the voice message on her phone and realizes Ashley is working for daddy dearest.  When Conrad returns Ashley tells him there's nothing to report and she wants out.

Amanda brings her own friends to the baby shower from the club and Victoria gives her a baby journal with a cheque inside; proving the writing is a match.  Emily coaches Amanda to insist on answering questions about her mother and they stand in front of the balcony and any fool knows what was coming next. Victoria snatches the papers from Amanda and she falls backwards to the floor.  She wants them to save the baby. AT the hospital she's placed in an induced coma.  Kara hears reports of this and visits her there.  Emily sees her there and recalls a memory of her mother pushing her underwater with her father calling out to her.  Looked at another way, it could be seen as Kara hiding Emily from her father, otherwise why call it a game? Victoria thinks Kara certifiable and comments Amanda maybe heading that way too.

Jack has a baby boy and Declan (Connor Paolo) comes to him and to Charlotte.  Aiden comes to Emily and she cries in his arms.
Emily: "When at a crossroads my father was fond of saying, 'go with your gut.'  Intuition he said always has our best interests at heart.  It is a voice that can tell us who is our friend and who is foe.  Which ones to hold at arm's length and which ones to keep close.  But too often we become distracted by fear, doubt our own stubborn hopes and refuse to listen."

Amanda was right about Emily never being done with this (cos that'd be the end of the show) but she always manages to go after someone or something with her plan failing dismally.  Well it has been lately.  Yet another 'fall' in the presence of the Grayson's or caused by the Grayson's.  There was Lydia in season 1 when Frank 'threw' her over the balcony onto the taxi and here Amanda falls whilst 'wrestling' with Victoria.  Not to mention wearing heels in her condition!  Mind you Lydia got better albeit with amnesia.

Emily accessing such a repressed memory at this time was both amazing and eerie at the same time.  That Victoria was right about Kara trying to kill her and how David Clarke cited Kara as the source of his troubles. Still it's good Kara doesn't know the real Amanda is Emily cos she can now play off her.  Daniel keeping Ashley, his enemy close, as he tells her that Victoria's kidnapping was faked by Conrad so he could use the money for the company.  Seems he's trying to play Victoria's game.  As Ashley suddenly grows a conscience, or does she? wanting out of spying on him.  Can she really get out from Conrad so easily and who cares anyway?  Ryan's after the bar but why?

Conrad thinking it was Victoria's blood or the children's, does he really care.  Also asking if she fell in their house, cos Amanda can sue you know.  Why doesn't Jack just ask Emily for a loan or even Nolan, he would have done that once upon a time, last season.  But these three hardly interact anymore with new players Padma and Aiden on the scene.