5.16 The Mentalist "There Will be Blood" Review

                                             
Lorelei (Emmanuelle Chriqui) breaks into Julia's (Elise Robertson) house and tortures her before killing her.  She needs info about her sister Miranda.  Lisbon (Robin Tunney) and Patrick (Simon Baker) are shown the footage on the nanny cam installed in the house.  That expression on Patrick's face when he sees Lorelei shoot Julia so cold bloodily was priceless.  He seemed to be a little shocked but did he really think anyone who got caught up with Red John would be so innocent.  Lisbon is called to Bertam's (Michael Gaston) office and is told Kirkland (Kevin Corrigan) will be investigating the case as well so she must share all results with him.  She asks why Homeland Security is interested and is told they investigate many cases.

Lisbon lays down the law to Patrick by telling him she knows he kidnapped Lorelei in Red Sails In the Sunset and she knows he knows.  Patrick trying to be funny there says " you know I know you know."  She wants him to be honest with her and tell her when Lorelei makes contact.  Lisbon is his partner, not Lorelei.  Well depends in what context that's used.  Lisbon has gone from calling him a consultant to associate and now partner. Since they will now investigate her escape and if they find out he was involved he'll be charged as an accomplice to murder and so will she.

Patrick thinks Lorelei has her reasons for killing Julia, that she was probably behind her sister Miranda's murder, but that still doesn't justify her actions. Considering she also didn't know about her sister's death and RJ being behind it until Patrick showed her the CS photo.  SO she could have gone on colluding as his mistress or whatever it is she does with Red John without even knowing this.  Seems Patrick wants to let her go so she will tell him who Red John is.  Forgetting to never trust a player, or play one, or is it don't con a conman.

They follow a lead to where Julia used to work at the woman's Shelter and Patrick goes walkabout whilst Lisbon talks with three of the trustees, Kevin Rome (Tom Wright) Melissa Enfield (Emmanuelle Vaugier) and Jason Lenin (Christopher Cousins).  Patrick finds a  letter addressed to Julia with an address in Davis.  He asks the trustees a question, if Julia has always lived in Sacramento with Lisbon telling him she's talking here.  He then disappears to follow this lead without telling Lisbon.  So much for being honest, keeping quiet is not the same thing.  

Not another reference to orchid as in The Devil's Cherry episode where The Blue Orchid was named for a diamond and that whole hallucination Patrick had involved a butterfly on an orchid.   The butterfly being seen as a symbol of hope.  Notice the woman's shelter was in Hope or called Hope.  Here Patrick finds  a piece of fish wire and Lorelei sitting on the chair, just waiting for him to arrive dressed in a crisp white shirt, as if she's that pure and innocent, usually it's something Lisbon wears.  She wore a white T-shirt today.  She tells him Julia deserved to die and she tortured and killed her sister but she didn't know anything about Red John.  Rigsby's (Owain Yeoman) check leads them to the other address and Lisbon follows up on it finding Patrick there, but not Lorelei, she's gone.  Of course Patrick wouldn't stop her, he's still hoping she'll lead him to RJ, they have a promise.

Patrick tells her he doesn't have any feelings for Lorelei after telling Lisbon he didn't lie to her, she's adamant he didn't tell her where he was going.   Then he relents and tells her that he does have feelings for her, thus she knows they were intimate together and feels a bit cut up about it to the point of jealousy.  This scene was misleading in showing us that Lisbon does have feelings for Patrick, real feelings but either she won't admit to them for various reasons, or the writers won't, which may turn out to be a good thing.  It can't do for Lisbon to get involved emotionally in that way.  Shippers may want a relationship between the two, I'm not one of them.  Not only will it alter the dynamic of the characters and the show's main premise but really work is all they have.  Patrick is unpredictable and she can't afford to take a risk like that on him.  Also shown by her being in tears almost; a first for Lisbon too as she's never been that emotional and when she tells him his emotions for Lorelei are "clouding his judgement," she could almost be referring to herself and her own feelings for him.

If Patrick wants to be a part of the team then neither one of them will be a part of this anymore.  That's her ultimatum to him, which is made easy by episode's end.  Saved by the bell as Bertram calls asking her to see him tomorrow.  Patrick asks if she's going to tell him but she doesn't know.  At that meeting she covers for him saying Patrick's come up with some theories but they're not good otherwise she'd share them with him.  Patrick was out of character here, firstly when they go to the shelter, Lisbon asks him his thoughts and he replies he has none.  Now Lisbon is using that same line of his to cover for him, but Bertram sees through her, it's that poker playing and even Patty makes a comment about it later.  Kirkland who is hiding in the next room also knows she's keeping something back.  Bertram knows she's hiding something but a good detective always does that.  Besides he adds who can you trust?  Loaded comment since each one is suspected of being in league with RJ.

Patrick gets defensive in playing down his feelings since he's 'using' her to get RJ's name.  Which he claims Lisbon knew from the outset.  Repeated by Bertram too when he implies there's something between Patrick and Lorelei, since he admitted a sexual relationship and they were on the run together and no one knows what they got up to during that time and Lisbon hasn't asked him either.  Don't blame her.

Lorelei turns up at the hotel where the trustees have gathered with the fourth one and opens fire after a woman sees her with a gun.  It was apparent who she was after since he was the one who had the most reaction and ran faster than the others, i.e. Lenin.  She shoots a guard, is held down by another in a shootout and is shot herself until she manages to escape.  Each of the trustees are questioned but no one knows any Miranda ever staying at the shelter and none of them have heard of Lorelei.

Rigsby finds some discrepancies between the records kept at the shelter between the names of women who stayed there and finds someone has tried to cover up other women who have stayed there as if to hide them.  Each of the team split up and keep tabs on the four trustees.  Rigsby is assigned to Lenin, Lisbon to Melissa.  She implores Patrick to stay here and not get involved, naturally his inquiring mind and Lorelei get the better of him and he looks through the four files.  He finds a fishing photo in Lenin's file and puts the clues together.  Calling Rigsby along the way to warn him of Lorelei's presence.  Rigsby having a minute to ask Cho (Tim Kang) about Van Pelt and what she'd be doing at 5am.  He should have gone to the computer training with her.  Lorelei drives into the back of Rigsby's SUV knocking him out.  Also Patrick calls Lisbon.

She tortures Lenin who claims he knows nothing.  Patrick arrives and gets Lenin to talk.  He admits he and Julia found women for Red John and that he works for him but doesn't reveal his name.  Lorelei has to go after RJ and Patrick implores her to tell him Red John's name.  She replies he should ask Lenin he's weaker.  Patrick reminds her she promised but as said, what's a promise worth to someone like her.  Yeah Patrick too busy snogging her when she takes the gun and shoots Lenin, well anyone could see that coming.  Patrick desperately tires to save him and Kirkland arrives telling them he's taking over the case so Patrick is practically pulled out of the ambulance.

Two Weeks Later

Lenin is being kept in a coma but Lisbon takes him to a CS where Lorelei's naked DB has been found.  She's dead and a smiley face hangs over her, sort of.  That smiley face looked different to the usual one.  Patrick walks away despondent and no words are said by Lisbon!  There was nowhere else they could take the story with Lorelei seeing as she served her purpose and even if Patrick had a semblance of  a feeling towards her, she would have been killed off eventually, as are all RJ acolytes.  They couldn't very well have him pursuing her like he's pursuing RJ.

Patrick could have gone after Lorelei and would have found RJ but he chose to stay, save Lenin and wait for Lisbon.  This goes a long way in showing where his loyalties lie.  Also Lorelei is found with a carousel in pieces nearby, alluding to Patrick's past. Yet she wasn't able to kill Red John and he got the better of her as well as posing her DB in that way as a serious smack to Patrick: that he was the one in charge all along including when he sent Lorelei after him in the season 4 episodes.  Patrick first says he's sorry and then adds "she had it coming."  Just as Lorelei said the same about Julia.  Not sure he really believes that but was something he probably needed to say at the time.

Patrick was too trusting of Lorelei and Lisbon was right about this, in fact he didn't even listen to her.  He just charged on in the hopes that Lorelei would come through, why would she?  She had gotten her revenge on the two who helped Red John kill her sister but who knows if she would even do anything about Red John or not.  Seems he pipped her to the post exacting his own revenge.  Even when Patrick tells her RJ would know what she's up to she still left.  Lorelei was so ruthless when it came to torture and murder, think she learned from the master, RJ.

Great acting from Robin and Simon to keep the emotional turmoil boiling and how well they hide their feelings too.  Patrick reinforcing he will do anything to get to Red John and was reaffirming what he's always said to Lisbon from the outset, that he will kill him when he finds him and take pleasure in it. Maybe a little more so now Lorelei's dead.  Patrick was being hypocritical though when he said she deserved it.  He did the same thing with Panzer in 4.7 Blinking Red Light, when he made him a target for RJ so he'd being a murderer to book and here he did the same thing.  Lorelei couldn't get away with the killing of two people so he took care of her for them.  Though he would have had his own reasons for taking pleasure in killing Lorelei, though she didn't betray him and reveal his name, makes me wonder why she didn't, she obviously knew she'd be going to her death, which explains her kissing Patty.  Her kiss of betrayal as she shoots the one lead he has on RJ.

Enjoyed the light hearted comments from Rigsby and Cho when he thinks of Van Pelt and his own unrequited love in continuation from last episode.  Also Emmanuelle Vaugier had so very little to do here, I thought she'd be involved somehow, yet I was proved wrong, well maybe it's best not to be right all the time. Also she needs to grow her eyebrows back, those pencil thin ones don't suit her.

The Vampire Diaries 4.16 "Bring It On" Review

To control Elena (Nina Dobrev) or in an attempt to stop her losing the plot, Damon (Ian Somerhalder)  and Stefan (Paul Wesley) think it's better she return to school.  Elena comes out of the shower and is naked cos it's not like anything thy haven't seen before, even Caroline (Candace Accola) is shocked, cos she hasn't.  Before that she lies down in the middle of the road in the night and waits for a car, where she attacks the woman driver cos she's the only one who isn't full of vervain.  Damon stops her but she wants to feed and kill her.  Before leaving for school he compels her to behave and not feed on anyone.

At school she wants to become a cheerleader again cos she really loved it the first time round.  She attacks one of the rival leaders and steals her ribbon and then deliberately lets Caroline fall when she fails to catch her.  Elena was whiny before and now she's annoying and obnoxious with her still selfish attitude.  So much for turning off her humanity so she doesn't care, she just doesn't care and thinks this gives her a right to behave how she wants.  So the Elena rulebook has gone straight out the window!  She's not the first person/vampire to lose loved ones but she behaves like a spoilt brat.

Klaus (Joseph Morgan) saves Hayley (Phoebe Tonkin) from being attacked by one of Katherine's vampires and then takes her home to wine and dine her in order to find Katherine's whereabouts and info on her.  She met her in New Orleans but she doesn't know where she is.  Katherine offered to help her find out about Hayley's parents.  Hayley looks through Klaus's paintings and finds one where he's standing facing the sunset which she likes.  He tells her it's cos it shows his passion.  Hayley also wants him to not kill Tyler so that she can have him.  Anything he does will make Caroline hate him more.  Klaus only wants to torment Tyler and make him paranoid over the centuries that's his revenge.

Sheriff (Marguerite MacIntyre) tells Stefan someone is stealing blood supplies from the hospital but it's not them, thus endangering Caroline and the others.  Damon looks for the vampire that attacked Hayley cos Klaus sets him on that lead and bumps into Rebekah (Claire Holt) looking for Katherine.  They find no leads at the hospital so Damon bites a nurse to lure the vampire out and finds it's Will (Aaron Jay Rome) someone he knew but he can't help re his wolf bite.  SO he kills him thus ensuring Rebekah can't get her hands on him and get info about the cure.  Damon doesn't want her to have it and tells her as much, she doesn't want to be ordinary.

Elena is bought back home by Stefan and she throws a party, again stripping in front of him.  She recalls their sex together but she doesn't feel that way.  She attacks Caroline's mother and then runs off.  Stefan and Caroline see her dance and that she's having fun.  Caroline thinks Stefan should do the same cos he spent a lifetime and more trying to keep his humanity.  He understands how Elena feels cos he didn't start ripping heads off until 1912, but he's been where Elena will end up and she won't find it easy to get back up.  Elena was there for him when he had his feelings turned off so he wants to help her now.  It's his fault Elena is like this and she won't be able to live with herself after killing people.

Damon's sire bond hasn't worked on Elena and Rebekah tells him if he uses the cure for her, she'll go back to loving Damon.  Elena tells Damon he loved her for so long and now he has her, she can't go back to being that scared little girl anymore.  SO he takes her to New York "the city that never sleeps" cos we'll get some lowdown on him during the 1970's with his friend he'd just killed.

Klaus and Hayley together was erm, awkward, especially when they each harbour feelings for others.  Elena has turned off her feelings for Damon so the sire bond doesn't work on her.  Caroline pining for Tyler and leaving in message results in Matt (Zach Roerig) being sent a package and Caroline finding she can't get into the Lockwood house.  Matt has to invite her in as he is given the deed by Tyler and he has a letter for Caroline saying how he can't return since Klaus will kill him and so it's goodbye really.  Caroline and Elena didn't have much of a fight in the woods, it was kind of wimpy for vampires and then having to be saved by
Stefan and Damon.  Caroline is angry cos she attacked her mother and Elena says she just has dirty thoughts about Klaus.  Yeah Elena like you being stuck between Damon and Stefan for so long but that was fine.

Klaus notices the birthmark on Hayley's back and knows it's from a werewolf clan in Louisiana so he may know something about her family.  Stefan thinks Silas followed them back from the island which Damon so quaintly referred to as "numskull island" and that he needs the blood to feed.  Damon's not interested though, he's more into running off with Elena.  Oh boring!  This ep was just leading us merrily along in the hopes of finding Katherine and the cure and prolonging the agony.  Elena taking down the photo with Jeremy's memorial from the board cos she just doesn't care.

Double meaning to the title re the cheerleading film, Bring It On and  bringing on the trouble with Elena, she wants to stop being that little girl, but really she's still acting like one.  Pulling stunts like lying in the middle of the road and waiting for Vics to drive by, then just walking around naked and letting her best friend fall.  It's not adult behaviour, even for a vampire.

CSI 13.6 "Pick and Roll" Review

A basketball practice match turns ugly when the coach wants the President of the University (Michael Gross) to leave along with the biggest 'booster.' This includes DB's (Ted Danson) son, Charlie (Brandon W Jones) (could we have an ep where his family isn't mentioned) who has a bust up with the coach Tom Burns (Robert Mamanna).  Later Brass (Paul Guilfoyle) and DB are called to the showers where the coach's DB was discovered.  David (David Berman) finds he was hit.  Finn (Elisabeth Shue) and Sara (Jorga Fox) find prints leading away from the showers when sprayed with luminol since the killer didn't do much of a job of cleaning up.  One set of prints look like shoes or cleats and the other print is unclear.

Doc (Robert David Hall) finds he was repeatedly hit and also a white substance on his forehead which Nick (George Eads) says is usually a substance from sexual contact.  Burns had been seen arguing with Jack Oxford Bryan Callan) who was WLVU's largest benefactor and has no qualms of showing this off when he shows Brass his expensive watch which would take him a year's salary to buy.  Killing Burns wouldn't be productive.  DB heads to Charlie's dorm to tell him of coach's death and finds him with his girlfriend, Vanessa (Italia Ricci).  Earlier he and Barbara (Peri Gilpin) were talking about Charlie and she thinks he has a girlfriend. Charlie explains he heard Burns and Oxford arguing together when he went back to the locker room.

Hodges (Wallace Langham) checks out what could have made the various patterns using shoes and Morgan (Elisabeth Harnois) catches him walking funnily.  He's been printing shoes and finds one of the marks was made by a pair of heels.  He asks her if she wants to go shopping and Morgan reminds him he'll need to collect Charlie's shoes too and ask DB for permission. Charlie was a suspect but gets favourable treatment, them's the perks being the boss's son.

Henry (Jon Wellner) checks out the DNA and Greg (Eric Szmanda) inundates him from smelly sportsclothes from the locker room.  One of the tops has the name 'Fair' on the back and is stained with blood spatter.  TJ Fair (Theodore Borders) says he stopped a fight between the coach and someone else and reluctantly lets on it was Charlie.  Charlie neglected to mention this and DB is angry since he clearly doesn't know the difference between honesty and being independent.  He thought they taught him right.  Apparently coach called Vanessa a tramp and he was wasting his time on her, well he'd know.  Charlie was running at the time of the murder and Vanessa says she was in his room too and went for breakfast.

At breakfast when Barbara found out DB had been eating bacon and also Charlie had a girlfriend since he bought new clothes to impress, DB said she's a better detective than he is.  He also refers to her as "Madame Poirot" at one point.  He and Vanessa have dinner with them and Vanessa asks questions about the case which he can' discuss.  She's a psychology grad.  They've decided to move in together.

Henry has sex toys to process all from the coach's house. Which leads to some DNA belonging to an unknown woman.  Brass interviews Burns's wife, Linda (Alexie Gilmore) who claims she was at their cabin and have been having marriage counselling.  This leads to a club called 'The Iris' which Nick doesn't know anything about and to a 'Madame Z.'  Obvious this was going to be Vanessa.  Who says she's a registered sex therapist as are all the women here.  That scene with Nick and DB when they arrive there was like one out of CSI:NY when Flack used to have the dubious pleasure of questioning suspects at such places.  DB adding his friend is in need of discipline.  Even name dropping Burns gets them nowhere so out came the IDs.  Even if Vanessa is licensed her 'relationship' with Burns was still of a sexual nature which is not something that's meant to happen between client and therapist.

DB takes the glass which Vanessa drank from since the dishes haven't been done yet and takes it to check on her DNA.  Which Finn tells him he's crossed the line since she got fired when she did the same thing.  However he tells her the glass was his and Charlie's a suspect who would have been in jail if he wasn't his son.  She's known Charlie since he was ten and doesn't believe he could kill anyone.  So they go over the evidence again.   Hodges has now narrowed down his possible items to a basketball and with Morgan's help they print various balls and bounce them on the floor but none of the patterns match, until Hodges thinks one of the patterns looks like a lace and recalls old fashioned basketballs used to have laces.

Linda tells Brass she lied since she found him in the showers and should have been honest.  Brass: "To put  a bullet in a guy's manhood good luck with that.  You sure you don't want to call a lawyer now."  Brass gets some of the best lines.  Hodges finds the white substance on his forehead were teardrops and the tear analysis shows the tears were genuinely emotional since they had more traces of enzymes, proteins, lipids, electrolytes and lysozomes.  Showing she had been there and cried over him.  The only possible suspect left was the President and that was apparent.  He killed Oxford to to make it look like Linda may have done it since she and Oxford were having an affair and the gun was hers.  He wanted Burns to take on Oxford's son on the team even if he couldn't play but Burns refused so he killed him.

Charlie tells DB the programme is in trouble and people are going to various other schools, but he's staying put in Vegas.  Also Vanessa dumped him.  Barbara and DB have a quarrel over what he should be telling her since this is about their family but he says he can't share everything with her.  She would like to know things that concern them.  Don't know about you but I was actually bored with this episode. Sports again and more family issues.  Would like to see some of the other cast getting personal storylines for a change.  We've seen Barbara and DB and their two children thus far and know how their family functions and works so why keep dragging them back.  Once again as in the case of his granddaughter being kidnapped DB works the case when his son is a suspect in a murder and yet back in It Was A Very Good year he had the same problem with Greg.  Maybe he should have stepped back here too and let Finn et al handle it.

As for Vanessa once again we were heading into Lady Heather territory and it's not the first time we've come across hookers/therapists/girlfriends in such a role.  Could we get something different and what did Vanessa see in Burns anyway?  Hodges trying to get in good with DB by saying he doesn't believe Charlie did it.

There's no mention of Morgan and Hodges and their awkwardness last ep re the kiss and that hasn't been resolved either since Finn interrupted them last time so we don't know what's going on there.  I've noticed since Jon Wellner was made a regular in the credits we haven't seen much of him.

Also Sara and teardrops analysis was done before in 3.11 Recipe for Murder where she found there are five different types of tears which include those of joy, sorrow, regret, allergies and fear.  yet it took a while to find out what the substance was and for Hodges to give us another scientific lowdown on what this particular teardrop contained and meant.

666 Park Avenue 1.7 "Downward Spiral" Review

                                          
Thought this was a reference to stairs since we haven't seen those stairs shown in the credits, but we got them now.  Henry (Dave Annable) is being honoured by the mayor for his bravery (ugh sickening still going on about that, Henry brave, pull the other one!)  Gavin (Terry O'Quinn) teases by referring to Henry as "Mayor Martin" well with Gavin pulling strings and souls that will happen eventually.  Jane's (Rachael Taylor) still adamant she wants to leave and hands in her letter of resignation to pass onto Gavin, would have thought she'd have done that herself.  She still doesn't feel safe here and he tells her Tony (Eril Palladino) will be pleased to hear she's leaving.

Henry has to deal with being a rising star (used loosely) and Jane's determination to go back.  Though there are greater forces at work and what Henry wants, Henry gets, thus Jane will have to stay.  Shown by Nona (Samantha Logan)and her grandmother Lottie (Elain R Graham) telling her she must convince Jane to stay.  Lottie can't move or speak and the doctor can't help her but as soon as Nona introduces her, Jane wants to call in social services, never mind the fact that Nona was doing okay before she arrived.  Nona tells Jane she's a "child of the Drake" and takes her to a floor of the Drake, the lobby where a young blonde girl is playing hopscotch on the tiles.  Then tells her if she's not real then how can she get into Jane's dreams.  Jane awakes again and Henry is oblivious to all this, as per usual.

Olivia (Vanessa Williams) tries to convince Jane to stay also by mentioning Ohio, it's Indiana and Jane should stay where she's got opportunities.  So she's recommended her as an architect for a friend's brownstone.  Henry whilst out jogging with Brian (Robert Buckley) is told he shouldn't marry which is funny since he was going to propose to Jane tonight.  After he's convinced by Gavin to do so.  Gavin believes in marriage and Olivia helps him pick out a ring for $3,000, convincing him Jane will change her mind when she sees one of those rings she tells him.  Whilst in the jewellers Olivia is confronted by Victor Shaw (Nick Chinlund) again and he wants to buy the necklace for her.  Wanting he to betray Gavin.  She tells him about this encounter as she's shaving Gavin and cuts him.  He suggests she go along with this betrayal and that's something she can't do.

Kandinsky (Misha Kuznetzov) meanwhile is checked on by Dr Scott (Enrique Murciano) and when he leaves, Kandinsky removes the scalpel he placed inside him during surgery and kills a policeman.  Scott is angry his agreement didn't include killing and Gavin tells him he must go along with it, with that debt is a burden on the soul line.  Brain is visited by Alexis (Helena Mattsson) who tells him Louise is in Miami.  Then she wants to say goodbye to him.  They kiss and take it further.   He's still angry at Louise's betrayal and sleeping with Scott.  He confronts Scott who tells him he lost his phone and Alexis returned it after they
were together.  He didn't sleep with Louise.  Alexis has now moved int the Drake after fulfilling one of Brian's fantasies.  More like one of Gavin's, the dirty old man.

Nona shows Jane photos and newspaper clippings her grandmother has collected when she was investigating what happened to her parents.  There's a flashback to her mother pregnant with her in the lift and Lottie sending her away.  But she gets stuck in the lift and Nona is born.  Seems Nona was already named before the birth and Gavin even tells her mother she's having a girl.  Thus she too is a "child of the Drake."  Nona shows her the photo of the girl she saw in the lobby and the back of it reads 'Jane 1992.'  When she was 8 but was in Indiana.  How come Jane didn't mention that was her in the photo until a while later.

Scott rushes to his room and finds the tattoo now reads $60,000.  Later when dressing for the recital party, Scott takes a gun with him.  Henry and Jane also arrive and she tells Henry she loves him and can't leave him to go back.  Actually she wants to stay and help Nona and solve the Drake mysteries.  Olivia puts a substance on her lips and she greets Shaw with a glass of champagne, which her husband doesn't drink.  He wants her to convince him and she does this by kissing him.  Scott arrives and holds Gavin at gunpoint.  Shaw has a fit and Gavin tells him he saves lives and doesn't take them.  He tries to help Shaw.  Later we see him in the ambulance with Kandinsky driving.  They're going to the Drake and Scott must keep Shaw alive.

Nona looks for her grandmother and ropes Jane in, leaving Henry alone with the scattered rose petals in the apartment courtesy of Olivia.  Nona's grandmother takes the necklace from Jane's neck and looks through it.  The alligator mosaic on the floor is missing an eye where her necklace fits and the tiles fall away, revealing that spiral staircase.  Ironically the title suggest the downward spiral the residents, Jane, Henry, Scott, Brian, et al have all got themselves into and seems there's no way out until Gavin is dealt with.  As Jane climbs down the stairs the floor closes back in on her, like lots of clocks, leaving her trapped.  The wind blows and the candles go out, leaving Henry alone in the dark.
Well that's the lasetwe see of Scott.  Sorry Enrique fans!  This just sets up mystery upon mystery which was pretty pointless when nothing is resolved, or will be since the show's no longer around.

Revenge 2.13 "Union" Review

Emily: "In its purest form a union becomes part of our very essence, but when that bond is broken our essence is forever changed."

This time we get Amanda/Emily getting ready for her wedding to Jack when they were little and how this leads into the present day and Amanda's (Margarita Levieva) wedding.  She makes rings from pipecleaners and even her father helps out when he finds out what she's doing.  Nolan (Gabriel Mann) here is the one who's making preparations and is complaining about it, "who knew officiant was French for wedding bitch."  Emily's (Emily VanCamp) worried about Aiden (Barry Sloane) and he hasn't heard from him either.  Nolan tells her about Conrad (Henry Czerny) owning half the Stowaway and she's angry no one came to her for help.  Been there, said that weeks ago.  Emily gives a cheque to Amanda to cash and make it out to Conrad and pay back his money.  Reminding her that she's not a part of their family, Charlotte (Christa B Allen) isn't her sister and the Grayson's will always be their enemy.  Thought she was having a rant at Amanda here for marrying Jack (Nick Wechsler) and getting her life, what she wanted from it all along and how things should have been for her.  But hey she's 'colluding' with Daniel (Josh Bowman) once again and she appears to have real feelings for him.

Nolan finds Aiden at NolCorp and he wants him to pull the video he intercepted of his sister and to analyze it, telling him about dates and where it was filmed.  Nolan tries to say sorry about Colleen but Aiden's not really interested.  Nolan finds the video was shot 6 years ago and using the electric meter serial number traces the location to New Jersey.  Of course that video would have been old, it's not like the Initiative are sticklers to their word and it should have been obvious to Aiden that they wouldn't keep Colleen alive.  Nolan tells Emily and she informs him of Aiden's father being a baggage handler at Heathrow and was made to put the bomb on the plane.  He wasn't seen after that.

Thus giving Nolan the idea that Padma (Dilshad Vadsaria) may be in the same position so when she walks in he asks her exactly that and lets slip on purpose he knows what she's been up to.  "I know the what, I don't know the why."  Then he tells her about being careful of who she's calling "black, little kettle."  After he tells her she's no longer in contact with her father.  He confronts her since "my feelings for you defy logic."  AGH Nolan why tell her everything already about only giving her half the info on carrion.  She could be lying still and I didn't like Nolan parting with this piece of info he has which could become a matter of life and death.

Emily finds Aiden at the building and Nolan calls her about the coroner's report from 2007 which Emily told him to look for.  He IDs Coleen from the photos at the coroner's office and claims he's failed her. Emily's encouraging him "that's why people like you and me fight, fell on deaf ears."  Their fight against the Initiative isn't over and he insists she still see Daniel as he's their only link to the Initiative.  He doesn't want to fight and walks away, leaving Emily on her own and in tears.  She still has Daniel, though she's losing Jack to Amanda (not for long.)  God she's got three men at her beck 'n' call where most of us can't even find one!!

Jack takes the money after some convincing from Amanda understanding he's proud but he doesn't want to get involved with the Grayson's after everything they've done to Amanda.  He gives him the cheque but Connor won't accept it, showing him the plans for the casino.  Jack will fight him every step of the way but Conrad says he'll show him what a man of means can achieve.  Er, that didn't come in handy with the Initiative.  Cue skank Ashley (Ashley Madekwe) listening in on the conversation when he later calls Nate (Michael Trucco) to tell him the deal's off.

Funny scene earlier on when Victoria (Madeleine Stowe) walks into his office to tell him about overhearing the conversation Daniel had with Helen (Wendy Crewson) and she's making her move, when she tells Ashley she's surprised to find her fully clothed.  Victoria wants all the info they have on the Initiative and the plans for the flight so she can show Daniel.  Her mistake talking to Daniel about all this at the office where Helen watches every word.  I thought Conrad would have given Victoria a heads up about bugging especially since Amanda uses the video with the two of them and the white haired man as leverage to blackmail Conrad into accepting Jack's offer.

Conrad meets Nate to tell him the commission got wind of their deal and scuppered their plans.  He then tells  about the leverage being used on him and he connects this to the Porter's.  SO he'll take matters into his own hands.  Drawing us closer to the sinking of The Amanda.

Jack marries Amanda and Emily's placed the black bow tie he wore and the pipe cleaner ring into the ring box enabling Jack to remember their beach wedding as children.  Emily is in tears and regrets what her life is now, probably for that instance.  Aiden turns up and she sees him.  Jack and Amanda set sail for their honeymoon with Nate in tow, as he cuts the radio link whilst Declan (Connor Paolo) calls Jack to ask about spare pacifiers, wouldn't a shop be more convenient!  Daniel calls Emily to break up with her cos he's thinking of her safety and really doesn't want to.  Reminding her of last Summer.  Would have thought she would have got the hint that something wasn't right, but alas she doesn't.  Well look back to season 1 and you'll recall everything that could go wrong last Summer, did!

Victoria is paid a visit by Helen who tells her she heard everything, and threatens Daniel when he gets into the service car unless she gives them the info she has on the initiative.  Victoria cunningly leads her to the pool house and the safe which is empty, but she has a gun (convenient that or did she just have that ready for such an occasion.)  Helen calls her bluff, she wouldn't shoot in cold blood, but she does.  Of course she would, this is Victoria.  Even though she hasn't got her hands dirty in the past, she has been behind many a killing, as has Conrad.  Though she did shoot one of her mother's beaus on her say so, thus she's had practice aiming the gun and firing, ha!  That Thanksgiving ep scene was probably a bit of foreshadowing for now, so we wouldn't be surprised when she called Helen's bluff.  She then calls Daniel and makes him pretend he's talking to Helen and when he arrives at the pool house she shows him Helen's DB. Conrad complains about no one answering phones and then is shown her DB too!  Funny scene that, even though it inadvertently turned out to be so.

Aiden turns up and apologizes for walking out on Emily.  She tells him about Daniel but she doesn't know what's happened yet, wonder if she'll find out herself or whether Daniel will tell her.  Doubt that since Victoria is now a killer.  A lot of action on the part of the Revenge heroines this ep which came out of the blue, Victoria using her own initiative (!) and shooting Helen which will probably spark the beginnings of yet more problems for them and Amanda taking Emily's computer with all that evidence on there pertaining to the Grayson's.  Which boils down to something Emily would do, but not so brashly.  Conrad finding out she's the one behind all the trouble.

Emily: "From the moment we are born, we are drawn to form a union with others.  An abiding drive to connect, to love, to belong.  In a perfect union we find the strength that we cannot find in ourselves.  But the strength of the union cannot be known until it is tested."

Hoping it's Nate they find at the bottom of The Stowaway, but we know Amanda won't come out of this either, so...that'll leave the way open for Jack and Emily, but will she want him then, you know, when he becomes available?

Doctor Who 7.7 "The Bells of St John" Review

                                           
So finally it returns to our screens okay, he returns with a story that was delightful, no really, lots of funny moments, no one "died today" and we're still left to puzzle over who Clara Oswin Oswald really is, with a few clues along the way, just to keep our interest peeked.  This time round she's a nanny yet again, cue several references to her being a governess by the Doctor (Matt Smith) and that's "so Victorian" since that's what she was when last he/we met her in Victorian London in the Christmas special, The Snowmen.  So there were lots of clues here as to who "the client" was as these allusions were made.  Also a great bout of continuity, but only the best for our Doctor.

The Internet is missing and Clara (Jenna-Louise Coleman) can't find it anywhere so she calls up a helpline number given to her by a woman in a shop and gets through to the Doctor, who tells her to find a wireless connection and see which network comes up.  She needs to access the Internet using a password, which the girl tells her is 'RYCBAR 123' meaning: run you clever boy and remember.  One, two, three..." The numbers being a reference to three versions of her.  She dials through to the Doctor who is now a monk in 1207, complete with monk attire.  In fact we even get to see a painting of Clara circa 13th century, so how was that possible?  Other tan the Doctor was at the monastery to ponder who Clara could be.  All shades of Madame Pompadour here, well at least a little.  It appeared he didn't recognize her voice whilst on the phone for some reason.  It's not like he's forgotten about her.

The Doctor arrives at her front door and wants to see her.  He needs to talk but she's not talking.  Hey a little too much lipstick in that scene on the Doctor when she spies him through the peep hole.  He heads to the TARDIS and dons his new outfit so we can get another really good look at the new interior.  His new purple coat complete with tails (that's a little Victorian wouldn't you say?) and purple bow tie which was especially placed in a box!  Yay for purple and bow ties!  He refrained from stating "bow ties are cool."  But will forgive him for that seeing as he now dons my fave colour!  Good to see he's been storing his Fez too.

A girl appears to Clara apparently someone from the cover of Amy's book she's been reading only she turns around and there's a dish at the back of her head, they're known as "spoonheads" sending out a signal and infact begins uploading Clara.  He hears her shouting to let her out and uses his Sonic to open the front door where he finds her unconscious on the floor and her being uploading.  SO being a bit of a computer geek too, he quickly wastes no time in downloading her back, which works since she hasn't been fully uploaded yet.  Something to do with perhaps that she's a machine, or mean to be something of that nature.  Unless this third version isn't one.

A bit of a hark back to 5.1 The Eleventh Doctor ep where he once again used a computer and the Net to link up to the world so they could all sync in the number zero at the same time.  Loved those graphics appearing on the screen, reference to Sherlock (subtle reminder filming has begun on that show, okay I added that in myself.)

Clara's painting is meant to be her "final message."  Also I love the way she says "run you clever boy" it's so sweet.  Still more references to snogging and the TARDIS being his "snog box!"  Ha. Especially when he mentions the governess part and how she should be mixing with people her own age, younger people and she says it's an attempt to pick her up.
Doctor; "...shouldn't you be doing young things with young people?"
Clara: "What, you mean like you for instance.  Down boy."  Though let's hope we don't get any between the two.  She's also been reading Amelia Williams/Amy Pond's book, "Summer Falls."  Nice touch with the Doctor camping outside her house protecting her, again another harkback to The Eleventh Doctor and how Amelia waited for him to return, when he landed the TARDIS in her garden.  He wants to know why she has a leaf in her book, which he licked, she replies it's a leaf out of her book.

This ep deals with wi-fi linking and how a group of people being uploaded, to work for some organization run by Miss Kizlet (Celia Imrie) and specifically on behalf of a mysterious client.  How they can get into networks and people all at the touch of a button, a key on a computer keypad.  Shown when they find Clara and wake the people up so that she can send in a plane to her location.  SO they stood talking for quite a while outside when the lights were coming on, even if she refused to go into the snog box/TARDIS.  Since it's a time machine he tells her they find themselves in the plane and the cockpit in an attempt to fly the plane.  Ahh Doctor a wonder at many things but can't fly a plane.  He finally manages to disable the wi-fi signal and wake the pilot.
Doctor: "I'm the Doctor, I'm an alien from outer space, I'm a thousand years old, I've got two hearts and I can't fly a plane."

Lots of London scenes here and a view of The Shard (also topical too) which is where the uploaded people are working from, the 65th floor.  Clara says she can find their location in five minutes and the Doctor is sent for coffee, where Miss Kizlet is able to hack into the people and talk to the Doctor as herself.  You see all the people have been uploaded to a cloud computing storage area (akin to a cloud drive.)  Clara manages to find the their location but a fake Doctor is sent to hers to upload her once more, a spoonhead and this time the Doctor's too late.  Cue his motorbike again and he says he entered the Olympics in it in the future, his anti-gravity bike, where he came last, which he uses to scale the side of the Shard.  Breaking into Kizlet's office.  No time for bargaining with her so he uploads her too and she demands to be downloaded back.  Meaning everyone else will have to be as well, including Clara, who came back with her memory still intact.

UNIT arrives on the scene and no one can remember what's happened.  Kizlet is reduced to having the memories of a child waiting for her parents.  Courtesy of The Great Intelligence (Richard E Grant) who was "the client."  Not that the Doctor found out.  Clara returns home and the Doctor tells her she can go anywhere with him and be back in time for tea. This time he adds it's time to find out who she really is.

Doctor: "It is not a snog box...Oh shut up."  No, bet the Doctor's wife would have something to say about that and I don't just mean River!

Next ep reminds me of the second ep from season 5.2 The Beast Below when he took Amy to the Starship UK, there were some similarities as shown in the trailer.  A stunning start to the new season nonetheless showing Matt Smith still excels as the Doctor and Jenna-Louise Coleman really is fitting into her role of Clara and continues to impress.  Lots going on in this episode and subtle hints for the future too, now must go away and watch it all over again, just for the sheer enjoyment this time round!  Ahh he even left Jammie Dodgers for Clara too after running his nose over them and taking a bite out of one.  Oh and that half eaten biscuit was not in the same part of the plate when Clara wakes up.  Hey no Custard Creams, you clever boy?

The Doctor also invented the quadracycle;  realizes "monks are not cool."  So don't be one. The boy tells her to wait til she gets to chapter 11, as "it's the best.  You'll cry your eyes out."  Eleventh Doctor anyone?  Lots of joking with his name, 'Doctor Who?' again.  When the Doctor holds Clara when she's on the floor, this was reminiscent of The Snowmen when she was lying on the table and died there.

Steven Moffat described this episode as "an action  roller coaster" and wasn't meant to be scary.  Maybe make people think twice as to how dependent they are on WI-Fi.  We meet Clara for the third time after she's been killed off twice, both as a result of meeting the Doctor.  But this is the version of Clara who was always intended as the Doctor's new companion.  Matt commented that she "reignites curiosity in the universe and gives him [The Doctor] his mojo back."

Also you can read here: http://mila255h.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/matt-smith.html

The Mentalist 5.15 "Red Laquer Nail Polish" Review

Lisbon (Robin Tunney) and Patrick (Simon Baker) are called to a CS at the Vogelsong mansion where a burnt out DB has been discovered in the library.  The security guards says the doctor called them to check on her but don't know his name.  Patrick heads to the library where Cho (Tim Kang) is talking to forensic investigator Brett Partridge (Jack Plotnick) who tells them all about spontaneous combustion, that it mostly happens to drinkers and smokers and then the subcutaneous fat in the body melts.. Effectively a human candle.  Then then mentions the congealed human fat layers on the lightbulbs which has Patty leave there quick smart, after his deduction that Elise Vogelsong (Mariette Hartley) was murdered.  Firstly she has a collection of mystery books, secondly there was too much scotch in the bottle to drink alone and there were four glasses on the table altogether.  Thus one of them was broken in the fire hence the glass in the fireplace.  Why not take the glass with you.

Patrick says spontaneous combustion being mentioned in Charles Dickens' Bleak House and Cho mentions the character by name, Krook. who was found burnt in his shop.  Showig Cho's on the ball with his reading, a nice touch I thought.

Don't know why they had Lisbon creeped out with that mansion she hasn't behaved like that before.  What with the fainting spell last ep and this, you can't change her character so dramatically.  Shown by the conversation both of them had upon arrival: Lisbon: "There's something off here.  That place gives me the creeps."
Patrick: "Normally I tend to mock your superstition but in this case, I'm inclined to agree."  Of course Patrick's earlier comment about living in a place like this and being rich, being a moral question.  Reeks of allusions to his own past where he preyed on people and made money in that way.  Morally and ethically wrong.  As well as Brett returning once more, not only since he's been on the scene in the past when RJ crimes have been investigated, the Pilot and season 3 finale Strawberries and Cream but as you recall his name was also in the black book of names in Black Cherry.  Patrick also met him after he lost his family.

Also as soon as Cho found out the nurse, Lissie (Tacey Adams) was missing, it was a giveaway to Elise having killed her off and that she was still alive.  Along with the medal going missing so she could frame her nephew Curtis (Michael Gladis) and Cayce (Vanessa Ray) kept shutting the hatch on the ship but didn't when Patrick paid her a visit at the end with the ashes.

Good to see Cho still ribbing Rigsby (Owain Yeoman) about needing to meet a woman cos it's been so long since he's been with one, what happened to Ben? SO he signs up to a dating site.  Especially after Van Pelt (Amanda Righetti) sends them a post card but doesn't address it to him like usual but just to "the bullpen."  Then the five women who did turn up at the end, cos he stood them up, all had red hair and could be Van Pelt replacements.

Then there was Alex (Elizabeth Bogush) hugging Patrick and thanking him for getting Curtis out of trouble, he comments she can thank him by forgiving Lisbon, who claims they followed the evidence.  Patrick adding she followed the evidence cos he had his own theories of course and found Elise when Lisbon was too creeped out at giving the ashes to Cayce, so Patrick took them down.  Here he wanted to set sail immediately and took hold of a marine flare and threw it into the cabin below, pushing Cayce over the side and then waiting until Elise made her exit with the stolen money.  Patrick wanted to get onto that boat all along but wasn't able to do so.  The second time Lisbon tells him they don't have a warrant and he says rules are boring.

He's always looking for some way to flout rules, as did Lisbon when she was after Volker, she had to resort to Patrick's methods to get her man.  But since she was getting warrants for Curtis's gallery and for Doctor Reinhardt's (Erick Avari) practice, she may as well have got one for the boat as well.  It was Elise's after all, so who knows what they may have found on there, even Elise herself.  So I don't see why she didn't.  She had probable cause too.  Then Lisbon says Patrick guesses instead of doing actual policework.  Patrick: "you should try it sometime."  Lisbon also refers to Patrick as her "associate" here.  Suggesting more equality in their work relationship, as opposed to introducing him as a consultant as she normally does.

For all the suspects in this episode, the trail led back to Elise.  That was obvious.
Lisbon saying Patrick just guessed was an about turn to what Patrick said to her in Red Sails in the Sunset, when Patrick tells Lisbon she'll never know if he "engineered the escape and abduction."  Lisbon replies she knows and he should trust her.  Patrick: "You don't know, you'll just guess."

All cos she knew Curtis would have been granted the case in his favour but she insists it's her money to spend and she should be able to spend it either way.  She manipulated Cayce into helping her and signing in using the Lissies's name at the hotel in Vegas.  As well as blackmailing the doctor into prescribing her all sorts of pills and telling Cayce her family wanted her committed.  Elise shows no remorse over committing the murder just labelling it as "an unfortunate necessity."  As well as planning to do away with Cayce too, who Cho informs her has become an accessory to murder.

Patrick running off to pursue Red John with a spring in his step and was excited about it too, cos lo and behold Lorelei returns next ep.  Notice Vogelsong means 'birdsong' and the boat had Bodega Bay, Ca written on it.  As we know Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds was set in Bodega Bay mostly where the bird attacks took place.  Patrick does have an affinity to sailing.  There was Red Sails in the Sunset, a Lorelei ep, which Simon directed where Lorelei said Patrick is just like RJ, "you know that, relentless and manipulation."
Here he says to Lisbon: "seems like a civilized way to travel don't you think?"  Lisbon thinks it's like "being in a prison cell with a chance of drowning."  Can't help thinking this is another Lorelei reference, when she came out of the ocean after swimming in there, naked, the beach is where Patrick drove to.  Mind you Patrick also made that comment when visiting the doctor saying, "I was just about to learn how to drive her wild in five easy steps."

Rigsby isn't over Van Pelt nor does it look like he will ever get there and move on.  This time round he even mentions how his mother used to read about the exploits of the Vogelsong heiress to make comparisons of her own life with hers when she was with his father.

In Ruby Red Slippers, similar was done when Archie took a corpse and burned it cos he wanted a new life.  Here Elise was just greedy and vindictive who just wanted the money for herself even after she bled dry the estate.  She has some character traits that reassemble Patrick too.  He has manipulated, lied to people in the past to find Red John and though he hasn't actually killed anyone, aside from shooting the man he believed to be Red John in Strawberries and Cream and manipulated his way out of that one; you know he's pretty much capable of anything.  This is reminiscent of the darkness in Patrick, that manifests itself when he's on a role, a mission to get to the truth, but we have seen over and again how he has it in him to be that way.   In The Crimson Hat, Rigsby and Lisbon also faked their own deaths and there seems to be a theme developing here.

Lots more subtle allusions to Lorelei like Patrick when he told her he'd get her to "sing like a bird."  Then we get Vogelsong here, vogel meaning bird in German (knew my German would come in handy one day, ha) and the boat was called the same, bird song.  See Patrick took CBI Ron with him when he went to find Elise and draw her out.

The Vampire Diaries 4.15 "Stand By Me" Review

                                             
Well it may come as a surprise or a shock to most people, but the show actually followed through on what it never really does: killing off a main character and leaving them dead.  There have been plenty of deaths and resurrections in this show since season 1, but usually they return with the help of a spell, a ring or get turned into vampires, are given vampire blood.  (Lucky Tyler (Michael Trevino) got out whilst he could or he may have suffered the same fate, not that his freedom is conclusive or could even be long lived.)  Elena (Nina Dobrev) has lost many a relative in her life, her parents, Jenna, Alaric, even John whom she mentions here at the end, but it's not quite black and white in this show.  We even got to see Elena plunge off the bridge and die last season only to be re-vamped!

But I just couldn't get past her whining and denials this episode.  She's annoying at the best of times, so self righteous even (maybe if anyone had to go it should have been her) but watching the show I was expecting them to come up with some nonsensical ritual or spell to bring poor Jeremy (Steven R McQueen) back.  Did he really deserve this fate at the hands of Silas/Katherine.  Why was Silas even mentioned if it was going to be dealt with so abruptly.  Though he's got Bonnie under his spell.  Even when Elena took off Jeremy's ring, thought maybe he'd come back to life now (sure I spotted Jeremy breathing a few times when he was on the bed) but alas it wasn't meant to be.  Then she set the house on fire to banish all memories of the Gilbert name and any attempt at any future legacies being sealed or memories being made there.

Through it all there wasn't much anyone could do even Bonnie (Kat Graham) was useless with her spells so much for having the magic of expressionism.  This it seemed remained expression-less.  It brought about a reality check for Elena and her selfishness, all she wanted was to see Jeremy safe, sent him away by compelling him, then brought him back again even when he was in danger.  Forgive me weren't hunters meant to be in expendable?  Too busy trying to sink her claws into both Salvatore brothers.  She believed Jeremy would be brought to life cos of his ring and Damon (Ian Somerhalder) and Stefan (Paul Wesley) were content into letting her believe this.  She needed to realize for herself this wasn't going to happen and for reality to surely and swiftly sink in.  She was going to be alone without any immediate family.  She is oblivious to the smell of his decomposing body but wants him there to find any way to bring him back.

This she trusts Bonnie will do, but Bonnie is nowhere to be found so Damon sets out to search for her.  When he does find her he actually hugs her, that's a first for someone who doesn't like her or even gets on with her.  Especially since she's always the first Vic/sacrifice if Damon has a choice to make.  He doesn't care about this witchy.  Bonnie however has taken a leaf out of Shane's (David Alpay) book and has been manipulated into thinking she needs to kill 12 people to bring back loved ones, Jeremy.  Even after Jeremy told her Silas was trying to get into her head last ep and she should only listen to him.  Alas now she can no longer listen and never will hear his voice again.  Hey he can come back as a ghost, yes?

But there's always a but in that Jeremy will be hounded by supernatural beings and monsters.  Caroline (Candace Accola) and Matt (Zach Roerig) see the futility and uselessness of this.  Still Elena doesn't give in.  Hang on Elena wanted to kill all of Kol's lifeline to make the tattoo grow and actually went though and did this without remorse, so what's another 12 lives in the scheme of things.  Maybe losing Jeremy was payback for killing Kol, a life for a life and all that.
What was sad was Matt's reaction to seeing Jeremy and how he too has been through the ringer.  Now he's lost one of his best friends and effectively remains one of the only humans around out of their group.

Elena finally smells Jeremy's rotting flesh and loses it even more.  There's no room in the Gilbert plot so she douses the house with gas and wants to set fire to it.  She can't even be talked out of it by Stefan when he says one day she may want to return.  She'll never come here again.  Stefan even encourages Damon to help her, re their sire bond and to talk to her.  He seemed reluctant to do this.  He compels her to "turn it off."  To turn off her feelings and the thing is if she does turn them on again she'll be caught up in the same pent up anger and rage all over again.  But for now this seemed to be the only option available.  Last time feelings/humanity were turned off, Stefan being compelled by Klaus (Joseph Morgan) he went off on a killing spree.  What will Elena do?
Perhaps it was only fitting Jeremy got a hero's send off: a Viking's funeral. A fitting farewell to a brother, friend and loved one.

Naturally or unnaturally Damon turning off her humanity means she won't feel anything, no love, sadness, so how will this fare for him? Especially when she finds out what's really happened.  Damon was in love with Elena the human than someone without any feelings, all cold and dark, so will he still feel the same?  Mind you Stefan wanted him to do this too to help her so he's just  as much to blame.  It was easier than to see her hurt, but being  a vampire doesn't mean she shouldn't have accepted what has happened.  There's no easy out from facing up to death and particularly the death of a loved one, so maybe she should have been left to bare her cross.  Even Meredith (Torrey DeVitto) couldn't help Elena who just went for her juggler, ha.

Damon telling Rebekah (Claire Holt) they need to find Bonnie after spilling how Katherine has the cure.  But her wanting to go after Katherine.  Then warning her about Silas being awakened.  Great 'scenes' between them too for vamps who dislike each other so much.

CSI 13.5 "Play Dead" Review

It's Hallowe'en in Vegas and two girls stumble across a dog who appears to have killed a man and is taking a bite out of his throat.  Brass (Paul Guilfoyle) Nick (George Eads) and David (David Berman) arrive at the scene.  David finds drugs on him and his ID shows he's an officer Mike Nelson.  The dog is a police dog, Sam.  Inside his truck there's an LVPD envelope with money and a yellow bandanna with meth.  Varanski (David S Lee) who runs the canine unit says Nelson was a good officer but why didn't he tell them the dog responds to commands in French when he was there considering he wanted to take the dog with him.  Nick needs to process him for evidence and eventually gets a muzzle round his mouth.  He finds a piece of human flesh stuck between his teeth which everyone assumes belonged to Nelson.  Aren't they supposed to be waiting until the evidence is in before forming any conclusions, they've barely started gathering evidence yet.

Sam is sent to the pound and will be put down if not for the fast work of Henry (Jon Wellner) who tells them the DNA on the flesh doesn't match Nelson, thus the dog took a bite out of his killer.  Nick brings Sam back to the lab, who makes a run for DB's (Ted Danson) office and his totem statue which was an anniversary gift.  He doesn't put it down and Nick takes him to the dog training area when he's now told Sam is a French dog.  He throws down the totem and gets a bottle of water.

Doc Robbins (Robert David Hall) finds Nelson was bitten by a human, Brass tells DB about a case where a cheerleader ripped flesh from a human whilst on PCP.  An actual CSI case from season 3's Let the Seller Beware.  CCTV footage shows a woman with a yellow bandanna in her pocket and they deduce she's a hooker.  Several are brought in to find which one was with Nelson and Sam will later ID her.  Now he's fully part of the investigation.  The women have a laugh making innuendos to DB, especially one of them, about the length of the pipe and about touching his, which he replies his wife won't like.  Sam picks out Carly's (Johanna Braddy) scent.  Greg (Eric Szmanda) helps out with analyzing the effects from her motel.  Carly said Nelson was good to her and she was his CI.  Carly is later found dead and Doc finds out she was pregnant but Nelson wasn't the father, it was the killer.  Also Carly didn't die of an overdose but was killed since the needle missed her vein.  The needle mark was found in her back and she couldn't have put it there.

David calls Nick to Autopsy when Sam goes missing, he hasn't been eating since he misses Nelson.  He sits outside the freezer containing his DB.  Nick talks to Sam who seems to understand him now and says they need to work together to find his killer and get justice for Nelson.  He understands since he puts his paw on the harness and his head on Nick's knee.  Nick tells him all about losing a friend, referring to Warrick though he's not mentioned by name.

Using the killer's bloody bandage from the motel they can find out which clinics he could have gone to in the area for help.  Nick, Brass give chase to a suspect at a burrito stand, which Brass comments Sam wants, but he sees the suspect there.  Sam takes a bullet in the chase and arrest and Nick doesn't realize he's been shot until he gets some blood on his hands.  Vinnie (Mike Alexander) didn't want the baby and saw her with Nelson which made him lose it.   Nick waits around and Varanski tells him Sam will pull through.  He was going to retire this year and live with Nelson so Nick takes on a new roommate, with rules.  They will watch ball on Sundays and he'll have to sleep on the floor when his girlfriend comes over.  SO he has a girlfriend now.  Wonder if we'll get to see her and whether she's someone we've already seen on the show.

Greg: "I guess that makes him a dead dog walking." It was good seeing how Nick gets on with everyone whilst doing his job, including man's best friend and to think a while back he when quit.  No mention of that anymore so guess everyone's moved past that.

Morgan (Elisabeth Harnois) and Finn (Elisabeth Shue) investigate the killing of a lawyer, Barry Sloane (James Hyde) who was shot in his house.  There are traces of fluid in his bed and a bullet hole in the wall where the bullet missed him.  Morgan finds the gun outside and prints on the window.  Two of his neighbours both women, talk about him.  One doesn't think much of him and is glad the house prices have increased cos of him and the older woman, Marjorie (Caroline Lagerfelt) defends him on being a good neighbour and friend.  Morgan is confronted by Hodges concerning the kiss from the first ep of the season, so they haven't been together or even talked about it since then, but she seems nervous to talk about it now.  She just wants him to fix the GCMS and get the results.  He's fixing it himself and reminds him of how the defence is picky about such things.  Finn walks in on them and she tells her she kissed Hodges when her father was in hospital.  Finn thinks they've both been sleeping together.  Finn likens Hodges to an "awkward Jimmy Stewart."  He's sweet and funny.

The prints on the window belong to Walsh (Michael Bunin) who hired Barry as his divorce lawyer.  Also he saw his wife, Sabrina (Brianne Davis) with Barry and she would have gotten everything in the divorce, his house, money and his cat.  The gun is found to belong to Barry.  Walsh has an alibi and Sabrina found out Barry was sleeping with a neighbour.  Hodges analyzes the lipstick on Barry's shirt and finds it contains formaldehyde.  Which is a carcinogen so isn't used anymore as a preservative.  Eeww. Thus lipstick was used by an older woman, Marjorie.  She saw the way Barry was treated by Sabrina and she came over admitting she had feelings from him.  She tried to kiss him but he rejected her.  She was old enough to be his mother.  She shot him since Barry had given her the gun for protection.

CSI delves into two very different cases this episode but both with a similar theme of being rejected or misunderstandings.  Vinnie when he saw Carly with Nelson and Marjorie was rejected by Barry.  CSI hasn't covered two separate cases in a while.  No Jorga Fox this episode.

Season 13 spends a lot of time on DB and his family so it would have been good to see some of the other's personal lives and the job affecting them, or even what they do with their time away from the lab.  It's a little tedious having the show concentrate just on DB's family.

666 Park Avenue 1.6 "Diabolic" Review

As more unfolds after the events of the Hallowe'en party it appears Jane (Rachael Taylor) is having yet more nightmares as she now dreams she's attacked in the shower some the psycho wielding an axe!  Hey I was going to mention movie Psycho anyway!  She wakes up with Henry (Dave Annable) beside her in his feeble attempt to comfort her.  That'd be enough to give anyone nightmares!  Saying the police are working on the case to find the maniac.  Then decides to make her breakfast.  Some comfort you are!

Well the police are working on the case and they turn up at the Drake to look into possible CS and the areas where Jane ran to, including the kitchen with the dumbwaiter, looked just like a basement to me. Anyway the woman detective shows Jane the dumbwaiter hasn't been used since it's inundated with cobwebs!  Thus perhaps Jane may have a few screws loose, a few bats in the belfry.  Even Henry has his doubts since by episode's end he's convinced she should talk to someone about it reminding her and informing us that her grandmother went insane and was locked up.  Subtle Henry!  This from him after Jane wants to return to Indiana where everything was simpler and she wasn't in any danger.  SO this conversation goes from being about Jane as Henry put it to being about him really, never mind the us.

Henry's now seen the light, you know, bright lights, big city and wants to stay here and make a stab at a political career.  Wish someone would, stab, er, okay can't help myself when it comes to wimpish Henry, Jane can do so much better!  Anyway this includes the detective,  Hayden Cooper (Teddy Sears) who was more understanding than Henry was or ever will be.  He returns to see Jane alone with a photo of the man in the devil costume having tracked him down after they ran a trace on Henry's phone when Jane called him.  Now you see she's not crazy after all.  He asks her why she lied and if she wants to tell the truth now.  She's afraid he'll think her crazy too.

Then tells him about Kramer and him being a ghost.  He understands and tells her the story of his grandfather and ghosts so he knows what she means.  Henry meets up with Laurel (Tessa Thompson) who has arranged  a meeting with him with four mayors, former mayors.  She changes his tie for him and afterwards even mentions dumping Jane since being single and eligible means more in politics.  Yes Jane dumb him first!

Meanwhile Gavin (Terry O'Quinn) is called about the box with a ransom demand of a million which Gavin increases to three million.  He also has Olivia (Vanessa Williams) checked out by Dr Scott (Enrique Murciano) and has her blood tested.  He knows Scott is in need of money since he finds it a little expensive paying rent and he's behind.  Thus Gavin loans him $50,000 for which he's grateful.  Great Scott sorry!) knew he had a gambling habit and he loses.  Well he's bound to now he's sold his soul to Gavin.  He later finds his chest on fire and bloody, ripping his shirt off he finds a tattoo with $50,000 emblazoned on his chest.  He confronts Gavin about this who tells him about the same, selling his soul thing and there is a way he can forget the loan.  He wants him to become his doctor on call and when he calls, he should pick up.

Chloroform was found in Olivia's blood which Gavin keeps from her.  Later two men find the man who took the box dying cos he opened it.  They set the place on fire and take the box.  Olivia takes Jane to lunch who isn't really in the mood, cos she can't hold her knife and fork properly, and when she's in the loo, a man, introducing himself as Victor Shaw (Nick Chinlund) appears to Olivia to give her the low down on Gavin being a "monster."  Isn't that exactly what her daughter wrote in the letter to her.  Also how Gavin lied to her and didn't tell her what was really in her blood.  Olivia asks Gavin about this and he tells her she'd been drinking plenty.  Having taken a blood test of her own, she finds out about the chloroform.  He tells her the safe was broken into using her as a distraction and she thinks the safe in the closet but it's the other safe.

Gavin has Tony (Erik Palladino) find out who tried to run Olivia over and takes Sam (Peter Friedman) to his 'interrogation'.  Where he realizes Sam was the one behind it.  He sends him into the Drake with endless corridors so he can't leave.  Jane even walks through him at one point, convinced she can hear voices.  Gavin uses Sam for his own ends and Shaw turns up to meet Gavin after Olivia recalls meeting him.  He gives him what Shaw believes to be bearer bonds to the value of $10 million and Shaw replies he's doing what Gavin does, takes from others.  He opens the present which was Olivia's idea to have it sealed with a bow and finds Sam's head inside.  Just one side of betrayal.

Gavin then pays a visit to Kandinsky (Misha Kuznetsov) and wants him to work for him.  Then calls Scott to help him escape when he's rushed to the hospital.  Jane in a rage throws the papers to the floor after Henry's little confrontation with her and thinks she made everything up after reading about the Hallowe'en story from 1929. She then notices the necklace the woman is wearing and makes the connection that Jocelyn is her grandmother.

So we finally get to see what most of us were thinking all along, that Olivia knows all about Gavin, or at least what he's capable of and asks if Shaw will open the box as he's threatened to do so and 'let him out.'  Leaving us with another mystery of who 'he' is.  Think Olivia knew all along about Gavin and one reason she burnt her daughter's letter about him.  But she must have made some sort of a deal with Gavin.  Don't think Scott will be around for long as he'll outlive his usefulness.  But Hayden also finds newspaper clippings which show accidents at the Drake which can't be a coincidence.  Yes Jane dump Henry for Hayden, ha, at least he has a brain especially since Henry doesn't even recall seeing Kramer in the lift when he admired Jane's necklace last ep, ugh??!!  Yes writers you forgot that didn't you!

21 Jump Street - Revisited and I Don't Mean the Movie!

                                            
Yes Dennis Booker (Richard Greico) was misunderstood by his Jump Street colleagues.  But also by fans and others who couldn't see why he was actually added to the show.  There's the saying 'don't fix it if it ain't broke,' but there were reasons to the addition of his character and quite frankly it amazes me how blinkered teens could be at that age (many adults too, even now!)  Yes they're teens but I wasn't like that, not to sound condescending.

There comes a time when you need to let go and actually enjoy something for what it is, entertainment.  Perhaps somebody should tell me that now, that I'VE GROWN UP, ha.  Yes I criticize and all the rest of it whilst watching, or writing reviews but I don't go OTT, hopefully, though no one's told me that I do.  Maybe they're too afraid ha.  My friends this means you more than anyone else!!

                                               

ANYWAY not to get off point here, the main gist of this post is how Booker was misunderstood.  Of course he was from day one.  It didn't help the case they were investigating in Fun With Animals involved several areas of controversy: rape and race.  It all boiled down to the Vic not actually coming out and correcting her statement.  Added to all this was Tom Hanson's (Johnny Depp) immediate dislike at having to work with the newbie.  So he wanted to court not only controversy where there was none but also going along with so called witness statements who claimed they saw Booker with the Vic, Tracey at the lockers and also he saw her later with a "coloured girl" in the bushes.   Some could be seen as a way of not having to work with him, but he was pre-judging, knowing nothing about him.  Said girl turned out to be Judy Hoffs (Holly Robinson). Okay we can spout the sayings, 'first impressions,' 'don't judge a book by its cover' and all the rest of it, which in this case could be true, but then we were in the same boat as Hanson since this was the first time we met Booker.

                                           

Another reason for Hanson's reaction was that Judy didn't hold the same pre-conceptions or misconceptions as Hanson since she was willing to accept Booker and give him a go.  That was just in her nature.  They went to a movie together and besides it really wasn't anyone's business and she didn't need to offer any explanation to anyone.  The other area of controversy was the confrontation, of sorts between Hanson and Booker when he told Hanson he's just as 'rasicst' as him and that he won't admit he's glad he was "born white."  Not having to face the hardships that minorities endure.

What was amusing was how Hanson bagged Booker out any chance he got, that he was seen with her and yet he really believes Booker is the one behind the rape and that he is his one and only suspect, especially when Booker mentions the cigarette stubs in the shower where Tracey was found.  Since no one else knew about those.  Oh and it didn't help when they found out Booker was really IA, cos no one likes IA!  But it was okay for Hanson to break into his apartment and steal a confidential file, cos you're a cop and that's what you do, right.  How did that justify having a badge and being loyal to it?

This was followed up by Doug Penhall (Peter DeLuise) hating having being partnered with Booker in Coach of the Year where they played brothers who were more like enemies and their rivalry was matched on and off the field.
Seems like Booker had to prove himself with everyone including Harry Ioki (Dustin Nguyen) this time round when the police go on strike in The Blu Flu.  Everyone was worried by their jobs being on the line and job security and when Booker tried to put his point across about not crossing the picket line, he was berated by Ioki who didn't want to lose out on his pay.  Even when he was called a scab he still had the intentions of returning to work and crossing the picket line.

Thought Booker redeemed himself in this ep not only in the eyes of Ioki but also Capt Adam Fuller (Steven Williams) (not that he needed to with him).  When he found out how unions really operate and took responsibility for slashing Fuller's tyres even when all concerned knew it was Stubbs and Booker didn't want him losing out on his pension.  As well as the rousing pep talk he gave fellow strikers to not throw in the towel by the city's threats of being fired.
But then Hanson asks where he is in one scene, Penhall, "he gets nervous in a room full of cops."  Funny line would that be cos of IA?

                                                           

Nemesis was the episode which proved Booker as a character in his own right.  The first time he's sent undercover without any back-up and this case has a huge impact on him both personally and professionally.  His undercover life on this assignment overlaps into his personal life.  He has a girlfriend whom he can't admit his feelings to, yet when he's undercover he has to do the same to a possible murder suspect.  Okay she wasn't a suspect she was the killer (knew that all along).  He's forced to 'act out' with the teens as well as to take drugs and become one of the crowd.  Yet he can't come to terms with one of them being killed cos he's suspected of being a "narc" when in fact the actual one is him.  Smashing the windows must have been a welcome relief to letting out his pent up anger and repressed feelings at the entire futility of the life and strife people get into.  Lots of personal conflict here to give Booker a well rounded character and story he deserved.

3.16 High High was another episode where Booker encountered this same futility and meaningless to lives along with the rest of the team whilst undercover in a performing arts school.  Where it appeared even the teachers turned a blind eye to what was happening around them.  Students needing drugs to achieve and to get through.  Booker had to face up to another student who would get high and the rush helped with playing basketball.  Once again he was 'forced' to take drugs but was able to 'fake it.'  Showing he played ball without the euphoria of being on drugs.  He got a good ending here when he returns and finds that the kid on drugs was still doing the same.  SO really nothing changed at that school.  They left and things went back to as they were.  Some case.  Also Booker got to smash some TVs!

Next Victim was one of my fave Booker eps of Jump Street.  It was like they took Fun With Animals and added a post script to it, since here once again Booker goes undercover as a racist radio shock jock DJ.  This time the conflict is with Judy as she thinks he really believes in the controversy he's creating on air, reinforcing a "white America" but believes it personally too, resulting in disgust from her and a showdown at the end.  Once again Booker redeems himself when he refuses to kow tie with radio station policy and really reveals his true feelings about what happened here and generally on air.  Cue phonecall from Judy in approval and by way of apology.

Well if Booker made any headway with becoming some sort of a member of the Jump Street team it all went out the window with the second of two-part episode Loc'd Out.  Not only cos Hanson ends up in jail for shooting a cop, after breaking into the dead cop Tower's house, the second time he's done that (he broke into Booker's in the first ep) but no bullet is found in the house.  The thing about this ep was that I always suspected Buddy's partner, Frank anyway.  Since he made the boo-boo at trial of saying he was sitting waiting for his partner outside, wouldn't he have gone inside with him, or at least made his presence aware.  Since he was his partner and first at the scene, he could have easily removed the bullet anyway!  Glad I was proven right next season.

Anyway Booker is labelled the bad guy here again cos he's made to work with Frank and this time round it's Booker's purview to believe Hanson might be dirty.  As he tells Penhall, "doesn't matter if the cop was dirty cos Hanson's dirtier."  Oh take that back! ha.  So in a way it's ironic that it's Booker who finds the clue to break the case next season and is the one who actually helps Hanson get out of prison, but doesn't even get so much as a thank you.  Not like he was the one who put him behind bars and threw away the key.   In fact in 4.1 Draw the Line Penhall won't even entertain his theory, let alone listen to him, so much for wanting his best friend out of that hell hole!  So he gets punched for his troubles by Hanson when Booker does come to get him out to attend Ioki's funeral (not that he was dead) who had always wanted to do that since season 3.1!

                                                        

As said he didn't get a thank you but got relegated to a uniformed officer to the ,library!! So he gave his badge up instead of putting it to that sort of a shame.  Fuller didn't blame him for that but not much input from his colleagues as said before.  In fact he goes out of his way to help Hanson when he realizes Frank lied about Tower's shooting.  Funny, as in ironically, Booker was a stickler for the rules which Hanson broke as an officer and then Booker comes round full circle doing the same when trying to clear him.
Fuller: " you work with young people, I don't suppose you consider yourself young, ...because you stopped asking yourself the one question young people want answered, 'what's going to happen to me?'  Just because they're young doesn't mean it's a foolish question."

SO he went all out to get Hanson released, lost his badge and fought for justice, but a policeman's lot is a difficult one and resigning was the only option available.  That or he'd never have got his own spin-off show in Booker.  Yet his addition to 21 Jump Street provided season 3 (which remains one of my fave seasons) with the fresh injection the show needed especially since Johnny Depp wanted to leave and some of the storylines were becoming a little deja vu-y.  Yes I make up words, it's my prerogative as a writer, ha. Richard was/is enigmatic, handsome, charismatic and funny, not to mention having killer-long, perfect eyelashes which were to die for and made the character of Booker the same.

Booker even said as much in the season 4 two-parter Wheels and Deals, that he wanted to get Raymond Crane since he was responsible for murder, getting Ioki shot, another partner in jail and for Booker losing his badge.  He was the only one determined to do so and tried.  But only called in his former colleagues as a last resort (cos it was written that way, ha).

I thought it all made for entertaining TV and some thought-provoking stuff along the way too. Booker's fate was that he was meant to be shot at the end of season 3 anyway!  But got Booker instead, short lived since as per the norm it was cancelled by Fox.  Which has a lot to answer for as FAR  as cancelling shows: Space Above and Beyond, Killer Instinct, Dark Angel.  To name but a few.

My disclaimer before I'm inundated by moans, comments and heckling, I liked Hanson too - honestly!