The Vampire Diaries 5.9 "The Cell" Review

                                                
The Vampire Diaries does another flashback episode, but this time concentrates more on Damon (Ian Somerhalder) and his time as the Augustine vampire. Elena (Nina Dobrev) also gets caught as she tries to speak with Aaron (Shaun Sipos) not realizing that his uncle, Maxfield (Rick Cosnstt) would be around to catch her.   This time the action centres on Augustine and how he experimented on Damon in the 1950's.  In his cell he meets Enzo (Michael Malarkey) another vampire who's been tested on.  He's been here since at least the war.  Together they come up with a plan to escape. Playing rock, paper, scissors, Damon wins meaning he'll get all of Enzo's blood rations and build up his strength to escape.  One of Damon's family sold him to the Augustine 'cause' and we learn that the Whitmore's were behind it all.

As Elena learns Aaron's parents, at least by several generations removed, were part of the same Whitmore clan and the college is named after the Whitmore's.  Aaron sees pictures of his murdered parents which Maxfield tells them were killed by a vampire and he assumes this was Elena.  Damon tells him it was him who killed them. At the Augustine/Whitmore New Year Party, Damon gets out and reeks havoc, killing everyone there.  A fire is lit but he can't break the bars to release Enzo, they're lined with vervain.  He leaves Enzo there and saves himself, despite his pleas.  As he tells Elena, he turned off his humanity and just left. Thus posing the question as to whether Enzo will want some sort of revenge on Damon.  As we discover Enzo is alive and is being experimented on when Elena is also strapped to the chair.  Elena also having seen her father in the Whitmore photo.  Yes let's see whiny Elena get some torture treatment too, maybe it'll give her a backbone.

Damon left a survivor of every generation of the Whimore family, this was Aaron later, so they can get married, have children and he can go on his killing spree every generation, leaving one behind.  May sound callous but then Damon's not into niceties, especially since he is a vampire after all and also he was tortured too.  So you know exactly where he's coming from, besides who wouldn't be on Damon's side.

Caroline (Candace Accola) decides Stefan's (Paul Wesley) therapy for PTSD isn't really getting anywhere and so speeds it up by locking him in the safe.  Yes the safe he spent all Summer in.  He gets anxious when he's in there alone and can't breathe but Katherine and Caroline leave him in there.  Katherine however takes to getting locking in beside him and tells him to "suck it up" just like he told her to do.  They get close in there and once they're out, well one thing leads to another fling and Caroline can hear them together.

This ep was our Christmas break ep, but there wasn't that much of a cliff hanger posed for us.  Is it me or are these storylines coming out of nowhere just to make the show last.  There isn't any substance to them at all, so Elena's father had secrets and was part of the Whitmore legacy or whatever you want to call it, but it's just tedious.  Hasn't Stefan and Katherine been done a million times over, so he can't have Elena but he can satisfy this by getting Katherine instead.

Suppose there's scope for Aaron to either become an ally or to side with Maxfield, which doesn't seem likely, but he didn't exactly let Elena go even after Damon told him he ripped his parents to shreds.

Revenge 3.10 "Exodus" Review

                                          
No opening or closing narration this ep! What could she have said...

Emily (Emily VanCamp) must get her skates on if she's having Victoria (Madeleine Stowe) at the wedding and looks through her secret box again.  She enlists Conrad (Henry Czerny) by playing on his family side to say Victoria won't be there and she so much wants this to be about family since she doesn't have any of her own.  Thus Conrad calls on Patrick (Justin Hartley) well he was easy to find in Manhattan, ha and gets him to come down.  Also blackmailing Victoria into going cos then he'll leave Patrick alone, but she's still adamant about going.  She's happy to have Patrick here and he convinces her she must go for Daniel's (Josh Bowman) sake.  UGH Daniel, I will leave my comments about him until later!

Meanwhile the three Musketeers, ha, so who'd be the fourth, Jack (Nick Wechsler) go over the game plan for the wedding night on the yacht and Emily's going to spill her blood on the deck after she feigns being shot and diving overboard.  Aiden (Barry Sloane) will lock Victoria in the state room but alas this is Revenge and things never pan out as planned.  To make her final farewells, she sees Jack for the last time and admits she was with Amanda the night she died and held her in her arms.  She couldn't get her off the boat.  Jack is angry she kept all this to herself all this time and has taken everything he had from him.  She promised Amanda she'd look after Jack and Carl.  When she leaves, Jack finds the envelope she left for him with Amanda's charm bracelet inside.

Patrick heads over to see Nolan (Gabriel Mann) and these two were so emotionally charged, only Patrick fizzled out the moment! Ha.  He tells Nolan he can't be involved since he has Victoria to watch out for but Nolan doesn't want him to stop seeing her, but only see him too.

Let's not forget Lydia (Amber Valletta) whom Conrad finds out about when he sees her journal and promptly kicks her out of his bed and his life cos he thinks she's just using him for money, even when she tries to tell otherwise.  It's not until later when Margaux (Karine Vanasse) tells him Lydia changed her mind and is in love with him that he takes Lydia back.  Then Lydia brings out the photo again and shows it to Emily.  She wants 'her' beachhouse back.  Technically it was never hers to begin with!  Emily agrees to her demand, telling Aiden of the photo, well eh didn't exactly get it back for her.

Emily preparing for the big moment is accosted by Aiden, ha, to see her looking so lovely and they kiss.  He can't wait to be with her.  Nolan walks her down the aisle to her intended doom, er, I mean groom and I think her dress for the photoshoot was much nicer than this one.  But she had to wear something that wouldn't drown her when she jumps overboard.  Flashes to Emily's reasons for revenge as she said her vows to Daniel was a nice touch.  Of course Lydia turns up but is stopped by Aiden who gives her the papers to the beachhouse and explains that she wasn't invited to the wedding.

At the reception, Daniel calls Sara (Annabelle Stephenson) but is interrupted by Charlotte (Christa B Allen). Sara gets drunk at the Stowaway and makes a move on Jack who calls a taxi for her.  Emily and Nolan share a dance and he's going to miss her, she wants him to keep Patrick away from Victoria, which he does. Also whispering, "long live David Clarke" in her ear.  Nolan texted Patrick about Father Paul and he high tails it to his place.  Nolan confesses his love for Patrick and that he's safer with him than with the Grayson's. until Patrick finds Nolans drawers, of remotes! Ha.  Why keep the one which operates the painting in the same place.  As bad as Emily keeping her infinity box in her beachhouse hidden panel.  Wonder if he'll actually look or will he show some restraint.  Get back to you on that one.

Conrad brings Lydia along on the boat just to ensure we have another suspect.  Well it wouldn't be her cos Emily wouldn't exactly say "I'm sorry" to her, Lydia's more into wanting her exposed than dead.  He's got news for everyone of how she's his mistress once again and Victoria and Emily both don't want Lydia there for different reasons.  Emily's made a video about her and Daniel which she hopes will keep everyone in one place as she sets her plan into motion.  Spilling her cider onto Victoria's dress and has to wash it off, where she meets Lydia who shows her Emily's photo.  Victoria confronts Emily and they argue.  She takes the h
champagne glass from Victoria and tells replies she's not really pregnant and of course Daniel was listening, cos he was desperate to get hold of Sara, really Daniel on your wedding night too!  After hearing she tried to commit suicide.  Yeah right Sara your accident and pain didn't lead you to do that all those years ago, but your  feelings for Daniel did!  SO noble of you after making that big deal over not wanting to be the other woman.  Aiden chloroforms Victoria and takes her away.

                                                       
Leaving Daniel alone with Emily.  He is mad at her and takes the gun shooting her twice.  As she falls into the water, he throws the gun in after her and casually walks back inside.  Aiden swims to shore and finds Jack waiting for Emily.  Wanting to say a proper goodbye.  She's meant to be here before him but hasn't arrived. Cue wedding dress washed up on shore!  

Okay Emily's been shot but she won't die, it's not like it's the end of the show.  Still I didn't like the fake baby storyline as said, resonated of Amanda, but Daniel's reason for shooting her, as said involved more than just being lied to and besides the man is a total drunk, what sort of father would he have made when at the first sign of trouble, he turns to drink.  Also think the only way Emily will be free of Lydia and Victoria's hounding over the photo, is if she comes clean and confesses to being Amanda.

Yes Daniel, knew he was the shooter for several reasons, okay maybe a few.  Firstly if you recall ever since season 1 any sort of shooting in Montauk has always involved Daniel.  There was Daniel on the beach with Tyler and when Amanda was there too along with Jack.  Then in the season 2 finale, he shot Aiden in the beach house, so naturally we had to go for the trifecta as far as he was concerned!  So yes, seems his love for Sara was the turning point really.  Not so much Emily deceiving him for two years and that she lied about the baby, but the fact he had to marry her and forsake Sara.  Which was all a tad convoluted since he only recently got all those feelings back for her after she appeared on the scene.  He wasn't even remorseful about it either.  Not two seconds before the reveal, I said that Daniel wouldn't shoot his own baby, would he? How wrong was I?  Really, I need to stop pre-empting every show and plot line going otherwise I'll get bored rather quickly if I always get things right!  Not blowing my own Grayson trumpet or anything!

But Daniel was cold and callous in those final moments and the way he just watched her go under was kind of funny and heartless at the same time.  That he thinks she could really be dead and for someone who showed so much venom at Conrad causing all those deaths on the plane, to turn around and become as calculating as his father in those final few seconds was unexpected.  Being drunk and hurt was no excuse. Does he feel pain anyway, I mean he was also drunk when he caused the accident with Sara.  Have to admit he and Emily did make a great scheming couple, al la Conrad and Victoria.  What matrimony together would have eventually led them to, ha.  Emily Thorn "in my side" Grayson!

So that's two for two as far as Victoria is concerned.  First Patrick tried to off Conrad and now Daniel has his way with Emily.  At least Patrick was doing it for Victoria and not for purely selfish reasons, so who turned out to be the biggest loser as far as her two sons were concerned!  Could Nolan have been right all along about Patrick and having such a deep connection to him, but then Nolan's never been lucky in love, so probably not.

Still at least we only have a week to wait for the next ep!

The Mentalist 6.11 "White Lines" Review

                                             
Patrick (Simon Baker) and Fischer (Emily Swallow) have a long drawn out conversation about his couch, no, sofa, no couch and why he doesn't have one since psychiatrists have them cos it's easier to analyze when the brain's more relaxed or something. He reads her again and asks why she hasn't been to a psychiatrist and whatever she's hiding she doesn't have to feel guilty about it.  She tells him she was undercover and she went a little overboard when she met him.  He wants a couch.  Abbot (Rockmond Dunbar) comes in to tell them they're heading to Corpus Christi to investigate the deaths of five DEA agents who were shot.  At the CS they find the cameras were shot at and they were hidden so they knew where they were hidden.  Though Patty cunningly figures out that the mirror is higher on the wall for a reason, behind which Cho (Tim Kang) finds another hidden camera.  That'll pose a question as to why it was there and who put it there.  Okay that's two questions, ha.

Playing the surveillance feed back, they find the masked gunmen removed their masks and were easily identified as belonging to a drugs cartel.  The FBI agent Higgins (Sterling K Brown) [he was DEA but he was wearing an FBI badge] who had his team shot tells them who were involved.  One of them has a girlfriend Crystal (Brianna Brown).  Lisbon (Robin Tunney) and Cho head to Corpus Christi again and Cho starts the engine, then turns it off, remembering that he heard the engine on the tape.  So he has Wylie (Joe Adler) check the recording for the engine sounds and it'll match the gunman's car.  He IDs a Chevy Impala (hey Dean's (Jensen Ackles) car from Supernatural, though it was the wrong colour and not to mention Higgins/Sterling was also in the show, aka Gordon the vampire hunter cum vampire!)  He thinks the unknown gunman is disciplined but Patty in his infinite wisdom disagrees, cos if he was disciplined he wouldn't have shot them the way he did, it was erratic behaviour to say the least.  He also tells them about Paco (Mark Adair-Rios) who has ties to the cartel.  Patty's more interested in the blonde.

Patrick accompanies Fischer to interview Crystal who doesn't know anything other than Ritchie being a good man and she wasn't aware he was into illegal activities.  Well Patty has her number, well not yet but it's the expression that he knows she's lying and uses this to his advantage and he feigns interest in her and asks her out on a date.  She's flattered and putting on a dumb blonde act, Fischer comes back to tell him that they identified the car model and three possible locations.  She mentions them all there which was a bit stupid to do so in front of a potential suspect, but it worked to Patrick's advantage as he figures out it's at the central business district in a warehouse.  Crystal gave it away.

Fischer then has a conversation with Patrick about why he asked her out and that she's not his type, how would she know his type?  He tells her she is, well maybe, ha.  But he deserves some fun doesn't he and I don't mean Dean's version of fun either! Ha.  At the warehouse they find three DBs of the gunmen and Lisbon and Fischer ponder who could have done it, Patrick is eager to get out of there cos he has a date. Yeah and he wore the same shirt. Cho wonders about Ritchie cos he was Crystal's boyfriend.  Cho also finds a phone but it's disconnected.  SO what do you think of Patty's shirt, he's still wearing it and didn't change for his date.  Also he's wearing Lisbon's socks now well, not her socks, but the ones she gave him last ep.

He tells Crystal he won't reveal what he really does but she wants to know the story behind his wedding ring, which is long.  SO presuming he tells her all about Red John here cos Crystal is kind of surprised that he killed him.  It was all to reel her in and she fell for it, hook, line and sinker!  She asks him how important the investigation is to him and he replies very, so she wants to help.  Yes ingratiate yourself into the case just to find out what they really know and throw around red herrings.  Ooh I used a red colour reference, now that we're no longer using that specific colour in the titles! Ha.  Fischer and Lisbon chase up a lead on the gunmen but come up with nothing and Fischer asks about Patrick and his date.  Lisbon tells her she's not his type but she doesn't know what his type is, well could be Lisbon!  Lisbon and Fischer meet up in a bar and are brought drinks from men who leave when they tell them they're FBI agents.  Also Lisbon gets her FBI ID which she's pretty excited over.

Crystal tells Cho about Paco's condo on the beach worrying about her own safety.  Patrick drives her home in his snazzy new car, oh I miss the Citroen!  It was so Patty.  She won't let him walk her to the front door but he says he wants to see her again  and will call her.  Paco is inside and wants to know why she led the FBI his way but she once again feigns being ignorant.  She then slaps him and tells him he can't mess with her and if he realizes who he's talking to.  She's set him up to take the fall and kidnaps him so she can pin the killings on him and get away with being the head honcho of the cartel.

Patrick gets his couch and is as pleased as punch, lying down, he calls Crystal who he arranged to meet tomorrow night.  She meanwhile bundles off Paco into the boot of the car and has her bodyguard take him to a deserted house where she shoots him in the head.  She leaves and he sets Paco up with a gun and changes it along with other bullets.  After the police arrive, he shoots through a back window and they shoot back, believing they shot Paco!  Cho notices the bullet mark in the back window as if someone shot from there and made it look like the police shot him.  Yeah so much for forensics figuring that out, ha.  He tells Fischer and they don't seem to be doing much with it.  Especially not Fischer who just excels in standing around giving orders and watching Lisbon work!  Wylie analyzes the surveillance footage from the third camera which Higgins has given them and knows his team wouldn't tell anyone about the cameras.

On the footage they see Crystal putting on lipstick in the mirror and then looks straight into the camera, obviously it was her handiwork so the others would be identified.  Patrick asks which shirt he should wear and he goes for the one Fischer selects.  Yes those shirts Patty!  He had those made on his island and they're mostly alike so he's taken to wearing those now.  Knew there was something missing, his waistcoats which I loved!!  Get them back and his dark suit!! Don't like his shirts much and he really needs to shave too. Ha. Anyway digression, even if it is important!  He arrives at Crystal's house and she gets some wine bottles and a gun, deciding they should drink on the boat which her friend lets her borrow. He also brings her flowers.

Patrick talks about the case and how Paco is dead.  She knows he'll be heading back but wishes the case wasn't over as she wants to see him again.  She doesn't like the wine and goes for the other bottle and the gun.  Patrick is called again by Lisbon and pretends to hang up, of course he was either recording what she said which wouldn't be much help for him or has the others on the line which is more likely.  As we know it's always about not putting himself in unnecessary danger!  The mystery man he thinks is someone who can get all attention removed from him and is actually a woman.  He knows it's her.  There were no mistakes made. Crystal admits she didn't have Paco shot but shot him herself.  Thus pulling the gun on Patrick.  He posits the FBI were listening in and should be here now, which he has to say three times before the helicopter arrives. By which time Patrick has already jumped in.

They tell him if he'd let them in on his plan they'd have been here sooner and poor Patty shivering, says Cho's on his side but he's not.  He sides with the FBI and Lisbon adds she's been trying to get him to reveal his plans beforehand for years.  They walk off.  He wasn't even thanked for solving the case.

This was a more enjoyable ep if only for Patrick venturing out on a date to catch a killer, he really needed to get into the swing of things again.  Now that he has his couch back, but not so much analysis on the couch. Patty and his sales pitch line about not telling Crystal who he is, in answer to her question of what, it's who, not what.  She doesn't think he's out of practice, oh he is but he can improvise, but that won't stop him catching a killer! He didn't let this one slip away like Erica.  Crystal gave herself away, there was that scene with Paco when she puts lipstick on before she shoots his bodyguard and then she puts lipstick on again when she looked into the hidden camera, must be one of her tells. Also her use of the phones, there was one without a number Cho found and then she used the one to call for the police after she shot Paco.  Hey they would've recognized her voice on the recording anyway. That was a mistake she made, so much for Patrick saying she didn't make any.

Seems like Lisbon and Fischer won't have any rivalries going here, not even for Patty's affections, ha, so appears they may become friends too.  Though they could have found another name for Kim Fischer, you know Kimball Cho, Kim again.  Though I still don't like her.  Maybe she should have had ties to RJ too! That'd liven things up though probably that ship has sailed, no pun, re the boat Patty was on.  I also don't like how Lisbon is no longer able to investigate on her own, you know it's like she's been demoted and she doesn't have any intelligence, which is far from the case.  Also she's now an equal with Cho, whereas she was his boss!  Not that I don't like Cho, he really fits in wherever he is but I loved that dynamic with Lisbon being in charge, not Agent Fischer 'do nothing but stand around'!

Mr Selfridge Series 2 Episode 8 Review

Look it's Harry's bust behind him! ha.

Harry (Jeremy Piven) returns home from Germany to hoards of press outside his front door all accusing him of the scandal and working for Germany.  But being Harry he'll get to the bottom of it sure enough.  Rose (Frances O'Connor) is glad to have him back and tells him about Delphine (Polly Walker) not telling her anything about Bill Summertime (Jay Villiers) and where Harry was.  Harry has flashes to being in Germany and having his bags searched and from his trembling hand you could see how afraid he was. Harry promises he will tell Rose next time and they'll have no more secrets, wonder how long that will last when Delphine gets her claws into him.  Harry is also angry at Bill since he ignores him after he tells him Voss has agreed to 'spy' for them, well that's what you get for working for the Brit government, even in times of war.  He got what he wanted and now won't help Harry clear his name as far as the procurement committee scandal is concerned since it's, "not within my remit."  You see the Brits don't have a notion of "owing" people.

Ms Mardle (Amanda Abbington) and Mr Crabb (Ron Cook) are pleased to see him return to taunts of "traitor" outside the store and Gordon (Greg Austin) lets him know it's been like that for a week.  The store has been deserted by its customers and others have been cancelling their accounts.  Harry writes a letter to Frank's (Samuel West) paper and he reads it out to the staff, one of them is very vocal about how her brother and fiance are fighting with mud in their boots.  Harry wants it known he stands behind them and the store's staff as it's his duty to look after those left behind and assures them he did not recommend these manufacturers and only chose to serve this country.  Agnes (Aisling Loftus) is afraid for George but is hopeful since George is only missing.  Harry must rite letters to the dead staff of Selfridge's as Grove (Tom Goodman-Hill) tells him that's 22 now.

Ms Mardle tries to ignore her feelings for Florian (Oliver Farnworth) but tells him she had a relationship with a man who hurt her and she doesn't want to feel that way again. Of course we know Grove will make sure she does feel that way again only this time he will be more hypocritical than usual, it was 'proper' for her to carry on with him when it suited him but he can't stand to see her happy with someone else.  The Times is more favourable in printing Harry's story but Frank's paper refuses to print Harry's letter and he's threatened with being fired if he pursues the point further since the truth has nothing to do with war.  As you'll recall the quote, "in war truth is the first casualty."

Delphine drops in on Rose and is apologetic for not getting any info from Bill for her, saying he wouldn't tell her anything,  more like she wasn't really bothered in wanting to tell her anything and thinks they need to do something to help Harry and the store,  Rose replies it's easy for Delphine cos she thrives on notoriety but Harry is a merchant, of course her suggestion is just to ensure he's ever more grateful to her, she calls Rose her friend now.  She brings along some American friends to the store in the form of Mabel Normand (Andrea Deck) and Mack Sennett (Joseph Beattie) who owns Keystone Studios.  Harry and Gordon went to see his comedies and is highly praiseworthy of them.  They make people laugh and forget their troubles until they leave again.  Delphine is having a party for them at the club and screening some of their films. Harry goes with Gordon but Rose doesn't want to come.  Think Rose may be getting a little suspicious of Delphine and probably wonders if she can still trust Harry again.

Agnes gives a letter for Henri (Gregory Fitoussi) to the American embassy and he's been held there as the Attorney General has arrived wanting to know why he ran and didn't want to answer the theft charge.  He tells them he panicked but he's innocent of stealing the money from the store he worked at.  Agnes asks Harry to find Valerie (Josephine de la Baume) so that she can help him and he tells Bill to look for her.  Yes Bill's got time to hang out with some women of ill repute at Delphine's club.  Gordon gets drunk on Tom Collins courtesy of Mabel and Delphine watches Harry with desire.  Mack wants Harry to come into business with him in California as he's looking for a partner and Harry is tempted but Delphine calls him their "dream maker" and he can't leave here.

Bill gives Harry Valerie's address and he brings her to the embassy to clear Henri's name.  Whilst the staff have a meeting convened by Crabb who wants the staff to show a united front.  He was first in congratulating Harry for what he did for the country and going to Germany and Harry was angry with Bill for letting it leak in the first place.  Yeah just think he could have been shot as a spy for being there.  Valerie tells the AG that her husband was jealous of Henri and framed him for stealing the money, she told Henri to leave not realizing that's what he wanted until it was too late.  She clears his name, but he doesn't want another chance with her. So much for saying he loved her.  He realizes it's Agnes he wants and she tells him she's engaged to Victor (Trystan Gravelle).  Though did get the feeling she was in to minds about this even if she did say she was just Henri's friend.

Florian tells Ms Mardle he's getting a job but not playing the violin and she's dismayed at this.  Kitty (Amy Beth Hayes) wants everyone to know she didn't know what Frank would be writing and is glad Ms Mardle stood up for her, which is what she wants to do now for others and "turn over a new leaf."  Seems like no one's mentioned Thackeray (Cal MacAninch) and what he did to Henri, appears to have been forgotten but Harry did have other things on his mind.  Did find it amusing he reluctantly had to clap when Henri returned.

Lady Mae (Katherine Kelly) finds she's out of funds and must sell her jewellery.  Loxley (Aidan McArdle) wants her to come back so he can avoid the scandal by convincing her he'll leave for the country and come back to their old arrangement, just as long she keeps the scandal involving him to herself.  She wants to hurt Loxley, rather destroy him, before he destroys her and tries to tell Harry that she wants to help him but he sees it as only putting herself first and isn't interested in what she has to say.  Practically throwing her out of the house, though not physically of course since he's too much of a gentlemen.  Harry doesn't go into the movie making business but Gordon also has a change of heart and no longer wants to go into acting after suffering an all manner of hangovers.

Rose suggests they bring over the girls and Harry's mother and unite the family, whilst in bed Harry thinks Delphine can be of help to them.  See the way they made it appear Harry was talking to Delphine when she turned off the light in her room, when actually Harry was with Rose.  Let's hope that wasn't a piece of foreshadowing, don't like Delphine.  Seems Rose may be having second thoughts about befriending her and hearing Harry speak of her.

Lots  is happening as we near the end of the second season with loyalties being tested, lots of love in the air even when it shouldn't be and Delphine hopefully showing her true colours before not too long.  It did look like Lady Mae was only thinking of herself when she approached Harry in wanting to work together with him to clear his name and outing Loxley, since she could have done that all along.  The question always boiling down to why she vouched for him (aside from money) when she knew what he's really like and Harry was always loyal to her.  Maybe she'll go back to him now that she doesn't have much money or options open to her.  Understandable how Harry shunned her since they used to be such good friends, only for Delphine to take her place, I should have said the ever-scheming Delphine.  Not surprising for the sort of establishment she runs! Ha.  Lady Mae telling Harry that he wanted so badly to be part of the committee when they're all of high accord and he's nothing more than a store owner.  That was a slap in his face.

Seems like Kitty may steer clear of Frank from now on, they didn't share any scenes this ep and neither did he with Harry, would've expected him to show his face at the store but alas he didn't.  Of course Harry should sue the paper even if takes years in the courts.  He's got every right to do so and gain his reputation back.

Aww the only lift scene we had was Mr Crabb coming out to greet a returning Harry, so not much there then, ha.  Funny my review of episode 7 got the highest views than the other episodes and Harry wasn't even in it, ha! Don't know why though since the eps do seem to be more interesting with Harry in them, he is the title character after all, even if it did give the others a chance to shine in his absence and how the show can go on without him.  But Jeremy is the show!

Revenge 3.9 "Surrender" Review

                                              
Emily: "When facing your enemy, no amount of training can trump nature, it separates the strong, weak and sometimes it tells us that surrender is the strongest move of all."

Funny way for Lydia (Amber Valletta) to reintroduce herself into Victoria's (Madeleine Stowe) life, when Emily (Emily VanCamp) was with her up in Victoria's room, she came to steal some of Victoria's clothes, or should that be 'borrow.' Ha. Victoria must be vexed to say the least, that she saved her from flying on that plane and on the condition that she was never to return to the Hamptons, gee if you can't trust your best friend... knew she didn't get out of there alone.  But then Lydia was just conveniently brought back again, even if she had really died, she wouldn't have remained dead for long.  Margaux (Karine Vanasse) is angry that Lydia can't stay in her room in secret and that she hasn't given her much to go on, aside from some names who can corroborate her story.  Emily tells Aiden (Barry Sloane) and Nolan (Gabriel Mann) about Lydia and needs to come up with a plan to get her gone, or at least discredited in Victoria's eyes.  She's also got to deal with Sara (Annabelle Stephenson) again.

Emily needs to leak the news of the baby to the press otherwise she still fears she's losing Daniel (Josh Bowman) and thinks Victoria won't be able to keep it to herself once she finds out.  But the news must come from Lydia otherwise Daniel will know Emily leaked it.  Lydia pushes Emily back when she leaves and she falls to the floor from the Grayson manor stairs, luckily they were only the front door steps and that Emily isn't really pregnant.  For a moment there Lydia might have been in on Emily's plan, but obviously she wouldn't be since she needs to exact her own revenge on Emily and hasn't let go of the idea that she still recalls her from the night Emily was serving as a waitress at the New Year's Eve party.

Daniel is also concerned for Emily, or more so for the baby and they tell Victoria the news.  She's not happy at all and thinks it's just another rouse to draw Daniel into her web.  However when Victoria breaks the news to Conrad (Henry Czerny) he's ecstatic that the family line is being extended.  Emily gets Aiden to find out what he can about Lydia and what she's doing.  So he finds she's meeting with Conrad.  She calls him to the hotel room and he is shocked to find she's alive.  When Margaux finds out about this after Aiden cunningly calls her and tells her how he's the concierge and that Lydia's been ordering room service and seeing Conrad, Margux dispenses withe her story, but Lydia keeps her journal.

Funny also how Conrad was reminiscing with old photos for his memoirs and has a moment with Victoria, which didn't last long.  Liked also the scene where he reminded Victoria she should let Daniel be happy and how Patrick, her first born was barely here six months when he turned to murder.  Nolan gives Aiden what he asked for and there's one more thing he needs to do for him, which we don't know about.

Jack (Nick Wechsler) surprises Margaux with lunch and sees Conrad's file still on her desk.  He tells this to Nolan who speaks with her telling her where to go for the scoop, straight to Jack.  Nolan thinks he should be honest with her and he reveals how Conrad was behind Amanda and Declan's deaths and how he was protective of Margaux since everyone he cared about is gone, he didn't want to lose her too.  She apparently wants the same thing and agrees not to pursue the story.  Well that was too cosy, just like their entire storyline, think it was moving a bit fast.

Charlotte (Christa B Allen) wants to convince Daniel to stay with Sara and she finds him out running where he goes when he's hurting.  She then tells Victoria she doesn't want anything more to do with her plan to scupper the wedding and she's out of it cos she saw the hurt in Daniel's face and she doesn't want to do that. Sara meets with Daniel who tells her he can't be with her and she can't be the other woman, so returns the necklace back to him, which he throws into the ocean.  Lydia mends fences with Conrad and goes running back to him and his bed.  Where she finds that photo of Emily too.  Didn't Emily think there'd be more than one copy of that photo and that maybe Conrad would have it.

Emily and Daniel have their photos taken for the piece in Voulez and she spends her last night with Aiden before the big day.  Aiden proposes to her and the way she had to change rings was funny.  Just had a feeling on the shooter, wonder if it was Lydia, even though Patrick's returning for the wedding.  Victoria gives Emily her RSVP to the wedding and tells her she can seat Nolan at her table now since she won't be there and he's giving her away.  That's another dilemma for Emily now, which means Victoria won't be on the yacht, not to mention how she took Victoria's bracelet to the gun range just to ensure she'd have traces of GSR on it.

Surprised to see Charlotte being nice to Emily even if it was for Daniel's sake as she was so hell bent on destroying the wedding for Sara's sake. SO as Emily planned the press were there when she arrived at the doctor's with Daniel and it was kind of lame, the way she just sat there not knowing what to do, with Daniel telling her to pop the roof and drive out of there.  She didn't look or sound very convincing at feigning shock. But how will Emily get Victoria to come to the wedding, cue Patrick, maybe that's why he is back next episode, although it seems he's just a suspect to add to the list of many considering he was the one who sabotaged Conrad's car.

Can't see Emily marrying Aiden since things will go awry after the shooting, otherwise there'd be no Revenge.  Also think the only way Emily will get away from Lydia and her using the photograph is if she comes clean about who she really is, which will really turn things around and also make things awkward for Daniel too.  Imagine all this time she lied to him about everything and that she doesn't have an ounce of feeling for him.  He gave everything up, including Sara, for a lie.  Ah poor Daniel, seems his role was pointless.  Emily's dress for the photoshoot was gorgeous!  Roll on wedding ep...

The Mentalist 6.10 "Green Thumb" Review

                                            
Patrick (Simon Baker) still sits in his detention cell as Lisbon (Robin Tunney) looks for a stapler in her office in Washington.  He still wants his terms met but he's being refused, until Fisher (Emily Swallow) pays Lisbon a visit.  She mentions how Patrick solved every single one of their cases over ten years as well as killing Red John and bringing corruption in the CBI to light.  Lisbon visits Patty who's drinking tea and is surprised to see her.  No socks though as I pointed out, you'd think he'd wear his socks now.   Funny part was Patty asking Cho (Tim Kang) how he is and he says they'll catch up later.  The FBI need his help to search for a missing computer analyst who works for the government.  His wife is Defiance (Azita Ghanizada) and she's a gypsy as Patrick tells them.  He can tell from the photos of her room and house, she also gave it all up to marry her missing husband, Schneiderman (Shane Edelman) who is Jewish. If the source codes are accessed then banking will be in trouble.

They will have to fly out and Patrick notices they're flying Economy, he bags the aisle seat, and comments he thought they'd have a jet.  Yeah I said that, doesn't every government agency have their own jet, except NCIS of course as Tony (Michael Weatherly) keeps reminding us! Ha.  He also mentions that he knows the real Fischer and that was her on the island, but she tells Lisbon and him she was undercover.  Patty needs his hotdog fix and asks Lisbon for $20 but he can't enjoy it since Fisher is hot on his heels!  Probably in more ways than one, ha.   Patrick introduces himself to Defiance Schneiderman and she thinks he's a psychic and tells him to read her palm.  He can't cos she won't let him.  Also telling her how his father worked the carnie circuit, that's the second mention of his father and the circuit, since he also talked of it last ep.

She mentions Cleo (Alejandro Cardenan) the psychic and how she was on the roof with her friends.  Her husband loved the roof.  As they pass the room where the building manager, Nguyen (Francois Chau) lives he looks through the peephole, of course he was a big suspect as soon as they showed him and Patty took an interest in him.  Patty mentions the roof garden and it belongs to Schneiderman.  He wants Defiance to channel her energy and then tells her to go to the media with news of her husband's kidnapping.  He then bars the door and escapes via the fire escape.  Sending a letter to Abbot (Rockmond Dunbar) which he marks 'Top Secret' in red and then uses yellow paint to spray the ground.  Oh just when I was thinking he'd draw a smiley, wishful thinking, ha

Fisher is angry and will put a note in the agent's file who was meant to be guarding the alley and Cho brings up her responsibility too.  She adds Abbot will put one in her file too.  I liked the way Lisbon kept interrupting her and telling her she won't find Patrick unless he wants to be found which is true.  Meanwhile Cho is approached by Jason Wylie (Joe Adler) who is an IT analyst.  He tells him he's found Patrick via satellite, yeah just cos he wanted to be found as Lisbon said, as he sprayed 'Jane' in yellow on the ground and enjoys the last morsels of his hot dog.  Fisher wants to know how Lisbon worked with Patty for so long and if they were more than just friends, nosey or what!  Lisbon wants to know why she'd ask that, only cos she's interested in him, can I say, yuk?! Ha.

Patrick is back in the cell and he lies on the bed, when Fisher wakes him up.  She tells him he's going back to Austin, Texas.  Patrick tells her she'll find  Cleo's DB on the roof, chopped into pieces and put there by Schneiderman.  It's almost Winter but he has soil there.  Fisher thinks he's lying but Abbott tells her they've got to check it out.  He hates how this job takes away trust and he knocks over a pot to reveal a severed arm.  Wylie gets to join the big guns in the bullpen and wonders why people call him Coyote.  Cho tells him about the cartoon with Road Runner but he's not heard of it, really?

Patrick likes to rub it in and asks if they found the DB, also they'd have found it sooner or later.  On the plane back, Lisbon asks why he would interfere in her life.  She was happy in Washington and it's her life. She was afraid he'd left her again since he left her for two years, when he ran off like that again now.  He doesn't know what's good for her in her life.  Lisbon recalls that Cleo's name is probably not Cleo and that in Cuba they run a scam whereby they swap the right hands prints for the left and if they do the same they'll match his prints, to a Jose.  She's been reading a lot, cos she has a quiet life.  Also she read the file on the plane earlier on which surprises Fisher, why cos Lisbon is better at the job than she is.

Patrick talks to his wife again and thinks her husband wasn't kidnapped but is being held for ransom, after all the FBI received a ransom note for $10 million.  Guess what, the manager did it! He saw Schneiderman drag the DB out in a bag and take it to the roof.  Schneiderman thought  Cleo was having an affair with his wife when he found him in their bedroom.  He was looking for objects to cold read her.  They fought and he hit his head.  He tells Abbot he couldn't call the police since he wouldn't work again.  The manager is part of a Vietnamese gang once that's why he has the scars on his face.

Abbot is pleased with Patrick's work and offers him the contract again.  Patrick adds his own new terms to it, like his couch and Lisbon obviously, but Abbot refuses.  He tells him about the letter in his mail.  Abbot opens it to find redacted names.  These names are from Bertram's list and include judges, FBI agents etc. Abbot still refuses the deal and Patrick is taken to his cell.  Lisbon arrives and tells him she's back on the team with him.  Patrick agrees to the contract only he won't give up any of the names until his contract comes to an end, otherwise Abbot can go back on the deal like he already did before.  She asks him where he got the names from and he reminds her of Bertram's flashdrive, only it was encrypted.  Patty made them up and she's pleased he did that.  She's coming back to work since her job was boring.  Which again he knew but she tells him he didn't have a right to change her life for her, that's up to her.  Also bringing him a pair of socks as a present!  Cos he really needs his socks.

Patty tells her they should make plenty of trouble for the FBI and let's hope they do, that'd be fun to watch. It's only fair.  Patrick gets his couch back.  Ahh Patty brushing the socks against his face, so soft! SO can we ditch the beard now!  Don't like Fisher at all so hopefully they will cause trouble for her.  The way she was so defensive when Patrick told her he's knows the real her, of course he does, what does she think he's been doing all this time, that he can't read people, she can't fool him.  Cho and Patty didn't get much screen time together which I hope they do even if he is FBI, they're still friends.

So Lisbon wanted to come back all along but wouldn't admit it to him.  I liked how she told him off for leaving her and walking out of her life and then thinking he's done another runner.  It was just so them and brought back a little of how they were in past seasons.  Missing Van Pelt (Amanda Righetti) and Rigsby (Owain Yeoman) they had s much more going for them and the show was more interesting with them. That Fisher is trying to be a carbon copy of Van Pelt, failing miserably!!  Guess gotta get used to the dynamic of the 'new' show and the characters but they're not so interesting.  Who knew the FBI was this boring? Ha.

Mr Selfridge Series 2 Episode 7 Review

                                               
Rose (Frances O'Connor) is anxious to find out where Harry (Jeremy Piven) has vanished to, as are the rest of the staff and rummaging through Harry's locked drawer at home she finds a list of contacts in Germany. Choosing to confide in Delphine (Polly Walker) she asks who Bill is and she replies he works in Intelligence. Delphine feigns surprise over Harry not telling her everything and confiding in her but Rose is perturbed Delphine has the audacity to talk of their relationship when there's nothing wrong with their relationship. Though she has a well deserved, long overdue outburst of emotion, no doubt Rose will still be back being friends with Delphine in no time.

The staff at the store meet to discuss Henri's (Gregory Fitoussi) arrest and Kitty (Amy Beth Hayes) talks to Ms Mardle (Amanda Abbington) about traitors being hanged.  Agnes (Aisling Loftus) is convinced that Henri isn't a spy and must do something about finding out who betrayed Henri, of course we know it's Thackeray (Cal MacAninch) and she relays her suspicions to Grove (Tom Goodman-Hill) but they don't have any proof.  Victor (Trystan Gravelle) lets Agnes see Henri at the station and he confesses he was in love with Valerie Maurel and she left him for another man and headed for Germany.  He tried to find her cos he loves her and Henri hired a PI, so why didn't the police contact said PI then?  He notices the ring on Agnes's finger and tells her Victor is a good man and she should stick with him, as she points out he wasn't very approving before.

Crabb (Ron Cook) gets a letter from David Fletcher's family telling them he was killed at the front and he gives it to Gordon (Greg Austin).  Harry would have written a letter to the family but Gordon can't get to grips with writing it.  Grace (Amy Morgan) tries to help him and is sad when she finds out the news.  Gordon recalls how he was a friend though the union business and was proud of Gordon for sticking up for his father.

Rose comes to the office and takes Harry's place at his desk.  Grove tells Ms Mardle of Florian's (Oliver Farnworth) affections towards her and how it won't seem right.  He's thinking of her reputation.  But she seems to deny it even to herself, although she knows it's apparent and there is a mutual attraction there. Agnes has a go at Kitty when she talks about Henri and how she's always hated him but they should be grateful cos they all have jobs due to him.  Agnes tells Victor they need to prove who turned Henri in and that it was Thackeray.  She also thanks him for letting her see Henri and it's cos he trusts her and that she loves him.

Victor comes up with a plan to fool Thackeray into confessing by having a blew with Franco (Sean Teale) which Thackeray overhears.  Well he would, wouldn't he taking it upon himself to be the ears of the store and turn anyone in.  Victor tells him irrespective of his Italian name, he is English through and through and he'd like to shake the hand of the man who got rid of "the frog."  Of course Thackeray falls for it and obliges! Grove gets him to talk to the police and he'll put a good word in for him with Harry when he gets back, since they don't have the power to fire him, that's up to Harry when he gets back.  As Rose reminds them of what Harry always says, "respect for the customer, respect for the employees."  That's why it was so difficult for Rose especially see why everyone outside of the store could have believed such lies about Harry, then again it's the power of the press at work here.

Lord Edgerton (Raymond Coulthard) pays an angry call on Loxley (Aidan McArdle) and shows him the shoddy workmanship of the boots, they're falling apart and heads will roll.  Loxley having covered his back by telling him it was Harry who provided the names of the manufacturers.  Lady Mae (Katherine Kelly) knows he's lying since that's where he got his money from so suddenly, "profiting from war."  But he reminds her she spent his money at the store and she vouched for him, so she's in it too.  Lady Mae decides to leave Loxley and Pimble Amanda Lawrence) wants to go with her, she wouldn't stay behind with him.  She recalls the good old days of the music hall and her good singing voice and how they spoke of the girls marrying a rich man.  Pimble thinks she did good for herself too.  Lady Mae tells Rose she's sorry but Rose accuses her of knowing all this already and never wants to see her again.

Frank (Samuel West) has to write the story about Harry after meeting with Loxley and cause a scandal even if he doesn't have any corroboration or any "right of reply" from Harry as he's missing.  He isn't in any of his hotels in Paris.  But his editor tells him Harry's on his way to Germany as they have a source in the form of a porter at the station.  Kitty is angry at him for writing that since loyalty, character and friendship mean nothing to him.  She got over the story he wrote about her pretty quickly.  So much for preening around the store, she can at least stick up for her boss.

Grace gets Gordon to pay a visit to David's family in person instead of writing a letter cos he's not his father. Ms Mardle confronts her feelings for Florian and they kiss but she can't continue with this even there is so much passion there.  Grove breaks the news that Henri won't be released since he's a fugitive and is a wanted man.  He's accused of theft in America and didn't answer the charges.  It appears that's one reason why he had a beard and looked so dishevelled when he arrived back in London and wanted nothing to do with Harry or anyone else.  Agnes returns home to find a telegram waiting for her...

Well things should return to normal next ep, as normal as they can as Harry returns to face the charges against him in the papers.  Though here everyone keeps asking where he is and he mysteriously vanishes. Rose doesn't tell anyone where he's gone obviously and she doesn't want to reply to the story in the papers until he gets back, they should just maintain silence as a dignified response.  Of course we all knew this was going to come back to bite Harry as soon as he provided evil double crosser Loxley with the list and he takes full weight of it to his advantage, as the hard done by Lord who was vouched for by his wife.

Strange or funny Frank being a newspaper man and the only stories he can write are about his walk with a 'Miss K in the park' and about Harry and the store, what happened to other news, aside from bemoaning that the government won't let him write anything about the real war.  Henri still causing problems for everyone, this time round he's cleared of spying but has stolen in the past.  Wonder what that was?  Still Agnes stands by him and manages to believe in him still, which just shows the extent of her loyalty and friendship.  Will it be bad news for Agnes or will George just be injured?  It appears that pesky Loxley has gotten away with it once again.

Also the way Grove got to lecture Ms Mardle on impropriety and how men have "urges" especially young men.  He can talk after he kept her on tenterhooks whilst looking after his wife and getting the best of both worlds, only to leave Ms Mrrdle for Doris.  He doesn't have any right to interfere in her private life now since she wasted the better part of her years on him for nothing.  Oh the obligatory lift scene, this time with Ms Mardle and Grove in Harry's absence. Ha.

Lots for the cast do concentrate on this ep without Harry as the point of connection and they do rather well. Agnes proves to have come a long way as said before and she gets to show how much of a mature woman she's grown into.  There's also more for Rose to do as she mans the helms in Harry's absence and showing how loyal she is to him also.  Loved the way she threw the paper down the floor for Lady Mae to pick up for herself to read and defended Harry.  Okay it was mostly an episode about loyalty and standing by people, those they care about and love, but also coming together at such difficult times.