The Vampire Diaries 5.11 "500 Years of Solitude" Review

                                                
After their night of passion together, Katherine wakes to find her hair falling out and rushes out of bed before Stefan (Paul Wesley) can see! Er, he already knows she's dying.  He still recalls how vain she is even at this time, well he tells her that later when she's on her deathbed.  Only you know no one really dies on this show, until, well, they die so obviously there was bound to be some kind of reprieve for Katherine.  This comes in
the form of Nadia (Olga Fonda) wanting to do a spell on her so that she can latch onto someone else's body. She says it'll be Nadia but Katherine doesn't want to go through with it.  Even though Nadia finds a traveller who can do the spell.  She conveniently waits for Elena (Nina Dobrev) to sit with her alone, cos Elena being Elena wouldn't be able to resist clearing her goody goody conscience.

Damon (Ian Somerhalder) has a drinking game going with Matt (Zach Roerig) and Jeremy (Steven R McQueen) where they drink everytime they can beat what Katherine did to each of them, especially after they find Damon at the bar drinking himself to oblivion as usual.  Wallowing over Elena dumping him.  Elena joins in even if they're no longer together and so does Caroline (Candace Accola) and Bonnie (Kat Graham).  Caroline forgot to tell them about Katherine and Stefan together and also that Nadia is Katherine's daughter.  Matt goes form more booze in the cellar and is caught by Nadia and buried in the grounds of Salvatore mansion.   Stefan refuses to drink to Katherine's past actions and all the hurt she's caused but chooses to recall the best in her, much to everyone else's chagrin.

Katherine dreams about giving birth to Nadia and having her baby taken from her by her father without her having a chance to see her.  Some would call that her just desserts, but as Stefan tells her later, she didn't deserve to be treated like that cos she was just an innocent seventeen year old girl.   Nadia arrives telling them she wants help in saving Katherine cos she can't do it alone, but no one wants to help.  As Damon tells her that's unanimous.  That's why she has buried Matt and without his ring.   So they hunt for him in the grounds and Caroline also realizes Bonnie and Jeremy have done the dirty and she exclaims how "scandalous sex" is even better, since Elena doesn't know.  Which Caroline'll soon learn will come to bite her.

Damon sits by Katherine's side and is about to suffocate her with a pillow when she's stopped by the sheriff (Marguerite MacIntyre).  She's brought sedatives for her and tells Damon that'll be murder, yeah like he cares! Ha.  I mean he is a murderer after all.  Caroline bumps into Klaus (Joseph Morgan) or rather he bumps into her in the woods and he's here to make Katherine's last moments hell.  They have a drawn out conversation about what Caroline really wants and after she admits that hell leave and never come back.  SO they kiss and do a little more than she should be unhappy about.  That's her "scandalous sex" line coming back.  Rebekah (Claire Holt) rescues Matt since Klaus heard his screams a while ago, but we don't really get to see what they get up to if anything.  Hey they don't even share a conversation together on screen!

Katherine sees Elijah (Daniel Gillies) but Damon tells her he's not there.  Nadia enters with the traveller after she steals blood from the doppelgangers, Stefan and Elena, after holding them up in an abandoned house and using fellow travellers to chant their spells.  Thus ensuring Stefan and Elena can't escape since they don't have their rings either.  Caroline rushed back in to see everyone looking when she had leaves stuck in  her hair but no one even thought about what she may have been up to.  Appears Klaus compelled her to forget.

Stefan tries to ease Katherine's pain by removing the bad memories for her, of her father being killed by Klaus which Damon revelled in and finding her mother dead too.  Damon telling her it was all her fault cos she ran away.  Katherine also recalls the first time she saw Stefan with his carriage broken down.  So they kind of bid farewell to Katherine but Bonnie being the anchor sees her and will probably have to pass though her.  Whilst they wait she tells them she sees the others on the other side, like Vicki and she has a message for Matt, that she's always watching over him.  As well as as Alaric (Matt Davis) coming back too, just to see how Damon is still making an ass of himself.  Leaving Elena alone with Katherine, saying she forgives her for everything she did. Not what Katherine expected to hear from her and Katherine ceases her moment to pounce and chant the spell.  Thus taking over Elena's body.

Tyler (Michael Trevino) turns up just so he and Caroline dredge up the past again with their never ending problems.  For the one hundredth ep, this could have been so much better, than just mostly flashbacks.  Also Klaus took his sweet time coming onto the scene and he wasn't even there to gloat over Katherine, but to get it on with Caroline.  What was strange was that Bonnie sees Katherine but she doesn't pass though her, so much for her being the anchor, what happened there then?  Even adding some scenes with Jenna (Sara Canning) and the dagger Katherine used on her, or John (David Anders) chopping off Katherine's fingers couldn't rescue this hurriedly put together mish mash of an ep!

The Vampire Diaries 5.10 "Fifty Shades of Grayson" Review

                                         
So Elena's (Nina Dobrev) being held captive by Maxfield (Rick Cosnett) and tells her he's using her father's research to condition other vampires into only feeding off each other.  Elena doesn't think that's very humane, well vampires aren't human are they.  She has flashbacks to her father in the basement of their house and hearing screams when she was little.  No ep is complete without a flashback is it!  We also get to see how Damon (Ian Somerhalder) escapes his cell and goes in search of Elena, using the bullet and a piece of rock from his cell to break open the door, which he managed to kick in.  That seemed simple enough.  He goes straight for Aaron (Shaun Sipos) in a bid to find out where she's being held.

He threatens Aaron's life and uses him for leverage, but Maxfield refuses to help him.  Instead he sends Enzo (Michael Malarkey) with the promise of getting out of his cell for a while, but injects him with poison beforehand so he must return.  Damon is shocked to see he is alive, surviving after he was saved by a scientist to conduct more experiments on him.  But Damon isn't willing to talk.  He just wants Elena.  Aaron bargains for his life by telling them he has files which Maxfield gave him and may reveal her whereabouts. Aaron says he's done with his uncle since he won't rescue him and hands Stefan (Paul Wesley) the files.

Elena discovers Megan, her roommate at college, was saved by Grayson Gilbert (Jason Macdonald) and she was one of the people he had in his cellar.  Her father was doing research on vampires in the hopes of saving humans.  Katherine hires Matt (Zach Roerig) as her personal trainer cos she thinks exercising and drinking liquidized kale will prolong her life.  There's more arguments between her and Nadia (Olga Fonda) but when have they not done that.  Seems like Enzo had the perfect opportunity to kill Maxfield and end everyone's agony once and for all, but was more into following through on finding Damon and having some sort of tete a tete with him.  Enzo it seems isn't big on brains and certainly won't be much of a foil for the Salvatore's or anyone else really.

Damon takes him back to the lab and injects him with the antidote which makes them even.  Damon tells him he has no remorse cos he turned off his humanity when he couldn't save him and it didn't bother him after that. He was more hell bent on sacrificing the Whitmores, saving one of each generation and this is what Aaron tells Stefan.  So he wants Stefan to kill him cos he has nothing to live for and will die anyway, well that was a bit of pre-emption on his part, ha.

Elena's storyline is as boring as ever, and fine the break up was coming we knew that, but it's Damon who ends it telling her he's ruthless and he can't change no matter how much she wants him to or tries to change him.  She languishes over whether to burn her father's file or not.  With everyone, meaning the rest of the cast, hanging on the sidelines with not much to do, this was the US mid-season finale, but luckily we didn't have to wait more than a week to watch it.

This show was fast becoming Buffy but has surpassed it in terms of bore factor.  Remember that awful season 4 of Buffy with the Initiative! These numbers flying around for the Augustine vampires was too Dark Angel for comfort, since it was like the barcodes they had in that show.  Need something different and exciting here soon and not something tired and tedious and done in other shows.

Revenge 3.12 "Endurance" Review

                                             
So Emily's (Emily VanCamp) still in the hospital recovering from her wounds but she doesn't have a shortage of visitors.  To keep a close eye on Emily and to ensure she doesn't blab Daniel (Josh Bowman) shot her, Victoria (Madeleine Stowe) has her removed to Grayson Manor to recuperate.  Did anyone have pangs of Lydia here, how Victoria had her living there too after she fell from the balcony.  Emily did manage to get a visit from Nolan (Gabriel Mann) in hospital, dressed in his candy stripers outfit, Emily adding it was just an excuse for him to get that jacket!

Niko (Stephanie Jacobsen) volunteers to come with her and look after her medically, well not volunteers, Victoria's paying a salary to her.  She tells Emily she's there to protect her and shows her her tattoo, she's Takeda's daughter.  Possibly she was trying to kill Emily last ep cos she thought Emily killed her father, if only she knew the real truth.   Anyway she is living at Takeda's house and is suspicious his death wasn't a simple burglary.  Aiden tells her he and Emily got together and she's surprised considering she and Aiden were also together when in Japan, but he left her.  They kiss and he just forgot about Emily, forget about the fact Emily told him they were over and she's staying to finish the job.  He was just all over Niko so quickly, which makes you ask where his feelings really lay.

Emily tells Niko she's decided to give up her revenge plans and she wonders why she went through all this just to give it up, especially after she finds out Patrick (Justin Hartley) has told Victoria about Emily's box which he sees at Nolan's house.  She doesn't care anymore so Niko punches her in her wounds to make her come down to reality with a thud and some real pain!  Patrick rakes up some hair brained scheme to get the box so Victoria can use it to blackmail Emily into keeping her from revealing Daniel shot her.

Emily is also visited by Jack (Nick Wechsler) and Charlotte who brings Carl to visit, it's the only way he can see her, but he has to leave when Victoria returns.  Leaving behind Carl's teddy, Jack wondering why she didn't turn in Daniel.  Saying she wants to leave and have a family of her own. Of course we know Teddy's got something in there to help her communicate with Nolan and she's given him the head's up on Patrick's plan.  To the point where Patrick tries to get Nolan drunk so he can open the safe.  Nolan drinks water and is discovered by Patrick, with Nolan telling him he didn't want to lose control in front of Patrick.  Uh oh, Patrick hits him from behind and steals the box anyway.  As Victoria opens it, she finds it's got photos of Daniel in there and how Emily has been stalking him for years and is nothing more than a common con artist. Thought the box had a hidden compartment for a while there, until we realize Emily got Nolan to change the things inside and that secret smirk of hers.  At least she got one over on Victoria this time.

Daniel still pining over Sara (Annabelle Stephenson) stops by at the Stowaway and she tells him she was drunk and passed out in the bath, she wasn't trying to kill herself.  Jack takes one look at him and can't keep from punching him!  At least he knows how to defend a woman's honour and life, meaning Emily, even if it is with fists.  Daniel deserved that and then some.  Lots of son slapping this ep, as Victoria slaps Patrick after he tells her she'll "choose your blood over your bastard".  Of course she only has Patrick left as she keeps telling him, but how long will he stick around, especially after she was adamant she didn't want him retrieving Emily's box.

Emily has her hopes dashed when Victoria tells her she spoke to her doctor and she told her Emily can't have children, another reason why she chose to end it with Aiden.  She needs to get her own back now more than ever.  Also Jack must back down when he tells Margaux (Karine Vanasse) it was Daniel who shot Emily cos she told him and Daniel does everything to pull the Voule issue together and get it to print. Margaux holds off publishing until after Emily gives a press conference and tells them it was Lydia who shot her.  Emily tells Victoria and Daniel that she still loves him and isn't going anywhere.  Funny Emily adding she and her husband are offering $10 million for Lydia's capture, who's money is that going to be then, since Victoria finds out Emily is really broke.  Well not for our purposes, it was just to fool Victoria.

That didn't stop Daniel from running to Sara but he neglected to tell her he shot his wife.  How far will she run when she finds out and yes she really does need to know what sort of a man Danny really is and how he covered his tracks. Conrad (Henry Czerny) was around to offer some advice to Emily.  SO is Victoria being honest when she told Emily that she can't have children, or was it just another ploy.  Then again it gave Emily the determination she needed to stick withe her revenge plans instead of giving up like she said she wanted to.  As she said, they took her family and now the chance for her to have her own family.  Think Victoria would have been better off if she didn't tell Emily this, of course thinking she'd gotten one over on her.

Still hope Sara discovers the truth soon cos I want her to leave, really bored with her.  Wonder what Conrad is up to, planning on publishing some revealing moments in his memoirs to do with Victoria and Daniel.  Or just some way he can have Lydia back which is unlikely.

                                                  
Victoria has a new throne, but I want the old one!! ha.  This one just doesn't do the business!

The Mentalist 6.13 "Black Helicopters" Review

                                       
This time round we get another 2 days earlier as the action begins with Patrick (Simon Baker) driving up in a truck and telling the FBI that they can talk about this.  The FBI investigate the murder of an Attorney, Firlock (Kathleen M Darcy) after she's found in Juarez, Mexico.  Patty feeling right at home here as he's made friends with the local Commander Delgado (Benito Martinez).  He's also figured out that Firlock was dressed in a t-shirt and as a happy, she was IDed by the medical bracelet she was wearing, showing she suffers from an allergy.  Patrick offers tea to Cho (Tim Kang) and Fischer (Emily Swallow) but they decline. Lisbon's (Robin Tunney) not around as she spends the time stuck in the office, investigating the Ardilles' murder.  Though they didn't really have much to go on.

Patrick also buys them Tamale's for lunch as well as getting Cho Mexican jumping beans cos he likes them. He can get Fischer what she always wanted but she doesn't really believe him.  Patrick arrived in Mexico in his newly acquired wheels and cruised on down Mexico way.  They also don't know how Firlock came to be there since they haven't found her abandoned car.  Patrick does his own investigating and appears to go off grid when he calls Fischer and cuts off.  They follow his signal to Gentry, Texas, where the landowner, Phelps (Karl Makinen) drives up and holds a rifle on Cho and Fischer.  Later Patrick talks on the phone since Fischer dropped it to pull out her gun and comes out of a secret tunnel.  That's how Firlock got to Mexico.  He said he allowed the Cartel to build it there cos he was threatened and dumped her DB so it wouldn't be found on his land.

Lisbon is pursuing who is after them and Patrick suggests she should ask JJ LaRoche (Pruitt Taylor Vince) for help.  He's in IA now but won't be willing to help since they lost him his job.  Patrick tells her to say he owes him a favour.  Van Pelt (Amanda Righetti) and Rigsby (Owain Yeoman) pay him a visit and do that. He agrees to make inquiries and get a warrant for the building and wont let Rigsby come with him.

Patty drives down again with Fischer and he wants to look at the farmer's market.  But wants to wait until there are less people and so curls up under his blanket.  Fischer can't wait and shows the photo around but everyone clams up when they find out she's FBI.  She shows the photo to Clancy (Kevin Daniels) recalls letting her try the peanut butter.  Marcia (Cindy Pickett) comes out telling her to go away and asking who she is, the FBI everyone's been talking about.  But Fischer doesn't put two and two together until Patrick later tells her that she was allergic so she wouldn't be eating peanuts.  Patrick buys some peanut butter and peanuts and befriends Alex (Taylor Nichols) from Gadsen Grove. He invites Patrick back to the farm.  He calls Lisbon asking for a black helicopter and lots of FBI vehicles, including a tank.  Fischer is angry Patrick drove off but Abbott (Rockmond Dunbar) is too engrossed with the robot Patrick gave him, cos he always wanted one.  Telling her that he's trying to fit in.  Having given a Tamagotchi to Wylie (Joe Adler).

So the FBI approach the farm and Patrick tries to reach an amicable solution between the two.  He will find out who the killer is and that way the FBI won't have to come onto their land, Alex agrees to this.  He does this by his usual process of elimination of suspects, until he finally gets the killer to pull out her gun.  Knew it was Marci, since well, there really weren't that many suspects around and she was too eager for Fischer to leave.  She confesses she was part of Firlock's past and was wanted for bomb offences as an eco terrorist. Firlock found her and wanted her to turn herself in.  Well you're caught now!

Rigsby gets Van Pelt to give him the location of the warehouse LaRoche is headed to and he gets there too. LaRoche later calls for him to help cos it's too creepy in there and walks into a booby trap and is shot.  SO that's another CBI loose end tied up even if it was unintentional, yet obvious.  Guess Patrick was right, he won't owe him anymore.  Didn't much like this ep since it just seemed routine and dare I say it, a little boring. Lisbon had nothing to do so we got stuck with Fischer and who cares if she always wanted a wand to make things better, cos we know there's more to her than she's letting on.  Just like Lisbon had her whole backstory with her family.  Quite frankly, not really interested in Fischer and her secrets, even though the producers/writers are trying to make her appear more endearing to us, it's just pointless!  We really want Lisbon back with Patrick on cases, I mean what the point in Patty wanting her back if she's just stuck behind a desk all day and without him.  Though he did ask where she was at the beginning.

A shame LaRoche was killed off since there was more they could have done with him and he was a well liked character.  His last thoughts were for his dog.

Patty giving out wishes or fulfilling them more like, just as he gave Lisbon the pony in 1.20 Red Sauce. Where he also guessed what the others bought her for her birthday.  More Lisbon and Patty scenes purlease!!

Revenge 3.11 "Homecoming" Review

                                            
Everyone frantically searches for Emily (Emily VanCamp) and even Conrad (Henry Czerny) throws his weight around as wanting, no demanding more helicopters involved since he was once Governor and knows how this works.  The spotlight falls on Victoria (Madeleine Stowe) as a suspect as Emily wanted it to but things don't turn out that way.  As we know from past eps her revenge plans have gone awry many times over, but this is one that wasn't expected or where the outcome could have been predicted.  That's cos there's no guarantee you'll be entirely alone whilst on a boat in the middle of nowhere!

Lydia (Amber Valletta) lies to the police when she's questioned saying she was with Conrad but of course, she was with Victoria at first when she gave her the photo and then later said she was waiting for Conrad in the cabin. Emily gets to the buoy but her case goes under as she can't keep ahold of it.  She manages to get the GPS on her garter working but loses the signal.  Aiden (Barry Sloane) and Jack (Nick Wechsler) are frantic and Jack blames himself since he gave her the deadline.  Aiden gets the signal from the GPS and goes to to rescue her.  She has managed to climb onto a fishing boat and needs immediate treatment.  The captain of the boat discovers her after Aiden makes some noise.

Daniel (Josh Bowman) can't face seeing Emily and is stuck in the hospital corridor, cos he can't really leave either.  The doctor tells him about the baby and that there isn't one, but he wants it kept private.  Victoria is warned to stay away from Emily and Nolan (Gabriel Mann) wants to see her cos he donated to the hospital but that doesn't buy him a way in.  Victoria objects cos it's family only, well why was she barking out orders about who Emily can see since she wasn't exactly in charge or allowed to see her either.  Nolan thinks Patrick (Justin Hartley) will back him up but he doesn't, choosing to help Victoria and stick by her.  She finds out he was with Nolan and so wasn't on the boat with her.  Patrick is no help but Nolan leaves behind his phone to get a hotspot signal and so hacks into the files to read about Emily's condition.

Aiden suggests Jack ask Margaux (Karine Vanasse) what happened since she was there and she keeps back some of the photos from the night.  Aiden breaks into the hospital with Nolan's help and they think she's feigning her amnesia, but when he gets there she screams and presses the button for help.  Not recognizing him of course.  Funny how when she came too in the hospital, she grabbed hold of Daniel's hand, yes you would-be murderer, as if to accuse him!  Charlotte (Christa B Allen) finds out Sara survived, oh do we really care!  All this is her fault anyway! Daniel was only drinking cos of her.

Daniel comes clean to Victoria that he shot Emily cos he was outraged by what he heard.  Victoria can't recall what happened to her as she was in the cabin when she woke.  He wants to confess, well it's a bit late to be all noble now but Victoria doesn't want him to.  Jack sees the photos from the night in the stateroom and they show Lydia wasn't there.  Victoria finding the perfect foil to pin the shooting on.  Especially after she finds her at the manor and sitting in her perfect chair!  Which she throws wine on after Victoria argues with her.  They even go at it physically! Ha, didn't think Victoria could lose her cool like that.  Conrad adding the she claims she's not a murderer, but look at her behaviour, so catty.

She tells Conrad about Daniel and that Lydia should take the fall, It's about time he learn what betrayal is like. Considering she's been betrayed enough times by him.  He sees Lydia and shows her the photo, telling her he'll stand by her and doesn't want her to leave.  Of course using reverse psychology on her since she's going to do the exact opposite.  Which she does and it's all over the news too.  Aiden recognizes the doctor who treated him on the hospital security camera but why was she trying to inject Emily and what with, before Charlotte walks in with Jack.  More importantly, how does she know who Emily is?

Jack being there cos Emily wakes and tells Charlotte her father's name is David Clarke.  Jack tries to convince her she's Emily and that Amanda was his wife, giving her the charm bracelet.  Victoria sees Margaux thinking she'll be an effective ally and knowing Jack told her what Conrad did to his family.  Emily takes the bracelet and recalls, "Daniel shot me."

Think best scene would have to be Conrad and Daniel cos Conrad doesn't realize they're as bad as each other, like father like son.  Conrad was responsible for the plane and also framing David, but Daniel shot Emily in a moment of drunken weakness, no excuse but the two aren't really the same.  Daniel he says reprobates his sacrifices since it means losing Lydia when he found his happiness but he doesn't care! Daniel's scarified enough, still lamenting Sara, in which case, where was Daniel all those years ago when he could have made amends and been with her instead.  Conrad telling him to get down on his knees when he needs help next time and pray to the "heavenly father because your earthly father is done with you!"

Patrick sees Nolan put away Emily's box behind the painting and tells Victoria about the infinity symbol, which Victoria shows him a photo of as a  tattoo on Emily's wrist.  What a way to have a photo taken!  SO her secret's out or is it.  She has no other choice now but to come clean, especially since there was the photo  from the party and she's told Charlotte who her father is.  Personally now that Victoria no longer has her throne, I want that chair!!  What about that doctor, Niko (Stephanie Chaves-Jacobsen) and what is her real connection to Aiden, other than treating his gunshot wounds.  He's made some sort of a promise to her and they kiss, which he seemed to enjoy.

These shows are hard done by in terms of finding American actors, now we get an Aussie from Home and Away playing, what, another doctor, she played Dr Charlotte on the show and she guess what, drowned at sea when she left the show!!  Poor Nolan put through the wringer again and doesn't see how fickle Patrick really is. He's proved several times now he has no loyalty and is completely his mother's son.  As Nolan put it he's got no time for "mama's boy."  I'd like to see Daniel stay married to Emily for as long as possible so that way he gets his just desserts in having to see her all the time.

Are the tables going to be turned now as Revenge kind of comes round full circle with Patrick vowing revenge on anyone who ever wronged Victoria, going up against Emily!

Captain America and The Winter Soldier at the Apple Store Event With Sebastian Stan 21 March 2014

Okay there were others  present at the event than just Sebastian Stan, but thought that'd get your attention!  It was also attended by directors Joe Russo and Anthony Russo and actor Anthony Mackie, as well as Sebastian Stan.  But true enough the ladies in the audience were there purely for Sebastian and though if I really admit it, so was I!  So grab me with the Winter Soldier's bionic arm and sue me!! Ha.

The event was billed for an hour, but unfortunately it was only for half the time!  Bummer since many people, specifically me (cos this blog is mine! ha) didn't get to ask Seb any question!  Particularly wanted to ask him about Once Upon A Time, turning back the clock of course cos we all love and miss our Jefferson/Mad Hatter from the show.  Sebastian was busy filming the Captain America movie back in 2012 to be available to star in the show again which is why we only got him in one ep in season 2, We Are Both and 2.3 Lady of the Lake.  Well if I was up to it, I would have shouted that from my seat and mostly got booted out, ha!!

Anyhoo, after a trailer or two, the talk was centred on the movie, Captain America and the Winter Soldier, which had its UK premiere the night before at the Vue cinema, Westfield, London.

Lots of talk about Sam Wilson/Falcon played by Anthony Mackie and his concealed jet pack.  Although no one really asked him about his near-death stunt experience during filming.  One fan did ask if they plan on filming in London in the future and having a Captain Britain?  Cue Anthony and his put on 'Brit accent.'  Not bad. Another mention of Anthony's singing too, but no requests were entertained.

Not to mention Sebastian and his being shirtless, well he almost was in person, he managed to unzip his jacket!! Ahh spoilt sport! Ha.  Liked his answer when asked who he'd like to be if he was a superhero, adding he is his own hero.  Hey he was mobbed on his way out when he stopped to sign a fan's arm cos she was dressed like the Winter Soldier and hey he looked straight at me too!  Yeah my claim to fame, sharing eye contact with Seb!!

SO near and yet so far!  But with another three movies still in the Captain America franchise to go and Seb having signed on for another nine movies, cos we know Bucky takes on the role of Captain America eventually, that's so many premieres to go!!  One day I shall get my Jefferson, ha, well hands on him!!

Plenty of fun moments were had, so do have a listen and watch the podcast too.

The talk will be released for downloading, podcast and audio podcast on Apple itunes.  Available now.
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Mr Selfridge Series 2 Episode 10 Review

The Selfridge name has been cleared and all's well with the world in the series finale, as we knew it would be.  But not before there's bad news for Harry (Jeremy Piven) from his wife Rose (Frances O'Connor).  But first things first.  Rose plans for a family Thanksgiving dinner with all the family together and one they will never forget but she hasn't told anyone the news of her diagnosis yet.  Though she pays another visit to the doctor to get confirmation that they were correct the first time round.  There's something wrong with her lungs and there's nothing they can do.

Agnes (Aisling Loftus) and Victor (Trystan Gravelle) break the news and hand in their resignation to Harry who will be sad to see them go but wishes them the best.  Infact he even goes out of his way to flout the rules of Britain and allow Agnes to continue working here even after she is married cos she's so good at what she does.  But Agnes will be starting her own family business with Victor and Harry knows what that's like and won't stand in her way.  Although he will miss her.  She's grateful for Harry giving her a start in life and allowing her to fulfill her dreams.

Ms Mardle (Amanda Abbington) insists Florian (Oliver Farnworth) stay away from her and there can be nothing between them and she gets him an audition with the Halle orchestra in Manchester, which he sees is an attempt to drive him away and out of her life.  She's unhappy at work and Grace (Amy Morgan) notices this when Ms Mardle is short with her, giving her some of her mother's advice; about doing something instead of being indecisive even if it's the wrong thing to do.  Grove (Tom Goodman-Hill) also notices how sad she is when Florian brings the orchestra letter to her and tells her he doesn't want it or her interfering in his life.  Grove speaks to Ms Mardle in his office and tells her he's sorry for what he said to her.  She adds that he called her "an old fool" which wasn't  a nice thing to say to a woman.  She's concerned she's older than Florian and he may want children one day.  Grove wants her forgiveness but he knows Florian loves her and she should find her happiness with the man she deserves.  She finally tells Florian that she wants him to stay and that she loves him.  Lots of kissing there then! Ha.

Henri (Gregory Fitoussi) gets a letter from the American embassy clearing his name so he's a free man.  He's joining the French army and going off to fight and will be missed by Harry.  Henri apologizes to Victor over what he said regarding Agnes.  He was worried about her as a friend and colleague.  Agnes and Victor make wedding plans at the restaurant and George (Calum Callaghan) seems out of sorts with things.  He just says it's nothing to do with her and Victor but Victor knows something's not right.

George comes to Selfridge's and is mobbed by the staff, with Kitty (Amy Beth Hayes) and Jessie (Sai Bennett) wanting to know what it was like for him.  He is greeted like a hero by Crabb (Ron Cook) and Grove.  Gordon (Greg Austin) takes him to see his father cos he can see George is uneasy with the attention. George tells Harry how it's hell over there and the newspapers don't write that.  What kept him going are the comforts of home.  The parcels from Agnes, the letters and that jar of jam she sent him.  He smelled it and it took him back to his mother's kitchen and being safe.  Harry decides Agnes's theme will be "the comforts of home" and she sets to work on the store window.  "It will be your swan song," he tells her.  Knowing full well she doesn't really want to leave.

Agnes takes a walk with Henri in the park late night, how they used to walk last series.  They can walk for hours as Henri puts it without saying anything and Agnes replies it's cos they know each other so well.  She will miss him when he goes but he will miss her too.  So they part company, after lingering looks.  He walks back and she continues walking forward.  'Ere it was a scene out of an old movie!  Victor talks with George wanting to know if he thinks Agnes will be happy with him, but George isn't the one marrying him.  George adding if she says so then she will be happy.  She's just ordinary Agnes to him, but to Victor she's special. They're just ordinary but she isn't.

Henri admires Agnes's window and how it's simple and honest just like her.  Victor asks if he loves Agnes and he admits that he does but he's leaving today.  Victor wishes him luck.  Later he breaks off the engagement to Agnes cos he can't drag her away from here and from her doing whats he loves.  Yes, but Harry would have let her keep her job as he said.  Victor knows Agnes would come to resent him over the years and wishes her well.  Saying she should go to Henri.  Which she does.  They kiss and she wants him to return to her.

Lady Mae (Katherine Kelly) finds a way to clear Harry's name by looking for Harry's list in Loxley's (Aidan McArdle) study.  She knows he'll have hoarded it somewhere and Harry tells her and Frank (Samuel West) that he only made one copy of it cos she vouched for him; for which she is sincerely apologetic once more. She ensures Pimble tells her when he's out and she searches his study.  Little knowing that Loxley is creeping about as he opens a secret door into his study, seems she didn't know that.  He confronts her saying she's a "little scrubber" and is looking for money, throwing it on the floor for her to pick up, or in his words, "get down on your knees."  If she was that desperate, she'd have told Pimble to pick it up, ha!  Lady Mae finally tells him what she really thinks of him: a coward, profiting from the misery of others.  She leaves the money on the floor and walks out.  Giving the list to Harry and allowing him to clear his name with the Procurement Committee.

Harry has his own confrontation with the House of Lords as he walks in as bold as brass and tells them everything that Loxley did and how he used the very boot manufacturer he warned him to steer clear of. Edgerton (Raymond Coulthard) finally admits he did use that manufacturer and Loxley is left to answer for his profits.  Harry adding Lady Mae will even testify against him.  That was the final nail in Loxley's coffin. Frank brings in newspapers to the store with the headlines reading that Loxley has been arrested.  Lady Mae is also over the moon as she tells everyone that, "the world is my oyster once again."  She she's rid of him. Harry asks Rose what she wanted to tell him, but she wants Harry to enjoy his moment.  Watch out for the moment where Harry tells the Committee that he's a Yank and a store keeper.  And a proud one at that since that's what they called him, a shop keeper.  Harry is later offered a position on the Committee which he deftly refuses, adding once more that he's a store keeper.  Frank and Kitty are back on again as he tells her they can start again fresh now.
Harry: "Yes I'm a Yank and I'm a shopkeeper, but also I'm a man of honour."

Rose breaks the news of her illness to Harry, that she's dying.  He wants to get the best doctors involved, but Rose wants to spend Thanksgiving with the family and then they'll break the news tomorrow.  Rose actually died of the Spanish Flu in real life which she was susceptible to and after they opened their home up to soldiers during the war.  So it appears when we come back to series 3, since the action will have moved on some years to 1919, Harry will have dealt with, or be dealing with his beloved Rose's passing.
At dinner, they all say what they're thankful for, their family, friends and Harry most of all is thankful for his beautiful wife Rose.  She is also grateful and thankful for being with Harry and having all the time with him, as we fade out on Rose.

That was the end of series 2 but series 3 will be back next year, even if it is minus a few of the cast.  A bit of a sad episode on many fronts, some found happiness, some renewed feelings and others had bad news.  Just some tying up of loose ends and ending stories started in the first episode of series 2.  Lady Mae being overjoyed that Loxley is out of her life and Ms Mardle gets the man of her life, someone who really cares about her.  Grove is saddened to finally let Ms Mardle go as he sighs after she leaves his office since he finally gets some closure of his own after telling her to follow her heart and as she tells Florian, she was listening to people instead of doing what she wanted.

A bit of comedy included too as Miss Plunkett (Sadie Shimmin) and Miss Blenkinsop (Deborah Cornelius) fight over Harry's diary and how they can get one up on each other.  Crabb: "Mr Selfridge is not a wildebeest to be hunted down by slavering hyenas!"  Maybe Crabb recalled the jungle display a few eps ago! Ha.

Oh and  a final lift scene with Victor walking away from Agnes after letting her go into the arms of another man.  It was all he could do to keep his composure! Ahh.

Andrew Scott at the Apple Store Event 17 March 2014

Andrew Scott who plays Jim Moriarty in Sherlock was at a guest talk at the Apple store Regent Street, London to speak about his movie The Stag and to have a general Q&A session.

He was asked about his nude parts in The Stag, oh wait that didn't sound right and he was happy to talk about them, though some would shy away! Such as it being freezing in November in Ireland during filming and having to film like that day and night.  When asked how his family liked the movie and his nude moments, he said he didn't ask them, but they enjoyed the movie.  He also sings in the movie but he didn't entertain with a song or part of one cos he didn't want to, even after fans begged him to.  That'd spoil the fun for anyone who hasn't seen the movie yet.

As for Sherlock, well even after there were some "cluing for looks" there wasn't any reveals as expected. Andrew said if he could and did tell then we'd be all a little disappointed and go "oww."  He did know that he would always be back in Sherlock at some point.

Also mentions of his time in Frankenstein, Seawall and his current rehearsals for the theatre production of Birdland where he plays a rock star at the Royal Court Theatre from 3 Aprl to 31 May 2014.  As well as some advice for budding actors too.  A rather fun, if subdued affair, but there weren't reams and reams of fans there as for the Sherlock event.

Of course one fan had to ask, "Did you miss me?"  Always, Andrew, always!

Podcast and audio podcast will be available for free downloads on Apple itunes soon.

The Mentalist 6.12 "Golden Hammer" Review

                                             
Lots of Patrick's (Simon Baker) antics this week which quite frankly is what keeps the entire series going, as well as Lisbon (Robin Tunney) and Cho (Tim Kang) and I have to add this ep we finally got to see Rigsby (Owain Yeoman) and Van Pelt (Amanda Righetti).  More rigmarole over Patty again as this time it's insisted by Agent Daniels (pat Skipper) he doesn't have clearance to sit in on a conference for the current Whittaker (Wayne Bastrup) case since it's classified.  Fischer (Emily Swallow) tells him she's applied for clearance for him, but Lisbon does of course have clearance since she's an agent.  Patrick tries to read Fscher and Daniels's lips but Lisbon keeps interrupting him so he misses what was said.  She likens the glass room to an aquarium.  Abbott (Rockmond Dunbar) says he's spoken with the Deputy Director and he's been approved for the conference.  Whittaker was a cartographer for Cartesian and he was killed, apparently his heart gave way, which didn't really explain why he was running half naked to his office.

They look at the security footage to find he collapsed in the office.  Lisbon, Patrick and Fischer go to the company and talk with Whittaker's brother, Curtis (Travis Schuldt).  Patrick seems impressed with his bespoke suit and it's from London.  Curtis doesn't know anything about his brother and is very aloof and Patrick picks up The Financial Record newspaper which particularly interests him.  Yeah out of everything in the office this was the one thing that caught his eye!  He takes the paper and goes somewhere to flesh it out, to a cafe that is.  Oh this time we're in Houston, don't recall Houston looking like that when I was there, ha. Oh and note how a few more eps of the show are set in parks.  SO was the Red John episode when Patrick was in the park feeding the pigeons.  Anyway jumped ahead, never mind.

Patty finds letters circled in pen on different pages of the paper and puts them together.  He figures out that it's some sort of a spy drop and calls Cho in to investigate.  They get Wylie (Joe Adler) to check the cameras outside the office and follow Whittaker's trail back to when he got the paper.  He came from the south, which leads to the park.  Also Patrick find traces of fig and bird poop on the paper.  Which he sniffs and offers Cho the same, which he refuses.  Then calls out the fig tree in Latin and Cho asks him if he knows the Latin for bench.  He thinks the person will come pick up the paper but since it's past lunchtime now, they'll have to come back tomorrow.  Cho goes off to the gym.

Lisbon and Fischer wait to talk with the rest of the staff at the company and Lisbon is called by Ardiles (David Norona). Who was just brought back as nothing more than fodder to be killed.  He asks her to meet him for dinner as he's flying in from Chicago on his jet and calls it a date.  But it's purely professional.  Patrick calls Lisbon and scares her and Fischer when they get into the SUV by already being inside.  He tells them the case will be solved by tomorrow cos of his lead and Lisbon says she has a date.  Patrick is a little perturbed, more than intrigued, especially since Lisbon changes the subject of 'date.'  Though she's adamant it's not a date.  Aww poor Patty, he does seem concerned but he doesn't show it.  At least we couldn't read him.  Hey I didn't 'ship' these two but now it comes down to it I think they do make a great couple.  Maybe it took me Fischer to get into the picture before I changed my mind! Ha.  Also he comments on Ardiles's shoes with tassells!

Ardiles tells Lisbon his "phone is hot" which Lisbon thinks amusing especially since he flew all this way to tell her that.  But he thinks someone hacked into it and is listening in.  He sounds paranoid but she's the only detective he trusts and she should be flattered at that.  She recommends Rigsby and Van Pelt who run digital security and can check this out for him, they're in San Francisco.  Since they work from home, it was dangerous to have him meet them there, instead of a public place, even though whoever is after him will be able to find out where they live anyway, just thought it was a little silly on their part. They tell him they'll check it out and Ardiles got a burner phone from some junky that he's using now.  When he leaves it's obvious he's being watched and for a moment there, thought his car was going to explode.

Cute moments with Van Pelt and Rigsby and the baby too.  As well us showing us a glimpse of married life for them.  Rigsby calls and Van Pelt checks out the signal from Ardiles's phone since he appears to be missing.  She asks if he's eating tacos from that dirty truck again and he can't lie to her, but he'll have salad at home.  He enters the place where the signal is coming from and finds Ardiles dead, being tortured beforehand.  He reaches for his gun but of course he doesn't wear one anymore.  Van Pelt tries to call him as faces and names of CBI agents badges flash onto the computer screen and stops on all the old teams IDs. Van Pelt realizes someone's after them.  So I'm guessing it's a remnant of Red John's story, someone close to him who is probably killing off the CBI members, especially since the entire CBI investigated his murders, but specifically Lisbon's  agents.  There's no other logical explanation for the killing and also it means it leaves us with the mystery of which of them will be next.  Particularly as this looks like being the last season. Though we already know that Amanda and Owain were leaving the show anyway.

Getting back to Houston, Patrick and Lisbon sit on the bench waiting for the contact to show and they talk about her date. She goes for coffee and the paper is picked up.  Patrick asks him the time feigning he didn't wind his watch and then accuses him of sealing his phone, since he plants it in his pocket.  Then calls a policeman who does find the phone in his pocket after he rings it.  Lisbon, too busy getting coffee all this time or even hear what was happening.  Even after Patrick shouted for a policeman, she still didn't hear him. Hassan Zarif (Navid Negahban) is arrested and cooperates with the FBI saying he won't give up his buyer's name even if tortured. He doesn't know who the seller is but they've been doing this for a year and it's very lucrative, so he wouldn't kill him and neither would his buyers.  Patrick comes up with a plan to catch the spy.

He waits outside for Curtis and whispers something in his ear which makes him punch Patrick on his arm. Cho arrests him for battery and Fischer tells him it was the only way to draw out the real spy, since they had to make someone else come under their radar publicly. So they wait for the spy to show up and Lisbon sits in the park wearing hat and shades, which Patrick says suits her, well the hat.  Thought she looked a little like Audrey Hepburn, well she did!  Who shows up wasn't a surprise, it's Avery (Erin Way) since she gave herself away at the beginning when she told Lisbon and Fischer she saw Whittaker on Sunday.  SO effectively she was possibly the last one to see him alive.  She did it cos of the money for her mother's medical  bills and she's an addict herself.  We get a flashback to how she saw him at his home, tasered him and drugged him, explaining his frantic state.  Also cos he found out she was a traitor really and she just tried to convince him it was just a game, a scavenger hunt.

Yes it was Avery Schultz, with the funny name!  To which Patrick responds "Gesundheit" when Lisbon mentions it. Ha.  Also Patrick's comments on how Lisbon should have figured out who it was since she's a people reader and she has great people instincts, but she doesn't have great people skills, adding he's kidding.  Like I said, she was obvious, the intrigue lay more in the agents being killed off, as we get a new arc to maintain our interest cos the FBI lot certainly aren't.  Funny scene where Lisbon tells him he's not her boss, he always acted like the boss and he tells her he's not, they're equal partners.  That's why he likes to keep Lisbon in the dark a lot, ha.  Also Patty reversing her aquarium comment and saying she could feel like she's watching them instead.

Mr Selfridge Series 2 Episode 9 Review

                                           
Harry (Jeremy Piven) has a meeting with Henri (Gregory Fitoussi) Crabb (Ron Cook) and Delphine (Polly Walker) to decide what they can do to entice customers back to the store.  Delphine suggests to recreate the "spirit of Delphine" (what was that, the name for a plane! ha) in the Palm Court and she guarantees him they'll come a-running.  Crabb tells her that's a little different since hers is a nightclub and theirs is a store so the clientele will be different.  Well obviously but she's determined.  Also Henri has a plan to invite Mrs Winifred Bonfils Black (Sara Stewart) a journalist he knew in America to the store and let her write a piece which will turn women's heads.  Harry thinks it's a great idea but Delphine insists they should use the story to promote her idea.  Oh shut up Delphine, sorry I had to get that out, she's so annoying, to put it mildly!  Thinking she can just wind Harry round her little finger.

Harry also thinks he can get his lawyers to sort out the newspaper mess and wants Rose (Frances O'Connor) to come to the store, but she has a prior appointment she says.  Though she doesn't tell him it's to see a doctor who diagnoses her with mild chest congestion.  She comes to the store hoping to see Harry but Delphine drives her away by telling her that Harry's gone and she has tea with her instead cos they haven't seen each other in a while, more like to find out what's troubling Rose and dig her claws further into Harry. Rose kind of confides in her about seeing the doctor. Delphine obviously insisting on her taking a break as it'll be good for her and that Harry doesn't need any distractions cos he's "got the weight of the world on his shoulders".  What gives her the right to interfere in their business and to speak for Harry as if he wouldn't have time for his beloved rose.

Ms Mardle (Amanda Abbington) spends a passionate night with Florian (Oliver Farnworth) and they wake up together.  She's happy but later Grove (Tom Goodman-Hill) sees her giving money to Florian for lunch even though he is paid a minimum wage in the factory.  He also kisses her on the cheek, before she sends him away and makes him stop.  Later Grove reprimands her for the display, or rather that Florian is nothing more than a gold digger and is after her money.  Jealous much?  Think he would have had all that money she inherited, ha.  Grove's more taken aback with her being happy and actually finding someone who makes no demands on her.  So his telling her off for her behaviour is more that Florian kissed her so intimately in  public, than anything cos he couldn't do that.  She tells him her life is her own and in future he should keep his opinions to himself.  Groves' words to Ms Mardle: "unbecoming of an employee of Selfridge's" which was no different than his affair with her and then dumping her for a younger woman.

Jessie (Sai Bennett) gives Kitty (Amy Beth Hayes) a letter of resignation as her father's making her leave and she tells her to leave it with her, spurred on last ep by Ms Mardle's example of standing by people.  She tells Jessie to let her father know she has to give a week's notice and to leave it with her.  The newspaper has a story about Lady Mae (Katherine Kelly) leaving Loxley (Aidan McArdle) and Rose thinks Harry should speak with her.  He also won't take Frank's (Samuel West) calls.  Kitty tells Frank they must investigate to clear Harry's name and that he should meet with Lady Mae since there's more here than meets the eye. However his editor refuses to investigate further and so Frank resigns cos if he can't write the truth, he'd rather not write anything.

Mrs Black tours the store to see what she'll write and Henri takes her to the Fashion department, where we see Thackeray (Cal MacAninch) putting his hand up a mannequin's dress to fix it, well I thought it was funny. He's an ardent admirer of hers and fawns all over her in a bid to get his name in the paper and offers to show her around.  What's he doing reading a woman's column? Ha.  She sees him for who he really is and says as much to Henri.   He takes her to meet with Agnes (Aisling Loftus) who is still agonizing over George (Calum Callaghan).  Henri sings Agnes's praises and about Harry having faith in her, seeing the potential and sending her to Paris.  She is Henri's protege.  Asking how she got the job here Agnes reminds us how she lost her other job cos of Harry and she went and asked him for a job here.  Mrs Black decides to write her story about Agnes and probably even more so when she learns George is away at war and is missing.

Harry meets with Lady Mae finally and she admits she shouldn't have vouched for Loxley but she was afraid of him cos he's a violent man.  That she was naive when she married him and thought she could control him. Harry invites her to stay with them at his house.  Rose tells her about needing to go away to the sea and Lady Mae thinks it's a mistake leaving Harry now when he needs her more than ever by his side.  Also finding out that the dreaded Delphine is helping Harry a lot.  Lady Mae pays her a visit and tells her of how she knows she's trying to come between them and that now that she's a divorcee, she doesn't have anything to lose so she gives her an ultimatum.  Either she leaves and never returns or she'll tell Rose everything. Delphine and Lady Mae in a war of words when she calls her theatre actresses "trollops."  Well, what do you call female nightclub owners then!  To think Rose wanted to go into business with her.

Lady Mae tells Frank about Lord Edgerton (Raymond Coulthard) and his "old school ties" with Loxley and he's blackmailing him over his past "piccadilos." But Edgerton refuses to speak and instead goes straight to Loxley, who bursts into Harry's home and demands Lady Mae return with him.  How he'll drag her name through the papers over every illicit affair she's ever had, he'll just be dragging his name through the mud too since he married her!  Harry tells him to get out but he refuses and Harry is just itching to beat him to the other side of the week and we know Harry is capable of doing that, since he got rough with Rose's painter didn't he last series and Agnes's father too!  But oh how I would have loved to see him put Loxley in his place, though the age of duelling had long since past!! Ha. Loxley deserved some of his own medicine, from a real man!!

Ms Mardle tries to avoid Florian by telling him she has a headache and just as he fixed that darned tap too! Henri has words with Victor (Trystan Gravelle) or rather the other way around when Henri tells him his concerns for Agnes and how she's not facing how George might be dead.  Victor replies it's her way of dealing with it and then tells Henri he's there for her and has been all this time.  Agnes sees a soldier in the store and thinks it's George but it's not and she cries, though she has Victor by her side, she needs to finish the store window.  Mrs Black says Agnes has got so much potential to throw it all away by getting married and she's been married twice so she's had her dream.  Exactly, so why can't Agnes make up her own mind. Didn't think that part about being married and not being able to work was still going on, especially not in Selfridge's, shouldn't they have been the first to radically alter this traditional way of thinking.

The article is all about Agnes and how she's a "rising star" which everyone likes.  Thackeray steals a moment to skim through it obviously looking for his name when he told her how to spell it too.  But she wasn't impressed with him and rightly so.  Kitty has an idea of how to keep Jessie employed and shows the article to her father, telling him she could be the same one day too and have that much success.

Agnes opens the door to George who was shot in the shoulder but he survived.  He seems to be eating a hearty breakfast and Victor thinks they should get married now that George is here and Agnes seems to have two minds about it.  Lady Mae tells Harry to watch out for Delphine since she's determined to drive him and Rose apart and shouldn't trust her.  Sure enough she makes her move in his office by telling him they should be together.  Harry puts his foot down saying he doesn't love her.  That although he's hurt Rose in the past with his dalliances, this time he's going to make it right and she's the only one for him.  Well yes, considering what Rose will eventually face in the future regarding her health.  Delphine leaves and about time too. See that's all she wanted from the outset and it took Lady Mae to tell Harry for him to realize this, wonder why he didn't see it for himself.

SO one more ep when everything will be sorted, like Harry getting his name and reputation back, Loxley will be disgraced (we hope) and Agnes will decide whether she really wants to marry straightaway, if at all. Although I must admit there's not really any reason to rush into a marriage already, especially since it would be good for Victor to maybe actually save some money if he wants to run the restaurant, even if he is getting a loan from the bank.  Oh dear it looks like Agnes will choose her job, but as the next series will jump forward some years, we'll find the action will have moved on.  Oh no, this means Rose probably won't be around.

Anyway, Harry's mother and daughters arrive back home and Miss Blenkinsop (Deborah Cornelius) also returns to some friction between her and Miss Plunkett (Sadie Shimmin). Miss Blenkinsop will now be Harry's social secretary.  Grove finally gets the son he always wanted and Ms Mardle has a teary walk to the lift!  Yeah a lift scene!  She congratulates him but doesn't let him say what he really wanted to, as she walks off.

Funny part was no one coming into the store to see Delphine's "special event" of an Arabian theme, not even one customer, so she hopelessly misjudged in helping him out there then.  Harry even tells her Rose was right and he should have listened to her about keeping things simple, especially at this time. That was a well deserved slap in the face for her and for Harry rejecting her too! Mind you, it took me a little while to get past how Harry's now had his hair and beard dyed! ha, particularly in the first scene when he's reading the paper at breakfast with Rose!