The Vampire Diaries 5.18 "Resident Evil" Review

                                                
Elena (Nina Dobrev) writes in her diary and a page flies away, only to be stomped on and picked up by Stefan (Paul Wesley) yet this is meant to be the first time they have met.  Which was obvious and should have been since didn't Elena burn the diary when he found out Katherine had written in it.  Stefan is rudely awoken as he almost gets run over.  Apparently Markos (Raffi Barsoumian) said 'resident evil' of the title is playing with them.  As Stefan and Elena have dreams about the life they could have had and to many, still should have.  Something which Damon (Ian Somerhalder) learns from Caroline (Candace Accola) and Enzo (Michael Malarkey) would have a lot to say about it too.  Especially since he goes on baout Damon and Elena still sleeping together.  Though everyone's been calling them 'sex dreams' they weren't really that. They were more the more romantic side of this show.  But was getting tired of Elena being the focus of attention all the time.

So we also get to know that the Travellers have taken over Mystic Falls residents and Matt (Zach Roerig) learns this the hard way, with the sheriff (Marguerite MacIntyre) stabbing him with the knife and his ending up on the other side.  Here he finds things aren't well, as he runs into Kol (Nathaniel Buzolic) of all people, or original vamps, who actually was civil for once.  Even wanting Matt to return home so he can tell everyone what's happening here.  Matt realizes he can see Vicki (Kayla Ewell) and when they meet it's not long before she too is dragged away.  Pray tell, ha, is that the same manner in which Katherine was dragged off, had to ask since no one's really mentioned her in a while, intentionally I think.

Kol tells Matt he's lucky cos he has his ring and can go back as soon as he gets back to his body as Vicki tells him.  Matt must get back but tells Kol he won't recall what happened here, but he insists Matt will remember, which he does.  Seems Grams (Jasmine Guy) also has this sort of news for Bonnie (Kat Graham) that things are awry and the witches are worried.  This being a result of Markos being resurrected.  Oh and Markos also destroys the only Traveller knife that there was remaining, careless of Matt to have parted with that and had it to begin with, well on display that is.

Also we get Tyler (Michael Trevino) being possessed once again, even after he rescued the sheriff.  Since this will probably lead him having more to do and having a much more interesting storyline.  So the scene where Liv (Penelope Mitchell) stabbing Tyler and Matt to see if they were still without Travellers inside them, was pointless (no pun).  Especially considering she wasn't going to do that again anytime soon, if at all.  Markos getting Enzo on side again by telling him he can still help him find Maggie, don't think that'll happen anytime soon, if at all.  As Markos infiltrates the Mystic Falls' residents with his Travellers taking over their bodies.

Bonnie tries to see what Jeremy (Steven R McQueen) is hiding but he's keeping secrets to protect her, as if that ever helps.   Just seems that he should have been honest with her from the outset since it's no big secret there's always something going on in the town.  Yet it was okay to bring her into the picture and in danger whenever they needed her help in casting a spell or two.  Resulting in her losing her life for them.  Luke (Chris Brochu) telling everyone about Markos and how the Travellers have been at odds with the witches for generations.

With Paul Wesley directing this ep, seems like he took a backseat to actually appearing much in the show, but maintained the balance between Elena and Stefan to a minimum, for those that wanted to see them and had very little, if any, interaction with Caroline this ep aside from on the phone when he told to say he's been dreaming too.

Longmire 1.6 "The Worst Kind of Hunter" Review

Of course knew from the outset that this was going to lead up to something profound, especially as far as commentary on human beings and the worst kind of people they are, striving to be better and how they're no better than animals but at least animals don't have a choice when it comes to taking lives, it's in their nature to survive, irrespective of needing to have a conscience.

A DB is found in the woods and Ferg (Adam Bartley) is first on the scene, at the site, any closer and he'd have contaminated the CS.  Which he has to point out when the others arrive, that he was the one who heaved.  Seems the Vic, Ed Crawley was bear baited, literally had meat thrown onto him so he'd be mauled by a bear.  Clearly someone was out for revenge, vengeance.

Walt (Robert Taylor) and Vic (Katee Sackhoff) are preoccupied with Branch's uncle, Lucien (Peter Weller) as he shoots up the retirement home, oh, I mean the' retirement facility.'  Walt sending in Vic cos he doesn't like Walt being around and cos he'll never shoot a woman.  Well he didn't, he says he shot the chair and he's arrested, but turns out he wants to help Walt in the current case and he can't keep him out of it, even if he was the former sheriff.  Apparently Branch's (Bailey Chase) father wants nothing more than for Branch to win the race and become sheriff himself.  Appears it runs in the family.  What is it, being sheriff gives them some sort of standing in the local community.  Though it's also obvious that Branch loves his uncle, even if he does charge him for bringing him food.

Walt questions Ed's sister, Pam (Debrianna Mansini) about her brother and also his brother in law, Russell (Wade Williams) who doesn't have a good word to say about Ed, she on the other hand sees him as being able to do no wrong.  Though Russell thinks the parents of the girl he murdered are good suspects.  Although they would have been obvious, it seems they wouldn't really have waited for him to get out of prison, especially since they would have had several opportunities to have killed him when he was found guilty or at his trial and since hey were relying on the justice system, at least the parole board, to ensure he never would be parolled.

The girl's mother, Donna (Cristine Rose) hasn't gotten over her murder, Ed stabbed her twelve times cos he was a meth addict, but she insists that just doesn't happen even if he was an addict.  Then has a go at Walt for referring to him as a Vic.  It's the age old story of having to investigate Vic's murders or otherwise irrespective of the sort of people they were.  It's the nature of the job.  So yes, the murderer became the Vic. Clearly Walt shares her pain but he can't come out and tell her about his wife and for on thing, she can't be mentioned all the time and this is one of those eps were she wasn't.

The bear needs to be found as it's really a public menace now and since she's on her third strike (yes bears have that too) it means she will have to be put down if she did indeed kill Ed.  Walt's visit to the bear tagger/monitor, Pete (Dean Chekvala) proves less than fruitful since he's out in the field and can't be reached, though Walt tells the woman receptionist that a satellite phone will help.  Gotta love that line for someone who doesn't carry a mobile (cell) phone! he is up on technology much to the chagrin of others.

Walt takes the evidence and the slither of flank steak as Henry (Lou Diamond Phillips) refers to it and turns up at his fund raiser.  Henry adding it would have been more popular if he had made a personal appearance sooner.  Henry throws the steak onto the barbecue and Walt has to retrieve it, it's evidence.  Later he meets with the hunter, Omar (Louis Herthum) who he wants to track the bear.  Henry telling him that the bear can't be responsible for what it did.  Walt can't pay Omar, why would he anyway even if it's police business, he's meant to hep the law, not bargain over his services, which he manages to do when he wants Vic to come with him onto the search.

Which proves to be more problematic than not.  As Vic is shot with a dart and it's Pete who does the shooting, claiming he was aiming for the bear.  Of course I said that if he had been shooting at the bear his dose of tranquilizer would have been far more potent than what was in the actual dart, a point which Walt also raises later on.  Vic telling Omar beforehand that she's married.  Well Omar was just plain smarmy, but it's not like Vic can't handle herself.  Also mentioning her husband again when Walt thinks he should call him. She says he doesn't care and won't be bothered besides he's out of town and will probably be getting a transfer somewhere else.  So why is she still with him, though we're not really meant to dwell into her personal life just yet seeing as it's still early days.  Although she does say to Walt that he's "different, because you're a man."  In comparison to her husband.  Kind of an echo of what I wrote for the review of the Pilot ep, where I said a show going back to a time where, "men were men.." Ha.  Yeah okay, narrow it down to one man in terms of Walt.  No one else holds a candle.

There's a commotion at the hospital as Donna and Ira (Scott Paulin) arrive and don't have ID.  Ira tells Walt she needs to see the DB to get some sort of closure which Walt lets them do.  She's hysterical, but there's no reaction from Ira.  Ed had a car which is missing so Walt sends Ferg to look for it.  As well as wanting Branch to find a way of getting his uncle back to the home and out of his hair.  Walt talks to the former warden of the prison, Dan (Graham Beckel).  Since Ira thought that if he'd been at Ed's parole hearing then he wouldn't have been let out.  But it was due to budget cuts that Dan had to step down and a younger man getting the job of warden, effectively he was pushed out.  In which case he wouldn't really have been much for upholding the law.

He tells Walt how one of his guards was killed by Ed but someone else took the credit for it, thus there wasn't any way of telling if he actually killed him or not.  His allusion to being pushed out for a younger man is another that is close to home for Walt since Branch is practically gunning for his job and depending on which way the wind blows and how the voters vote, seems like they may go for a 'younger model', ha, irrespective of his abilities and getting the job done.  They may think it's time for change.  Then again some people just hate change.

Walt gives Dan a list of prisoners to look over but he doesn't recognize any names on there which are relevant.   Ferg locates the vehicle outside a dishevelled house and Ruby (Louanne Stephens) calls for back-up.  Branch warning Ferg to get out if he sees any tubes and other drug paraphernalia.  However on this occasion, it's Walt who freezes as he has another flashback of coming to a closed door and chasing someone.  Which leads him open to being shot himself, at the worst.  Don't see the point of that flashback being put there or his thinking to it at that point in time, since he's faced that situation many times before and probably has for a year since his wife's death.

They arrest the men but no one's talking.  One of them says he found the truck abandoned with the key in it so Santa left it.  Though he recalls Jerry Stonesifer (Jackamoe Buzzell) is one of the men who was at the house.  Jerry being related to one of the women Lucien knows at the home.  Branch and Ferg look over the postcards and cards from the drug bust and Ferg is attacked as the men steal some cards from him and eat them, they're laced with meth and a good way of being smuggled into prison right under the authority's noses.

Lucien tells Walt the motive is more likely to be vengeance (another emotion close to Walt's heart).  Walt takes him back to his home which Branch got him back into by finding some code violations at the home. Lucien doesn't like Branch that much cos he's like his father and ruthless in that respect.  Also bringing up the part about Walt using his nouse and not being a CSI or relying on forensics.  Knew that had to come up, for more reasons than one.  Vic realizes she was shot with a dart thus her wound is far bigger than a syringe wound, so Ed was also shot with a dart, thus his murder was planned.  Would've thought that was obvious since he was baited with meat!

Walt talks with Pete, who says it was an accident with Vic getting hit, but Walt brings up the fact the he used a lesser amount of tranquilizer, which I pointed out a while back.  He promises to help if the bear, known as Waffles isn't put down but just relocated.  He found human flesh in her scat.  Walt takes Waffles to Dan and makes him confess after throwing red meat onto him and threatening him with Waffles.  He killed Ed cos he killed his guard and the fact that he was released for the daughter's murder.  Which really wasn't for him to question, even if it was all to do with budget cuts too.  Anyway Dan wants Tommy Lee Jones to play him in a movie since he'll be seen as a hero for what he did.  What take one scum off the earth, Walt reminds him this is real life and not a movie.  Walt lets Waffles go since as stated humans are the worst kind of hunter and should know better.

Yes, mention of CSI, there was such an ep in season 5.14 Unbearable, where a hunter was not only mauled and killed by a bear but the bear was also killed.  As Catherine said there, the bear could be considered a lethal weapon.  The bear was called Tippi (a reference to actress Tippi Hedren who is also an animal advocate.) CSI:Miami ep 5.17 A Grizzly Murder also appeared to have a case of what turned out to be bear baiting.

Wonder if Walt going after Dan will have an adverse effect on his election campaigning seeing as he probably had a lot of people and connections on his side.  He was even willing to put up one of his election signs, which it seems Walt carries spares of in back of his truck.   Everyone in this show, at least our cast,  have a personal issue or axe to grind, in other words, they're damaged goods.

Lucien had some choice words for Walt and kept much of the episode going, (also directed by Peter Weller) especially when he harks back to how in his day they'd have beat confessions out of suspects.  But then that can't be done these days and Walt does uphold the law, though it could be said his getting Dan to confess could be seen as heavy handed, but I wouldn't say so.  Especially considering he was guilty.  As said, Walt did his job, upheld the law and brought the killer to book, without any favourtism.    

The Vampire Diaries 5.17 "Rescue Me" Review

                                                  
Caroline (Candace Accola) befriends Stefan's (Paul Wesley) doppelganger, Tom, but only after she's led to him by a witch and Enzo (Michael Malarkey) being there didn't help.  Especially that talk in the hospital whilst waiting for Tom to arrive, Caroline finds out how much of a good guy Tom really is especially when he's thanked for saving lives.  Well being Stefan's doppelganger, it was inevitable at least one of them must be good.  It's apparent Caroline wouldn't and couldn't go through with his cold blooded murder.  They find him hooked up in the basement and then she rescues him by breaking Enzo's neck, as if that would stop him. Then she takes him for a feed and imagines him chocking on his food and not helping him.  So all's fine until she takes him to the car park, did she honestly think he wouldn't be killed by Enzo.  He's got his own agenda and wants to find hi own love Maggie who saved him.  The Travellers are keeping this from him until he lives up to his part of the bargain, which he does.  Saying of course Caroline wouldn't go through with it.

Not much happening with Elena (Nina Dobrev) and Damon (Iam Somerhalder) in the plot, in terms of anything new except for their constant pining over each other, said goodbye, now let it go.  We find out Liv (Penelope Mitchell) wants to kill Elena and eliminate one of the doppelgangers but that doesn't go as planned, as nothing ever does in this show,a s we've seen over the years.  It's parent/teacher night at school and Damon arrives as Jeremy's (Steven R McQueen) guardian, since Elena is no longer registered as such. Apparently Jeremy's counsellor says that Jeremy's suffering cos of the tension at home between the two and they promise to put things right.  But how can they do that when Damon tells Elena all he wants to do is to rip her clothes off at school then and there.  Oh Damon for someone who didn't really go school and was big on education, it appears he was acting like the hormonal school kid that night.  Ha.

Cue Elena with her own dreams as she tries to rip his clothes off in the classroom, but she only imagines it. Then she needs to be saved from Liv as she tries to kill Elena by Jeremy.  Liv did try to protect Elena but it's too dangerous for her to stay alive.  As if he won't have his hands full when moving in with Matt (Zach Roerig) and Tyler (Michael Trevino). Three Stooges as Damon called them (oops next ep) or Three Msytic-eers?  Ha.  Jeremy has taken on the mantle of protecting Elena.  Seems strange each one of the characters has their own love problems.  Bonnie (Kat Graham) more interested not in hearing about Elena and Damon's sex romp but wondering where Jeremy spent the night and more importantly if it was with Liv.  Got hold of the wrong end of the stick there big time has Bonnie.  Never mind, gave her time to figure out that Luke (Chris Brochu) is Liv's  brother and Hazel shows up to pass though Bonnie and she tells Luke about this. Their plan bites the dust.

Stefan of course would tell Caroline not to kill Tom, but somehow wonder if that came a bit too late, since he shouldn't have gone along with the Traveller's and Sloan's (Caitlin McHugh) plans if that was to be the desired outcome, he could have just fallen on his sword or rather his bucket, somewhere that makes sense! Ha. But other fun moments was being told Jeremy had only missed 11 days of school, what in all this time, that's it.  As well as the part where Caroline and Enzo couldn't enter Hazel's place and so he just threw the doorknob at her head and killed her!  Dangerous things doorknobs! Enzo is really fast becoming the Spike from Buffy of this show, accent 'n'all.  No conscience, he just wants to do whatever it takes, no regrets.

Caroline tells Stefan about Tom and that she should have realized he was flirting with her cos she's done that enough times.  Stefan tells her the Travellers won't let him go and that he knew Caroline couldn't kill him. They rest their heads on each other and get some shut eye.  But are woken to the Traveller's chanting and in time to see them go up in flames.  The Travellers drank Stefan and Elena's blood and were set alight by Sloan.  So their blood was enough to bring back Markos.

Elena heads back to Whitmore (how much studying will she get done, ha?) cos she and Damon are not only bad for each other but do bad things for one another. (Yawn).  If he gets closer to her, then she'll kiss him and won't leave.  He kisses her forehead in the ultimate romantic gesture and tells her to "travel safely." Perhaps the wrong use of 'travel' there, ha.

Then we have our suspicions confirmed, that the Travellers are on the move to Mystic Falls cos the world and entire universe revolves around Elena.  Newsflash we knew that since the outset.  Not surprising really when even Liv asked Damon to kill her when he and Elena were fighting over their non existent relationship.  So Jeremy can't be controlled by the Travellers since he's a hunter but hasn't really used his abilities much of late.  Except for picking three fights at school.

Revenge 3.17 "Addiction" Review

                                             
Emily: "Addiction, an impulse that, once indulged, is impossible to pacify.  Even when starved the hunger survives."

Emily (Emily VanCamp) looks at Aiden's (Barry Sloane) ring and also at the letter but can't make any sense of it.  Nolan (Gabriel Mann) tells her he doesn't know and it will be a while before they find out what that means, but she thinks Aiden can help her and so she visits him.  He doesn't want to help, ripping up the note, but tells him she's here to see him and not just cos she needs his help.   Emily getting to the Bermuda Triangle, a pun or irony in there somewhere, you know, Emily and love triangles! Ha. Daniel (Josh Bowman) meanwhile is determined for his own revenge and tells Charlotte (Christa B Allen) he's going to go after Emily's friends, oh sure you're up to the challenge, Daniel, ha.  Anyway he recruits Charlotte's help but she'll only get on board so long as Jack (Nick Wechsler) isn't hurt.

Victoria (Madeleine Stowe) meets with her friends who all vow allegiance and will help her keep Emily and her foes away.  Particularly Teresa (Morgan Fairchild) who is very vocal. Seems like Victoria's got everyone in her 'pocket' so to speak.  Maybe that's the only way she'll have any friends to begin with.  Talking about Emily's fake pregnancy, isn't that old news by now.  Victoria also telling Pascal (Olivier Martinez) in no uncertain terms that she can't be bought after he sends her a painting she's admired.

Margaux (Karine Vanasse) was offered a job in Rome and Jack thought she should accept it cos it doesn't happen everyday and also cos she shouldn't stick around just for him, but that's exactly what she decides to do.  Margaux even told Daniel she didnt' want to pursue revenge against her father anymore, but Daniel talked some nonsense about Jack and Emily and how he told her to take the job cos she's in the way.  Later she sees Jack and Emily together and he hugs her, well that'll set her mind on the wrong track, but at the same time, Jack has known her longer and they are friends.  Especially since Jack was convincing Emily to tell Aiden how she really feels about him.

Emily asked Stevie (Gail O'Grady) about Pascal and Jack ruined her plans by turning up, as usual, seems like he's spying on her doesn't it.  She only managed that Pascal dated Victoria first.  As later Jack sees her almost taking a drink but manages to throw it away without actually taking a sip.  Not surprising really, as Conrad (Henry Czerny) has his own motives for cosying up to Stevie.  He turns up at her hotel room feigning being drunk and in need of comfort.  She admits to him about Jack and how they had both wanted to make their marriage work (and if you believe Conrad well, you'll believe anything!)  By the time she was out of rehab, Victoria had already gotten her claws into him, or perhaps it was Conrad who most likely did all the chasing.  She feels so guilty she ends up giving Conrad the deeds to the mansion, which is what Pascal needed to get in with Victoria.  Stevie tells Jack about this meeting.

Emily sets up a Monte Carlo card night for charity and does her damnedest to get Pascal to come.  She even steals his poker chip from him whilst lighting up a cigar.  Cue Daniel who really only showed up to gloat at Emily and she hands him his credit card when he asks where she got the money to arrange everything.  Not gloating anymore was he!  Emily wanted to play poker with Pascal but Victoria had to butt in and told him not to trust her.  Well don't think anyone would trust Victoria with that hairstyle!!  She managed a few rounds with the curling tongs, fire her hairdresser she should!  Yet he managed to make Victoria and Emily go head to head.  It's clear Victoria is the winner and she lets Emily win, which Emily knows but isn't sure why.  What was funny was Emily putting up Daniel's engagement ring as a bet.  Now he can't have that back either.

Javier (Henri Esteve) arrives and flirted with Charlotte who admitted his coming clean he was in prison is a breath of fresh air.  Nolan warned him about her but he was already smitten as he kissed her, must have been desperate!  Margaux said Pascal had given her back her magazine and about going into business with Daniel and Jack tried to warn her.  She was rather more jealous of Emily than really listening to anything he had to say.

Pascal met with Emily but she sensed he had a bug there and so she didn't talk with him much other than saying her marriage to Daniel gave her some insights into Grayson secrets.  Victoria arrives after he's given her the deeds to her precious manor and they kiss.  She promising to go after Emily and he promising to never betray her again.  Since Emily's been studying Victoria she knew she lied about the poker hand and just then Aiden shows up telling her the initials stand for his father's name.  Of course, should have known that, since he was the one who planted the bomb on the plane.  Trevor Warren Mathis, should have got that from the 'M'.

As for that bug, the Eiffel Tower should have been a huge giveaway, I mean it looked like one of those tacky souvenirs you bring back from Paris, hell even I have one of those.  He's not exactly going to get on side with Emily and become her ally especially since he only has eyes for Victoria and always did.  Also cos it appears he had a huge part in the David Clark scandal.  Oh someone just put the two 'evil' twins in the corner and shut them up, Daniel and Charlotte acting out any revenge on anyone seems so laughable!

Not much by way of any advancements in plots this ep since we already knew everything that was said. Aiden telling Emily he isn't like Nolan and wouldn't come back to her, but then does exactly that, why can't live without her it seems.  Guess this ep was saved by Emily's red, Special K dress, an ep of Revenge without a main character in a red dress is positively scandalous!  Oh and Nolan's jacket, seems like he was saving it for just this occasion.

The Mentalist 6.18 "Forest Green" Review

                                                 
Lisbon (Robin Tunney) spent the night with Pike (Pedro Pascal) as she walks down with wet hair, he's made her breakfast, coffee and a bar.  She has to get to work but arranges to meet later for dinner.  When she arrives at work Patrick (Simon Baker) explains to Fischer (Emily Swallow) that she's meeting Pike and Patrick asks if they have an FBI helicopter to take them to Sam Houston National Park.  That way she can be back for her date with Pike, also adding that Pike owes him.  A woman named Madison (Natalie Padilla) was found dead in the park and Patrick does his usual investigation of the DB.  Removing her shoes showing she has no blisters so didn't walk here and has new shoes.  He also smells her hair of ginger citrus shampoo. So she can from nearby.  Officer Green (Ellen Wroe) was her name meant to be funny, re the ep title; she tells them the only place near to here is the Foragers Club, a male only club.  So Lisbon and Patrick check it out and she has to flash her badge.

The man who runs it, Russell (Mark Harelik) tells them he doesn't know Madison and no women are allowed here other than the dining staff, they don't hate women, it's just a refuge for men only.  Yeah as if these men would be able to live without women around.  He tells them Peter Kilgallen (Jon Abrahams) will be able to give them a list of members but it's confidential.  A guest, Marvin (Sonny Marinelli) is upset with being found using his phone as they're not allowed and storms off again after finding out they're here about Madison.  Russell gives them a badge to wear since all visitors must wear them, and Patrick tells him Madison was killed here since she had two pin holes in her shirt, where she wore the badge.  Also jokingly saying he tries to keep Lisbon under control but can't keep her from hurting someone.

Fischer tells Abbott (Rockmond Dunbar) they found Madison's driving licence and she was a guest at some hotel.  She was registered there withe her sister.  Patrick goes exploring and Lisbon gets the list from Peter who tells her it's confidential.  Patrick meets Marvin again and he's on the phone.  He tells him how he made a deal with the FBI and he got off a murder charge.  Madison's sister has been found and she shows them a video message she left and how she was seeing a girl.  Patrick and Lisbon, have tea and Patrick smells the hair of all the waitresses, on the pretext of needing help or needing something.  Until he finds the right one. She breaks down and realizes Madison was the woman everyone's talking about.  Patrick also spoke with Lisbon and how she deserves a good man.  Oh meaning him, no really, I can't see how he's just accepted Lisbon being happy with someone else, though it's nice of him to think of her happiness.  Also good to see them working together once more, making it three eps in a row, after all, that was what we wanted to see and especially since Patty wanted her back here with him.

The waitress tells Fischer that Madison was an escort and was meeting a man.  Seems the club has a cabin where such rendezvous take place.  Something not mentioned by Russell. who tells Cho (Tim Kang) that they used to go off the grounds and get into trouble with camera phones around as the guests are all prominent people, so they moved it to the fishing camp.  Also telling him he saw Madison but didn't speak with her.  Cho mentioning Patrick didn't pick up on that, she he must be a good liar.  Why didn't Patty pick up on that, he's normally so good.  Maybe his mind was elsewhere, like on Lisbon and Pike.  Well, more Lisbon than Pike.  Abbott turns up since he was called about Marvin.  Patrick talks of the number of golf karts so her body could have been moved easily.  Inside the cabin, Patrick finds a golf warmer and it belongs to a famous golfer Grant Kimura (James Ryen) who Abbott says he's a fan of.  Grant denies it at first but then admits he was at the camp, but he's married with children.  Just then his attorney, Greg (James Patrick Stuart) walks in and tells him not to say anything.  Patrick comments on his fraying shirt and he may need to get a new one.  Obviously showing he doesn't have any money. Patty's funny comment about Greg being "frisky."  Ha.

Marvin speaks with Abbott about Patty and practically offers him a bribe to get his assets released as another agent Matthews has confiscated them.  Pike calls Lisbon who won't be able to get back for dinner, but he also tells her to look at the forestry satellite as they may be able to find Peter who's gone missing. Lisbon and Abbott find him in a golf kart dead after Wylie (Joe Adler) accesses the satellite.  Abbott mentions talking to IA about Marvin and wearing a wire to catch him, but Patrick goes one better.  They've found Madison's phone but it's too damaged to retrieve anything straightaway.  So they use it to catch the killer.

The guest speaker isn't available, so Patrick offers to do a magic trick for the guests, as he demonstrates to Russell after taking his wallet and setting a dollar bill on fire.  He's impressed.  Patrick's plan is to say the objects are from lost property and make sure the phone is there.  The killer will recognize it and collect it later on. Abbott meets with Marvin and he's offered 30% of whatever Abbott can get released from him. After Cho asks Wylie to fake his bank account so it would appear his assets have been released.  Lisbon helps him with the show and obviously he identifies the correct objects cos they have a word or phrase she uses to ID what she's holding.  They wait around but no one comes for the phone.

Abbott goes back to the cabin and says he knows there's a camera around which is why the killer heard their conversation.  But he has the phone.  In walks Greg, no surprises there, another obvious suspect.  He tells them how he was planting the camera and Madison came back.  He chased her and knocked her over and over against the ground until she died.  He also shot Peter cos he knew and was blackmailing him.

Lisbon has dinner with Pike, that dress of Lisbon's, those shoulder pads did not look good at all! Ha.  He tells her he's being offered a job in DC and he doesn't want to go.  She tells him he must, but they declare their feelings and that this is the real thing for them both.  Well Patty is to thank for that, since he kind of made sure Lisbon was here with him and so they were destined to meet, thanks to him, or more likely no thanks to him.  But is he really happy for her?  Another bit of a routine case and this ep had many hallmarks of eps gone before, like 2.9 A Price Above Rubies, 6.9 My Blue Heaven, 3.18 The Red Mile, where Patrick had performed to an audience in many eps and also done some magic tricks too, as well as being blindfolded, hmm, Patty blindfolded, ha.  Okay, won't go there!
                                        
Also his trademark of analyzing the DB and coming up with his deduction that Madison was meeting someone cos of the way she was dressed and the smell of her hair.  At least it was another harkback to eps of old.  But when will they admit their feelings, I mean, Patty even saying to Lisbon, "let your beauty show." Funny she falls for someone else after missing him for two years.  Oh all these subtle hints he's dropping, but still nothing comes of it.  I mean last time he said she looked beautiful in her black dress and now another beauty remark, it's just teasing us fans!!

The Mentalist 6.17 "Silver Wings of Time" Review

                                                  
And we're on the sofa together again, like last ep!
A man wears a hairpiece and sunglasses and takes his briefcase to a bus stop.  There he swaps the bag as the bus approaches and whilst the other man already there is distracted by the woman with the pram, the first man swaps the briefcase.  Later the bomb explodes in the bag.  Patrick (Simon Baker) times Lisbon (Robin Tunney) as she arrives in a taxi as her car wouldn't start.  Excuses, excuses, perhaps she didn't go home driving her car.  He asks about her date with Pike and she says it went okay.  Patrick thinks  the man at the bus stop was a target since he was the only one who was killed.  The bomber could have caused so much damage but he only targeted him.  Abbott (Rockmund Dunbar) doesn't go along with his theory until the bomb expert tells him the bomb was blanketed to cause the minimum damage.  Hence showing the man was the intended target as Patty said.

At HQ, Wylie (Joe Adler) has a new clock on his computer which calls out the time and Fischer (Emily Swallow) thinks he should turn it down a little bit, he's trying to maximize his work output.  Then the firealarm sounds, it's a drill and will happen regularly at the same time, twice a day.  Of course I knew that Patrick would use that to his advantage later on, it's one of those foreshadowing ploys.  Otherwise they wouldn't have shown Wiley using it again.  The DB was David Ronaldo (Halbert Bernal) and he was working to clear Luis Cruz (Oscar Torre). A  man who was accused of killing his shrink's wife after he was on a drugs binge. Ronaldo had found something that would clear his name since his execution takes place in two days.
Abbott talks with Cruz at the prison and he tells him how they were close like brothers when younger and Ronaldo believes he was innocent.  He got close to finding evidence to clear Cruz's name and that's why he believes he was targeted.  Cruz tells Abbott that he didn't kill anyone and Abbott does believe him.  Cos they're trying to show that no matter what he was like when he was after Patrick and the lengths he went to reel him in so to speak, underneath it all, he does care about doing the right thing and about justice.

Abbott fills the team in on the case and Wylie's clock tells the time again.  Lisbon and Cho (Tim Kang) are in cos they believe Patrick is right when he says he's confident enough to believe that Cruz is innocent.  Notice Fischer's shoes when Abbott was briefing them were high heels and then when she's at Ronaldo's condo, they were a lower heel.  She notices the map when everything else there is old and wonders why he was using it.

Patrick, Cho and Wylie look at the footage from the bus stop and find that the man intentionally swapped the briefcase cos he wanted to see what was in there.  He says the woman with the pram was in on it and Wylie IDs her through facial recognition software.  Gina (Angelique Cabral) was hired the man, Peter Koch (Peter Colburn) a PI but she didn't know about the bomb.  Fischer says they found Koch's DB but not the briefcase.

Patrick and Lisbon visit Edward Feinberg (John de Lancie) and his current wife, Mae (Jud Tylor).  Patrick thinks he was the real killer, as of course it's the old tale about the spouse being the murderer.  But it was apparent that it wasn't him.

They ask questions about his wife and Mae who was a former student of his and when they began the affair, before or after his wife's death, since he says it took him a while to get over it.  Patty asks to use the loo and snoops in his office but can't find anything so he steals his prescription pad.  He is later arrested for dealing prescription drugs and Mae insists on coming with him.  Patrick plans to put the clocks forward using Wylie's computer clock and the fire alarm into fooling the suspect into believing Cruz has been executed.  The oldest trick in the book of course.  Cos it's been done so many times before in most shows/films.  Lulling the real suspect into a false sense of security so they give themselves up.

Edward will stay here and he calls his lawyer.  The FBI take their phones and watches and Wylie's clock tells the time as soon as they arrive.  There's a large display with the number of hours until the execution.  As well as telling them the fire alarm goes off at 5 and 9.  Edward tells Patrick he didn't kill his wife but of course that's what they all say.  When his lawyer arrives, he tells him not to answer any questions, but they can all ask them.  Cho, Lisbon, all ask him questions but he refuses to answer.  Buying time in the process for Patrick's plan to work.  Fischer brings a blanket and pillow for him but he tells his lawyer to go home. Edward spends the night there on the floor.  Abbott questions him further.

Next morning, Fischer takes Mae for coffee and she listens to Abbott and Fischer talk about it being over since the governor's aide doesn't want to stop the execution.  That after Cruz's executed, the case will be closed and won't be reopened.  Being music to Mae;'s ears.  The news shows that Cruz has been executed, with a message displayed across the screen, which Wylie managed to plant.  Patrick breaks the news to Edward who isn't as pleased as he thought he'd be.  That he'd be relieved and get his revenge, but he's just sad.  Which is exactly how Patrick knew he'd react.  Cos he knows he didn't kill him.  It was Mae and he shows him footage of her sighing when she sees the news of his execution, proving she was the real killer. When they leave, Edward just drives off and he then questions her about killing his beloved Sarah.  She confesses and the FBI rolls up to arrest her.  Patrick planted a bug in Edward's pocket.

Abbott tells Cruz they found the gun in the lake where she'd thrown it the night of the murder and this will help to free him.  Ronaldo believed in him and that's why he was going diving for the gun himself near all the spots where there was water near the CS.  Abbott tells Patrick that a psychic led to the lake, but Patrick doesn't believe in psychics, saying that it's obvious most things are found near a body of water.

Lisbon comes in wearing a short-ish black number and Patrick tells her she looks beautiful and to enjoy herself, calling her Teresa, ahh!  Lisbon looks a little flustered or a little guilty as Patrick goes to sleep with a good book.  Nice to see Patrick and Lisbon have a small scene together when they interviewed Edward but it wasn't long enough and was just there to give Patty a chance to grill her about Pike.  Clearly she's moving on and it doesn't appear Patrick's going to do much of anything to stop that.  Which is a little sad, see by now if it had been anyone else, he'd have scared them away or put them off by now!

So being in Texas, Patrick had to have a case and solve it too where the accused was on death row and facing an execution.  A roundabouts way of being a damning indictment of the death penalty in Texas and the number of innocent convicted who are executed, not to mention Cruz being from a minority too.  Aside from that, it was a bit of a routine ep and not as good as last ep.  But it was good to see Lisbon and Cho follow Patrick's lead cos he was confident that Cruz was innocent.  A little reminiscent of the good old days there. Oh and Fischer went back to wearing her heels as soon as she returned to the office and boy why'd she change them, she didn't even get a chase scene where she'd be running!

Patrick's funny-ish response to Abbott about a broken watch being right twice a day. In response to the psychic comment and that Patrick was just jealous.  Maybe but not of the psychic.  Then there was Fischer talking about Patty and Lisbon and their not 'dating'  Why's she so interested.  Okay she didn't mention Patrick by name, but she implied it.  She should just ask him.
Fischer: "Did Lisbon date on the job at the CBI?"
Cho: "Don't know.  Never asked."
Fischer: "Surprising to see her and Pike hook up, Wouldn't have put those two together.  You ever wonder what Jane thinks about it?"
Cho: "Never...my brain would explode."  Another funny reply from him, kind of true, cos only Patty knows what's going on in his own mind when it comes to Lisbon.  Maybe Lisbon did pick up on Patrick being a bit put off when he called her Teresa or perhaps not.

Oh I forgot about Patrick cottoning on to Koch wearing a rug! Ha.

Revenge 3.16 "Disgrace" Review

Emily: "Grace is at the core of tragedy, for if there's no height at which to drop, no pride taken in a life lived, you have nothing to lose.  But once in the freefall of disgrace, the only way to change the momentum is to use it to your advantage."

As Emily (Emily VanCamp) runs down the stairs at the opera and miraculously she didn't trip in that dress and those heels, we find the story flashes back to 36 hours earlier.

Seems Margaux's (Karine Vanasse) plan to have Conrad (Henry Czerny) ousted by her father, Pascal (Olivier Martinez) backfires since the two of them head out for tennis again.  Conrad won him last time and so now they have a rematch.  In which Conrad beats him again.  Victoria (Madeleine Stowe) shows up thinking she could have the tennis court without Conrad around after their divorce but she bumps into Pascal too, being very convenient.  Of course we know they must have a thing for each other, even if he was the one who introduced her to Conrad.  Conrad also stating that he doesn't want that old house bricks and mortar, referring to Victoria too in the process.

Daniel (Josh Bowman) thinks he's hit the jackpot as far as getting his divorce from Emily since he's got leverage now with Emily's photos with Aiden  but Victoria tells him to hold his horses.  Daniel is impatient and wants nothing more than to be rid of Emily but she thinks Emily is more than just a grifter.  A grifter would have seen the amount of money in  the settlement and taken it, but Emily appears to be going after the family.  Victoria wants to know what she's really after and so she hires Daniel's PI to dig some more dirt. Daniel meanwhile is sympathetic over Patrick leaving her.  For a minute there, thought Daniel was going to get mad over Victoria playing favourites with Patrick over him.  Victoria also adding she wants the best seat in the house when Daniel confronts Emily with this.

There's plenty of opera talk, as it seems everyone's going to be at the spectacle, er,  big event I should say, even if it turns out to be a spectacle.  Since the best came when Emily put on a sad face and talked of how she protected Daniel after he shot her and forgave him for what he'd done.  That was going to be her testimony and as she walks off, Daniel is left seething.  What did he expect, she'd be all a quiver and leave.

Emily wanted to know what happened between Stevie (Gail O'Grady) and her father as she saw him in prison and Nolan (Gabriel Mann) wants to make sure she doesn't jump in without thinking about hurting Jack (Nick Wechsler) again or getting him involved to begin with.  She doesn't get a chance to speak with Stevie, but Jack sees her with Stevie after her AA meeting and confronts Emily.  Nolan also wanted to know if Emily would remove Stevie from the equation if she turned out to be the enemy.  But she couldn't since she is Jack's mother after all.  Jack warned her from interfering since they were both in a good place and he wanted the same for himself and his mother.  Emily instead talks with Conrad and he tells her he wanted to make amends with his first wife, perhaps at the expense of his second.

Jack appears to be getting on with his mother and she looks through his wedding album.  She wished if she had the courage to return sooner then things might have been different.  But she's proud of him for being so brave and moving on.  She then notices the photo with Amanda and Emily and knows something isn't quite right.  Stevie believes David was innocent but with the Grayson's involved there had to be something going on.  She speaks to Emily about this and realizes she wants to see justice done for David and is interested in clearing his name for Amanda.  Emily hated what the Grayson's did to her, even if she is a Grayson and Amanda was a Clarke and yet she was her maid of honour.  Stevie tells her how she was on her way to the prison and was stopped for a DUI, which means automatic disbarment, meaning she knows Conrad was behind it cos she didn't drink and drive.  Emily didn't want her help cos she was honouring what she said to Jack.

Stevie also tells Jack about this and how she was given a piece of information but she couldn't find the source of it and it was confiscated when she was dropped from the case by her old firm.  It's what Stevie does now, she became a lawyer to fight for the underdog and for justice, as she does this now in her divorce cases. Nolan has a new housemate, Javier (Henri Esteve) from prison and he needs a place to crash after being released.  Nolan promises him he can stay one day.  Jack and Nolan attempt to get into the firm's archives and find the disks for June 1997.  Nolan makes an appointment to get back into the game with his new inventions, whilst Jack got into the archives but Can't find the files, until Javier told him what numbers to look for. Jack leaves the disks for Emily but she's not happy he got involved.

Conrad has forensic accountants doing some digging and come up with Voulez being in the red, money is being taken from the magazine and he knows Pascal is behind it.  Conrad shows this to Margaux who can't believe it.  Conrad uses this to try and get a stake and a job at Pascal's Manhattan company.  Conrad adding she can bring back Daniel now if she wants.  Pascal brings over a dress for Victoria, a little Dolce and Gabana black number.  He knows the designers, as does Victoria and she can't resist accepting. Margaux is on cloud nine with Jack but don't think that'll last especially since she seems to begetting in bed with the enemy, Daniel.

At the opera, she tells Daniel they're going to put on a show for their fathers and he's all aboard with it. Charlotte (Christa B Allen) is writing gossip pieces for the magazine and she introduces Emily to Pascal, exchanging words in French.  He's more interested in Victoria though and she tells him she might have her dress on her skin but he won't be touching it.  "This dress may touch my body but you will never be so lucky."  We'll see about that since Conrad later promises Pascal he can help get the one thing he doesn't have, Victoria.  That made him stop and listen.

Also at the opera, Charlotte gets a text saying Emily's medical records are all over the news.  Victoria confronts her with it then and there and Emily really appears to be flustered, the mark of a good actress, ha.  Victoria exclaims at how she faked her pregnancy to nab Daniel and Emily leaves, running down the stairs to be greeted by the press. Later we find out she planned the entire thing so she could manipulate getting the divorce on her own terms.  Victoria and Daniel think they've been instrumental in seeing this as the perfect opportunity to rid her from their lives.

Emily signs the papers looking really despondent, and still thinks she can use Daniel being the one who shot her but Victoria reminds her of the press conference she gave announcing it was Lydia.  Victoria thinks if she still hangs around after that then she is targeting their family.  Emily tells Jack it was her behind the reveal and he wants to make sure she's okay.  She still doesn't want him involved since she will get revenge for Amanda and for Declan.   Emily shows  Nolan the note, written on American paper by Pascal since she got a handwritten note to compare it with when she wanted Voulez to cover the wedding, but they don't know what it means.  "Conrad  per your request, I handled TWM.  Your DC plan is safe."  Her next target is going to be Pascal.  Though she has to be careful considering Jack is seeing her.

Appears there's plenty for Emily to be dealing with here and they've added Pascal to the mix, but he's going to be in cahoots with Conrad so how easily will Emily take him down.  Though she's dealt with far tougher obstacles before, she now has Victoria one her back, looking to find what Emily's up to and it also looks more likely than not, that she will find out what Emily's game is.

Nolan's got a housemate for good now since Javier gave his parole officer this address as his permanent abode.  Nolan thinks he could help him as he notices the artwork he's done on the pizza box.  Emily and Jack still make a nice couple and no matter how much she wants him not involved, he finds some way to turn up.  Also now Stevie's in the game, he won't stay out of it.  Haven't made up my mind about Stevie yet, if she can be trusted or not, irrespective of being Jack's mother, which all seemed rather convenient.  At least Daniel and Victoria got their moment of smugness having played right into Emily's hands, but can't wait for Daniel to get his real just desserts.

Longmire 1.4 "The Cancer" Review

As a fisherman stands in the river his line catches hold of something which Walt (Robert Taylor) fishes (no pun) out of the river and cuts the rope to reveal two DBs.  Vic (Katee Sackhoff) takes photos and comments the gunshot wounds exit at the back so it's unlikely they'll find any bullets.  They like giving her the lines about bullets and exit wounds.  Once again the Ferg (Adam Bartley) tells Walt how he called in t he Ranger since Custer National Forest is across the way, thinking he might have done the wrong thing again, so why does he persist in jumping the gun, so to speak.  But Walt reassures him it's okay.  The Ranger, Ely (Diego Klattenhoff) is there when Walt places sagebrush on the DBs before they're wrapped back into the blanket.  The Ferg once again jumps in adding that the creek is only five clicks away, it's Army speak for miles.  Eli corrects him, it's kilometres.  Walt thinks Ferg should stop watching too many war movies.  Well, once again, the would be suspect in Ely, gives this away as soon as he arrives at the CS.  Flat Lip River, Vic adds runs through the Rez (Reservation) and so the DB's could be Cheyenne.

Vic has found a keycard on one of the DBs and Walt wonders whom owns the land between the forest and the Rez.  Obviously it had to be a woman, Lizzie Ambrose (Katherine La Nasa) has just arrived and she exclaims at "how tall" Walt is.  He shows her a photo of one of the men and she faints, right into Walt's arms, practically!  Yeah like she was really that fainthearted!  She doesn't know any of the men but Walt asks her for a list of contractors.  Lizzie is worried for her safety and places her hand on his arm.  Vic can't resist teasing him once more and points out how Lizzie was flirting with him.  He didn't notice and tells her to stop her nonsense and to find where the keycard belongs.  Of course we know Vic is right about the flirting but he's not really interested in anyone else, at least not for the moment.

Walt finds Henry (Lou Diamond Phillips) at his home and he's fixing it up for him, Walt thinks otherwise.  Henry recognizes one of the DB's as Freddie White Hawk and he threw him out of the bar when he found him dealing pot.  He wants to notify his grandmother of his death and has tears in his eyes.  Showing the men in this show aren't afraid to cry man tears and to express their emotions in this way, well not all of them naturally.

Vic finds where the keycard fits but the manager won't let her in without a warrant, so luckily Walt's able to get one cos the judge was at the Red Pony.  Having probably too much time on his hands.  Walt notices a statue of a man and Vic finds a suitcase full of money and ammo from under the bed.  Walt opens the case to reveal a .38 but it's missing.  At the station, Branch (Bailey Chase) breezes in and adds he wasn't really going anywhere cos 'they', him and his female companion, were arguing a lot, but he doesn't say who when Vic asks him.  The room was registered to an Octavio Mora from LA and Vic tries to find out more on the rental car.  The Ferg has a breakthrough for Walt by telling him the statue is that of Jesus Malverde the patron saint of smugglers, leading him to conclude that the Mexican Cartel is involved.

Henry asks Walt about a St Christoper which Freddie's grandmother wants back but none was found.  He also sees Mathias (Zahn McClarnon) the rez police there.  He's cagey until Henry tells him to put aside his personal feelings for Walt, or rather against Walt I should say, ha, and do it for Freddie's grandmother. Freddie wasn't part of the Cartel but he found marijuana growing on the rez and Walt is angry he wasn't told of this.  Mathias tells him he'll send out a smoke signal next time.  He recalls the statue was found at a shrine and thinks Freddie was probably a scout for the Cartel.

Walt waits for a pizza at the side of the road late night and Jamie (Robert Clendenin) drives up.  Walt thanks him for what he did for his wife, namely supplying her with pot to ease her pain and asks about Freddie. That's who he got his stash from.  Freddie mentioned El Lupo to him, but he fears for his life if the Mexican cCartel are involved.  referencing CNN and what he's seen they do to men.  Walt would rather read a good book I'm guessing, ha.  Branch and the Ferg wait outside a bar and Branch accuses Walt of not seeing what was under his nose, re the pot growing.  Ferg defends him since the rez police didn't tell him this was happening.  Branch coming up with any way to discredit Walt.  They question two of the Cheyenne boys and Branch calls them on buying beer, they're underage.  They don't recognize El Lupo but Branch lets them off, saying they should go for the cool beer next time.  The look on the Ferg's face says it all when he is shocked that Branch would let them off like that.  Pot calling kettle a minute ago wasn't it when he was dissing Walt!

At the station, Lizzie arrives with the list of contractors and wants to speak with Walt in private.  She writes him a cheque for his campaign and they should meet for dinner or drinks so she can be kept up to date on the issues.  He takes Vic with him to the forest and has a go at her for letting Lizzie come down in person and continue with the flirting.  Adding that she thinks the entire world is flirting but it's just her.  She doesn't get a chance to defend herself.  Showing how vocal Walt can be when it concerns his private life but also how he doesn't let anyone get a word in when he's so sure he's right.  He's only human after all.

Vic finds out the rental car had GPS and at the forest they find it abandoned.  Inside is the St Christoper medal attached to the keys and a file with photos.  The Cartel was surveilling and they have a photo of Mathias too.  Vic finally has a chance to tell Walt she didn't ask Lizzie to come down and that Walt only got angry cos he's attracted to her.  Mathias thinks Walt is accusing him of dealing pot and later he mentions this to Henry, who hopes he's not involved.  He also states that everyone can kill under the right circumstances. Walt could count the number of murders on one hand in this county at one time and it came to two.    Seems like the county's going to pot, ha.  Walt likens the increase like a cancer and when you find it, it's too late, maybe an allusion to his wife in the process.  She is mentioned this ep.

A man checks into the motel under the name of Octavia (Lobo Sebastian) carrying something which isn't fishing tackle.  Ely's found pot in the woods and they come to an abandoned camp with marijuana growing. Ely comments on how he came home from Afghanistan to get away from AK 47's and such camps.  Another reference to him being a suspect.  Fertilizer is also found which can be used to grow crops or for bombs and this leads back to a landscape gardener. Seems Freddie paid him to order it by the sack loads.  Henry finds from Internet research it takes thee months for the plant to grow as big as it has and he can check out its origins at the agricultural school.  Walt warns him he can't go around carrying that plant, he'll be arrested, so he tells Walt to deputize him.

The landscaper directs them to where he left the fertilizer and this leads to the forest again.  Ely also shows up and the three of them follow a water pipeline.  Henry calls Ely cos he has a phone and tells Walt the plant is grown in the foothills and is called Khyber Kush, so would be of no interest to the Mexicans.  So who do we know has made several references to the army and Afghanistan, why Ely.  Walt manages to cuff him but then they're shot at by Octavia and Ely is released to help.  Walt manages to shoot Octavia after he shoots Ely and he is told to drop his gun by Vic.  Ely was Freddie's partner and friend and he wanted the Mexicans in on their operation but Ely refused and he shot Freddie.

As Walt arrives home, Jamie is out of hiding, Branch found him and questioned him on how he knew Walt. Well he is the pizza delivery guy for starters.  Jamie adds he told him they were in a band together.  Branch would be curious and asking questions like that just in the hope of digging some dirt on Walt that he could use against him in the election.  Henry reads the note on the pizza box from Lizzie, how Walt owes her dinner now.  Walt calls her a registered voter.  Yeah like Walt would use her, sorry string her along, just for her voting capabilities.

Another ep which involves outsiders being the main culprits, which makes you wonder if the locals are capable of committing serious crimes, aside from Ely, but then he seems to be an outsider too.  probably why Walt mentioned counting the number of murders on one hand.  Some funny moments hitting the right amount of seriousness too and plenty of misunderstandings as well.  Though Vic is very vocal about her thoughts and has no qualms about sharing.  Which I have to say is also the case with Branch who just appears to be looking for any way to win the election.  Wonder what the argument between him and Cady was about, assuming it was her he was talking of.

It was strange for Walt to be calling the drug trade 'a cancer' when he called upon Jamie's 'dealing services' so he could get it for his wife.  There must have a slight incling or indication of where he might obtain it from, if not locally.  Although he and Jamie have an 'understanding' that he won't get into trouble for dealing. It is also conceivable Walt would turn a blind eye to this, anything to help his ailing wife and ease her pain.  It's something Branch demonstrates in this ep too, though it's only not doing anything about underage drinking, he doesn't see that as serious, would he feel that way if they were drink/driving and killed someone.  So in its roundabout way it is more dangerous than dealing or using pot, not that I'm advocating the use or dealing of pot! Ha.

Longmire 1.2 "The Dark Road" Review

                                                 
This ep once again featured a murder and this time of a young woman found by the side of the road.  But this ep was more about family: fathers and daughters and the way in which Walt's (Robert Taylor) relationship differed to that of Ephraim (Timothy V Murphy) the dead girl, Hannah's father.  Religious aspects aside, the family are Mennonites, her father was so detached and didn't even react or flinch when told of the news of her death, she was lost years ago to him, begging the question of why have children to begin with.  He wasn't overly concerned with what she did at Rumspringa or in the outside world.

Compare that to Walt who was interested in Cady (Cassidy Freeman) and more importantly who she was dating, especially when he saw the shoddy workmanship on the lock on the door.  So it didn't come as a any big reveal or surprise that it was Branch (Bailey Chase).  It had to be, adding more conflict particularly when Walt finds out, which won't be until the end of the season most likely.  Conflict in that Walt doesn't really have much respect for branch, let me rephrase, he has respect for him as a deputy in some ways but not as a man and definitely not as his rival for the post of Sheriff.
I find Cassidy Freeman to be rather aloof as Cady and I don't think she quite fits into this role.  I've seen her in Smallville, as Tess, so dubious in character there, as well as guest roles in CSI:NY etc but I haven't found her to be that interesting in her portrayal of these roles.  Nothing personal.

Vic (Katee Sackhoff) gathers money from the scene and places them into an evidence bag.  A note was found in her pocket which Walt knows isn't German, he's conversed in that (snap me too) as he tells Vic, "Ich glaub est nicht."  (I don't think so.)  Turns out the note is written in Pennsylvanian Dutch. Walt spots glitter on her DB and he covers her exposed midriff with her shirt.  He deduces she's a stripper cos of the money and the glitter, also I'm adding cos there aren't many jobs for women around which will lead them to carrying so much money on their person.  As Branch concludes, she must have worked in Oden, a nearby, 'richer' town.  He's given the task of finding her prints at the DMV.

Walt takes Vic with him to the strip club and she comments on being able to dance but he's more interested in whether she knows who Cady is seeing.  Why would she know, doesn't seem like they're friends at all and not likely to share such things.  But Vic tells him you don't have to date someone to be more intimate with them.  Walt sees a photo on the board at the strip club of the DB, named Hannah (Bree Bond) and flashing her pic around, that's all, ha. Er, one of the strippers takes his hat and it's a way of talking to him without anyone else overhearing.  She tells her about her work and where she lives and that car, a 'puce' coloured car she saw when she dropped Hannah off.  Though it's a bit difficult to imagine Walt would leave his jacket behind, especially since it is usually cold in them there parts!  The country that is!  Also since he doesn't really remove his jacket/coat if at all whilst he's on a case, out in the field.

Finding the car turns up her brother, Samuel (Brian Norris).  He gives himself away now, for the purposes at the end, since he asks if she's having trouble with her waitressing job, when in actual fact, he knows she's a stripper.  Vic returns to the club and offers to pick up Walt's coat, since it's got the evidence in it, the note. Also Walt informs her father, Ephraim but he's just not bothered about it.  He doesn't even let his wife, Rachel (Rebecca Wisocky) talk to him and that was sad to see.  How she can't be told about the death of her only daughter.

As Walt takes prints from the steering wheel of the puce, there's a flashback with Walt being stitched by an Indian woman with Henry (Lou Diamond Phillips) there too, which we gather had something to do with his wife's death and the repercussions surrounding it.  Always a good way to keep the mystery going and the viewers intrigued, though another shirtless scene from Walt won't go amiss either! Ha.  Henry brings him lunch and doesn't want to talk about grief when Henry mentions how different cultures react to grief differently.  Walt prefers to ask him about Cady and her date.

So the strip joint has more info than is necessary and Vic has to go there to find out who the man in the pic is with Hannah.  And Branch is there too.  To find out said info on man in pic, info she strips, at least to her tank top and not to her underwear even, as some might be hoping for.  Having a bet with Branch that she can get the info quickly.  The man's name is Davis (James Herbert).  The car is registered to Cyrus (Maury Sterling) and he translates the note for him. It's a passage from the Book of Matthew, which Walt finds is a code for a secret  meeting between Hannah and someone at the Dark Road, thus named since it's travelled by the people who leave to go into the world and it's also a secret meeting place between parents and their children.  No surprises then that the note had to be written by her mother, who is the only one who'd meet in secret.  She saw leaving here as a way for her daughter to escape the life she has and not be subjected to the same.

Davis was actually in love with Hannah and they were saving to leave and get their own place.  Walt waits at the road for 12.30 and Rachel arrives.  Walt finally must be the one to break the news of Hannah to her. Walt questions Cyrus as to why he didn't tell him who gave him the note to pass on, but he didn't know it was that note since it was given to him in an envelope.  Walt then asks Davis if he recognizes Cyrus, but he doesn't.  He shows him the photo and he does recognize someone.  The killer, who turned out to be her own brother and even if it was an accident, it was all about him and his selfishness of wanting to take her back home with him and it being the only way he could return home. A bit of a giveaway since the photo in the car also had her brother in it.

Walt has another flash to that scene and making Henry promise not to tell Cady about it.  He then calls her. We get to see Cady is dating Branch, dating or just casually seeing him and she's caught off guard when Walt calls her.  Having being questioned straight out before, she say who she's seeing, aside from dating "a vampire."  Henry too failed in his attempt at getting some truth from her, which backfires when she asks him if her father asked him to question her.  Walt decides he will wait to meet her boyfriend when she's ready to introduce him, but at least the viewers got to see him first! So at least we don't have to wait around for that reveal.

Funny part where Vic teases Walt about forgetting his coat at the strip club and he later calls her out on what she did at said strip club!

Longmire 1.3 "A Damn Shame" Review

                                           
Walt (Robert Taylor) and Henry (Lou Diamond Phillips) are at a sweat lodge and once again we're shown the scars on Walt's back, though we don't know how he got them as yet.  Or maybe just another chance for Walt to go shirtless! Ha. The phone rings and they're not meant to have any phones there, but it's for Walt.
This ep was about horses, or if you're from the West Country in the UK, 'arses', well it's the pronunciation. Though it looks that way at first, actually it's about mobs and money. Walt is called out to investigate a fire at a horse farm, which is suspicious in nature,  not only cos a DB is found in the ashes.  The fireman tries to stop him going in but Walt refuses to listen, of course and even refuses his hat cos "I've got my own." Knew that was coming.

Apparently the DB is Ray Stewart, husband of Alice (Megan Follows) who Walt spoke to a few years back about domestic violence and she didn't report her husband beating her.  Naturally she's the prime suspect, until her son, TJ (Seth Adkins) finds a wouldbe suicide note.  At least it looks like he committed suicide. Until the insurance man (Ron Perkins) tells Walt Ray didn't have a policy on him but Alice did and so did the horses. There's one surviving horse and TJ comes out cos he wants to shoot her and end her misery.  Branch (Bailey Chase) stands around and is willing to let him do this until Walt stops him just in the nick.  He's not giving up hope on her and tells the vet to do anything and everything for the mare, no matter the cost.  Seems like Branch is just willing to let this happen.  He's the complete opposite of Walt and really is all about the job for him, rather than the people and what's really at stake here.  Which in a small town really isn't always about solving the case, well it is, but it's also about knowing the right thing to do and when to do it.  Everything's all black and white with no shades of  grey or emotion for Branch when he's on the job.

The coroner's dragging his feet with the autopsy of Ray cos of the backlog, wouldn't seem like there were that many cases awaiting an autopsy.  So Walt and Vic (Katee Sackoff) have their own examination.  It appears he was shot with a .45 but there's no exit wound, meaning he didn't shoot himself.  Easy way to check the calibre of the bullet, Walt places a .45 bullet into the skull and it matches.  He then takes her to the cemetery and has the grave dug up, showing the occupant's body is missing.  Meaning Ray isn't dead and he dug up the body and placed it in the fire.  He's on the run or hiding out.  Walt knew to come here cos this was the last person to be recently buried. See that's what good detective work will lead you to.

He asks Alice about her husband and she tells him his name wasn't Ray.  Infact he was on the run from the mob after he stole some money from them and hid out here.  Wouldn't it have been less conspicuous to hide out in a bigger town or the big city, to blend in with people, would stick out like a sore thumb out here.

A US Marshall comes a calling to the office and the Ferg (Adam Bartley) tells him where Alice is after he was supposed to meet Walt at the coroner's.  Anyone could tell he wasn't a real Marshall and he shouldn't have given away the location  and turns up too late to warn Walt and Vic, as they head for a shoot out at Bill's (Jamie McShane) farm.  Bill knew Ray wasn't dead and he was hiding.  So to get to the house, Walt gets Branch to cause a distraction, which he does by running with all barrels blazing on his gun.  A bit stupid don't you think, considering he's got no cover and surprisingly he doesn't get shot.  That mob hitman must've been sleeping or too slow.  The Ferg feels he must resign at the end cos he messed up and he knows he was only given the job cos of a favour for his father.

Walt finds Ray (C Thomas Howell) hiding out in the cellar and he can hear Alice's screams but he did nothing, no not until Walt handcuffs him to the pipe, not like he was going anywhere.  Yeah now Ray shouts where he is and gets shot at through the floor.  But they manage to raid the house and save the day!  Maybe Walt even gets to save the horse cos he reads out the Red Indian prayer/poem on the paper and tells her she can let go now, but she's not going anywhere.  Though we don't get to know if the horse survived, most likely did.  Had pangs of deja vu whilst watching this ep for some reason.

So after writing my review, I came across another one written at the time this ep was aired in the US, back in 2012 and I have to comment on how some people expect so much from a show, especially when it's only just starting out.  Of course you're not going to get character development from the outset, it does take time. Not to mention how certain reviewer forgot the show is based on a series of books. But even so, the writers etc, will take the show in the direction they want it to go.  Some even had qualms about Jeff Buckley's Hallelujah being used to play in the background whilst Walt's with the horse.  Do they have an aversion to horses or just this show?  I could go on, but...I will reserve judgement until I've seen more eps!  Anyway Megan Follows is always good to see, you may recall her from Anne of Green Gables.