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Monday, 26 May 2014

Revenge 3.21 "Impetus" Review

                                           
Emily: "Seized, confined, captive, six years of my youth were spent that way.  In juvenile detention many lost hope.  For me, being locked away was an impetus for revenge and for the vow that once I got out, I would punish those who took my freedom."

Charlotte (Christa B Allen) was taken to a room by her kidnapper and hey didn't that place look like the one where Emily (Emily VanCamp) bought Pascal last ep for his interrogation.  Infact I was correct on that observation, since the kidnapper removes his mask to reveal Aiden!  This was Emily's plan to ensure she gets Conrad (Henry Czerny) and Victoria (Madeleine Stowe).  She calls Conrad and sends him the video of Charlotte being beaten by the use of Javier's (Henri Esteve) Myclone App, which came in handy, telling him about Flight 197 and how he was responsible for killing all those people.  He needs to confess by holding a press conference at Grayson manor and Victoria must do the same.  Conrad calls his henchman Duke but Nolan (Gabriel Mann) hacks his phone and leaves a voicemail message, telling him to meet him at the wharf. This is where Aiden (Barry Sloane) heads.  Nolan asks Emily how she'll adapt at being Amanda again and what she wants to do.  She admits she hasn't thought about that since she had to be the emotionless Emily.  "I have no idea who Amanda Clarke is anymore."  Nolan goes along with Emily's plans asking her if this isn't seriously messed up.  Emily would never hurt Charlotte.

At the wharf, Conrad finds a metal case and an ear, warning him not to contact anyone or double cross them.  Conrad was genuinely shocked when he saw the ear.  He gets to Victoria as she hasn't answered his calls and she makes a beeline for him to beat him up and calls him, "murderer."  (Well little knowing that Daniel (Josh Bowman) is one too!  It's like Daniel is becoming everything Conrad was and doing what he's done in the past and even now).  He tells her about Charlotte and she thinks Conrad instigated the entire thing to let her take the blame and confess by herself.  Emily tries to open Charlotte's naive eyes by telling her Conrad was behind the trial of David and how he used him as a scapegoat, with the use of pictures since Charlotte won't understand otherwise, ha!. Victoria was happy to go along with it to save themselves.  Javier asks Jack (Nick Wechsler) if he's seen Charlotte and she's not answering her phone, her last cell tower ping was from here. Jack will get back to him and boy did he, as he turns up when Emily is talking with Charlotte, her voice disguised of course.

He's shocked at what she's seeing and can't believe she'd do this.  Aiden tells her Charlotte's having a panic attack and all he sees is Colleen being beaten, tortured and killed.  They need to let her go.  Emily picks up Charlotte's coat and from the way she was looking at the buttons, she was up to something!  Emily goes for some medicine for her and is taken in for questioning by the policeman, Hosco (Tyler Jacob Moore) investigating Pascal's death.  Earlier he paid a visit to Margaux (Karine Vanasse) and told her Conrad and the pilot's stories check out.  But Pascal was wearing a wire and no one from any agencies were working with him.  Margaux recalls he would tape conversations with business people he didn't trust and Conrad was one of them.

She looks at the video footage from the stairwell camera and Daniel shows up, as she shares her thoughts with him.  Of course Daniel would recognize Emily and the way the creepy wimp puts the blame onto other people is amazing.  First he let Conrad in on how Pascal was being investigated, then got him to take care of him.  Now he's playing all innocent and wanting to stay on Margaux's good side.  Hence his turning Emily in and thinking Conrad was behind it too.  Emily manages to call Nolan and he calls Aiden, as he tries to substitute Emily and Amanda's fingerprints.  Would've thought he'd have done that years ago.  As the wire had a partial print.  Daniel shows up to gloat and Emily realizes it was him, adding all anyone will think is that he's a disgruntled husband trying to get back at his ex.  So smarmy Daniel!

Victoria is up to her own deviousness and she goes to the park where she finds Carl on the ground crying, probably what's the betting she pushed him, ha.  Where the hell was the nanny!  She wipes his hand and takes a sample of his blood on the tissue which she gives to the PI to get analyzed along with a sample of Charlotte's  hair.  This was her quest for vengeance as she told Daniel both Conrad and Emily would pay for Pascal.  She thought Emily was behind it cos the agent's phone was disconnected and by the look Emily gave Pascal, as if she wanted him to get to the roof.  Oh Victoria if you were that clever, what took you so long to do all this.  Oh and way wasn't Nolan onto the roof cameras etc, pronto?!

Conrad prepares their statements and tells Victoria the kidnapper didn't think that their confessions would be worthless and not stand up in court as they were obtained under duress.  Frankly Victoria's not interested as she has plans of her own.  Also clever of Aiden getting Jack to help look after Charlotte after he goes to help Emily by telling him how they're both on and off again but he must let her go.  That he knows how much Jack has feelings for her.  But Jack wanted the old Amanda back that he used to know.  The only way to get her back was if her plan was successful.

Jack took Charlotte and left her on the beach, leaving the knife in her hand to make sure she could cut her hands free, so no DNA on the knife or will she recognize it as his, or was it not Jack's knife to begin with. Aiden punched Daniel as he taunted Emily and when Aiden was restrained, Daniel got a punch in, yeah he needed help cos that's the only way he could get one in!  Ha.  He's pressing charges and Margaux arrives wanting to know why he told the police about Emily without telling her.  Saying he thought she and Conrad were working together, see anything to stay one step ahead and alleviate all blame from him, ugh quick someone needs to put Daniel in his place.  Surely he must be arrested for Emily's attempted murder sooner or later.  Daniel confides the only way he could deal with his family was to abandon his soul but he doesn't want her to do the same cos she might need to save his! You are past saving Daniel!  Hosco had to let Emily go but he knows she's hiding something.  He's concerned for Daniel.

Charlotte returns and Conrad is relieved it's just in the nick but she confronts him about the plane and he says cos of his profound love for her, he was ready to confess everything, even if it was under duress, ha.  Which he neglects to mention.  He called her ungrateful and if she ever turns him in he will "erase" her like he has done to countless others.  Just then a live feed goes out and the TV in the house is turned on by Nolan as Conrad's confession goes on the air.  Showing that on Charlotte's coat was a camera.  So Emily finally got Conrad.

Victoria gloated and Conrad assured her he'd get all of her skeletons out of her closet and she couldn't wait to get rid of him.  Conrad wondering if she had sent out the live feed.  She just smiles, as if she'd have the nouse!  The war isn't over for Emily and she must now take down Victoria.  Aiden and Emily kissed and Jack showed up saying he needed to talk with Emily, "just Emily" as Aiden said the same to him earlier.  He tells her about David's letters and his ring.

Victoria tells Daniel that Charlotte must never know she wasn't going to confess and deliver on her ransom which Daniel is angry about, but really it was no thanks to him, getting her involved in everything with his spying antics and by the way if Daniel was in that position, doubt anyone would've paid for his ransom either, ha.  But then he is Conrad's son.  Victoria finding Charlotte and Carl aren't related so Amanda isn't really dead but still out there.    Conrad got his first visitor in prison who turns out to be none other than Emily.  He asks if it was her.  She did it all "in memory of David and Amanda Clarke."  Asking about Victoria, she replies she still has to get her and Conrad wished her "Godspeed" with a smirk on his face!

Emily: "An intention fuelled by passion can be impossible to stop.  Overtime it gains momentum until it turns into an impetus for change.  This is how a notion transforms into motivation and how a child's vow becomes reality."

So after three years Emily finally managed to get Conrad.  It looks like the writers thought they'd have to give us something for sticking with the show for three years and perhaps if the show hadn't been renewed, she'd have managed to get Victoria too  But as we know in time honoured tradition, we must get the Emily as Amanda reveal before the swansong.  But the way Victoria had that file there and on the balcony too, plotting yet more deceit.  Yes Victoria on her balcony and Emily looking up to her too.  Obviously as said before, we know Jack and Emily are destined, so some thing's going to give next ep, especially since it's apparent she and Aiden weren't meant to be together.  Oh and Victoria is needed for the David Clarke story next season too.

Everyone calling Charlotte 'innocent' just gets to be a little too much doesn't it specially since she's far from that, Conrad was right in his description of her.  She always gets in the way, acts like a brat and gets people into trouble.  Charlotte with a newspaper with Pascal's pic on the cover was so deliciously ironic wasn't it! But Victoria didn't see it, though Conrad did.  It's like pushing Pascal into the helicopter blades was the final straw and came back to bite him!

Can't beleive Javier was able to hack Nolan's phone and Jack was able to find him, Nolan is definitely no rank amateur and Javier certainly is not better than him! The fingerprint part was a bit confusing since if Emily switched Amanda's fingerprints years ago and Aiden says they would lead to a dead person, was he referring to Amanda.

Also funny, but not intentionally, when Aiden and Jack were arguing and Emily asks them where they were when she was nine and being dragged away into juvenile detention.

Sunday, 25 May 2014

Longmire 1.9 "Dogs, Horses and Indians" Review

                                              
As Walt (Robert Taylor) settles down to a Rainier beer, he opens his mail and listens to DJ Strongbow on the radio.  He prefers radio to TV, naturally.  He then opens a credit card bill belonging to Cady (CAssidy Freeman) and sees a payment to the Rusty Parrott, which gets his mind working overtime.  There's a call over the radio from a man who tells him someone's following him in a car.  Malcolm Eaglestar (Anthony Wamego) holds onto his phone and he's on the Rez somewhere but can't say where for sure and he's being shot at.  Three shots are fired and Walt races out.  Outside the radio station on the Rez, Henry (Lou Diamond Phillips) and Mathias (Zahn McClarnon) already there, as Vic (Katee Sackhoff) arrives asking if they've been invited.  Walt just thinks it's right to be here.  Also for more ulterior motives which will become apparent later on.  Vic asks how a 911 call ended up on the radio cos a lot of viewers would be wondering that too, and he responds, the tribal switchboard takes calls when the local one is inundated with calls.  This time an intern accidentally pressed the switch to go on air.

Malcolm is president of the Tribal Council and Mathias allocates quadrants to search.  Sneakily giving Walt the one where Malcolm's DB is found and Walt does a quick prelim of his DB and the car.  Explaining to Vic he was shot somewhere else and his DB moved as there would have been more blood if he'd been shot in the seat.  Also his shirt has dirt on the back.  Again, being a bit of a forensics person, she should have realized that already.  It's all to do with blood lividity.  Vic adding that is Walt 'Kreskin.'  Henry tells Walt he received a call from the Denver PD.  The wallet is empty and his phone isn't found.  Henry now uses his flare to signal the others.  Yeah again that was sneaky, there was Walt thinking that they'd found the DB first and yet it had already been found and moved, off the Rez!  Mathias offers to help and Henry adds Malcolm was divorced, but Mathias points out he had a girlfriend.

Jill Littlefox (Yvonne DeLarosa) is distraught not knowing why anyone would kill him.  Then coldly asks who will get his winnings cos he told her he was winning.  He'd been playing poker but she doesn't know where. He had a debt too.  Henry doesn't know of any poker games on the Rez and money like that wouldn't change hands until Jacob Nighthorse (A Martinez) has completed his casino.  Henry warns as his campaign advisor to not make accusations about Malcolm, at least not without proof.  Walt replies he's not his advisor, ha.  Walt also tells him that if the motive was robbery, why move his DB?

Mathias explains Malcolm's gambling addiction and a Tribal Council member in that position wouldn't look good.  Also cos he has to make a ruling on the casino.  The case is very sensitive which is why Mathias politely asked for Walt's help and also why the DB was moved.  Mathias shows him where he was found and Walt is angry, he's tampered with evidence (but nothing Walt wouldn't have done in certain circumstances either).  Walt won't arrest him cos it's an election year and he's already removed one Tribal Chief Police.  Mathias adding if the killer is from the Rez, then he could lose his badge, leaving Walt in much the same position and Walt adds it's better for him to expose Malcolm having a gambling problem.  Also Mathias says he wouldn't have any jurisdiction if someone from outside the Rez killed him.

Also asking if Walt can say he's never broken the law for the right reason.  That would have been close to him cos from his flashbacks, guessing he has.  Also in the ep with the missing Indian children, Dog Soldier, Walt did the right thing in sending them back to their biological parents.  Walt asks about his phone.  Walt's Bronco is being repaired so Omar left his keys to his truck and Tribal Council leaders are here.  Walt hands Vic the phone and she's angry she spent so long searching for it but he doesn't tell her where he found it.   Walt also tells Ruby (Louanne Stephens) to call Cady and tell her he's still getting her bills.  Then asks what day Freddie Whitehawk was killed (1.4 The Cancer.)

Branch (Bailey Chase) plays golf with his father, and asks if Barlow (Gerald McRaney) played cards with Malcolm.  He'll only reply if the info will help Branch win the election, cos the last time he gave him info on Walt, he didn't use it.  This is about solving a murder and if Branch can help break the case, then that'll be great press for him.  He'll get Branch the address but he owes him now.  Vic finds Malcolm got threats on his phone about ruining his marriage.  Branch walks in pleased with himself having found the address, with little legwork on his part.  Walt is not happy and marches him into his office.  He's on the warpath.  Walt wants him to go to the Rusty Parrot and find out if Cady was there on the 21st.  When Walt had to call Branch in from a "romantic getaway".  He confesses they've been dating for six months.  Branch using dating cos he knows how old fashioned Walt is, but guess it was really dating after all, seeing as he didn't want to call it off with her.  Branch didn't tell him cos it's none of his business, but he's his deputy so it is.  Thinking about it, it really isn't.  Branch asking if he can snoop around in Walt's private life when he becomes Sheriff.  Walt shouting, "IF" he becomes sheriff.  Walt should talk to Cady sine she wanted to keep it secret.  Walt grabs the paper and leaves.

Ruby calls on the radio adding that Det Fales from the Denver PD called and Walt has a flashback to Denver PD and storming out of there.  Walt enraged enters the tattoo parlour and picks a fight with the bikers cos he wants to get into the poker game.  Another flashback to a fight with Walt and other men and one of them with a Samurai sword slices into his back, which explains his scars.  (For the purposes of Channel 5 prime time viewing this scene was cut so wouldn't have made sense, so much for warning people about violent scenes!! Why would you do that?)

Walt manages to knock down the door and find four bikers engrossed in a poker game. One biker rushes at Walt and manages a punch and beat him on his back, before the sheriff's posse, ha, races in.  One biker threatens them with his lawyer and Walt picks out one who doesn't look like he's a biker and waltzes him into his office.  As Walt orders Branch to stake out the tattoo parlour.  Walt tells Jeff (Richard Speight Jr) he's got a good poker face but he has a tell, there's no fire in his eyes.  Jeff can't talk cos he's afraid of the bikers but Walt replies he doesn't have to say anything, he'll just make it appear that he spilled.  He calls in Vic and they look at Jeff in the chair.  Vic traced the call back to Reuben Lamebull (Jay Tavare).  Walt then calls in Ferg (Adam Bartley) who brings in a tape recorder, which looked like it hasn't been used in a while.

Jeff finally admits Malcolm was at the game but he lost.  Ruby informs of the biker's lawyer but Walt leaves. Walt asks Vic if she knew about Cady and she replies he doesn't tell her much either.  She didn't have proof. Darla Lamebull (Rusty Schwimmer) tells Walt that she's a gold digger and was only with Reuben cos he was going to get money.  Malcolm sent Reuben a letter "disenrolling" him from the tribe.  He won't get his share of casino profits or tribal benefits.  Henry says Malcolm introduced a a resolution to alter the blood quantum requirements for membership of the tribe.  If you had below a certain amount you were kicked out, which turns out to be most of the elderly members.  Thus garnering more profits for those left.

Walt asks the Council for a list of members and no one knew the letters had been sent out.  Anita (Claudia Ferri) Malcolm's ex shouts that Malcolm had huge debts which is why he called the meeting when he knew at least two wouldn't be around.  But Jacob speaks out saying he didn't have any debts cos he bought his debt.  He didn't want him to be influenced when it came to voting or making decisions.  No, cos he'd just vote his way then.  Reuben tries to prove he's got more Cheyenne blood than anyone by cutting his arm and his gun doesn't match.   Cady warns Walt about the lawsuit and reads out names on the list, including Mika Dullknife.  Walt grabs the list and crumples it up.  Walt loses it with her and asks if her way of helping was dating Branch.  If she wanted to hurt him, she'd have told him.  She's old enough to do what she wants and brings up how she gave up her life to look after him.  He relieves her of that burden.

Walt has a brainwave, and asks about Mika Dullknife being in the biker gang cos then he'd have known if Malcolm was at the game.  Since his father was "disenrolled."  They get to the tattoo parlour and Mika is led out the back where a biker gives him a bike.  Walt gives pursuit and at the roadblock set up by Mathias, Mika turns off into a side road.  He finally falls off his bike as it skids.  He's arrested for the murder but he believes he's on the Rez and so Walt can't do anything.  Walt adding that Malcolm was found in his jurisdiction.  But Mika is certain he was on the Rez.  He then admits he ought to be killed, he was a coward just for money he betrayed his tribe.

Walt talks with Jacob and Anita will be taking Malcolm's seat, it won't be Jacob since he doesn't have enough blood requirement.  Adding that the US government quantifies three things by blood: dogs, horses and Indians.  Walt retorts horses and dogs don't sell their own out for profit.  Walt suggests Jacob was behind the entire killing and from past ep Dog Soldier, we know he's capable of it.  He tells Jacob that he underestimates him.   Jacob does have a beef against the US government over their treatment of Indians, but then he does the same thing too.   Cady drives to see Branch and is sorry she hasn't returned his calls.  He was trying to warn her about Walt.  She tells him he lied too and he replies Walt'll forgive her, but what about him.  He has two choices, he either quits his job, or takes Walt's.  He ain't no quitter, no but Walt's a fighter!

This ep included plenty of betrayals and underhandedness.  Yes they were all at it this time round.  Mathias using Walt to investigate incase he loses his badge, moving the DB.  Malcolm betraying his tribe for money. Cady's relationship with Branch being seen as a betrayal by Walt.  Then Jacob doing much the same in order to profit.  With everything coming to a head cos it's the penultimate ep.  Walt being unable to answer Henry when he tells him about the Denver detective calling him.  Well, it just keeps us hanging on for longer. Though it had to be about his wife.

Mika did have a point aboutd being angry his father was thrown out of the tribe, it's a cultural thing too.  Most of them were elderly so you don't kick them to the wayside when they grow old on the basis of them not having enough Cheyenne blood.  But Jacob's plan all along was to get onto the council somehow and if that involved removing Malcolm and getting Anita in his place, he knew that she' eventually go for removing the 'disenrolling' resolution.  Again the same with Cady, most people would look after their parents instead of seen them as a 'burden' as Walt puts it, again a cultural thing, not palm them off to nursing homes and the like just like Branch's uncle.

Of course now Branch owes Barlow, wonder what his payback will involve, obviously something against Walt.  Branch also betraying Cady in a way as he now tells her he's running cos last time he'd have given up the race if they could be together.  Cady seemingly is a constant source of trouble for Walt.  She was there to look after him, but a year later, she doesn't still have to be there on such a regular basis and she didn't have to lie to him, cos that's kind of the ultimate betrayal between a father and daughter.  Walt would demand a little loyalty at least from his flesh and blood.  Though many can't understand why Walt would blow his top over Cady's secret.  There's no love lost between Barlow and Walt so maybe some of this animosity between them filters down to how Walt sees Branch, though he's capable of doing his job.  Walt has trouble trusting him personally.

Vic directing her wrath at Branch was a good scene about him pooping where he eats, clearly she's not into all this 'inter-office' romance, so it's hard for us to actually envisage her having a relationship with Walt, hoping they won't go down that road, cos it's just not necessary.
Then there was Richard Speight Jr, aka Trickster/Gabriel from Supernatural, who was rearing to make a quick exit from the sheriff's office! Ha.

Saturday, 24 May 2014

Longmire 1.8 "An Incredibly Beautiful Thing" Review

A girl comes into the store barefoot and says they're after her.  A car approaches and she asks the owner, Ellis (Michael L Miller) how much the milk is.  A little mystery all of its won since at first she's terrified and then changes the subject and acts like there's nothing wrong.  He manages to scribble something down on his pad, most likely the number plate of the car and then calls for help asking for a deputy or even Walt (Robert Taylor).  When Walt does arrive, he finds Ellis in the tyres, shot and though he has to move them to take a look at Ellis, he's disturbed the CS, sure, but he had to check on Ellis.  Ruby (Louanne Stephens) also arrives, first time we've seen her at a CS and is sorry she should have done more.  Vic (Katee Sackhoff) collects evidence and takes some blood for analysis, sometimes gotta ask why since we're not really going to see any forensics, even if it's just procedure.

Walt finds a camera in the moosehead or was it a deer, wasn't paying attention to it, ha.  On the footage, they see the girl and see Ellis write on the pad.  Though the paper's gone, the pad is still there and just knew the old scribbling on the page with a pencil ploy was coming. They're 3 partial numbers of a plate and Ferg (Adam Bartley) tells Vic they're the numbers for another county.  By the way, Walt's not into his tech, but he does think Ellis may have some sort of hidden camera.  Probably not take him much for being a hunter so it had to be on the wall for some reason.

Sometimes it's good when Vic asks such questions, like the number plate or has to be filled in on things that are new to her, being an outsider herself, but other times it's a little frustrating to have her ask obvious questions, or at least what should be obvious to her since she's not a novice deputy like Ferg.  So the girl left footprints and Walt asks Henry (Lou Diamond Phillips) to track them to see where she came from.  Telling him he needs Ferg to go with him cos she may be armed.  Though he's reluctant, he has no choice.  They head out and Henry finds a toe print leading him to the woods cos it's the direction where she came from. Ferg bugs Henry about being taught to track as an Outbound scout and Henry replies he needs to concentrate and that includes not having a conversation.  In the woods, Ferg finds some mineral which is native to Brazil and isn't found here, thus Henry sees it's a trail of breadcrumbs.  Following them they come to a shack and find a baby inside a rabbit hutch.

They think the missing girl could be his mother and Walt gets her photo put out on the wire.  Soon her parents, Johnson (Steven Culp) and Maureen Mace (Kate McNeil) turn up and tell them Evelyn (Abbie Cobb) went missing.  She was charged with shoplifting and she is kind of messed up but they need to find her.  Branch (Bailey Chase) pesters Walt to put out a reward for her cos they can afford it.  That's nice so if she was just some poor kid, she'd have no hope of being found.

Vic finds the three numbers from the car are registered to a mining company in the next county and Vic was able to get h husband to arrange a meeting with the manager.  Walt tells her to thank him but she got the info on the basis that Walt have nothing to do with it.  The manager is reluctant to talk saying they'll need warrants and Walt reminds him of how the press had a field day on one of their other cases ad then they'll come back and waster his time.  He relents and gives them the address of the man who drives their car.  They drive there and talk with Leland (John Pyper-Ferguson) who leases his land to the mining company.  He recalls the crazy woman from the store and the store owner as he drove into for fuel.  Also adding he's the only one who drives that car.  Well that was a big giveaway as to who the guilty party was.  He recalls she got into a black SVU and he was a little scared of her.  Yeah he sure look liked he'd be scared of anything.

Walt later gets a visit from the local sheriff, Jim (Tom Wopat) of the other county who's waiting in his office and isn't happy about Walt going in there without him or even asking him.  The company paid for his campaign and he doesn't believe that's relevant, there's no backhanders out here.  Walt asks Ferg where they found the baby and he waits for the girl to return.  When she does, it's not Evelyn.  Her name's October (Sonja Kinski) and she says April/Evelyn isn't the mother but they share the baby.  They are a family of sisters.  Vic asks about the cult and she gets defensive.  She's allowed to leave and just sits outside on the bench.  Which creeps out Vic and Ferg.  Of course she's waiting for the baby.

Henry still follows the tracks which lead him to the company and he's arrested by the security men who drive a black SVU, well that was a red herring.  Walt has to pick up Henry and after agreeing to the reward, they get some time wasters but one man tells them his wife is a midwife and she delivered a baby.  He wants his cheque.  Talking with Katherine (Margaret Easley) she tells them of being blindfolded and driven somewhere they crossed the train tracks.  She was threatened if she told anyone about it and needed the money which is why she went.  Ferg tells Walt via Branch's mobile, that October, real name Fiona Hines is a missing person too.  Branch saying he needs to get his own phone and Walt replying he doesn't need one.  No, cos he's got other peoples' phones, ha.

October snatches the baby from the social worker as Cady (Cassidy Freeman) walks her to the car, again knew that was coming and Branch follows her to do the same and she wants him to stop calling her.  Vic realizes she's gone and turns out a car comes for her, as Branch manages to help with saving the baby.  Vic rolls over the car and is injured, but only enough where she just needs an icepack.  Lucky she had time to put on her jacket then before she ran out, otherwise she may have gotten more serious injuries.  She recalls the number of the car and Ferg finds the car is registered to Fiona in her real name.  The judge refuses to sign the search warrant to search Leland's house cos they don't have any solid evidence.

Heading to Leland's house again, the sheriff admits to Walt he didn't think it strange he was living here with all these girls.  Don't know what to make of that especially considering he's all alone out here.  Ugh, small town mentality, maybe he was only turning a blind eye.  Walt wants to know that he'll back him up.  They find Leland inside and the girls all gone and he is about to reach for his gun but doesn't.  Outside he's sick after Walt sticks his finger down his throat, eeww!!  Rather you than me!  Cos he's taken poison but Walt tells him he won't let him die.  Driving back he talks about choices and the like, which in a roundabout way is meant to lead back to Walt and the things he's done and his choices too.  His time has come now cos of the baby being born, which spells his demise.  Or the kind of wacko thinking these cults come up with. Anyway whilst waiting at the train crossing, Walt recalls the mural on the wall of a girl with the sun behind her and floating over what looks like the desert.  He realizes he's tied them to the train line and needs the train to be stopped.  Only it's Evelyn who's been tied.  The others were drugged and so were placed there.  Reaching the girls, he must move them from the line and Branch reaches the train and the brakes are applied but not sure where it'll stop.  All the girls are rescued and the train stops too late, ain't that the way.  Cady brings Evelyn her baby.

Some nice touches in this ep, in flashback again we see that Henry was with Walt in Denver and he was meant to use his tracking skills to help him found someone, assuming his wife's killer.  Ferg proves to be useful here with his mineral knowledge, also it helps that he collects minerals too.  Which some would think is a pretty outlandish hobby, but it works.  Ferg aims to be more of  help than a hindrance as he's not written in this way in the books.  He's more hapless.  Anyway he's learned his lesson form 1.3 A Damn Shame and checks out the social worker's ID before he lets her take the baby.  But another plot hole why let the baby leave when they know the cult will be after him.

Branch getting to highlight  the fact Walt doesn't read a newspaper, bad for his re-election if he's not up on current affairs.  Though that wasn't called for especially since Walt acts upon his suggestion of a reward, which surprises him too.  Maybe he can come up with a few ideas that are helpful.  Ruby writes an obit for Ellis which Walt likes.  Cos she asked him about it, wondering why he'd be such an expert on obits, considering he's just lost his wife a year ago and well, he isn't quite over it.

Henry telling the security man he's Tonto and they'd be kemosabe.  Then the punch up and Henry putting his hands up and adding, "how."  Yeah typically stereotypical for them! Ha.  Once more it's cult members from the neighbouring county who encroach into their town and make trouble.  Also with sheriff Jim being peeved Walt invaded his territory, understandable, cos Walt would feel the same way over his turf.

Suppose the trail of mineral chunks from Brazil was meant to point to the manger as a possible suspect, since he said he thought he'd seen and left behind all the corruption in South America.  Either that or the hole in the fence probably meant that Evelyn had been sneaking in there, so maybe got hold of some he might have brought back with him, she was arrested for shoplifting after all.  Otherwise it was another little unexplainable plothole.  The title obviously being a reference to Walt, ha!!

Wednesday, 21 May 2014

The Vampire Diaries 5.21 "Promised Land" Review

                                                         
This time round it's for Damon (Ian Somerhalder) to get poetic, well kind of as he holds Sikes hostage to glean the whereabouts of Markos (Raffi Barsoumian) only he's not talking even after he's been tortured by him.  Caroline (Candace Accola) arrives and is shocked to see  him cos he opened her first savings account for her.  Damon telling her about the town being taken over by Travellers, didn't she already know.  She wants to help Tyler (Michael Trevino) cos she doesn't give up on people, or hybrids.  Elena (Nina Dobrev) and Stefan (Paul Wesley) have their blood drained from them as if Markos hadn't got enough and Elena throws back the blood he gives her to drink on his face.  She wants to be freed cos she's given him the blood.  Maria (Tamara Austin) releases Stefan and lets him escape.  He comes for Elena, of course that was Stefan and not Markos Elena, what was she doing, suffering from hallucinations.

They leave but don't know where they are and Stefan calls Damon collect, they still do that.  He has been looking for him which is news to Stefan.    Damon says he's donning his superhero wig now.  As Elena tries to catch squirrels for blood, ha.  She's not really good at doing much is she.  They walk and try to hitch a ride but it doesn't work.  Then she thinks of Caroline and her cheery attitude towards everything, deciding they should be more like her and she wants her best friend here.  Stefan appears be to rather quiet about Caroline though, wonder why.  What happened to Bonnie (Kat Graham) she seems to have thrown her by   the wayside, is she no longer her best friend too and she's dating her brother.

Liv (Penelope Mitchell) tells Luke (Chris Brochu) they failed in their attempts to stop the Travellers or even kill one of the doppelgangers, cos if one dies, then the Travellers will be defeated.  Damon tells Bonnie to get Liv to hurry up with her spell to save the other side and so bring back Enzo (Michael Malarkey) and save herself too.  Enzo is throwing things at Damon cos he hasn't done anything to help him, which is where Bonnie comes in.  Jeremy (Steven R McQueen) arrives and Damon wants him and Matt (Zach Roerig) to come with him, as they bring the Traveller bodies to the house.  Well that wasn't a bright idea considering they'll be a bit too close to home.

Elena decides to go into sexy mode, ha, it'll never work to find a ride and Mariaia comes for them cos she also, wants her husband back.  Elena even asking her if she could take a bite out of her, really.  No self restraint especially after she saved her.   Caroline tells Tyler/Julian she's not giving up on him even if Tyler is no longer in him.  The townsfolk break their vials of blood and all gather in the own square chanting. Seems like they're out of time since the spell is beginning.  As Stefan et all arrive, Liv and Luke stop them and try to kill one of them, killing Maria in the process.  But they are drained of their powers.  Damon leaves a note for Markos in the caves and Markos comes a-calling.  Damon telling him it would be polite to knock.

He makes himself at home and isn't perturbed when Damon threatens the Travellers.  He decides on how he'd like to decorate Salvatore mansion.  Julian speaks to Damon telepathically and tells him Markos doesn't know he's here.  Damon shows Markos the wine cellar and passes the key to Julian.  Stefan and Elena burn as their rings no longer work and need to get to cover.  Matt shows them a way out below the bar as Elena recalls drowning and begins to cough up water.  Stefan is also shot and recalls this is how he died.  They need to get far away from the town, but as Markos told Damon, the spell will eventually get all round the world and rid the magic of the witches and destroy everything they created.  Only pure Traveller magic will remain.

Damon also begins to burn as Julian attacks Markos but it's too late as he loses his fangs.  That was funny. Markos lets Damon leave so he can get a head start before the spell catches up on him.  Meanwhile Caroline and Bonnie pack and Enzo wants to get back here.  But he overhears Bonnie telling Caroline there's no spell to save anyone.  Julian finds Stefan and Caroline as they meet up and go their separate ways.  He finds out Maria is dead and tears Stefan's heart from his body.  Elena kisses Damon cos she had a rotten day in a repeat of what he said to her last ep.  Realizing she wants to be with him after all.

Bonnie thinks that if they can get to Maria she can recite the spell and reverse it but she slips away from Enzo.  That went up in smoke or in the air! Ha.  That was their only chance and she can't do anything now, as Stefan appears to Bonnie, she realizes he's dead.  Well he was dead anyway being a vampire.  Well at least we got some fun scenes out of Damon and Caroline and even with Markos to lighten things up.  Hey, Damon fighting Markos was one sided but he gave it his best shot.  But Elena wanting Damon again was just a bit of a turn off, cos they keep going back to it over and over.

If magic disappeared and all other things it created then there'd be no next season, so let's hope it won't be dragged out for long in season 6.  But that might be stretching things a little considering this season was hit and miss.  So where did Liv and Luke disappear to?

Tuesday, 20 May 2014

The Mentalist 6.21 "Black Hearts" Review

                                                   
What another couch scene with them both! Ha
At the deserted hospital where Cho (Tim Kang) and Abbot (Rockmond Dunbar) discovered the dead girls, it's found their organs were harvested and that the remaining girls are missing.  Fischer (Emily Swallow) wants to know what she can do and Abbot wants her to see who was at this hospital.  Fischer also tells them that the Kasimi brothers are dead and were killed in jail.  Lots of plot holes in this ep as the FBI were meant to put the brothers in protective custody and yet they were left in jail and it was obvious they would be killed. Then later on they find that a doctor named Alexander Lark (Robert Joy) has had his licence revoked and was operating on the girls, killing them to remove their organs.

Wylie (Joe Adler) is able to find the companies that owned the trucks hiding behind several subsidiaries, the CEO of which is a man named Ridley (Titus Welliver).  Lisbon (Robin Tunney) is offered a lucrative job opportunity in Washington and she tells Don Anderson (David L King) she must think about it.  Pike (Pedro Pascal) tells her he went through a lot of trouble to make sure she was considered for the job.  Patrick (Simon Baker) walks in and says hello to them both and that's about it.  Patrick and Lisbon talk with Ridley who is evasive and at the same time attempts to lead them on a wild goose chase, by telling them he has nothing to hide and that he went through so many companies as it's a tax thing.  His CFO will be happy to show them the books.  Of course Patrick knows he's lying and makes reference to his office being sparse and undecorated.  Ridley adding it's just an office.

Cho and Fischer find Lark's daughter (April (Magda Apanowicz) and she doesn't know where her father is but he used to go to a beach at Corpus Christi.  Cho and Fischer find him and arrest him, but Anthony (John Hensley) is given a call by Ridley to make sure they don't get Lark alive.  There's a bomb under his car but he only triggers it after they move away from his car.  Another plot hole since he could have pulled the trigger when Lark was at his car and Cho and Fischer were still inside.  Yet he had to call and get confirmation from Ridley, what was the point of waiting, if he wasn't going to set the bomb off, why plant it.

Lark is shaken up and needs a drink to calm him.  He operated on the girls and at first he thought about how he was killing them but after that he didn't anymore.  Oh Sid how you've fallen from CSI:NY, ha.  He tells them a man would come to pick up the bodies after he harvested the organs and he didn't know his name. But he had a tattoo, 'vini, vedi vichi' (came, saw, conquered) on his arm.  Fischer asks Wylie to check out any leads with the tattoo.  Later Anthony goes to April's house and takes her necklace, which they find in Lark's cell after he's found hanged.  So he must have committed suicide thinking April had been killed or worst subjected to the same fate the other girls were, some would call that poetic justice.  Fischer recognizes the necklace and April is still alive, she hadn't realized her necklace was taken, she thought she lost it. Another plot hole, they still left Lark alone in jail, seems like FBI jails are prone to people getting killed or killing themselves.

They also find that the truck company in which the girls were found in and radar shows the ships and where they are heading and the girls on the move to various location where Ridley had connections, including Columbia.  Daniela (Zuleyka Silver) is told by Cho that he's still searching for her sister and will get her back. They inform the relevant authorities and Cho has a personal message for the Colombian embassy official, Moreno (Luis Fernandez-Gil) saying he needs to get a warrant to search the ships as they come in, adding that he doesn't want to make an enemy out of Cho.   Lark also recalled seeing a man from Nigeria at Ridley's house asking for a transplant and he was an oil company official.  He remembers his gold watch cos it was like the one that he had too.

Lisbon and Patrick pay a call on Ridley's house and Patrick looks at the photos.  Ridley tells him he's put them there cos his wife wanted them there, but Patrick knows that Ridley put them there to intimidate people.  He knows Ridley's lying.   The Nigerian man was at a party a few weeks ago and looking at the photos from the event management company, Fischer remarks on how Lisbon would prefer to be doing this with Patrick, cos they always work together.  Lisbon adds they don't, but yes they used to an awful lot in the past.  Lisbon telling a lie there, she's probably gotten good at it over the years working with Patty, yes you do and you have! Ha.

Patrick is in the evidence vault and takes some pills from there and some medical clothes asking Lisbon what size she is, cos he's got a plan but she won't like it cos she'll have to lie and deceive.  This she goes along with since the Nigerian man is alerted to the FBI searching for him by Ridley and he leaves the country.  Nice scene where Lisbon brought Patrick tea and woke him up with it.  Telling him that she's always liked his couch.  Oh Patty, we know it's going to be dragged out but still nothing from either of them.  She gets a call which he tells her to answer.  They've never sat like that before in the context of each one wanting the other to speak up but it was a touching scene.

Lisbon also tells Cho about her job offer and he recalls the first day he came to work with her and he almost left cos of Rigsby.  But he stayed cos of her and he liked the way she worked.  She hugs him and he says they're having Chinese for lunch.  Cho: "I wouldn't be where I am today if it wasn't for you, whatever decision you make it's been an honour.  Seems Lisbon has done a lot for her former team and she's an asset even now.  Patrick talks with Ridley at his home and he offers him whiskey which is actually Japanese whiskey and not Scotch as Patrick thinks.  Ridley shows him the bottle and Patrick drugs his glass.  He passes out and he wakes to see Lisbon in scrubs and Patrick in the same 'operating' on a patient.  Patrick pretends to cut him open and Lisbon drips fake blood from a sponge onto the floor, finally the patient's arm flops from the covers and the tattoo is revealed.  Of course it's really Wylie who enjoyed his role as Lisbon hands him a hanky later on to clean his arm.

Patrick then attempts to cut open Ridley and he finally gives Lisbon the password to his encrypted laptop containing the transactions he's entered into.  In an earlier scene Patrick waits for Ridley outside when he's released and he confesses to him that he took the girls but it was for the greater good of saving politicians, philanthropists and those much worthy.  Patrick says he understands cos over the years he's come across many psychopaths and monsters, yeah hasn't he!  Abbott asks Lisbon ad Patrick if what Ridley says is true that they forced him into confessing and tried to cut him open but Patrick says it's not true and then Abbot asks Lisbon on her own, adding that she's a good agent and honest, he knows Patrick is a liar and she flat out blatantly lies to him to save Patty!  Ahh.  In this case Patrick's ends justify the means! The girls are found and Cho reunites Daniela with her sister.

Pike returns and she agrees to leave for Washington with him, he then proposes to her and she's surprised. Patrick was sitting a few feet away and can't believe he didn't look up and see them kissing!  He wasn't that engrossed in his book.  Lisbon comes back for her bag and tells him she didn't tell Abbot anything for which he thanks her.  Patrick says goodnight to her.  Funny scenes where Patrick and Lisbon were faking the organ removal as Lisbon sponges him with blood though the blood on his scrubs kept changing from a bit to a lot at the front.

Patrick saying, "we make a good team sometimes."  Last time Patrick brought her coffee this time she brings him tea and really the time to talk isn't at work cos they won't be alone there in terms of not being interrupted.   As for Pike's proposal it came at the wrong time cos it was rushed and he even said it himself, that this isn't the romantic place to ask, but it's just so he thinks he can hold onto her in this way.  Lisbon isn't too happy with it either and she doesn't tell Patrick.  Pike is being forceful, first he gives her the time to decide about Washington and then he comes up with the job offer for her to begin with, then the proposal. Give her some space!  But not as much as Patty is giving her.  Not to mention Patty (Simon) getting a hair cut the next day after he left Lisbon with the cannoli!!

So the girls are found, the creeps going to get put away and that just leaves Patty and Lisbon to admit their feelings and stop her from leaving, which we know is inevitable since there's a season 7.  But still it's been dragged out.  I know it took CBS a while to make their mind up about a season 7 but at least we would have got the ending most of us wanted if season 6 had turned out to be the end of a fave show.  Hopefully it will go to a full season of 22 eps!

Monday, 19 May 2014

Revenge 3.20 "Revolution" Review

Emily: "A revolution begins when the desires of many are addressed by the actions of one.  It's a ripple of change that starts when the first stone is cast at those in power and only ends when one side lies defeated or if two sides become one."

Conrad (Henry Czerny) cornered Aiden (Barry Sloane) in the car park when he's searching for a deserted building and reminds him of what Pascal (Olivier Martinez) did to Oscar and that if he doesn't get him what Pascal has on him, then he'll alert Pascal to Aiden's whereabouts.  This means Emily (Emily VanCamp) must find another building, as she and Nolan (Gabriel Mann) ponder what names he should give her now.  Of course this is all a rouse for Emily to get her hands on Pascal and make him turn in Conrad and Victoria (Madeleine Stowe).  Pascal meanwhile asks Victoria to marry him and then they'll leave the country.  She thinks they should get married in Corsica as they break the news to Daniel (Josh Bowman) and Margaux (Karine Vanasse).  Pascal also congratulating Daniel on his coup with the new software App which will mean the LaMarchal name can now branch out into new social media.

Aiden and Emily kidnap Pascal and she pretends to be Agent Rebecca Stone of Homeland Security.  She was undercover for three years digging up the dirt on the Grayson's.  She wants what he has on Conrad or she threatens him with prison but he's not talking.  She then asks for his phone and reads out a section of the Patriot Act which states he can't ask for a lawyer.  On the phone all Nolan can find is a message about Daniel and Gideon and Prince Rainier not being happy, but Conrad thinks it's more than that.  Pascal was bluffing.  Emily then shows him notes from her file about his timeline and the note he wrote about Aiden's father.  She wants him to wear a wire to the opening of the Myclone launch party and to get Conrad and Victoria to confess.  But he won't give up Victoria.  Emily lets him have her, so she'll find out how he was playing her.  Victoria realizing Emily planned the entire wedding and the shooting on the boat to get her. Pascal can help her with Emily but she doesn't want him involved.

Conrad tries to warn Victoria about Pascal too and he admits he has a pain inside which she hopes is his appendix bursting.  He loved her once and she tells him Pascal loves her now.  He wants her to know that he's using her and once they're married she can't testify against him.  As well as making her corroborate Pascal's story against Conrad's claims.  When Pascal returns he wants to leave the country immediately and Victoria tries to find out where he's been and if he was with the same people he met the other day, since Conrad also told her about Oscar and that Pascal had killed him.  He heads for a shower and she finds the card in his pocket, which she calls and gets a voicemail about reaching Homeland Security.

Victoria tells Daniel about this who tells her it must have been cos of his rouse with Interpol.  He had a friend who owed him a favour and so he must have been aware of Pascal's cooking the books.  Victoria thinks it's all Daniel's fault that Homeland Security has surfaced but he tells her he's not the bad guy here.  Daniel runs straight to Conrad warning him of the agent and they wanted to protect themselves against Pascal.  Conrad adding that he hasn't been implicated yet since he's still here.  Daniel also warned Margaux that Pascal is leaving the country and wants to take Victoria to different countries, meaning once he's back in Paris she'll no longer be running the empire.  She talks to Pascal about this and he agrees to giving her the position of CEO in writing as she tells him Gideon still thinks he'll be CEO.  Sneaky Daniel, thinking he's being clever working everyone and playing them against each other.  

Charlotte (Christa B Allen) receives a letter which appears to be from David and she tells Victoria about this who thinks it's just someone playing a sick joke.  Victoria in her Special K red dress, ha.  She takes the letter so Charlotte doesn't have it and later she shows it to Jack (Nick Wechsler) as she found another two letters in her vanity.  So either Victoria thinks they're really from David or she was trying to protect Charlotte.  She wanted Jack to show her his journal since Amanda showed them to her and she thinks the writing is the same.  Jack doesn't have them but he knows of a way to help.  He asks Nolan to examine the postmark and as it's digital, he find sit leads to a cabin and a Kurt Renner (Linc Hand).  Jack wants to help her so at east he's got one woman in his life.  But Jack doesn't tell Emily this, who better to also recognize David's writing than Emily or didn't he think she had the right to know.

At the cabin they find lots of info on David, clearly someone had been researching him and as Jack tells Charlotte if David really wrote the letters then why would he need info about himself.  Jack takes a ring from the table which has the initials 'DC' on it and as they leave a mysterious man returns, knowing they've been there.  Jack tells her the police can't do anything about the letters but she wants to walk home by herself.  As the man watches Jack through the Stowaway window.  Charlotte is kidnapped bya masked man on the beach.

At the opening Nolan isn't invited but he gets in after showing the man that his name is on the hardware which gives him an automatic invite.  Victoria is there and she tells Pascal they should leave right now.  Margaux and Daniel introduce the software and Pascal announces Margaux is the new CEO.  Javier (Henri Esteve) asks some questions to Charlotte's App clone like what she wants to do for her birthday and she replies get high and have a party, at which the audience laughs.  He then asks a woman in the audience where she'd like to go and they'll send her there.  Her APP picks Sarajevo and she's angry cos her family were massacred there.  Margaux saves the day by telling them there will be glitches as it's in the early stages and Daniel gets the chance to fire Javier cos the APP is there's now.  As they say, serves you right Javier.  Nolan admits to Emily that he got into everyone's profiles and changed them.

Pascal is seen with Conrad and they head for the roof.  Emily runs up the stairs and Victoria follows them too.  On the roof Conrad asks if he wants to go back to the Hampton's with him so they can talk, yeah or get thrown from the helicopter, but it was obvious what was coming next.  Emily arrives just in time to see Conrad push Pascal into the helicopter blades.  Victoria is shocked when she arrives and knows Conrad did it on purpose but the police believe it was an accident since the pilot shares the same story of the events. That came after Pascal said he wanted to move on but Conrad wanted to ensure his neck wouldn't be on the line in the future.

Emily realizes that Conrad needs to be stopped at all costs and she has a plan for this.  Daniel is sorry for Victoria and tells her if the Feds were in on this then where are they now.  She calls the number to find it's been disconnected.  Giving her the notion that maybe it was Emily behind it since she was after Victoria all along.  Does this mean she'll go after Aiden now seeing as he's the man Emily loves and exact her own revenge, or will it be Conrad who does this.  I mean it's obvious that's what's going to happen.  See that smirk on Daniel's face when he was trying to comfort Victoria saying he wasn't the one behind this.  No Daniel you weren't.  Especially since he blatantly lies and tells her he didn't tell Conrad about the Feds.  He has that same look in his eyes when he comforts Margaux.  Now she's CEO and the world's his oyster since all he has to do is to get close to her again and now's as good a time as any since she's vulnerable.

Seems like the mysterious stalker is someone who knows David, a relative, another son, or someone who knows about him.  Surely if David was alive he would have let Emily/Amanda know this a long time ago instead of making her suffer.  If David is really alive that kind of turns the entire three seasons of Revenge on their head since the story should never have been about Emily's revenge to begin with.  Maybe Javier could have got someone to kidnap Charlotte since she was the one who made him deal with Daniel, he would have such connections being inside and everything.  Never trust a con Charlotte.

Emily: "To succeed a revolution requires absolute dedication against overwhelming odds.  At a moment's notice the tide can turn and every casualty stokes the fire to win at any cost. Because the only guarantee in a revolution is that the innocent are the first to fall."

But Charlotte isn't really so innocent, especially taking sides with Daniel and spying on Conrad to name but a few instances of deceit in her boring life.  That means Victoria is after Conrad too now, but doesn't look like she and Emily will be friends though.

Another of Nolan's jackets and he was shocked to see Javier copying his exclusive style too!  Obviously Emily didn't wear a long dress or she wouldn't have been able to run up the stairs and boy there were plenty of stairs.  Victoria hasn't been sitting on her throne, er, chair lately, seems plenty of things go wrong when she doesn't sit in it.  Too much time in the bedroom and balcony.  Seems like the only one she has left to trust is Patrick since son number 2 is obviously just like dad!

Sunday, 18 May 2014

Longmire 1.7 "8 Seconds" Review

A man is being beaten with a boot underneath a painting of Sitting Bull and the assailant strikes the man with a belt buckle.  Lethal weapons are these buckles but they do feature strongly.
Whilst Vic (Katee Sackhoff) is engaged in extra curricular activities with her husband, Sean (Michael Mosley) who we get to see now and first impressions and all that but he's not really husband material, she gets a call asking for her help at the bar.  Vic tells him she's all Walt's (Robert Taylor) got and she'll be back in two hours.  He's used to her being a blonde now and they always have more fun, but strikes me that she's not really into her husband anymore as we've seen from past  eps, yet she's just into him for the sex, even better cos it's make up sex cos they're arguing, but haven't really made up, not that  we know of, which means it's even better and hotter!  Now maybe that was too much info! ha.  Anyway, Sean's blonde reference is an allusion to the books.

Apparently Walt had a few too many and needs a ride home, which she isn't happy about and he wasn't hat drunk, but of course he's Walt and will do the right thing in not drinking and driving.  He apologizes for disturbing her and she says she was having sex with her husband, clearly a word Walt doesn't like to use. Also he adds that must have been really good for her husband.  She then gets a call over the radio about alarms sounding at a house and when they arrive at Vic finds a man unconscious but alive.  As they place him into Walt's Bronco his wife arrives.  Though he appears to be sober now, which is kind of strange considering he could walk normally and tells her he'll be her back up.  Walt did find the belt buckle and that it's covered in blood.  Surprised the assailant didn't leave behind any of his own blood, but we're not into forensics in this show!  Oops, sorry I mentioned it!  Though we did manage a laugh or two out of the Sublette name, especially since here subletting refers to letting out your property as a tenant, ha.

At the hospital, Chris (Eb Lottimer) was beaten. The doctor telling Walt that Chris is alive cos he acted quickly.  But he's in a coma.  Julia (Stacy Haiduk) tells Walt he sponsors rodeo riders and had dropped Levi Giggs (Shawn Hatosy).  They find that a painting was stolen, 'Custer's Last Fight' but it was a reproduction leaving them to ponder why this would be stolen if it was a fake.  Walt takes a look at the painting in a book, naturally, the original was allegedly burned in a fire.  With Branch (Bailey Chase) remarking he liked the jacket, hey a dig at Walt's own jacket no doubt in a roundabout way, ha. So Custer's jacket had a fringe. But Walt thinks the beating is more of a personal thing than about a painting.  Ferg (Adam Bartley) has to check out Julia's alibi.  Vic drops Walt off at the Red Pony and he tells her to get some rest cos it'll be her first rodeo.  As Walt gets into his Bronco he sees a painted face in  the back and orders him out.  It's Bob (John Bishop) the rodeo clown.

Uh-oh Sean pull sup when Vic is otherwise occupied fending off the advances of Bob and reminds her she's eight hours late, then asks if he can take her for breakfast.  Swear he thinks there's something between Walt and Vic, or he's just a plain ass!  Especially since he posits he'd hate to separate them even for a few hours. Walt tells them to go and have breakfast on him.  Bob didn't know she was married and Walt adds, "we all have our little secrets."  Don't we just, another loaded comment from Walt,  ensuring the mystery deepens!

Ending up at the rodeo and taking Branch too where it turns out to be an election appearance for him as he graciously accepts the applause, with Walt having to pry him away from his ardent admirers.  He tells Branch to fill up a bucket and throw water onto the ground.  Obviously he was going to get Levi to walk into the wet patch.  That way he'd get an imprint of his boot since boots were involved in Chris's beating.  They question Levi but he only has eyes for Vic who's quite sicked by his attention.  First her husband, then Bob and now Levi, seems she gets all the attention from the wrong men.  Levi was dropped but insists he quit and was accused of mistreating the horses.  Walt notices Levi's bruised knuckles and the belt buckle but he says he was out drinking and with the ladies too.  He steps into the mud as he shakes Branch's hand and Walt tells him to take a photo on his phone after dropping a quarter next to it.  Branch picks up the coin when he's done.

As they leave, Lizzie (Katherine La Nasa) bumps into them and offers Walt candy floss (cotton candy) and says that she got his call last night but he hung up.  He says she must be wrong but she recalls his number and he says he must have misdialled, but why has he still got her number to begin with, you know case closed and all that from last time, but to be fair he had been drinking, so perhaps a momentary lapse in judgement when he rang her.  Walt 's uneasy with Branch and Vic watching him and when she leaves after telling him to leave the phone ringing next time, Branch adds that these days they've caller ID.  Walt talks with Dennis Nunn (Patrick Fabian) the rodeo vet, cos the more suspects the merrier.  Also showing Walt's love for horses still which we saw in A Damn Shame earlier on.  Dennis tells him about a rider using a 'hot shot,' a cattle prod  and that it was Levi as his son , Zack (Calum Worthy) has evidence of him doing this.  He would hide it in his chaps and used it on the horses to make them buck more.  The rod can cause a heart attack, clue for later.

Branch tells Vic he's worried about Wat since he was drunk at a CS and Vic is angry cos he's just digging around for ammo to use against him but he acted in a responsible manner.  Walt arrives and interrupts telling them about Levi.  He used a cattle prod and he identifies his heel as a Buckeroo heel worn by bronco riders.  Ferg says that Julia's alibi checks and that she was seen with her husband at 9.40, or at least a man that the waiter described as good looking.  Meaning she was with another man when Chris was being beaten.  Vic storms in telling Walt Branch is keeping with Julia.  That was a bold statement to make and where's her evidence, especially since she sees Branch pouring a cup of coffee, did this remind her of the coffee conversation he had with Cady (Cassidy Freeman) back in 1.5 Dog Soldier. Anyway she was jumping to conclusions and kind of putting Walt on the spot.

Branch brings food and couldn't find anyone to alibi Levi.  Walt is direct saying he knows he's sleeping with someone and he has a right to know who that is.  Branch thinks he's busted, oh no, but Walt is completely oblivious, he means Julia.  Branch denies it and Walt stares him right in the eyes so has no choice but to see he's not lying.  Walt also knows Bracnh heard he was drunk at the CS and only two people could have told him, Julia or Vic.  It wouldn't be Vic since she defended him but there's a third possibility as we get to meet Branch's father, Barlow Connolly (Gerald McRaney).  Walt pays him a visit saying he knows he was having an affair with Julia.  An old fashioned term to use, since Barlow denies this, they were just having sex, again something Walt doesn't like it say.  Barlow refuses to swear to that in a court as he thinks Walt will use that as leverage for his campaign and shy away from the question of being drunk on the job.  Walt is angry, it' about a man being beaten but Barlow disagrees.

Julia admits she loves her husband and they brought the painting on the black market.  The painting is worth between $3-400,000.  Leading one again to Levi. At their house Walt matches the boot print to the one in the photo but Walt says it doesn't mean it was Levi but it doesn't rule him out either.  He sees an overturned framed photo and then in the bedroom, he finds photos of Julia and Chris in the drawer.  Why would they hide a celebration of their love?  Walt then comes clean to Vic that he cheated on his wife once and she's surprised.  He feels guilty for calling Lizzie and to him that's akin to cheating.  Vic knows cheaters can rationalize what they do and she's talking about herself when she says they sometimes find they married the wrong person.  Not the case for Walt though and he knows he's not ready to move on and it's not easy to do that.

At the hospital, Walt questions Chris who is out of his coma and when he asks about his wife and having an affair he becomes agitated and pulls out his IV trying to kill himself.  Walt also realizes that the prod can cause a heart attack and as he looks at his medical chart he asks the doctor what he's really suffering from. Apparently Chris had a heart attack.  Walt looks at the photos Zack took and a bumper sticker is shown for obvious reasons, reading: "Bronco riders do it in 8 seconds."  Which you're not meant to get the relevance of yet, but it was relevant otherwise it wouldn't have been shown. Walt asks what sort of prod it is.  Then finds one of his own and takes it to Henry (Lou Diamond Phillips).  Walt wants him to shock him.  Henry won't do that and thinks Walt is trying to absolve himself of guilt.  That his wife is dead and he isn't, Henry adds, "it is what it is."  Walt hates that phrase and that's why Henry used it.  Walt is serious and Henry reminds him he used to be fun and then finally shocks him.

Cady tells Branch she hates sneaking around and lying and wants this to end.  Branch isn't happy about that and is adamant he will drop the race for sheriff if he has to.  She doesn't want him to change his life for her. Walt talks with Levi who is about to impress a bunch of prospective sponsors and asks for 8 seconds.  Later he accuses him of shocking Chris and  Walt pulls up his shirt to show him the marks, not an out right shirtless scene but guess it counts for something, ha!   Vic finds someone tried to pawn the painting.  A farmer found it at the back of his truck and Bob recalls someone there advertizing his own humiliation with the bumper sticker. Leading to the Nunns. They all drive the truck so he takes all three in.

Langley (Jodi Harris) thought Dennis was having an affair with Julia and so asked Zack to follow him.  Walt grabs his boot and shows the imprints match his boot.  At the Sublette house, he looked through the window but didn't see Julia, instead he saw Chris.  He got angry when he called him 'son' and just beat him up.

Branch and Barlow go riding and Barlow reminds him how his ancestors made Wyoming what it is.  Asking why he hasn't used Walt's drinking against him.  Branch replying he wasn't and he saved Chris's life as well as solving the case.  Clearly he admires Walt and still has much to learn from him.  He thinks about not running against Walt right now, but Barlow doesn't want him to give up, it's his time.  But Branch doesn't use his drinking against him.  He wants Branch to find something he can use cos he's hiding something.
Walt invites Lizzie to the bar and they both giggle like it's a first date, which it is for them together but not for them.

Branch seems to be misunderstood by everyone doesn't he.  He is keeping secrets obviously about his relationship with Cady, but at the same time he does see Walt as something of a mentor.  Can't help thinking he wanted to get out of the race for sheriff just so he could keep on seeing Cady and maybe even come clean about it, not that that'll happen yet, cos everyone is keeping their own secrets.  Though this ep was another about feeling guilty for Walt and Cady, for lying about her affair, there used Walt's old fashioned word, but hey it's appropriate and Walt cos of his wife and for thinking that going out with another woman, or contemplating it, is cheating on his wife.  Hey it's only been a year and with his 'baggage' he doesn't have to move on just now or already.

Vic just wants hubby back cos they have great sex together since last few eps she has been complaining about him and wanting her to move again.  Seems she is better off without him and as such even mentions people marrying the wrong person.  Though Walt wouldn't be the right one for her, and I'm not one who will 'ship' them to use that phrase, which I don't really like using for any show that I like or write about.  They're better off as being friends.  As for Walt and Lizzie, well she's another one who's not right for him, she's rather flighty and school girly, clearly not someone Walt can find true happiness or love with. Maybe she's just someone to wile away the lonely hours with but that's it.  Oh did I just write that, sounds  a bit demeaning towards her, but hey only being honest.

Zack being angry with his father must have been building up for a long time and not just cos he saw him with Chris, maybe he's done this before and the rage has been building over the years, or the fact that he was unfaithful to his mother.  Barlow's funny line of telling Branch to "just marry him" if he's so enamoured! Doubt that'd work, ha!  But funny coming in this ep about husbands having secret affairs with one other.  Also adding that Walt's "not as pure as you think."  Ooh daddy seems to know so much about him!  Gerald McRaney showing why he's always a dab hand in his shows.  Best known for detective series Simon & Simon here.

Wednesday, 14 May 2014

The Vampire Diaries 5.20 "What Lies Beneath" Review

                                               
Now that they know the Traveller's are after Elena (Nina Dobrev) and Stefan (Paul Wesley) as Tyler (Michael Trevino) manages to turn into a werewolf and escape and warns them of what Markos (Raffi Barsoumian) has in mind.  They decide it would be good to hide out in Caroline's (Candace Accola) father's cabin.  Yeah who thought of that idea, Damon (Ian Somerhalder) ha, instead of laying low let's go isolate ourselves instead. Luke (Chris Brochu) goes with them to chant a spell to ensure the Travellers don't find them.  Caroline thinks that Stefan and Elena are romantically linked again and tries to find out if this is true, but Damon thinks they're hiding something else, something about Enzo (Michael Malarkey)

So they that game a little like Truth or Dare but instead you talk about what really happened to you and you take a drink if you're lying.  Well Damon brings up Enzo and Stefan doesn't drink, thus confirming his suspicions that he's got a secret and so has Elena.  When Elena and Stefan collect firewood and spend a long time in the barn, as Caroline puts it, twenty minutes, Enzo finds he can touch the light, thus giving him a whole new plan to his revenge quest.  Yet it is obvious Caroline does have feelings for Stefan even if they say they're just friends.

Bonnie (Kat Graham) and Jeremy (Steven R McQueen) have the entire dorm to themselves and so are trying to make a date weekend out of it.  But he's called and has to head back to help with Tyler.  Grams (Jasmine Guy) appears to Bonnie and tells Bonnie she needs to be honest about what's happening to her and what will happen to her, even though she told Jeremy that Liv thinks there's a spell to save her.  Yeah so where was Liv hiding out.  Grams knocks over a lamp showing that things are getting out of hand on the other side cos she wasn't able to do that before.  Which is good news for Enzo since he's still around and out for revenge.

Matt (Zach Roerig) and Jeremy torture Tyler, or rather Julian to make him give up Markos's whereabouts and he tells them about his body and how Markos is probably heading for it.  They serve him cocktail of vervain before that which makes him speak.  Well it was more the piece of metal that Matt stuck into him. Seems Matty Blue Eyes has it in him to be ruthless after all.

Enzo tries to drown Elena in the bath, that was fun to watch and Damon has to rescue her - again.  She also spills the beans about Enzo being dead and well, she can't keep a secret, wouldn't trust her with anything. It's not like he tortured her or dragged it out of her or anything.  Too late, Damon confronts Stefan about it and then he realizes that Enzo isn't out for one of them but he's going after all of them.  They find Luke gone.  For a witch Luke is so easily captured by everyone.  They search for him and Caroline and Elena have their talk about why she kept it from her and she realizes it wasn't about Elena and Stefan after all, but Caroline did look awfully jealous.  Even when Stefan tells her he kept it to himself cos he didn't want her to feel sad about Enzo cos they looked pretty cushy together.  Adding eh keeps things from Elena too.

Stefan and Damon have their talk and Stefan tells him he didn't want Damon to go on a killing rampage if he knew Enzo was dead, seeing as he doesn't have any friends at all.  Damon replies he wouldn't have done that, but going on past behaviour, there's no guarantee of that.  They find Luke in the barn and as they try to get him out, Enzo sets the place on fire.  Staking Stefan and holding a rock against Damon.  Damon tells him there's a lot happening and Bonnie came back from the other side as did Markos and others so he promises he will find a way to bring him back too.  He believes him and lets Damon go, that all seemed too easy. Funny Stefan didn't race out of there at vampire speed when he had Luke, no he just took his time.

Bonnie and Jeremy get to where the Travellers are hiding the Mystic Falls residence bodies, in the caves, where else, but don't find Julian's body.  Giving time to the Traveller's to take it back.  They burn it and chant spells which doesn't leave much hope for Tyler, who begins to have flashbacks of everything that happened, about Markos destroying the knife.

So at least Damon got to kiss Elena again, cos well he said he needed to and of course she was obliging, but it's not what some of us wanted to see, especially since he just kind of goes running back to her over and over.  They parted now let's see them apart.  Is that too much to ask?! It does seem to be getting old hat and needs a new injection of fresh ideas.  The sooner this happens and the Travellers disappear, the better.  Even though Damon tells her he wouldn't have gone all murderous on them showing he's kind of come a long way.