Ghost Adventures Bringing The Paranormal and Supernatural Home

There are those of us who believe in many phenomena, such as past lives, unexplained events, the paranormal and even the existence of ghosts.  Subjected to years of ridicule and mockery from the sceptics (skeptics) and non believers.  Yet there are many events which happen to people which can't be explained.  They may be seen as coincidences, or as some would say, 'explained away easily by science.'  But science can't explain everything.  Not that I want to sit here and write out any 'detailed scienific' data or exposition.  Although it can be said, the starting point is that there are things, events which can't be disproved in the normal scientific way, but can be explained using scientific data or equipment to help in analysis.  Thus science and faith or belief can go hand in hand, as opposed to people, such as sceptics or scientists saying it's a separate matter and anything gathered cannot be explained or proven.  In some ways, it cannot be adequately disproved either.

Whereas science would have contradicted such findings, debunked them even, it is now at the forefront of proving what people could only talk about once upon a time and be treated with suspicion and as outcasts.

Believing in the paranormal or the unexplained was always thought of as an 'other worldly' concept, that only other cultures, those more primitive or backward would even consider existed.  As said, they would form the subjects of joking and ridicule by those who profess to be in the know and on top of everything.  If there's no proof, it doesn't exist. Even after documented evidence, people still wouldn't, don't believe. Preferring to find other reasons for what may have taken place or of what they've experienced.  Listening to their 'excuses' for not giving in and admitting they may have had a paranormal experience just makes them sound more ludicrous, non sensical and sometimes even grasping at straws.  Peoples' superstitions breed suspicion by those who have no faith from the outset and closed minds.  Feeling they are the voice of reason and sanity and that in today's so-called modern world, there is no room for such beliefs.  Which is nothing more than a step back to the Medieval times and beyond.  The world has moved on since then, or at least civilization has, and really there isn't that room for such doubts anymore.

The supernatural, paranormal has always been of interest to us, not cos we've actually had an experience ourselves, meaning my siblings. But our father did and that's why it's something that is close to us, but it's not the entire reason for believing.  You may recall my Supernatural book for the TV show Dudes and Demons: An Unofficial and Unauthorized Guide to Supernatural (well the less said about that the better, wasn't happy with the way it turned out for many reasons) but if you've read it then you'll remember where I wrote about my father who had an experience. Which I didn't mention in much detail.

With so many myths, legends, urban legends, explored in Supernatural itself, especially the early seasons, it was bound to catch on. Building on our curiosity and the need to find out more.  Separate the fact from the fiction and the myths and the legends from reality.

                                          Love the pose!

SO when Ghost Adventures (GA) came along, it was bound to catch on.  (On Travel Channel in the Us and Really TV in the UK). I blame my sis for getting me hooked.  For one thing it's done eps which have been mentioned in Supernatural, at least I've referred to the places in my book.  Like Myrtles Plantation, which was alluded to in Supernatural episode 2.11 Playthings, along with the hotel being haunted by the ghost of a dead child.  (The Hotel being similar to the one out of Stephen King's The Shining).  This episode also featured creepy dolls for those who have an intense aversion to them, hey Zak.  Don't watch this episode.

Dean: "Wow! This is a lotta dolls. Er, they're nice, they're not super-creepy at all..."  Loving the sarcasm!

But I always said the nanny did it! Anyway, also rating a mention in my book, Dudes and Demons, was Carolands and Magnolia Plantation. Also covered in GA.

Ok, it was meant to be 'hanged' but don't read too much into it, hanged, hung! ha.
Also when I did research on the hauntings, it came up with the name 'Woodruffe' and not 'Winter' as mentioned in GA. Hmm...?  [Goes back to books and Internet!] yes I was right it was Clark Woodruffe, he was the one who had the mistress, Chloe. Winter was the one whose daughter, Katie, died.

 I think it's good to actually get confirmation of ghosts, spirits; something you've read about or heard of, given credibility. Hearing it from others and seeing it, reaffirms the fact that you're not crazy or still living in the days where anything remotely strange would automatically mean 'death by drowning' and be labelled an outcast, a lunatic or witch.  Not that any justification is required for whatever people choose to believe in.  We all have the intelligence (or at least most of us do) to make up our minds and decide for ourselves what w e believe in or what we don't.  No one needs to make fun of it, or put others down.

Supernatural was ten years ago, GA was ten years ago too, or I should say, the documentary Nick and Zak and Aaron filmed was ten years ago; my father passing away will also be ten years this October, so even if some of us only just discovered the show like us, I guess there could be a little bit of fate involved in that too, or make of it what you will.

Funny though when watching some eps of GA how I always get a feeling of deja vu for some reason. I don't know, can't put my finger on why, but then I hear what some of their EVPs they capture are saying, the ones they can't quite decipher and it just comes to me,  Everyone's said that and I don't know if it's cos I've got  a good ear or something.  Anyway, The Excalibur Nightclub/Bachelor Grove Cemetery ep when Zak got that EVP where they couldn't make out the first word, I am so sure the voice said, "Zak's coming."  Well it didn't say, hack, ha.  No, seriously it was that cos others have agreed, unless I was hearing things and no I didn't have Zakky on the brain either! Ha.   Which in some ways could explain why they didn't catch anything in the nightclub itself.  All the spirits were warned off.  Even more likely since that's where Zak grew up and lived for a long time, going to high school in Chicago too.  You may not agree with me, but I don't believe in coincidences, not anymore at any rate.

Maybe it's my day job (yeah as opposed to my night job, which is writing, ha) but I always seem to make such inferences or allusions.  Just like the Remington Arms Factory when they inspected the factory during the day, but when they returned for their lockdown, that step on the stair was 'curiously' missing now, eg broken or whatever.  I didn't view that as a coincidence since no one else was in the building.  Anyway to me if you can't discuss, debate or tear to shreds what you've been watching, then there's not really any point in watching.  For me, it's not about watching and then a case of 'out of sight or out of mind', or in through one ear or out the other.  I have to question, draw inferences, that's just me.  Otherwise I don't see any point in watching.  That goes for anything I watch.

Did I tell you the funny dream I had about Zak (no I don't dream about him at all) maybe his voice. I think he has the most perfect, mesmerizing voice! It's so appropriate for his 'calling.'  Very powerful and commanding, but at the same time, extremely reassuring too. Probably wrong use of words, but never mind.  That's why I keep saying he should bring out an audio book of his NY Times best selling book Dark World: Into the Shadows with the Lead Investigator of  The Ghost Adventures Crew by Zak Bagans and Kelly Crigger (2011) Or at least any audio book.

Anyway dream, yes that there were all these dolls around, miniatures in a swampy area like a jungle and he was surrounded by them, suddenly they weren't dolls but miniature people who somehow changed into multicolours!  Oh and hey this was way before I found out about Zak's foray to Island of the Dolls (Islas de las Munecas) in Mexico!
I don't know, would you call things like that uncanny.  Hand on heart that's exactly how it happened.

Strange, unexplained things do happen to people. The day my father passed away, it was like I almost felt that moment. Not almost, but actually did, even though I was miles away in Kansas.  I felt a sudden pain in my heart (and no it wasn't indigestion!!) and that was unusual.  Then got the feeling something was wrong.  SO I called home, but there was no answer and I couldn't get a hold of any of my family.  That was strange, cos it was a time when my mother would have been at home.   I still get told by some that I didn't feel that or it never happened.  But he died of cardiac arrest, so to me, that's something that did happen and is personal to me since it was most definitely at the same time. Which is coming up to ten years now.

Or the time I fell down the stairs at home, yes 6 steps, couldn't believe it. We've all fallen down the longer staircase, but not this one.  It seriously felt like someone pushed me from behind, or my imagination on overtime, then our house isn't haunted, cos my mother has a sixth sense about these things, so maybe it was just one of those clumsy moments, not that I'm clumsy.  Oh and no I wasn't wearing heels either!

"Trying to explain the unexplained can be a very hard thing to do.  But when you can explain it that's when it becomes deep."
Perhaps this is a quote, rather it was one of Zak's tweets, which aptly also sums up the Goldfield Hotel and the Old Washoe Club, where there was paranormal proof of those spirits and strange goings on, even before the guys got there.  It was ample justification for them for proving their theories and that the paranormal should and could be taken seriously.  Even if sceptics will still shake their heads.  Never say never right.  I love the way that Zak always asks the pertinent question of " has that made you believe in ghosts now, or the existence of ghosts?"  It's just giving so much credibility and confirmation to what they've been doing for years.   Though someone one day may come out and say, 'no!' Re Union Station ep.  Be they part of the stone tape theory, residual or intelligent spirits caught on film and EVPs, such findings can no longer be ignored or brushed to one side.

Yet even before their TV show, the best proof Zak, Nick and Aaron got was from their 2004 documentary they filmed at the Old Washoe Club ballroom and more specifically The Goldfield Hotel.  They had nothing to lose and lots to gain.  Nothing to prove to anyone that is, no money involved, no contracts.  (Not that it ever was or still is about the money or fame!) It was just off the bat 'simple' investigation to show what they believe in. That when you look hard enough, long enough and in the right places, you will always be rewarded.  Even if no one still believed at that time even after their clear capture of an apparition, there was still the credibility of their other investigations after that to build up on this one.

Someone asked if it looks like their show is staged, especially when you get Zak, Nick or Aaron being affected by what they're experiencing in their lockdowns.  How can it be staged?  Why would they stage it, it's ten years of credibility, and reputation that's been built up and to fake a show is to lose all of that.  They are not the type of guys who would even contemplate messing up something that is so dear to them, especially dear to Nick's and Zak's heart.  From his experiences in that Michigan apartment of his, which meted out his destiny and ours too, to a degree, in watching him fulfill and follow that destiny, to everything that came after was like everything was leading to all this phenomenal, definitive evidence!

A fave quote of mine: "I sent my Soul through the Invisible,
Some letter of that After-life to spell:
And by and by my Soul return'd to me,
And answer'd 'I Myself am Heav'n and Hell'."   Omar Khayyam

Diner: "Waiter there's something manifesting in my soup."
Waiter; "Well let me spirit it away." Groan, or rather moans! (My joke, circa: school years!)

All joking aside, the show has gone from strength to strength and after ten seasons, it's still gripping.  A huge thank you for making it what is is.   Zak Bagans, Nick Groff, Aaron Goodwin, Billy Tolley, Jay Wasley and everyone else!  This piece is dedicated to all those involved!

CSI 14.17 "Long Road Home" Review

                                                  
After appearing at a concert, a woman's DB is found stabbed inside a stretch limo, yeah, an extra stretch limo.  Sara (Jorga Fox) investigates and finds she has so much blood on her but there's not enough in the limo, so she was killed somewhere else, as is always the case.  DB (Ted Danson) comments about The Who dumping a limo in the pool and there are lots of refs to songs and groups. Morgan (Elisabeth Harnois) and Greg (Eric Szmanda) collect evidence from the limo and she finds a rider being used as a cocaine tune.  This contains the demands of the group, such as bottles of beer, green organic gumdrops.  Greg also finds a necklace with the name 'Tangerine' on it.  Greg also comments on the statue of the Hindu God Shiva - God of fertility, so they have "sex, drugs and rock n roll."

Nick (George Eads) speaks with the limo driver, Mike (Nick Nalarza) who had alcohol poisoning and found his limo was gone and he mentions Tangerine, the prostitute and the groupie in the limo was Marcy.  The band was rehearsing for a gig.  The DB has a signature on her chest area and Finn (Elisabeth Shue) comments she must have known the rock star really well for the autograph to be placed there.  She can barely work out the initial is a 'G' and nothing else.  Hodges (Wallace Langham) has found out the signature for her, which was on a guitar pick and it's a 'GS' belonging to Gene Simmons from the group KISS.  Brass (Paul Guilfoyle) questions him and he says he wasn't even in the limo.  They were part of a 'Fame Experience', where people pay to behave like rock stars with him.

Nick and Sara arrive at the location where they speak with Marty Kirch (Michael Des Barres) who owns the Experience.  He says he found the place trashed like that when he came in the morning. Marcy was hired to be the groupie, but she's a good girl and he thinks of her like a daughter.  He wants to know where she is, but he doesn't know who Tangerine is.  They analyze the CS and Sara finds the blood spatter where Marcy was killed.  Nick also finds the round shaped blood spatter with gravatational blood spots leading to it.

Brass questions Arnold (Joshua Biton) one of the three who were playing in the band.  He was playing guitar and he got wild, smashing the guitar and the things around him.  The whole thing was Lex's (Paul Greene) idea, the drummer and he paid for it all.  He also IDs the knife that Nick found at the CS as belonging to Lex.  He's missing and didn't return to his hotel last night, along with Tangerine, so they suspect he's the killer.  Finn questions Ed (Jamie Kennedy) who was into the drugs, but didn't kill anyone.  Stating that Lex got both girls and they ended up with nothing, but there's plenty more fish in the sea.  So clearly he's not bitter about it, which rules him out as a suspect. Also adding that a record label was interested in signing Lex.

Lex's bank statements show he received money from the record label, but Greg says there was nothing but the charges from the Brimstone, where they were staying.   Hearing some noise from the garage, they find Nick playing drums and creating the odd blood spatter they find.  If there was blood on the drum, then the spatter would spray everywhere when played and there is a hole underneath the drum itself, making the round circle.  He mentions he was in a band at college. Adding that Lex must have played the drums with the blood.  Greg thinks they'll find the drums wherever they find Tangerine.  Heading out to the alley, he finds a drumstick and then the entire drum kit.  Inside is the blood stained drum and also Lex's DB.  So clearly their choice of suspect was wrong.  Of course, since it wouldn't be that easy.  I didn't have Lex as my suspect anyway.

David (David Berman) and Doc (Robert David Hall) carry out the autopsy on Lex and they find his phone with photos and torn pieces of paper.  David thinks they can get DNA from the paper and run it to find out who Tangerine is.  Finn runs her prints and finds her real name is Angela (Katherine McNamara) and she's a prostitute.  Finn realizes that the record deal was a scam and so she was behind it and also how she met Lex.  They now view her as a suspect.  The money went to an account in Belize and Morgan makes reference to the 'Nigerian e-mail' scam, of which I used to get plenty of e-mails! DB reads how the record company needed $50,000 to record and DB wonders why this would lead to murder.  Er, jealousy in terms of him getting the deal.

Morgan says the record label is traced to Vegas and to Kirch.  Kirch tells them Tangerine was hired by Lex and they should be looking for her as she and Lex had a huge fight.  He's guessing it was over money.  Gene returns ha with some panties for Brass, well that didn't come out right,.  They belong to Tangerine and she's in the limo.  The DNA reveals that she is related to Lex and is his daughter.  She already knows and they accuse her of losing it when she realizes she slept with his father, but she says she didn't sleep with him or kill him.  He gave her the letter and she tore it up and he later apologized and went to the studio to listen to his song.  Lex told her that someone would be there to help him and Marcy was also there.  Greg and Hodges listen to the recording of the song and hear another voice there, which Greg says could have been deleted, but whoever it was can still be heard since he bled into the microphone.

Nick analyzes the microphone and finds some trace from the gumdrop.  This is what was in Arnold's rider.  The particles in the xylitol dissipated at a particular time, so they showed he was at the CS at the time of the murder, Arnold was angry at Lex for making him stay in the background, so he killed them both.  Brass gives her the recording of Lex's song.

Wasn't this ep similar in plot to the ep 14.15 Love For Sale, where the reverend had a daughter who was working at the brothel and they thought that he was paying her to sleep with her, until they realized she was his daughter.  Well same thing here and the daughter was also hustling.

It appears that Gene Simmons had to make an appearance on the show sooner or later, seeing as how there have been so many references to rock stars and groups over the years, as well as the number mentioned in this ep.  Greg also mentioning the Hotel California "you can check out anytime, but you can never leave."

Obviously, it was apparent who the killer was since it's always the quiet ones, so to speak.  He was rather dismissive of his 'friendship' with Lex and also how he was just plain boring, so of course he had that whole jealous streak going.  As for Lex, well his chance to play a DB in this show.  You may recall Paul Greene from NCIS ep, 6.16 Bounce, when he was DiNozzo's (Michael Weatherly) lookalike, the one Tony put away for murder and got the wrong man.  He was meant to have been dead at one point in the episode, but turned up alive and well.  I'm sure Tony let him go at the end with the money that was stolen.  Anyhoo, digression! Ha. (A fave ep of mine as mentioned in my NCIS book: My NCIS...available at most online bookstores.)

Then there was the whole interaction and final scene with Brass that Angela had and you knew that was coming since his own experiences with Ellie and not being there for her.  Guess it works both ways, she didn't have to have that sort of a life as she still had her mother.  Brass wanting Angela to get out of hustling and giving her his card to call him anytime.  It's obvious he has a fatherly connection to her and doesn't want her getting into trouble like Ellie, as she's still young.

Oh and what about the big hooha about Finn being an expert in blood and blood analysis at CS, but it's left for Nick to find out what caused the odd blood spatter at the CS itself and at the lab.  Seems like she hasn't done a lot of blood spatter analysis for a while.  Nick eating that gumdrop at the end, yuk, germs!!

http://www.amazon.com/My-Ncis-Unofficial-Unauthorized-Guide/dp/1291032177

Renew Longmire Now

                                                   
Since the news of Longmire being relegated to a non-entity and not being renewed for a fourth season, as of yet.  I have been trying to find a way to convey the feelings and emotions when such things occur.  So having thought it over and over and over, I find that gimmicks, don't work, nor does fancy writing or big words.  It's not something many executives will look at or read even, when all they want are high, eye popping ratings, viewing figures, demographics, whatever you want to call it, it's a rose by any other name and all adds up to the same thing.

Seeing people as numbers, figures or a set of stats isn't what TV should be about these days.  It's time those in the know, or the powers that be need to and should realize that.  Times have changed, we've had recessions, good times, an influx of money for people to spend, but it's not all down to advertizing.  At the end of the day, some people work longer than others, others retire early, so any 18-49 demographic is going to have unequal amounts of money (wealth) to spend at any given time. These days, it's not just about children moving out of home as soon as they want to or are able to. Some can't do that and find it difficult getting work, let alone a highly paid job which will enable them to met the demands of advertizers and their products.

Ageism is against the law but when it comes to TV advertizing and demographics, that rule flies out the window.  Any show that is good, old wholesome fashioned fun and entertainment is bound to raise some eyebrows in this modernist, no holes barred society, where sex and violence sells and and those benefits are reaped by TV networks.  That however paints too basic a picture.   There needs to be more variation in what is screened and produced, a difference in genre, instead of just a few types of shows of low calibre, just cos they are easy and cheap to film.  Reality shows being the number one culprits.  Which is all fine and good if people want to watch them and I'm not saying that my opinion is right, and that we are entitled to watch what we want is personal choice and in the same way, we should have the right to demand a favourite show back on air!

Longmire is a show that has everything fans and viewers want.  An excellent ensemble cast, a plethora of stories, penned by best selling author Craig Johnson and an endless stream of stories for many episodes to come.  So where did the show go wrong you may ask.  The brief answer being it didn't.  Call it the greed of TV executives or their blinkered eye views or living in the past, instead of moving with the times.

Over the past three seasons, Longmire has picked up steady ratings and increased its fanbase and viewership to almost six million, let's face it, isn't that what any TV show wants and needs to survive. Somewhere someone has gone wrong in their miscalculations of renewing or picking the show up for a fourth season.  With so many of us clamouring and campaigning for its pick up elsewhere, how can executives ignore what's right before their eyes.  An already established audience willing and able to take its ratings to a new level, without the need for full blown promotion or advertizing.  Saving money on this.

There is ample promotion on social media sites headed by the LongMire Posse and the tireless and effortless campaign of Pamela Nordick to get people to notice what fans really want.  Even people who didn't watch the show have started to watch and check it out on the strength of this alone.

We want our Longmire back, the cast and crew we all love and have gotten to know as family over the three years.  We want to be able to say, 'look, we fans changed the face of TV history' by wanting this back.   Just as in the past letter writing campaigns worked for shows like Cagney and Lacey, social media has to work for us.  It's not just about one generation or two, this show spans decades and transcends age groups.  How many shows can boast this and how many would want to?  We demand to continue seeing the rolling hills and skies, the characters, the good times and the bad...

GIVE US BACK OUR SHOW!

#LongLiveLongmire

Our cast: Robert Taylor, Katee Sackhoff, Lou Diamond Phillips, Bailey Chase, Adam Bartley, Cassidy Freeman, Louanne Stephens

Downton Abbey Series 5 Episode 1

                                             
Series 5 of the drama returns and is off to a bit of a slow start as we are now in 1924.  Edith (Laura Carmichael) still laments not being able to raise Marigold as her own as she steals visits to farmer Tim's (Andrew Scarborough) house and spend time with her, even his wife doesn't know that she's Edith's daughter as she's come to be like one of the family. She also thinks that Edith has a bit of a crush on him that's why she comes so often.  So he tells her she needs to keep Marigold, by telling the truth and yet not telling the truth, as they're going to come up with some reason she is able to stay with Edith.  Which will prove difficult as the Dowager (Maggie Smith) is aware that Edith was pregnant.  Also it appears Mrs Huges (Phyliss Logan) may also suspect something is afoot as she catches Edith speaking with Tim at the end.

Edith is also given a  German book that her beau left behind with an inscription of his name inside. Which she wants to keep and well, sufficed to say that book will be the cause of much consternation later in the episode.  With so much time passing, it's only been six months, strange how Thomas (Rob James-Collier) is still on Baxter's (Raquel Cassidy) back about getting the dirty on Bates (Brendan Coyle) and the secret that she knows about him and she tries to avoid him at every instance.  Which is helped at times by Molesley (Kevin Doyle) turning up to rescue her.  Thomas even threatens with telling Cora (Elizabeth McGovern) her secret if she doesn't come clean to him.  Molesley meanwhile, dyes his hair jet black and all for the hopes of Baxter noticing him romantically.  He's smitten with her, as we know and he asks her how old she thinks he is.  She comments 52, but he's actually 51.  It would appear that Robert (Hugh Bonneville) has also noticed Molesley's "Latin look," as he remarks if he has Latin, Spanish or Irish in him.  Later telling Carson (Jim Carter) that he's not to come upstairs until his hair stops turning blue.

However the show begins with Robert lamenting the election of a Labour government which was bound to happen, but he regrets it cos they're settling down to making changes for people "like us."  The upper classes that is and their stately homes.  Though Tom (Allen Leech) sees it as a good thing, as does Edith.  Yet Carson has woes too about the changes in their work and lives.  It's Robert and Cora's 34th wedding anniversary, so there's bound to be some party held in their honour and what a party is was too.

Lady Rose (Lily James) has to present prizes at the local school, it's a tradition and we get the chance to see Sarah Bunting (Daisy Lewis) again, school marm! Better if we hadn't, don't like her at all, her crass attitude aside.  Sure she's outspoken and all that, but she's too snooty herself and hypocritical. Anyway Lady Rose invites her to the party as Robert wants a young crowd there, not meaning bunting of course, and gets Cora's approval to do so, so that Tom has a friend there.

Molesley tells Baxter to come clean about her past to Cora before Thomas can and she admits that she stole jewellery from her last employer.  She kept it, as she couldn't give it back, but she doesn't delve into why she didn't keep hold of it, that's why she couldn't return it.  No doubt that's to come later and probably needed it for some other 'good' cause.  Well it wouldn't have dome to have it revealed so early on in the series.  It was funny how Thomas thought he'd gotten one over on Baxter when he tries to tell Cora of her criminal record and Cora saying she already knows, but asks why it was strange he didn't tell her this before he made Cora employ her.  Thomas still insisting he'll get the secret from Baxter.

Lots of matchmaking going on at Downton, or in Isabel's (Penelope Wilton) case, it appears the Dowager was trying to outdo Lord Merton's (Douglas Reith) interest in Isabel once she realizes the position that Isabel would be in if they got together.  So she invites Lady Shackleton (Harriet Walter) also a widow to luncheon and the Lord takes an interest in her, well, you know, younger model and all that.  Younger used loosely, of course! It appears the Dowager's butler Spratt (Jeremy Swift) is a snob too as he refuses to serve Dr Clarkson (David Robb) on two occasions, first cake and then coffee.   Though Isabel did seem a little put out that Dickie Merton was paying so much attention to Lady Shackleton.  Even if he was interested in the Dr's clinic.

Jimmy (Ed Speleers) is being plagued by notes from his former employer Lady Anstruther (Anna Chancellor) and he was fool enough to send her Valentine's cards on two occasions and sign them cos he thought it'd be a bit of a prank.  Which backfired on him, cos she turns up at Downton and practically invites herself for the night on the basis of having car trouble.  Well she was trouble and it wasn't cs of the car either, which had nothing wrong with it since Tom and the chauffeur both checked.

Baxter puts her foot in it when she mentions it's ironic how Bates will be valet for Tony Gillingham (Tom Cullen) considering what happened to his last valet, Green, courtesy of Bates.  She knows that he went somewhere but hasn't told anyone of it and Thomas overhears her 'ironic' comment.  Of course she refuses to tell him.  However, Thomas did seem to be overly pally with Jimmy all of a sudden and his confiding in him over Lady Anstruther, maybe he was going to hold that over his head too in terms of blackmailing him.  It was difficult to believe that he'd have his best interests at heart.

Cue party and speech from Robert about marrying his beautiful and intelligent wife.  Before the fireworks really got started, not only was he shocked at Bunting being there, but how she was loud, outspoken and presumed to know everything.  Being in favour of the Labour government and implying that one of the guests wasn't too clever as she didn't have a head for numbers or for writing.  She was snooty for a school teacher though.  At dinner she brings up how having a stone memorial, 'edifice' as she put it, would be a memorial for the men who died in a pointless war. Which Robert takes exception to.  It wasn't pointless and Carson breaks the news about Robert being asked to be Patron of the Committee, who want some of his land to place the memorial on.  Carson being asked to be Chairman, which had Robert a little peeved.  But Carson only accepted the position if Robert was made patron.

Tom also agreeing with Bunting that the war was pointless since nothing came of it except for the Russian revolution and Robert didn't even approve of that.  Isabel was all for her having her own opinion and Tony didn't have much time for her views either.  Bunting putting everyone off their dessert, as the Dowager says they need to get down to discussing things in a more civilized manner. Then disappeared as two parties were too much for her.  Tom making sure to tell Robert that he was like Bunting once and her frame of thought, but he's come a long way and he hopes he will stay like that.  Also adding that he and Bunting didn't get up to any hanky panky in London.

Carson noticing that Lady Anstruther passed a note to Jimmy and Thomas sticking up for him, that it was hardly his fault.  Later Jimmy goes to see her in her room and Thomas keeps watch for him.  The two of them also see Tony sneak into Mary's (Michelle Dockery) room, thinking they're up to something.  Well, not yet they're not.  Infact Tony wants to seduce her and says they should be lovers since she's already admitted she loves him.  So he wants to marry her eventually.  She agrees, but only if no one finds out.  Too late then! Ha.  But is she really certain that it's Tony she wants, especially she tells Anna (Joanne Froggatt) earlier of how someone she knows has affairs just to make sure she's ready for when he gets married.  Anna telling her she's old fashioned, so wouldn't do that.  Mind you, Bates was in 'clucky' mood too, as he said he'd like children, with Anna replying it's in God's hands, but he knows how they can get a start on it.  In much the same way as Jimmy tells Thomas that if he gave in to Lady Anstruther, he'd be done for.  Then later saying he'll settle down one day, they all do.  Except Thomas won't, as we know why.

Edith is in tears over Marigold and her missing beau, Michael Grigson, so we take it he's done for and won't be turning up anytime soon.  Or will he?  Being so distraught, she throws his book which lands into the fire and falls out, staring a fire.  That wasn't very clever.  Though she managed to put Marigold's baby picture under her pillow, wonder if it survived the fire and who will find it if it did. Thomas passing by spots the smoke and rescues Edith as well as raising the alarm.  All hands on Downton as the fire brigade is called out, and Tom and Robert try to put out the fire, or as much as they could.

Edith thanks Tim for putting out the fire and Cora thanks Thomas for rescuing her.  She'll have to keep him on in thanks for saving her, part of her good will towards him.  However Robert finds Jimmy and Lady Anstruther in bed together and ensures Carson fire him with a reference of course. He can blame himself and Edith for getting caught out.  Bates and Anna arrive and she remarks how he gets worked up about things lately and so wanted to come and see if he could help.

Downstairs Daisy (Sophie McShera) has notions of learning Maths and accounting for when she takes over the farm cos she's "pig ignorant."  That she doesn't always want to be a cook and Mrs Hughes agrees she doesn't have to be, as Carson and Mrs Patmore (Lesley Nichol) cast yet another condescending eye over anyone who wants to better themselves. Like living in a wold of their own and wishing time would stand still those two, as is Robert too.  Carson: "that everything I stand for will be tested and held up for ridicule in the next few years."  Mind you, Bunting didn't help when she asked permission to thank the staff for their dinner.  Stirring up trouble that one, "cry baby Bunting!"  Ha, sorry.

Let's not forget the Dowager being called "Mrs Bennett" from Pride and Prejudice and Caroline Bingley turns up too. And Mrs Shackleford was from an adaptation of Sense and Sensibility (1995).

Much political rantings in this series, not that there weren't before, but it appears that not much has changed over the years, let alone the six months, excepting maybe baby Marigold, who looked far older than six months! Oh look out, nanny's bringing the children down, giving cause for Robert to make a quick exit, as Sibbie calls him 'Donk' after their game of pin the tail on the donk-ey! Plenty set up for at least most of the episodes to come, including Mary and her suitors as Charles makes another appearance next episode.

Doctor Who 8.5 "Time Heist" Review

                                               
This time round the Doctor (Peter Capaldi) is once again at Clara's (Jenna Coleman) as she once again prepares for a date, wait, deja vu. She's even got heels and again the Doctor remarks about her make-up, this time round with all that colour she's got on her face.  She's even wearing heels, so he has a dig at her height as she looks taller.  As the TARDIS phone rings, but Clara's got the number so who else could have it.  Though he manages to get the mysterious woman in the shop remark in too at this point.

Before I go any further, have to say this ep was predictable, already figured out who the Architect could be, cos, really, there's only one person who it could be.   As he answers the phone, what could possibly go wrong in answering a phone.  They end up around a table and surrounded by memory worms and two others.  One is a half computer/half person, Psi (Johnathan Bailey).  Another is a woman, Saibra (Pippa Bennett-Warner).  Their agreement is played back to them, all of them agreeing to having their memories wiped.  With the Doctor even telling Clara to change her shoes, just incase anyone wondered what happened to her heels.  Which obviously explains he knew where they'd be going, cos last ep she kept her heels on.  A message comes through the case, telling them what they must do, i.e rob the impregnable Bank of Karabraxos.  Of course it won't last that long with the Doctor on board.

The vault is breached and their presence is known to Miss Delphox (Keeley Hawes) and security threatens them with incineration when they are caught.  Escaping, they end up outside since Saibra can clone people, that's what she does and is here for this reason, as she shows Clara by cloning her. Outside, Delphox approaches with the Teller who can read minds and peoples' guilt.  As he hones in on a man and removes his memories after reading his guilt and part of his brain.  The Doctor can't help, as he tells Clara, he's already soup.  The Teller being a creature of course and is chained up, so there's a story initself, why is the Teller who helps her out in a straight jacket type contraption and not able to walk free.  Always remember foreshadowing.

Gaining entry into the vault by use of Saibra's cloning, she's able to clone herself into a customer. They find a bomb inside the vault but still have no clue what the Architect's design is (OK another bad joke).  Until the Doctor places it on the floor of the vault and manages to blow a hole in the floor, it's some sort of a dimensional bomb where the particles disperse into space. Thus they climb down before security finds them there.

Saibra tells the Doctor that he wouldn't want to be cloned by her, 'looking into your own eyes and wondering who you can trust.'  Big clue that line for later.  (Funny way of writing that line, never mind, you know what I mean.)  They find another briefcase containing some vial type thingys (yes I'm quoting the Eleventh Doctor (Matt Smith) when in doubt for correct form of words.)  Clara also removes a piece of paper from the case.  Once gain being detected, they run into a vent, boy for a bank, that intruder alert detection system is pretty slow!  Here we find the Teller once again, in statis, but is awakened and locks onto Clara's memories.  She can't manage to control them and think of nothing, but you have to ask whether when we're shown her face if that's memory of hers she is really trying very hard to suppress, relevant to her past and what we have yet to learn about her.

It doesn't work and managing to get out, Saibra is left behind, knowing she can't survive and will be 'soup', the Doctor throws her one of those thingys they found in the briefcase.  She'll always be lonely since she cant touch anyone but this way she won't have to suffer and she vanishes, well evaporates, kind of.  Finding the vault, Psi has to crack the combination, whilst Teller is on the rampage, so the Doctor suggests they split up.  As Teller once again hones in on Clara, again why her and not the Doctor.  Psi tries to save her, which he manages to do by telling it to come after him instead since he's got all the memories of all the bank robbers ever going.  So once again he also takes one of the thingys and disappears.

Leaving the Doctor to find the vault isn't opened cos there's one more lock.  As a warning of a solar flare comes through and the bank's system's go off line.  The ample opportunity for a heist, thus it clicks to the Doctor why the TARDIS isn't here, it wouldn't have been able to land and also that the Architect would have to have been someone from the future who predicted this moment.  (No surprises for guessing right about now who that Architect would have to be, Time Traveller: Doctor) The vault opens and inside Clara manages to find the various boxes corresponding to what the other robbers wanted.  Saibra wanted genetic supression so she can no longer clone people by touching them.  Psi wanted his memories back but what the Doctor wants is in the private vault.  What did Clara want?  Besides her date with Danny.

However before they can get there, they are arrested and brought towards Delphox, who really hates working for her boss but can't be fired or she'll be fired, literally, in the incinerator.  So as she takes the Teller back, the guards are left to deal with Clara and the Doctor, cue the two guards turning out to be Psi and Saibra. The thingys were just transporters and took them back to their ship.  Psi telling the Doctor there's also a blue box out there.  Reaching the private vault which is occupied by Karabraxus,  and Delphox was her clone of course.  See that cloning line from Saibra came in handy here too, about who would who trust if you looked into their eyes.

Suddenly the Doctor's memory isn't coming back but he's beginning to realize what's happening, as he writes her a note saying to telephone him as he's a Time Traveller.  Also that he knows he hates the Architect and that is him of course.  Karabraxus called him to ask for his help now that she's old and wants his help.  The Teller is unleashed again but the Doctor tells him, "there are so many memories in here, feast on them, tuck in.  Big scarf, bow tie, bit embarrassing.  What do you think of the new look?  Was hoping for minimalism but I came out with magician."  There's something that the Teller wants and it's locked behind closed doors.  Opened to reveal its mate, another one of its species, explaining why the Teller was in chains, and why he was made to do what he did, turning everyone into soup.

Thus Karabraxus has a chance to do the right thing when older and get the Doctor to rescue a species this time, instead of saving a race of people.  Getting Clara back in time for her date.  Whilst having the chance to share a Chinese meal beforehand and even getting to joke about the TARDIS wiping out any calories. As if it could.  Leaving the Doctor alone again.  Seems the Doctor appears to be spending an awful lot of time in Clara's house and wanting her to go places with him, when clearly she's got Danny one her mind.  Especially since there were times in other episodes when she wanted to do just that but wouldn't see him for days (just like Amy.)

Lots of references from Psi about Clara spending too much time with the Doctor since she keeps making excuses for him and how he is professionally detached, "that's why you call yourself the Doctor."  The Doctor making several references to hating the Architect, emulating low self esteem of himself on his part.  Had to get the references in there to the scarf once more like the first ep, but the bow ties as being embarrassing was a bit below the er, neck!

Clara taking a back seat this ep as this one clearly was orchestrated by the Doctor and features the Doctor aplenty, for perhaps the first time since he took over the mantle of Doctor Twelve.  That everything was his plan doesn't really come as such a big shock or surprise and so having their memories wiped contributed to the Doctor finding out was the mastermind behind the Time Heist along the way, was a clever plot point, unless like me you figured that out already.

Oh and couldn't help but think of Deal or no Deal, what with the Banker and the TARDIS phone ringing!  Okay maybe it was just me!

Of course unless you had your memories wiped too, you will note that the memory worms were first seen in the 2012 Christmas Special The Snowmen.

CSI 14.16 "Killer Moves" Review

                                                  
David (David Berman) and Det Crawford (Alimi Ballard) make comments about the Elvis impersonator DB they are investigating, recalling their fave movies.  David found he has severe head trauma, but there's not that much blood around at all.  Greg (Eric Szmanda) and Sara (Jorga Fox) investigate and look for where the DB could have come from as Sara finds gravitational blood drops.

Further down the road Sara notices a dead bird.  Greg describes it as something out of Edgar Allen Poe, but Sara points out it's not a raven but a rook, as seen by the white skin around its beak. Someone's stabbed it and left it there.  Greg then makes a connection between the King and the rook, all chess pieces.  Greg notices the street name, the King was found at Avenue C and 1st Street, the rook at Avenue D and 1st Street.  C-1 and D-1 are chess moves; and he should know since he was captain of his chess club at school.  Also the rook is only native to Central Asia and Europe, so it must've been brought here.

As Greg hurries to Avenue E and 1st Street, he tells Sara about a move called castling.  The rook is moved from its position to D-1 and the King from E-1 to C-1.  So there should be something else there.  Hey I noticed the car behind them.  Sara points out Memphis on the car and inside there's plenty of blood, to suggest it was the likely CS. There's also a tyre iron inside,  Doc (Robert David Hall) conducts the autopsy and Finn (Elisabeth Shue) can't resist the jokes as David's already enlightened him with so many Elvis jokes, he's had enough.  He gives her some trace and she replies, "thank you very much" Elvis voice style.  That the DB died from wounds to his head and was drugged, as he has two holes on his neck.

Hodges (Wallace Langham) ran what he believed to be a hair from the DB, but was actually moss. He says the Mediterranean has new moss rugs in the bath which are supposed to be good for the environment, so he's thinking maybe the killer could have left it behind.  There's also a chess tournament at the hotel.  Greg and Nick (George Eads) arrive and Nick can't believe any of the men there could have been killers.  Greg saying 'what a nerd can't kill'.  Chess is very competitive and any one of them can turn killer.  Jenny (Sarah Lafleur) introduces herself as the director of the chess tournament and points out how it's exclusively a man's game.  Well you gave yourself away there, missy! Ha. No, really she did.

Greg notice someone he used to know and taught him all about chess, when he was younger, his mentor, we get flashbacks of Greg at any early age playing chess with Max.  He plays with a man who has no patience with Greg interrupting him and leaves the game agitated.   Nick asks for a list of players from Jenny and mentions Karl Schrute (Carlo Rota) the champion, he's playing others simultaneously.

Sara shows DB (Ted Danson) a list of the names they have and he shows her a chess move, this shows the move is not an opening one and so there must be other Vics out there too.  Morgan (Elisabeth Harnois) can't find anything relating to chess in any of their old cases, but Sara hands Morgan half of the list so they have to narrow down whether there's anything from the other cities where the tournament has been. She finds six other cities and believes that the game is only just beginning as all were chess moves.  Greg speaks with Max (Ron Glass) again asking if he can help them with a list of moves.  He notices that the moves were made in a game between Troy Parker (Gary Colon) and Karl 16 years ago.  Troy played the game and lost, then he disappeared.

Karl tells Greg that he gets all sorts of letters from people and one of them sent him a model chesspiece.   He still has it.  When analyzed, Hodges finds it's paper mache and made by someone who had time on his hands.  He's narrowed it down to Lee Crosby (David Dastmalchian). He was in prison and he was the same man who left Max at the chess table.  Nick and Crawford question him and his association with the murders.  He was in every city where the DBs were found and he has an obsession with Troy but wouldn't make that same losing move.

Sara attends another CS and Greg says it's not the move that was meant to happen next.  A man is found knifed to death in his car and inside the car, his clothes show he's a knight of the round table. The killer has changed the pattern.  Nick collects evidence from the car and finds insects in the backseat, which are bed bugs.  As well as blood and DNA which matches to Troy.  Jenny brings in a package which has another chess piece also adding that Karl is missing.  Yes, that was mistake number 2, being so helpful.  Greg asks Max why Troy changed the game and Max tells him that Troy was three moves away from the endgame, The Osterlitz move.  Greg watches a video of Troy after he quit and he gets angry at the person filming.  Sara asks why he gave up chess?

Morgan tracks the bed bugs down to a motel where Troy is staying.  Yuck, that was easy wasn't it. Here Nick and Crawford find chess boards and games being played on them,as well as the DB of Lee, killed in the bathtub.  He must have been an accomplice.  His killing is another move in the game and Greg thinks the final move will be made soon, leading to Karl being killed.  Hodges tells Morgan that the drugs found in the room are experimental, used in Mexico and Europe, so Troy couldn't have killed anyone.  Nick and Crawford question Max and think he's behind the killings. When they leave, Max tells Greg that he knows where to look to see the endgame.  Greg has another flashback and realizes the endgame revolves around the Queen.  See obvious giveaway again leading to Jenny.

She's angry cos she can't play chess and her father could only see her brothers and men as being true chess players.  She saw her father everywhere she went in those chessplayers.  She closed all the accounts with vendors, except the storage facility where they found Troy and Karl.  She sees the Queen as the most powerful piece on the chessboard.  Greg is happy Troy is found.  He tells Sara he stopped playing chess as it involves too much sacrifice and it wasn't fun anymore, and could be an obsession.  Sara says they should get dinner and play a fun game of chess.

Another episode which focuses on Greg again which was good to see and his knowledge of chess. Some great moments here like Sara knowing Greg needs to see the game as fun again and having dinner with him.  It's going back again over the years and how their relationship/friendship has grown over the years.  Once more it's Greg's knowledge of the game which leads to a case being solved, especially his association to the chess game from the outset.  Guess the Queen is more powerful as she can move anywhere on the chessboard, but only in one direction at a time.

Not being big on chess, ha, won't go into too much detail into it, but am told that the move mentioned at the start was wrong since a castling is a King move and not a rook move.  Thus since the rook was moved first on the board then castling can't take place.

Once again Brass (Paul Guilfoyle) wasn't featured in this ep, like the producers were making it obvious they no longer want him in the show, that's two eps in a row now he's not been on.

Doctor Who 8.4 "Listen" Review

                                                                                       This ep begins with the Doctor (Peter Capaldi) talking to himself and making theorizations about what happens when we talk to ourselves and why do we do it.  Meaning there really must be someone or something else out there that is listening to us, using that chalkboard again.  Clara (Jenna Coleman) on a date with Danny Pink (Samuel Anderson) messes up cos she makes a remark about him being a soldier and how he saved a village full of people, also asking if he knows a pupil at the school, who tells Clara she's got a "wide face."  Speaking of wide faces, that was mentioned enough times with reference to Clara and the Doctor did most of the mentioning too.  When he tells her to stop looking at Orson Pink with her eyes and to put them back.   Then mentioning she needs three mirrors to look at her wide face.

She leaves, gets home and the Doctor is waiting for her in her bedroom in his TARDIS.  Now if this had been Doctor Eleven (Matt Smith oh how we still miss thee!) there'd have been plenty made of that since obviously we all know Clara was in awe with him, as was Amy Pond, well not just cos of his face of course.  Okay, maybe exactly cos of his face being so young (looking) who was also in Amy's bedroom when she kissed him before her wedding day.  Although it didn't seem appropriate for the Doctor to be in Clara's bedroom, it was cos he thought if she brought her date home, then she wouldn't come up there.  Showing he's not big on dating in the modern world, since most people do and would exactly end up in the bedroom, first date or not!

He wants her to come with him cos he needs her, but she doesn't want to go.  He didn't ask her about her date cos she's upset and she's taken off her makeup he tells her, which she hasn't.  She goes reluctantly and he asks her about the dreams of being in bed, seeing something there, opening the light and no one's there.  Then you put your feet down and something grabs your leg.  That maybe everyone's had that dream at once in their lives, er, no! (Got nothing but shoes and shoes and shoes under my bed!! ha.  Plus it's too low for hiding under!)  He makes her place her hands into the squelchy stuff  which will see her memories/thoughts, so she mustn't think of anything dirty.  Also helping the TARDIS to fly.

It lands at a place, a home, where he says she must have been at once, but she had parents didn't she, didn't they bring her up?  Clearly the emphasis is on Clara and her story, who she really is.  He tells her not to go in cos she might see herself and that would be bad.  He goes in and talks with the caretaker, again asking him about anything strange that's happened. The Doctor's a school inspector, inspecting at 2am, "the best time."  Yes, you could say that, by investigating what exactly spooky goings on when children etc are half asleep already.  The caretaker's noticed the TV goes off by itself and also his coffee is missing sometimes.  This time it disappears, cos the Doctor takes it.

Clara sees a boy in the window who turns out to be Danny Pink, here known by Rupert (Remi Gooding) his first name.  He's afraid and he's not in bed cos he had a dream.  She lies under his bed and tells him there's nothing there.  The Doctor reads books, or looks through them, looking for Wally, who isn't in every book Rupert tells him.  They then see the bedspread over someone's head and body and he tells them to turn away, to not look at it, cos it wants that.  It eventually leaves the room.  Clara wondering if that was really a child trying to scare.

This time the TARDIS brigs them to the end of the world,  Or rather the end of time.  Where they find a soldier, Orson Pink who appears to have been stuck out there by himself for six months at least.  So gets lonely and needs companions, a blatant reference to the Doctor and his needing companions if ever there was one.  He wants to get back home, he's a time traveller and he asks the Doctor if he'll take him back straightaway cos he doesn't want to spend another night here.  But the TARDIS needs recharging so they can't leave.  He stays here and Clara and the Doctor stay outside the TARDIS.  The airlock is locked and soon there's knocking coming from outside.  Clara is sent into the TARDIS and the Doctor has to see what that is.  He unlocks the airlock with his sonic and the TARDIS screen malfunctions.  Eventually finding he's holding on, Orson brings him back.

The Doctor's passed out, so Clara must fly the TARDIS once again.  This time she ends up at a barn with a child crying and a man and woman saying he should come into the house.  That he doesn't want to be a soldier.  Giving us also a flashback to the Doctor, (John Hurt's War Doctor version) walking to the barn, which was shown in the Day of the Doctor episode.

Clara must hide under the bed and the Doctor awakes and is searching for her, as does the boy who sits up and puts his feet on the ground.  She grabs his leg and makes him go back to bed.  Reassuring him that there's nothing there and talking about his fear.  So the twist being that she was the one who started the dreams about there being things under the bed.  Well that was put to bed, so to speak, ha.

The Doctor asks her about Orson since she was connected to him as her timeline took her to him, he's someone from her future.  So we assume he's her grandson or great grandson, getting together with Danny Pink.  But she doesn't tell him about her date or his name.  Though she bangs her head on the table, just as Danny did.  She returns back to her date and watches herself leave, asking if that's how she looks from the back, she looks good.  Returning to the date, she tells him it's her mouth which runs away.  Then calls him Rupert, he's curious as to how she knows and thinks she's making fun of him.  He gives up and leaves, but Clara goes after him and they share a kiss.

Guess this shows how dreams, hypnotic suggestions, can manipulate peoples' lives.  The Doctor planting the suggestion of Dan the soldierman into Danny's head and he grows up to become exactly that, a soldier.  There was also a harkback to things/themes already done in the show, such as The Eleventh Hour, with the Eleventh Doctor and the things we see from the corner of our eyes!  As well as holding one's breath.

That appears to be some sort of a home for children as the couple are not his parents, which is kind of similar to Clara, who also appears to have been in a home.  Just thought, did she only arrive here via the TARDIS squelch cos she was meant to meet Rupert/Danny and this connection was already in her timeline and is why she was led here, rather than actually being here as the Doctor tells her.  Was the Doctor mistaken when he says she's here, since her timeline is bringing her to Rupert/Danny.  This wasn't about her at this point.  It seems this way.

But the Doctor doesn't want to be a soldier, yet all of his comments have been allusions to soldiers, going back to the very first ep in which he says he doesn't take orders.  The biggest clue to him being the Doctor is that he won't go to the academy and won't be a Time Lord.  But soldiers have been in the Doctor's timeline, recall the Tenth Doctor (David Tennent) and John Smith, who was a soldier during the First World War, for starters.  Whereas Clara's destiny seems to be leading her right slap bang towards a soldier.  A family of soldiers, as that's what Rupert says when Clara leaves the toy soldiers to guard his bed.  The colonel doesn't have a gun and as she explains, he's the boss so he doesn't need one.  Another allusion to the Doctor and how he doesn't need guns.

There's also that line from the Doctor where he says, "the silence at the end of the world" or something along those lines.  Again it seems to be going back to the Silence, all through most of the Eleventh Doctor's early time.   Silence also when you are asleep, or by yourself, so you begin to talk to yourself.  This ep really did have you thinking about the Doctor's questions at the beginning, and nicely showed you the fear that lurks within us all, but was toned down when it's Clara who was really under the bed and put all those notions into the Doctor's head as a boy.  It's as though the TARDIS led her there to show her she was a big influence in the Doctor's life as a boy and that she was destined to meet him again, but she's also forgotten that she did this, if you know what I'm getting at.  After also hinting that the Doctor is the one who doesn't remember everything.

QVC Fashion and Jewellery Show 2014

Another year gone by and Autumn is almost upon us as was the QVC Fashion Show 2014.  This year held over two days 11/12th September at the Vinopolis at London Bridge.  This year's show was hosted by Miceal Murphy, expressing his interest in fashion and joined by special guests, including Ashling McCloy,  Dennis Basso, Trinny and Susannah, to name a few.

Once again the fashion was spot on and there's plenty to look forward to over the coming season. Got my eye particularly on this wonderful sparkly jumpsuit as modelled by Rosie by Ronnie Nicole. (On air December, so just in time for Christmas and lots of others watching out for this too.)

                                               

Some other treats for the party season include some amazing dresses/trousers.

More spectacular coats from Dennis Basso, we caught Dennis filming some of his creations from his reserved guest spot too and got to chat wit him afterwards. He enjoyed meeting some of his QVC customers and viewers and to actually put some faces to them too.

One more for luck, ha, but you'll get a glimpse of some of the stuff you've got to look forward to.

Some forthcoming jewellery trends.

A fun show and a great time was had by all! Until next year!

CSI 14.15 "Love For Sale" Review

                                                   
Felt like back to old territory with this CSI ep, which kind of wanted to put in twists and turns at every instance to make the episode appear a little different, but really didn't make much of a difference.  Oh and my suspect I got straightaway, sorry if you don't like me always writing that, ha, force of habit! The DB of a girl is found in her car on a highway and it appear she's been there overnight, after the driver abandons the car there and leaves on the headlights.

Nick (George Eads) arrives at the scene where Det Crawford (Alimi Ballard) is already examining the CS.  The Vic was Debbie Logan (Hannah Kasulka) a sixteen year old girl, but there's no evidence to indicate she was actually killed in the car.  She has a headwound and Morgan (Elisabeth Harnois) finds the car seat had been pushed back and the seat was too far for her to have driven it herself.  Yes it was the 'old seat in wrong position' ploy.  Greg (Eric Szmanda) finally manages to get a print off the passenger door and this is matched to a thief, Ernesto Sanza (Emiliano Torres) who also left a flyer on the screen of her car.  There was no rain, so the flyer must've been placed there during the night as it's still in pristine condition.

Autopsy evidence reveal Debbie was sexually assaulted and there's also trace under her fingernails. The DNA from which doesn't lead to a match in the system.   Finn (Elisabeth Shue) is dismayed at yet another young rape Vic and once again it's a case close to her heart, since she was almost in that position too in Girls Gone Wild, not so long ago and it seems she still hasn't been able to come to terms with what's happened.  She still has trouble believing this could happen to someone so young and vulnerable.

DB (Ted Danson) talks with Debbie's parents, as he's more usually tasked with that lately.  Her parents had no idea that she was out and she'd taken the car.  Her father, Jim Logan (Jack Coleman) is a Reverend and they took her phone from her cos of falling grades.  Nor did she sneak out to see boys.  In short, she was the perfect child, with the perfect life.  Now the reason why I thought it would be one of them, is the way her mother, Carolyn (Rya Kihlstedt) held onto Jim's hand, there was just something about that in terms of not all couples acting in this way.  Especially since he was a Reverend and the way he had the Bible.

Ernesto states he uses the flyers to steal from peoples' cars but he didn't kill her or rape her and he put the flyer up in the desert.  The car was at a certain spot and he gives them the location.  Here Nick and Greg visit and Nick finds a flyer, so he may have been telling the truth about dumping the flyers and going home.  They knock on the door of the building and are let in as the bartender,Rex (Paul Telfer) assumes they're the Harris brothers.  Nick and Greg looking like brothers, ha.  Well, obviously no one would use their real names etc.  They're lead inside and can pick any girl they want and Nick notices the blue tinsel which also was found in Debbie's hair.  So apparently, they're 'accosted' by the girl's and Nick insists they're not going to get what they want here.  The brothel owner, Madame Suzanne (Sherilyn Fenn) turns up and she claims she hasn't seen Debbie nor does she pimp out sixteen year old girls.

She lets them look around on the condition that Nick lets her know if anything catches his eye.  They look at the different signs to the doors and Nick seems to have a particular penchant for the 'Asian Room', ha.  Greg takes the 'Western' room to analyze and he notices the coloured bottles on the table. Similar to the shard of glass Doc (Robert David Hall) found embedded in Debbie's knee which came from an apothecary bottle. Nick also finds blood in the floorboards and Greg finds more broken glass.

Everyone is brought out of their rooms and the clients are arrested. One of them is a prominent supervisor for Brine County, Roger Ridley (John Heard) and he helped Suzanne open up the place legally.  She tells them that Rex told her about the girl he found outside and she told him to dispose of her DB.   Rex made it so she'd be found and wasn't trying to hide anything.  He also covered over the blood on the ground.  Then hitched back.  Nick telling him he's an idiot, yeah you messed up the CS and took the DB away too.

Hodges (Wallace Langham) and Henry (Jon Wellner) (who made an appearance this ep, finally, as Sara and Brass vanish, ha.)  Check the dirt and Hodges finds a 1926 penny, he wonders if it's worth anything.  Henry finds a piece of turquoise, whilst asking Hodges about the story going round that he frequented a brothel too.  He replies he did but it's another story.  Henry handing him the turquoise saying, "don't say I never give you anything."

Nick also finds the rock in the bushes that was used as the murder weapon and also footprints from a pointed shoe, possibly one with a high heel.  Finn and Greg takes samples from the shoes the girls are wearing and one of them calls Greg 'Prince Charming', ahh.  He also gets a sample of a shoe (it's a flip flop, okay and not a thong, we don't call them thongs here!) which has glass embedded in it.  Finn saying Kirsten (Tina Ivlev) told her she wasn't in the Western room.  She tells her of how they sometimes find runaways here and she didn't want Suzanne finding out she was here.  She's about to tell her more, which Greg thinks could've been a confession, but Jim walks in and stops them. Okay he goes on to reveal he's her father.  That she ran away from home and this is the only chance he gets to see her on a Tuesday.  He pays $500 for the privilege.

So he does frequent the brothel but not for the reason they earlier believed, as he also has an alibi for the day Debbie was killed.  He'll get the best lawyer for her no matter the cost.   DB and Finn discuss the case and they are told that there's DNA in the Asian Room belonging to the same person that raped Debbie, leading back to Roger, of course.  He used to play Calleigh's dad in CSI:Miami, hmm, wonder what she'd say about all this? Ha.  This is where Nick and Crawford head and arrest him, but her father ha already beaten them to it, holding a gun on him and threatening to shoot.  Nick talks him down.

Crawford says they have evidence he raped Debbie and it wasn't consensual, as he points to the scratch marks on Roger's face.  Finn later confronts her mother as Roger''s made a statement telling them she was behind selling Debbie to him.  Carolyn was a prostitute herself and was arrested three times, but she Lord what she did.  She wanted her daughters to do the same and she's not remorseless at all, especially since they were adopted.  Also she married Jim but she didn't have a perfect life, he was stifling and she hated being married to him.  They also have the bloody shoes she wore at the CS and Crawford shows her the photo of the turquoise bracelet she had at home, from which she lost the stone.

Jim is distraught at what's happened, feeling he wasn't there for his family, but DB tells him it's not too late, as Kirsten walks in.  At least he has the chance to make amends with one daughter.  But it's often the case, when helping others, it's family members who garner the least attention.  Paul Telfer played Marine Corporeal Damon Werth in three eps of NCIS and was the man Tony (Michael Weatherly) thought Ziva (Cote de Pablo) was seeing.

Doctor Who 8.3 "Robot of Sherwood" Review

                                              
As the Doctor (Peter Capaldi) once again scrawls more equations and the like onto  the board in the TARDIS, a continuation from the last two eps, cos obviously they're part of some foreshadowing involved.  He asks Clara (Jenna Coleman) where she'd want to go or who she wanted to meet and she comes up with Robin Hood, cos she's it's like a dream of hers to meet him, but he says he doesn't exist, he's not real.   But plots in a date and place for the TARDIS to land.  Cue Robin (Tom Riley) and demanding the TARDIS is his to take.  But he's not taking that without a fight.  When Clara emerges, she's dressed as Maid Marian of course, or rather a Maid Marian. 
So naturally they have a sword fight but the Doctor doesn't have a sword so he puts on his glove and takes out  a spoon which doesn't really get help much, but he manages to push Robin into the stream.  
Saying, "I am the Doctor and this is my spoon."  So where'd he rumble that from, the Victorian restaurant in the first ep, The Promised Land.

Heading back to their camp, they are introduced to the rest of his Merry men and the Doctor takes samples from them to analyze and see if they're real.  Then asks what season it is since it's too green. Whilst Robin and Clara have a meaningful conversation about why he's sad, she knows cos he's always laughing.  Mentioning Marian and how she told him to never give up.   Clara knows him as the Earl of Loxley.  Anyway championing for the poor, he's entering the archery tournament and he knows it's an obvious trap.

The Sheriff of Nottingham (Ben Miller) meanwhile takes prisoners from the village, even killing one of them.  At the arrow shooting, of course Robin wins the golden arrow, but he's then matched by the Doctor, thus starts their constant getting one better one each other, until the Doctor says he's bored of this and blows up the target with his Sonic.  But the Doctor doesn't want the arrow, he wants "enlightenment," As he tells the Sheriff.  As a fight ensues, the knight gets his arm cut off and it's a robot.  Thus the Doctor gets himself and Clara arrested; cos that's the best way to infiltrate for info.  In the dungeon, there's more fighting talk and competition with each other and eventually Clara tells them to shut up.  They must have a plan and well neither one of them do.  The guard takes Clara away.

As she dines with the Sheriff he wants info about who she is and the like, but she gets him to tell his story of the lights in the sky and the ship landing.  She got him to do the talking again, as she did with the Half Face man in the first ep.  He wants her to be his consort.  The Doctor and Robin still bickering over who's better and Robin making lost of comments towards the Doctor being old, which we knew would come eventually since his change of face.  Robin pretends to have a nervous breakdown as the Doctor tells the guard and knocks him out.  Then fight for the keys again, which fall through the grate.  Well good thing Clara wasn't here to see that, the Doctor adds.

Getting out, they find the spaceship and the Doctor accesses its databanks, finding more reference to "the Promised Land."  Once again being Missy territory, who doesn't featured this ep.  He recalls that was what the Half Face man was in search of and no more is said of it.  The Sheriff is melting down gold and it appears he's making a giant computer chip out of it.  Which the Doctor tells him won't fly the ship as it doesn't have enough power to fly and will take out most of the country with it.  But the Sheriff is blinkered in wanting to rule and oust Prince John.

The robots try to take out Robin, but Clara stands in front of him and he makes his escape by jumping from the window into the moat below.  the Doctor is locked with the workers and he meets the woman who was taken for the village and they hatch a plan to destroy the robots.  This they do by reflecting their laser death rays back onto them using the golden trays.  Those robots did fiendishly resemble the Cybernauts from The Avengers TV series.

Robin demands to know who he Doctor is.  Though he did appear sinister when he asks that. Leading to another showdown in the ship, where this time Robin fights the Sheriff as they end up on the catwalks above the melting pot.  Taking a leaf out of the Doctor's playbook when he threw him in the stream, he does the same, leaving the Sheriff to fall into the pot.  The Doctor says the ship still doesn't have enough gold to make it fly out and so they must use the golden arrow.  Having to admit he cheated by planting homing devices in the arrows.  Robin can't shoot cos of his arm, so he suggests they make it a team effort.  Hitting the ship, it enters orbit and explodes.

The Doctor tells Robin he is eventually forgotten being real and becomes a legend.  With Robin adding, he's as real as the Doctor.  He's the Last Lord of Gallifrey who took the TARDIS and helped people, which is what Robin does.  The Doctor is perturbed that Clara told him that, she wasn't supposed to.  The Doctor leaves him a present, Marian (Sabrina Bartlett).  The woman from the village and the melting works.  But hey it appears the Doctor gave him a picture of Clara for his locket.

Not only was there that arrow shooting scene with an allusion to Robin Hood Prince of Thieves, but Clara even goes so much further as to mention it. The Doctor also commenting he's bantering and how he hates it.  Well Doctor Eleven (Matt Smith) would know plenty about bantering!  "I am totally against bantering."   Though come on, must admit he looked liek he was enjoying the bantering.  So after the colours, are we still on that?  Last time it was Pink and Blue and now scarlet, when Will Scarlett was introduced.  There must be something more to this.

When those pics of Robin Hood were shown, there was one, deceptively resembling Errol Flynn's turn as the Merry Man, (taken literally here with the jokes!)  Especially after that reference to Errol Flynn's 'private parts.'  A brief reference to Carnival of Monsters (with Doctor 3 Jon Pertwee) but at the end of the day, funny it may have been, the epsiode didn't really do much other than reinforcing how this Doctor  doesn't want to be reminded of being a Time Lord and his 'helping' others.  Even though it was written by Mark Gatiss, it delved too much into the comedial aspect, which is fine for an early ep, but it's the darkness that I and many others want from this season/series.

Am looking forward to next week's ep, where things come out from under the bed.  Er, that's cos it's where you put stuff right.  Whenever you lose something, always look under the bed first! Ha.  Have to mention the BBC production of Robin Hood from a few years back in 2006 (with Jonas Armstrong and Richard Armitage - probably the only reason worth watching it, !! But this ep just seemed like a poor imitation or attempt at emulating it.)  What is it with the BBC and their 'attempts' at Robin Hood?

CSI 14.14 "De Los Muertos" Review

                                                  
Doc (Robert David Hall) is at a funeral where a friend's daughter, Ana (Vanessa E Garcia) has been murdered and her father, Gabriel (Benito Martinez) suspects there's more to it than a drug overdose since she didn't take drugs.  He begs Doc to go to Mexico and find out for himself.  DB (Ted Danson) agrees to pull strings for him and Nick (George Eads) goes with him, he can also help Doc with the Spanish.

Greg (Eric Szmanda) Sara (Jorga Fox) and David (David Berman) are called to a CS where a couple's DBs have been found in concrete.  From the photo it looks like a husband and wife, Brett (Graham Hamilton) and Clare (Monika Casey) Marsh.  Someone used some sort of cement expanding material wrongly which expanded the concrete and revealed their DBs.  A man rushes in saying it's his home and sees his wife.  It's Brett, as Greg recognizes him from his photo and says he was away and that his brother, Jeff, was doing some renovations for him, he thought he'd mess up but not get killed.  Sara agrees to help David take the bodies out of the cement and at the lab she finds Jeff had a gun in his hand. Greg assumes that Brett killed them cos she was probably having an affair.  Sara doesn't think it's likely since Clare has blood spatter on her and is dressed in a revealing outfit.  She also has a finger nail missing.  Sara posits it's a double homicide.

In Mexico, Agent Javier Silva (Bayardo De Murguia) from the Federales drives Nick and Doc to the morgue, talking about how the Cartel practically runs the town and that the police are corrupt.  Dropping them at the morgue, the coroner, Dr Blanco (Julio Oscar Mechoso) is less than pleased to have Doc encroaching on his territory and remarks on how much they get paid over there.  Doc is less than impressed by the conditions of the morgue and the overall state of the office, which is in stark contrast to their own LVPD lab.

Doc insists on carrying out the autopsy and he leaves him to it.  Doc finds trace in her hair and it appears her feet have frostbite, strange for somewhere where the temperature hardly drops. Doc finds evidence of drug use.  Nick finds corn husk trace on her dress and also has a sample of the cocaine.  Nick has some tacos and looks at the paper where Javier tells him murder is big business and sells papers.  Nick notices the men who were killed also had corn husks and he rushes to the make-shift cooler where the DBs are kept.  Dr Blanco wouldn't allow cross contamination.   He tells Doc that he picked up the DBS, but then got a call saying he missed a DB.   At the dump site, Nick finds tyre treads in blood, but they seem to have been made after the initial blood had already dried up.  Whilst there, they're visited by some Cartel men, wanting to know why they are here.

At the lab, Finn (Elisabeth Shue) finds the gun barrel is damaged so chiseled out the interior of the gun to match the striations of the bullet.  As well as finding a single hair.  It's identified as belonging to Brett, but he tells Greg he didn't do it.  Greg once again putting forward his story about Brett returning early to find Clare and Jeff together.  He claims she didn't even like Jeff since she had the house fumigated last time he was there.

Hodges (Wallace Langham) tells Doc that Ana's blood didn't have any drugs and Hodges makes judgements about the office, pointing out mould spores and the like.  Doc saying he's a hypochondriac and insane.  Doc takes one of Ana's hairs and finds it's got traces of heavy metal poisoning.  He finds mease lines on her nails, again an indication of poisoning and could explain the frostbite on her feet, as she'd be trying to keep them cool, after feeling them burn.  Nick wonders what was in her nose and uses Doc's water to put some of the cocaine in the bottle, but it doesn't dissolve.  He examines part of it under a microscope to find it's pulverized plastic, used in making milk jugs.  There's a plant outside the town, again run by the Cartel, but Nick insists on going and takes Javier with him.  He returns with a file of trucking records, as do the police.  They arrest Javier for Ana's murder.

Nick calls Brass (Paul Guilfoyle) to tell them about this and he has the State Department ready to get them out.  He tells them Nick and Doc are persons of interest in Ana's murder.  Nick looks through the records and finds there was a delivery made from Las Vegas.  Nick calls Brass so he can find the trucker.  Mateo (Jorge Jimenez) is on his way back to Vegas.  Brass questions him and he says she was already dead in one of the drums.  He left her with the other DBs so she would be found and her parents would get some closure.

David shows Doc the DBs in the morgue as Doc's passing the time, not checking up on him.  He finds that Clare also had traces of heavy metal poisoning.  Meaning the two cases are related and they didn't need to travel to Mexico after all.  Morgan (Elisabeth Harnois) mentions the green paint on Clare's shoes and Sara tells them that Clare may have been seeing an artist.  She finds that the painter was renting out a room, but no one can recall his name.  They find Ana's painting there and a sketch of Clare, ready to be painted.  Greg also finds a broken wine glass which has traces of thallium.  So they were both being poisoned.  He kept them there so that they would have to depend on him, but took it too far.  Sara finds a letter from Ana saying she's leaving.

Sara also finds Clare's nail in the back of Ana'a painting.  She must have recognized her.  Brett doesn't know his name cos he wasn't interested in hearing about him.  DB talks with Gabriel, but he doesn't know who it could be as he owns the company but DB isn't accusing him of being involved.  Obviously he knows who the employee is, cos he goes after him.  Sara finds an artist, Keith (John Ruby) was commissioned to paint for them and he worked at Ana's and Clare's school.  His phone is tracked to Gabriel's house.  DB arrives in the nick, ha, to save Keith and prevent Gabriel from pulling the trigger, telling him it's not what Ana would've wanted.

Doc tells Blanco he apologized to the Police Chief, which he sees as a breath of fresh air, cos no one's that honest here.  Doc leaves him his tools and wishes he could do more.  Blanoc replies it's faith.  Nick tells Javier to look him up when he's next in Vegas.

An ep where they start out with two different cases and evidence leads them to one case.  Haven't done one of those in a while in CSI, love those eps.  So good to see Nick take an active role in the ep too, considering he was made to miss out on five.  Sara's back, but Henry's (Jon Wellner) still missing, ha.  Also one of those eps where the husband didn't kill the wife, as they normally suspect, but funny to see Greg still going for that angle with his theories.

Fake fingernails lost at a CS have long been the vain of many a CSI ep ranging from CSI itself to CSI:Miami and CSI:NY so they're too numerous for me to list here, but nice to know that they're still going strong on that evidence front.  No pun, re strong and nails, since this sometimes can't be used in the same sentence. Though must stop as this is fast becoming a fashion piece!! ha.