Without A Trace - Looking Back

The stuff that you find you've written over the years and do nothing with!  Time to share perhaps? ha.
                                                 

September 2005 marked the fourth season of Without A Trace.  The CBS/Warner series about missing persons which has garnered surely and loyally a huge following on both sides of the Atlantic and indeed globally.  An essential part of prime time viewing: it is intelligent, thought provoking with snippets of humour and heartache.

Without A Trace has carved up its own niche in the schedules and viewers are taken aback by its breathtaking production techniques; fast-paced action, nicely peppered with the personal lives of these our characters and actors.  While it comes from the stable of Jerry Bruckheimer, serving as executive producer: it serves up a slice of investigation and nail biting stories in which the viewer can immediately involve themselves from the outset.

As Jerry Bruckheimer is also behind the equally huge and successful CSI franchise and the spin-offs, you can’t help notice the little pieces of CSI creeping in here and there; the reference to forensics, of course is essential.  Inevitably certain comparisons had to be made on both shows but for the most, and certainly on my, part it’s not done in any critical way or as a put down.  (I’m a fan of all the shows.)  The success of each show is a testament to its merit and entertainment factor.  Effective and stylish use of flashbacks; assumptions, crime scene reconstructions/enactments and suspect/witness statements getting to the crux of the current investigation.  Most effective and crucial is the missing person appearing as a ghost in their apartments etc as though the team is actually there with them, or looking into a facet of their life, before they vanish: like the investigation begun in the Pilot episode and carried throughout the seasons…Pilot episode when Sam (Poppy Montgomery) watches the photo of the missing woman;  Jack (Anthony LaPaglia) in Chet’s (Charles S Dutton) apartment when he cries and Viv (Marianne Jean-Baptiste) in Sydney’s apartment in the season 1 finale.

Indeed there was a void crying out to be filled by such a drama series since the schedules were filled with soaps and to a large extent until much recently, sci-fi.  Let's not even mention the reality shows!

First hand way in which the FBI conducts a missing person investigation.  Not since Mulder and Scully has a show with an FBI theme drummed up so much interest.  In fact our special agents in WAT are just as revered and well loved.  No finer cast could live up to the FBI motto of Fidelity, Bravery, Integrity; than these.

Though most of the investigations covered are fictitious – some of them are based on true stories, for example the season 2 opener, The Bus.  Never-the-less the stories still have a bearing on the everyday: marriage break-ups, affairs, emotional moments which end up mirroring the personal lives of the agents.

On another level some have criticized the story relating to Jack and Sam’s affair – the hints to it in the first season; finally seeing light of day in the two part season 1 finale; have been termed ‘falling into the old romantic trap’ that has been the downfall of many-a show: Moonlighting, Remington Steele. Spring to mind.  However, this is counteracted by the fact the affair is already over by the time we hear about it; though their colleagues are in the same boat, re knowledge of this, only Viv knows.  But this is finely balanced by Martin’s (Eric Close) immediate attraction to Sam; his jealousness when she speaks to her beaus and his feelings finally see fruition when they finally come together in the season 2 finale and ensuring season 3 where the romantic aspect comes full circle – as what started out in season 1 with Jack and Sam’s secret affair now translates/turns into Martin and Sam’s secret.

The affair may have played a significant part in Jack’s marriage break-up to his wife, Maria (Talia Balsam) it’s not entirely conclusive.  Contributing to this is the element of work – his work and this plays an important part too.  The number of hours he puts into the job, 24:7 have all had an impact too. Though to be fair, Maria, being a lawyer, isn’t exactly a 9-5 occupation either.

WAT deals with the missing persons section of the FBI and focuses on a team of 5 special agents assigned to such cases: Jack Malone, the leader; Vivian Johnson, Samantha Spade, Danny Taylor (Enrique Murciano) and Martin Fitzgerald, the new agent.  Each one comes from a different background, bringing with them a multitude of mindsets and skills; to utilize their knowledge and experiences in ensuring the missing person is located quickly.

This knowledge includes investigative methods: of checking financial records, phone records as well as the vital use of psychological profiling to get to know the missing person’s private and personal life, public appearances.  In short, their entire background.  Nothing about their life is omitted: every question needs to be asked and answered, no matter how personal or irrelevant it appears – it’s the little things that add up into the whole.  From this they can ascertain whether they’re looking at an abductee, a disappearance, a run away, a murder or someone who’s just dropped out of the rat race. In the words of Jack, “you have to get to know the victim,” so they can determine where to look for them.  In order to do this, the team constructs a Day of Disappearance (DOD) timeline: crucial details outlining the missing person’s movements on the day they disappeared.  Sometimes this time line extends to 2 days before disappearing (DBD) or even months before.  This way if there’s any blank spaces to be filled between the DODs, they may be a key to explaining why or how they vanished.

The show was not meant to be about characters: the personal lives revolved around the cases but as the series progressed, this is exactly what has happened.  Soundbites and snippets of information about personal problems, emotions, how a case is more closer to home at times than others.  Part of the work envisages who they really are.  There’s also an element of procedure; the show is procedural.  Let’s face it – how many of us will actually get to see the intricate workings of an elite FBI taskforce, short of joining the real FBI (in which case you need to be a US citizen.)  As Poppy says, “as the show progresses all the characters are developing more and more.  It is a procedural show but the writers are so good that they’re managing to work more and more character into it.  I think it’s a good balance.”

Eric on his co-stars says: “We all have a great chemistry….this is a different type of show though. It’s less about the relationships of the characters and more about finding the missing person.  But they don’t focus on the interaction between the characters as much, we’re interacting but we’re talking about case information and personality profiles less than peoples’ relationships.  We have touched on that Martin and Sam have been in a romantic relationship but that’s clearly the focal point of the show.”

There was sometimes closure for the fans, involving the missing person being found, alive, sadly dead or sometimes in between.  It was different too, in that on occasion there was no clear cut conclusion or resolution, thus leaving the stories on a loose thread where the missing person remained missing for obvious reasons such as starting over.  Bigamist husband; where the suspect escaped justice season 2 ep Doppelganger (only to get their comeuppance in season 3 Doppelganger 2 or the excellent Two Families which told the ever-questionable story of whether the death penalty should be abolished, let alone maintained in it’s unusual, unjust and cruel form.  Given the flaws of the criminal justice system, ranging from incompetent counsel; judge’s misdirection to the jury, wanting to deliver a swift verdict and reliance upon accomplice testimony.  This episode ended on a cliff-hanger so we never knew if the telephone rang or not, symbolizing a death knell!  Even to episodes which overstepped the boundaries of Federal law in Underground Railroad dealing with the run away victims of domestic violence.

Though sometimes predictable in its approach, it never falters in impressing: concentrating on real life cases as well as the real world: political: the events of 9/11 and fallout from this in the season 1 episode In Extremis and the season 1 finale, Fall Out.  How an innocent man can find himself a suspected terroris; a victim of circumstance.  The legal: death penalty, immigration and social shortcomings: peer pressure, bullying, foster care, the school system, the have/have not divide. Regardless of the inequalities in societies and backgrounds, each victim was treated fairly on an individual basis, irrespective of race etc.

The show was applauded in earning a Golden Globe in 2004 for its main star Anthony LaPaglia, as well as an Emmy nomination for Best Actor in September 2004.The Pilot episode earned 21 million viewers, rating second across all households and broke the record by being the first drama to beat ER in the ratings.  Some thought it doomed as it aired against this show too.

Rightly earning its top spot in the ratings, the Pilot episode dealt with a successful, missing career woman and quickly paved the way for dealing with a number of topics and varied underlying reasons for her disappearance, laying down the basic premises of time lines and getting to know the ‘victim’; thereby leading to them being found.  It also contained no end of suspects and was funny in that each of the 5 team members had their own views of her disappearance and which of the endless array of suspects was behind it.

The Pilot also emphasized the time within which the missing person was to be found: 51 hours, though extended to 72 in other episodes.  After that the chances of being found alive or at all, were slim.  Add to this the characters own take on the story; sometimes being being closer to them than they’d like to admit and especially not to each other.

Comments Eric Close: “…Without A Trace happened to get stuck into a timeslot with a great lead-in [ from CSI] but also the fact that ER was coming to the end of its run.  I think timing is important, that has a lot to do with it.  It’s the number one show [CSI] on TV and considering the habits of television viewers, when thy like a show I think sometimes they’ll stick around and see what’s coming up next…produced by Jerry Bruckheimer’s company; this company produces good work and so I think people at least were willing to tune in and give it a chance and see what they thought.  I think we probably did even better than they expected numberwise.  I think they were hoping that we would do well, but I think that we’ve done more than well.  I think we’ve exceeded peoples’ expectations, no question.”

Richard Dean Anderson Talk Saturday 18th July #LFCC2015

Rick taking a video of the fans!  Budge up!!

Well the highlight had to be the talk with Richard Dean Anderson, which was highly anticipated. Though it would've been better if they had found a different place for it.  It was rather echo-y and then you could hear the crowd outside.  For the number of people there, a 'Superstage' wasn't really needed.

The moderator saying we missed Rick changing his shirt backstage and the crowd went 'wooo' with Rick adding, " you didn't just go wooo did you...you haven't seen me naked, that's for sure."  That'd get people going!!  Yeah Rick needed to cool down cos it was boiling hot and they placed him in a horrible spot without any aircon to sign, he so should've been on Level 3 with the Game of Thrones, The Musketeers cast, and the wrestlers!!

His daughter, Wylie wants to go to Emerson College, Boston and try her hand at acting and added Rick, she can keep him when he's old and grey or grey and old.  Forever the doting father, he speaks so lovingly of her.

Fan Q: if Jack was funny [per se] or if he had part of Rick in his character.
As for Jack being funny in SG-1, he started ad libs at table reads and "I got laughs which is a tantamount of disaster for me cos feed me a laugh and I'll keep going."  But he realized he was making fun of the writers and their hard work and this was after a direct conversation with Brad Wright.

Michael Shanks and Amanda [Tapping] got... he loves Amanda more than Michael. "..all the technical dialogue and he just had to listen to it and his response was 'what?'  {That reminds me of what Michael said in the Winter 2013 #LFCC that he got all the exposition and long dialogue cos he didn't realize he should've kept his mouth shut, just like Rick did.}

Would he recall his fave ep of Stargate by now??  He doesn't recall things like that, if you knew him, you'd know that.  "My favourite was the first one...but Brief Candle ..4 hours in a make-up chair..."

Comment on his Buffy Tee by a fan and Q what part he'd like to have played in the show, if he was in Buffy.  
Rick looking surprised at his shirt, "this is Buffy?!"  "Buffy she got paid more...not that familiar with the show...
Moderator: 'they were usually after vampires or lesbians.'
Rick:"my 2 favourite people."

Moderator asking what his fave shows were growing up and his idols?
Rick: The local Minneapolis station ran a show called Axel and His Dog..."if there's one person out there who knows the show I'll marry them..."  Oh idle promises Ricky!! ha. I accept the proposal!! But it's on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=No0a8QEK1VM

He watched Saturday morning cartoons, but he was always outside.  3 months spent cycling in Southern Canada, Alaska and back to 5,600 mile bike trip and altered his life at 17, he didn't know what he wanted to do and he wasn't good enough to play hockey for the rest of his life.

He still has some of his hair, more or most of it.  On the mullet he doesn't pay too much attention to his hair, "so it just kept growing and growing and hair guys kept trimming...I can't believe I was talking about my mullet."
Mentions Rod Stewart and we don't like him anymore cos of his seal skinned jacket he got made. Rick's staying out of the political stuff!
Well that's a Q my sis would've asked re the mullet!  But it suited him and was good for him, got all that recognition for it.

Filmed some MacGyver eps in the UK.  He had a development deal with Paramount after the show was over.  Wrote 2 scripts which they filmed in London and went to France first, but Paramount France wanted too much money from them.   Rick adding how those eps "have the mullet gone crazy"

He fell in love with Britain and the countryside.  Moderator: he can do a bike ride from Lands End to John O'Groats.
Rick: " the roads are kinda skinny for that."

Moderator: what's it like working on an American soap, General Hospital.
Rick: Was getting his real life education in front of the camera.  He didn't have anything like that in school for theatre. California was nice and he ended up there, so it was 'on the job training.'

Fan Q: Is he still active in Sea Shepherd?
Rick it's his effort with conservation. Met Paul in Alaska and no one knew what it was and Paul gave it an empassioned speech many times.  He was taken in by it.  Growing up in Minnesota, it's associated with the water.
Sea Shepherd see here:   seashepherdglobal.org and on Twitter @seashepherd

MacGyver developed had a backstory and kept him from utilizing guns but the concept was to follow the philosophy you don't use guns to solve problems, Rick: "but we stretched the credibility just a wee bit."

His SG-1 story with Chris Judge and they were being 'gaseous' on the set, re the pranking on set Q. He won that day Chris couldn't keep a straight face when they came out of the elevator.  "Could see it in his eyes and smell it in his nose...everytime..Chris was a young fighter and he gave him the crown."  Somewhere he didn't want to go and dwell on this 'hot air' story! ha.

When he started out he was in heaven, he was having fun, being paid, "I was young...knew I was on my way when I had my daughter, Wylie and I didn't have her of course...I knew that my life was gonna change in a massively aggressive way and I knew that all I wanted to do was to have plenty put aside so I could put Wylie through college.  He said you have that.  So I made it.  That made me happy."

Fan Q: will there be anything planned with rest of the cast for the twentieth anniversary of Stargate. [As if Rick would know about that, he wouldn't be organizing it!]  He hasn't heard anything about it.

Rick:Was talk of MacGyver being brought back in some form and he was asked a few times, when some newbie would try and convince him to do MacGyver, which was 'ludicrous to me'.  I would only do MacGyver if Mac could be as old as I am and as fat as I am and as cranky as I am. A far more interesting character than watching me play a younger guy as MacGyver."

Fan Q: his fave character from MacGyver, Jack O'Neill and Nicodemus Legend, which is his weak spot.  {Legend that aired on the Paramount channel here}.  "He was a drunk, smoked cigars and womanized and all the things my grandfather used to do so I fashioned the character around him and it took place in the late 1800's.  Also grew a moustache (yeh that caterpillar as I call it. ) "  John De Lancie played Nikolas Tesla "I'll tell him [John] I made you clap...was fun and absurd in a good way."

If he cared about his life, he'd want MacGyver around, or even Jack around, did I say that out loud, "Jackaround."  He has more in common with Nicodemus.  Sitting around smoking cigars and womanizing...there's a soundbite for ya."

To end he said he's a huge fan of this country and since his dad introduced him to Brit humour such as Terry Thomas and it's great.  Thanked his fans for coming to the event.

But honestly these questions were all asked and answered (my fave phrase right now) during the course of various interviews over the years by Rick.)
Sorry to bore you with all the Qs repeated in much detail, but it's my memory to blame!!  Retains everything.  Ha.

Hope you'll enjoy reading for those who couldn't be there!

The Vampire Diaries 6.22 "I'm Thinking of You All the While" Review

                                            
Disaster at the wedding, (or the dancefloor, ha!) as we knew it would be, we weren't going to get a happy ending, not in this show.  As Alaric (Matt Davis) morns Jo (Jodi Lyn O'Keefe) and the twins, it's about Elena (Nina Dobrev) again. Yes she's leaving, yes she had to get a big part for her last ep and all that, but you'd think we'd at least get something different, or something more we could sink our teeth into, but alas, it was a bit rushed in places and mixed up in others.  Not as in confusing, but more in, 'let's see after 6 seasons, what can be done for a proper finale'.  Don't get me started on the end either, which I will come to.

So Jo's father, Joshua (Christopher Cousins) tries to get revenge on Kai (Chris Wood) no go there, Liv (Penelope Mitchell) lies dying next to Tyler (Michael Trevino) who also sees it as the end for him, but she makes him live on, cos he can.  It's a full moon and so if he takes her life, he can become a werewolf again, which he doesn't want to do, but she's fine with it cos she loves him and wants him to live.  So that was the Gemini coven wiped out in one fell swoop.  Which left a bad taste in terms of was everything they fought for and the merging, with Luke giving up his own life, all worth it in the end, when no one remained.  The logic of witches, or the illogic of this show.

Damon (Ian Somerhalder) tells Stefan (Paul Wesley) that Elena won't wake up and he has to tell him to take her to the hospital, before Kai snaps his and Caroline's (Candace Accola) neck, cos they'd be in the way.  Of course Elena actually drinking Damon's blood would be too convenient.  Though he can be with her by holding her hand in the road, where they first met and he wants her to dance with him.  Kai leaves a message for Bonnie (Kat Graham) on that video again which she shows Matt (Zach Roerig) just as Kai tells Damon the same thing.  That he's cast a spell whereby Bonnie's life has been linked to Elena's.  If he wants Elena to wake, Bonnie must die.  That's his version of the ultimate revenge.  Though he didn't count on a lot of things happening and with Damon surprising everyone.  Matt tells Bonnie to leave town cos Damon will kill her.  But she's staying here.

Kai stabs himself in the neck cos he's now become one of Lily's (Annie Wersching) creatures, or rather a vampire.  Alaric puts Jo in the back of the truck and he takes the gun to shoot Kai, but since he's a vampire he won't die.  We find this out when Stefan asks Lily what she gave Kai in return for bringing back her family.  After Enzo (Michael Mularkey) takes him and Caroline to her.  Lily can't believe her family isn't here and tells Stefan she won't become the ripper if she can think about them. He tells her to come back to the dungeon cos he's her son, but she doesn't listen, she wants hr family. Yeah okay, deluded mother, that's ejust so ,there'll be more fodder, I mean story for next season!

Tyler shows up and bites Kai making him need the cure.  He asks Damon but only if he he brings Elena back, which he won't do.  Alaric also trying to shoot himself. but he runs out of bullets.   Bonnie tries to confront Kai when she sees he's vulnerable from the bite, but even she underestimates him, since he tells her a werewolf is magic and all he needs to do is to get rid of the magic, thus curing himself and then he throws Bonnie up against the wall.  Damon shows up and he fools Kai into believing that he won't save Bonnie's life and leaves her with the collapsed lung and on her last breath.  Kai is also shocked that he didn't kill Bonnie to save his precious Elena.  He then sneaks up behind Kai and beheads him.  Uh-oh end of Kai and the coven.  Like I said they weren't expecting that and neither was Bonnie.  Damon saves her cos Elena wouldn't forgive him if he didn't let her live.

They put Elena in the coffin and all say goodbye to her.  She tells Bonnie and Caroline to keep a diary of everything they do and how many times they'd want to shout at Damon, so she doesn't miss a thing and can be here withe her friends.  Asking Bonnie to make the feathers fly one last time.  Matt she sees as a policeman, she tell him it's what he needs to do.  This might be the last time he sees her. Alaric must let in the pain and then drown in it before he can move on and she gets to see Jeremy (Steven R McQueen) too.  Though he doesn't get a reunion with Bonnie, no, it's all about Elena! Also Stefan she thanks for rescuing her when she needed him the most.  Seems Alaric isn't meant to be happy with anyone.  She tells Tyler to embrace who he is and be proud of it.

But Damon is the love of her life and she wants him to live his life.  To go on and not miss a thing. So they have their dance as Stefan confesses his feelings to Caroline, that no matter what he'll wait for her until she's ready to be with him.  Damon and Stefan hope Elena will be safe in the Salvatore crypt cos word will get out she has the cure and every vampire who wants to take it will be after her. SO much for Damon taking the cure too.  Bonnie will do a spell on the crypt.  Lily is reunited with her family cos Enzo realizes that the building behind them wasn't here and Kai must've masked it.

Time flies and we're in the future Mystic Falls where Matt's the sheriff and Damon stands on the clock tower and watches.  So no mouldy bag of chips left there by Elena then! Ha.  Didn't like that vision of the future, cos it's only one of many scenarios.  Hopefully we won't resort to anymore flashbacks or anything else to Elena.  I mean, Jo died and so did the twins and all anyone could do was mourn Elena, who'll be up and at 'em as soon as Bonnie dies and that doesn't necessarily have to be in sixty years, could be much sooner.   They made short, sharp shift of Kai though, after promising us so much with his character. Feel cheated!  He didn't get much of a revenge for the prison world.

They had dance doubles for Damon and Elena, she was obvious cos her botty kept changing in size, but really those moves weren't that difficult!

Yes Damon's come along way from the selfish Salvatore he used to be.  Especially since he didn't kill Bonnie, which he would've thought of and done without hesitation in the past, but he hasn't run out of nick names for her.  Then Stefan also says how Elena was the one who reunited him with Damon and made them see themselves as brothers again, which still leaves a lot to be said about Lily.  But it's always just the two of them and it seems it always will be.  That's the only family they have and need and see me tip toeing into Supernatural territory here, but am waiting for that one crossover ep. between the two shows.  It doesn't even have to be shows, just the four brothers will do!!

The Vampire Diaries 6.21 "I'll Wed You in the Golden Summertime" Review

                                                 
So it's the big day and everyone is having some sort of a crisis, what's new.  Hold on, as Jo (Jodi Lyn O'Keefe) said, maybe I shouldn't have used the word 'big' ha.  Bonnie (Kat Graham) dreams of Kai (Chris Wood) (should I read anything into that? ha, you know love/hate) and Lily (Annie Wersching) terrorizing her and wakes to find it was only a dream.  As we know when Bonnie dreams it's not for the best and something will happen.  Elena (Nina Dobrev) wakes her for the wedding preps and everything's going wrong until Caroline (Candace Accola) turns up, yeah control freak Caroline, which she later tells Stefan (Paul Wesley).  That she was horrible, she made him switch off his humanity after she did the same to herself, cos there was nothing else left for her to do.  But he forgives her.  All she needed from him was a response to how he felt about her, which he couldn't do, not until it was too late.  So she tells him that control is all she has and she doesn't want to lose that.

Stefan drives Damon (Ian Somerhalder) to a house in the 'burbs so he can see what his human life will be like.  He hasn't thought about the bills, the mortgage, the 2.4 children or anything.  But lo and behold, he's actually thought of it all.  The bar where he'll work, where they'll live and where Elena will go to med school.  Stefan calls Elena to tell her the bad news but she wants him to still try.  He gets inside Damons' head and shows him he'll be microwaving dinners, be all alone, when she returns at all hours and after she graduates med school, she'll still be busy and they'll drift apart.  To the point of where they'll resent each other cos they won't have time for each other.   Even when Elena dies he'll be alone.  But Damon's having none of it.  Even when Stefan tells him it was her idea.  He can't believe his brother and his girlfriend are so sadistic.

Stefan leaves him there and he busts the football of the neighbour's kid, then sees a couple who've been together for forty years and has a change of heart.  No, he can't be human, it's not about him being human to be with Elena, cos that's not what the show's about. Aas Stefan said, he was inadequate when he was human, he had no purpose.  Yet she's happy when he tells her that he's going to take the cure for both of them.  Here's hoping by the end of the ep he changes his mind.  Cos really it can't be all about Elena again, even now with the cure.

Enzo (Michael Mularkey) drops by with an MP3 of songs for Lily and when Bonnie gives them to her she grabs her by the neck.  Don't now why she bothered.  Caroline ropes in Tyler (Michael Trevino) and Matt (Zach Roerig) to help with the wedding arrangements, yeah Tyler and flowers and Liv (Penelope Mitchell) arrives for the wedding. Caroline says they should talk, but after what she did to him, there's not much to say.  Bonnie tells Matt about her dreams and he suggests they should get rid of Lily once and for all.  When they go and get her from the dungeon, she's not there and they're strangled by Kai of course, with his invisible power.  It had to be him, but why not just kill them and end it if he's so ruthless about the whole thing.

Lily thanks Enzo for the MP3 and has a message that her friends are here.  At the containers, there's no sign of them and Enzo asks who made her come here.  Was it possibly Jeremy?  Haven't seen him in a while and well it is the season finale next ep.  Jo has a panic attack and is rushed to hospital with Elena calling Alaric (Matt Davis) about it.  But he can't see her cos it's bad luck and Mystic Falls is the worst place to not be suspicious.  Not that it mattered.  Cos at the wedding they say their vows and Jo even walks down the aisle withe her father (Christopher Cousins).  Yet there's a surprise in store, Kai turns up and stabs her.  Then leashes hell on the guests.

Jo's almost pre-emptive fateful line when she asks if it's the wedding dress, there's something wrong with the wedding dress.  Also Elena and the whole thing about being able to get drunk faster now cos she's human and then the upbeat pros of being human when conversing with Alaric.  "It's like feeling alive."  Or something along those lines.  Which came back to bite her when she's hurt at the end when Kai let loose his witchy powers, cos yes it's all about her again.  Clearly she can't stay here if she's going to get hurt at the first sign of trouble, so like Jeremy she'll have to leave too.

Damon seemed to change his mind about becoming human, cos let's face it, brother Stefan will be there through thick and thin, but girlfriends/partners/wives will come and go, is it worth giving all that up and rotting away the first sign someone comes along and finds him.  Cos he clearly couldn't tell Stefan where he'd be if someone came looking for him.  Also Damon your timing sucks, they haven't even solved the entire mother problem yet, who's to say mommy wouldn't be the one coming after him either.  She doesn't see her own blood family as family!  Damon managed to still look good all alone as a human in front of the TV!

The Vampire Diaries 6.20 "I'd Leave My Happy Home For You" Review

                                                  
Jo (Jodi Lyn O'Keefe) can't wait to marry Alaric (Matt Davis) and it's her last shift as a single woman.  An officer takes Jo away and strips for her.  Elena (Nina Dobrev) Bonnie (Kat Graham) celebrate at Jo's bachelorette party at a whole diner by themselves since she compelled the owner, as the others celebrate at Alaric's party.  Cos this ep wasn't so much about Jo but Elena as usual.  As she just wants to stuff herself.  Bonnie asks Elena if she wants to talk about the cure and Damon (Ian Somerhalder) called her to tell her.  She "teleported out of there."  He told Bonnie.  She wanted to be human again.  Damon says she'll drink it and then he feeds from her and he's human and they die together.  He wants to be with Elena.  He hasn't told his brother of 166 years that he's planning on becoming human.

Matt (Zach Roerig) drinks and he wants Tyler (Michael Trevino) to know what it feels like since he hates himself and everyone else along with him.  He tries to force Tyler to control his anger and asks how training went cos he can't be there.  Also Tyler doesn't want to be there, cos it was Matt's thang and if he had to shoot someone, he'd turn back into a werewolf and he doesn't want that.   Enzo's (Michael Mularkey) shows up, invited by Damon as Stefan (Paul Wesley) calls Caroline and leaves a voicemail for her.  He's been avoiding Lily (Annie Wersching) and needs a callback.  Enzo's in joke about forcing himself on a gurney and having his spleen forced out, which is what happened to Sarah, of course Stefan didn't know this.  He tells Stefan that Lily was the one who turned him. She needs help now cos the ascendant was destroyed and she can't get her friends back.  So she goes on a ripper rampage.  What else could she do, I mean you've gotta have one of those practically every season.  Enzo taking a jello shot but can't figure out how to take it!

Stefan knows Lily lied when she brought him back and flipped his switch and she knows he doesn't look into her eyes when he's lying, cos she doesn't want a pep talk, doesn't want to be their mother, but just wants to rip heads off.  So much for last eps tears and self-loathing.  She wants her friends back but can't get them back, she gets away from Stefan and goes on that rampage.  Ending up with Bonnie and Jo since she recognizes her.  Wanting revenge on her for destroying the ascendant and Bonnie adamant she won't help cos she doesn't want Kai (Chris Wood) back.  Her magic didn't really do much to Lily, come to think of it and she attacks her in the neck.  Then goes after Jo, but stops after she tells Lily she's pregnant.  Wishing her luck with the twins.

Lily's speech to Stefan about his mother being dead, was similar to Elena telling Stefan that the woman he loved was also dead, after she turned, yeah, so she could chase after Damon instead now. Enzo knows about Damon taking the cure since he got Alaric drunk enough to get it out of him and says he wouldn't go through with it, not even for Elena.  Well that doesn't ring true for Elena since Jo tells Bonnie that not being supernatural anymore doesn't matter and you still love the person in the same way.  Apparently that isn't the case with Elena, as she changed her mind about Stefan in season 3.

Damon wants to meet Elena and he tells her he's on the clock tower whist she stuffs her face (still!) with burnt fires!  Even the town clock doesn't work, seems the second hand just got stuck where it was and time didn't move at all.  Can vampires stop time?  ha. He wants to show her something and they jump from the clock tower.  Wasn't that a harkback to Katherine doing the same.  They talk and he says the things he'd miss about being a vampire, feeding, speeding and reading minds.  As he takes her back to her house.  As well as "eternally looking great in a black leather jacket."  He's had enough fantasy for a hundred lifetimes and he wants to be human with her.  He gives her the cure, did she expect he'd leave it in the soapdish (his fave hiding place!)  and she takes it. Then has a fainting fit and can recall all her memories.  He  carries her to the Mystic Grill and she tells him it's all coming back to her now!

Enzo tells Stefan about Damon and wanting to take the cure and leaves.  He's such a troublemaker isn't he. Elena pricks her finger and wow, it bleeds, she's human now.  Cue Lily who snaps Damon's neck and wants to feed on her.  She escapes through the tunnel and calls Stefan.  He turns up and tells her to be a mother to them, that her sons love her too and she sees he's looking into her eyes and not lying.  Well two can play the acting game, as Damon vervains her from behind.  Didn't get wind of that ambush did she.  Stefan confronts him about taking the cure and he says he wants to be with Elena, but Stefan admits he's upset cos he doesn't want to lose his brother.

She's back in the dungeon after trying to stake Stefan that's right, she could've just staked herself instead and saved everyone the bleeding heart misery, as Stefan tells her she will always be his mother and in a few centuries may come to love her son.  She replies he doesn't know what it's like it be really devastated and she's going to bring back her family.  She and Kai can do a double act.

Elena tells Damon she recalls everything and his reply back at the island when she asked him to take the cure together and become human.  When he turned and walked away and he couldn't think of anything more miserable.  He'll wilt and die just like Katherine and we can't have that.  Jo tells Alaric about the twins and shows him the ultrasound but if the Gemini Coven find out they'll make them go through the ritual to strip Kai of his powers.  Alaric says they'll get married and run away.

Kai cooks breakfast for Lily's family as he prepares to leave that snow hell of 1903 behind and return!  Well he was always bound to return.  Another ep about Elena, surprise, surprise and Damon had to tell her Bonnie's okay as she stood in front of the fire, thinking of number one!  She couldn't even be bothered to go see her.  Hey is Kai a vampire/witchy now?  There were bite marks on his neck.  This show has its ups and down,s it has so many good eps and then we get some mediocre ones.  Wasn't it Stefan who wanted to take the cure and be human, yet Elena wasted it on Katherine. Now Damon wants to be human, so if he thought about it, deep down, it's not something he'd have wanted.  Stuck with Elena and human, who'd want that!  Yeah Elena, go and get your mouldy, burnt fries bag from that clock tower!!

The Vampire Diaries 6.19 "Because" Review

                                           
Stefan (Paul Wesley) manages to find Caroline (Candace Accola) and they end up in a hotel together. Stefan tries to convince her that his humanity is still off cos his mother tried to talk him round, but she can't really love him and isn't much of a mother.  He orders towels from room service, so they can feed off the staff, as we see flashbacks of their plans to bring Caroline back and convince her to switch on her humanity.  Room service arrives and guess what, it's Damon (Ian Somerhalder) who shoots them both and knocks them out.  When they wake up, the sheets are bloodied and they realize they've had their blood drained to starve them and the room's been vampire proofed.  Elena (Nina Dobrev) also mentions a letter that arrived from Caroline's mother (Marguerite McIntyre) after she died and that will help her come back.  Surprised no one read that, you know, just as a precaution, or copied it.  Didn't anyone think she might destroy it in her state.

Alaric (Matt Davis) and Jo (Jodi Lyn O'Keefe) guard the room and she tells him he's going to sample some wedding cakes at a bakery she's found cos she stayed with him playing gin.  Elena interrupts them and tells Alaric it's good to see him happy, ass she takes over.  Elena gives Caroline the letter but she doesn't want it and guesses it's her plan to bring back her humanity.  She orders Stefan to burn it, oh great been alive so long and Stefan didn't know any sleight of hand either.  Not to mention how I've always said the plans in this show always go awry and it's a common occurrence.  He thinks she should read it but she gives him the match and he burns it.  Elena can't believe she lost the only ace she had in helping her.

She and Damon then talk about how things would be different if they were human and she says he'd be working in a bar, with Damon remarking she's turned him into Matt (Zach Roerig) then she adds he'd own the bar, give her foot massages when she returns home from being a resident in the OR. They'd have two children so they could keep each other company when they were busy with other distractions. Caroline screams and she's heard everything they said.  She torments Elena about what she said and wanting children with her non-existent human life.  Which upsets Elena cos she didn't stick around to hear it.  Saying Elena's only settling for the life she has. Of course this was tormenting Damon too cos he has the cure and can give Elena everything she wants, thing being if she was human, they wouldn't be together, cos human Elena chose Stefan over him.  At this point in time it's no wonder cos he doesn't trust her to make the decision she really wants.  Thing is would Stefan want her now?

Damon tells Bonnie (Kat Graham) about the witches, of the 'witchpires' and she wants the ascendant, saying he shouldn't come round and talk to her when he's risking her life again.  She later breaks in   and steals the ascendant, after she gets Matt to stall Lily (Annie Wersching) at the bar, pretending she wants to meet Lily.  Enzo (Michael Mularkey) musters courage to meet Lily and she finally recognizes him as Lorenzo.  Wanting to know why she left him in the ship all alone with decapitated bodies.  She remarks on how she spent time in prison cos of the Gemini coven and she didn't want to leave him, going on about loyalty.  Matt looks at his scar and Bonnie eventually finds the ascendant when lily arrives home.  She sees the drawer open, what Bonnie you couldn't use your magic to close it behind you.  Enzo tries to tell Lily that the only family she needs is right here in the house.  She refuses to listen cos her family is the only one who can save her from becoming a ripper.

Lily wants Damon to get the ascendant back in return for the cure and he stops Bonnie from destroying it, but she tells him she knows him.  She spent four months with him and he doesn't want Elena to be human otherwise he would've told her about the cure by now.  He's risking Bonnie's life again and leading her to her death again.  He leaves without taking the ascendant.  It's not about Kai cos those witches are stronger than all of them.

Damon and Elena give Caroline photos of the the people she's killed and what her mother would say. There'd be too much for her to just sweep away.  She realizes Stefan has his humanity back cos no one's telling him about what he's done.  Also cos Stefan doesn't want to be with her.  She drives away and sirens are chasing her.  Her mother gets out of the car and arrests her.  She realizes Stefan is showing her memories and then he shows her the one about the day her mother wrote the letter.  He said he wants to be with Caroline but he wants it to be perfect, where she's happy and not grieving. She doesn't want the letter posted cos she hasn't finished it yet.  Stefan leaves and the memory fades, but she wants more.  Then regrets burning the letter, that it was all her fault.

Damon doesn't give her the ascendant and she throws the cure into the fire, or he believes he does. She knew he couldn't tell her about it and she returns home and finds the cure in a box surrounded by petals.  Then overhears them talking and how he wasn't going to tell her.  Damon wants to explain. See Damon you're still lousy at hiding things!

As for Lily being a ripper, she's lousy at being a mother, but she hasn't even tried to control her need to frenzy feed.  In many ways, Damon and Stefan were better off without her being here.  Enzo comes when she calls and she tells how she ripped the head of a man and now she regrets it.  He came cos loyalty means something to him too and she saved him when his family had turned their backs on him.  Cue an Enzo/Lily reliance and how she thinks more of him than her own sons.  Stefan doesn't want to be with Caroline cos she doesn't want him around and Jo says it's her decision. Caroline looks at the photos of everyone she's killed and she doesn't think there's any future for them and leaves.  Well she doesn't say it in so many words, but it looks that way.

Elena looks at the cure and Damon said he was silly to play that 'five years from now' game and she says they should give it to someone else cos she wants to be with him.  To the point where Damon says they'll take the cure together cos he wants her to have that life.  He can't be without her, but can't really see Damon as human.  For starters, he wouldn't last long me thinks and especially with mommie dearest around and all those so called enemies of his.

Once again we get it being all about Elena, Damon didn't tell her about the cure, she could've had a chance at a normal life, he selfishly wanted her to stay with him forever...cos no one else is allowed to wallow and to think about themselves cos it's all about Elena, as I said.  So what if Bonnie didn't give Damon the cure for Elena, she could've given it to Caroline instead, but Damon said everyone's refused it.  They should give it to Lily!  But all Elena can see is what she wants in her messed up 'I'm always right' mentality.  As Caroline said to her, she switched off her humanity, she killed the waitress cos she could and no one else can do anything differently.  

Revenge 4.23 "Two Graves" Review

                                           
Emily: "When I was a little girl, the delineation between good and evil was as clear as night and day. But as life grows complicated that line blurs and we learn to justify our actions when we believe we've crossed it.  If we aren't careful, those choices can fill us with darkness leaving us destined to never see light again."

Amanda (Emily VanCamp) draws the infinity symbol on some sand at the beach house when she's little and David (James Tupper) comes and draws it again, as she looks up at a plane.  He asks her if it's cos of the plane she saw in the news.  She asks him why people do bad things and he replies "it's our decisions that define who we are..."  She should listen with her heart.  In jail, Amanda realizes that Ben (Brian Hallisay) is dead.  She then decides to plead guilty so that she'll be transferred to maximum security, thus making her escape, as Nolan (Gabriel Mann) tells Jack (Nick Wechsler). Amanda tells the judge of what her father said about no one is born bad and the DA thinks she's just stalling.  David asks Amanda why she confessed but the conversations are recorded and she tells him she did it.  He won't let her spend time in prison the same way he did and lose all those years.  Their conversation is cut short by the guard.  She climbs the ceiling and gets out through the vents as the alarm goes of indicating a fire.  They take her to Mary's house, where Victoria (Madeleine Stowe) was staying and Nolan thinks she'll be safe there.  Jack asks whose body Victoria used and Amanda finds a photo of her and her mother, finding out she burned her own mother's corpse.

Margaux (Karine Vanasse) hugs Victoria as she turns up wearing a wig in disguise but she tells her she can't stay here.  She's going to get her out of the country and gives her a fake passport and money for France.  Margaux tells her she didn't want that woman to kill Ben, but Victoria tells her it was horrific, it was laughable how they've been going on about no bloodshed for weeks now and yet that's exactly where the two of them end up. Not to mention all this line crossing business as well.  She also tells Victoria that Patrick and Charlotte (Crista B Allen) will be at her funeral, but she can't see them until Amanda's behind bars.

Victoria tells Margaux about her mother (Adrienne Barbeau) and how she got a call after Amanda exposed her.  She visits her in the hospital and tells her how she was a horrible mother.  That she took the blame for her mother killing that man but she still didn't love her and she returned home to find her with that letch of a man.  Her mother was shocked to see that Victoria has done the same thing to Amanda and framed her father.  Her mother admitting that the lecherous man Victoria seduced into her bed was her father.  Then hopes they'll continue the conversation in hell as she dies.  Victoria places her ring on her mother's finger in the house and kisses it.

She tells Margaux she's the only family she has left and that Amanda only confessed as she has a plan.  Victoria won't let Amanda hurt her children, well why would she, when it's Victoria she wants and Charlotte is her sister, so she wouldn't, but Patrick was nowhere to be seen at the funeral.  As Louise (Elena Satine) tells Margaux that neither of them came.  Louise goes on about her being the only mother she knew and she was like a daughter to her.  Victoria listens, as is obvious she would've turned up.

Jack notices the floor in the house has been cleaned and Amanda uses the corner of the photo to pick up traces of blood showing Ben was killed here and didn't die at home.  How could he have had a stabbing accident at home, ridiculous!  Victoria tells Margaux she was at the funeral and Louise was upset at her loss.  She wants to bring her into the loop and moreover, she wants Margaux's assassin, White Gold (Courtney Love) to find Amanda and drop her in a hole and we get that whole no more bloodshed line from Margaux again.

Amanda tells Jack how she saw him at the park with Sammy and she didn't know if she could carry through her whole revenge plan.  She knew everything would be okay and always felt safe around him.  He asks her how long since she got some sleep and that she should get some now cos he's here and she'll be safe, but before that they find the time to fall into bed together.  When she wakes she finds a note from Jack saying he's gone for food.  She then sees Dr Oren's name on the toothbrush and has a flashback to Ben saying the doctor identified Victoria's remains as hers from dental records. Louise is angry that Margaux made her leave the funeral reception and she sees Victoria.  Victoria says Louise is a treasured part of her family and she will be leaving and she can't join her yet.  She didn't tell her about her plan incase she was implicated.  She asks her to keep on the charade and they'll be reunited one day.

Nolan finds Margaux has been channeling money into the Cayman Islands and suspects she's been paying White Gold that way.  The FBI haven't been able to find the assassin and they don't know what she looks like.  Amanda tells them she has the dental records and Nolan tells her that the assassin is after her.  She can't return to the house but Jack is there.  So Jack didn't have a phone now for them to call him.  Or the house either.  David calls the police.  She's waiting for Jack and manages to stab him, he'll either die slowly or faster if he tells her where Amanda is.  The police finally arrive but she runs away.  Nolan sits with Jack at the hospital and Amanda arrives dressed as a nurse. Amanda begs Jack not to leave her and that she's going to kill Victoria, Nolan tells her to do it. Nolan is going after Margaux and they need to know where Victoria is, Louise shows up and says she knows where she is.  Nolan saying he was trained for sour years by the best sensi he knows.

Nolan hacks into her laptop and there's a picture of a dead Ben, with words saying, 'you did this... and this...' Nolan walks in with proof she hired the assassin.  The one who killed Ben and put Jack in hospital in a critical condition.  Once again, she panics since she didn't want anyone to be hurt, no what did she think was going to happen.  She was trying to put Amanda back behind bars, that's where she belongs and Nolan asks where she belongs.  She lost her father, Daniel and her baby and can't take it back.  Nolan reminds her of what Amanda said to him about their decisions defining them.  She has a decision to make.

David is with Jack and he says how he brought him and Amanda together when they were little, reminding him of their wedding on the beach, the one with the pipe cleaner rings.  Jack wants to ask him for his blessing to marry Amanda and he can't think of anyone better he'd want to leave her with. Louise shows up and tells Victoria she knows she was using her and she's a pawn, but Victoria says she didn't want to hurt her.  But Louise says she hurt someone even more and Amanda shows up with a gun, as she points it at Victoria, her hand shakes.

Margaux tells White Gold to make sure Nolan is in danger so that will draw out Amanda and she's already outside the bar.  She walks in and stabs him on his hand telling him to call Amanda.  Nolan tasers her.   Margaux walks in and pulls the knife out of his hand.  She wants to help him just like Daniel saved Amanda, she wants her own redemption and will be here when the police arrive.  She bandages his arm saying if their decisions define who they are, then this is who she wants to be. Took you long enough.

Victoria has placed cameras at the apartment and says the world will see Amanda as an assassin. Amanda saying she was the one who crossed the line.  The people who hurt her father deserved their lives and to live them in turmoil and Victoria needs to die.  Victoria tells her she was dead before she was even born and this is just the formality.  As Amanda is about to pull the trigger, David shows up and shoots her.  He can't let Amanda suffer in the same way. She can't lose him again.  Victoria reaches for he gun and shoots Amanda.

Charlotte is at the cemetery with Amanda as she places flowers on David's grave.  Flashback to snow and David sits at the beach house with Amanda telling him she was glad the judge gave him compassionate leave and she could spend the time with him.  His life is complete and he can die happy.  She will miss him and he tells her to remember the infinity symbol and how much he loves her.  He takes his last breath.  The symbol is what she always turned to anyway.

Amanda: "when embarking upon a path of revenge, Confucius warns that you should dig two graves. Confucius was right.  The second of the two graves was meant for me.  I was only saved by my father's infinite love .  I know now that revenge only brings darkness.  I couldn't see the light until I considered my father's advice to try and forgive.  It's not easy but my father once said that nothing worth doing ever is.  Well, with one exception."

She looks at the Grayson graves, Conrad, Daniel and Victoria.  Then she feels the scar on her chest as she's getting ready for her wedding.  He recalls their first night at the beach house when he wanted to help her but she said he wasn't a part of this.  She gave him purpose and he wonders if there's life after revenge for him.  He tells her to get ready since Jack's been waiting long enough.  He walks her down the aisle.  Charlotte is also there and so is Stevie (Gail O'Grady).  Jack gives a speech at the reception in remembrance of those they have lost, his brother Declan, his father, Emily Thorn who gave him his beautiful son, Aiden, Ben and David who they lost earlier in the year.  He bought them together when younger and now.  That his legacy will see them onto their new life.  They're leaving on the boat he restored.  Amanda gives him a gift and Nolan brings in a puppy like Sammy.

After the shooting Amanda is back in the hospital and Charlotte tells the doctor she must never know, who the heart belonged to.  Amanda wakes and tells Jack the dream is real but he calls it a nightmare.
Amanda: "I consider myself lucky, most morality tales don't have a happy ending.  For some reason karma saw fit to spare me, but not without leaving deeply etched wounds. ...when everything you love has been stolen from you, consider my story as you embark on your own journey of revenge and always remember, what goes around comes around."  

This show likes to do things in twos, full circle with David dying all over again like he did in prison, everyone practically ended up in hospital in the entire four years.  Not to mention deja vu when Amanda conked Victoria when she was digging that grave last season and she ended up in the institution.  Now Amanda loses David all over again.  What was the point of getting him out if he couldn't be with her and have the life they were deprived of for so long.  Don't get me started on Victoria and that dream Amanda had of getting her heart and that she was a match.  I mean Victoria her mother would be the ultimate curse and poor ending!  Really, especially since Amanda was with Daniel and married him too, I mean her half brother, noooo!  That'd been more fodder for another series!  Or a spin off!  ha.  But that's too much to bare, especially since they now leave us with that silly cliffhanger as to whether Victoria could've been her mother.  It'd have been so much easier if David had poisoned her and threw her off the lighthouse as he was going to do, when he didn't, cos he ended up killing her anyway!

Jack and Amanda sailing into the sunset and she'll always have those nightmares and not put it behind her and when Nolan wonders what he'll do, she makes sure he'll still help others who are worthy of it.  "Well played Ems," he says.  Well that's a whole other spin off on its own and he could Louise to help, ha.  Though she still got away with that whole electrocution fiasco and no one will try and convince me otherwise!  She did it, shame it wasn't properly mentioned.
Agh, Victoria's heart, and at the beginning David tells Amanda she should always listen with her heart, was that meant to be a clue, ironic or just a passing comment.  Though not sure he would've been told if Victoria was her mother, but what about Amanda's own mother then?  Is that why she was locked up and tried to drown her in the sea.  It kinda all makes sense now if you look back! Thanks for leaving us with so many questions still, talk about karma, what did we do to deserve this??  Ha.

The Vampire Diaries 6.18 "I Could Never Love Like That" Review

                                       
Have to say this was an abysmal ep that I've watched.  Caroline's (Candace Accola) self indulgence and just doing what she wants was irritating, not to mention karaoke, okay she sings really, but there's no need to rub it in.  There she was promising she wouldn't harm anyone and yet she wreaks havoc at Whitmore, along with Stefan (Paul Wesley) who is relishing being back to his ripper self.  Then Matt (Zach Roerig) and Tyler (Michael Trevino) decide to stop by the bar for food and get caught up in their deadly game.  Caroline wanting to know things about herself they remember when they dated her and then she'll let the winner go.  Her final question being what her mother's last thoughts were, answered by Stefan cos he was there and they weren't, about her riding her bike.  So he wins.  Tyler decides he's not playing along and wants to fight them, breaking up a chair for a stake, only Caroline moves and he stabs Matt instead, oops.

Elsewhere Enzo (Michael Mularkey) decides to leave Sarah (Tristan Mays) with her family and wash his hands of her.  But when he turns up at the house Lily (Annie Wersching) answers the door.  Of course he had to know her, she's the one who turned him.  Cue the usual flashbacks, this time to Southampton, England, 1903 with Enzo trying to get onto the ship but he's got consumption, so he can't get on.  Lily turns up and takes him on there, with the doctor telling him he can help, but Lily compels him for the truth and she turns Enzo to save him.  With him thinking she's an angel, hey that's what Stefan thought of her too when he was little.  Sarah is on vervain as Matt paid her a visit and she inject Enzo too.  Wanting to know about her family.  With him explaining he was going to leave her with Damon (Ian Somerhalder) the bad brother who's not so bad now and the one who was good, Stefan, is bad.

Damon tells Elena (Nina Dobrev) he's not going to let Lily bring back her family and he stops her from finding the cure in his drawer.  Oh really Damon, first he used the soap dish to hide things and now it's back to the drawer.  Need a new hiding place.  Lily cooks breakfast but Damon doesn't remember it tasting this bad.  He tells her she can have the ascendant and she has to help Stefan. Elena finds out they're at Whitmore bar from Jo (Jodi Lyn O'Keefe) and also finds out she's pregnant. Making her jealous and Jo asks her if she's told Damon how she feels.  She's just happy for Alaric.

Damon tells Lily to text Elena that they're heading to the campus which was new to her, she was going to text an entire letter, 'My dearest Elena' 'n' all!  When they arrive, she pikes out admitting she wasn't coming back for them and how Stefan will know she's lying.  Damon tells Elena this and also that he has no intention of giving her the ascendant, again.  But she says she was a lousy mother and so he gives her the ascendant when she says that he hasn't been honest with Elena about the cure.  See he was carrying the ascendant around with him too.

We get more on Enzo and how she killed everyone on the ship by feeding off them, as well as Enzo having that bloodlust desire to feed and he does this by feeding off the charlatan doctor.  He gets out of his ties and tells Sarah he's letting her go.  She says she wants nothing to do with her family, but she's strangely drawn to death and the vervain's worn off, he could just let her go, which he does. Seems like he didn't want to get Stefan back now after he sees Lily.  Was he really that afraid of her?

At the bar Stefan sees her and immediately recognizes her which is what Damon said he'd do, after she told him she couldn't love her own family, but loved her other family more.  Caroline finds out she's his mother and makes a break for it cos she doesn't want to be brought back.  Stabbing Stefan in the back, ha, that's what he got for losing his humanity for her.  Lily brings Stefan back cos Damon coached her on what to say, hmm, didn't know Damon could be so emotional.  Ha.  She tells him she loves him and she's his angel returned to him, bringing him back.  She was a ripper and she was afraid she'd hurt them if she came back.  She wanted to see him grow up and he wouldn't have to carry around the guilt of being a ripper with him.  It was cos of her.  They'll have all of eternity to make amends and to get to know him.  That was easy.  Tyler takes Matt to hospital and he doesn't want to be saved by Elena's blood.  He wants a doctor.  He hates vampires so he can't have them help him when he needs it.  Damon tells Stefan he can have tonight to wallow in his guilt and then go after Caroline, but he doesn't need a night, he'll go now.

Jo says that she needs the ascendant when she told her father about Kai, he told her how there are some witches who were heretics and became vampires, as well as witches, by feeding on themselves. She needs the ascendant, so they can't be brought back.  The Gemini coven banished them and amongst them was her mother.  Well Damon doesn't have it anymore and Lily brings back the six of them, with Jo saying imagine Kai as a vampire and then imagine six of him.  Damon doesn't tell Elena about the cure after she tells him she wants to throw a baby shower for Jo.  She was jealous and didn't react in the right way, but she's got him and so she's happy.  Another secret!  What's new. Though it won't last for long.

Glad they didn't draw out Stefan switching off his humanity any longer cos it would've gotten boring, seen it all before.  But had to get the new storyline going of Lily and the witchy vampires, as Damon would call them.  Once again it had to be all about Elena, she wants a family and has the chance now with the cure.  Surprised Lily didn't want it.  Elena didn't go to the bar but instead went to the hospital, leaving Damon to do it, yet she wants Caroline back to her normal vampire self again.

Revenge 4.22 "Plea" Review

                                                
Amanda (Emily VanCamp) speaks with her lawyer, Lawrence Stamberg (Tom Amandes) who tells her what they will argue, that they used her interview against her.  He shows her a photo of Victoria's (Madeleine Stowe) handwriting and she says it's hers, they'll say she forged it to look like it has discrepancies in it.  But he believes the best course of action is for her to plea guilty to a lesser charge.  She insists she will never plead guilty to this and so she shouldn't.  She didn't kill her or anyone else.  But she's rich, she should get off like the wealthy do!  Nolan (Gabriel Mann) meets with Jack (Nick Wechsler) and David (James Tupper) at court and asks how he is doing.  Nolan shows them where he's found Mason (Roger Bart) at some trailer park and Jack wonders what he's doing using a limo.  Nolan wasn't getting any results until he typed in scum and traitorous.  At court the prosecution argues that she should not be granted bail after her TV interview and the things she said. Her lawyer says that she was trying to clear her innocent father's name.  The judge sets bail at $2 million and if she violates this, she'll be back behind bars.

Margaux (Karine Vanasse) isn't happy with the newspaper headlines and says they should read, 'alleged killer...' Louise  (Elena Satine) tells her she has made the funeral arrangements and she wants her to read a Robert Frost poem, what, The Road Not Taken, cos that's what Victoria and Margaux took, the one that's been trampled on plenty for bad deeds.  Margaux replies she'll just burst out crying.  Well more likely cos she's guilty of framing her and Victoria is still alive, as I said in the last review.  She wouldn't kill herself, she's not that far gone and she said it herself when she sent that video to Emily.  That she got the idea from her flashdrive.  Oh what, she couldn't think of it herself! Louise also says the concierge won't let her into Victoria's penthouse where she feels comfortable. The executor's closed off the place.  Margaux tells her that Charlotte (Christa B Allen) did it.  She sees her and tells her Charlotte should have something that reminds her of her mother, but Charlotte doesn't want anything.  She was dead to her the first time she left and that's news to Louise.  She won't go to the funeral, Louise still harping on about Victoria being her mother figure.

Ben (Brian Hallisay) puts the ankle monitor on Amanda and he wanted this assignment cos he knows the property and so if she steps one foot off it, she's going back.  He knows her and that she's already thinking of a way out.  Clearly he doesn't know her as well as he thinks he does cos he believes she's guilty.  Amanda tells Nolan that they have to get Mason to confess and Nolan comes up with a plan to short circuit the power so that she can slip out of her monitor and substitute a different one at a different frequency.  Jack comes by and they talk.  She tells him how Nolan told her he was leaving and she ran to the airport wanting him to stay.  She still wants him to stay.  He didn't know that Victoria could do this, but Amanda knows she had help.  But Jack is so wrong, doesn't he know she killed Aiden at the very least, Amanda knows she did.  They are about to kiss when Nolan interrupts and says that he can remove the monitor, but she has a limited amount of time.

David sees what Amanda is doing but she doesn't want him to be complicit in this.  David says he'll find Mason himself but she won't hear of it! The lights go out and she slaps the monitor on his wrist and leaves.  Now he'll have to stay behind.  Jack visits Margaux at her favourite lunch place and even after Amanda told him not to.  He tells her she was set up but she doesn't want to hear it.  Of course not, she can't hide behind the lies with a straight face!  He feels it wasn't a perfect death and Amanda wouldn't have been so clumsy.  Margaux leaves and Jack notices the town car she called for has a similar number plate to the one in the photo, which he later tells David about.

Ben drops by and tells David of an increased number of burglar alarms going off,  David tells him Amanda's upstairs.  The monitor needs to reset and will do so automatically at 9, which is why he's here.  It's 9 now and it goes off on his wrist.  Amanda gets to the trailer park and breaks in but everything's neat and tidy inside, with his slippers on the bed and champagne bottles.  She asks his neighbour if they've seen him and he says he went off with some woman in big shades in a car.  The police arrive and she can't run away.  Would've been futile anyway since they know she's not home. Also as I said before, she was a little sloppy as Amanda, Emily wouldn't have had that problem and also a little complacent.

Nolan sees Louise coming out of Victoria's bedroom and he tells her Amanda was framed. She's fooling herself believing that Victoria was her guardian angel.  That Victoria wasn't the only one who cared about her, he did too.  She tells him to get out.  Victoria was using her and Louise's blind faith to believe everything that happened to her.  Yeah once again Victoria playing helpless Vic here, or rather more hapless!  Oh sorry no pun here, by Vic I meant Victim, not short for Victoria!  ha.

David visits her in jail and she tells him about Mason.  Also that Victoria is still alive and that's what Amanda would do.  As we get a flashback to the last ep and Victoria telling Amanda about how she got the idea from her.  He tells her about Margaux's car and she needs five minutes alone with her. At that point David falls to the floor in pain.  Nolan says they don't have his results back yet and meets Jack at the bus stop.  He's waiting for a friend, Daryl (Drew Rausch) who Jack saved on the obstacle course at the academy.  He heads to the jewellers as Margaux buys an expensive necklace for the funeral.  Who was that for, her or Victoria.  She leaves the alarm goes off and Daryl stops her, wanting to look in her bag.  She refuses but he insists and he finds a pair of earrings in there.  She doesn't know how they got there and hits him in anger.  Jack pays off Daryl.

Margaux is thrown in a cell and rants about wanting her lawyer.  Amanda from the next cell, tells her that it's a wrong time to be here.  She breaks open the door and gets into her cell, saying they've got eleven minutes and she won't need the last four minutes to do what she needs.  She demands to know whose body was in her house and throws down the contraptions she said she learned how to make after her time in jail.  Margaux so deserved the steel sandwich on her cheekbones! ha.  Louise is raiding Victoria's closet and finds a dress in a garment holder.  Then finds the hoodie the assailant wore when attacking Victoria.

Amanda tells Ben everything about Victoria being alive and she used the DB of Mary Gaines which was unclaimed.  Then used her dental records too.  Margaux attacked her in the garage and made it look like it was her.  Ben doesn't believe her cos she's not capable of telling the truth and she's only hurting those who care for her.  He leaves.  Louise comes in with the hoodie and Ben looks in the surveillance photo to see it's the same one.  So you're telling me Margaux didn't leave behind a stray hair or any of her sweat in the hoodie, that forensics could find.  But conveniently, they found all the evidence Mason planted in Amanda's car as belonging to Victoria.  Louise sees Margaux and tells her about the hoodie and that she's doubting Victoria.  That Nolan was at the penthouse, thus Margaux telling her he probably planted this.  Margaux makes a call and we know who that's to.

David tells Amanda his prognosis gives him at least six months to live.  Amanda promises to help him and makes him promise that they'll fight it.  Ben follows this up and finds Mary's DB isn't in the morgue.  He turns up at her house.  Inside he finds Victoria coming out of the bath and the assassin, White Gold (Courtney Love) stabs him.  What did he want, another promotion, going there alone.
We know Victoria was never dead and cos this was the final season, they brought her out of hiding sooner than later.  Margaux is just as bad as her and the way she thinks it's easy to play with peoples' lives and in such a way.  Always knew she was bad news.  Did she really believe she was helping Victoria or was she deluded into getting Amanda back for Pascal.

Actually, my scenario, Amanda would go to jail and David would spend his time getting his revenge on everyone who put her there; after recovering.  Could get a whole season out of that!  Ha.  Almost done now and I think they did exhaust their possibilities of where the show was heading, that's why they had no choice but to end it.
Only hoping Victoria gets caught for killing Aiden and Margaux both end up in prison together, just desserts and retribution for what David and Amanda had to endure!  But I want Amanda to have her happy ending with her father.  They deserve it!