Longmire 4.4 "Four Arrows" Review

                                              
The FBI and forensics arrive at Walt's (Robert Taylor) place and clear up the scene, as well as taking Barlow's body away, which we get interspersed with Walt talking a shower (not saying a thing, just imagine it instead!) again and close up on the blood on the step.  Walt decides to completely rebuild a new step instead of cleaning up the old one, yeah remove all trace of him from his house and his mind.  As he then builds a whole new shelf/bookcase for his office and reads whilst guzzling umpteenth cans of Rainier.  He's ready to return to work and in doing so, changes the message on his answering machine from Martha's voice to his own, "This is Walt..."  the woman's voice sounded a little like Tippi Hedren to me.

Ferg (Adam Bartley) helps Walt carry the bookcase to his office and the town is buzzing as the casino's opened, Four Arrows.  No one was expecting him back until Monday and Vic (Katee Sackhoff) hired a replacement deputy, Eamonn O'Neill (Josh Cooke)) with him away, who came across as rather smug.  Walt doesn't like him and at the end he tells Vic that Walt wanted him gone cos he was jealous of them, don't think that at all, though it may have seemed that way, thought it was more to do with him as a person, I'd say.

Lucien (Peter Weller) helps regulate traffic on the highway as there's a collision between a bus and an RV, with plenty of commotion and drinking.  He was doing their job for them seeing as they were short staffed, well I didn't see them needing any replacement for Branch these past three eps.  When everyone leaves, Walt picks up rubbish and finds a duffle bag left behind which is a bit too heavy to pick up, inside is a DB of a woman.  Vic needs to take her to the morgue and he goes to the casino to find Archer Loftus (Lew Temple) whose bag tag has been found too.  Walt bumps into Henry (Lou Diamond Phillips) who's been roped in by Malachi to cook.  Walk asks  Nighthorse (A Martinez) for help in locating the man, but he refuses until he gets an apology, which he called the worst one he's ever heard.  He locates Archer who says he works on an oil rig and the company just want him gone, what better way to do this than to frame him.  Walt says he used to work on an oil rig out in Prudoe Bay, Alaska and it's not easy.

Nighthorse also helps under the condition that he doesn't give the story to the press since his casino doesn't need a bad rep, he needs the money to finish building and Barlow left him short changed since his money's in probate.   Walt gets Lucien to help since he already was helping and he heads off to talk to the bus load of women in the RV.  Vic and can't find any clues to who the girl is.  Ferg's APB on the missing bus driver, Randolph Hale (James McDonald) comes up with nothing and another rig worker tells Walt he saw a dark haired woman on the bus, as some men tried to come onto her. Talking with the RV women, Walt doesn't really find out much, surprised they weren't shown her pic as well.

Nighthorse is angry that Walt went to the press but it's actually Eamonn who said they didn't find anything so it'd be an easy way of getting results.  Vic stands up for him cos that's how they do things here cos Walt's been gone along time and Ruby (Louanne Stephens) comes in with her name, Delia. Her friends saw her on TV.  Walt didn't want her parents to get the news from the TV.  Sarah (Molly Burnett) tells him that she didn't want to come to the wedding, it was a last minute thing and she didn't want to come, but she must've changed her mind.  Sarah seemed to be a little too helpful and overdoing the tears.  Walt shows them the bag and they think it's what she would've used.

Ferg finds Randolph and there's an awkward chase when he runs naked out of the shower.  He thinks his wife reported him but doesn't recall seeing her.  See new breed of criminal and riff raff in town, I mean who'd want to steal his dirty, old clothes.  Walt and Vic later talk to the rest of the wedding party and the bride, Nikki (Brooke Nevin) and groom, Noah (Drew Fuller) who was having an affair with Delia.  He also notices there was no basket with Delia's name on it inside the RV.   Vic finds nothing in the luggage compartment.  A credit card search on Noah doesn't reveal he bought a bag but Sarah knew of the affair, see quick to help cos she was guilty.  She says they fought and was pushed, she fell out and hit her head, so in the confusion of the accident, they hid her body and dumped her there.

Henry helps out a woman, Tall Grass's wife (Marisa Quinn) and her son, Cade (Teo Briones) after he writes to Hector about his father beating his mother and takes them out of town it seems.  Mathias (Zahn McClarnon) needs Walt's help in searching Henry's apartment for him as a neighbour saw Henry drop off Cade.  Walt needs to do this cos right now no one trusts him.  They don't find anything but Henry spots Cade's missing tooth on the table.

Walt and Lucien talk and he says he should've been a better brother, then maybe Barlow wouldn't have turned out like he did and Martha would've been alive.  Someone should've got him with a bullet every minute of his life.  Vic and Eamonn have each other's numbers and he's only in the next county, good, they're welcome to each other then!  Don't know about you, but I found this ep to be a little slow going especially in comparison to the last three eps and the case was a little routine too. Thought they'd have made more about Barlow's shooting but the FBI took that in their stride what with all this handshaking going on.

Once Upon A Time 5.18 "Ruby Slippers" Review

                                             
Ruby (Meghan Ory) wakes up in the apartment and there's a scrap of gingham she's been carrying around.  Obviously it belongs to Dorothy (Teri Reeves) who else.  There's always some scrap of material around, just like Ruby sniffed out Arthur as the killer of Merida's father with a scrap too. Back in Oz she and Mulan (Jamie Chung) ran into Dorothy who had lost Toto, what again and Ruby said she could sniff him out cos she's a wolf, which Dorothy was excited or sarcastic about, or whatever.  Until she actually did find him being held hostage by Zelena (Rebecca Mader) so Mulan came up with a sleeping potion idea, only they needed a poppy and this gave Ruby and Dorothy time to gal bond together.  Like Ruby being run out of town and how her family tried to put Dorothy away for speaking of a land over the rainbow, except for Aunty Em (Gina Stockdale) who believed her. Bringing up some emotional feeling between them which neither one wanted to talk about.  Ruby admitting to Mulan Dorothy doesn't feel the same way.  Mulan told her to go for it but Dorothy was missing and all that was left was her scrap of gingham.

Belle (Emilie de Ravin) asked for Zelena's advice about the baby and got even more worried when   she found out that Emma (Jennifer Morrison) speeded up the birth of hers when she was the Dark One, so Hades (Greg Germann) could probably do the same.  Maybe he could or couldn't but he isn't exactly the Dark One is he.  She thinks there's a way of slowing down the birth, now that Belle knows time isn't on her side.

Some questions like why didn't they: send Robin back with the baby too, also Belle as well, sure those slippers could've carried more than just Snow (Ginnifer Goodwin) if all they have to do is hold onto each other.  I mean he's still hiding out in the woods with their baby and there's no need for him to be here.  It's not like he's got his name engraved on the stones, when Hook (Colin O'Donoghue) came up with a novel idea when the Charming's were worried about not knowing how Neal is, cos Cruella (Victoria Smurfit) was tasked with taking away the phonebox cos of them thar do-gooders being around.  She told Henry (Jared Gilmore) she wouldn't do it if he wrote her back, but then it happened anyway.  Zelena even gave Regina (Lana Parilla) the slippers without any fuss whatsoever.

Hook and David had a talk over how David didn't want to leave here but he had to, with him actually admitting he was growing to like Hook.  "I have that effect on people."  Thus they came up with the idea that Snow should return instead, cos she's a better leader anyway and if Storybrooke is in trouble she'd handle it better, whilst being left to hold the baby once more.  Hook had engraved David's name on the stone instead cos Hades didn't remove his power to add names using his hook.

Dorothy having had a sleeping curse placed on her was in need of true love's kiss and they thought Em might be here, so they find her gravestone and the witch (Emma Caulfield) tells them she's working at a rival diner.  When she finds out about Dorothy, she wants to help by putting true love's kiss into the magic bottle, but Hades is already there and put some water from the Lost Souls river into the soup, having to mop her up when she liquifies.  He thinks his plan is foiled but we know it's actually Ruby who holds true love's kiss.  So it was time to say goodbye and using the slippers they arrived in Oz where Dorothy was surrounded by munchkins and Ruby kissed Dorothy, whereupon she awoke and it was a rugged kiss fest all round with the two of them.

Henry also showed the others a page from the book showing Snow with Neal and she'd made it back from Oz.  Belle rushed into see Rumples and told him she couldn't wait around for a solution cos her baby could grow anyday now and she pricked her finger with a gadget given to her by Zelena , was that a mini spindle and fell into a deep sleep, wanting her father to wake her up with true love's kiss cos Rumples said he wouldn't.  Er, how sure was she her father is around and also that he would use the kiss especially since he most likely blames Belle for her mother's death at the hands of an ogre. Wouldn't it be more ironic if it was the same baby ogre she let go.

Once Upon A Time 5.17 "Her Handsome Hero" Review

                                       
Hook (Colin O'Donoghue) Emma (Jennifer Morrison) and Snow (Ginnifer Goodwin) are at the graveyard when all of a sudden Hook notices a storm's coming.  As they run for cover, a creature comes out of there and chases them, striking down Snow.  Said that was Ruby (Meghan Ory) how many other wolves do we know.   Hook calling that a quick storm.  Emma wakes up at the dock, Hook let her sleep cos she hasn't slept in ages and she tells the others about her dream, promising to sleep for a week when they get back home.   At the library Regina's (Lana Parilla) written runes all over the door so that using their magic they can open it, which only opens the door but they're met by bricks, as David (Josh Dallas) earlier remarked the element of surprise on Hades (Greg Germann) would be good, but he's everywhere so that wouldn't have worked anyway!

Belle's father (Eric Keenleyside) wanted her to meet Gaston (Wes Brown) and as we know from Disney Gaston was never good.  He thinks his father's armies will help them in the ogre wars (yeah think Once could get a whole series out of that: OUAT: The Ogre Wars, though guessing they did nothing to infuriate the ogres to begin with.  Belle (Emilie de Ravin) doesn't want to meet him, she doesn't know him and then is being palmed off into a loveless marriage.  Gaston tells her it's okay but at the same time they could go for a walk.  Clearly Belle was naive here, probably still is.  During their walk they find a huge hole where an ogre has fallen down and Belle thinks it's just a baby ogre. Thus she rushes off home thinking there's a magical object somewhere which will tell if it's evil or not as the eyes will light up red in it.  Always a mirror!
Whilst looking for this object through the many books that her mother has collected, something which her mother always does, she finds a book, 'Her Handsome Hero' which she gives to him to read.  It's not romantic but contains stuff on courage and the like.  As she gallops off to find said mirror.  He takes it with him while he guards the ogre.

In the underworld, Belle returns to Gold (Robert Carlyle) with yet more unfilled demands, after saying she wanted nothing to do with him until he gets their baby off  Hades' list.  But she didn't want him to use dark magic to do this, only he tried explaining he is the Dark One now, but maybe he could use dark magic to make light work, no, for the purposes of it being light.  Hades turned up to see Gaston in the animal shelter where he was working and told him about Belle and Rumple.  This was after Hades  found a flower growing and curse it, hope was now coming to the underworld.  All Snow's doing obviously, or not but she's big on hope.  He wanted Gaston to take care of Rumple who is supposedly his unfinished business.  So he fired magical arrows at him, which Rumple caught and still Gaston didn't the get the message that he can't be killed like that.  Belle later decided she was his unfinished business, as she made Rumple open Gaston's locker and found that same book.

In her kingdom, she found the mirror but found Gaston injured, saying the ogre escaped.  It was him of course and she convinced her father she'd use the mirror which Gaston broke, so um, seven years bad luck didn't enter the equation to seal his fate and she saw his red eyes in the reflection she knew it was him.  The ogre ran away and lived to fight, maybe even being part of killing her mother, so we see Belle and her foolishness also probably contributed to her mother's death.  Yet Gaston still returned to give her another chance which she accepted.  Of course we know she didn't marry him cos she was 'given' to Rumples instead.  But I did like the part where Rumples turned Gaston into a rose.  Reminded me of when the Blue Fairy gave Belle a rose to carry around in that bell jar showing how long he had to live.  Well it looked like a rose to me, ha!

Regian and Zelena (Rebecca Mader) had a sisterly chat in the hopes that she'd tell her a few secrets about Hades and she did reveal he's in love with her and she maybe feels the same way too.  Back at the graveyard Emma decided she wanted to see if her dream comes true, but Snow insisted on going, cos she would.  Yes the same happened again and they took cover in Regina's vault.  Then Regina turned up and they went to face the monster, only it was Ruby, as said.

Hades offered Belle a deal, let the two of them face off and one will fall into the sea which leads into the River of Souls, he'd give her back her baby.  Later Gaston returned to the shop, thought he'd killed Rumple cos he'd be stupid enough to turn his back towards the door and not hear anyone walking up. But it was Belle testing him.  Gaston told her he kept the book not out of love but as a reminder. Belle telling him Rumple's her husband.  Shock, horror.  Still that didn't stop them meeting at the dock and Rumple, suspending Gaston in mid-air ready to throw him over.  But Belle turned up again, stopped Gaston from firing an arrow and basically pushed him in herself.  But that wasn't enough to square the deal, since Hades didn't want her to do it. Hades finds a dead flower and got his dream come true!  Which he sent to Zelena and she was pleased (easily!)

Belle should stay out of things always meddling.  Her actions did get many people killed by the ogres it seems, but she still doesn't learn that trying to do the right thing never works out for her.  Not enough Hook and his one liners in here, though I'd wager that book title and the ep title was about him really!!

Once Upon A Time 5.16 "Our Decay" Review

                                               
This one was a bit of a hilarity, we jumped from the underworld to Oz, to Storybrooke, to Oz, etc as Zelena (Rebecca Mader) dealt with Dorothy (Terri Reeves) whom she thought was back in Kansas.  As she got hold of a CGI Scarecrow (Paul Scheer) cos she needed his brain and as we know from last season that was part of the object she needed to open the portal, what we didn't know, however is that Hades (Greg Germann) was part of the murkiness here which sort of disrupted her plans.  However she kept all that to herself whilst in Storybrooke.  Also what was the point of Hades retrieving the pages from the storybook when Zelena ended up here and told Regina (Lana Parilla) that Hades was in love with her.  Pointless!!

Ginnifer Goodwin) Snow and David find out from the witch (Emma Caulfield) at the diner that they can talk to Neal, at least they can "haunt" him and he'll hear their voices from ye olde Brit red phonebooth!  All she asks for is some living breath in a bottle cos it seals for a fortune!  Zelena has a green cupcake with a candle back in Oz, which she later tells Hades isn't for celebrating her birthday cos she doesn't even know when she was born.  No, she was just envying cupcakes and they turned green on her! Ha.  Actually she was celebrating when Cora left her and watched her through a magic mirror thingy when she abandoned her in the woods.  Then the scarecrow arrived for which they couldn't pay a real actor but they did for the voice!   But Dorothy arrived to save him.  Dorothy's grown up quickly, has developed a manly voice and even takes strides like a man too (see ep 5.18 with Ruby!)  Foiling her plans, she leaves with the scarecrow but the Munchkins don't know where she is.  A bit pointless again hiding out since we know from season 4 (and before) that scarecrow was doomed from the start, as was the cowardly lion and the scared Tin Man.

Hades arrives and tells his own sob story about having a brother who lives it up on Mount Olympus whilst he has a meagre existence having to collect souls in the underworld.  Jealous much?  They could exchange sibling stories til a new portal rears its head!  Why did Hades need a portal anyway when he could just blue smoke himself everywhere, as Zelena thinks he's trying to steal hers.

In the underworld Rumples (Robert Carlyle) was back at his spinning wheel cos his blood was needed to open a portal to Storybrooke, in which case why didn't Hades just use him and why didn't he use his blood to get Regina to open a portal without a curse in season 1.  And couldn't they use him to get back to Oz instead of Dorothy's slippers (see ep 5.18).

In Storybrooke we find Belle (Emilie de Ravin) feeding the babies cos the fairies couldn't and Zelena pretending to be the Blue Fairy (Keegan Connor Tracy).  She wanted to see her baby and even take her, but the portal opens and Belle is swept into it with Zelena jumping in after.  Zelena sprains her ankle and Belle wonders why the sky is red, and Zelena says she didn't open any portal.  Belle casually walking off with the baby.

Seems Belle doesn't recognize they're in Storybrooke and so didn't think of going to the apartment, but she went to the library instead, where she sees Rumple come out at the time.  Their meeting was only exposition on how he signed over his second child to Hades and that Belle was pregnant, though in reality don't know whys he didn't work this out herself!!  She be married now after all.  Anyhoo, he wasn't curious as to why Belle was left holding the baby again.  He also revealed he's the Dark One and has been for a long time.  He loves power, can't live without it and she can't make him choose cos he can have both.  He tells her she loves what he is cos he's not only a man but she also loves the beast within the man.  Which she basically knew since she met him.  She may have changed him, but he can't stay that way.  And he can't let the dark magic and the light magic overrun or combine together or something.

Hades takes Zelena on a bike ride on Dorothy's bike cos it was like 'Daisy Daisy give me your answer do' and he said he loved her.  The bike was spelled and took her right to Dorothy, camping out with the scarecrow who promptly had his rain snatched by Zelena and a moment ago in the underworld, she was bemoaning Belle snatching her baby!! Ha.  In the underworld Zelena asks why Robin (Sean Maguire) left their baby to come down here when he doesn't really do much.  Regina replying it's similar to how the people she hated were her family and they're all one big happy family now.  Trying to change Zelena with that speech wouldn't have worked.  Anyway they find Belle with the baby and Zelena also brought the milk bottle with her and wanted to bond.  With Robin bringing that to a close, how did he know the baby had enough milk anyway!!  Snatched the bottle from her!  Funny how her magic returned and then was taken away when she couldn't remove the rash from her baby, think Hades was behind that?  She gave the baby to Robin and he hid out in the woods cos Hades couldn't find him there, but he's meant to be aware of all their conversations and everything they do.

Henry (Jared Gilmore) has written pages in the book but he doesn't know how, he thinks they were written in his sleep as Regina calls the illustrations beautiful.  Is Henry really the author, didn't see him writing so much in his sleep, neither did the previous author.   Hades wines and dines Zelena in Oz cos he loves her and thinks he'll get true love's kiss or something, but she refuses cos he just wants her portal, which sounds rude!!  In the underworld he revealed that she always wanted what Regina had so he made this Storybrooke for her  but as they're in the underworld, it is all about the decay honey!  Nothing even grows here.  'Let's share the decay together!'  He also told her that her birthday is 15th April, he got that out of Cora before he peasant-ed her back!
Henry also gave Snow the pages showing they spoke with Neal and he heard them which was a relief.

Belle needed to face some home truths cos it appears she should have known what she was getting herself into with Rumples.  He was a beast and would always remain a beast, it was just who he was and quite frankly she knew the beast before she found out about the man so she must have had feelings for him then, not cos she thought she could change him and make him human at the same time.  whereas Zelena and Hades had no problems with who they were and what they wanted.
Note for later begging the question Hades tells Zelena he made Storybrooke for her and included everything here, which includes the sorcerer's house as it contained the storybook and his pages hiding his secret, why didn't he omit that.

Once Upon a Time 5.16 "The Brothers Jones" Review

                                                
Henry (Jared Gilmore) and Cruella (Victoria Smurfit) drive around talking the same thing again about how if he finds the quill and writes her alive, Emma (Jennifer Morrison) will no longer be a murderer, which he later tells Emma he knows she's felling guilt over.  Henry's met by the sorcerer's apprentice (Timothy Webber) who's still around here cos he's got unfinished business too.  Telling him that he can't rewrite anything but must only write the stories as they happen.  Henry thinking he can write what he likes, write how he wants cos he's the author now.  After much trepidation, or should that be repetition, he tells Henry the sorcerer's house is also here and he can find the quill there.

Emma was looking at Hook (Colin O'Donoghue) with sympathy and he said Hades (Greg Germann) took away his handsomeness.  She healed him but he didn't wanna snog cos he wasn't in the mood, rather he too was revelling in guilt, guilt over not being good enough for her.  Which was to be the theme of this ep.  That she shouldn't have saved him cos he's not worthy for her and well, let's see when he was alive he did nothing but chase her all through Storybrooke, Neverland and beyond, including when she was the Dark One.  His guilt also stems from the fact she as the Dark One was able to hold out on the darkness for so long, but he just buckled under and succumbed exacting revenge ASAP!  That was the nature of the ep being written like that and not by Henry either.

There's a knock at the door and brother Liam (Bernard Curry) arrives (incidentally let me say this now and get it out of the way, Liam is also an anagram for Mila!! Okay said it, funny how these names kind of go together, Lima his brother, Milah the woman he coveted and desired for so long, but couldn't get or keep.)

Flashback to Liam mentioning how their nameless and worthless father sold them into servitude but they have silver saved and will be out of their misery soon enough.  With the idea they can then join up into voluntary servitude in the King's navy!  Aye tis a better life on the high seas plundering for one's King and country instead of piracy!  Liam goes to enlist them, when nasty, smarmy Captain Silver, as in Long John, (Costas Mandylor) insists the drunken one stay behind, see demon drink was Hook's downfall even before he became a pirate and said captain also messes up their hard work of cleaning the deck by spilling some more poop on the deck!!  When he returns he finds Hook's gambled away his money to the captain who tricked him and got him drunk in the process too. Though not sure how much of that was actually voluntary on Hook's part.  Doesn't seem he put up much of a fight.  Just for that Liam has to stay behind with his brother.

Liam tells Emma that she's not good enough for Hook and she saved him when he had a hero's death and could'v gone to a better place.  Love means now't to him.  They get the idea that if they can find the storybook then they can find out Hades's plans and stop him.  Snow (Ginnifer Goodwin) searches in the normal place but it's not in the suitcase.  So they have a look around the apartment with Liam and he tells her he'd prefer to see Hook in hell than with her.  Henry ends up telling them he knows where the book might be but they need the key to the house which is at the sheriff's.  Snow finds the key but Cruella returns for some "smooshin'" with James, so David (Josh Dallas) pretends to be him. After drinking and some snogging he realizes she already knew he wasn't James.  Unlike Snow who didn't realize how David kisses!  She tells him how James wants what he didn't have a mother's love.  he resents him cos David was chosen by his mother and James went to live in the palace.  Still waiting for David and James to meet!

Hades showed up where Liam tends bar, a bit like their father wasn't it, he became a barkeep too when he ran off.  Anyway he tells him he needs to get to the book and give him the pages about him from there, to which he has to agree.  So he's able to head there and open the door too since there's a protection spell, but it's cos Hades let him do that cos he also heads straight for the book and tore out the relevant pages.  It's also a secret deal Liam made with Hades.

Flashback to the captain leading them to the seas into a storm just to find the famous sapphire. Where Liam thinks the entire ship will be damned and the men too.  Thus he mutineers and the men follow. Hades is waiting for him below and tells him if he lets the ship into the storm, he'll let Liam and Hook live and also give him the sapphire.  He agrees cos they'd be doomed anyway.  He tells the others he won't give up searching for the book, a little too defensive.  Henry finds the quill.

Regina (Lana Parilla) tells Emma that she's too good for Hook and not the other way around.  Also at the house Emma knows Liam is up to no good and spots the ink on his hands which she tells Hook about, but he won' look cos he doesn't believe his brother is anything but honourable.  Well he's forgotten the old mantra, like father like son.  Also we had some banter with Emma and Liam about the ring that he gave her which was Liam's and cos he was in awe of his brother's honour.  Hook then looks at his hands, spots the ink which is a bit of a quandary as to why he had ink from the storybook anyway unless it was just written, which it wasn't but before they had time to do much arguing, the captain and the crew turned up for what Liam had done and wanted revenge.  Ending up at that cliff edge again and wanted them to walk the hell plank, but Hades whisked the captain into the hellfire instead, as well as throwing Liam down there too.

However Liam returned on a boat and a ship was anchored waiting for him.  He redeemed himself and he and the sailors could leave.  Hook still having his unfinished business to deal with.  So it was farewell to Liam and hopefully that was the last we see of him.  Liam telling Hook he was a much better man than him (forgetting he was a pirate and yes he did kill, including their father, which he neglected to mention).  Leading Hook to get back to Emma and have that well deserved snog he refused earlier on!  Ha.  Oh and will miss Hook's funny ponytail too!!

David tried to speak with Henry who was hiding out in a room that wasn't really his considering there were so many there and "acting like a teenager."  Was that cos he doesn't have much control over the storybook, or he tends to be forgotten a lot and then preached to plenty!

Hades we find was hiding a pic of him and Zelena together.  That was his big secret.  Not liking the fact that as an author Henry has no dramatic licence at all and can't just rewrite stories, instead of what is actually happening!  What promised to be an interesting ep from the title, didn't turn out that way.  Of course we know even if Hook was a pirate he was much better than his brother.  He actually felt guilt and remorse at what he did, but also he's a far more interesting character.  Anyhoo plenty of Hook bias from me!  Ha.  Hook: "Hades kind of knocked the handsome out of me."
Emma; "no one's that powerful"  Too true he didn't even lose the handsome when he was dark!!

The Vampire Diaries 7.19 "Somebody That I Used to Know" Review

                                                  
Another ep jumping from one time period to another, so it's not even worth writing the dates at all! As Damon (Ian Somerhalder) still doesn't get to apologize to Bonnie (Kat Graham) she doesn't want him to, she won't forgive him, so there's no point.  Still Enzo (Michael Malarkey) thinks he could help them with finding a cure for her and to this end, they think Rayna (Leslie-Anne Huff) could help.  She wants them to hunt down the vampires she's making a list of that escaped from the phoenix stone and then Bonnie thinks she will give up her last immoral life for her.  Which Enzo and Damon try to sell her on the idea of.  That she can enjoy one last day without any vampire voices in her head. That's easier said than done, since it was apparent she wasn't going to let them have their way and die with just a few choice vampires out of the way on her list.  Clearly she was going to lead them on a runaround and make them do all her dirty work for her.  It wasn't about spending her time alone,e eating a cheeseburger and watching the ocean.

During this time, Bonnie and Enzo got close as he kept her in a secluded cabin as she kept taking a pill a day so the Armoury couldn't find her.  Getting closer since she tells Damon he was the only one who hid her and protected her and is the reason why she's dying, which is what Damon also told her. She still has the letter Damon wrote her as a reminder that she couldn't trust him.  As we know, Damon wanted to desiccate so his friends wouldn't get hurt everytime they needed to help him or protect him.  Enzo also reminding Bonnie that he left him too in a burning cage, after the five years they spent together in the Augustine prison.  It's just what he does.  Even if he thinks he's doing the right thing.

Stefan (Paul Wesley) pays call on Caroline (Candice King) but she's not there and notices a Justice of the Peace pencilled for their wedding in Alaric's (Matt Davis) diary.  She's not there but Stefan wants to see her anyway.  Alaric reminding him he left her without any explanations and didn't even send her a postcard.  Stefan thinks it should be her choice whether she wants to see him or not.  On top of this, Damon enlists their help to find the vampires, he doesn't want to see Damon, but it's for Bonnie, so they agree to help.  Alaric doesn't appear to be secure in his relationship with her.

Alex (Mouzam Makkar) finds Enzo and tells him she needs Bonnie's help to open the vault cos her other sister, Yvette got locked in when Lucy Bennett sealed it.  In return she'll do everything to save Bonnie, yeah I wouldn't believe her.  She still has her team looking for her.   So after taking out the vampires, Damon goes to confront Rayna and has to knock her out, cos she's made a whole new list for them to kill.  Which covers the entire walls of the basement.  See not like she will hunt them when she has them to do it for her.

Stefan tells Alaric he didn't want this to turn out like this and sees Caroline who has nothing to say to him.  Kisses Alaric on the cheek and goes to read the twins a bedtime story.  Stefan commenting on how she's in a second bedroom.  Alaric replies she may not love him but they are together.  Not much going on in this ep just a chase around hunting the escaped vampires.  Bonnie seems to have only a week to live with the scars appearing and will happily die if she can't be saved but knowing that Enzo did things for her and will be by her side.  For someone who wasn't interested in talking with Damon, she was peeved he didn't even bring her favourite flowers with him.

Longmire 4.3 "High Noon" Review

                                               
Episode opens with a man doing some digging and taking samples when Nighthorse (A Martinez) chances upon him and he introduces himself as a ranger, Bob Barnes (John Bishop) weeding out the non-native plants.  When Nighthorse tells him to clear off his land.  He reports back to Walt (Robert Taylor) who only got him the job cos it's part of the court order and tells him those yellow sunflower type flowers are growing on his property.   As Walt tells Vic (Katee Sackhoff) to get warrants to search Nighthorse's property.  He gets a call from Ruby (Louanne Stephens) about a black SUV swerving across the road.  Which just happened to be Barlow (Gerald McRaney) so he takes him home.  Though Barlow doesn't have any Rainier.

Of course there were plenty of instances of foreshadowing here indicating Barlow had a hand in killing Branch. Didn't we see that text message already on Branch's phone and they didn't find anymore messages on his phone he'd sent to Barlow, did they, other than the ones he was supposed to have sent Cady (Cassidy Freeman).  When Walt was at Barlow's house and he took his keys for the other car, nice zoom onto the gun with the pearl handle, which was relevant, cos when Walt later comes back it's missing.  Not that Walt would've noticed of course, but we were meant to.

On top of that it was just convenient for Walt to reveal to Barlow that Nighthorse probably killed Branch, which was crazy for him to do.  Know it's a small town and all that, but why give away things he has no evidence for, even if he wanted to do things the right way.  It was like painting a bull's eye on himself for Barlow to do as he pleases and come to think of it for Nighthorse too.  As for the empty can of Rainer that Vic found where Nighthorse was shot from, it didn't automatically mean it was Walt.  Really he's the sheriff, why would he leave incriminating evidence behind if he was there and on top of that she messed up on any evidence on the can, not that there would be and Walt did the same when he did who knows what with it, just threw it out?  Maybe Barlow just took an old can he found of Walt's instead.

The judge refuses to grant the warrant based on the flower cos he's got those flowers growing too and  so did Barlow and Walt refuses a burger with Vic as he drives away.  Next day Nighthorse throws a press conference stating that Walt shot at him on his property.  But not before Mathias (Zane McClarnon) pays a call wanting to check out Walt's guns.  Nighthorse doesn't live on the reservation so he hasn't any jurisdiction to investigate and also Walt refuses to show him the guns.  So the FBI will be in touch with him.  Also Vic hides out cos she doesn't want to tell him anything.  Henry (Lou Diamond Phillips) calls and Ferg (Adam Bartley) tells him he wasn't on duty so he doesn't know where Walt was.  As Walt tells Vic Nighthorse's property is now a CS and they can search it, as he arrives with yellow tape.  Nighthorse accuses him and Walt accuses him of firing the shots himself to set him up.

Walt wants Ferg to take soils samples and look for bullets, blood, anything that will show this is where Branch was killed.  The only thing Vic finds is the empty Rainier can.  Barlow asks for his phone and Walt retrieves it, was thinking those gloves with Walt's blood would've been used later on against him, but okay I was wrong.  Vic shows him the can and tells him she'll lie for him but she needs to know what's happening and telling him about Cady and the info she found.  Cady can't tell Walt anything she knows without being sued, but tells him what she talked about with Barlow, including the text messages, but Barlow doesn't have any from Branch on his phone.

Barlow thinking he had things nicely planned when he mosied on over to Walt's place ready and waiting for him.  It was like Cady gave things away and played right into his hands when she was trying to get info from Barlow about Branch and what he was working on.  Then Walt said it too, the suicide note could only have been written by someone who knew Branch and the fact that he and Cady were no longer together, which came as news to Barlow.  When he was standing there with the poker there was definitely fire in his eyes and the scent of murder in the air, cos if she'd said anything different she'd probably have been next.  That was the moment that sealed his fate though, it was confirmation Barlow was behind it all!

Other instances of foreshadowing were the scenes with Walt and the knife when he cut the belt off Barlow, then Barlow looking around at the rifle in Walt's Bronco.  Setting up Walt to take the fall for shooting at Nighthorse.  Did you see it as a reveal when Walt realizes Barlow killed his wife, had Ridges' kill her.  Kind of new that was coming a few seasons ago, even as far back as season 1, with   the implication that there might be more between Barlow and Martha.  But really Barlow killing his ow son cos he got too close to the truth and found out Barlow and Nighthorse were friends and angling for the casino to go ahead.  Or was it more for thinking Branch had found out about this and other things, thinking Branch was working for Walt.

As for telling Walt he'd have a hard time explaining the empty gun and shooting an unarmed man, well he wasn't to know that and the knife would've had Barlow's prints on it so Walt shouldn't have removed that.  Though I do think Walt got some satisfaction for shooting Barlow, a little revenge, a little closure for both Martha and Branch; but more so Barlow couldn't live with himself for killing Branch.  It came across that way and even if he wanted more money and the casino to go ahead, it would've been poor comfort to him now.  He was almost angling for "suicide by cop" cos he couldn't do it to himself.  So much for all the macho posturing about Barlow's not being able to take their own lives.

As for Cady and her job was she genuinely offered that job by Walter Mashburn (from The Mentalist ha) er, Kevin Morris (Currie Graham) or was he told to offer it to her; cos if it just came out of the blue, then it was pretty coincidental or timely for Cady to have seen all those documents with the firm working for Nighthorse against Barlow.  Yeah too convenient, but as a lawyer she should've known the best way to get information would be from somewhere else if she was bound by a confidentially agreement. She shouldn't have needed Vic to tell her.  Don't know what Cady was thinking working for the smarmy lawyer but she thought it a chance to stop waitressing and get a salary worth something. Heck I wouldn't have worked there.  Why doesn't she start her own firm.

Now comes the good part with Walt having to dodge everything under the sun, not that he hasn't been doing that already since he's been sheriff, in the Barlow investigation.  Liked Walt's story about his boots not fitting him and hurting him that he told Henry and didn't touch the beer.  Appropriate title too, though it was more of a showdown than a shootout!

Once Upon A Time 5.14 "Devil's Due" Review

                                           
As Hook (Coilin O'Donoghue) didn't do what Hades (Greg Germann) wanted in engraving the graves, he transports him to a place far worse through the River of Lost Souls and there he suspends him from chains, to be lowered into the river, eventually.  Ay me hearty, Hook was already a lost soul when we first met him, seeing as the pirate's life wasn't such a good one after all.  But anyway, yeah thought Dean in hell once again in Supernatural here, when he was all chained up and calling for help, but no help came.  Hook will be more fortunate then.  Hades was just jealous cos he couldn't stand looking at Hook's devilishly handsome features and his hair!!

In order for Hook to be rescued and for Gold  (Robert Carlyle) to get back to Belle (Emilie de Ravin) after seeing her through a crystal ball which he subsequently breaks, he had to enlist the help of Milah (Rachel Shelley).  Well hello dearie, you're now a crossing guard, making sure children cross the road safely, but you ran out on your son also!  Gold introduces her to an awkward meeting with Emma (Jennifer Morrison) who was not only with her former lover (and still is) but also with her son and there's nothing like nepotism and keeping it within the family.  Though Hook isn't related to them.  Oh and forget to mention she bore Milah's grandson too!! Rumple had found a boat to take them out of the underworld after they rescued Hook and Milah stayed behind to guard it with him.

Then appeared Hades and made a deal with Gold, get rid of the boat so they can't make it out and also revealed that he knows Belle is pregnant, no wonder Gold wanted to high tail it out of there. Especially after the flashback to where Bae was left alone whilst the two bickered and Bae was bitten by a poisonous snake as a child and they had to find a cure.  Gold couldn't kill the man with the cure, Fendrake the Healer (Aaron Douglas) but made a deal to give him his second son, cos dearie he wasn't gonna have anymore children.  Milah was angry with him cos he put a kerb on her having anymore children and ran off with Hook, whom she met in a tavern and still propositioned her to run off with him even if she was married.  "I'm in port very often, luv!"  That would've been tempting enough!  Still she could've had little Hookers with Hook!  Ha.

Gold also sent Milah into the river cos she knew his deal with Hades, as Emma was taking an awful long time bringing Hook back out, yeah have a reunion there when you're still in danger and miss all the action outside.  Hook was surprised to hear Milah was here and then was no longer around! Didn't he think she may have been here especially since she had unfinished business too and now we won't know what that was.  Gold pretending that Hades got rid of the boat and Milah too.  So no awkward meeting with the threesome and Hook having to say he loved (loves) Milah his one true lost love (who's now lost in the river of souls) and he wanted revenge for the last 300 years, but he's got  Emma now.

Regina (Lana Parilla) found Daniel's grave but she'd also learned from Cruella (Victoria Smurfit) that if a gravestone stands up it means unfinished business, if it's flat down then they're not in the underworld and if it's cracked to bits, well there's no hope!  She then helped a horse back in town and found her magic was working.  But she couldn't take Emma's heart and split it into two giving Hook the other half.  Wasn't her magic though was it, it was the underworld after all and having to prolong them being there.  Of course maybe her love for him isn't that strong after all, or his for her, okay I had to to add that in.
I'll forget about the awkwardness of writing Milah over and over then!! Ha.

They find Hades has been busy engraving the gravestones himself with the names of Snow, Regina and Emma, apparently he wanted the women to remain behind.  See Hook that's what you did when you didn't pick, he could've picked the men and left the women which he could've had all to himself in true pirate fashion!  But the worst was yet to come for Gold as Fendrake and the one he'd killed as the Crocodile had signed over his contract to Hades, thus he was going to get Gold's second born child now!

Once Upon A Time 5.13 "Labor of Love" Review

                                            
Obviously the title being in reference to Hercules and his twelve labours.  As Snow (Gennifer Goodwin) meets up with him again.  Anyway this one showcases Hook (Colin O'Donoghue) also as he steps down some steps after a fellow captive tells him not to do it cos he'll come after them.  Hook of course wouldn't listen to her and he tells her to run and escape, to find Emma (Jennifer Morrison) and tell her where he is as he saw Emma's message to him.  That wasn't immediately apparent from this scene. Huh?  Anyway Snow and David (Josh Dallas) are walking around the graves when she notices Hercule's (Jonathan Whitesell) name and then flashback.  Snow (Bailee Madison) when a girl sitting with Regina (Lana Parilla) at her throne and her people demanding help.  Snow can only reply that her father is on a diplomatic mission and is powerless to help.  See that glint in Regina's eye cos we know that she's behind the peasant's almost revolt with her thugs terrorizing them.

Oh forgot to say Snow fell into a hole and was rescued by none other than Hercules, a mere whisper of a would-be demi-god and they instantly become best pals, cos here he teaches her how to shoot a bow and arrow and train her, much the same as Mulan did with Merida!! Don't these royal children have natural skills and abilities of their own then?  He tells her about his labours and how he's only a demi-god and his first labour of killing the lion.

In the underworld Regina says she would have had plans of Storybrooke in her office and that would give them clues on where else to search for Hook, as Henry (Jared Gilmore) goes off with Robin (Sean Maguire) cos he knows her office inside and out.  Storybrooke was the product of Regina's curse and she even made blueprints and plans for the town, hmm, must've pooffed those up in a smokey mist too.  She and Emma run into the girl who's being chased by the three headed hell hound, Cerberus, cue Supernatural hellhound lore territory here!  Snow finds Hercules at the docks tasked with moving around paper mache anchors and large blocks and the heels on those shoes, Dean Winchester would be jealous, just joking, I think!  ha.  As she tells him all her life story and he can't believe she's a grandma and he hasn't aged cos obviously he's dead.  She wants him to help with Cerberus not knowing that was the labour he couldn't failed cos he was killed by it.  Obviously uncle Hades (Greg Germann) having a hand in it.  He couldn't fight three heads at once!  Hook and Hades have words about how they can't really kill each other and he continues to torment Hook with his boring comments!!  Couldn't they find a better Hades??  Not a fan of Greg Germann, he always acts the same no matter what character he's playing.  This must be a harkback to Ally McBeal: the failed comedy years!

Snow takes on the thugs and fails miserably as she can't reach for another arrow and drops them all, as well as falling to the ground in shame herself.  Needing another helping hand from Hercules.
In the underworld Emma, Snow and Regina went down the mines to find Cerberus and let Hercules take care of the hound but he gives up and runs away.  What was the problem, he was already dead wasn't he, so wouldn't die again or was it seeing his awful uncle again.  Hades having a fun time showing Emma Hook's hook.

Henry crawls into the office through the vent and finds Cruella (Victoria Smurfit) there apparently taken over from Cora, she wants him to use his author skills and write her back into the living which he can do cos even if he broke the quill, it's still a living entity and he can fix things.  Which Henry doesn't tell Robin about.  If he re-writes her death then Emma won't be a murderer anymore.  So that means Henry can do the same for everyone else, re-write everything we've seen and everyone can be good and as pure as the driven snow, including Hook not killing his father.

Regina tells Snow how she was kickass as Snow and so she drops the Mary Margaret and Snow adding there's nothing like getting help from her former enemy in Regina!  And decides she's going to help Hercules kick some hellhound heads, even roping in Megara (Kacey Rohl) to help.  As back in her land, Snow kicks the thugs asses out of her kingdom.   Hellhound gets stabbed and vanishes. Hercules and Megara later do some bonding in the diner and also get to climb the steps to Mount Olympus.  Still Snow doesn't tell David she and Hercules snogged, minor plot point, she probably went round kissing all her friends, so she shared her first ever kiss with ol' Hercs!

Hades was still tormenting Hook to the point where Hook's hair kept standing on end in despair, but no, loving Hook's hair and told him he had to engrave three names on the grave of the three people he wants to remain behind, well he could've started off with Gold!  Then Robin and anyone else who was still here who he didn't know about but could've guessed, like maybe his father.  But downside was, they had to be living!  Hook refused.  Uh oh more torturing for him then with Hades' excruciating jokes!  Emma bought her woolly hat with her, maybe she could hide Hades's blue light CGI hair under it!