The Musketeers 3.8 "Prisoner of War" Review

                                          
Anne (Alexandra Dowling) has been sending messages to her brother, Philip in Spain in the hopes of peace and she sends Aramis (Santiago Cabrera) with a letter to meet with Spanish envoys at a secret location, without knowledge or consent of Louis (Ryan Gage) or Treville (Hugo Speer)  Of course Grimaud (Matthew McNulty) happens to overhear everything they say, being able to lurk and sneak about everywhere, including the palace still.  She's worried for France as Louis grows weaker and takes too much of his new medicine, he's in pain.

The Musketeers take Spanish generals to the prison and tell Marcheaux (Matt Stokoe) to treat them with respect. Porthos (Howard Charles) tells him to treat them how they'd expect to be treated and he replies that they slaughtered French soldiers and are to be hanged the next day.  Aramis rides to the rendevous point but is met by Grimaud and his men who take him hostage, sending demands to the Queen. The Spanish prisoners must be released in exchange for Aramis.  Also Gaston (Andre Flynn) is behind the attempt too as he wants Anne discredited and removed from the throne.  He has the backing of  the Duke of Lorraine (Robert Glenister) who wants the prisoners in his hands and Aramis killed.  However Grimaud has his own agenda for the Musketeers as he tells Gaston, they are his.

Louis wanders off and he ends up in the garden, hallucinating and passes out.  Treville has the Musketeers search for him and he is found by D'Artagnan (Luke Pasqualino).  Louis says he saw Milady De Winter (Maimie McCoy) and is taken back to his quarters.  Treville tells them of his medicine.  Later he finds a handkerchief at Louis's side bearing her mark of the flower.  He heads to his quarters and finds her hiding there.  He says if he was going to be killed, he'd already be dead. She wants money from Louis since they were on good terms, but Treville instead says he will give her a retainer for her services.  She denies she's an assassin any longer even if she did kill the Duke's son.
Milady: "I'm disappointed by your calm demeanour.  I'd hoped for shock, panic.  Even a faint note of surprise would've been nice."  Alas no,  he doesn't seem to be surprised at anything which makes him truly a politician.  Compared to Athos (Tom Burke) who wasn't told about Milady being here, but promptly drops his apple upon seeing her, they kiss and embrace and then he leaves her for Sylvie (Thalissa Treixeira) an odd reunion if ever there was one.  Especially as she later asks what he'll do, kill her.  Well we all know how the story goes, but in this case there was dramatic licence, as always.

Treville says he will spare the Spanish prisoners but not by Royal Assent as he agrees to the men being exchanged for Aramis.  They must take the prisoners.  They arrive before they are hanged as Marcheaux has sped up their execution and are met by the wrath of the people.  Also D'Artagnan sees his cousin Espoir (Tim McCall) there who is also being hanged as he is a thief. D'Artagnan wants to take him too but Marchauex doesn't let him.  He pleads that he's French and all he did was steal bread whilst the Spanish are set free.  The Musketeers finally take the men and D'Artagnan takes Espoir. They meet in secret and he tells them about the farm being razed to the ground and how he came to Paris to find work and make an honest living but didn't find any work.  Athos agrees to him going with them but only if he's released before they reach their destination.  They think it could be a trap and the seal of the Spanish could have been forged.  Athos storms out of there when he finds out and will deal with Aramis himself.

Milady heads to the garrison and finds out about Athos and Sylvie and she will wait for him.  (See above).  Constance (Tamla Kari) tells Sylvie about the Queen wanting the poor to be educated and she can use the press to this end, as she prints out ages to be distributed to the poor to help them read. She asks about Athos and Constance explains he's well and she will tell him she asked after him, but Sylvie doesn't want her to. Grimaud holds Aramis suspended and he takes his cross from him and throws it into the fire, he doesn't need to fear God or anyone else, only him, after Aramis tells him about his mother and how she was brutalized by the soldiers.  Grimaud calls her weak, but Aramis says she was strong.

D'Artagnan releases Espoir as Athos tells him to and they make camp.  He takes him to a clearing where he stumbles upon Grimaud and his men holding Aramis as D'Artagnan sees his horse.  They plan a raid to free him and Athos asks if Espoir can shoot.  Seems after all that fighting, Grimaud once again escapes as was obvious he would and Espoir saves Athos from being shot.  Aramis is held as a shield by Grimaud and he tells Porthos to shoot him but he doesn't, allowing him to flee.  Aramis is angry they didn't shoot him, seems like he should've had a go and he wouldn't have missed, even if he was still shackled.  He's angry and Athos asks why he didn't tell them about the Anne's plans.  He replies he wants peace.  Don't they all.  They return to the palace and Aramis wants to speak with Louis himself but she doesn't want him to.  Anne hands out money to the poor in the street and they distribute leaflets with her seal on it depicting Anne and her lover.

Grimaud and Marcheaux planned this after Marcheaux shows Grimaud the leaflet being distributed by Sylvie to educate the poor.  The Musketeers rescue Anne and take her back to the place, as Athos storms out when he finds out what's happening to Sylvie.
Athos meets Milady and she says they're still married asking about Sylvie, he asks what she's done with her and she replies she's all right.  He rushes to find her and discovers she's been arrested for the leaflets and is about to be flogged.  Sylvie pleads with Marcheaux that there's no going back after this for him but he doesn't care.  The Musketeers arrive as Athos stops him and Marcheaux tells him he's disobeying the king's orders.

Anne wants to explain to Louis but he doesn't want to listen and mumbles "Spanish harlot," as he walks past her.  She wanted to give the crown a good reputation by helping the poor but Louis didn't want that.
Milady accept Trevilles offer.
Milady: "I'll kill for you."
Treville: "Not for me, for the crown."
Milady:" Spoken like a true politician."
Treville: "seems we've both found our place."
A bit of a funny conversation when Treville tells Athos he's a captain now and Treville's reminded he wasn't always a politician himself.  Also Gaston calling Anne a "bitch", hmm getting past the BBC censors, we'll wait and see.

Seems the title was apt considering Aramis is in many ways a prisoner, not only of war, but his love for Anne and not being able to see his child, as well as for his circumstances and not being able to find and get the peace that he so gravely desires.  A lot of scenarios being set up here for the series finale and yet the treachery continues from Grimaud, being the key villain in this series, he always gets away!

The Musketeers 3.7 "Fool's Gold" Review

                                                
The Musketeers are on the trail of Grimaud (Matthew McNulty) and interrogate an innkeeper, with Aramis (Santiago Cabrera) shooting a bottle off his head as he refuses to speak of his whereabouts. Then D'Artagnan (Luke Pasaqualino) gets the notion to use cadet Brujon (Tom Morley) to shoot an apple off his head instead, he pretends to have a shaky hand and he finally relents and tells them he's heading east.  The cadet fires the gun and the innkeeper is surprised, D'Artagnan adding he is a cadet but a Musketeer cadet.  Athos (Tom Burke) was losing patience with him, especially since he wants Grimaud more than anyone.  He says he's well enough to ride after being injured in the shootout. They ride out when they see a child in the forest and naturally they must follow her, Porthos (Howard Charles) and D'Artagnan are caught in a trap and shout for help.  The women have the others too. They know all about the soldiers in the forest and how they came to their village and took everything.

They have built this new place hidden away and Aramis and his comment about always being tied up by a woman didn't really help them any.  "I've been tied up by women too but it's only ever been recreational."
Juliette (Fiona O'Shaugnessy) doesn't want to help them, but one of the women, Theresa (Meera Syal) says they should and it's only for one night.  They meet some other women and one of them, Elodie (Lily Loveless) is pregnant, her husband is away fighting and she asks for any news about his regiment.  Porthos tells her they only know they were headed to another place.  They also have a man in their midst, Bastien (Howard Melling) who says he was made fun of by the soldiers since he's a cripple, knew he was lying.  They feed them and Juliette tells them that she knew Grimaud's mother when she was little, as Theresa also tells them that he was here and he's probably in a cabin in the woods.

They are raided by men and one of them kills a woman, as they realize they're looking for something. The women fend them off as best they can and Aramis asks for a poultice and bandages for Athos but Juliette refuses him, cos they don't have much and can't spare it.  They head after the remaining soldiers the next day as they invade their camp again and D'Artagnan tells Athos to continue on his own, as he heads back to the camp.  They capture one man, Robert ( and find out that they're deserters but they're also criminals.  He tells them they were taken by the soldiers to fight and calls them cannon meat.  He ran away and he may be a thief but he isn't a murderer of women and children.  He thinks he's going to be killed and tells him to shoot already.
D'Artagnan: "we're all afraid of dying, the trick is to just find something worth dying for."  Much the same as what Porthos said to Elodie about being afraid in the battle.  As he later says, "...fear has no power over you."  That's why he returned to his men.

Athos finds the cabin and is caught off guard as he's hit and is barricaded inside by Theresa who tells him she knew Grimaud's mother.  She was barely a child and was mistreated by the soldiers.  She could hardly look after herself let alone a baby and she rescued him when she left him in the river and brought him up as her own, well she didn't do a very good job of it.  Athos tells her she should've left him in the river.  She tells him he's better than him and much cleverer, er, don't think so, he may keep getting away but that's just what you'd expect from a sewer rat!  ha. Sorry.  Athos manages to get out and runs after her but she poisons him instead, oh no a woman got the better of him.  The others find him and bring him back to camp.  Er, one point, when he ran out of the cabin he didn't have his sword with him, but when he's found his sword is by him.  He wouldn't have been able to go back for it though, would he?

Elodie tends to him and tells them there's no antidote, if he makes it he makes it.  Porthos talks with her and tells her about her husband and that there were casualties, he's probably dead.  She's left alone now and he says his mother brought him up alone too and he turned out all right.  She hopes she's having a son and he also admits he was afraid in the war.  He even left one day and got a few miles away cos of what fear does to you, but then thought of his men and came back.  There's another raid and Juliette slits the throat of one of the men.  They're after gold and Bastien is behind it.  See the weasel was obvious!  They take her and leave a note for the gold.  Athos has nightmares and dreams of Grimaud and of Sylvie (Thalissa Teixeira) as Aramis later tells everyone, after he recovers.

Athos tells Aramis to meet by the blacksmith's place and they lay traps for the men and fight them. The women help and eventually they are victorious. Juliette tells Bastien she used the gold for the women and this place as he tries to kill her, Aramis shoots him.  Porthos tells Elodie he can stay here and help her if she wants but she tells him that France needs him more than her or her daughter. There last ep Porthos was speaking of not having a family and this ep he could've had a ready-made family of his own.

At court, Anne (Alexandra Dowling) tells Louis (Ryan Gage) to a name her regent and she'll look after their son and Louis doesn't want any part of it.  He later watches her play with the dauphin and Treville (Hugo Speer) tells him he should make peace with her.  He asks her for a drink with him and tells her he will name her regent as she promises to write history with the dauphin as his heir and how he may be Aramis's son by blood, but Louis taught him everything.  He will never be known as his son.  Admitting she slept with Aramis once, well once was enough wasn't it.  Aramis also acknowledging to Juliette that he has no children of his own either.  He couldn't exactly tell her could he.

Anyway this ep seemed more like a filler, rather than one where they find Grimaud and Gaston. Even though Louis doesn't want to believe that Gaston is in on the plot to raise an army.  He thinks Gaston could've been taken as a hostage.  He lost Feron and he doesn't want to lose another brother.  As Treville tells Louis he can't have a state funeral since he was a traitor, Louis adding that a traitor wouldn't have saved him.  Theresa vanished too so she probably knows where Grimaud i,s a wonder he didn't turn on her either, when she nursed him.

Once Upon A Time 4.19 "Sympathy For The De Vil" Review

                                           
Cruella's (Victoria Smurfit) back story ep where she's locked up by her mother and weren't meant to think that as in all fairytales, she's evil.  Growing up locked in the house in the 1920's, a writer/Isaac (Patrick Fischler) comes a-calling for a story and after noticing the three portraits of her mother's three husband's on the wall, he thinks he's onto something.  Back then writer's used to cold call like salemen then did they.  This one being Issac and he gets Cruella out of her attic and takes her dancing to a nightlcub.  Of course it was easy for him to write the key into her room.  As he is the Author of the book.  He has his fun as her mother told him he should leave and gets more than he bargained for, as Cruella leads him a merry dance too, claiming her mother poisoned her father and her other two husbands.

He can only see some sort of good in her as he writes her diamonds and also tells her about the pen and the special ink.  Giving her his car so she can finally leave her mother.  But she double crosses him and her mother reveals it was actually Cruella who poisoned them.  As she madly sews herself a fur coat made from the dogs.  Though he does catch up to her and writes her away for now, not before they struggle and she gets his ink in her hair, thus causing it to turn black and give her the two tone effect.  Even before the ombre effect came in!  Ha.  He also says that all of the times they've been living are all outside the realm of time itself.  Huh, which was a stonking bit of a mess, I mean making that Storybrooke library clock redundant!!??

Cruella kidnaps Henry (Jared Gilmore) and Hook (Colin O'Donoghue) and Regina (Lana Parilla) help Emma (Jennifer Morrison) look for him, but apparently Gold (Robert Carlyle) has a hand in this too since he wants Emma to turn dark and this was one way to speed up the process.  Emma not wanting Snow (Gennifer Goodwin) or David (Josh Dallas) to help cos she's as peeved as ever for their actions and lying to her about Maleficent's (Kristin Bauer) baby but not mad at Regina for keeping Snow's secret.  There was a kicker too in that Henry managed to free himself (again) with some broken glass he happened to be sitting by, must've been Robin's men littering beer bottles again, or maybe Will who's a beer guzzler of the most profuse variety.  Cos he managed to do the same in Neverland too.  As Snow and David get to the Author, he's written that Cruella can't kill anyone, what took him so long, with them having to tell Emma.  Too late as Emma uses her powers, sending Cruella over the edge this time, literally and not just cos she already was mentally over the edge.  Emma killing her in front of Henry came so easy to her didn't it.  Now everyone's thinking she's so totally dark, or has the potential, but no it was to save Henry.

Regina tells David and Snow that Zelena (Rebecca Mader) is really Marian and she killed Marian back in the woods after Emma rescued her.  Meaning Emma didn't change her fate or history after all, as Marian remained as dead as she ever was.  However, once again Emma did manage to act before thinking of the consequences.

Regina needed Belle's (Emile de Ravin) help with Gold and used her as leverage.  She did ask her for help when she saw her, but it seemed a little confusing in that Belle would willingly give up her heart to Regina.  As she manipulated Belle this time into meeting with Gold.   Then reveals herself in the woods, as well as Belle's heart, intending it as use for leverage.  As for the so-called evil twosome, Cruella got away with admitting she left Maleficen't baby in the woods and then uses her magic to send her to sleep as a dragon.  That was a bit of a yawn moment, where's their real evil and being at odds with each other.  She bears grudges against Snow and David for what they did to her baby, but she can't even fight Cruella over it.

Once Upon A Time 4.16 "Poor Unfortunate Soul" Review

                                             
Where we find out what happened to Hook's (Colin O'Donoghue) ship and why Ursula (Merrin Dungey) is an enemy of his and theirs as she sides with Gold (Robert Carlyle) and the other evil twosome.  She was a mermaid just like Ariel (JoAnna Garcia) but her father wanted her to use her singing to lure sailors onto the rocks instead of giving people the pleasure of her voice.  The only thing they both have left of their mother.  So no one used the word Siren in this, which is what she was really meant to be.  But this is OUAT and we had to expect different.

Had a feeling for a bit that somehow Emma (Jennifer Morrison) thought there was more to Hook and Ursula than just pirate and mermaid since he at first didn't want to tell her about their backstory, when he mentions her.  Obviously it wasn't going to be like that since Hook only had eyes for Milah until he met Emma, years later.  However he did have a soft spot for her since as I said, they've both been through loss, but really who said they were romantically involved, she was a bit young for him dearie!!  Hook tries to get Ursula to reveal what plans Gold has in store in finding the Author of the book and he has the very thing which will make her help.  This being her voice in a nutshell, or rather a seashell.  Flashing back to how she refused to do her father, Poseidon's (Ernie Hudson) bidding and wanted to run away from him.

Meeting our lovable pirate rogue in the process who offers her free passage cos he knows what it's like to lose someone.  (Course luv I'll take on free passage with ya!! ha. Plus I also have the right name!!  Mila!)  Of course her father wants her to come home.  Hook needs the squid ink in return for free passage but her father puts paid to that.  As we know, revenge is so hard for our would-be hero/villain to get on the Crocodile.  Thus he betrays Ursula and takes away her voice and whereby she gets a lesson in how cruel people can be in the real world.  Growing tentacles and losing her mermaid's tail.  Should I have said her innocent mermaid's tale for some reason.  Ursula had that bracelet from her father's vault, the same one sported by Ariel which Regina (Lana Parilla) gave her in season 3, so was there an abundance of these bracelets.  Though Regina, as Ursula back then, was a good scene.

Hook gives her back the shell but she doesn't get her singing voice back, later finding out the only one who can do that is the one who cast the spell, her father.  As Ursula throws him into the sea. Knew he'd be rescued by Ariel cos she hadn't seen her in a while and there's not many friendly mermaids we've come across.  She tells him she was angry about Eric since she had to rescue Blackbeard (Charles Mesure) to find where he was and the scene I liked was where Ursula bought back Hook's ship in a bottle!  Later we'll learn that it was Elsa (Georgina Haig) who cast a spell and did that, but not any more detailed explanation, would've liked to have seen that.  Okay the more plausible explanation is that Elsa shrunk the ship when Blackbeard had it after he doublecrosses Ana and threw them in the chest for Hans.  Thus Hook and Elsa not knowing each other.

[Just a gripe though, which seems to be an invalid gripe, just thinking out aloud) does this mean Elsa and Hook knew each other when they were back in Arrendelle, or wherever they met.  Cos they didn't appear to know each other when she got to Storybrooke and no mention was made of it either. ]
So father and daughter meet again when Ariel brings him back through a portal and she gets her voice back, keeping her bargains he tells him Gold intends for Emma to turn to her darkside.

Of course things weren't going well for August (Eion Bailey) since Gold can't get any answers from him about the Author or the book.  He gets a potion whereby his nose will grow when he's lying. Which it does as he questions him on the page from the book, he tells him he doesn't know where it is. Regina having to magic up some smoke through the chimney and enter Snow's (Gennifer Goodwin) body to give them the message about Gold and August, which must've been creepy.  Let's see, why didn't she use this sell in previous eps when the situation called for it.  Anyway she tells them where August is and they rescue him but not before they're confronted by Ursula and the Cruel one, Cruella (Victoria Smurfit) who's clobbered over the head with a frying pan by Snow.

Gold's plan/secret whilst the Saviour is around no one will get their happy ending, thus she needs to turn dark.  See once again Emma's the cause for all the palaver.  However Hook pics this time to tell her she's his happy ending.  (Everytime they said that phrase, my mind went back to Avril Lavigne's Happy Ending song.  But it's so relevant, "so much for my happy ending, all this time you were pretending..."  Getting back to Hook and Emma; if she's his happy ending, then something must go awry for them since he's really a villain turned good, cos it's the same as Regina not getting one either.

However August tells them the Author is inside the door and trapped inside the book itself which was convenient.  His nose grew cos he didn't know where Henry (Jared Gilmore) had the book. Oh and Regina tells Emma about her dream of seeing Robin and then the Evil Queen who appeared to be protecting him, was that from his fate, or rather was she really the Evil Queen.  She asks Emma to locate Robin in New York, umm, like getting a phone number, but she did know where he'd be.  Since she gave him the keys to Neil's apartment.

One other nitpick, relevant for 4.20 is how Emma can locate people, but she never felt remorse or any kind of inkling to find Lily and make things right.

Once Upon A Time 4.12 "Heroes and Villains" Review

                                                 
Rumples (Robert Carlyle) attempts to use the hat when the stars align thereby harnessing all the power under the stars! Well, no as he and Hook (Colin O'Donoghue) who still ain't got his heart back, poor luv! has to still be his pawn.  Anyway when the stars do align he'll be able to leave Storybrooke and head to New York with Belle (Emilie De Ravin) though why they haven't heard of any other places is beyond me.  I mean why not Tallahassee?

Back at his castle, Rumple's managed to get his hands on a gauntlet which was going to come back to bite him in Storybrooke.  You think if he knew, he'd not have bothered keeping it.  Where we get our first meeting of his with Cruella (Victoria Smurfit) Maleficent (Kristen Bauer) and Ursula (Merrin Dungey) as they kidnap Belle for the gauntlet.  Only he rescues her and gets it back too.  Why all the ruses at times, they seem pointless.

Regina (Lana Parilla) and Robin (Sean Maguire) manage to put Marian's (Christie Laing) heart back in her and unthaw her, well unfreeze is the right word, although neither one of them had their hearts in it)!)  Even had Marian willing to give Robin up for Regina but she in all her newfound goodness didn't want to come between them.  (Jumping forward, she should've just taken him considering the storyline with Marian.)

Meanwhile Hook and Rumples were street sweeping, following the broom to the mansion once again, where they were led to the portal to Arrendelle.  Storybrooke is full of portals to other fairy lands but not-a-one to New York?!!   Henry (Jared Gilmore) gets to work at the pawn shop, which didn't last long, as Belle was packing a suitcase and was in need of another one, I mean she didn't know she could get those and clothe aplenty in New York.  Well fashion isn't really Belle's strong suit.  As they scour for more cases, Henry chances upon the gauntlet, leading Belle to a flashback.

She ended up doing washing for Rumples, who appeared to have swiped someones clothes too, cos he certainly doesn't wear them (see New York's a calling for new clothes!)  She sees a puppy and then ends up tied up near a cliff.  Then Rumples gets a coin which turns out to have Princess Leia, er Belle where the gauntlet is demanded in return for her.  Thus leading us to meet the toothsome threesome, which sounds much better.

Hook tells Emma (Jennifer Morrison) about the portal to Arrendale, but it's Rumples talking for him, Emma sensing something was wrong with him, yeah especially since it took so long for him to utter his trademark "luv."  Seems these characters take a leaf out of each other's acts, like Regina manipulating Belle, then talking through Snow (Gennifer Goodwin).  Wonder if Hook still had the freewill to kiss Emma, or was that Rumples, ha.

It was more like a stab in the back rather than through the heart.  Even if that's exactly what Regina accomplished for herself after letting Robin go after they'd done the full on dirty a few times.   Robin decides he wants to be with Regina and shows her their page from the book together and their happy ending.  Cue Marian keeling over (and again jumping forward, nothing but a convenient faint no doubt on her part, to tear them apart.  The only option being Marian had to leave Storybrooke and Robin recalling his code had to go with her too.  They can leave but can't return, but do still have their memories intact.  As I said, convenient for future plot purposes.

Gold gets into Regina's car where they share a conversation about happy endings, what else, as he tells her he's leaving and going to find his happy ending.  As Elsa (Georgina Haig) and Kristoff (Scott Michael Foster) head through the door to Arrendelle, Ana (Elizabeth Lail) recalls Rumple's meeting with her and how he lies, seeing as he was also the one who found the door.  Trying to get Ana back before she blabbed about his plans.  A the clocktower he still plans to go ahead whilst waiting for the stars still to align, as he also plans to crush Hook's heart once and for all, but was taking his sweet time over it.  Now let's not be shedding Crocodile tears, as Emma arrives in the nick of time, but he freezes her to stop her using her magic.  This means his magic is more powerful than hers, well he's been using it for years.  They do seem to have some sort of a link since in season 1 he had a hand in wanting Emma to be born.  Only it was Belle who saved the day with the dagger, commanding him to give Hook's heart back.

Thus she realized the gauntlet was never traded for her, he would never lose his power or give it up for her and so he loves his power more than her.  Making him cross the Storybrooke line, well he got his wish, only not with Belle.  Who finally comes to terms that she can't have a happy ending with a villain either and goes in search of Will.  Probably why he frequented the library a lot.  Well it wasn't for the books! ha.

Elsa and Ana arrive home and prepare for her wedding, with the smell of chocolate in the air.  Will this be the last we see of them, well if Zelena (Rebecca Mader) can return...  Emma puts Hook's heart back and decides she must find Regina instead.  Henry finding a secret door in the mansion, why was he still there and blank storybooks, which means this must be where the Author is.  Why have an emergency supply of storybooks when they just magically seemed to appear in the one book anyway.  Emma agreeing she wants in on Operation Mongoose.  Rumples finds his way to New York where he meets Ursula, in an aquarium of all places.  They might have taken her out of the sea but they didn't get the sea out of her.  Where they plan some more evil.

Once Upon A Time 4.18 "Heart of Gold" Review

A return to Robin (Sean Maguire) and Marian (Christie Laing) and the time he opened a tavern which would've been exactly where Will (Michael Socha) would've spent time!  Ha.  As the Sheriff  of Nottingham (Wil Travel) comes to collect taxes and threatens him with a penalty, not to mention how Marian would run to him cos she's be penniless and on the streets.  Cue Rumples (Robert Carlyle) with a proposition in return for some gold straw.  This entails going to Oz to get him some potion which will help hearts to heal, whereupon, he chances upon Will.  Robin having saved him from the guard when the portal door landed on him, not that again, one use on a witch was enough.  Wasn't it. Robin disguises himself as a guard, gets to the city, almost steals the potion before he's caught by Zelena (Rebecca Mader).  Begging the question of where exactly were the flying minkeys (as Inspector Clouseau would say) and Zelena's ability to see off any and all intruders before they arrived.  After a fight Robin manages to get away.

So how did Zelena get to be Marian, obviously it was after this since Marian hadn't been killed yet by Regina (Lana Parilla) in that timeline.  As well as Zelena being frozen by the Snow Queen's spell. Does this mean when true love's kiss didn't work on her it was cos she was Zelena all this time, whereas they thought it was cos Robin loved Regina, which he did, but here's another explanation no one thought about until the later reveal perhaps.  Yet the Snow Queen's magic worked on Zelena and she wasn't able to counteract it.  Not to mention Regina really having Zelena's heart in her hand and having to put it back!!  That could've been crushed so easily, oh if only she was evil and just went for it.  No one would have to suffer Zelena.  Then the other point I'll mention quickly is how Regina gave up Robin when Marian was so gung ho in doing the decent thing and stepping aside.  All a ruse and playing Regina so masterfully.  (Then again Robin didn't even realize he wasn't kissing his own wife everytime they got close!)

Robin gives Will the potion so he can mend his heart after losing his 'sister'.  I still want to know what he was doing with the Alice In Wonderland too in the library and the Red Queen's picture.  Wasn't that meant to be explored.  I mean I know it was cos of Once Upon A Time In Wonderland and the Red Queen was his true love, but not everyone's seen that.  Robin realizes all he has to do is steal from the rich to give to the poor, thus stealing the Sheriff's money and hide from Rumples.  But how could he, that imp gets everywhere.  Probably another reason why he ended up at Rumple's castle when he came to steal from there.  Clearly they must've had past dealings, or was that before he was married.

Anyway Emma (Jennifer Morrison) berates her parents for stealing another baby to ensure she wasn't dark and they need to accept what they've done. Considering she went to prison for a lesser crime. Gold finds Robin at Neil's apartment and suffers a heart attack.  He asks Robin for the potion which is found at a shop belonging to Walsh, aka The Wizard, aka the flying minkey and he manages to steal the potion for him to get better.  Not without complications though and Robin wanting Neil's apartment.  You see Zelena reveals herself with the help of the necklace, since leaf clover was it, which Marian wore.  She actually gave Gold a placebo, yeah cos Marian could've really found another heart-shaped bottle at such short notice and had the cunning to substitute it.  Which isn't surprising since Robin didn't have the cunning to realize Marian was off!

However Gold manages to get his number from Regina's pocket and blackmails her erasing Robin's number.  As if Emma couldn't get it again.  He does get his comeuppance when he is rumbled (should that be rumpled) by Zelena and has to agree to let her get her wicked, wicked ways, with Robin and Regina.  Jumping forward, the news of her being pregnant, well that could heave been a magic baby or a trick. Anyhoo, she calls Hook (Colin O'Donoghue) the Saviour's "one handed lover". Trying to be snarky or what! Well it didn't work, she's as evil as ever and not funny at all.

The Musketeers 3.6 "Death of A Hero" Review

                                          
Feron (Rupet Everett) and Grimaud (Matthew McNulty) hatch a plan to let Gaston (Andre Flynn) escape and use his armies to take over France, with Gaston becoming king.  As Feron writes a letter and signs it with Treville's (Hugo Speer) name in an attempt to catch the Musketeers off guard, a divide and conquer strategy, but more like divide and kill. What was ironic as we'll see by ep's end is what Feron narrates in the opening scene about dying, not knowing when it can happen, but it will happen to anyone and everyone, rich or poor, or dauphin and it will be least expected since we are all living.  As we see the Musketeers going about their normal lives, D'Artagnan (Luke Pasqualino) being shaved by Constance (Tamla Kari) whilst in the bath, Athos (Tom Burke) and Sylvie (Thalissa Teiexeira) getting together, Porthos (Howard Charles) and Aramis (Santiago Cabrera) making money with him shooting bottles in  he air blindfolded.

The letter arrives and they must leave to find a general's aide by meeting in a rural place and D'Artagnan thinks they should get Athos too but Aramis asks how long it'll take for them to get him here, as he's indisposed and off course has his guard down, including his pants too!  Ha. As they ride away, and Athos wants to spend more time with her, she goes for breakfast and spots Grimaud in the crowd, well he gets around doesn't he.  He heads to her house and aims to kill off Athos, who spots him in the mirror and they fight.  However he gets the better of Athos and Sylvie takes two shots at him, saving him and leaving Grimaud to die, or as dead, but when they arrive there he's gone with just a pool of blood remaining.

As the others ride, they are stopped by Georges Marcheaux (Matt Stokoe) who has orders from the king (Ryan Gage) to take Aramis back with him.  This order comes directly from the king himself and he wants Aramis to accompany him on a pilgrimage and also to his father's tomb, as it's the anniversary of his father's death, but he doesn't want Anne (Alexandra Dowling) to come with him. She's despondent and alone and confides in Constance who tells her that he will treat the dauphin as his own son and she has nothing to worry about.

Treville and Athos see the letter which Treville says he didn't write which means the others are in danger and they ride out with the cadets.  As Porthos and D'Artagnan reach the rendezvous, they think it strange that a general's aide would meet in such a place, thought Don Quixote here as they rode out into the fields.  Porthos finds a casket of wine and is able to console himself as he waits, hey drinking on the job!  Ha.  Soon there's commotion and they realize it's a trap, as they're surrounded by men.  D'Artagnan rolls out his barrel of wine and Porthos tries to stop him as the barrel is shot to pieces.  Confirming their suspicions, but they're out of ammunition very soon, but they're able to take down as many men as possible.

Feron disguises Gaston as a guard and takes him to a hideout where he'll be known as Victor by Grimaud's men.  As Grimaud tends to his own wounds, he later plots that Feron needs to kill Louis now, even if he is dying.  Louis gives away money at churches in the hopes of some sort of absolution and he insists on going to the mausoleum.   Here he challenges Aramis to admit the truth and he refuses, but Louis is determined to have his confession, which he gives.  He tells him he'll be hanged for treason.

Louis hears Feron behind him and tells him he remembered their father's death too, then confesses he's his blood brother and the only one he can trust who hasn't betrayed him.  As Feron can't go through with the dastardly plan of stabbing him in the back.  Louis shows him a tombstone with Feron's name on it and Feron is moved by it.  He wants him to be the dauphin's guardian and guide him when he's gone.

Porthos and D'Artagnan are out of ammo and make a decision they're not ready to die here and shout it out, cos D'Artagnan wants to see Constance's face once more and he wants to see the faces of his unborn children, a marked contrast to what Constance told Anne, that she doesn't want children cos she doesn't want to be a widow and raise orphans.
D'Artagnan: "You know we're not going to die today."
Porthos: "You might want to tell them that."

Grimaud who once again gets around, sets gunpowder to explode them inside the building, as they get ready to charge out of there, however they're too late and the building explodes.  As the others arrive, Grimaud gets away again, what has he got nine lives or something and he returns to the mausoleum.  Here Feron tells him he didn't go through with it and he's betraying Grimaud but Feron didn't calculate Grimaud's treachery and stopping at nothing.  He stabs him and Feron finally reaches and fires his gun to warn Louis.

Louis wants a pistol from Aramis to fight them off too and finally they arrive to save the day, but Grimaud gets away again and Aramis's shot doesn't manage to stop him.  He takes Gaston with him   as they ride away.  Louis finds Grimaud calling him a hero and he tells Aramis he'll never see his son again, not even when he is dead nor his wife.  Aramis tells the others Louis is dying and Athos wants to know why Treville didn't tell him so he could double the guard for Gaston.  As they now need to battle an invading army.  Aramis tells Anne of Louis and how she needs to be strong for her son and for France and face her enemies.

Plenty happening in this episode and it seems Feron got away with his betrayals, dying a hero's death, or so-called hero's at least, hence the title.  Seems they were caught off guard with everything that happened, especially Athos who was too busy amusing himself with Sylvie, which he promises Treville will never happen again.  

Feron: "The day you die is just like every other day.  You wake and dress and eat and drink.  Just like every other day.  You don't see death coming.  Or hear its approach, cos you are too busy living.  Too busy enjoying your life.  Sating your appetites.  Rich man or beggar, it does not discriminate.  Death doesn't care about fleeing your demons, or making amends for them.  It doesn't care about any of that. It cares only that this is your time.  Your day to die.  And this is the Musketeer's day."  Well that right royally backfired for him and for Grimaud!

Longmire 4.10 "What Happens on the Rez" Review

                                           
Henry (Lou Diamond Phillips) wakes at the Crow Medicine Woman's (Tantoo Cardinal) cabin and she tells him he should've told her about Gab (Julia Jones) first.  He's in pain after being shot as he tells her and she gives him some ibuprofen which is good for pain.  She gives Gab a false passport and driving licence, matching her likeness to the photos and she tells Henry never to come back here anymore.  He needs to go back and take the car back, or Mandy (Tamara Duarte) will tell the sheriff, as well as his own truck which he left behind with blood.  More's the pity as we know exactly what will happen to Henry and exactly where he's heading again.  Cady's (Cassidy Freeman) no help either as she's already put her foot in it and landed him in it too when she lies to Walt (Robert Taylor) telling him she saw Gab walking but she was alone.  Of course Henry didn't listen to his messages either when he returned and called Walt to report his truck as missing.  Still at least his phone still had battery!

Cady finds Eamon (Josh Cooke) at her place and she has work to do but she covers for Vic (Katee Sackhoff) when Walt comes by and asks her about Gab again and still she doesn't say anything. When Henry returns the car he's seen by Mnady's boyfriend  and Walker Browning (Callum Keith Rennie) who beat him up and want him to admit he knows where Gab is.  He refuses and Ruby (Louanne Stephens) calls in Walt.  When they arrive, they find Henry still on the ground and Mandy's boyfriend tells him what Gab said about reporting him for rape as well if she didn't give her the car.  Walt tells Walker he can't arrest Henry cos this is the Rez and it's out of his jurisdiction.  Which Walker isn't happy about but then he and his men think they can get away with anything including murder and rape right there on the Rez.  Walt asks Henry if he wants him to take him to the tribal police or if he wants Walker to do it.  Of course Walker will pin the other murder onto Gab as well since he can.  He later turns up at the office again telling them to release Trot (Aaron McPherson) cos they have no evidence to hold him for murder.  Or he threatens Walt with a lawsuit for corruption and abuse of power and he doesn't need that right now.  Henry doesn't tell him anything about Gab but says that he saw her yesterday as he was walking with her and Cady can confirm this. Oops caught in a lie!

Walt doesn't need that cos Zach (Barry Sloane) wants to tell him what happened with Monte (Stephen Louis Grush) before he can and watches out for Walt, but he's too late as Monte already gets to him, telling him he wants to file a formal complaint and Ferg (Adam Bartley) will take down the details. Zach tries to explain what he did and why he did it, but Walt doesn't want to hear it cos he didn't have probable cause to just barge in there and what he saw is illegally obtained.  He tells Zach he's already gotten into a fight at the oil field when he arrived and now this.  Zach once told him he wanted to prevent trouble before it happens and so that's what Walt's doing now as he asks for his badge and gun.  Ferg tells Walt he's done the wrong thing later and says he didn't give Zach a fair go when he arrived but he's good at his job.

Walt apologizes to Monte who accepts but he asks what's in it for him if he drops the charges against Zach.  Walt replies nothing which means Monte can't add bribery to the lawsuit against him.  Walt is being sued by Barlow Connolly, which is  kinda silly, okay he's dead but guess the lawsuit is in the name of his estate.  Walt tells Vic about this as a man thinks he's found Henry's truck.  He's not worried cos the FBI cleared him for Barlow but it'll just take a lot of time.  She says that's not easy when they're down in staff and then mentions she and Eamon are in a relationship and sleeping together, so he can't really hire him.  He doesn't say anything and she expected him to respond and ask questions.  But we know Walt isn't a man of questions or answers, but he's really not interested in her.  So she doesn't give up pursuing him and makes a point of embarrassing herself in the process too, not that she sees it that way.  I mean really, she's practically throwing herself at him!  She then asks how long he's been seeing the psychiatrist, Doc Donna Sue (Ally Walker) and he replies that's none of her business either and he does refer to it as a relationship.  She tells him not to walk away from her and he says he's walking away from the truck cos it's not Henry's.

Ruby gets hold of Walt on the radio this time, did she know he'd be in the truck and doesn't call Vic one her phone.  Anyway Donna Sue's truck has been burnt out and he thinks it might be her patient. She refuses to name her patient cos she hasn't seen him for days so doesn't know what sort of a place he's in.  Vic finds that absurd and points it out.  She takes Eamon for that home cooked meal she never made him and tells him about refusing the job on his behalf cos they wouldn't be able to see each other.  He tells her they're not in a relationship and he might lose his job over his unethical boss who he found out about and she shouldn't have done that for him.  Bringing up Walt not wanting him around cos he was jealous and she needs to figure out where she is first before they can have any sort of a relationship.

Cady has a new client, Calvin Blackwolf (Geno Segers) who was fired from his job at the casino, well wrongfully dismissed and she  meets with Knighthorse (A Martinez) to discuss it with him.  He says Malachi fired him cos he replaced him at the table when there were high tippers playing and he could've used the tips.  Knighthorse finds it amazing that Cady is using elegant words but has the same attitude and intentions as Walt.  Next time they meet he says he wants her to represent the Cheyenne nation and the people who can't and don't know the law.  He wanted this casino cos he could give something back to the people, build schools and hospitals and he wants to begin a legal aid centre which he'll fund and he wants her to run it.  She thinks he's bribing her cos of the case but he says Calvin can have his job back, he shouldn't have been fired and she accepts his offer later, giving her $750,000.

Knighthorse also calls on Henry asking for his help in finding where Malachi (Graham Greene) is laundering money.  They can put him in prison and he won't be able to keep the Red Pony, so he'll get his business back and he'll help him keep the casino in the process.  Walker wants to know where Gab is and beats up Mandy who goes to Walt to warn him.  Henry tells him where Gab is and he follows his map.  He finds her in the medicine wheel and he tells her maybe the ancestors found a way of helping her through Henry and Walt is her protector.  Showing her the map Henry drew him.  As they leave, Walker and his men stop them and he plans on shooting Walt if he doesn't hand over Gab. Walt gets help from Henry of course and he shoots one of the men, allowing Walt to wound Walker and Gab runs away.  The medicine woman tells Walt that Gab's not here since she turned into a hawk, she was always a hawk.  He asks if she shot the man and then he says he can't find Gab cos she's a hawk so he has no jurisdiction.

As Henry goes back, he's stopped by Mathias (Zahn McClarnon) who is in his truck.  Henry asks how he can replay him and he replies "in blood."  He arrests Henry and will take him to the Rez.  But as he told Walker earlier, there's not much he can do since he can only deal with misdemeanours and trivial crimes.  And Gab did shoot him on the Rez and Henry isn't guilty of shooting him either, even if he did help Gab.  No to mention he just saved Walt.

Ferg tells Zach he's sorry he was fired and Zach just wanted to help people.  He's gone back to drinking again.  Ferg says he saw what he found on him and Monte took the statement he made about Walt out of context, which was apparent and later Zach turns up missing as Ferg tries to call him. Walt sees Donna Sue and they share a beer as she asks him to play the piano.  They finally get together, being shortlived no doubt, since we see the burnt out truck and Walker's missing from the hospital, they have a shortage of staff so no one was there keeping an eye on him.  Heck he probably wasn't even handcuffed to the bed.  As Walt's door is burst open.  Couldn't even enjoy his moment!

So several scenarios set up for season 5 and we know Netflix have a season 5 of the show, which is always good to hear.  Is that Walker gunning for Walt or the doc's jealous patient.  What's going to happen to Henry and how much can Cady do, sure Walt will have plenty to say about the matter. Hopefully things won't be awkward between him and Vic cos she's said her piece and we get to put it behind us now.  Also he's got the lawsuit to contend with.  I liked how Cady backed herself out of a corner by saying that she and Henry didn't dissolve their relationship as lawyer/client and so still have privilege, telling him what Henry said or of she saw him would lead to her being disbarred.  At least   she got out of that.  Always expect a lot from this show and it always delivers and never fails to disappoint.  A great scene where Mathias calls Henry "Hector."  And Henry caught with his pants down again ha! Well, almost!

An appropriate title too since everything did happen on the Rez and there's not much Mathias can do about it, which he spells out to Walker as well.  What happens on the Rez, stays on the Rez and he should've known that with his men getting away with all sorts of serious crimes.

The Musketeers 3.5 "To Play The King" Review

                                           
Prisoners escape as the guards let them out since Grimaud (Matthew McNulty) wants to raid Louis's (Ryan Gage) gold which is found under the prison.  To do this he also needs a prisoner, Joubert (Iain McKee) as he built the foolproof door to the room housing the gold.  The Musketeers are needed to help round the prisoners up and Georges Marcheaux (Matt Stokoe) tells them not to bring them back until the first bell at noon, which would've got me thinking why, but none of them questioned it. They take them back to the garrison, but some are still out there, including one who is delusional and thinks he's the real king.  Joubert doesn't want to help, but he is coerced into it since they have his wife Annabelle (Naomi Radcliffe) and Grimaud shows him her key necklace.  Joubert needs materials to help him make a key and doesn't know how long it will take.

In the meantime, Louis plans a lavish birthday party for the dauphin as this will be the last birthday he has with him, which he expects Feron (Rupert Everett) to pay for.  However Feron is bankrupt and the Dutch minister, Van Laar (Allan Corduner) returns to collect the interest on the loan, which Feron has ignored as he's ignoring him too.  He talks with Treville (Hugo Speer) who doesn't know of this and he confronts Feron, who tells him it's a personal matter between him and the king, Treville isn't family.  In which case Treville tells him he won't object if he leaves the letters for the king.  Feron tries to get the letters back, but he is interrupted by the dauphin and Anne (Alexandra Dowling) as he tells her he and the dauphin were playing a game.  He has to leave and the letter remains behind.

Feron invites Van Laar to his chamber where he tells him to forget the money and to leave, he refuses and so Feron kills him.  Using that knife comes so easy to him and has to get Georges to dispose of   the body.  However in the process, he forgets to tell Georges that the prisoners mustn't be returned until the evening bell otherwise Grimaud and his men won't be able to leave.  As they round up more prisoners, D'Artagnan (Luke Pasqualino) goes after the fake king and he tells him about a plot to steal the king's gold, which he ignores thinking it's just the rantings of a mad man, he was at a battle and is a soldier.  D'Artagnan takes him to a church where he leaves him with the nuns.  Later finding out that he's a murderer and killed a guard at the prison.  As they arrive at the church, it's too late and the nuns are dead.  They fear he 'll head to he palace.

Which he does and he gets into Louis's chamber and burns Feron's letter in a twist of fate.  Louis wants people to pay homage to his son, beginning with Feron and he collapses and falls, Louis saying he's embarrassing them.  The Musketeers learn of the gold plot and head to the prison, after Aramis (Santiago Cabrera) rescues Annabelle with Constance (Tamla Kari) and she tells them what's happening.  At the prison, the prisoners are returned and Georges tells Grimaud no one gave him the message.  The men hide out and as they fight the men, Grimaud gets away again even after Aramis gives chase.

Heading to the palace, they search for the prisoner as he has Anne and she leads him to the gardens.  Aramis saves her as the prisoner fires at her and D'Artagnan shoots him.  He later regrets having to shoot a mad man but it's what he had to do.  Giving Athos (Tom Burke) the idea that he wants to be with Sylvie (Thalissa Teixeira) and he goes to her.  Louis asks if Anne is hurt and she replies the Musketeers saved her.  Though he's not happy to see Aramis there.

Once again Grimaud gets away and so does Feron since Georges left Van Laar's body in the garden, they think the mad prisoner killed him, as well as having the letter burnt too, but his luck can only last for so long and that goes for Grimaud too.  They can't get rid of him just yet since he's their main adversary this series, but he does get away with anything and everything.  The venom and contempt of Louis against Anne and Aramis is always on display and even though he dotes on the dauphin, he's always reminded of her betrayal and that of his Musketeer.