Once Upon A Time 7.18 "The Guardian" Review

                                             
This ep was all about Rumples (Robert Carlyle) or practically about him and about time too as we get more on how he wants to become good and meet up with Belle before it's too late for him to get to   
the other side.  Belle is afraid that the longer he's apart from her he will become dark again and we can see his crocodile skin beginning to return to his hands.  Whilst in his shrine to Belle, Facilier (Daniel Francis) appears and attempts to take the Dagger from him using a "pincushion" as Rumples tells him, which won't work on him.  He squeezes his throat and demands to know what Belle said to him, which is what I just wrote about him becoming dark. 

In Hyperion Heights Rumples and Hook (Colin O'Donoghue) find Hansel (Nathan Parsons) dead in
the cell and Rumples finds a piece of Facilier's voodoo doll on the floor telling Hook someone else was here.  Of course when Hook watches the surveillance video it cuts out so they can't see who his visitor was.  However Rumples knows for sure and confronts Reggie (Lana Parrailla) about this after discovering the dagger is missing from the police evidence lock-up.  They do have some obvious and silly places to hide things in plain sight.  Reggie assures him it wasn't Facilier and to give her time to find out what's happening.  As she brews a potion to hopefully help Henry (Henry J West) as Rumples demands a bit of the magic.  He thinks she's deluding herself thinking Facilier was helping her since he kept some magic back for himself.  She reminds Rumples that Henry may be her son but he's also his grandson, at which point Rumples has nothing to say in response.

Reggie asks Facilier and he evades the issue making her ask him three times and finally admits he didn't take the dagger.  Rumples also confronts him when she leaves and pulls a gun on him but he again denies taking it, though next time he won't be so lucky as he banishes Rumples back to his police car gun in hand.  With that look of disgust on his face and anger too as he stares at the useless gun in his hand.  Well he wouldn't have used it anyway, throwing it and then getting angry.

In the other realm, Rumples watches Alice (Rose Reynolds) as she's pure of heart and must be the Guardian.  As Robin (Tiera Skovbye) delivers a letter from Hook to her and she gives her a bracelet everyone's making in Storybrooke and exchanging them.  She has nothing to give her in        exchange and then recalls the pocketwatch that tells time backwards.  Robin wishes she could have been on many adventures like Alice and she returns to deliver the letter to Hook.  Who confronts Rumples and wants him to stay away from Alice since she's innocent and leave her to her own life.  Rumples sneaks into the cabin to speak with Alice and tells her about Belle. 

He takes her to Facilier and wants her to remove his heart and crush it as it's the only way she can break the curse and be with her father; crush one heart to break the spell.  She tries but her goodness and pureness of heart is too much for her to go through with it.  Rumples admits it was a test and he didn't want her to go through with it.  He shows her Belle's shrine and then the dagger.  She takes the dagger and his crocodile skin begins to disappear and then he takes it back.  He can't let her do this as she has her whole life to live, to love.   Hook thanks him since this could be the beginning of a new tale for them and they shake hands.  Yeah the start of a beautiful friendship!  ha.  As they watch Alice and Robin together.  All he can do now is what Rumples always does which is "spin, spin, spin."  Yeah spin a good yarn!! Ha.

Rumples telling Alice he can't let her do this since it will just be another tower for her and he can't let her imprison herself.  See he had changed so much for Reggie telling him later on that he hasn't.  Even if he did only think of retrieving the dagger for himself and not of Henry.  But this is his chance too to be redeemed for good and be with Belle and he has waited a long time.  Henry can't even remember anything or he's not really going through any hell right now.  Aside from his life being saved.

In Hyperion Heights, Hook watches the surveillance from the cameras across the road and sees Naveen/Drew (Jeff Pierre) outside.  As Henry tells Hook he wants to go to Hansel's apartment to find something.  This being the doctor's blood test report.  As they enter the apartment Naveen makes a run for it and finally tells hook his life is in danger and Samdi made him do it.  Just like he killed Hansel but Hook wouldn't believe him if he told him what's really going on.  That he should check the autopsy on Hansel.  Henry tells Jacinda (Dania Ramirez) about the blood test and perhaps Lucy was right all along and she is his daughter but Jacinda questions how that could be.  Henry also tells Hook about the blood test also saying that he wouldn't believe him if he told him.  Well that was Henry all along from the start when Lucy came to see him.  Not believing in anything.

Rumples sneaks back into the basement and steals some potion since Reggie just leaves it under lock and key which he easily breaks and pours onto the map.  But there was some potion left over so why does Reggie say he used it all.  The map points to one place, which is the troll statue where Alice/Tilly was sketching it and Robin/Margot found her.  Asking her to show her Hyperion Heights and go for food.  This being toffee apples which Robin didn't even eat.  Tilly hears noises which Robin can't hear and she takes her to the bookstore (making her similar to Belle in many ways as she too loves books.)  As she explains they can take you anywhere without leaving.  Robin shows her the bracelets she has from her travels and gives her one from Thailand.  But the noise gets too much for Tilly and she rushes off.  Ending up at the troll too as she tells Rumples she can't handle the noise.  He finds the dagger in her backpack and she didn't put it there.  He returns the dagger back into the lockbox, see again another stupid place and Reggie berates him.  Rumples tells her that Facilier is no good and that Alice is the Guardian not Anastasia.  But Reggie is through with him.

Tilly apologizes to Robin since she doesn't want to see her when she has a bad day, but Robin says she doesn't mind and they have a drink on it touching hands again as Robin returns her bracelet to Tilly that she dropped.

Not much headway made in resolving major issues yet and we just get little snippets of info on how some of them are beginning to realize that things don't make sense and aren't quite right.  Such as Henry and the blood test, Hook finding there's more to this serial killer after the autopsy reveals Hansel was stabbed in his heart from inside his body, with Henry saying that couldn't be possible.  As always everything goes back to hearts in this show whether they be crushed, broken or pincushioned!  It was good to see Rumples getting some airtime and how he has searched for the Guardian for so long, someone pure of heart and finding he can't subject Alice through the same fate he has endured: the immortality and loneliness.  But strange how Rumples knew Alice could be a potential Guardian whilst in the other realm and yet was silent about it in Hyperion Heights.  Not even telling Reggie about it until now.  Thinking it could be Anastasia.  But would he have subjected Anastasia to that same fate as Alice (which was in the past) knowing full well it would mean immortality for her.  More importantly, would Druzilla have let him do that to her sister. 

Also did Victoria know all this when she was in the Tower for so long and then Alice was born there and ended up there too in the sense that Anastasia had this potential to be much more than just someone with magic.  Looked a little like an 'add on' to the plot when Rumples could've used Anastasia years ago in the other realm, especially since he knew about Rapunzel and Victoria in Hyperion Heights, otherwise nothing makes sense.

Paranormal Lockdown 3.8 "Beattie Mansion" Review

Beattie Mansion, St Joseph, Missouri, is also known as the "House on the Hill" and what a gigantic house it is too"  Built in 1854 by Armstrong and Eliza Beattie.  Armstrong died a sudden death and some add under mysterious circumstances, as his wife may have something to do with it.  He fell ill after a bout of cholera and died 3 days later in 1878.  As Michael, the owner who aims to convert it into a B&B says it was assumed that she may have contributed to his death; as he only left her the house in his will and his distant relatives got the money and other business assets.  It is thought she and Armstrong both haunt the mansion.  That she is still here since it was hers and won't leave it.  Armstrong was an adept banker and also was elected Mayor five times.  Eliza died in 1880.

Numerous people, including Michael and other investigators have seen shadow figures and some dark presence.  Which Katrina also sees.  I know they capture a dark figure/mist near the end of the ep, but sometimes you just wanna see what they do during the day and the general walk-through.  Aside from sounds, bumps, footsteps, dragging noises, they did manage to get some good audio captures and some pertinent evidence.  Also Kelly the former caretaker, who hadn't stepped into the house again until now, said how he saw shadow figures too and the door rattling violently, particularly during thunder storms.

The investigation begins with Nick using the application through the analogue radio  with voices saying, "I'm not leaving."
When Nick says it feels different in here, the reply is "yes."  As well as getting a response when he shuts the door and gets back the reply, "don't let it."  Wonder if that was any response to Armstrong wanting the door left open.  Since it was said when they close the doors they seem to open back.

Other voices were: "he wants you..."
As well as some kind of "shit" coming through.  (Sorry that sounded a little funny!)  Nick says it said "holy shit" but I can't hear the "holy part."  Though you gotta know that couldn't have been Armstrong.  perhaps a former resident when the home was used by those in need.

Also "he wants you..."  Couldn't fathom what that means, or is it anything to do with Armstrong and Eliza.  When Nick asks "which room are you in?"  Can hear "inside."  At least that's what it sounded like to me, but it comes through as a disembodied female voice twice.  Not through any equipment.

Also it doesn't sound like "Michael" to me when they go into the bedroom, to me it's more "lightning" or "bright light..."  Will have to listen to all these again when I get a chance just to doublecheck.  Yeah I know I do a lot of EVPs and audio stuff but I just like listening to those!

Then there's; "it's hard" and a female voice says "it's still here" in response to Nick saying the device is still being used.
Also: "it is" and "it's my fault..."  A lot of the voices are very apologetic and Michael explains at the end, it may be since Armstrong died very quickly.  But shouldn't think he would have anything to be sorry for.

Nick says that it's still going off and a male voice says "trick or treat?"  When Katrina moves the sweets on the bed.  A child's voice sounds like" I want it..."  Which gives credence to reports of a child's spirit on the second floor.
As the house is very active during thunder ad rainstorms, Nick and Katrina get Elizabeth Saint to come in bringing some devices that will generate electricity to charge the house with ions too.  She sets up a Van Den Graff Generator, Jacob's Ladder in the hall, which they have used many times before and an Ion Motor in the living room; which will convert ions to storm beams.   As well as a haze generator and laser beams in the basement.  Where Nick slept and next day found the energy to be much more darker and feeling very different.  Elizabeth notices something dark break the laser beams and move across the wall, which is very visible when you watch the ep.

A funny sound capture that came through was a male voice saying "I believe you not..."  Not sure if that was a response to them or just general response to something or someone else since Nick says they're still investigating here.  Then a scream is heard.

There's also a light anomaly/orb seen when Elizabeth shows them what she saw in the basement and I know Nick doesn't pay much attention to orbs etc, but some of us do.  One reason why he doesn't mention capturing them in the show.  Of course they are interesting to see as they do show a paranormal presence even and especially when nothing else is seen or heard.

Then there's a voice which says, "you did" when they ask if if he's seen in the hallway.
"Did you go in there..."
"You deserve it..."
"I throwed it" when something appears to be thrown at Nick.
I also heard a female voice say" at home..."

Obviously I like the episodes where there's something more than voices captured cos then there's more to write about especially if you have to read it.  But Nick did manage to touch a stick figure that appeared on the 3D mapping and felt being touched by it too.

A man's voice is heard again saying. "I'm sorry."  After asked if something is there?
Nick: "where can we find you?"
They say it said "upstairs" but I heard "there, up there..."
Also I didn't hear Eliza when the name is asked, I hear the male voice say "Eva."

As they go into the long hallway where the figures are seen, a voice comes through saying, "turn back Nick..."  Katrina says that it's warning him not to got there and "I can help him."  I also hear "warning you too, or two?"  This is where Rob does his amazing feat, as always and sees a figure in white peeking from the wall behind Katrina and Nick and then vanishes back into the wall.  Let's just have Rob filming by himself!  ha cos he does manage the best evidence finds as said!

Let's see if the video caught it, apologies if it's not too clear!

As Nick tells Michael at the end, the renovations are good and though his workers may see things, they will probably like what he's doing with the place and there's nothing to be afraid of.
I'd like to have written more interesting stuff but guess gotta go with what they got.  Especially since this was the final episode and one of Katrina's favourite investigation lockdowns thus far.  And airing on Nick's birthday!!

Celebrity Ghost Hunt Fort Horsted

23 March 

@BobbyCNorris This orb/light anomaly came from right of @Rylan continued to enter Bobby where the

red arrow ends on left b4 his reaction to being touched! If it was filmed in night vision would've got better pic & Twitter won't let me upload vid!! #CelebrityGhostHunt #FortHorsted

To save me retyping the tweet above.  Here's the video of the light anomaly/orb:

But as I said before Bobby should become a permanent presenter on any new series of Celebrity Ghost Hunt! 

Once Upon A Time 7.17 "Chosen" Review

                                       
An ep marking Lana Parrilla's directorial debut and she did a great job too.  Hence she was missing for most of the ep but at least she did appear and it was also good she got to direct one which involved Zelena (Rebecca Mader) and her story as well as her farewell.  Though we won't be too disheartened by it since this is the final season after all, which means we'll have to say farewell to everyone at season's end!  This one also gave Lana the chance the direct an ep which involved one of her fave fairytales of  Hansel and Gretel; with a twist as is always the case with this show.

Zelena stumbles across the gingerbread cottage in the woods and finds Hansel (Seth Isaac Johnson) and Gretel caged, fatted calves ready fro slaughter, don't ask why I said that!  But she doesn't rescue them and seems the witch got one over her in terms of using magic.  So Zelena stumbles and loses her necklace too only to be rescued and taken back to Ivo's (Dan Payne) house.  He nurses her back and she finds he's blind thus he can't see her in all her magnificent wicked greenery.  She notices the exquisitely carved chairs and finds that he is Hansel and Gretel's father mentioning how he told Hansel to leave breadcrumbs to find his way back home.  They weren't that young though in this ep that they needed breadcrumbs.  I mean if Hansel can threaten Zelena with the knife then he's old enough to know his way back home.  Zelena finds he doesn't judge her for who she is and as she plans on rescuing them she finds their cages empty and takes the witch's sight to restore it to Ivo.  Obviously he wouldn't want it and they found their way back themselves.  See!  Hansel wants to punish her but she burns his hands adding children shouldn't play with witch's or they'll get burned.  This was her chance at redemption but of course no one wanted to listen to her explanation.  Thus that's why she didn't bother anymore with anyone.

Back in Hyperion Heights Reggie (Lana Parrilla) has found the moss that she needs for Henry's spell and to break the curse but Zelena receives a box of those choccies!  As I said a few eps ago in my review it had to be Hansel and Gretel behind it since they were the ones with the sweet tooth.  Also Gretel was featured in 7.15 with Drizella.  Of course she was double crossed there and so she would've been avenged by Hansel.  Zelena speaks with Rumples (Robert Carlyle) who really doesn't want to help her but reminds her it's good to have a piece of their sorry past to remember how they have changed and come that far. As he gives her back her necklace and also she mentions Belle and if he doesn't help her then it won't get him any nearer to being reunited with her.

As Nick cum Jack cum Hansel has kidnapped Henry (Andrew J West) as he wants him to see that the book Henry wrote is real and he's a part of it, Henry sees his lollipop keychain and realizes he's the killer.  Although he doesn't believe that he is Hansel just that he's probably delusional and a killer.  Hansel (Nathan Parsons) commenting on him being the truest believer but yet doesn't believe.  Margot (Tiera Skovbye) and Zelena have problems too as she can't share anything with Margot right now and she wonders why she came back here.  Hansel also kidnaps Chad (Kip Pardue) as Zelena thinks of him too and how he won't like her and what she's done but Reggie thinks she should have the happiness of Kelly too.  That baseball bat didn't come in handy though.  Jacinda (Dania Ramirez) hasn't herd from Henry who's meant to be in New York and then suddenly gets a text calling her 'J' which only Sabine (Mekia Cox) does.

Henry's car is found and Hook (Colin O'Donoghue) tries to find him.  Noticing the gingerbread making kit in Jacinda's car and how she tells him she was called 'J.'  Hook finds Henry and it's actually Zelena who's left to take care of Hansel as he has Chad tied up.  But she doesn't kill him and knocks him out.  Chad still wants to marry her as he says no matter what she might have been like as Zelena he saw how she could have gotten her revenge on him but she didn't.  She asks Margot to be her bridesmaid and gives Margot the necklace.  Margot wants to stay here since she wants to see how things will work out with Tilly.

Zelena and Reggie bid farewell and she tells Zelena to find her life and be happy since she came when she needed her and now she should leave.   Facilier (Daniel Francis) gets what he wants from Naveen (Jeff Pierre) a Beignet to add the dusting to his voodoo puppet since he takes care of Hansel with it.  He failed in his killing of the witches and now he's a loose end.  Facilier's still after the Dark One's dagger, but has Reggie wrapped around his little finger still.  Henry returns to Jacinda and they almost kiss except Lucy (Alison Fernandez) interrupts them.  Henry realizing this is where he must stay.

Henry being shown the birth certificate doesn't believe he's Lucy's father since Hansel killed the doctor.  And he doesn't want to rewrite any happy ending for Hansel since s Hansel tells him, Henry doesn't believe that bad guys like Hansel are worthy of it.  (See all that stuff we went through with Reggie and wanting her own happy ending when she was the Evil Queen.) As well as not batting an eye when Hansel tells him he's more concerned with Henry's aunt, Kelly, getting whats he deserves for Gretel, and in short, for being a witch.  We await Mother Gothel's fate!

The City and The City Series 1 Part 3 "Orsiny" Part 4 "Breach" Review

                                            
Part 3 Orsiny
After all that fuss we find out the real secret surrounding Orsiny (or if you're really annoyed by the fact this was very slow, call it Arseny!) well okay not in this part but you knew it was heading there even if you haven't read the book.  Borlu (David Morrissey) still on the search for Mahalia's killer and finding out what happened to Kat (Lara Pulver).  He finally gets to meet with Bowden (Christian Camargo) along with Dhatt (Maria Schrader) and he tells Borlu he's being victimized.  As he recalls being targeted by other people too.  That he saw Kat before she disappeared and how invested she was in finding Orsiny.  He leaves and Borlu says they can use that warrant how since he won't be at his apartment.  When they arrive the door is ajar and there is writing all over the walls which Dhatt says isn't Ul Quomo.

Everything leads back to that dig again and there was quite a bit of repetition with the flashbacks and after getting onto a rip roaring start it seemed to fizzle out in the last 2 parts.  Borlu was meant to be deported back to Beszel and happens to have dinner with Dhatt and her partner, Yallya (Kasia Koleczek) which he enjoyed seeing a different side to her, making her a little more human and like him in some ways; but at the end of the day she's still a policewoman and is getting her orders higher up.  Just like him.  As she later will say to him, she has a life.  That being the difference between them both as he is dedicated to his work and finding out who killed Mahalia and what happened to Kat.  Which makes it more personal for him but since he is a policeman with a conscience and hating this divide between the two cities.  It's the people who suffer the most and in some ways reflected in him not being able to open his eyes when he sees those blurred lines. 
Yeah going back to that dig whilst they are there talking with professor Nancy (paprika Steen) someone sends Bowden a bomb which explodes just as the shifts change and Tairo (Barry Aird) is saved.  So Bowden becomes a target now as if someone was trying to remove his existence too as he knows too much.

More flashes to Kat and Borlu and how they met and got married, including their 2 year anniversary and including how she moved in with him beforehand.  He was clearly besotted with her but she was more into that city and finding it.  At their 2 year anniversary Bowden arrives with another woman friend and still Kat can't help but be taken in by him.  It was if Borlu was just that consolation prize and she wouldn't end up with anyone but marrying a policeman would give hr some kind of freedom to carry on with her research.  Even being known as a subversive.  She is a lecturer at a Beszel Poly  and even this isn't enough for her.

Borlu talks with Tairo after the bomb goes off but he doesn't give him his number.  Instead Borlu follows him and finds Yolanda (Moryffd Clark) hiding out with him and some others.  They believe Orsiny doesn't exist and it's all made up.  Borlu wants to take Yolanda over to Beszel and they come up with this silly elaborate scheme to cross the border with her dressed as an Ul Qomo policewoman, with Corwi (Mandeep Dhillon) meeting her other side.  As Borlu's still waiting to cross over there's gunshots and Yolanda panics and runs away and is shot doing so.  Gotta ask why Corwi didn't put her in the car instead of hiding behind it.  Well as said, that was pointless.  Borlu turns back into Ul Qomo on the pretext of having left something behind and follows Corwi chasing the shooter.  It's as if he can see everything but can't cross over when it would be so easy to do so.  Finally he sees the shooter and takes a shot at him going through the membrane between the two cities and the bullet penetrating this membrane.  For a second it looked like he had actually crossed over into the street and the next city.

As he doe so, he's approached by men, who must have been Breach.
As we get to Part 4 Breach.

Borlu is tortured as they try to get tot he bottom of how much he knows and also speaking of Kat.  He's permanently removed from duty as Gadlem (Ron Cook) takes his badge and also is told not to fraternize with any other officers.  Borlu meets Corwi who finally admits she's Breach Manifest.  As she tells him all bout Breach in flashes and the case.  Taking him to an apartment where he'll be safe with his things and also he's now a part of Breach too, so they can go anywhere and cross over and through the blurred lines of the city.  Some people might be confused in the previous ep as Borlu fired his gun through the cross hatch, the disputed part of the cities.  However they can travel freely and she plays him tapes and video recordings of their surveillance on Mahalia, Bowden and Kat.  How they met that night and Borlu was following her, but he didn't go after her when she left Bowden.  How Mahalia found the artefacts and substituted them for nothing.  Seeing Kat on the last known footage of her and disappearing into Ul Qomo through a desolate part of the city.  Which Borlu plays over and over.  As he analyzes the footage and prints photos marking them on the map.

Corwi entered Sear and Co attempting to speak with Gorse (Robert Firth) but she was escorted out.  Obviously Sears and Gorse - his company had a lot to do with all this.  As did Major Syedr (Danny Webb) who has been reelected in what he calls a victory for purity.  Borlu and Cowri retrace Mahalia's steps into how she got out of the dig with the artefacts and Borlu finds it was a building in one of the photos she had.  Also she speaks about Kat on the recordings.  Poor delusional Kat - my words!  They find Mahalia dropped the artefacts through a hole in the ground and climbed down there herself.  Here she followed the light but it only led her to Sears Corp.  That's why she was killed, there was no Orsiny.  As Borlu also finds the same.  Gorse and Bowden met in India and must've come up with this elaborate hoax.  As well as Gorse telling Borlu that no matter what happens they will just become the remnants of the US mining corps.  They found metal in those artefacts which are abundant underneath the city.  There was no invite from Orsiny and there was no city where people could escape and be free.  Also Syedr was a part of it and he kills himself not being able to stand the heat as they say.

Borlu meets with Bowden telling him he can be free and Corwi has the call traced.  Bowden tells him all about Kat and how Borlu couldn't save her this time, he should have but he wasn't there.  She did what he saved her from and killed herself, just as she jumped from the bridge the first time round.  Bowden telling Borlu he pushed her since he made her do it cos he took away who she was and well, it was actually Bowden and his non existent quest which got her involved in this.  As Bowden approaches Borlu he can't go through with drowning him and Bowden stabs him in the neck with the knife.  As Corwi shoots Bowden, Kat appears to Borlu and wants him to go with her.  But he turns back cos he doesn't want the nothingness that she was attracted to and which led to her taking her own life.  He turns back and survives

Corwi telling him they all breached once, they're not from here.  SO he becomes a part of the very thing he spoke of in Part 1. Breach: they are just like you and me.  And perhaps the ones who were level headed, some of them and keeping order.  As Borlu is now able to cross into both cities freely.  He sees Dhatt through the blur of the next street which is no longer a blur but blended in for him.
It was an ambitious production brought to life, can't help thinking it didn't have to be drawn out this long since the flashbacks were already shown quite a bit.  As said, Orsiny was just a city to mask their mining operation and the US attempt to make money and get rich from other countries.  Nothing changed there either then.

What it came down to is The City and The City just being your run of the mill crime drama, murder investigation.  With Borlu narrating in film noir fashion, the events, what/who he is, the city he lives in, rules and what's happening to tie in the loose threads for us.  At the end of the day he is just a policeman investigating a murder which was made to believe was alluding to a mythical city where there was no racism or hate and people could live as one, without the yellow/red divides of Beszel and Ul Qomo.  yet it didn't exist and what he was left with, what anyone was left with was the everyday reality of greed, poverty, versus intimidation, purity and misguided politicians just making a name for themselves ind riving the masses to hysteria and with the threat of being caught and deported, killed or beaten.

Agatha Christie's Ordeal By Innocence Parts 1, 2 & 3

                                                
From the outset you knew this wasn't going to be an ordinary fare served from the BBC as they like to excel in their own way when they redo these dramas and also change them significantly from the books.  As they did with And Then There Were None and Witness for the Prosecution - in some ways - ( the stage production of which is currently at County Hall is exceptional!) This one began in screaming fashion with the maid/cook/housekeeper, Kirsten (Morven Christie) finding the DB of Mrs  Rachel Argyle (Anna Chancellor) and events take a turn from there.  As her adopted son, Jack (Anthony Boyle) the outspoken 'do as I please' son, is suspected of her murder, professing and protesting his innocence to his father, Mr Leo Argyle (Bill Nighy).  The damning evidence being his fingerprints on the murder weapon, the decanter.  Of course back then there were massive miscarriages of justice and very little forensics involved.  Thus he was sent to his death, or would have been if he hadn't been involved in a prison fight.  The implication being that when Dr Arthur Calgary (Luke Treadaway) showed up to clear Jack's name he was still meant to be alive.  Of course things wouldn't be that easy or else this wouldn't have been a drama.

Resorting to flashback to paint the picture of how the entire family were not just misfits and easily falling into the category of suspects, including prodigal son, Michael (Christian Cooke) [hot off the heels from his stint in Knives in Hens on stage.  Looking so completely different here than he did on stage!] who has fought in Korea and returned home for the funeral for Jack.  Everyone wearing veils, jokingly I said they should have given him one too. ha.

Then there's the mysterious Kirsten who sneaks around hiding in the bunker and Hester (Ella Purnell) with the blood on her night gown.  The intended new Mrs Argyle, Gwenda (Alice Eve)  who is preparing for her wedding to Argyle when Arthur turns up, claiming he was in the Arctic and is shocked to find Jack isn't alive but nonetheless wants to instrumentally and guiltily clear his name, stating he picked Jack up on the night of the murder and dropped him off at 9pm.

Seems she wasn't that good a mother considering she wasn't the one who bought them up as seen from Part 2.  Thus Kirsten had plenty to lose and lots to gain when she died.  Also showing some resentment towards her.  Then there's Mary (Eleanor Tomlinson) and her wheelchair bound husband, Phillip (Matthew Goode) who does seem a bit of a cad and the only one how couldn't have done it and thus he had to be taken care of in Part 2, where more skeletons from their sordid closets are revealed.  Such as Michael and  Tina (Crystal Clarke) being in the woods and confronting their mother.  Seems it takes two to tango!  All of them at loggerheads.  With Michael warning off  Arthur and then taking him to the train in Part 2 to leave here.  But Arthur changes his mind and comes back.

Part 2 also showing what Jack was really like and free with the women and one reason why the inspector didn't like him and would've framed him for his mother's murder, friend of the family or no friend.  Especially as Jack was getting it on with his wife.  As he comes to run down Arthur after he calls the police.  Argyle showing his fatherly qualities towards Arthur when he wants to leave.  That was another big clue as to the real killer's identity.

Don't recall Richard Armitage being this way when he starred in the ITV production of Ordeal By Innocence with Miss Marple in the proceedings and Jane Seymour as the lamentable Mrs Argyle.  In that the nanny did the dirty deed and also offed the intended fiance cos she didn't like her.  However in the book it was Jack who convinced Kirsten to kill Rachel after making her believe he loves her and then his wife turns up.  So Jack was married and did have a penchant for older women..

Then we got Hester and her recalling how she told Tina she could have done it cos of the blood on her.  Yet again we were still kept being drawn back to Kirsten who has so many secrets and how she nonchalantly strolled in behind Leo and Arthur and moments later they find Phillip dead in the shower.  She was my suspect but considering writer Sarah Phelps stated she changed the ending. Gotta wonder why writers have to take such liberties man, ha, no really, sometimes you don't want writer's licence coming into it and them doing what they want, a little slap in the face stating how Agatha Christie didn't manage to pull it off!  It does come off feeling that way!  However I did, well me and sis did manage to get it was Leo and as I tweeted it's always the quiet ones who put on this entire charade of being so very 'innocent' and of course Jack confirmed this in Part 1 when he spat at him.  If daddy dearest hadn't been a bastard then he wouldn't have done this.  Also the divorce aspect and how he'd be penniless and let's see how long Gwenda would've stuck around without money.

So the reveal wasn't that big a deal after all (putting aside that I haven't missed a suspect yet in anything I have watched over the years, couldn't spoil my record now.)  Leo getting his just desserts being locked away in the bunker and he was friends with the police inspector too so everything would've been easily arranged to get Jack killed on the inside.

A bit of an ordeal for audiences/viewers but the BBC did manage to pull out all the stops and what with refilming with Christian Cooke, managed to finally air it at Easter instead of its intended Christmas Boxing Day date.

Once Upon A Time 7.16 "Breadcrumbs" Review

                                               
NB some of this is carried over from the previous ep as I thought it'd be more fitting here than the last ep which I felt was more of an Ivy ep (which is was obviously ha!!)

Lucy (Alison Fernandez) thinks that Henry (Andrew J West) should have some fun with his friends as he's all alone and doesn't have her like Jacinda (Dania Ramirez) does and as he's at Barcade, Hook (Colin O'Donoghue) arrives as does Nick (Nathan Parsons).  They've come to keep him company and Henry realizes this was a set up.  They tell him he's going to ask out the first woman who walks through the door and obviously this was Jacinda!  Saying that if he gets the coin into the glass then all of the fairytales etc are true.  Of course he would've got that shot if the barkeep hadn't moved the glass.  She leaves to meet Sabine (Mekia Cox) for dinner so she thought she'd just booze around a little before their table was ready!  As they leave Nick gets a flat tyre which he will fix, always thought that Nick was suspicious!  Henry gets a job offer in New York to produce podcasts for other people.  Nick commenting on how that's a sign.

Before Henry leaves Rumples (Robert Carlyle) wants him to help with the Candy Kisses Killer investigation since he's a fan of Henry's book.  Henry finds pages marked and in one of them realizes that the killer's been changing lines in there and has immersed himself into the book as if he was one of the character just like Henry wrote himself into it too. 

Henry wanting an adventure as he tells Hook in the other realm.  So Hook decides he should come with him to find Davy Jones's locker as Hook has the map.  Thus they get recruited by Blackbeard (Charles Mesure) and end up on the Jolly Roger where they make their move after the treasure is found.  Henry having a look at that sapphire ring which he could easily give to Ella.  Thus he'd have a story behind it.  Of course we know Hook has a story behind his rings too.  As they fight Blackbeard, Henry realizes it was a set up since Blackbeard mentions he wanted the ring for his bride; until there's a storm approaching for real and Henry says he wants his ring back.  Thus they have to take the ship towards the whirlpool and throw it in!  Funny Hook conking Blackbeard out cos he doesn't want the ship to go there.  Henry finds he doesn't need an adventure of his own and takes Ella to the lake where he proposes to her.

Henry also finds that they're looking for Hansel or whoever thinks he's Hansel so he's narrowed down their search for them.  As he drives to the airport for New York he sort of has second thoughts and doesn't get a call from Jacinda nor does he leave her a voicemail either.  However his tyre goes flat right where Tilly's statue is and Nick comes to his rescue.

Hook gets Tilly (Rose Reynolds) a job at the foodtruck with Sabine since she's eating Hook out of jam and home and it's getting expensive.  She gets on well with the customers and sales increase.  She also gives Margot (Tiera Skovbye) advice about her mother and how she must be feeling the same way without being able to talk to her openly about everything.  She also has made the Beignet into a real heart shape as Margot notices.  She makes a joke about her name Targo, but it's a 'T' at the end.  As Alice did with Robin's name a few eps back when they first met in the woods.  7.14 The Girl In the Tower.  Would've thought she would have introduced herself back then too when Margot got back to Hyperion Heights and saved Tilly from that murder charge.

There doesn't appear to be literal breadcrumbs here more the clues that Hansel/Nick left in the book which narrowed down they were after Hansel in the end.  But not who Hansel really is.  However he didn't get any flashes here to Gretel which was a missed opportunity to see them grown up and together.  Henry gets a little more backstory but again it was just marred by Jacinda and wanting her, wanting to prove he's a hero and having his own adventures.

Once Upon A Time 7.15 "Sisterhood" Review

                                            
The reveal come at the end for the Candy Kisses Killer and it didn't come as a surprise, they really didn't have a bevy of suspects and at the risk of repeating myself, I did say Hansel and Gretel were the only ones with the sweet tooth and came across a witch who was wanting to feed on them.  In this ep we get a box of chocs sent to Drizella (Adelaide Kane) too and she turns to Reggie (Lana Parrilla) for help.  But Reggie is a little hesitant and tells her to stay at the bar cos she'll be safe there.  In the other realm, Drizella is given a coin by Gothel (Emma Booth) and she wants to join the coven of witches.  Only Gothel leads them on a wild goosechase telling them to find the two golden flowers and then the two can join the coven.  Drizella meets with Gretel (Sara Canning) who is sucking lollipops and they decide to team up after Gretel saves Drizella from the trap.
Only Gothel makes them doublecross each other cos there isn't any flower and they fight.

This is the ep where Ivy/Drizella redeems herself and is reunited with Anastasia (Yael Yurman).  As in the other realm she finds her with the use of the lantern.  Facilier (Daniel Francis) visits Drizella at the bar and shows her the cards.  Offering her a magic bean to return home.  So she lights up another lantern leading Anastasia to find her.  She wants to make amends and admitting she truly loves her.  But she knocks her out.  At the office Facilier is about to extract her magic when Gothel shows up and pits the two sisters against each other again as Facilier makes his escape.  However Anastasia comes to her senses and Ivy begs forgiveness and is ready to die.  Reggie arrives with Rumples (Robert Carlyle) and the two use the magic bean and return home reunited.  Seems so simple doesn't it but can't help thinking Drizella would've been an ample ally in their fight to break the curse.  Particularly as Zelena returns home too in ep 17.  Reggie will explain to Jacinda but right now she doesn't know anything anyway so why bother.

Reggie doesn't forgive Drizella but she knows what it's like to be a villain and be wrong and sometimes in their attempt to make things right or do what they think is right.  Rumples is still going for that fateful meeting with Belle and he actually helped someone else here even if Anastasia was The Guardian, rather than being one tracked and focusing solely on himself.  Also he tells Reggie he knows about Facilier being after his dagger even letting Facilier in on this.  Yet no one else knows where the dagger is.  Facilier still comes across as a bad guy and it doesn't really matter what Regina thinks of him, even if he claims he took the magic as a gift for her.  Yeah but what's the payback gonna be for that.  But Henry (Andrew J West) and Jacinda (Dania Ramirez) soo boring still, wish that ship would sail.  She's just not right for Henry.  He had more chemistry with Ivy and a shame writers didn't realize this. 

The City and The City Series 1 Part 2 "Ul Qomo" Review

                                       
Part 2 was more of an extension of what we learned from part 1 with Borlu (David Morrissey) heading to Ul Qomo to find out further about Mahalia.  Of course before that he had to get into more strife otherwise his job wouldn't be worth doing.  This means heading to Major Syder (Danny Webb) and getting into an altercation with the TC - True Citizens: the Fascist mob.  Well it was more getting beaten up by the mob cos you just knew that that cue ball was gonna hit its mark and that was gonna be someone's head!   He's also stomped upon in fascist fashion, leading the Beszel authorities to hand over the investigation to Ul Qomo.  He can be a part of it but will require permission and training.  Of course Corwi (Mandeep Dhillon) is peed with this and enter her usual f**ing around in no uncertain terms.  It's just so funny listening to her cos that's today's society also for ya!  You'd think they'd have found an alternative expletive, especially since they managed to come up with 'wanker' in Ul Qomo speak!  Yeah as said before, it's so Big Brother 1984 territory!

Borlu recalls how he met Katrynia (Lara Pulver) and attended that training and how even the children were being taught at an early age about Breach and outcasts.  Taught by a school teacher who gets into a bit of a tizzy when she asks Borlu about the car and he tells her all the details about it.  Obviously no one in Beszel would be able to afford that.  He asks Katrynia to lunch of the liquid variety and also he reads up, well picks up the book by Dr Bowdon (Christian Camargo) The City and The City which tells of Orciny.   Borlu also attends a lecture given by Bowdon and sees Kat again as she draws that symbol like a compass point in circular fashion.  He tells her not to be so loud about it.  At the lecture he speaks of those symbols and how they're calling out. 

Corwi is angry about being off the case but he still wants her to investigate for him.  Arriving at Ul Qomo, one side of the street is blurred out cos it's the other City and isn't meant to be in view and then he crosses the border with us seeing red everywhere literally !  Ha.  Then comes back in a red taxi later on.  He's picked up by his other half,  Senior Det Dhatt (Maria Schrader) in that city and she gives him the lowdown on things and how they work there.  He doesn't really have any authority and advises him to stay in his hotel as much as possible.   Also gives him a phone which was bugged apparently.  As well as smoking being frowned upon as shown by the doorman of the hotel.

Borlu visits the site where Mahalia was digging and professor Nancy (Paprika Steen) in charge but he's restricted in what he can do and ask there.  They've been finding artifacts from the other city and one of the workers there, Rebecca (Marama Corlett) asks him for a light whilst asking about Yolanda who has vanished now.  She was also her best friend.  At the bar he speaks with Dhatt who wants to know who the woman in the photo is after they stake out Bowdon'd room but he's not around.  He tells her about Yolanda and her call, well he had to after putting his foot in it by letting slip she was Mahalia's best friend. 

Borlu meets with Rebecca who takes him to the dig and the vast symbols everywhere.  Telling him they can go to the other city but they must be invited. Where there's none of this rubbish that goes on here.  They are found out and the guard pushes him over the edge, as he falls and lands in the water.  That fall took forever!  He also rescued Kat earlier on when they first met, as she fell off the bridge or was she pushed after an argument with Bowdon.  She's wearing yellow, a colour not to be worn in Ul Qomo and so Borlu goes after her.  Just as well then.  As said not much going on here just bits and pieces setting us up for the next part which is about the third city Orciny.

Some people have been confused with the blend of the two cities but it works well and can't really see what's to be confused by it, especially once you grasp that Beszel is the poorer forerunner of Ul Qomo which has excelled in terms of wealth but by removing immigrants and not allowing them in with stringent checks and controls.  These are found on the other side in the city of Beszel, the poorer relation, if you like, which is all yellow and stained in a sense with the stench and pee of that other world where all live.  Ul Qomo being a clinical state of pureness.  Thus it's red signifying danger but also coldness in stark contrast to yellow.  Perhaps they're more confused by Breach and what this is which will be dealt with in Part 4.

Paranormal Lockdown 3.7 "Return to Monroe 'Demon' House" Review

Nick and Katrina's return to Monroe House aka Monroe Demon House, Hartford Indiana, was always going to be eventful from the findings of last time and this episode was no exception.  They have been researching the house further over the past year in an attempt to find out whose bones they found: who was/is still buried in that crawl space.  Even taking their findings/photos to an anthropologist who stated the bones were indeed human, but belonging to someone who was not fully developed yet.  Thus most likely a teen (my opinion.)  However upon return they spoke with homeowner Eddie, who told them he had two different policeman here and one of them told him to step back from these events/findings and leave it alone as there were no missing persons reported.  However how do you leave something like this alone, without closure not just for yourself as a homeowner, but also to the person who is buried there after meeting such an alleged gruesome end.  They were real people, had a soul and need their voice to be heard.

Eddie continuing with repairs to the property, also had to board up the entrance to the crawl space for legal reasons and so that no one interfered with the findings there.  There is plenty that speaks volumes when a policeman tells you to let things go, why?  As a homeowner you have the right to find out what went on in your home even if the police don't want to investigate further.  Nick and Katrina said since they can't interfere with any of that for legal reasons, they can still conduct their paranormal investigation in the hopes of finding further answers and any findings they could give to the police in the hopes of opening the investigation and getting closure for all concerned.

Eddie told them that the activity at the house has gotten worse and people telling him they were doing rituals there.  As well as one group getting into a physical fight.  Some voices on the Geoport with Nick's name coming up quite a number of times.  "Nick Groff" or 'Nick Off' as it sounded like; as in 'get lost.'  Even being antagonistic towards them, a negative presence telling them to "fu*k off" on numerous occasions coming through.  Katrina saying it was a difference between the positive and the negative which was attempting to frustrate them and get them aggressive.  Most of the negativity took place on the first floor: kitchen/living area and the basement felt more positive.  Not surprising cos of that spirit or whatever is buried there and needing help in getting the story told for all to hear.  The past needing to be brought into the present.

There was more water in the kitchen again but only in the lower cabinets and Katrina even had a taste of it!  YUKKKK!!  The expression on Nick's face when she did that when it could've been anything!  The house shook again and Nick saw a shadow figure which didn't get picked up on camera.  Actually when he saw that my phone lit up for no reason at the same time!!  Was it telling me to tweet something??!!  Ha.  Or was it something more sinister.

Nothing concrete (no pun) was found in the kitchen when Katrina also slept there on the second night after Nick did and he slept in the basement (knew he would) inside a sensory deprivation tent.  Where you float in the water and get transported to wherever.  Katrina was up before Nick who she said was stuck in the tent for longer than he should have been.  He later wanted them to follow his journey as he was in there, which took him upstairs to the front door and out of the house.  He was taken to the garden area where he felt something woody, like a coffin.  This prompted them to get in a ground penetrating radar expert (I said they should do that too!) and he found that the thermal image was an old flattened coffin.  Meaning there was also a body outside or something buried there.

Obviously they can't dig it up and Eddie said he needs closure so he was going to contact some people and let them know what he's done.

They used the thermal camera and the 3D camera inside and they got a figure appearing in a funny way.  It was doing something and as Katrina walked through it, the figure grew like it was shooting out some form of energy.

The figure in pink looked to be studiously at work digging, watch it closely when you do and also in the above pic looks like it's got its hands around someone's throat and is int he process of strangling.  of course this is just an observation on my part, but clearly makes sense if you look to the first episode where they got those voices telling them to "dig."
Also Katrina got holy water and sprinkled it on the walls and the house shook, with Rob being moved back by the tremor.  Katrina also felt pressure, a little nauseous and also compression on her heart whilst there.  The water being a sign of demonic activity which isn't surprising with all the occult rituals carried on there.

This house was also in Indiana, why is that State such a 'demonic' hotbed of activity?  Remember Zak's Demon House.  Sorry it's not often, if at all, that I bring in other shows/investigators but this house wa sso similar in many ways.  Even the front design of the porch.  In actual fact it just completely reminded me of Hinsdale.  Not only in terms of its design too but also of the activity.  So in many ways not surprised Nick's name came up quite a number of times.  Also Eddie's name came up too when asked about the activity, "it's Ed" was heard frequently.

All in all there were still more questions than answers still and the police being no help whatsoever.  And no answers as to who Anna is as Katrina said this was the name that they kept getting.  Awaiting more news on this as it's one investigation that needs not only answers but also closure.

This was Ep 5 shown as ep 7 here.

https://mila255.blogspot.co.uk/search?q=monroe+house  Monroe House season 2 investigation.