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Thursday 31 December 2015

Jekyll And Hyde 1.5 "Black Dog" Review

                                              Image result for jekyll and hyde black dog photos
Was going to review this weeks ago as you know, but didn't get round to it until now.  But it was just as well I waited and started with this ep as it was different to the ones before.  These are the sorts of eps which this show needs more of.  Moody, atmospheric and well not that scary.  Though people still complain their children find it so.  Maybe they shouldn't watch then.  It could be said this episode was a little Hound of the Baskervilles in places but was still different from the classic Sherlock tale.

This one opens with a man, Willard Neysmith (Tim Downie) in a graveyard and is warned off by a woman who shows him her sharp teeth and blue eyes and tells him to run.  Afterwhich we're meant to believe she chases him as if hunting him down and kills him.  Robert (Tom Bateman) searches for other members of his family which may be alive and this leads Max (Christian McKay) to showing him his family tree.  Most of them have died but there is a side of the family known as the Jezequiels. So Robert and Max travel to the house.  Stopping at a pub for directions, where they're warned not to stay and to leave by the landlord (Kevin Eldon) of the Black Dog.  Also sneaking them a peek of a copy of the newspaper which shows how Renata's (Amelia Bullmore) husband died mysteriously in an accident and then shows the headlines which talks of a mysterious dog on the lose.

Ignoring this advice, they head to the house anyway and meet Renata Jezequiel.  She tells them to leave and after Robert introduces himself as family and they shake hands there's a moment of a flash of images they both share.  Her turning into something and he turns into Hyde.  Though he doesn't mention this to Max until much later and as an aside that he believes Renata is a shapeshifter.  He believes there's more going on than she's telling them.  Robert also notices she walks around barefoot which is supposed to be another clue that she's to blame for the killings.  However it turns out to be a red herring.  As she tells Max she just loves the feel of the ground under her feet since she was little. It seems Max who's never really found anyone remotely interesting is now smitten with her and thinks they could have real possibilities.

Max sees Renata hiding a book the next day as Robert suffers nightmares as Hyde.  Of course she avoids anymore questions and tells them to leave.  As they go exploring the next day, they come across the graveyard and paper with the initials 'WN'.   Left behind by the man in the beginning, Willard.  The chapel door is locked and Renata warns them off.  Robert doesn't give up and heads to the house again as they seem to be chased by a dog.  Robert finds the book and looks through it. Depicting monsters through the ages and he thinks Renata is also tenebrae.  Coming across a picture of the clawman they met with when he rescued his grandmother.  As well as a drawing that looks like Captain Dance.  Robert thinks this is their refuge and she helps them.

So Max hits her over the noggin and they tie her up as Robert goes to the chapel.  She tells Max it's not her.  It's her son, Brant (Duran Fulton Brown) who was meant to be at Cambridge.  However he's the killer, as you already worked out.  Who Robert stumbles upon in the chapel.  Renata tells him about a sword they use which they guard until it's needed against such monsters.  As her tells he his feelings for her.  After telling Robert he didn't declare his love for anyone cos of his heart condition, which means he could drop dead at anytime.

Robert fights Brant and tries to get hold of the sword in the crypt but he's too strong for him.  Until Renata says he gets his strength from the ground so he's go to keep him of his feet.  As they fight he throws Hyde across the way and he bangs against a wall with a face on it which cracks.  Max takes the sword and stabs him but he's also killed by him and he dies after Renata tells him they could've had a chance together.  Yeah ain't it always the way.  She can't go back with him but has to stay here and as the ep ends there's a mist that floats from the crack and into the crypt as a man's hand is revealed.

Robert apologizing to Lily (Stephanie Hyam) for his behaviour (as Hyde) and what he said about her mother.  Though Lily is suited to Robert, how many of us prefer the banter and attraction between Hyde (eye liner 'n' all) and Bella.  This ep setting up more questions and future plots than answers.  Also that Hyde isn't the result of any potions but that his condition actually runs in the family blood, which casts doubt as to whether there is actually a cure.  He may be able to use the pills and medicine to keep Hyde at bay, but it appears there's no way to get rid of him altogether, which may not be all bad since he's around when needed and he also adds more to the other half of Robert's character, so to speak.  There'd be no show without him!  ha.

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