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Friday 19 October 2012

The Closer 7.19 "Last Rites" Review

A priest, Father Adam (Ben Bode) receives a call to administer last rites and the doctor on call leaves a note.  Fr Adam is killed and his DB dumped outside a school.  Provenza (GW Bailey) comments on a murdered priest being dumped where he was and Flynn (Tony Denison) comments, it "makes me think bad things."  Taylor (Robert Gossett) arrives with Pope (JK Simmons) and Taylor wants the DB moved ASAP.  Pope tells them they have to wait for the archivist before they can search his room.  Then Pope will make a deal with the Archbishop to examine Adam's papers.  Pope adds if Brenda (Kyra Sedgwick) has a problem with that then she'll have to deal with him.  Gabriel (Corey Reynolds) repeats what he said, "...Chief Johnson ...problem with that."

Brenda's father Clay (Barry Corbin) has arrived and she wants him to use the walker, she had it made up with police lights and CS tape.  Her mother, Willie Rae (Frances Sternhagen) tells her the new drugs and therapy is working, since he couldn't even move in Atlanta.  Brenda says no one will go into the rectory until the LAPD.  Brenda goes in the front way with Sanchez (Raymond Cruz) and Mrs Wallingham (Sandy Martin) wants her to leave.  Adam taught elementary school and if the parents found out about the murdered priest they'd be angry.

Tao (Michael Paul Chan) finds the rug left an impression in the carpet at the apartment where Adam was sent.  There's a girl's uniform in the drawer and photos of girls on the wall.  Adam has the lease to the apartment.  Brenda says none of Adam's prints were found in the apartment.  Fritz (Jon Tenney) is helping her with the molestation issues.  Clay can't taste his food.  Fritz interviewed the girls and found no evidence of abuse.  There were too many different girls in the photos and that's not the MO of a paedophile.  Brenda must convince the church they're not on a witchhunt.  Fritz takes Clay to the doctor as he likes his driving better.

Raydor (Mary McDonnell) posits as the photos weren't pornographic, they can open a dialogue with the church.  Brenda conducted a warrantless search and refusing to follow Pope's orders was insubordination.  She has an unsigned complaint from Pope and he wants Brenda to "recognize his authority."  She got him not to sign so that Brenda can see his position.  Brenda wonders why Pope has a chip on his shoulder.

Pope resumes negotiations with the church.  Tao found Adam's prints on the travel mug and the camera button in the bedroom.  Dr Hamlin doesn't exist or isn't registered in the state.  Brenda says the killer bought the rug with him and Tao adds olive oil was also in the rug, which is used in last rites.  Willie Rae tells Brenda her father is fine and his numbers need improving which gives Brenda a clue.  The clock on the camera wasn't set so they can see the time of day on the photos.  Adam was at a debate or at the cathedral at the time of some of the photos so he couldn't have taken them.  The landlord, Morris (Gary Perez) says he doesn't change the locks.  Father Calhoun (Paul Vincent O'Connor) is brought in and Pope wants Taylor present, not Brenda.  He refuses the journal request.  Raydor also adds they need a handwriting sample.  He comments Raydor is no better than Brenda.  Pope threatens to get a warrant and Taylor mentions the evidence they found, re photos, prints etc.  Raydor asks if they can have the journal for one day, with Calhoun being present all the time.

Brenda asks him to look at the dates and they'll need a handwriting comparison.  March 23rd, he was travelling to a San Diego conference.  Brenda believes it can't be coincidental that Morris's prints are there but none from Adam.  Morris had access to the apartment 24 hours a day.  He was involved in a car accident a few years back and a missing person's report was made on his wife.  A rug was also missing from the Morris home.  He has two sons, David and Michael and a priest, Adam was called to the hospital.  Adam didn't write down the message Morris had for his sons.

Adam's car was towed 30 miles.  Adam's car ran out of gas and Morris couldn't drive it back.  A storage facility is located nearby.  Morris confessed to Adam back at the hospital as he thought he was dying.  He left a message for his sons, that he killed their mother.  Brenda can't offer him absolution.  Provenza calls to say they found his wife's DB.

Pope tells Brenda he's going upstairs and won't be around to watch Brenda.  Someone will be replacing him as Assistant Chief who won't have time for her and he throws away the complaint, suggesting she doesn't need that in her record if she wants to circulate her resume.  Hinting that Brenda may want to leave.

Clay makes breakfast and Brenda tries to speak with her mother but she doesn't wake up.  So much for Brenda telling her mother that they'll have Clay around, no one thought about her mother.   What was it she wanted to tell Brenda and why did she tell Brenda she wasn't worried about not having her father around, but how she's going to look after him.  Don't suppose many saw that coming and now Brenda will probably have to look after him.  Strange she was looking after Clay for six months, but no one bothered to ask her how she was doing.  It was sad for Brenda though, she never got to say goodbye.  No one did.

The episode started out as what could have been dangerous territory with the death of the priest, but luckily it didn't go down that route.  Instead it focused on his past coming back to haunt him, so to speak with the confession that he heard.  How pathetic was Morris.  First he killed his wife and left her in the storage facility, he could have buried her anywhere by now.  Secondly he uses his own apartment building to kill Adam there and to fake all the photos and leave them there, when he could have lured him there under other pretexts, or even somewhere else, like the storage facility itself, under the pretext of wanting to confess without going through the motions of giving him an address, his own address etc.  Then he remembered to put Adam's print on the camera but not on the lease!

Willie Rae telling Brenda she can't "keep working like this your whole life.  It'll catch up with you."
Brenda: "I expect it will, but not tonight."  No tomorrow instead, was that some kind of a foreboding from Willie Rae.  Provenza will miss her too.

Oh boy after eveything Brenda had to deal with this season, they now throw in that for her to deal with too, seems they're going all out to make her life and departure as miserable as possible.  Pope's still turning on her and can't be bothered to look out for her anymore.  Taylor was when he tried to get her out of the rectory, wonder why?  Don't read anything into that, I'm just thinking out loud.

Thursday 18 October 2012

Merlin 4.12 "The Sword in the Stone" Part 1 Review

Merlin (Colin Morgan) cuts an extra notch on Arthur's (Bradley James) belt as he's fat.  He's "enhancing it for comfort and ease of use."  Merlin's good at keeping secrets.  Morgana's (Katie McGrath) army invades Camelot, led by Helios (Terence Maynard).  Agravaine (Nathaniel Parker) is missing.  Merlin lets slip about the holes in the belt.  Arthur tells him it's a good thing he doesn't have any secrets.  Otherwise he'd be blabbing.  He has many secrets though and they're mostly about how he's helped Arthur as well.

Arthur thinks of Gwen (Angel Coulby) when he sees Percival (Tom Hopper) with a woman.  Arthur looks for her and recalls why she's not here.  Leon (Rupert Young) et al can't hold the army back.  Agravaine attempts to fight Elyan (Adetomiwa Edun) but Morgana uses magic on him instead.  Why?  It wasn't only cos they just don't have enough time, it's cos he's Gwen's brother of course.  Merlin knew Agravaine was planning something.  Arthur joins the fight and is wounded (as usual).  Looks like those men could have gone under the fire Merlin started.

Arthur finally sees Morgana and Agravaine who wants Arthur.  Merlin says they can't fight them now.  Helios knows he's here and can't run.  Gwaine (Eion Macken) says "Arthur will not abandon his people."  Merlin needs to get Arthur out.  Gaius (Richard Wilson) tells Merlin he must make Arthur lose his will and takes Arthur away.  Gwaine stays to help, along with Gaius, who uses his usual excuse of slowing them down.

Arthur becomes a simpleton and they cross the boarder.  How come Merlin didn't use any magic on the army? But Morgana uses hers on Camelot.  Percival is missing, Elyan holds them off but is taken too.  Merlin needs to find Arthur some clothes as he's in Merlin's hands.  Only loyal to Arthur.  Morgana wants their corpses burned.  Merlin steals clothes from the line.  Arthur looks like a "turnip head."  Merlin holds onto the gold.

Morgana uses her snake on Elyan, the Nathair serpent, causing Elyan to reveal where they are headed., to Eldor.  If Agravaine fails her he'll be taking Elyan's place.  There as I said before, she's eventually bound to turn on him and here she mentions exactly that.  Well it's about time she threatened him.  Gaius tries to help Elyan.  Agravaine says goodbye before he leaves but wants to stay and protect Morgana.  Yeah fat lot of good he'll be.  Morgana shouldn't trust Helios.  Agravaine is her true ally and friend and she's entrusted this mission to him, out of how many others too... they were all failures.  Morgana doesn't need protecting.

Merlin is taken by a band of smugglers and he wast to go with them as he'll pay in gold.  He calls Arthur a simpleton and he wouldn't last without Merlin.  Agravaine finds Arthur's clothes, "what kind of a coward would deny who he is?"  Well you for one, lying, cheating traitor.

Merlin meets up with Tristan (Ben Daniels) and Isolde (Miranda Raison) and smells the frankincense and gets Arthur to clean.  Arthur recovers.  Eldor is attacked by Agravaine and Merlin tells Arthur he must stay in character.  Arthur carries a sword, where did that come from?  He couldn't exactly hide it in his clothes.  Merlin says he won the sword.  Isolde is injured during the fighting.

Gaius comments on Merlin gloating if he was here and Gwaine has to earn food for them, so he must fight for it.  He's not thinking of himself.  Tristan refuses Arthur's gold and Arthur was a fool to trust Agravaine.  It's too late now.  He was blind to him and Morgana.  This keeps happening to him and why do they hate him?  Merlin replies they want his power for themselves, Arthur isn't to blame.  He is honest and brave and "one day will be the greatest king this land has ever known."  Arthur comments, at least he has his servant's support.  Merlin's not alone.  Merlin comes home.   Tristan loves Isolde.

Arthur comments on Tristan being richer tan he knows and of course Gwen had to be here too.  They missed each other yet she was the only one  who didn't betray Arthur.  Merlin's home village is attacked and they escape - just...Merlin uses his magic now.

At least Merlin gets Arthur to behave like he has to for the most part back at Camelot, i.e doing his work for him, though Merlin isn't a simpleton.  So it was good to see Merlin turn him into one.  That was the fun part of the show, to break up the darkness as Morgana leads her attack.  Yet we know how it will all turn out next episode.

Of course Arthur will realize his one true love is Gwen so it wasn't really an accident she happened to be here as they find each other, especially as he sees what Tristan is suffering.  Cenred's kingdom now belongs to Lot, yet in the episode Lancelot Du Lac, when they said Lancelot was found in Cenred's kingdom, it was no longer his, so they should have correctly identified it as such.  Cenred was killed in 3.12 The Coming of Arthur Part 1 by Morgause.

Did Agravaine think he was in Lord of the Rings during his fight scenes?  Arthur was also pant-less in 4.3 The Wicked Day and 4.5 Aithusa.

Wednesday 17 October 2012

CSI:NY Casts Charmed Actor

CSI:NY has cast James Read to appear as Lindsay Monroe Messer's (Anna Belknap) father.  He will play Robert Monroe and will star in the eighth episode of season 9.  As reports TV Line.  Lindsay will apparently go home to Montana and there she will come across yet more ghosts from her past, as she deals with more angst.  Probably from teen years again and the aftermath of witnessing the killings of her friends.

Oh not another Lindsay-focused episode, groan.  Sure there's a lot more they can do instead of brining up Montana and her past.  Oh no, don't get me started on those cow comments from earlier seasons either!  Re the cows are returning home to Montana.  Not to mention Danny (Carmine Giovinazzo) doesn't call her 'Montana' anymore, that was shortlived if it was meant to be his pet name for her.  I know season 9 is meant to be more personal-stories-orientated but the emphasis should be or one of the other characters.  So when do we get to see more about Adam (AJ Buckley) or even Danny himself.  I know people get excited about Lindsay but not me.

James Read as you will recall played Victor Bennett, father of the Charmed ones on Charmed.  As well as being in season 1 of Remington Steele as Murphy Michaels, who had a thing for Laura Holt before Rem arrived on the scene, oh getting carried away there with one of my fave shows.  As well as Civil war drama, North and South.

Stargate Atlantis 5.20 "Enemy at the Gate" Review

Incoming wormhole through which Todd (Christopher Heyerdahl) sends a message that his treatment worked.  He wants to regain his position as head of the alliance and has rare technology - a ZPM.  He volunteers to put himself in their custody.  Rodney (David Hewlett) says an underling "in a hybrid ship is a threat we can't tolerate.  Woolsey (Robert Picardo) asks if they don't help him, will Todd destroy Atlantis? The underling being one of Todd's Wraith.

He found the ZPM in a city destroyed by Replicators, why now.  Todd says one scientist succeeded and the hybrid is a work in progress and reached full potential, so they must attack now.  Todd is dressed in one of their overalls.  Sheppard (Joe Flanigan) "I feel like I'm walking around with a live grenade in my pocket;" for the one thing he'll pull as a surprise.  They had a deal to let Todd go last time and they thought he'd die.  If he plays them Sheppard will kill Todd.

They check out the hive in a jumper and cloak themselves but if the hive has advanced technology which is anticipated they do, their cloak etc, wouldn't be of any use.  Rodney checks high energy levels from the hive and the hull is growing with energy, making it impenetrable.  The hive powers weapons cos they can see them.  The hive is too powerful and the jumper is hit.

The Daedalus is damaged and the hive uses hyperdrive to get away.  They discover an encoded message  picked up on their monitors.  Rodney has seen that energy signal before from another reality (re McKay and Mrs Miller and The Daedalus Variations).  The message contains co-ordinates to earth, which explains why the hive left.  The signal was too short or weak and wasn't picked up by the rest of the hive.  Ellis and Apollo are down.  Woolsey is certain nothing stands between them, the hive and earth.  Except Sheppard naturally!

Rodney and Sheppard says one ship can get to earth, they both had the same idea.  Need the ZPM.  Sheppard will kill Todd anyway and might want to do it out of spite cos the Wraith betrayed him.  Woolsey says Sheppard is not flying Atlantis as he's  needed on earth.  It has the ancient weapon platform and General O'Neill (Richard Dean Anderson) wants Sheppard in the chair.  Carson (Paul McGillion) will fly the city: he's number 2 after Sheppard.

Carter (Amanda tapping) will take charge of the next ship.  Mentioning General Hammond had a heart attack.  Major Davis (Colin Cunningham) is now with Homeland Security.  The hive ship arrives in orbit.  Sheppard asks for nukes and takes the fight to them.  Carter tells him there's no chair.  Woolsey gives Teyla (Rachel Luttrell) and Ronon (Jason Momoa) a chance to leave and not take part in a losing battle.  Can't make them leave and it's too late.

The chair was moved to Area 51 (as said in the alternate reality Vegas ep and not to Antarctica as it was in violation of the proliferation of arms treaty.  Sheppard leads an attack on the Darts unsuccessfully.  Some fly as Kamikazes.  Sheppard is hit and manages to survive by pulling the plane up.  The chair's destroyed.  Sheppard is heading into the hive.  He's volunteering and earth is defenceless without the chair.  Atlantis drops out of hyperspace.  Dialling earth through the gate but the gates are offline as Rodney explains there's a Wraith energy signal to prevent them dialling out.  There's a gate on the hive and the wormhole leads directly onto the hive which they can access.

Zelenka (David Nykl) mentions Rodney was working on a wormhole drive.  They are attacked in the hive and Ronon is attacked and dies.  Sheppard: "If Atlantis shows up, tell them I said goodbye."  Rodney picks up his communicator and tells them they're on the hive.  He sets up remote detonation.  Jennifer (Jewel Staite) is told to prepare for casualties or for none at all to survive.  It was a shock seeing Ronon being killed off but they didn't leave him dead, guess they wanted a happy ending for all. Re the movie also.

Sheppard goes back for  Ronon who is being revived by a Wraith for information.  Atlantis arrives giving them enough time to detonate and destroy the hive.  Atlantis lost orbit and re-enters earth.  Ronon calls earth his home.   Amelia (Sharon Taylor) comes to see Ronon and show him something, i.e the bridge.  Sheppard asks what will happen next time.  Todd asks if there will be a next time.  They land near the Golden Gate bridge and are cloaked.  Sheppard: "nice view."  Yes we mean you Joe!! Ha.

So there ends five years of the show which could have had at least another two more seasons in it, if not another five.  But it wasn't to be and no movies either as I said before.  Coincidentally the hive was created when the message for earth arrives and so it feels a bit like this was added on last minute.  Also that this hive received the message too and no other one.  The story seemed a bit rushed and I didn't like the ending of arriving back at earth and just leaving them there.  Could have made more of it or at least made the episode a bit longer.  Giving us a chance to see what was going to happen to Atlantis now.  Suppose that was to come in the potential movie(s).

Seems they started out at earth, leaving for Atlantis and returned home bringing Atlantis with them, kind of ending up full circle.  Best scenes, some of them, at least were Sheppard doing what he does best, to fly the plane and come to the rescue, though he was willing to be hero once more by risking his life and volunteering to end it all, Kamikaze style to save earth.  Something he has done or been a large part of in all of the other realities.  As in 5.19 Vegas, he tried to do the same and died a hero.

The lost city of Atlantis was most no more.  Atlantis was my fave series and not just cos of the cast but cos the Wraith were much more of a formidable and scary enemy than anything Stargate SG1 came up with, no really, the Replicators got boring as did the Goa'uld System Lords etc.  Atlantis done us proud! Don't get me wrong it had its moments, Daniel Jackson (Michael Shanks) ha and it also got movies too, so jealous Atlantis didn't.  It's a shame they had to make Stargte Universe though!

Ronon has been to earth before, in season 3's Sunday, Season 4's Miller's Crossing, Outcast, Midway.  In Watergate episode, it was said that "two existing stargates don't prevent outgoing wormholes."  Todd is back to feeding on humans though so that's what he meant when he said he's better, not that Jennifer's treatment was successful after all, would have been interesting to see where Todd's feeding would have lead.

Joseph Mallozzi on his blog posted, "some storylines will be wrapped up by series end, but the Wraith will continue to be a presence beyond our 100th episode."  As Col Caldwell (Mitch Pileggi) mentions the Odyssey is on a secret mission, Joseph Mallozzi posted on his blog, "initially Odyssey's secret mission was tied to the search for a naquadria-rich planet, capable of providing  the energy needed to dial destiny."



Tuesday 16 October 2012

Merlin 4.11 "The Hunter's Heart" Review

Gwen (Angel Coulby) is abducted by a mercenary.  Arthur (Bradley James) tells Merlin (Colin Morgan) to shut up and he keeps going on anyway.  He announces that Nemeth and Camelot have reached an agreement and their union has been cemented.  He is to marry Princess Mithia (Janet Montgomery).  Gaius (Richard Wilson) tells Merlin to "smile and clap."  Merlin asks why he can't tell Arthur he can't do this?  It's too soon after Gwen. Arthur doesn't want Gwen's name mentioned as she betrayed him.  Merlin insists he still loves her.  Arthur threatens to have Merlin join her in exile if he says that again.  Oh no not another Arthur marriage episode, He's already been through that.

Agravaine (Nathaniel Parker) asks for a map from a man but he didn't get it.  Eoghan (Tom Meredith) could be arrested but he can't betray his master's trust.  Agravaine knocks him out and once more gets away with his dastardly plan. Then gallivants off to Morgana (Katie McGrath)  telling her he hasn't got the plans.  Anyway, what makes Agravaine so sure Morgan won't dispose of him too after she's finished with him.  Couldn't Morgana use her magic to get the plans.

The plans are for the siege tunnel which is protected.  Morgana asks why he can't take the risk himself.  Helios (Terence Maynard) dresses Gwen up and she tells him her actual name, ugh, why?  He's her abductor, not her friend.  He needs new recruits and she's 'no one.'

Mithia arrives at court and Arthur is taken aback by her when she removes her veil.  Why'd she ride up on the horse like a bride?  She says he's "more handsome in person."  So what was she sent a painting of him, ha.  Why didn't Arthur know what she looks like, he was prepared to marry someone without seeing them first.  He has a feast prepared to welcome her, no not another joust thank goodness.  Agravaine dumps Eoghan's DB outside the castle and plants a letter on him.  Morgana visits Helios and leaves.  She's so busy strutting around, she didn't notice Gwen pass her.

She's building an army to attack Camelot (which is always attacked in the final two episodes of the season, as in season 3.)  Morgana's still harping on about being crowned queen, but she already was.  Leon (Rupert Young) finds the DB and thinks he fell.  Gaius should find the COD.  Merlin asks if it's Arthur's fate to marry Gwen.  Could he do anything  about it?  Gaius sounds arrogant.  He surmises he broke his neck.  He should have sustained more injuries from such a height, but there are none.

Agravaine mentions the siege plans to Arthur and he should check the vaults, so Agravaine can take the map now.  Everything is there.  Morgana burns a copy of the map using magic, oh she can do that then.  If she's been at Camelot so long, how come she doesn't know where the siege tunnels are located and what they consist of, etc.

Merlin uses magic to ensure Arthur spills soup on him to make him look bad and Arthur asks her to breakfast, for what another demo of his ineptness, ha.  Mithia loves hunting.  Morgana gives Helios a map and tells him it's from Agravaine.  Gwen whilst listening in clumsily loosens a rock.  Then runs prompting Morgana to see her tunic.  Like she's the only one who wears that.  Merlin makes Arthur burp and Mithia does the same.

Gaius looks at the note and claims something's not right.  Mithia tells Merlin she likes Arthur and he values Merlin's opinion, but won't admit it.  Morgana spots the smoke from Gwen's fire, again why not use magic to locate Gwen?  Then knocks her out.  The hunt takes place in the same part of the woods where Gwen is and Morgana removes Arthur's ring from her neck and drops it there.  Before she turns Gwen into a deer, all ripe for the kill.

Merlin spots Gwen in the deer's eye and causes Arthur to misfire the arrow but he neglects to do the same for Mithia's arrow.  Well he wasn't much help.  Arthur finds his ring.  Merlin finds Gwen and removes the arrow form her leg, healing her.  Morgana enchanted her.  Agravaine gave them the plans.   Merlin must tell Arthur everything himself as she can't see him again after she betrayed.  Arthur finds the map there.  Oh man, here we go again, first Arthur mentioned her betrayal and now she mentions it herself.

Agravaine gets away with it as usual.  Arthur asks how he can love someone who betrayed him or loves another.  He asks Merlin what he should do?  Merlin says no one should make a sacrifice, more for Arthur than Gwen.  Arthur offers up the land of Gedref to Mithia and her people, he has no desire for war.  Arthur can't offer anything more.  Arthur says Gwen is "no one and everyone" even if she is a blacksmith's daughter. Mithia would give up her own kingdom for such a love.  Merlin knocks over Arthur's chamber pot to show he's still clumsy.  Arthur wonders if Merlin's really wise or a fool.  Merlin replies he's Arthur, he knows all.  Merlin says he will find Gwen.

An episode where Arthur tries to move on from Gwen and settles for a marriage to bring peace to his kingdom.  Yet Morgana, unwittingly brings it all back to him and sets up Arthur and Gwen's reunion, the fool!  Arthur was quickly enamoured with Mithia for someone whose heart has been broken, did he really think he could ever forget Gwen so easily, being his destiny.

Eoghan was stabbed but no one noticed, not Gaius and not Leon either, and where was all the blood on his clothes.  Surely a stab wound can't be hidden from sight.  The person in the eye of the deer ploy has been used twice already, once in 1.1 The Dragon's Call and in 3.8 The Eye of the Phoenix. Where the deer's mirrored reflection shows the real person.  Merlin calls Arthur: "the once and future king."  Gwen has already been referred to as the once and future queen, in the episode of the same name in 2.2.

Janet Montgomery was a cast member of 5th Disconnected (2008) movie to appear in Merlin.  Bradley James was in it, as was Kyle Redmond-Jones who played Sir Owain; Caroline Faber as Hunith and Holly Grainger as Sophia.  Janet Montgomery was also in season 2 of Human Target and in Made in Jersey.

In 3.6 The Changeling, Uther pressures Arthur into an arranged marriage and in 1.7 The Gates of Avalon, Arthur announces his intention to marry Sophia, who is really a Sidhes.  She must sacrifice the heart of a prince to cross the gates of Avalon, where the Sidhes (an immortal race akin to fairies) belong.

Monday 15 October 2012

Downton Abbey Series 3 Episode 5 Review

Edith (Laura Carmichael) breaks the news of receiving an offer to write for the paper which is met with reservation by Robert (Hugh Bonneville. Seems Matthew (Dan Stevens) is the only one who supports her.  Even the Dowager (Maggie Smith) frowns upon it at dinner when Matthew mentions it and asks when she'll get "an offer to appear on the stage."  The Crawley's don't like to move with the times, at least not the elder members in the Dowager and Robert, but they don't seem to understand the younger generation do need to move on and things won't be the same as they were for them.  This is shown tragically when Robert brings in Sir Phillip Tapsell (Tim Piggot-Smith) to help with the birth of Sybil's (Jessica Brown-Findlay) baby.

Cora (Elizabeth McGovern) would prefer Dr Clarkson (David Robb) as he knows Sybil and it wouldn't be right not to use him.  But Robert turns his nose up at the very thought since Sir Phillip is well respected and has been there for the birth of many a titled aristocrat.  Cora insists, yet are protestations fall on deaf ears.  Dr Clarkson  notices Sybil may have trouble with the birth since she is showing signs of suffering from pre eclampsia, as she's delirious, confused and has swollen ankles.  At dinner, Sir Phillip tells Dr Clarkson this may be cos she's got fat ankles, which Dr Clarkson knows isn't the case.

Sybil wants her child to be christened Catholic as this is what Branson (Allen Leech) wants and he speaks of getting a job in Liverpool as a mechanic.  However Sybil doesn't want him moving backwards and she tells this to Cora.  Wanting her mother to be on her side.  Well Robert won't considering his "Johnny foreigner" remark about Catholics last episode.

Thomas (Rob James-Collier) is getting so very familiar with James (Ed Speleers) and is all touchy-feely with him when O'Brien (Siobhan Finneran) suggests he should get his help in setting the clock.  O'Brien having a plan up her sleeve that if James complains of Thomas's actions of being too familiar, then he'll be forced out of his job or leave, leaving Albert (Matt Milne) as first footman.  She tells James he should get in with Thomas as he's close to Robert.  Daisy (Sophie McShera) is still being mean to Ivy (Cara Theobold) shown when she messes up the souffle, which Albert helps her put right.  Mrs Patmore (Lesley Nichol) watches Albert help Ivy and tells Daisy she should thank her for rescuing the dish.  Albert won't like Daisy any better for treating Ivy horribly.   Ivy meanwhile prefers James to Albert.

Anna (Joanne Froggatt) finally visits Bates (Brendan Coyle) in prison and gets to tell him about Vera's friend and the pastry Vera made.  Thus she intended to kill herself after all and blame Bates for her murder.  The police didn't check the pastry only the food in the house and Bates was on a train when she made the pie.  Thus the reference to her having pastry in her fingernails a few episodes ago.  The prison guard, Durrant (Neil Bell) and his former cellmate Craig (Jason Furnival) meanwhile plot against Bates and Durrant reads his letters from Anna which tell of Vera's freind.  Suppose she'll be 'taken care of' now.

Sybil gives birth to a baby girl whilst the others still debate the practicalities of taking her to hospital and undergoing a Cesarean.  Well too late now.  Didn't you just want to punch pompous Sir Tapsell with his shooting down all of Clarkson's suggestions and diagnosis.  They think Sybil is over any danger, but obviously that's not the case.  Later in the night, she suffers from the the symptoms of  eclampsia and there is nothing that can be done to help her.  She stops breathing and dies, as her family look on helpless as does Branson.

Cora promises her she'll look after them both and says goodbye to "my beauty, my baby."  She refuses to go anywhere near Robert and wants him to sleep in the dressing room.  The staff are naturally upset too with Thomas actually crying.  She was the only one who was good to him he tells Anna, when they worked in the hospital together.  Cora reveals to the others that Robert wouldn't let Clarkson take Sybil to the hospital and help her.  Whilst Mary (Michelle Dockery) and Edith vow to live as sisters, to love each other as this is the last time the three of them will be together in their lives. A fitting tribute by the Dowager when she called Sybil, "the sweetest spirit under this roof."

Murray (Jonathan Coy) arrives to speak with Anna about Bates's news and Matthew speaks with him about the running of Downton, which Mary walks in on.  She's disgusted they're plotting behind her father's back.  First she wanted his money and now she doesn't want anyone to be in charge of running Downton unless it's Robert, who clearly has driven it into the ground.  Granted the timing was off, but Matthew has the best interest of Downton at heart, she bought him in on investing and now she doesn't want Downton to move with the times, just as Robert doesn't. Or for anyone else to run it.

Isobel (Penelope Wilton) brings in Ethel (Amy Nuttall) to work for her and help Mrs Bird (Christine Lohr) who finds this despicable.  She wasn't handing in her notice, she just thought  Isobel would listen to her ultimatum and not hire Ethel.  She writes to Moseley (Kevin Doyle) about this who tells Carson (Jim Carter).  Mrs Hughes (Phyllis Logan) tells them Ethel no longer engages in such activity, but Carson bans the maids and the footmen from going over to the house;  lest they be tainted by Ethel.  Ethel however is no cook and so they think she won't last long there anyway.

It was a shame Jessica Brown-Findlay wanted to leave as she was a well loved character and it was so sad to see her go in that way, never to return.  Especially coming so close on the events of last episode when everyone was worried about her being left in Ireland on her own.  They didn't see this coming.  Hated the way the men were making the decisions, Robert and Sir useless doctor!  It wasn't as if they were having the baby.  No one even bothered to ask Branson as Cora rightly stated and it should have been his decision if any man was going to be involved.  Also Cora's, having been through childbirth, not to mention losing her baby too in the first series.  Now she has lost two children.

It's the same thing where Edith is concerned, she can't write for the paper for fear the editor is only exploiting the Crawley name.  God forbid if she should do something for herself.  So much for the Dowager telling her to do something last episode, anything but this.  As Edith says they all think her a failure.

Downton however, preferred to bring in Dr Clarkson in a kind of effort to prove his diagnosis right at this point in time, his having been so wrong in earlier series, re Matthew's spine injury last series, for starters.  As he's always been portrayed as someone who sniffs at new medical procedures and practices.  However he was right this time and Cora so wanted to help Sybil, though making those sorts of decisions on her own were unheard of, but this especially was one time when she should have defied Robert.  Even if the Dowager does add that women have been dying in childbirth for ages.  This is one time when it could have been averted.

One episode where tissues are needed and indeed one which will be very hard to watch again, but perhaps a little easier since we know what's to come.

Sunday 14 October 2012

CSI:Miami 10.13 "Terminal Velocity" Review

Two men jump from a plane skydiving and one of the men's parachute strings begin to burn, as he falls to his death.  He lands on a road and Ryan (Jonathan Togo) and Horatio (David Caruso) arrive at the scene.  Ryan states all his bones have been broken.  A witness remarks there was another man who drifted off in another direction.

Ryan and Walter (Omar Miller) process the scene and a funny smell is given off by the DB.  Acid is burning the DB's back and Walter tells Ryan to use ammonia to neutralize it.  Also Ryan finds an altimeter on his DB stating the wrong altitude, reading much higher than the DB, Kevin Ramsey (Ron Melendez) actually was.  The acid was used to cause damage at a reduced rate and to delay the onset of decay until he was actually wearing the parachute.

Horatio and Tripp (Rex Linn) find the other man hanging in a tree and don't help him down.  He was trying to save Kevin but couldn't get to him in time.  Horatio leaves him up there as he's a suspect.  Charming, really is there no end to his audacity.  He should have sued Miami Dade, especially considering he didn't turn out to be the killer.  He tells them they pack their own parachutes and have a locker at the airfield.  The pilot at the airport Arnie (David Warshofsky) says he set the wrong altitude as he was trying to save money on fuel.  Also mentioning Kevin's car had been damaged by someone.

Walter and Delko (Adam Rodriguez) find the car and notice the smell of bleach, which was poured into the oil so the engine would overheat.  They can't help admiring the Ferrari.  Walter finds a print which Natalia (Eva La Rue) matches to a Cameron (Beau Cybulski). He found out Kevin was his father, a sperm donor on the clinic's website.  He went to see him but Kevin wanted nothing to do with him.  They also find some mucus on Kevin's shirt.  The DNA matches another man, his half brother.

Ryan and Natalia check out the clinic's website registry and find he had 103 children, receiving $200 for each donation he made.  Natalia says there's a moral question involved in that he shouldn't have been allowed to have so many children and then not bother seeing them.  Ryan comments on hating his nose if he donated, he'd be worried about them having his nose and she replies his nose is cute.  The website leads to Scott (Grant Gustin) he hacked into the computer and told everyone Kevin was his father.  Kevin refused to speak to him either and so he posted his name there.

Scott is brought in with his mother, Jill (Elisabeth Rohm) and the DNA matches Scott but he was at a teacher parent conference with his mother.  She tells Natalia she was a single mother and had her child by a surrogate.  She is shocked at learning one of her babies was taken.  The surrogate, Amy (Romy Rosemont) is contacted and they find Trent (Grant Gustin) in the back.  Trent is brought in and wants to use the bathroom, whilst there he meets Scott and says he killed Kevin.  Ryan listens in and tells him nothing said in a police station is privileged, not even in the toilet, this is always mentioned in everything.  They've done this before in Miami.

When questioning him Natalia notices he has jaundiced eyes when he asks for water and he has liver disease.  He's suffering from Wilson's Disease and needs a liver transplant.  He saw Kevin and asked him for part of his liver but he refused him that too.  So he confesses to killing him though he is innocent as he'll get free medical care in prison.  Since this disease was hereditary and passed on from Kevin, they conclude there must be other children out there who'd want to kill him and have the same disease.

Walter and Delko go to the clinic but find someone destroyed all of Kevin's sperm.  However Walter finds a substance on the equipment.  When analyzed it's revealed to be Invisi-skin, which is used by mechanics and thus leads them back to the pilot Arnie.  His daughter died from Wilson's Disease but he didn't kill Kevin.  He'd like to congratulate whoever did.  He is arrested for attempted murder as he wanted to ensure he wouldn't have enough time to open his parachute, thus the wrong altimeter reading but he made the jump before the agreed limit.

Ryan meets with Kevin's wife (Meredith (Jacqueline McKenzie)who is surprised at Kevin having so many children.   She tells Ryan she'd like to meet them.  She was older and didn't want children.  Calleigh (Emily Procter) who did nothing this episode but make a phonecall locating Cameron and now she burns her arm with acid in the lab.  Oh how careless for a CSI.  Well she had to do something since they were struggling for answers.  Delko neutralizes the effect with ammonia and this leaves an orange mark on her skin.  Thus anyone who had contact with the acid would also have such trace.

A girl shows up who was also Kevin's daughter and had called him but his wife answered the phone.  She just talked about her husband and Natalia recalls Ryan said his wife wanted to meet the children but didn't know about them.  She's called in under the rouse of collecting his DB and whist signing the form, Natalia shines the ALS on her hands, revealing the orange marks.  She was a chemistry teacher and found he had fathered all those children and yet he didn't want any of his own with her.  He had a vasectomy after they were married and so it was too late for her to have children.  She married a younger man so he could keep up with his children, but he was only into skydiving.

In a twist at the end Natalia arranged for Scott and Trent to be transported in the same van, telling them they haven't got another one, hoping to be able to help Trent out with Scott acting as his donor. Or even his mother may have been able to help. Tripp comments on the abundance of vans.

Ryan asking Walter when they will go skydiving together was another fun moment between these too and Walter doesn't want to after seeing the end result.  Funny Ryan should ask him this after having brain matter in his hands.  Also Walter was willing to go up in the sky in the space shuttle episode from season 8.15 Miami, We Have a Problem and defy gravity, but it's a no no to skydiving, having to leave the aircraft itself.  Then Natalia telling Ryan Kevin should bear some responsibility to his children but he says he doesn't have any such responsibility,  Natalia laughing he's got the attitude of a "single dude."

Also Horatio 'lurks' in the background again when coming to see Arnie and returns the photo of his daughter to him.  Suppose it was good to see he hasn't lost all his humanity/morality as far as children are concerned.  Though it's not the same with suspects.

This episode had shades of CSI episodes, firstly with the Invisi-skin which was mentioned in the quadruplets ep of season 12.19 Split Decisions when Morgan (Elisabeth Harnois) went to the garage to find they use it there.  Coincidentally that episode featured multiple children too who were also the children of one donor in particular the DB doctor had 'fathered' them with his own sperm.

CSI has also featured death by skydiving too 9.19 The Descent of Man which had a skydiver's parachute malfunctioning.

Saturday 13 October 2012

Merlin 5.2 "Arthur's Bane" Part 2 Review

Morgana (Katie McGrath) suffers yet more nightmares and this time she sees herself trapped with the dragon, Aithusa and unleashing more hell on her foes.  Yet all she managed this episode is to lie in bed, twice, cut an apple, threaten Arthur (Bradley James) in that he should have been killed and show some more of her wrath.  But we'll come to that.

Arthur and Merlin (Colin Morgan) are being transported to Ismere and the journey is cold and arduous, with none of them getting any food.  Led on by Saxon leader Ragnor (Stephen McCole).  He refuses them food or water and Mordred (Alexander Vlahos) says they should feed them or at least take the journey much more slower.  He refuses naturally as he's a Saxon and thus brutal and hungering for his money.  Mordred later gives Merlin a morsel of bread and tells him Arthur saved his life; he's honouring a debt.  He also mentions keeping Emyrus's secret safe.

At Camelot, Gwen (Angel Coulby) being a true queen hasn't shown any feelings over Arthur and how he might be fearing, especially since she knows he was betrayed by Ruadan (Liam Cunningham).  Sefa (Sophie Rundle) approaches Gaius (Richard Wilson) or rather, the other way round, oops and begs an audience with Gwen.  She is relentless and is determined for the execution to go ahead.  Finally she reveals her plans: her intentions are for Ruadan to rescue his daughter and thus she wants him caught.  There may be more traitors so she hasn't told anyone of this and only tells Gaius now.  Gwen finally showing some humanity here with not having any intention to execute her from the outset keeping Sefa in the dark and not adhering to the laws of Camelot.

Arthur feigns being too weak to travel and Merlin asks for water, a rouse for Arthur to steal Ragnor's dagger.  They escape after some use of magic by Merlin and a fight, arriving at a crevice which they manage to jump, even Merlin with some slipping over the edge action, well almost.  Men search for them and Arthur holds them off with the crossbow, whilst Merlin insures they can't jump to the other side.  Arthur saves Mordred again by not killing him and Merlin is distraught at missing the opportunity to kill him.  Strange Merlin should want Arthur to kill him, when he's got magic at his disposal, sure he'd have much more of an effect.  He seems to be overstepping the moral boundaries in wanting to see Mordred dead, but not having any hand in it.  Granted he is a wizard and not a soldier.

Ruadan arrives to save Sefa and manages to use magic, for a bit.  He fights with Elyan (Adetomiwa Edun) and he wounds him, fatally.  Sefa wants him to cure himself but he doesn't have enough power for that, surprise, surprise, he manages to get her to send a message to Morgana warning her of Arthur's arrival.  Sefa escapes.

Mordred arrives at Ismere and Morgana is furious no one could kill Arthur.  She mentions the return of the old religion and how they were persecuted for their magic.  Merlin and Arthur arrive at the mines, through a sewer, cue lines about smelly food and Merlin getting dirty again.  Arthur manages to get Percival (Tom Hopper) a sword or two and he rallies the others.  Meanwhile the blue creature, the Euchdag (Josette Simon) takes care of Gwaine (Eoin Macken) hiding him from the guards.  Oh put some shirts on!

Merlin and Arthur manage to rescue Gwaine and they come across the Euchdag.  She knows who Merlin is and disappears.  They also come across the dragon which gives chase.  Merlin goes after it and wonders what Morgana has done to it.  The dragon is unable to speak.  Being the Dragonlord Merlin is able to speak to the dragon and tells him to run when he hears Arthur.  Arthur comes face to face with Morgana who wields a dagger at his back with her magic.  He tries to reason with her, recalling how kind she was at a child and mentions Uther being her father and they are brother and sister, which gets her gall up even more.
She is about to kill Arthur, when Mordred stabs her in the back, literally and metaphorically and you can't help but think this was just a ploy to get into, worm himself into Arthur's good graces and give him reason to trust him more.

Merlin talks with the Euchdag after he was thrown to the wall by Morgana and was unable to use his magic to save Arthur.  She tells him who she is and how she has the weight of the world on her, so much knowledge.  He finds it difficult just being himself.  He asks about Arthur's bane and she replies Arthur's bane is "Arthur himself."  Is this cos he just can't help himself and others, trusting them when he should be more weary.  Back at Camelot, Mordred is knighted and Merlin helps him.  He tells him he believes Arthur is right when he speaks of love and Morgana was wrong.  Merlin doesn't trust him and neither do we, as Merlin shares his concerns with Gaius over his fave pudding.  It's just that Mordred isn't giving anything away with his poker face, so cold.

Gwen wasn't giving anything away with her cool exterior was she telling Gaius: "wars aren't won without risk."  She also remained calm when the alarm bell was sounding, probably cos she wouldn't be the one going after Ruadan.  yet she has been married three years now, she's used to such things.  Compare this with Morgana who is seething at every opportunity but at least she no longer smirks as she did in series/season 3, showing she has really grown into her role as evil, revenge-seeking Morgana.  Who is foiled at every opportunity.  Stabbing her seemed so easy and she didn't even see it coming as once again she wonders alone in the wilderness, in the snow this time, last season it was the forest, followed by her dragon.  Who doesn't leave her side.  Betrayed once again by Mordred whom she thought she could trust, which is her 'bane'.  This should give Arthur et al cause for concern since if he could do this to Morgana, there's nothing stopping him from doing the same to Arthur.

Morgana calls the dragon Aithusa, by his name, how did she know what his name was?  Did she find out by asking him, was he able to speak?  Did he have his tongue cut out, by Morgana or someone else.  Obviously the Euchdag was the Diamair, the key, but Morgana never got her hands on it either.  Of course the other tried and tested formula rears its head again of the Diamair being the "last of my kind."  That's been said a lot, especially where the dragon was concerned.  Was the Morgana nightmare scene showing a grown up Aithusa, was this a future nightmare or did some aspects of it hint at what happened to them both over the past three years?

Merlin: "I feel the die is cast and for good or ill, Albion's great trial has begun."  Again he shows his concern, having once again to use caution and not be trusting.  Overall, this series continues to bring in possible future storylines, whilst leaving open possibilities of being the best one so far as Merlin comes of age.







Stargate Atlantis 5.19 "Vegas" Review

Sheppard (Joe Flanigan) drives up to a CS in his car.  A reporter (Carmen Moore) asks if this killing is related to the others.  The Vic was a white male.  Sheppard responds "most likely."  There are flashes to what may have happened just like CSI.  Cos as soon as we saw Sheppard drive up, shades in all, we knew this was a CSI:Miami style episode.  I thought it was, aside form the location.  There were 7 other Vics with chest wounds.  As I wrote in my notes, he's more Horatio than Grissom.

Jennifer (Jewel Staite) is the ME and mentions the ageing DB and other Vics.  He'll get her report when she's done, ooh stroppy!  She doesn't look old enough to be out of medical school.  Sheppard comments he got the life sucked out of him.  Even the police HQ was similar to a CSI set.

A man in a hotel suffers a nose bleed and loud music plays in the next room which is occupied by a Wraith, but they're not meant to know that.  Sheppard looks at the files, Woolsey (Robert Picardo) is part of the FBI.  Sheppard wonders why the ME didn't show radioactive isotopes on the DBs.  The nurse (Jody Thompson) tells him about the man and he says he'll call her, yeah as if he will.   Don't hold your breath, wait she's a nurse, she may be good at it, ha. Sheppard goes to the hotel room and the Wraith (Neil Jackson) disguises himself to look more human, well more 'rock rebel' human.

Sheppard follows him to a poker game and plays poker with him and others.  The Wraith runs and falls over the edge of the building, then walks away as if nothing has happened, glancing up at Sheppard.  The sick man is dead and Sheppard takes the Wraith's money from his room, for himself of course.  Well he figured he owed him. The FBI arrive.  Sheppard: "it's a CS."  There's a sat locator on his car. Rodney (David Hewlett) says he should tell him even if Sheppard hasn't signed a confidentiality document.  "I have the power to ruin your life."  He's welcome to "the little I have to lose."  Sheppard passed his detective exam after 4 years and 2 attempts, yeah rub it in Rodney, obviously he's the same Rodney as ever.  He likes spearmint gum and was a helicopter pilot in Afghanistan.  He disobeyed orders for staging a rescue.  He managed to live with himself with the deaths of others on his head.

Rodney has met another version of Sheppard.  "He was  very different to you."  They want to keep the planet safe and tells him practically what the show is about.  Wraith has flashes to a battle and being blown up.  He landed on earth 5 years ago.  (When the show began.) Found a ZPM and Darts attacked 3 months ago and a chair was found on earth.  He shows Sheppard a real Wraith in Todd (Christopher Heyerdahl) locked up. Todd speaks about a "fish in a pond".  Rodney explains he's delirious from starvation.  "The harvest moon is rising...I know the future" and calls him by his name 'John Sheppard.'  Jennifer is there too.

Rodney says the Wraith was exposing himself to radiation when building the device.  Zelenka (David Nykl) gives a talk on the worst case scenario of the device being a bomb.  Rodney believes he's signalling the Wraith and Zelenka talks of the inter-dimensional rift.  He reminds Rodney of it and they bicker.  Rodney mentions Sheppard being involved with the field medic he rescued and he made a tough choice, "things just don't always go the way we planned."  Sheppard dons his shades again.

Rodney says the other version of Sheppard opened the space/time rift.  Sheppard was the leader and was a hero.  There's no difference between him and this Sheppard.  He'd like to believe "you have the same strength of character."  Which is why Rodney told him the truth.  Sheppard packs up his stuff from the station and his Johnny Cash poster (the same one at Atlantis) and ends up just taking the poster.  Cue song: Solitary Man by Johnny cash, cos that's who Sheppard is.  He told him the money was a few thousand dollars.

Sheppard heads for the desert re Todd's words and the dessicated DBs.  Yeah and the destiny was no more show!  Sheppard locates the Wraith in the trailer which is near power lines.  Woolsey says they have Sheppard's  co ordinates.  In which case, why didn't they come to rescue him when they attacked the trailer.  Sheppard engages the target again  in a shoot out and is shot several times over.  Thus reinforcing Rodney's assertion Sheppard was a hero.

Sheppard is saved from being fed on by the planes and the Wraith manages to send out the co ordinates to earth in a transmission - encoded in Wraith.  Rodney doesn't think the message reached the Pegasus galaxy and could be sent to other realities.  Zelenka: "the transmission will be stronger in any other reality exposed to the rift."  Sheppard is dead and died alone.  Like a solitary man.


This was Joe's fave episode and I have to agree with him.  It over stepped the bounds of a normal Stargate Atlantis episode, but managed to maintain the overall mythology and premise of the show.  Yet it showed another Sheppard in another reality and how no matter how many realities over, he always stays the same: always a hero.

Rodney pronounces the ZPM as 'Zed PM' as said in the UK and he's Canadian, this line was also said by Daniel Jackson in the episode Rising, commenting on Rodney's pronunciation.  Wraith have the ability to read human minds in this reality, as Todd manages to read Sheppard's.  Rodney managed to open an inter-dimensional bridge and landed in an alternate dimension.  Also the chair has been relocated to Area 51, significant for the final episode.  Rodney also wears a wedding ring.  Suggesting he and Jennifer are married in this reality.

Rodney and Zelenka talking about the Wraith, "he probably got a job as a Klingon at the Star Trek Experience."
Woolsey: "that's shutdown."  (he'd know ha, being the holographic doctor in Star Trek Voyager.)
Zelenka: "...really, I wanted to see that."

Teyla and Ronon are not in this episode, they could have got them as extras.  Begging the question, where were their alternate selfs in this reality.  The poker scene was filmed at Planet Hollywood and they had to buy all the  other rooms too, located on the same floor, to film there.  The casino scene shows Brad Wright and his wife Debbie at the Blackjack table.  John Smith's wife, Lynn was at the roulette table.  The poker game included: Charles Cohen the Senior Vice President of MGM.  Joel Goldsmith composer, Frank Vincent and Steve Schirripa from The Sopranos.  Roy Winston and Todd Brunson are professional poker players.

The working title for this episode was CSI:Atlantis.  Jody Thompson was a bounty hunter in Stargate SG1 Bounty.  Carmen Moore was in the Stargate SG1 episode Cold Lazarus and Neil Jackson was in the episode Prototype as Khalek.

Joseph Mallozzi on his blog, wrote, "Vegas is very different from anything we've ever done on Atlantis before.  Different in a very good way and I'm sure fans will agree."  Apparently a lot of fans didn't agree.  You see, they don't like change and prefer to stick to the old tried and tested methods and episodes.  I thought this episode was good and made a change from the obvious ones set in the galaxy, in the realms of space.  Also it was a one-off and the show didn't return after that.  Hell, we didn't even get any Atlantis movies, huh!!

He also wrote: "a bittersweet time for all; me in particular.  Bitter in that it's been a great 5 years and I will sincerely miss the show and the many wonderful people who made it all happen.  Sweet in that I like to sleep in." Well as I say, any old excuse to watch Joe Flanigan.  Oh hang it, don't need an excuse!

The Vegas desert scenes were partially shot on location in Las Vegas and only Joe was present for these.  The location shooting was the final days of filming for the final season.

Friday 12 October 2012

Without A Trace 3.13 "Volcano" Review

An autistic boy goes missing from a museum after he runs away from his father who tells his brother to fetch him.  He doesn’t want to leave the dinosaur exhibit.

2 Hours Missing

Ian (Dyllan Christopher) has a tendency to run off and that’s why his father was on the trip with him.  He’s gone home to get the locating device receiver which Ian wears on his wrist.  He’s been gone 2 hours and their mother is at work.  The device leads them to his bracelet, which Jack (Anthony LaPaglia) wants analyzed by forensics.  Martin (Eric Close) talks to some Indian tourists.  Jack tells his father that his looking for Ian isn’t helping and he should stay here with him.  His father, Daniel (Vincent Angell) admits he always finds Ian.  Jack needs his help and has to ask him some questions.  Ian went missing at 12;30pm and Daniel had been gone for 2 hours.  He looked for Ian for about 45 minutes: under the truck, stairs, garbage cans, he likes those places as they’re warm and quiet.  Makes him feel safe.  He went downtown by car.  Jack needs to establish  time line.  Jack tells Daniel witnesses saw him shout at Ian.

2 Hours Missing

Ian’s mother, Kate (Christine Tucci) tells Sam (Poppy Montgomery) that his locating device resembles a watch.  This had been cut off.  Ian has been described as “high functioning” by doctors and struggles with communication with others and social issues.  He has his own room.  Elliot (Hayden McFarland) has to share their room.  She and Daniel went to a class for autistic children and the instructor said that in 5 years time most of the couples would be divorced.  His one-to-one assistant was Anu Singhal (Shaeen Vaaz) and she called in sick last night.  She was  a part of preparing Ian for the field trip and his mother showed him a video of the museum.  Sam asks if Daniel forgets the receiver often.  He always has it with him.

3 Hours Missing

Viv (Marianne Jean-Baptiste) says forensics found the cut was made by a small blade.  Sam’s given them  a list of Ian’s therapists and helpers.  Anu has a Masters from Columbia in social work.  She hasn’t been seen all day.  Danny comments Anu would’ve known how to cut off Ian’s locating device.
Elliot reads a book on insects.  Sam doesn’t like them either.  She asks him why Ian ran at the museum.  He lies and says because he touched him.  Sam asks if it was because his father yelled at him.  Elliot looked for Ian on his own, he’s good at finding him.  Last time he ran, he found him in an alley.  Elliot gives him his hand and he takes it.  He thinks Ian would run to Anu.

Danny (Enrique Murciano) has a checked a list of employees Martin sent him.  One of them John Sewell has no match to his social security number.  He hasn’t paid taxes in over 3 years.
Danny questions Sewell at the museum.  He’s confused because his name tag says ‘J Sewell’ but a J Larabee (Lennie Loftin) stole artifacts from the Philadelphia Museum of Art.  There must be a mix-up.  He comments if he was going to pilfer from a a museum, he’d change his name to J Sewell.  The guard runs and Danny gives chase.  He ran because he was going to arrest him.  Danny tells him from the surveillance video, he wasn’t at his post.  He admits to seeing Ian in the basement with blood on his face.  Ian ran from him.

4 Hours Missing

Daniel says he didn’t see Ian.  Anu is attached to Ian but wouldn’t hurt him.  Jack asks for a blood sample form Daniel; it’s standard procedure.
Anu tells Viv she was at an interview as she thought they wouldn’t be needing her anymore because they didn’t know what to do with Ian.  Ian drew volcanoes.  Daniel wanted to send him to a special school.  There was a disagreement with Elliot, but he tells her Ian nearly broke Elliot’s arm.  Anu tells them Ian doesn’t need the school.  Daniel was always positive and patient but changed overnight.

Ian’s shoe is found in a park in the snow.  Martin assumes it fell off when the kidnapper took him.  Danny says stolen artifacts were found at the guard’s apartment.  Viv says Anu’s alibi also checks out.  Danny says that Daniel’s attitude changed a week ago.  Ian was seeing a Dr Rosalin Whitmer (Shannon Cochran) 3 times a week for the last few years but stopped going a week ago.  Daniel cancelled his appointments.  Viv wants the doctor to talk to them about Daniel.  She was looking at a new area of treatment for Ian which involved a complete work up on the parents.  Daniel isn’t Ian’s biological father.  He didn’t know of this and was angry.

5 Hours Missing

Daniel says his knowing isn’t relevant.  Jack would like to believe he’s innocent.  He had means opportunity and now motive.  He undergoes a polygraph.

Ian’s real father lives in Arizona.  She didn’t know which one of them was Ian’s real father.  It was when they were separated and she thought it was over.  He was wounded at first.  Daniel replies that he has never harmed Ian and hasn’t hurt him this morning either.  The polygraph was inconclusive.  Daniel tells Jack he’ll look him in the eyes and tell him he didn’t hurt Ian.  Jack says he wouldn’t be here if he hadn’t lied to him.  His mother thinks Daniel hurt Ian.  They argue and Elliot says he killed Ian.

6 Hours Missing

He went after him in the basement and pushed him.  His hand got caught in a caged rail.  Ian wanted Anu.  He cut off his device and cut his wrist.  Ian ran away.

Martin says Ian came out of the museum but isn’t headed for Anu.  She was supposed to be there with him.  He recalls the tourists at Strawberry Fields.  They must have reminded him of Anu and so he must’ve followed them.  The bus driver, Barstatis (Vincent Gustaferro) tells him Ian was hiding in the luggage.  He thought he was stealing and he ran away towards left on Washington.

7 Hours Missing

The whole family searches for him as well as Jack, Sam and Martin.  Jack finds him in an alley under some stairs.  Daniel apologizes for what he said.  He reaches his hand to him and Ian takes it.  Daniel thanks Jack for helping and hopes he never sees him again.

A routine episode showing the the frustrations of a family dealing with autism.  Routine in the sense that it focused solely on the investigation without any grey areas.

Danny: “Nice resume...Now where the hell is she?”
Danny actually gets out of the office for a change to do some chasing after a suspect.
Ian drew volcanoes hence the title of this episode.  Do we assume forensics had already analyzed Ian’s shoe before Martin brought it back to the office.

Ian’s mother saying her husband was “wounded” after he learnt of Ian, that’s putting it mildly.  The polygraph would be inconclusive, for one thing Ian went missing in the afternoon and not morning, so there’s a mess up of the time line Jack mentioned earlier on.  Elliot reaching out to Ian to bring him home, later repeated by Daniel.

That’s the fourth time Jack’s been proven wrong this season: the first time was in episode 2 with the bomb, he said it was on a remote and Viv was right it was on a timer.  Then he was wrong about the prisoner in ep 12, he had changed.  Also you could say he was wrong about his wife, the shrew - oops, when he told his lawyer she wouldn’t have gone behind his back planning the divorce and taking his daughters away from him.  Here he was wrong about Ian’s father, he didn’t kidnap or kill him.

Three actors in this show, Vincent Angell, married to Christine Tucci in real life and Vincent Gustaferro became close whilst filming as they have sons with autism.  Vincent thought the episode was well written and addressed issues parents face.

Thursday 11 October 2012

The Closer 7.18 "Drug Fiend" Review

Gabriel (Corey Reynolds) has a girlfriend and she doesn't want to have brunch with his grandparents and thinks his mother doesn't like her.  He takes Anne (Shanti Lowry) to the CS as he's not driving his own car.  The Vic Dr Brady was an oncologist.  Brenda (Kyra Sedgwick) thinks of her own father as he's having problems with his recovery after surgery.  Gabriel didn't get to go to church and Provenza (GW Bailey) tells him "church will be open next Sunday too."  Kendall (Ransford Doherty) finds Brady suffered blunt force trauma and he was also strangled.  Sanchez (Raymond Cruz) adds with IV tubing.  Tao (Michael Paul Chan) hasn't found the murder weapon which caused the blunt force trauma.  Drugs are also missing.

Brady treated the homeless and addicts.  Flynn (Tony Denison) comments on his partner, Dr Parr (Lennie Loftin) treating cancer as " a business."  Sanders (Tim Martin Gleason) was Brady's drug supplier.  Parr refuses Brenda's request for patient records and Anne mentions HIRRA, she's a lawyer.  A Nurse, Lori (Michelle L Gardner) was fired and she found out Brady had been engaged in some creative accounting.  He ordered expensive prescriptions for patients who didn't exist.  Raydor (Mary McDonnell) warns abut Pope (JK Simmons) being on the warpath again.  A Special Warrant Master for patients' records will take 16 days but she got one for tomorrow.  Taylor (Robert Gossett) thinks Lori could hold a grudge.  Pope comments that's something Brenda would know about.  He wants her to "let the system work."  bringing up the Federal lawsuit again.   Taylor invited Parr downtown for questioning.

Raydor mentions her having to inform the DA's office when Major Crimes investigates a homicide, as said in episode?? but Brenda hasn't done that.  Pope wants to be appointed permanent Chief.  Brenda appreciates Raydor and Taylor "running interference for her."  At this point in time, you can tell that it's impossible for Brenda to keep doing this job, she's got so much to deal with, red tape, bureaucracy, etc that she can't handle that and investigate crimes at the same time.  Especially when she's being so closely scrutinized too

Parr isn't going to take on Brady's patients.  Sanders is questioned informing them some meds have a short life so prices are reduced.  $1000,000 a dose which is the discounted price.  Brenda tells Parr she only wants a list and not the patent's records per se.  Gabriel threatens they can pass the info onto the FBI if fraud is involved.  Parr wants discretion.  bread: "discretion's my speciality."  Well we know it isn't.

Anne tells Gabriel Brenda is intense and Gabriel adds the killer could also be intense since if he's a drug addict he could kill again.  Anne meets Raydor and Gabriel tells her he gets Anne's opinion if he he doesn't want it.  They've moved in together but doesn't want anyone at work to know.  Raydor tells him her husband was a lawyer, almost.  He used to drink in bars and started gambling too.  They're separated for 20 years, that's the Catholic way.

Flynn posits a thief would have brought his own weapons.  Rita (Akiko Morison) a patient lets them look at her records. Claiming she preferred Brady's meds as there was no side effects from it.  Parr comments on her being infused yesterday and looking so well.   Morlaes (Jonathan Del Arco) says she's not taking chemo meds, she's not being treated for pancreatic cancer.  None of the patients underwent any chemo.  Tao thinks that could be a good motive for murder.  Fritz (Jon Tenney) looked over the files and finds there's no fraud involved and Brady paid out of his own pocket for the meds.  Pope comes in and turns off the lights.  He doesn't want them working overtime..

Brenda asks her mother to bring her father down here as he's not getting better.  She wants Parr to have a look at him.  Fritz mentions Pope and his job being more important than thinking of others.  Referring to Brenda of course but she doesn't realize that.  She thinks he means doctors, as she serves him burnt toast. She laments doing everything for Pope which Fritz agrees with and then he does nothing for her.

They looked at Parr's patients charts and some patients didn't absorb chemo, Parr tells Brenda and he was afraid of being sued.  The drugs from Sanders are tested by Morales who finds they are fake.  Provenza says they'll need at least 40 or more Special Master Warrants.  Tao tells Sanders about the missing trolley case and he bought  a new one.  He used the old one to hit Brady with, as the imprints match.  Sanders claims the patients weren't getting meds.  The doctors were giving them poison and subjecting them to pain.  Brenda rightly brings up his bank balance and he was profitting from their misery.  She is rightly worried about her own father and perhaps he didn't receive the right meds either.  Raydor defends Gabriel and Anne as a lawyer since they do protect, imagine what they could do to Sanders if they didn't know a lawyer was coming.

Brenda says Parr doesn't deserve an apology and wants him to look at her father.  She bursts into tears, she "can't lose her father."  So much happening in this episode personally for Brenda and now for Gabriel also.  As she worries frantically about her father.  Gotta say Brenda, everyone loses their father, eventually.    Seems the last few eps of the final season are rather gloomy, to say the least.  A topical subject for Brenda as far as her father is concerned, why would anyone kill a doctor, well it wouldn't be a patient, that much was obvious.  But I think they could have come up with something different in terms of a storyline, but wanted Brenda to be conflicted and affected with something so close to home.

Fritz tries to tell her she's so preoccupied but she doesn't listen, her mind is on the job as always and her family.

Wednesday 10 October 2012

Merlin 4.10 "A Herald of a New Age" Review

The knights come across a shrine and Elyan (Adetomiwa Edun) has to take a drink of water from it, when he sees a boy in the reflection.  Merlin (Colin Morgan) comments on Arthur (Bradley James) being quiet all the way home.  Gwaine (Eion Macken) gives Merlin salt so he can pour it into a circle to protect him from evil spirits. Hey this isn't Supernatural.  Merlin could feel the shrine was cursed.  Gaius (Richard Wilson) explains the shrine was built by Druids so the souls could find rest.  The ribbons and flags are a warning.  Merlin doesn't think anyone touched anything.  Gaius says they could risk disturbing a spirit.

Arthur was quiet cos of Gwen or cos he knows the place where they found the shrine.  The boy appears before Elyan again and Gwaine hears him scream.  He lies about him.  Merlin finds Arthur asleep on his plate of food.   His excuse, he was reading and fell asleep.  Merlin laughs at the food stuck to his face. Merlin says he slept on the wrong side of the table and "got up on the wrong side of the table." Also mentioning Arthur got stew in his hair cos he was reading to the knights.

Elyan draws a salt circle under his bed and sees the boy (Nicholas Croucher) again.  Gwaine knocks him out.  It would be good if Arthur didn't know he's upset about his sister's exile.  Leon (Rupert Young) thinks he doesn't want Arthur to know of his divided loyalty.  Gaius finds the salt circle.

Merlin wonders if Arthur will sleep on the table again and asks if he's brooding over Gwen, as they all miss her. Arthur doesn't reply.  Merlin doesn't know if Elyan disturbed anything at the shrine and Elyan believes the curse to be true.  Gaius tells him Arthur should be told of what happened; that Elyan is possessed.  Why go to Arthur unless he had something to do with the spirit?

The boy talks to Elyan and wants to help him.  Elyan will bring him peace by killing Arthur, which he attempts.  Merlin explains he's possessed by an evil spirit and wouldn't otherwise attack him.  Leon asks what he would do if his sister was banished?  They corner him and Percival (Tom Hopper) knocks him out.  Gwaine replies, his sister's "an ugly toad" and he'd be grateful.  The boy tells Elyan he failed him.  Agravaine (Nathaniel Parker) claims he should be tried and punished according to the laws.  That's what he always says.

Merlin doesn't see any other reason for attacking Arthur.  Agravaine calls it a rouse to save Elyan.  That coming from someone who runs to Morgana to use her magic.  Merlin must master magic if he's to save Elyan. They must remove him from prison.  Gaius says he needs to be unconscious when the spirit is expelled and so a powerful sedative is placed in his water.  The guards are lured away by magic.  Once in the woods, Elyan refuses to drink cos the boy tells him not to and now Merlin gets hit!

Gaius and Merlin arrive at the shrine and Merlin senses the spirits and what happened there, he hears the cries.  Gaius finds the runes are in the Druid language and finds the crossbow.  The spirit is from Uther's time and seeks revenge.  Merlin claims he was looking for herbs in the wood and got lost, what no tavern excuse this time.  Arthur tells him to "pull up a chair, tuck in."  Merlin missed out on eating that chicken cos he saw a dead guard on the floor.

Elyan appears to Arthur dripping water everywhere and speaks in the boy's voice.  Merlin stops Arthur from killing him cos he's not Elyan.  Gaius explains the Druid's camp was attacked by Uther and a tormented soul is possessing Elyan.  It needs peace.  Under Druid law, "atonement of the perpetrator can bring the spirit peace."  All assume it was Uther and not Arthur.  Which is why he was behaving strangely.  Gaius has to kill Elyan.  Merlin says Arthur's not responsible for what Uther did and follows Arthur to the shrine.  Arthur admits he led the raid on the camp.  He was young and wanted to prove himself to his men and father.  He wanted to stop the killing but couldn't.  He just froze.  Now he's king he promises he will do everything to stop this happening again.  Treat the Druid people with respect.  "I give you my word."  The boy forgives Arthur and hugs him.  The smoke leaves Elyan a la Supernatural style.

Arthur's reading this time.  Merlin says his words were moving and he meant it.  He's never seen him cry before.  "...New sensitive, emotional side" was good to see."  Merlin: "No chance that we could have a hug..."  Oh Merlin keep your bromance to yourself.  Or is it a man-mance as I like to say.

As for Arthur treating the Druids with more respect that wasn't so in 5.1 Arthur's Bane Part 1, looking forward to this episode.  When Merlin encountered the seer, Arthur just called him an old man, irrespective of Merlin telling him of his vision.  He was dismissive even after what he witnessed in this episode.
It is always good when the main cast get to share their woes and see where they need to atone or repent.  Also a good twist in everyone assuming Uther was responsible for the massacre when infact it was Arthur wanting to prove himself.  Yet he was powerless to stop it from happening.

Tuesday 9 October 2012

CSI:NY In Music

In a first for any CSI show, CSI:NY  is to feature music from Greenday's album Greenday !UNO!  This is to help in the visualizatian of non dialogue/narration scenes in the show's season 9 episode 4, to air on October 19th.

Pam Veasey executive producer, who also wrote this episode said she was looking to "tell a story without dialogue, and Greenday's music and lyrics beautifully accompanied the visuals making it  a very special episode."

The scene in question from the episode is one with Lindsay (Anna Belknap) at a political meet of a politician (Neal McDonough) as an attempt is made on his life.  This could turn out to be very effective and striking in terms of visual storyline, a shame then it will be used in a scene with Lindsay!  As you know she is not one of my favourite characters.

Greenday were ecstatic, as songs from their yet to be released albums Greenday !DOS! and Greenday !TRE! will also feature.  They said, "it's the first time something like this has been on the series, and we are blown away with what we've seen."  Music used in this episode: Stop When the Red Lights Flash, Amy, The Forgotten, Kill the DJ.

Is it too late to say, "Wake me up when September Ends..." Or infact it's rather timely seeing as it's October!

Monday 8 October 2012

Downton Abbey Series 3 Episode 4

Carson (Jim Carter) hands out the servants mail and Anna (Joanne Froggat) doesn't get any letters from Bates (Brendan Coyle) and vice versa.  Each under the misapprehension that they are making a clean break with each other.

Matthew (Dan Stevens) and Mary (Michelle Dockery) argue over Matthew pulling his weight over the running of Downton.  Anna hasn't seen Bates as she tells Matthew and she hopes to see him soon or receive word from him.  Isobel (Penelope Wilton) has a letter for Mrs Hughes (Phylliss Logan) from Ethel (Amy Nuttall).  She wants her to arrange a meeting with her son's grandparents, the Bryants as she wants to give Charlie up.  She won't let anyone to help her.  Matthew has only invested in Downton as he explains to Carson and he still answers to Robert (Hugh Bonneville).  They need new help.  A maid, footman, Matthew asks if he really needs one as things have changed after the war.  The archbishop is coming to dinner.

Edith (Laura Carmichael) doesn't have breakfast in bed since she's not married.  Robert mentions the American women having the vote and Edith says she doesn't.  Matthew suggests she should write to The Times.  The Archbishop, or "prince of the church" as Robert describes him is to be seated next to the Dowager (Maggie Smith). O'Brien (Siobhan Finneran) asks if the footman will be second footman and Thomas (Rob James-Collier) wants him to get someone to represent the house and maintain standards.  Which is aimed at Albert (Matt Milne).

Mary has taken over the nursery as a sitting room and Matthew thinks it may have been about a baby.  Apparently she's not keen on having children for a long while yet.  Which he is disappointed over.  Was Mary hiding something from him as she just fobs it off as needing something for her hayfever.  That's the first we've heard about Mary getting hayfever, which hasn't troubled her all those times she was out to garden parties, especially at the end of season 1.  The Dowager owes Edith a guinea for a bottle of perfume and she asks if the seller had "a mask and a gun."  Edith is at a loose end.

Carson helps Albert out with cutlery placements and what they are used for.  Thomas didn't ask him for help but Albert did.  Mrs Bird (Christine Lohr) treats Ethel like a scarlet woman, only worse, thinking herself above her.  It's not "part of her duties to wait on the likes of her."

Robert says there's "something Johnny Foreigner about Catholics."  Edith is called by Sybil who tells her she's not been stopped and is out of the flat.  Cora (Elizabeth McGovern) is worried about her being stooped from doing what?  The Dowager asks if the war has driven people to the church.

Troubles abound in Ireland as Branson (Allen Leech) goes on the run from the police and Sybil (Jessica Brown-Findlay) is made to make her own way to Downton.  He turns up in the rain in the middle of the dinner and everyone is angry at him for abandoning Sybil;  who agreed to this plan anyway.  Robert in particular is disappointed as he thinks Branson is only looking out for himself.  He tells them about the rich family being turned out of their castle home and it being set on fire.  It finally drew on him that they were still human even if they were wealthy.  Yet he doesn't want to give up his connections with Ireland.  He even wants to return there.  Robert: "other families have normal sons-in-law."

News reaches downstairs and gossip abounds.  As Thomas says there'll be no more gossip on that tonight as Carson takes the tray to Branson.  The Dowager comments on the hideousness of the castle. He's suspected as being an instigator.  He wouldn't get a fair hearing in Ireland.  Cora says so he gave them Sybil.  Cora urges Robert to see the Home Secretary.  Branson sees the horror in those places, the Dowager adds it was a "jungle castle" and she agrees.  He was sorry at the burning.  Robert is beside himself with anger.  It is understandable, she's about to have his baby and he leaves her to fend for herself in what is a 'foreign' land for her.  Saving his own bacon.  Then saying he's ready to face the consequences if she doesn't get away as an afterthought.
Robert: "what a harsh world you live in."
Branson: "We all live in a harsh world...the difference is I know I do."

Bryant (Kevin R McNally) is still terrible to Ethel but she knows he loves Charlie and she agrees to give him up.  Mary tells Carson to go ahead and hire the "more handsome" footman.  Mary thinks Albert looks like a rescued puppy.  Matthew laughs at Carson's remark of Albert being O'Brien's nephew.  Matthew: "nothing worse could be said of any man."

Ethel says farewell to her son in an emotional scene which would have many in tears before Bryant comes and drags him away.  Bates sets up his cellmate, Craig in the same way he did to Bates and gets his letters as he's no longer out of favour.  James (Ed Speelers) as Carson wants him to be called, wants to come to Thomas if he needs help and Thomas of course becomes to be attracted to him.

Sybil arrives and Robert was able to pull strings with Branson having to stay here otherwise he'll be arrested if he returns.  But he's adamant he can't stay away.  Sybil wants him to since their baby needs to be safe.  He's set in his ways but he knew when he married Sybil he would have to compromise, yet he still wants things his way.  He can't compromise his principles.  He attended meetings where the violence was planned.  Which he kept from Sybil.  Branson was against violence.  Lady Gregory Countess Markivicz, the revolutionary, whom the  Dowager beings up after Robert mentions Sybil will be likened to her.  Irish people are so well born.  He is grateful for his freedom. Robert is certain he only says that to stay on Sybil's good side.

Daisy (Sophie McShera) tries to tell Albert her feelings but she's interrupted by the arrival of the new maid, Ivy (Cara Theobold) who catches Albert's eye; prompting Daisy to be horrible towards her.

Matthew confides in the Dowager at Downton being run badly and he needs her help with the mismanagement.  He put his fortune into Downton so it's his duty to fix it.  The Dowager knows: "...many noses will be out of joint." But he must do what he must.   Edith's letter gets published which Robert doesn't like and neither does Carson.  Secretly Robert looked like he was proud over the letter.

Mrs Hughes appeared to be judging Ethel for what she has become rather than her predicament with Charlie, in the same way Mrs Bird turned her nose up at her.  Yet she of all people, even more so than Isobel should understand what she's going through, especially since she was the one helping her last series.  Mrs Hughes is quite snobbish in that respect.  Perhaps the toaster she bought should have kept her preoccupied instead of getting involved with Ethel.

As for Branson, his position is understandable, he wants better for his home country, which the Crawleys just don't understand as they live their lives away from the real world.  They only read about things in papers, not get their hands dirty, or get involved firsthand in events they don't really care about.  Such as saving Downton being more important to Mary, than Matthew's feelings.  Branson was born into a different world and they expect him to tow the Crawley line now that he is married to Sybil, without realizing his conflicts and resolving them to please all, just aren't that simple.

The Dowager wanted Edith to be talked out of her marriage and this week she urges Edith to stop whining and do something, as she has  reasonable talent and a brain.  Countess Markievicz is known for her leadership role in the Easter Rebellion of 1916 in Ireland.  Making personal sacrifices for Ireland's freedom.