The Vampire Diaries 5.21 "Promised Land" Review

                                                         
This time round it's for Damon (Ian Somerhalder) to get poetic, well kind of as he holds Sikes hostage to glean the whereabouts of Markos (Raffi Barsoumian) only he's not talking even after he's been tortured by him.  Caroline (Candace Accola) arrives and is shocked to see  him cos he opened her first savings account for her.  Damon telling her about the town being taken over by Travellers, didn't she already know.  She wants to help Tyler (Michael Trevino) cos she doesn't give up on people, or hybrids.  Elena (Nina Dobrev) and Stefan (Paul Wesley) have their blood drained from them as if Markos hadn't got enough and Elena throws back the blood he gives her to drink on his face.  She wants to be freed cos she's given him the blood.  Maria (Tamara Austin) releases Stefan and lets him escape.  He comes for Elena, of course that was Stefan and not Markos Elena, what was she doing, suffering from hallucinations.

They leave but don't know where they are and Stefan calls Damon collect, they still do that.  He has been looking for him which is news to Stefan.    Damon says he's donning his superhero wig now.  As Elena tries to catch squirrels for blood, ha.  She's not really good at doing much is she.  They walk and try to hitch a ride but it doesn't work.  Then she thinks of Caroline and her cheery attitude towards everything, deciding they should be more like her and she wants her best friend here.  Stefan appears be to rather quiet about Caroline though, wonder why.  What happened to Bonnie (Kat Graham) she seems to have thrown her by   the wayside, is she no longer her best friend too and she's dating her brother.

Liv (Penelope Mitchell) tells Luke (Chris Brochu) they failed in their attempts to stop the Travellers or even kill one of the doppelgangers, cos if one dies, then the Travellers will be defeated.  Damon tells Bonnie to get Liv to hurry up with her spell to save the other side and so bring back Enzo (Michael Malarkey) and save herself too.  Enzo is throwing things at Damon cos he hasn't done anything to help him, which is where Bonnie comes in.  Jeremy (Steven R McQueen) arrives and Damon wants him and Matt (Zach Roerig) to come with him, as they bring the Traveller bodies to the house.  Well that wasn't a bright idea considering they'll be a bit too close to home.

Elena decides to go into sexy mode, ha, it'll never work to find a ride and Mariaia comes for them cos she also, wants her husband back.  Elena even asking her if she could take a bite out of her, really.  No self restraint especially after she saved her.   Caroline tells Tyler/Julian she's not giving up on him even if Tyler is no longer in him.  The townsfolk break their vials of blood and all gather in the own square chanting. Seems like they're out of time since the spell is beginning.  As Stefan et all arrive, Liv and Luke stop them and try to kill one of them, killing Maria in the process.  But they are drained of their powers.  Damon leaves a note for Markos in the caves and Markos comes a-calling.  Damon telling him it would be polite to knock.

He makes himself at home and isn't perturbed when Damon threatens the Travellers.  He decides on how he'd like to decorate Salvatore mansion.  Julian speaks to Damon telepathically and tells him Markos doesn't know he's here.  Damon shows Markos the wine cellar and passes the key to Julian.  Stefan and Elena burn as their rings no longer work and need to get to cover.  Matt shows them a way out below the bar as Elena recalls drowning and begins to cough up water.  Stefan is also shot and recalls this is how he died.  They need to get far away from the town, but as Markos told Damon, the spell will eventually get all round the world and rid the magic of the witches and destroy everything they created.  Only pure Traveller magic will remain.

Damon also begins to burn as Julian attacks Markos but it's too late as he loses his fangs.  That was funny. Markos lets Damon leave so he can get a head start before the spell catches up on him.  Meanwhile Caroline and Bonnie pack and Enzo wants to get back here.  But he overhears Bonnie telling Caroline there's no spell to save anyone.  Julian finds Stefan and Caroline as they meet up and go their separate ways.  He finds out Maria is dead and tears Stefan's heart from his body.  Elena kisses Damon cos she had a rotten day in a repeat of what he said to her last ep.  Realizing she wants to be with him after all.

Bonnie thinks that if they can get to Maria she can recite the spell and reverse it but she slips away from Enzo.  That went up in smoke or in the air! Ha.  That was their only chance and she can't do anything now, as Stefan appears to Bonnie, she realizes he's dead.  Well he was dead anyway being a vampire.  Well at least we got some fun scenes out of Damon and Caroline and even with Markos to lighten things up.  Hey, Damon fighting Markos was one sided but he gave it his best shot.  But Elena wanting Damon again was just a bit of a turn off, cos they keep going back to it over and over.

If magic disappeared and all other things it created then there'd be no next season, so let's hope it won't be dragged out for long in season 6.  But that might be stretching things a little considering this season was hit and miss.  So where did Liv and Luke disappear to?

The Mentalist 6.21 "Black Hearts" Review

                                                   
What another couch scene with them both! Ha
At the deserted hospital where Cho (Tim Kang) and Abbot (Rockmond Dunbar) discovered the dead girls, it's found their organs were harvested and that the remaining girls are missing.  Fischer (Emily Swallow) wants to know what she can do and Abbot wants her to see who was at this hospital.  Fischer also tells them that the Kasimi brothers are dead and were killed in jail.  Lots of plot holes in this ep as the FBI were meant to put the brothers in protective custody and yet they were left in jail and it was obvious they would be killed. Then later on they find that a doctor named Alexander Lark (Robert Joy) has had his licence revoked and was operating on the girls, killing them to remove their organs.

Wylie (Joe Adler) is able to find the companies that owned the trucks hiding behind several subsidiaries, the CEO of which is a man named Ridley (Titus Welliver).  Lisbon (Robin Tunney) is offered a lucrative job opportunity in Washington and she tells Don Anderson (David L King) she must think about it.  Pike (Pedro Pascal) tells her he went through a lot of trouble to make sure she was considered for the job.  Patrick (Simon Baker) walks in and says hello to them both and that's about it.  Patrick and Lisbon talk with Ridley who is evasive and at the same time attempts to lead them on a wild goose chase, by telling them he has nothing to hide and that he went through so many companies as it's a tax thing.  His CFO will be happy to show them the books.  Of course Patrick knows he's lying and makes reference to his office being sparse and undecorated.  Ridley adding it's just an office.

Cho and Fischer find Lark's daughter (April (Magda Apanowicz) and she doesn't know where her father is but he used to go to a beach at Corpus Christi.  Cho and Fischer find him and arrest him, but Anthony (John Hensley) is given a call by Ridley to make sure they don't get Lark alive.  There's a bomb under his car but he only triggers it after they move away from his car.  Another plot hole since he could have pulled the trigger when Lark was at his car and Cho and Fischer were still inside.  Yet he had to call and get confirmation from Ridley, what was the point of waiting, if he wasn't going to set the bomb off, why plant it.

Lark is shaken up and needs a drink to calm him.  He operated on the girls and at first he thought about how he was killing them but after that he didn't anymore.  Oh Sid how you've fallen from CSI:NY, ha.  He tells them a man would come to pick up the bodies after he harvested the organs and he didn't know his name. But he had a tattoo, 'vini, vedi vichi' (came, saw, conquered) on his arm.  Fischer asks Wylie to check out any leads with the tattoo.  Later Anthony goes to April's house and takes her necklace, which they find in Lark's cell after he's found hanged.  So he must have committed suicide thinking April had been killed or worst subjected to the same fate the other girls were, some would call that poetic justice.  Fischer recognizes the necklace and April is still alive, she hadn't realized her necklace was taken, she thought she lost it. Another plot hole, they still left Lark alone in jail, seems like FBI jails are prone to people getting killed or killing themselves.

They also find that the truck company in which the girls were found in and radar shows the ships and where they are heading and the girls on the move to various location where Ridley had connections, including Columbia.  Daniela (Zuleyka Silver) is told by Cho that he's still searching for her sister and will get her back. They inform the relevant authorities and Cho has a personal message for the Colombian embassy official, Moreno (Luis Fernandez-Gil) saying he needs to get a warrant to search the ships as they come in, adding that he doesn't want to make an enemy out of Cho.   Lark also recalled seeing a man from Nigeria at Ridley's house asking for a transplant and he was an oil company official.  He remembers his gold watch cos it was like the one that he had too.

Lisbon and Patrick pay a call on Ridley's house and Patrick looks at the photos.  Ridley tells him he's put them there cos his wife wanted them there, but Patrick knows that Ridley put them there to intimidate people.  He knows Ridley's lying.   The Nigerian man was at a party a few weeks ago and looking at the photos from the event management company, Fischer remarks on how Lisbon would prefer to be doing this with Patrick, cos they always work together.  Lisbon adds they don't, but yes they used to an awful lot in the past.  Lisbon telling a lie there, she's probably gotten good at it over the years working with Patty, yes you do and you have! Ha.

Patrick is in the evidence vault and takes some pills from there and some medical clothes asking Lisbon what size she is, cos he's got a plan but she won't like it cos she'll have to lie and deceive.  This she goes along with since the Nigerian man is alerted to the FBI searching for him by Ridley and he leaves the country.  Nice scene where Lisbon brought Patrick tea and woke him up with it.  Telling him that she's always liked his couch.  Oh Patty, we know it's going to be dragged out but still nothing from either of them.  She gets a call which he tells her to answer.  They've never sat like that before in the context of each one wanting the other to speak up but it was a touching scene.

Lisbon also tells Cho about her job offer and he recalls the first day he came to work with her and he almost left cos of Rigsby.  But he stayed cos of her and he liked the way she worked.  She hugs him and he says they're having Chinese for lunch.  Cho: "I wouldn't be where I am today if it wasn't for you, whatever decision you make it's been an honour.  Seems Lisbon has done a lot for her former team and she's an asset even now.  Patrick talks with Ridley at his home and he offers him whiskey which is actually Japanese whiskey and not Scotch as Patrick thinks.  Ridley shows him the bottle and Patrick drugs his glass.  He passes out and he wakes to see Lisbon in scrubs and Patrick in the same 'operating' on a patient.  Patrick pretends to cut him open and Lisbon drips fake blood from a sponge onto the floor, finally the patient's arm flops from the covers and the tattoo is revealed.  Of course it's really Wylie who enjoyed his role as Lisbon hands him a hanky later on to clean his arm.

Patrick then attempts to cut open Ridley and he finally gives Lisbon the password to his encrypted laptop containing the transactions he's entered into.  In an earlier scene Patrick waits for Ridley outside when he's released and he confesses to him that he took the girls but it was for the greater good of saving politicians, philanthropists and those much worthy.  Patrick says he understands cos over the years he's come across many psychopaths and monsters, yeah hasn't he!  Abbott asks Lisbon ad Patrick if what Ridley says is true that they forced him into confessing and tried to cut him open but Patrick says it's not true and then Abbot asks Lisbon on her own, adding that she's a good agent and honest, he knows Patrick is a liar and she flat out blatantly lies to him to save Patty!  Ahh.  In this case Patrick's ends justify the means! The girls are found and Cho reunites Daniela with her sister.

Pike returns and she agrees to leave for Washington with him, he then proposes to her and she's surprised. Patrick was sitting a few feet away and can't believe he didn't look up and see them kissing!  He wasn't that engrossed in his book.  Lisbon comes back for her bag and tells him she didn't tell Abbot anything for which he thanks her.  Patrick says goodnight to her.  Funny scenes where Patrick and Lisbon were faking the organ removal as Lisbon sponges him with blood though the blood on his scrubs kept changing from a bit to a lot at the front.

Patrick saying, "we make a good team sometimes."  Last time Patrick brought her coffee this time she brings him tea and really the time to talk isn't at work cos they won't be alone there in terms of not being interrupted.   As for Pike's proposal it came at the wrong time cos it was rushed and he even said it himself, that this isn't the romantic place to ask, but it's just so he thinks he can hold onto her in this way.  Lisbon isn't too happy with it either and she doesn't tell Patrick.  Pike is being forceful, first he gives her the time to decide about Washington and then he comes up with the job offer for her to begin with, then the proposal. Give her some space!  But not as much as Patty is giving her.  Not to mention Patty (Simon) getting a hair cut the next day after he left Lisbon with the cannoli!!

So the girls are found, the creeps going to get put away and that just leaves Patty and Lisbon to admit their feelings and stop her from leaving, which we know is inevitable since there's a season 7.  But still it's been dragged out.  I know it took CBS a while to make their mind up about a season 7 but at least we would have got the ending most of us wanted if season 6 had turned out to be the end of a fave show.  Hopefully it will go to a full season of 22 eps!

Revenge 3.20 "Revolution" Review

Emily: "A revolution begins when the desires of many are addressed by the actions of one.  It's a ripple of change that starts when the first stone is cast at those in power and only ends when one side lies defeated or if two sides become one."

Conrad (Henry Czerny) cornered Aiden (Barry Sloane) in the car park when he's searching for a deserted building and reminds him of what Pascal (Olivier Martinez) did to Oscar and that if he doesn't get him what Pascal has on him, then he'll alert Pascal to Aiden's whereabouts.  This means Emily (Emily VanCamp) must find another building, as she and Nolan (Gabriel Mann) ponder what names he should give her now.  Of course this is all a rouse for Emily to get her hands on Pascal and make him turn in Conrad and Victoria (Madeleine Stowe).  Pascal meanwhile asks Victoria to marry him and then they'll leave the country.  She thinks they should get married in Corsica as they break the news to Daniel (Josh Bowman) and Margaux (Karine Vanasse).  Pascal also congratulating Daniel on his coup with the new software App which will mean the LaMarchal name can now branch out into new social media.

Aiden and Emily kidnap Pascal and she pretends to be Agent Rebecca Stone of Homeland Security.  She was undercover for three years digging up the dirt on the Grayson's.  She wants what he has on Conrad or she threatens him with prison but he's not talking.  She then asks for his phone and reads out a section of the Patriot Act which states he can't ask for a lawyer.  On the phone all Nolan can find is a message about Daniel and Gideon and Prince Rainier not being happy, but Conrad thinks it's more than that.  Pascal was bluffing.  Emily then shows him notes from her file about his timeline and the note he wrote about Aiden's father.  She wants him to wear a wire to the opening of the Myclone launch party and to get Conrad and Victoria to confess.  But he won't give up Victoria.  Emily lets him have her, so she'll find out how he was playing her.  Victoria realizing Emily planned the entire wedding and the shooting on the boat to get her. Pascal can help her with Emily but she doesn't want him involved.

Conrad tries to warn Victoria about Pascal too and he admits he has a pain inside which she hopes is his appendix bursting.  He loved her once and she tells him Pascal loves her now.  He wants her to know that he's using her and once they're married she can't testify against him.  As well as making her corroborate Pascal's story against Conrad's claims.  When Pascal returns he wants to leave the country immediately and Victoria tries to find out where he's been and if he was with the same people he met the other day, since Conrad also told her about Oscar and that Pascal had killed him.  He heads for a shower and she finds the card in his pocket, which she calls and gets a voicemail about reaching Homeland Security.

Victoria tells Daniel about this who tells her it must have been cos of his rouse with Interpol.  He had a friend who owed him a favour and so he must have been aware of Pascal's cooking the books.  Victoria thinks it's all Daniel's fault that Homeland Security has surfaced but he tells her he's not the bad guy here.  Daniel runs straight to Conrad warning him of the agent and they wanted to protect themselves against Pascal.  Conrad adding that he hasn't been implicated yet since he's still here.  Daniel also warned Margaux that Pascal is leaving the country and wants to take Victoria to different countries, meaning once he's back in Paris she'll no longer be running the empire.  She talks to Pascal about this and he agrees to giving her the position of CEO in writing as she tells him Gideon still thinks he'll be CEO.  Sneaky Daniel, thinking he's being clever working everyone and playing them against each other.  

Charlotte (Christa B Allen) receives a letter which appears to be from David and she tells Victoria about this who thinks it's just someone playing a sick joke.  Victoria in her Special K red dress, ha.  She takes the letter so Charlotte doesn't have it and later she shows it to Jack (Nick Wechsler) as she found another two letters in her vanity.  So either Victoria thinks they're really from David or she was trying to protect Charlotte.  She wanted Jack to show her his journal since Amanda showed them to her and she thinks the writing is the same.  Jack doesn't have them but he knows of a way to help.  He asks Nolan to examine the postmark and as it's digital, he find sit leads to a cabin and a Kurt Renner (Linc Hand).  Jack wants to help her so at east he's got one woman in his life.  But Jack doesn't tell Emily this, who better to also recognize David's writing than Emily or didn't he think she had the right to know.

At the cabin they find lots of info on David, clearly someone had been researching him and as Jack tells Charlotte if David really wrote the letters then why would he need info about himself.  Jack takes a ring from the table which has the initials 'DC' on it and as they leave a mysterious man returns, knowing they've been there.  Jack tells her the police can't do anything about the letters but she wants to walk home by herself.  As the man watches Jack through the Stowaway window.  Charlotte is kidnapped bya masked man on the beach.

At the opening Nolan isn't invited but he gets in after showing the man that his name is on the hardware which gives him an automatic invite.  Victoria is there and she tells Pascal they should leave right now.  Margaux and Daniel introduce the software and Pascal announces Margaux is the new CEO.  Javier (Henri Esteve) asks some questions to Charlotte's App clone like what she wants to do for her birthday and she replies get high and have a party, at which the audience laughs.  He then asks a woman in the audience where she'd like to go and they'll send her there.  Her APP picks Sarajevo and she's angry cos her family were massacred there.  Margaux saves the day by telling them there will be glitches as it's in the early stages and Daniel gets the chance to fire Javier cos the APP is there's now.  As they say, serves you right Javier.  Nolan admits to Emily that he got into everyone's profiles and changed them.

Pascal is seen with Conrad and they head for the roof.  Emily runs up the stairs and Victoria follows them too.  On the roof Conrad asks if he wants to go back to the Hampton's with him so they can talk, yeah or get thrown from the helicopter, but it was obvious what was coming next.  Emily arrives just in time to see Conrad push Pascal into the helicopter blades.  Victoria is shocked when she arrives and knows Conrad did it on purpose but the police believe it was an accident since the pilot shares the same story of the events. That came after Pascal said he wanted to move on but Conrad wanted to ensure his neck wouldn't be on the line in the future.

Emily realizes that Conrad needs to be stopped at all costs and she has a plan for this.  Daniel is sorry for Victoria and tells her if the Feds were in on this then where are they now.  She calls the number to find it's been disconnected.  Giving her the notion that maybe it was Emily behind it since she was after Victoria all along.  Does this mean she'll go after Aiden now seeing as he's the man Emily loves and exact her own revenge, or will it be Conrad who does this.  I mean it's obvious that's what's going to happen.  See that smirk on Daniel's face when he was trying to comfort Victoria saying he wasn't the one behind this.  No Daniel you weren't.  Especially since he blatantly lies and tells her he didn't tell Conrad about the Feds.  He has that same look in his eyes when he comforts Margaux.  Now she's CEO and the world's his oyster since all he has to do is to get close to her again and now's as good a time as any since she's vulnerable.

Seems like the mysterious stalker is someone who knows David, a relative, another son, or someone who knows about him.  Surely if David was alive he would have let Emily/Amanda know this a long time ago instead of making her suffer.  If David is really alive that kind of turns the entire three seasons of Revenge on their head since the story should never have been about Emily's revenge to begin with.  Maybe Javier could have got someone to kidnap Charlotte since she was the one who made him deal with Daniel, he would have such connections being inside and everything.  Never trust a con Charlotte.

Emily: "To succeed a revolution requires absolute dedication against overwhelming odds.  At a moment's notice the tide can turn and every casualty stokes the fire to win at any cost. Because the only guarantee in a revolution is that the innocent are the first to fall."

But Charlotte isn't really so innocent, especially taking sides with Daniel and spying on Conrad to name but a few instances of deceit in her boring life.  That means Victoria is after Conrad too now, but doesn't look like she and Emily will be friends though.

Another of Nolan's jackets and he was shocked to see Javier copying his exclusive style too!  Obviously Emily didn't wear a long dress or she wouldn't have been able to run up the stairs and boy there were plenty of stairs.  Victoria hasn't been sitting on her throne, er, chair lately, seems plenty of things go wrong when she doesn't sit in it.  Too much time in the bedroom and balcony.  Seems like the only one she has left to trust is Patrick since son number 2 is obviously just like dad!

Longmire 1.7 "8 Seconds" Review

A man is being beaten with a boot underneath a painting of Sitting Bull and the assailant strikes the man with a belt buckle.  Lethal weapons are these buckles but they do feature strongly.
Whilst Vic (Katee Sackhoff) is engaged in extra curricular activities with her husband, Sean (Michael Mosley) who we get to see now and first impressions and all that but he's not really husband material, she gets a call asking for her help at the bar.  Vic tells him she's all Walt's (Robert Taylor) got and she'll be back in two hours.  He's used to her being a blonde now and they always have more fun, but strikes me that she's not really into her husband anymore as we've seen from past  eps, yet she's just into him for the sex, even better cos it's make up sex cos they're arguing, but haven't really made up, not that  we know of, which means it's even better and hotter!  Now maybe that was too much info! ha.  Anyway, Sean's blonde reference is an allusion to the books.

Apparently Walt had a few too many and needs a ride home, which she isn't happy about and he wasn't hat drunk, but of course he's Walt and will do the right thing in not drinking and driving.  He apologizes for disturbing her and she says she was having sex with her husband, clearly a word Walt doesn't like to use. Also he adds that must have been really good for her husband.  She then gets a call over the radio about alarms sounding at a house and when they arrive at Vic finds a man unconscious but alive.  As they place him into Walt's Bronco his wife arrives.  Though he appears to be sober now, which is kind of strange considering he could walk normally and tells her he'll be her back up.  Walt did find the belt buckle and that it's covered in blood.  Surprised the assailant didn't leave behind any of his own blood, but we're not into forensics in this show!  Oops, sorry I mentioned it!  Though we did manage a laugh or two out of the Sublette name, especially since here subletting refers to letting out your property as a tenant, ha.

At the hospital, Chris (Eb Lottimer) was beaten. The doctor telling Walt that Chris is alive cos he acted quickly.  But he's in a coma.  Julia (Stacy Haiduk) tells Walt he sponsors rodeo riders and had dropped Levi Giggs (Shawn Hatosy).  They find that a painting was stolen, 'Custer's Last Fight' but it was a reproduction leaving them to ponder why this would be stolen if it was a fake.  Walt takes a look at the painting in a book, naturally, the original was allegedly burned in a fire.  With Branch (Bailey Chase) remarking he liked the jacket, hey a dig at Walt's own jacket no doubt in a roundabout way, ha. So Custer's jacket had a fringe. But Walt thinks the beating is more of a personal thing than about a painting.  Ferg (Adam Bartley) has to check out Julia's alibi.  Vic drops Walt off at the Red Pony and he tells her to get some rest cos it'll be her first rodeo.  As Walt gets into his Bronco he sees a painted face in  the back and orders him out.  It's Bob (John Bishop) the rodeo clown.

Uh-oh Sean pull sup when Vic is otherwise occupied fending off the advances of Bob and reminds her she's eight hours late, then asks if he can take her for breakfast.  Swear he thinks there's something between Walt and Vic, or he's just a plain ass!  Especially since he posits he'd hate to separate them even for a few hours. Walt tells them to go and have breakfast on him.  Bob didn't know she was married and Walt adds, "we all have our little secrets."  Don't we just, another loaded comment from Walt,  ensuring the mystery deepens!

Ending up at the rodeo and taking Branch too where it turns out to be an election appearance for him as he graciously accepts the applause, with Walt having to pry him away from his ardent admirers.  He tells Branch to fill up a bucket and throw water onto the ground.  Obviously he was going to get Levi to walk into the wet patch.  That way he'd get an imprint of his boot since boots were involved in Chris's beating.  They question Levi but he only has eyes for Vic who's quite sicked by his attention.  First her husband, then Bob and now Levi, seems she gets all the attention from the wrong men.  Levi was dropped but insists he quit and was accused of mistreating the horses.  Walt notices Levi's bruised knuckles and the belt buckle but he says he was out drinking and with the ladies too.  He steps into the mud as he shakes Branch's hand and Walt tells him to take a photo on his phone after dropping a quarter next to it.  Branch picks up the coin when he's done.

As they leave, Lizzie (Katherine La Nasa) bumps into them and offers Walt candy floss (cotton candy) and says that she got his call last night but he hung up.  He says she must be wrong but she recalls his number and he says he must have misdialled, but why has he still got her number to begin with, you know case closed and all that from last time, but to be fair he had been drinking, so perhaps a momentary lapse in judgement when he rang her.  Walt 's uneasy with Branch and Vic watching him and when she leaves after telling him to leave the phone ringing next time, Branch adds that these days they've caller ID.  Walt talks with Dennis Nunn (Patrick Fabian) the rodeo vet, cos the more suspects the merrier.  Also showing Walt's love for horses still which we saw in A Damn Shame earlier on.  Dennis tells him about a rider using a 'hot shot,' a cattle prod  and that it was Levi as his son , Zack (Calum Worthy) has evidence of him doing this.  He would hide it in his chaps and used it on the horses to make them buck more.  The rod can cause a heart attack, clue for later.

Branch tells Vic he's worried about Wat since he was drunk at a CS and Vic is angry cos he's just digging around for ammo to use against him but he acted in a responsible manner.  Walt arrives and interrupts telling them about Levi.  He used a cattle prod and he identifies his heel as a Buckeroo heel worn by bronco riders.  Ferg says that Julia's alibi checks and that she was seen with her husband at 9.40, or at least a man that the waiter described as good looking.  Meaning she was with another man when Chris was being beaten.  Vic storms in telling Walt Branch is keeping with Julia.  That was a bold statement to make and where's her evidence, especially since she sees Branch pouring a cup of coffee, did this remind her of the coffee conversation he had with Cady (Cassidy Freeman) back in 1.5 Dog Soldier. Anyway she was jumping to conclusions and kind of putting Walt on the spot.

Branch brings food and couldn't find anyone to alibi Levi.  Walt is direct saying he knows he's sleeping with someone and he has a right to know who that is.  Branch thinks he's busted, oh no, but Walt is completely oblivious, he means Julia.  Branch denies it and Walt stares him right in the eyes so has no choice but to see he's not lying.  Walt also knows Bracnh heard he was drunk at the CS and only two people could have told him, Julia or Vic.  It wouldn't be Vic since she defended him but there's a third possibility as we get to meet Branch's father, Barlow Connolly (Gerald McRaney).  Walt pays him a visit saying he knows he was having an affair with Julia.  An old fashioned term to use, since Barlow denies this, they were just having sex, again something Walt doesn't like it say.  Barlow refuses to swear to that in a court as he thinks Walt will use that as leverage for his campaign and shy away from the question of being drunk on the job.  Walt is angry, it' about a man being beaten but Barlow disagrees.

Julia admits she loves her husband and they brought the painting on the black market.  The painting is worth between $3-400,000.  Leading one again to Levi. At their house Walt matches the boot print to the one in the photo but Walt says it doesn't mean it was Levi but it doesn't rule him out either.  He sees an overturned framed photo and then in the bedroom, he finds photos of Julia and Chris in the drawer.  Why would they hide a celebration of their love?  Walt then comes clean to Vic that he cheated on his wife once and she's surprised.  He feels guilty for calling Lizzie and to him that's akin to cheating.  Vic knows cheaters can rationalize what they do and she's talking about herself when she says they sometimes find they married the wrong person.  Not the case for Walt though and he knows he's not ready to move on and it's not easy to do that.

At the hospital, Walt questions Chris who is out of his coma and when he asks about his wife and having an affair he becomes agitated and pulls out his IV trying to kill himself.  Walt also realizes that the prod can cause a heart attack and as he looks at his medical chart he asks the doctor what he's really suffering from. Apparently Chris had a heart attack.  Walt looks at the photos Zack took and a bumper sticker is shown for obvious reasons, reading: "Bronco riders do it in 8 seconds."  Which you're not meant to get the relevance of yet, but it was relevant otherwise it wouldn't have been shown. Walt asks what sort of prod it is.  Then finds one of his own and takes it to Henry (Lou Diamond Phillips).  Walt wants him to shock him.  Henry won't do that and thinks Walt is trying to absolve himself of guilt.  That his wife is dead and he isn't, Henry adds, "it is what it is."  Walt hates that phrase and that's why Henry used it.  Walt is serious and Henry reminds him he used to be fun and then finally shocks him.

Cady tells Branch she hates sneaking around and lying and wants this to end.  Branch isn't happy about that and is adamant he will drop the race for sheriff if he has to.  She doesn't want him to change his life for her. Walt talks with Levi who is about to impress a bunch of prospective sponsors and asks for 8 seconds.  Later he accuses him of shocking Chris and  Walt pulls up his shirt to show him the marks, not an out right shirtless scene but guess it counts for something, ha!   Vic finds someone tried to pawn the painting.  A farmer found it at the back of his truck and Bob recalls someone there advertizing his own humiliation with the bumper sticker. Leading to the Nunns. They all drive the truck so he takes all three in.

Langley (Jodi Harris) thought Dennis was having an affair with Julia and so asked Zack to follow him.  Walt grabs his boot and shows the imprints match his boot.  At the Sublette house, he looked through the window but didn't see Julia, instead he saw Chris.  He got angry when he called him 'son' and just beat him up.

Branch and Barlow go riding and Barlow reminds him how his ancestors made Wyoming what it is.  Asking why he hasn't used Walt's drinking against him.  Branch replying he wasn't and he saved Chris's life as well as solving the case.  Clearly he admires Walt and still has much to learn from him.  He thinks about not running against Walt right now, but Barlow doesn't want him to give up, it's his time.  But Branch doesn't use his drinking against him.  He wants Branch to find something he can use cos he's hiding something.
Walt invites Lizzie to the bar and they both giggle like it's a first date, which it is for them together but not for them.

Branch seems to be misunderstood by everyone doesn't he.  He is keeping secrets obviously about his relationship with Cady, but at the same time he does see Walt as something of a mentor.  Can't help thinking he wanted to get out of the race for sheriff just so he could keep on seeing Cady and maybe even come clean about it, not that that'll happen yet, cos everyone is keeping their own secrets.  Though this ep was another about feeling guilty for Walt and Cady, for lying about her affair, there used Walt's old fashioned word, but hey it's appropriate and Walt cos of his wife and for thinking that going out with another woman, or contemplating it, is cheating on his wife.  Hey it's only been a year and with his 'baggage' he doesn't have to move on just now or already.

Vic just wants hubby back cos they have great sex together since last few eps she has been complaining about him and wanting her to move again.  Seems she is better off without him and as such even mentions people marrying the wrong person.  Though Walt wouldn't be the right one for her, and I'm not one who will 'ship' them to use that phrase, which I don't really like using for any show that I like or write about.  They're better off as being friends.  As for Walt and Lizzie, well she's another one who's not right for him, she's rather flighty and school girly, clearly not someone Walt can find true happiness or love with. Maybe she's just someone to wile away the lonely hours with but that's it.  Oh did I just write that, sounds  a bit demeaning towards her, but hey only being honest.

Zack being angry with his father must have been building up for a long time and not just cos he saw him with Chris, maybe he's done this before and the rage has been building over the years, or the fact that he was unfaithful to his mother.  Barlow's funny line of telling Branch to "just marry him" if he's so enamoured! Doubt that'd work, ha!  But funny coming in this ep about husbands having secret affairs with one other.  Also adding that Walt's "not as pure as you think."  Ooh daddy seems to know so much about him!  Gerald McRaney showing why he's always a dab hand in his shows.  Best known for detective series Simon & Simon here.

The Vampire Diaries 5.20 "What Lies Beneath" Review

                                               
Now that they know the Traveller's are after Elena (Nina Dobrev) and Stefan (Paul Wesley) as Tyler (Michael Trevino) manages to turn into a werewolf and escape and warns them of what Markos (Raffi Barsoumian) has in mind.  They decide it would be good to hide out in Caroline's (Candace Accola) father's cabin.  Yeah who thought of that idea, Damon (Ian Somerhalder) ha, instead of laying low let's go isolate ourselves instead. Luke (Chris Brochu) goes with them to chant a spell to ensure the Travellers don't find them.  Caroline thinks that Stefan and Elena are romantically linked again and tries to find out if this is true, but Damon thinks they're hiding something else, something about Enzo (Michael Malarkey)

So they that game a little like Truth or Dare but instead you talk about what really happened to you and you take a drink if you're lying.  Well Damon brings up Enzo and Stefan doesn't drink, thus confirming his suspicions that he's got a secret and so has Elena.  When Elena and Stefan collect firewood and spend a long time in the barn, as Caroline puts it, twenty minutes, Enzo finds he can touch the light, thus giving him a whole new plan to his revenge quest.  Yet it is obvious Caroline does have feelings for Stefan even if they say they're just friends.

Bonnie (Kat Graham) and Jeremy (Steven R McQueen) have the entire dorm to themselves and so are trying to make a date weekend out of it.  But he's called and has to head back to help with Tyler.  Grams (Jasmine Guy) appears to Bonnie and tells Bonnie she needs to be honest about what's happening to her and what will happen to her, even though she told Jeremy that Liv thinks there's a spell to save her.  Yeah so where was Liv hiding out.  Grams knocks over a lamp showing that things are getting out of hand on the other side cos she wasn't able to do that before.  Which is good news for Enzo since he's still around and out for revenge.

Matt (Zach Roerig) and Jeremy torture Tyler, or rather Julian to make him give up Markos's whereabouts and he tells them about his body and how Markos is probably heading for it.  They serve him cocktail of vervain before that which makes him speak.  Well it was more the piece of metal that Matt stuck into him. Seems Matty Blue Eyes has it in him to be ruthless after all.

Enzo tries to drown Elena in the bath, that was fun to watch and Damon has to rescue her - again.  She also spills the beans about Enzo being dead and well, she can't keep a secret, wouldn't trust her with anything. It's not like he tortured her or dragged it out of her or anything.  Too late, Damon confronts Stefan about it and then he realizes that Enzo isn't out for one of them but he's going after all of them.  They find Luke gone.  For a witch Luke is so easily captured by everyone.  They search for him and Caroline and Elena have their talk about why she kept it from her and she realizes it wasn't about Elena and Stefan after all, but Caroline did look awfully jealous.  Even when Stefan tells her he kept it to himself cos he didn't want her to feel sad about Enzo cos they looked pretty cushy together.  Adding eh keeps things from Elena too.

Stefan and Damon have their talk and Stefan tells him he didn't want Damon to go on a killing rampage if he knew Enzo was dead, seeing as he doesn't have any friends at all.  Damon replies he wouldn't have done that, but going on past behaviour, there's no guarantee of that.  They find Luke in the barn and as they try to get him out, Enzo sets the place on fire.  Staking Stefan and holding a rock against Damon.  Damon tells him there's a lot happening and Bonnie came back from the other side as did Markos and others so he promises he will find a way to bring him back too.  He believes him and lets Damon go, that all seemed too easy. Funny Stefan didn't race out of there at vampire speed when he had Luke, no he just took his time.

Bonnie and Jeremy get to where the Travellers are hiding the Mystic Falls residence bodies, in the caves, where else, but don't find Julian's body.  Giving time to the Traveller's to take it back.  They burn it and chant spells which doesn't leave much hope for Tyler, who begins to have flashbacks of everything that happened, about Markos destroying the knife.

So at least Damon got to kiss Elena again, cos well he said he needed to and of course she was obliging, but it's not what some of us wanted to see, especially since he just kind of goes running back to her over and over.  They parted now let's see them apart.  Is that too much to ask?! It does seem to be getting old hat and needs a new injection of fresh ideas.  The sooner this happens and the Travellers disappear, the better.  Even though Damon tells her he wouldn't have gone all murderous on them showing he's kind of come a long way.

The Mentalist 6.20 "Il Tavolo Bianco" Review

                                            
Patrick (Simon Baker) brings Lisbon (Robin Tunney) coffee with his tea and she wants to really know what he thinks about her leaving, but the only comment Patrick makes is that she'll find it boring in DC.  She can't believe that's all he said.  Well she will, it's true cos he won't be there!  Just then two men walk in and hand them over subpoenas as well as one for Fischer (Emily Swallow) when she asks what's happening.  A Grand Jury has been convened to see if they can indict Patty for Red John, aka Thomas McAllister's murder.

Lisbon and Fischer are asked questions about if they think he killed him and what he said about it, where he was and whilst they don't really want to answer, Lisbon pleads the Fifth about three times especially when she's asked questions about Patrick and if he killed him, ending with "gotta hell."  Obviously she had nothing to say when it came to her two years of waiting around for him and also on the events of Red John's death. Back at the office, Patrick is already there reading his book and they're surprised to see him.  Though Lisbon does get angry when she finds out from Abbott (Rockmond Dunbar) that it's a sting, a con she calls it, but Patty calls it a sting.  They're after a mobster named Acardo (Johnathan LaPaglia) and they think he paid off some of the Grand Jury to ensure he doesn't get indicted.  So Patrick will be questioned by the prosecutor, Lydia Faulk (Merle Dandridge) and see if he can pick out which ones have been bought off.  Lisbon refuses to tell him what she said, though it'll be in the transcript.

I said see if he can, but of course he will be able to.  He points out things to the jurors such as one having close set eyes, another one should make up with his son, one woman likes reading love stories and would love an illicit engagement (maybe talking about himself there with Lisbon, ha).  One he claims is self obsessed since he's looking at his new leather jacket.  Lydia asks Patrick questions about where he murdered Red John and Patrick replies, it's not proven he was 'murdered'.  He could have strangled and shot himself, which made me burst out laughing, cos she didn't realize he was playing her.  Patrick believes it's the  Lydia who's been bought off by Acardo.

Abbot fills the rest of the team in on Acardo and how he was at a restaurant where one of his Vic's, Elijah, was murdered.  He suggests Lisbon take Patrick there and have dinner on the FBI.  Of course Patrick would be only too happy to oblige especially considering it gives him a chance to be alone with Lisbon.  The restaurant owner, Aurelio (Tony Amendola) thinks they're a couple as he comments on how Patrick could bare to be away from her.  Which they both must be thinking.  But they got to sit down close and stare into each other's eyes, ahh to be that close to Patty and still each was evading the real question and not coming clean about their feelings.  Of course it wouldn't be that easy especially since the momentum of their emotions needs to be kept up and taking us along for the ride too.  They order the most expensive bottle of wine and Patrick asks Aurelio about the mobsters that used to dine here, including Acardo, to which he doesn't answer.

Pike (Pedro Pascal) wants Lisbon to watch Casablanca er, one of my fave movies and she hasn't seen it. She's too interested in the magazine, more like bored, and Pike knows something's troubling her.  She doesn't talk about it but he tells he to take as long as she wants to make up her mind.  They watch the movie which he tells her is about a woman who has to decide between two men, that was a bit simplistic, but that's close to Lisbon's heart.  But think she's already made up her mind in her heart that it's gotta be Patty but neither will be honest about it.  They decide to watch baseball instead!

Patrick has Wylie (Joe Adler) go over the evidence from the shooting and asks him which piece of evidence is most relative, but he's not into all the trace and fibres stuff.  He then asks him which one is the most out of place.  Hey Patty been at this for so long you don't need an explanation as to what trace is.  Wylie picks up a coat since there was no evidence on it, no GSR etc.  Patrick finds a hole inside the lining and thinks if they can find who the coat belongs to then they will have evidence against Acardo.  That was also a little simplistic, as for having no evidence on the coat, cos in the end the coat is thrown to the floor for the money to be taken out of it, but there was no soil or other trace on it.

Fischer takes the coat to Elijah's mother, Mrs Macy (Alison Martin) who says it's not his cos he's allergic to wool.  Patrick concludes the only way they'll get any evidence to prove Lydia is dirty is to prove Acardo is guilty of the crime itself.  To this end he sets himself up as the intended Vic.  Abbott asks about his time with Lisbon and he says her fish was good.  Abbot asks if he's going to just let her get away.  Patrick also asks Lisbon what he's done wrong since she's not really opening up to him, oh wonder why that is.  But Pike comes in and they leave.  Took a long time waiting for that lift to arrive.  Oh man don't you just wanna cry those soppy looks Patty was giving Lisbon just got a lump in my throat everytime I looked at him!

Fischer and Patrick go to his nightclub and Patrick plans to make him jealous by going after his woman,  something that belongs to him.  Story of Patty's life, ha, he should just take Lisbon from Pike. He bumps into Brandy (Brianne Davis) and takes her bracelet, which he helps her find after she shows him her glitter body cream.  He tells her he'd buy her Cartier and drinks champagne as he dances with her. Acardo wants him to leave her alone but he says he's Patrick Jane and will be convicted soon but he wants to spend a night with her and she can tell him all about it.  Patrick then tells the crowd that he's going to be killed by him when he leaves cos Acardo's a murderer and a drug dealer.  Fischer leaves and also bumps into Acardo.

Acardo goes for dinner with Brandy at the restaurant and gives Aurelio the coat that one of his men is wearing.  He takes the coat to the hitman and leaves it on the ground.  Cutting the lining open, he reveals money inside and the hitman is shot, as Fischer is also shot.  Patrick shows them the note with his name on it.  That's how he orders his hits.  Patrick turns up at the restaurant with his coat on and Acardo chokes on his food.  So Patrick has to save him too.  Aurelio agrees to testify against him cos he threatened to kill him and leave his wife a widow but he won't leave his restaurant.

Patrick turn sup at Lisbon's with cannoli which Aurelio's wife has made and Pike answers the door.  Funny Patrick had to ask for Lisbon considering it was her house and he didn't invite him in, neither did she.  She takes the canolli and Patrick tells her he hopes that whatever she decides he hopes she'll be happy, that all he wants is for her to be happy.  Oh boy, the emotions and Lisbon in tears and Patty just about.  Words fail me right now!

But having Pike turn up at every moment wasn't doing Patty's case for Lisbon any good, especially at one point where Pike tells him Patrick did the right thing and what any father would do.  But even Abbot knows there's something between them and Patrick having to tell him he's not letting Lisbon go, well it sure feels like he is.  What was nice was how Patrick told Lisbon he knows everything she'll do and she replies she'll try and surprise him one day and can't wait to see that, even if they are dragging this out.  But at least I can be happy whilst writing this knowing for sure there'll be as season 7!  Yes!  Patrick telling her she's too predictable means he must be confident that in the end she will stay whether or not he must declare his feelings for her.  Cos you know what, he's still wearing his wedding ring since he hasn't found the right woman to take it off for and she must be Lisbon!

The other story of the girls being abducted also continues with Cho (Tim Kang) on the case.  They gather more evidence from the cabin and Abbot is overwhelmed with the smell from there.  As everyone leaves, Cho hears a noise and finds Daniela (Zuleyka Silver) there.  She shows him her sister's tag and there's still no leads on her.  Back at the office, she looks through photos and Patrick asks her how she's doing.  He notices the heart tattoo one her hand and asks her if she's right handed which means she didn't draw it on herself.  he says they all had one, at least most of them and they had a blood test taken, but they don't know why.  She's frustrated at nothing being done and throws the drink bottle and file onto the floor.  Cho reassures her it's not her fault but she knows it is, she convinced Amy they would model.

Cho is following up the lead on the blood test kits that were found at the cabin and this leads them to a company supplying them to hospitals.  Cho finds they're very common and used for home blood testing. Wylie finds a bow and arrow insignia on one of the boxes and after doing some research finds that one of the hospitals listed as a customer isn't open anymore.  Abbott and Cho find it's been used recently and hear a generator.  When Cho opens the freezer door, they find DBs and Cho finds a girl with a heart tattoo on hr hand, whose heart has been removed.  They're removing the girl's organs.  

At least the continuation of this story was a break between the very tense scenes between Lisbon and Patrick though I could watch Patty being romantic and failing a lot all day!  Let's hope she makes the right decision and stays cos it would be good to watch how their relationship works out next season and whether they can make a go of it.  Still 'The White Table' translated, was a good ep to watch and shows that the show hasn't really lost that old touch.

This conversation says it all really and summed up their scenes perfectly!  SO sweet and yet they do know what a girl wants to hear, Patty cos he's been married and Lisbon cos she isn't really a novice when it comes to dating and love!
Lisbon: "You always know what I'm gonna do, huh?"
Patrick: "Mostly."
Lisbon: "One of these days, I might surprise you."
Patrick: "Please don't. I love that you're predictable."
Lisbon: "Just what a girl wants to hear."
Patrick: "What does a girl want to hear?"
Lisbon: "I wish I knew."  
Be still my heart! That's my line! Ha.

Revenge 3.19 "Allegiance" Review

                                                 
Emily: "Victory can never be achieved alone.  Alliances must be forged to overcome superior forces.  Some born from a shared goal, others out of desperate need, but for a union to succeed, one must determine if an ally is truly a friend or merely an enemy in disguise."

Emily (Emily VanCamp) meets with Pascal (Olivier Martinez) at the horse race, pretty boring one at that, ha. Where she spoke about their partnership and how they could side together against Conrad (Henry Czerny). But she realized he was siding with Victoria (Madeleine Stowe) and told Aiden (Barry Sloane) that Victoria was with Pascal and he's trying to find the whereabouts of Oscar Chapman (John Prosky) too.  Nolan (Gabriel Mann) wanted to talk to Javier (Henri Esteve) about their partnership deal but he was too busy and that's cos he was in bed with Charlotte (Christa B Allen) how boring!  Another chance for Charlotte to jump in with the first man she meets, ha.  She tries to convince him to side with Daniel (Josh Bowman) she'll help him but he's still feeling loyal towards Nolan.  That and his monitor stops him from being really free.

So Margaux (Karine Vanasse) and Daniel at the races too, were looking very pleased with themselves as Daniel showed her the new app where her avatar would tell her what she wanted, turns out a new pair of shoes, is that all, no mention of Daniel then.  Anyway with their new tech Daniel can get on side with her father when he has something to offer him.  Victoria sees Luke Gilliam (Tim DeKay) there and Emily spots them together too, as she listens to them talk about how Conrad tried to get him involved in the bombing of the plane, and he was meant to take the fall but left, so David was made the scapegoat instead, but that he has something on Conrad too.  Aiden using Nolan's fingerprint technology breaks into Pascal's stable to see if he can find anything on Oscar.

Victoria confronts Conrad about this revelation, but he tells her to ask Pascal what his role was in David's downfall, hoping he'll put a spanner in the works of their relationship.  Jack (Nick Wechsler) is having problems of his own with Margaux to which I say he should give her the old heave ho!  He was away for a week dealing with his mother and her problems and she didn't even call him once, even if she was preoccupied with Voulez.  She tells him about Pascal wanting her to run the entire empire and has no time for Jack but has plenty for Daniel it seems.

Nolan tried to show Javier the new contract but he was more interested in taking the darker road and siding with Daniel and Margaux.  Nolan tries to warn him but just like Margaux, refuses to listen.  At their meeting he's offered a McLaren cos Daniel looked it up on his avatar and they unveil a magazine cover with him on it. Oh and Daniel also used his favours to get his monitor removed.  Even Margaux refusing to listen to Jack about Nolan and he won't stand by and see his friend being treated in that way.  Nolan later showing his own display as he blows up some lights at Grayson manor in an attempt to warn Daniel and Charlotte that they're at war now.  Well not like they weren't before as far as Ems is concerned, but now it's personal for Nolan too, much more personal.

Nolan and Aiden find a Brenda who knows Oscar and Nolan even beings along food for their their stake out but Aiden throws it out.  They confront  Brenda, who looked like a man and find that she is actually Oscar. He has to wear the disguise when he goes out otherwise he's at risk from Pascal and others.  He tells Aiden about his father and he was innocent.  He thought he was taking diamonds onto the plane, not a bomb.  He was going to face his crime but he was murdered by Pascal.  Knew that already.  Oscar took the story to Pascal and realized it was a mistake.  Nolan tells Aiden he knows what it's like to be upset about his father and offers him a big hug whilst they're being photographed, by Conrad's men no doubt.

Victoria confronted Pascal about David and involving him but he's not willing to talk about that.  Victoria lets rip by hitting him and Pascal admits he was only involved to protect her.  Yeah more like himself and his empire he built up.  Cos if Conrad had gone down then she'd go with him and Pascal was only ever in love with Victoria and she doesn't realize this gives him ample motive to have had the other man, his rival, removed, i.e. David.  Pascal playing  part of the conversation they had years ago to Conrad who realizes what Pascal has over him and there was Conrad thinking that he had broken up with Victoria.

Emily tries to get  her revenge on Luke by wanting a job in his company.  She will be able to help him with the environmentalists who protest about his clean water company.  She asks Jack to help and he plays a disgruntled man whose family has been affected by the use of his chemicals in the water.  Luke drinks a sample of the so called chemicals he uses in the water whilst Emily takes one to analyze.  Luke was in awe of Emily's handling of Jack that he invited her to his award ceremony.  The sample contains saline and gelatin and Emily gave Jack a memory stick with his downfall plotted on there already.  "His undoing."  At the ceremony to which Victoria invites herself to suss out Emily's real intentions;  Luke drinks a sample of the water and on the screen with the help of the memory stick, it says he's just drunk his chemicals.  He's taken to hospital and Emily uses a disguise to manipulate him into giving up what he has on Conrad.

Pascal knew he had to take care of Oscar and so shoots him dead in cold blood, Victoria had better watch her back.  Conrad shows Aiden the photo of Oscar's DB and wants his help in taking down Pascal.  He has the recording and Aiden can help him get it but he refuses.  Also warning Aiden that he'd be the next target. Well that was obvious since both Pascal and Conrad can just do what they want  and take down anyone they want.

Emily was pleased with herself and Jack warned her to be careful.  She congratulated him on the move with Margaux but he told her it's not going ahead.  That's cos he and Emily are destined to be together.   Emily gets to use her red sharpie and crosses Luke from the list.  Victoria does the same but with a black one and realizes that Emily's not after her family but she's taking out revenge on those people closes to David.  Ooh mystery will soon be revealed. ha.  But she only knows Emily is out for revenge not that Emily is really Amanda.  Though Emily has said in the past that she and Amanda were friends and that she's probably carrying on the vendetta for her.  Think it'd be too easy if she figured out that Emily is Amanda and that'd be the plot of the entire series up in smoke.  Leaving not so much for season 4.  

Emily: "Alliances can reunite old friends in the most unexpected  of ways, by testing the bonds that are the strongest of all.  They can lead to the greatest victories or your ultimate defeat."

This ep was a bit all over the place in terms of plot, with each person having their own agenda, Emily with taking down Luke and getting the goods on Conrad and Conrad getting what Pascal has on him.  Pascal taking down Oscar.  Margaux and Daniel in bed together and convincing Javier to join them in his venture. But it just looked like it was being dragged this way and that just for the sake of it.

It's clear there's more killing to come, Conrad needs to take car of Pascal and Aiden has also been warned by Conrad too, so it seems the entire Mathis family will be brought down, barring Aiden's mother.  Emily looking fetching in her '40's style hat!

Longmire 1.5 "Dog Soldier" Review

The scene opens with a man being beaten brutally and his cries for mercy go unheeded.  He loses his teeth too and they are picked up by his attacker.  Children play and one's horse comes back with its rider but they heard the boy, Neel Cody (David Vigil) talking.  He was about to be adopted and his adoptive parents were looking forward to his adoption.  The parents are worried for his safety and Charlie (Colby French) the adoptive father, wants an amber alert issued.  Vic (Katee Sackhoff) exchanges a look with Walt (Robert Taylor).  Neel is Cheyenne and the girl says she didn't hear anything, just saw the horse.  Charlie thinks since the birth parents are addicts and Neel was removed from their custody, they may have taken him back. Walt tries to calm Charlie down by saying usually kids go missing but always turn up with a catch.  Though this time that's not quite the case.

Walt however thinks this is serious since he recalls the girl said Neel didn't scream, so he was attacked from behind, knew his attacker or had his mouth covered.  He tells Branch (Bailey Chase) to check any registered sex offenders since an amber alert can't be issued until they know what Neel was abducted in.  Walt asks Vic if she ever ran away and she did when she was 13, but she wore shoes, Walt adding he wouldn't run away with one shoe and he'd just be going round in circles.  Walt and Vic visit the real parents on the Res and find a broken down car outside.  The father(John A Lorenz) is clearly angry since their son was just taken away by Family Services from school, based on false allegations and lies.  They're not addicts and couldn't afford White man's justice in a White man's court.  But he's working two jobs and working on the car and when it's fixed, they'll have money to hire a lawyer as he'll get a better paid job.

At the station, Ruby (Louanne Stephens) hands Walt his mail, including a letter from the Denver police department which Walt pockets.  Funny that letter didn't fall out of his back pocket, considering the number of places he went with it, ha.  Branch gave details at the press conference, good to know they had one for a missing Cheyenne boy since it's usually the White children who get more  press coverage, also maybe it was cos he was being adopted by a White family that there was a press conference.  Neel's parents don't have much of an arrest sheet and Walt comments their only crime was being poor.   Which really isn't a crime when you think about it, it's just circumstance.  Vic mentions her grandmother had more arrests, is that really true then or was she being sarcastic.  Branch is sent to the childrens' home.

Cady (Cassidy Freeman) tells Walt she can't give away privileged info about the adoption, but Vic tells her it was she who asked and not Walt.  Walt agrees adding she can't help Neel but that works making her feel guilty and she's able to help without risking disbarment or breaking privilege, since public records will help. At the home Branch questions the director, Ryan Shank (Noah Harpster) who was so suspicious and nervous that he had to be involved.  Suspicions confirmed when later that night he too disappears, after telling Branch he doesn't have Neel's file here.  Branch leaves his card with him.  next morning as Vic and Walt turn up he's not around but are called since two boys have gone missing and Vic finds Neel's file in the office, along with Walt checking his shelf, cos there's plenty you can tell about a person by what they read. That goes for Walt too I guess.  He takes his yearbook and adds it to the box of files.  Luke (Gage Michael Petrone) the boy drawing in his sketchbook doesn't say anything.

Earlier that night, Walt looks at the letter and has a flashback to a rainy night and driving to Denver but is rudely disturbed, yeah and so were we!  Ruby tells him there's a sobbing woman,  Mrs Thompson (Nancy Linehan Charles) whose son, Jeremy (Jason Matthew Smith) is missing.  He's 35 and he is a sex offender but she didn't register him as such.  Walt has Ruby put out an amber alert on his truck.

In Durant town square, Jacob Whitehorse (A Martinez) gives a speech about their children being forcibly removed and how the sheriff hasn't done anything about it.  Branch listens, of course he would, more ammo for his campaign perhaps.  Walt hears him talk about a paedophile on their streets and if he was Cheyenne then the sheriff would do more.  Walt doesn't have time for politics but asks Branch if he still wants to be sheriff.  Well we know that answer.  He tells Branch to look into Shank and to contact the real parents of the other missing boys.  Walt talks with the social worker, Crystal Shoemaker (Rebecca Tilney).  Another one who looked suspicious.  She's the one who linked all the children and acted upon the allegations of abuse and neglect.  But not so quick to remove White children from their homes for the same reasons.  She tells him Shank called her about 10.30pm and she had an altercation with a Cheyenne man.  Walt realizes that was Henry (Lou Diamond Phillips).

He was angry with Crystal cos she took Cissy's son saying she was a drunk, when infact she was his employee.   He knows her son is missing cos Jacob told him and thinks Jacob is ensuring Walt does
his job and not interfering.   He then apologizes but recalls that once it was said that you can't take the Indian out of the man or something along those lines.  Branch brings Cady coffee and he knows how she likes it which puts Vic's ears on overtime. Vic finds Shank and Jeremy went to high school together and are in the yearbook.  Ruby tells them they found Jeremy.  His truck is stopped and inside it's empty of children but he has an alibi.  Of course Walt had to fire his gun to get their attention since that was the only time a gun was used in this ep.  Walt takes Jeremy's pic with a Polaroid camera.  (Ha, still got my Polaroid Image System camera and it still takes excellent pics too!  Slight digression!)

Jacob barges in and asks what's happening, Walt adding Jeremy has rights and he's not talking.  Jacob adds children have rights too and explains how Walt's government is allowing children to be taken away cos they're paid double the money for being adopted by White parents.  Walt tells Branch to talk politics with Jacob as he takes Vic to the home with Henry.  They talk with Luke and he tells them about Hotametaneo'o: the Dog Soldier, the Native Indian myth that he would come at midnight and take him away of he didn't behave, a man being able to transform into a dog.  He saw him and he had a scar under is eye.  Henry explains that they were heroes and were hunted down by the army, there's one that remains, Hector (Jeffrey De Serrano).  He's a mercenary for hire.

Shank's car is found miles away and so is his DB after he's been run over.  Jeremy is released and Branch gets a call from Shank but it's actually Walt using his phone, wonder why he did that then, ha.  Cady tells him Jacob was right about the money being paid for the children and Shank didn't report this extra money. Hector wouldn't have known about this and doesn't get paid that much for his mercenary work.

Crystal is involved in a hit and run and she describes the man with the scar.  Henry is worried for Hector since Walt has warrants on him he could turn in to the US Marshall, but if he's clean he should come in. Later at home, Walt grabs a beer from his empty fridge, well aside from the beer and takes out the letter, still in his back pocket.   He flashes to a motel room and he leans over the sink, shirtless, yeah another shirtless scene after so long, ha.  Erm, he doesn't have any scars on his back yet either, but he's clearly preoccupied. Hector comes in and they fight.  Walt still has flashes to himself looking in the mirror.

Hector's locked up and Walt has been beaten up but he brought him in anyway.  Hector warned Shank to stop taking children but he didn't kill him, like Henry said, he's not a killer.  Cady tells him the allegations of abuse were all made by one man but he's in hospital after being beaten.  That's the man being beaten in
the opening scene.  Henry calls and has found the children at the bar.  Neel says it was the Dog Soldier but he came at 10.  Walt doesn't call Family Services cos even if it's the law doesn't make it right.  Walt ignores Jacob wanting Hector released and heads for Shank's phone.  He tells Jacob that Hector was hired by someone with money, implying it was him.  Hector is released but Walt snaps a shot of him too.  He says sometimes the best way to catch a killer is to let them think they're free.  Obviously not referring to Hector.

He puts on his shades and pays a visit to Crystal.  Shank called her at 10.34 but why didn't he call his deputy when he was assaulted by Hector.  He was warning her that her scam was discovered and that it was her taking the children for the extra money.  He knows he paid the man off to make the allegations and she killed Shanks to protect herself.  Crystal tells him a White jury won't convict her and he knows she's right.  So he threatens her with Hector, or rather the story of the Dog Soldier.  Reminding her the boys said the Dog Soldier was seen by them and he can take any form, animal, spirit or human.  He will come for her and when he does he's a call away and 20 minutes away but he's not sure how long he'll take to turn up.  He walks out the door and has another flashback.  This time he puts his badge in the motel room safe and reaches for his gun.

Crystal comes out and he reaches for his handcuffs.  Neel is returned to his parents.  Walt burns the letter. Luke looks out of his window and sees the Dog Soldier, it's Jacob as he opens his hand revealing the teeth. He then makes a shadow across the skyline as he raises his arms in the air...in a bid to show myth can become reality, but maybe reinforcing he is powerful himself.  Oh and for those mentioning it, Jacob has been seen before in the show, he was in 1.3 A Damn Shame in the sweat lodge scene at the beginning.

Another ep where it's the 'outsiders' in the from of Crystal and Shank who are the ones reeking havoc on
the community, particularly the Cheyenne Res by stealing their children for money.  As always it's the system to blame to begin with and the greedy people who profit from it.   Think a lot might be thinking jail would be too good for Crystal and she deserved a little of her own medicine.  As always an element of racism running through as well with the Cheyenne children being the one stolen and everyone turning a blind eye.

Plenty of references to Walt and whether he's good enough to do his job and continue on as sheriff, which would have been music to Branch's ears.  Even Henry remarks about it when Jacob is on his case, but takes that back and so he should.  Yet more flashbacks to keep us intrigued, or some people bored, as they don't reveal much except that we know Walt had a vendetta of his own and must have something to do with his wife.  Otherwise he wouldn't have driven to Denver, or needed to go after someone but without his gun.  In the sense that guns can be traced and co can bullets.  But using other weapons, including fists is much cleaner, to an extent.  A bit of a similarity to the Dog Soldier and how Jacob beat up the man to leave their children alone, though it appears Jacob has an agenda of his own.  He's rich so how much has he actually done for the Res and the very people he was so vocal to against Walt.

Walt and his 'good' eye after he was beaten and when confronting Crystal, a bit funny but serious too, since he was making a personal comment too, as well when talking about people being vessels for things they don't really understand.  But can somehow make they come true in their own minds, or just by believing.  He did appear menacing and she must have thought of how he got his bruises!  Which managed to do the trick in the end.

It was funny seeing Walt with a Polaroid camera, taking pics for his, sorry, for the station records.  But fun, as they're still being used.  Hey reminds me I have a Polaroid of Robert when he was in Home and Away and it's waiting to be signed by him, ha.  Yet more digressions.  Seems I went a bit overboard on this ep review, never mind.