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Tuesday 13 May 2014

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.

Monday 12 May 2014

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!




Sunday 11 May 2014

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.


Thursday 8 May 2014

The Vampire Diaries 5.19 "Man On Fire" Review

As Elena (Nina Dobrev) gets Stefan's (Paul Wesley) help in quizzing her on her Psych paper, they are held hostage by Enzo (Michael Malarkey).  He shows them a photo of Maggie (Heather Hemmens) and tells Stefan that she was in Mystic Falls in 1958/60 and that he would have been in his Ripper state back then. But Stefan tells him or tries to, that he doesn't know her and he wasn't here at that time.  Flashes to Maggie observing Enzo and his smiling at her.  Of course she was smitten with a vampire, in which case why did she continue being a researcher/observer and not let him escape.  Anyway she was the one who kept him going and he must avenge her.  Stefan is slowly tortured by being staked by Enzo and Luke (Chris Brochu) is held hostage so that Liv (Penelope Mitchell) helps Enzo out.  Though Bonnie (Kat Graham) as we know is powerless to help, no amount of talking will actually stop him from his bloodthirsty quest.

Jeremy (Steven R McQueen) and Matt (Zach Roerig) search for the Traveller's knife but can't find it anywhere, Jeremy commenting on the pants under the sofa, with Matt adding he does his laundry.  Ah so nice to see a domesticated boy.  Apparently Tyler (Michael Trevino) was meant to hide it but it's not there, how surprising considering Tyler isn't all there either.  Damon (Ian Somerhalder) comes a calling and wants to be invited in and needs the knife to put some Mystic Falls citizens back into their bodies.  He tells them to stay there and as Matt later tells Bonnie they can't go out since Damon threatened to twist their kneecaps if they leave.

Tyler is chained and the passenger proves to be more powerful as he takes over his body once again. Markos (Raffi Barsoumian) gets Sloan (Caitlin McHugh) to be bitten and then feeds her the doppelganger blood.   As they wait for her to wake up and see if the blood worked.  Bonnie asks Liv if she can help the others but she doesn't want to, seeing as they wanted to kill Elena anyway.  So why can't Luke cast a spell over his captors being a witch, pretty clumsy writing there.  She also wants to know if there's anything Liv can do to help the other side.

Bonnie tires to call Damon for help but he figures things aren't so good at campus and asks the sheriff (Marguerite MacIntyre) for files dating back to 1958.  Seems like he does recognize Maggie after all and as I knew from the start, it was actually Damon who killed Maggie.  It isn't rocket science to figure that out since it would have been when he was still suffering from the fall out of being the Augustine vampire.  As he flashes back to Maggie wanting to meet him and trying to infect him with the syringe.  It was the night that Kennedy was elected and the way Damon just picked her up on the street in front of everyone and just took her head off her shoulders was so cruel.  To think Damon used to comment about Stefan being the ripper.

Stefan admits he recalls Maggie and fed off her but didn't kill her, until later when Damon arrives and he confesses it was him.  Damon reminds Enzo how he lost his humanity, he had to turn it off in order to survive and get out from the fire.  Seems like the only way Enzo can get his revenge is if he does the same and turns off his humanity too, so now he doesn't care if anyone lives or dies and doesn't listen to Damon's protests for him not to do this.  Damon hands Stefan a piece of glass to cut his ropes and  then he goes after Enzo after he's just attacked Liv.  Stefan saves her with his blood and finds Enzo as he's about to kill Elena.

They fight and move away from the scene as Damon finds Elena and takes her back to her dorm.  Enzo tries to set Stefan alight as he grabs his heart and thinks he will drive the ultimate wedge between the two by making Damon believe he killed his best friend, well his only friend.  And makes sure Stefan gets his heart in his hand.  Stefan texts Damon with the message, "Cape Horn it is then" in order to make him believe Enzo's there.  He tells Elena to promise Damon never knows since they only just got him back and also tells Bonnie the same, as Enzo appears there to pass through her.  Whilst she's trying to tell Jeremy that if the other side is destroyed then Bonnie will no longer be here either.  Liv having told her earlier that there's nothing they can do, no spells or any sort of magic.  Enzo adding just for good measure that he'll be back to reek yet more revenge, it's what he does best.

Sloan rises again and says she's no longer a vampire, the blood worked but Markos kills her since she's her human self now and no longer has any powers.  Doppelganger blood can cure vampirism but this leads to death cos they're just back to being human again. But then Elena's blood was needed for Klaus's hybrids, oh I give up. Though it was good to see that Elena and that dreaded love triangle took a back seat and the ep was much better for it.

Damon and Stefan have a talk about Enzo and how he kept Damon going, even when Damon would condemn Stefan for not helping him or looking for him, Enzo was the one who talked him out of it.  He defended Stefan even when he didn't know him and so Stefan and Damon both owe him.  Damon vows to help him.  Bit tot late for that mate.  But as we know, no one really dies in this show, unless we don't see them again, ha, but as they talk, Enzo stands right there and promises to do what he does best: revenge.  As we know there's ruction on the other side, so he'll return in some form or another.  Oh and Caroline was missing from this ep.

Strange how Stefan found Enzo before Damon and looked like he knew where to look for him too.  But as for him being Damon's friend and Stefan killing him, well, seems Damon can only afford to have one friend at a time and they always end up dead, re Alaric.  But maybe it's his karma for everything that he's done and let's not forget how he and Enzo both hunted down Aaron together.  So maybe his not being around anymore means Damon no longer gets that evil streak in him and doing bad things cos he's like that.  Well Enzo deserves some sort of comeuppance for killing Tom to find out what happened to Maggie when she was dead already.  The look on Stefan's face as he kept the truth from him when all Damon could do was to sing Stefan's praises courtesy of Enzo was heartbreaking. Someone should have just spilled sooner rather than later!
Funny Enzo used Bonnie's phone when they were talking to each other and Damon didn't realize.


Wednesday 7 May 2014

Revenge 3.18 "Blood" Review

Emily: "As children we flinch at the sight of blood not yet realizing it means family, loyalty, and is the essence of life,.  But for all its virtue, there is the unavoidable reality that blood is often the child of pain  and a violent reminder that anything can be taken away in the blink of an eye."

Aiden (Barry Sloane) dreams about his father and being the one who discovered him after he committed suicide at their own home.  It was the easy way out for him, as he later tells Emily (Emily VanCamp) Colleen deserved a hero but he took the coward's way out.  Nolan (Gabriel Mann) hasn't been able to discover nothing about his father or even Pascal (Olivier Martinez) and so Emily and Aiden end up in England.  That's right, add  some rain, a black taxi and we're across the pond.  They go and see Aiden's mother, Harriet (Claire Jacobs) under the pretext of Aiden wanting to introduce his fiance to her.  Well it was a pretext though we were meant to believe it might be true.  She hadn't seen him for 8 years and must have been surprised at the rugged, unkempt look her son had adopted, ha.  But at least Emily had an umbrella.

She doesn't want to talk about his father or the past since there's no sign of Colleen either and she thinks she's still somewhere out there after she ran away and doesn't know her daughter is dead.  Aiden has the heart of a 12 year old boy and a broken one at that she tells Emily.  Emily also tells her that her father died when she was also young.

Back in the Hampton's Victoria (Madeleine Stowe) is in awe, or in amore with Pascal and wonders why she wasted her time on Conrad (Henry Czerny) who turns up and tells him Victoria doesn't need to know of their conversation but he wants to go into the business deal with him.  Pascal says his name is worth more than Conrad's now and people jump when they hear it.  Pascal foolishly giving away the name of the publisher he's meeting with to go into the South American publishing market.  Well not if Conrad can help it. He's off to Miami before Victoria's sheets have even cooled down and meets with Alberto Loya (Len Cordova) telling him Gideon, offspring of Pascal's is bragging about taking over the company reigns from Pascal in two years time.  But Conrad has his own calling card and thus steals the deal from under Pascal's French derriere!! He's not much of  a buisnessman is he, considering he's built up an empire and Margaux (Karine Vanasse) wants to be the one to run that empire.  Pascal doesn't approve of her setting up home with Jack (Nick Wechsler) as he doesn't approve of women working.

Margaux is angry and Daniel (Josh Bowman) walks in at the right moment, right moment for him that is.  He tells her that her hand will bruise when she bangs it on the desk and Jack catches him at that point.  He tells her about Daniel clearly having things under control but she replies she doesn't like jealous men.  Excuse me Frenchie,  that goes double for you when she was jealous of Emily last ep. Think Jack should quit whilst he's ahead since she's not the right woman for him.  She doesn't even take the key to the house Jack was giving her and just walks off.  Should have stuck with Emily!  Even Stevie (Gail O'Grady) realizes that Daniel is right and he is in love with Emily.  Well you know, childhood friends/sweethearts and all that.  Just like Daniel and Margaux, dare I say it.  But hey they deserve each other, especially since they're as ruthless as one another.  Daniel reminding Margaux how he would challenge her to ski the most highest peaks.  Wake me up when Daniel's out of the scene!

Same can be said for Charlotte (Christa B Allen) as she stumbles in on the call between Jack, Nolan and Emily when he says someone's railroading her.  Oh why do people have to mention the name of the person they are speaking with, I mean it wasn't for our benefit, but Charlotte is such a rat, of the sinking ship variety and had to get curious about that.  Especially since she's spying for Daniel now and so much for saying she doesn't want to get involved in anything involving Jack.

Nolan is deserted by Javier (Henri Esteve) this ep as he's not in agreement with his partnership cut and even goes below the belt with his comment to Nolan about being in prison and probably being like that even before he was born.  Oh ditch him Nolan and report him to his parole officer for several parole violations! Including making us squirm when we see him and Charlotte together.  Hold on, they deserve each other, ha. She tells him Daniel can help him especially after he tells her about helping Jack out at a law firm.  Curiosity peaked, of she goes scampering elsewhere Char!!

Victoria pays a visit to Mason (Roger Bart) in prison hoping to rake some dirt on Emily but he wants a deal, like being out of here by the end of the month.  He calls Emily and tells her about Victoria's visit and he'll spill if she doesn't help him out.  Thus she sends Nolan in after Mason lathers his face with shaving cream and apparently dies.  Not long after Stevie paid him a visit with Emily's offer and he refused it, cos meeting between l lawyer and client can't be recorded.  Nolan drives up in the coroner's van and not long after, well, 12 hours, Mason wakes in the van to find Emily had Japanese herbs in her cream which mimics death.  He jets off to the Maldives and Emily will give him an exclusive best seller.  Nolan asking him about Oscar Chapman, a fellow journalist.

His was the name Aiden found etched into the table he and his father worked on and thinks it's a clue left by his father for Aiden, but they don't know who that is, cos apparently he was meant to have died in a car accident.  Most convenient, whenever a death is intended, it's always in a car accident in these shows.  Emily and Aiden head back after he admits to his mother that Colleen was dead and was kidnapped, that's why his father planted the bomb.  But he killed the men who killed her which is closure for her as she's glad.  When they arrive home, they fall into bed with each other again and Nolan rings to tell her that Oscar faked his own death, so what's new?

Victoria tells Stevie about Mason's death and she blames herself, a little heads up from Emily would have been good, especially since she kind of was the last one to see him alive.  But she is left a bottle of booze from Victoria and knows she'll go back on it.  That's what I didn't like about Stevie, she came here all gung ho and ended up being drunk out of town again by Victoria no less.  As if she'd thank Stevie for the deed to the house.  Jack takes her back to LA but must return to help Emily since she has to see this through to the end.

Margaux is delighted her father is going to help her in business and groom her to take it over, so brings a bottle of booze over to celebrate with Daniel, of course it's obvious where that is heading even if she stops anything from taking place between them now.  Seems like this ep was just to keep the show going to the end of this season, since all we seem to be getting are names and more names, like a wild goose chase not leading anywhere and not getting any closer to finding any answers.

Funny scene Victoria running off to Conrad to find out what Mason knows and thinking Conrad sent him to prison, wow Victoria actually in the dark about something!  He laughs and tells her, " as long as Emily's your enemy, she's an ally to me."  Or so he thinks.  Also to Pascal: "Ah I sense the stench of romance is in the air."


Tuesday 6 May 2014

The Mentalist 6.19 "Brown Eyed Girls" Review

                                              
This ep of the show was a little different in that this time round Patrick (Simon Baker) stumbles across a crime, literally, whilst out for tacos, he bumps into a man and knocks over his shopping.  He sees duct tape and other things and reckons that a girl' been abducted.  Following him back to his place, he calls Lisbon (Robin Tunney) on her date after she's been watching East of Eden with Pike (Pedro Pascal) and she doesn't answer his call the first time.  It was fate Lisbon, you shoulda picked up the first time!  She then picks up the second time and he says a crime's being committed and a girl is in there.  Patrick tells her he could have handled him herself but wanted her here.  Yeah Right Patty since when do you subdue suspects, ha.  He usually antagonizes them and takes a back seat.  Which reminds me he hasn't been attacked by a suspect in a while! Oh and Lisbon tells Pike she's thinking about the move to DC but she's always been independent and so hasn't decided yet!

After the girl dies and Lisbon has to tell Patrick to let it go cos she's gone.  He knows but it's hard for him. This ep here didn't have the music in the opening credits.  Abbott (Rockmond Dunbar) interviews the suspect, Thaddeus (Nick Van Esmarch) who says he didn't kill her but found her thrown out like garbage.  That's what he does, he finds things and picks them up.  He can't recall where he found her dumped somewhere cos he was drunk but he was helping her and they stopped him that's why she died. Patrick believes him and helps him to recall everything.  First by removing his handcuffs and then by giving him some beer.   He recalls everything and leads them to the location with Wylie (Joe Adler) tracking what he says.

Pike brings Lisbon Thai from her fave place but she can't have any cos Patrick interrupts them and tells her they found the location.  Also asking if that's from her fave Thai place, see he knows her so well!!  He's driving.  Abbott tells her the office scuttlebutt is she's leaving for DC as Pike's been offered a job there.  She's thinking about it but he tells her to tell Patrick cos he doesn't know.  She claims he's a psychic so he knows but Abbot adds he's a "fake psychic."  Lisbon looked worried when she entered the lift.  But Lisbon's known Patty for years what makes her think he would know what she's thinking and about this move. Though gotta say, Patrick is a little sly, can't tell what he's thinking most of the time, so maybe he does know and is waiting for her to bring it up instead of him.  Surprised Cho (Tim Kang) didn't know either if it's office gossip.

In the RV she doesn't say anything an neither does he, whilst Cho relaxes reading.  At the scene they determine she would have had to have walked to the bar since she had dirty shoes and mud.  Walking back they come to a house and find beds inside.  Patrick leaves them to it and hears a noise coming from the ground outside.  They move the truck and reveal another girl.  At the hospital Daniela (Zuleyka Silver) tells them like the first Vic, she was lured under the pretext of getting a modelling job overseas by someone named Jesse and she didn't hear the phrase "bow and arrow" like the first Vic.  Her sister is also missing and they find they've stumbled onto a smuggling ring.

The girls were transported in a truck, at least twenty of them cos that's how much different DNA was found on the water bottles and most likely they are heading to Mexico.  Abbott says by the time they get warrants they could be long gone.  Patrick thinks otherwise and thinks they headed north first to pick up more girls and them headed to Laredo and then Mexico. He puts out a call on the CB to warn people of roadblocks set by the police and that way they make the smugglers believe there really is a roadblock.  Patrick, Lisbon put out a call over the radio but Cho seems to be more effective and really into his CB radio calls since he gets a response.

Arriving at a truck stop, Lisbon wonders if all the people there are avoiding the police.  He says only the ones who have something to hide.  Patrick notices a woman next to a man and accidentally bumps her when he picks up a packet.  He says they're together but not really friendly in that he didn't say anything when he bumped her.  They leave and Lisbon shoots the man.  The woman is arrested and was told to help them out cos she also needed the money.  Not realizing what they were doing they threatened to tell the police if she talked.  She drove them into Mexico with a hula girl model on the dashboard, which alerted the policeman at the border to let her through.  She also says Ramon (Joey Gaytan) was scared but not of the police, but whoever he was working for.  There was another truck so most likely Daniela's sister was in that one.

Patrick comes up with a plan to catch the men, the Qasimi brothers, Ray (Yan Feldman) and Ari (Hari Dhillon) who smuggle girls into the Middle East and sell them off as they have connections there.  Patrick and Abbott drive into Mexico and offer them a deal.  Abbott isn't happy with it but Patrick won't swap his Stetson hat with him.  Patrick even talking the local lingo, ha.  Okay he had a Texan accent.  He's a businessman and he makes a deal with them for the cargo, i.e the girls and they have to pick them up.  Once they arrive at the truck's location, they're arrested.  But they refuse to speak since they'll be dead men now.

                                             
A call comes in fro the San Diego police stating that Jesse has been found dead but they don't know who killed him.  Cho is despondent cos it means that they haven't found her sister and probably won't.  A man calls another, the ring leader, Ridley (Titus Welliver) telling him Jesse has been taken care of, which means this story will be continued at some point.  Meaning surely Lisbon can't leave now.

Lisbon promises to find Daniela's sister and Patrick says now that she's promised she'll have to find her. Patrick sees Pike waiting for Lisbon when he asks if she wants a ride.  She tells him about DC and it looked like Patrick already knew for a second, but the agony in Lisbon's face was like she wanted him to tell her not to go.  It was that apparent.  Oh Patty what are you waiting for.  More like, writers what are you waiting for, let him tell her!!
That hospital set looked suspiciously like the one that always feature, funny since they're meant to be in Texas now!

Oh man, so much heartbreak and in this ep.  Not so much as in the storyline which was sad but also in terms of Patrick and watching another woman die right before his eyes.  He's been through that so many times now, what with finding his own family murdered, then there was Lorelei, as well as Kira in The Red Tattoo, who gave him the clue about Red John and his tattoo.  This one was just as emotional for him as he didn't want to let her go and Lisbon was right there with him, all the way.  I think that when Lisbon told him about Pike wanting her to go to DC with him and Patrick asking if this was the real thing for her, well not in so many words, was torture for him.  He wanted her here to begin with and now he finds that she might be leaving him, was too much to take in.  Also feel Lisbon felt the same way and was really aware how she must be hurting him. Especially when Patrick told her 'congratulations' and she replied that's all he can say.  Hey they're not engaged yet and she's not moving yet, so I ask the same, that's all they had Patty say!!

Pike is a bit of a loose end in terms of just being there every now and then to provide that romantic interest for Lisbon and maybe make Patrick jealous.  Perhaps he should turn out to be a bad guy but that'd be too easy.  Can the great Patrick ever get jealous and fight for the woman he so obviously has feelings for?  I mean Patty is still wearing the socks Lisbon gave him!

Oh woe is me!  The agony for us fans too, not only in terms of wanting to know what happens between Patty and Lisbon, but also cos CBS still haven't renewed the show yet at time of writing.  Come on, we need another season!!  Tie up all lose ends and prepare us fans for the end!!  Otherwise there's nos justice or fairness for us fans who have stuck with the show for so long and how much these characters have come to mean to us!  Really enjoying the run of eps where Lisbon, Patrick and Cho get to work together and Patrick also seems to work well with Abbott too.

Sunday 4 May 2014

The Vampire Diaries 5.18 "Resident Evil" Review

                                                
Elena (Nina Dobrev) writes in her diary and a page flies away, only to be stomped on and picked up by Stefan (Paul Wesley) yet this is meant to be the first time they have met.  Which was obvious and should have been since didn't Elena burn the diary when he found out Katherine had written in it.  Stefan is rudely awoken as he almost gets run over.  Apparently Markos (Raffi Barsoumian) said 'resident evil' of the title is playing with them.  As Stefan and Elena have dreams about the life they could have had and to many, still should have.  Something which Damon (Ian Somerhalder) learns from Caroline (Candace Accola) and Enzo (Michael Malarkey) would have a lot to say about it too.  Especially since he goes on baout Damon and Elena still sleeping together.  Though everyone's been calling them 'sex dreams' they weren't really that. They were more the more romantic side of this show.  But was getting tired of Elena being the focus of attention all the time.

So we also get to know that the Travellers have taken over Mystic Falls residents and Matt (Zach Roerig) learns this the hard way, with the sheriff (Marguerite MacIntyre) stabbing him with the knife and his ending up on the other side.  Here he finds things aren't well, as he runs into Kol (Nathaniel Buzolic) of all people, or original vamps, who actually was civil for once.  Even wanting Matt to return home so he can tell everyone what's happening here.  Matt realizes he can see Vicki (Kayla Ewell) and when they meet it's not long before she too is dragged away.  Pray tell, ha, is that the same manner in which Katherine was dragged off, had to ask since no one's really mentioned her in a while, intentionally I think.

Kol tells Matt he's lucky cos he has his ring and can go back as soon as he gets back to his body as Vicki tells him.  Matt must get back but tells Kol he won't recall what happened here, but he insists Matt will remember, which he does.  Seems Grams (Jasmine Guy) also has this sort of news for Bonnie (Kat Graham) that things are awry and the witches are worried.  This being a result of Markos being resurrected.  Oh and Markos also destroys the only Traveller knife that there was remaining, careless of Matt to have parted with that and had it to begin with, well on display that is.

Also we get Tyler (Michael Trevino) being possessed once again, even after he rescued the sheriff.  Since this will probably lead him having more to do and having a much more interesting storyline.  So the scene where Liv (Penelope Mitchell) stabbing Tyler and Matt to see if they were still without Travellers inside them, was pointless (no pun).  Especially considering she wasn't going to do that again anytime soon, if at all.  Markos getting Enzo on side again by telling him he can still help him find Maggie, don't think that'll happen anytime soon, if at all.  As Markos infiltrates the Mystic Falls' residents with his Travellers taking over their bodies.

Bonnie tries to see what Jeremy (Steven R McQueen) is hiding but he's keeping secrets to protect her, as if that ever helps.   Just seems that he should have been honest with her from the outset since it's no big secret there's always something going on in the town.  Yet it was okay to bring her into the picture and in danger whenever they needed her help in casting a spell or two.  Resulting in her losing her life for them.  Luke (Chris Brochu) telling everyone about Markos and how the Travellers have been at odds with the witches for generations.

With Paul Wesley directing this ep, seems like he took a backseat to actually appearing much in the show, but maintained the balance between Elena and Stefan to a minimum, for those that wanted to see them and had very little, if any, interaction with Caroline this ep aside from on the phone when he told to say he's been dreaming too.

Longmire 1.6 "The Worst Kind of Hunter" Review

Of course knew from the outset that this was going to lead up to something profound, especially as far as commentary on human beings and the worst kind of people they are, striving to be better and how they're no better than animals but at least animals don't have a choice when it comes to taking lives, it's in their nature to survive, irrespective of needing to have a conscience.

A DB is found in the woods and Ferg (Adam Bartley) is first on the scene, at the site, any closer and he'd have contaminated the CS.  Which he has to point out when the others arrive, that he was the one who heaved.  Seems the Vic, Ed Crawley was bear baited, literally had meat thrown onto him so he'd be mauled by a bear.  Clearly someone was out for revenge, vengeance.

Walt (Robert Taylor) and Vic (Katee Sackhoff) are preoccupied with Branch's uncle, Lucien (Peter Weller) as he shoots up the retirement home, oh, I mean the' retirement facility.'  Walt sending in Vic cos he doesn't like Walt being around and cos he'll never shoot a woman.  Well he didn't, he says he shot the chair and he's arrested, but turns out he wants to help Walt in the current case and he can't keep him out of it, even if he was the former sheriff.  Apparently Branch's (Bailey Chase) father wants nothing more than for Branch to win the race and become sheriff himself.  Appears it runs in the family.  What is it, being sheriff gives them some sort of standing in the local community.  Though it's also obvious that Branch loves his uncle, even if he does charge him for bringing him food.

Walt questions Ed's sister, Pam (Debrianna Mansini) about her brother and also his brother in law, Russell (Wade Williams) who doesn't have a good word to say about Ed, she on the other hand sees him as being able to do no wrong.  Though Russell thinks the parents of the girl he murdered are good suspects.  Although they would have been obvious, it seems they wouldn't really have waited for him to get out of prison, especially since they would have had several opportunities to have killed him when he was found guilty or at his trial and since hey were relying on the justice system, at least the parole board, to ensure he never would be parolled.

The girl's mother, Donna (Cristine Rose) hasn't gotten over her murder, Ed stabbed her twelve times cos he was a meth addict, but she insists that just doesn't happen even if he was an addict.  Then has a go at Walt for referring to him as a Vic.  It's the age old story of having to investigate Vic's murders or otherwise irrespective of the sort of people they were.  It's the nature of the job.  So yes, the murderer became the Vic. Clearly Walt shares her pain but he can't come out and tell her about his wife and for on thing, she can't be mentioned all the time and this is one of those eps were she wasn't.

The bear needs to be found as it's really a public menace now and since she's on her third strike (yes bears have that too) it means she will have to be put down if she did indeed kill Ed.  Walt's visit to the bear tagger/monitor, Pete (Dean Chekvala) proves less than fruitful since he's out in the field and can't be reached, though Walt tells the woman receptionist that a satellite phone will help.  Gotta love that line for someone who doesn't carry a mobile (cell) phone! he is up on technology much to the chagrin of others.

Walt takes the evidence and the slither of flank steak as Henry (Lou Diamond Phillips) refers to it and turns up at his fund raiser.  Henry adding it would have been more popular if he had made a personal appearance sooner.  Henry throws the steak onto the barbecue and Walt has to retrieve it, it's evidence.  Later he meets with the hunter, Omar (Louis Herthum) who he wants to track the bear.  Henry telling him that the bear can't be responsible for what it did.  Walt can't pay Omar, why would he anyway even if it's police business, he's meant to hep the law, not bargain over his services, which he manages to do when he wants Vic to come with him onto the search.

Which proves to be more problematic than not.  As Vic is shot with a dart and it's Pete who does the shooting, claiming he was aiming for the bear.  Of course I said that if he had been shooting at the bear his dose of tranquilizer would have been far more potent than what was in the actual dart, a point which Walt also raises later on.  Vic telling Omar beforehand that she's married.  Well Omar was just plain smarmy, but it's not like Vic can't handle herself.  Also mentioning her husband again when Walt thinks he should call him. She says he doesn't care and won't be bothered besides he's out of town and will probably be getting a transfer somewhere else.  So why is she still with him, though we're not really meant to dwell into her personal life just yet seeing as it's still early days.  Although she does say to Walt that he's "different, because you're a man."  In comparison to her husband.  Kind of an echo of what I wrote for the review of the Pilot ep, where I said a show going back to a time where, "men were men.." Ha.  Yeah okay, narrow it down to one man in terms of Walt.  No one else holds a candle.

There's a commotion at the hospital as Donna and Ira (Scott Paulin) arrive and don't have ID.  Ira tells Walt she needs to see the DB to get some sort of closure which Walt lets them do.  She's hysterical, but there's no reaction from Ira.  Ed had a car which is missing so Walt sends Ferg to look for it.  As well as wanting Branch to find a way of getting his uncle back to the home and out of his hair.  Walt talks to the former warden of the prison, Dan (Graham Beckel).  Since Ira thought that if he'd been at Ed's parole hearing then he wouldn't have been let out.  But it was due to budget cuts that Dan had to step down and a younger man getting the job of warden, effectively he was pushed out.  In which case he wouldn't really have been much for upholding the law.

He tells Walt how one of his guards was killed by Ed but someone else took the credit for it, thus there wasn't any way of telling if he actually killed him or not.  His allusion to being pushed out for a younger man is another that is close to home for Walt since Branch is practically gunning for his job and depending on which way the wind blows and how the voters vote, seems like they may go for a 'younger model', ha, irrespective of his abilities and getting the job done.  They may think it's time for change.  Then again some people just hate change.

Walt gives Dan a list of prisoners to look over but he doesn't recognize any names on there which are relevant.   Ferg locates the vehicle outside a dishevelled house and Ruby (Louanne Stephens) calls for back-up.  Branch warning Ferg to get out if he sees any tubes and other drug paraphernalia.  However on this occasion, it's Walt who freezes as he has another flashback of coming to a closed door and chasing someone.  Which leads him open to being shot himself, at the worst.  Don't see the point of that flashback being put there or his thinking to it at that point in time, since he's faced that situation many times before and probably has for a year since his wife's death.

They arrest the men but no one's talking.  One of them says he found the truck abandoned with the key in it so Santa left it.  Though he recalls Jerry Stonesifer (Jackamoe Buzzell) is one of the men who was at the house.  Jerry being related to one of the women Lucien knows at the home.  Branch and Ferg look over the postcards and cards from the drug bust and Ferg is attacked as the men steal some cards from him and eat them, they're laced with meth and a good way of being smuggled into prison right under the authority's noses.

Lucien tells Walt the motive is more likely to be vengeance (another emotion close to Walt's heart).  Walt takes him back to his home which Branch got him back into by finding some code violations at the home. Lucien doesn't like Branch that much cos he's like his father and ruthless in that respect.  Also bringing up the part about Walt using his nouse and not being a CSI or relying on forensics.  Knew that had to come up, for more reasons than one.  Vic realizes she was shot with a dart thus her wound is far bigger than a syringe wound, so Ed was also shot with a dart, thus his murder was planned.  Would've thought that was obvious since he was baited with meat!

Walt talks with Pete, who says it was an accident with Vic getting hit, but Walt brings up the fact the he used a lesser amount of tranquilizer, which I pointed out a while back.  He promises to help if the bear, known as Waffles isn't put down but just relocated.  He found human flesh in her scat.  Walt takes Waffles to Dan and makes him confess after throwing red meat onto him and threatening him with Waffles.  He killed Ed cos he killed his guard and the fact that he was released for the daughter's murder.  Which really wasn't for him to question, even if it was all to do with budget cuts too.  Anyway Dan wants Tommy Lee Jones to play him in a movie since he'll be seen as a hero for what he did.  What take one scum off the earth, Walt reminds him this is real life and not a movie.  Walt lets Waffles go since as stated humans are the worst kind of hunter and should know better.

Yes, mention of CSI, there was such an ep in season 5.14 Unbearable, where a hunter was not only mauled and killed by a bear but the bear was also killed.  As Catherine said there, the bear could be considered a lethal weapon.  The bear was called Tippi (a reference to actress Tippi Hedren who is also an animal advocate.) CSI:Miami ep 5.17 A Grizzly Murder also appeared to have a case of what turned out to be bear baiting.

Wonder if Walt going after Dan will have an adverse effect on his election campaigning seeing as he probably had a lot of people and connections on his side.  He was even willing to put up one of his election signs, which it seems Walt carries spares of in back of his truck.   Everyone in this show, at least our cast,  have a personal issue or axe to grind, in other words, they're damaged goods.

Lucien had some choice words for Walt and kept much of the episode going, (also directed by Peter Weller) especially when he harks back to how in his day they'd have beat confessions out of suspects.  But then that can't be done these days and Walt does uphold the law, though it could be said his getting Dan to confess could be seen as heavy handed, but I wouldn't say so.  Especially considering he was guilty.  As said, Walt did his job, upheld the law and brought the killer to book, without any favourtism.    

Saturday 3 May 2014

The Vampire Diaries 5.17 "Rescue Me" Review

                                                  
Caroline (Candace Accola) befriends Stefan's (Paul Wesley) doppelganger, Tom, but only after she's led to him by a witch and Enzo (Michael Malarkey) being there didn't help.  Especially that talk in the hospital whilst waiting for Tom to arrive, Caroline finds out how much of a good guy Tom really is especially when he's thanked for saving lives.  Well being Stefan's doppelganger, it was inevitable at least one of them must be good.  It's apparent Caroline wouldn't and couldn't go through with his cold blooded murder.  They find him hooked up in the basement and then she rescues him by breaking Enzo's neck, as if that would stop him. Then she takes him for a feed and imagines him chocking on his food and not helping him.  So all's fine until she takes him to the car park, did she honestly think he wouldn't be killed by Enzo.  He's got his own agenda and wants to find hi own love Maggie who saved him.  The Travellers are keeping this from him until he lives up to his part of the bargain, which he does.  Saying of course Caroline wouldn't go through with it.

Not much happening with Elena (Nina Dobrev) and Damon (Iam Somerhalder) in the plot, in terms of anything new except for their constant pining over each other, said goodbye, now let it go.  We find out Liv (Penelope Mitchell) wants to kill Elena and eliminate one of the doppelgangers but that doesn't go as planned, as nothing ever does in this show,a s we've seen over the years.  It's parent/teacher night at school and Damon arrives as Jeremy's (Steven R McQueen) guardian, since Elena is no longer registered as such. Apparently Jeremy's counsellor says that Jeremy's suffering cos of the tension at home between the two and they promise to put things right.  But how can they do that when Damon tells Elena all he wants to do is to rip her clothes off at school then and there.  Oh Damon for someone who didn't really go school and was big on education, it appears he was acting like the hormonal school kid that night.  Ha.

Cue Elena with her own dreams as she tries to rip his clothes off in the classroom, but she only imagines it. Then she needs to be saved from Liv as she tries to kill Elena by Jeremy.  Liv did try to protect Elena but it's too dangerous for her to stay alive.  As if he won't have his hands full when moving in with Matt (Zach Roerig) and Tyler (Michael Trevino). Three Stooges as Damon called them (oops next ep) or Three Msytic-eers?  Ha.  Jeremy has taken on the mantle of protecting Elena.  Seems strange each one of the characters has their own love problems.  Bonnie (Kat Graham) more interested not in hearing about Elena and Damon's sex romp but wondering where Jeremy spent the night and more importantly if it was with Liv.  Got hold of the wrong end of the stick there big time has Bonnie.  Never mind, gave her time to figure out that Luke (Chris Brochu) is Liv's  brother and Hazel shows up to pass though Bonnie and she tells Luke about this. Their plan bites the dust.

Stefan of course would tell Caroline not to kill Tom, but somehow wonder if that came a bit too late, since he shouldn't have gone along with the Traveller's and Sloan's (Caitlin McHugh) plans if that was to be the desired outcome, he could have just fallen on his sword or rather his bucket, somewhere that makes sense! Ha. But other fun moments was being told Jeremy had only missed 11 days of school, what in all this time, that's it.  As well as the part where Caroline and Enzo couldn't enter Hazel's place and so he just threw the doorknob at her head and killed her!  Dangerous things doorknobs! Enzo is really fast becoming the Spike from Buffy of this show, accent 'n'all.  No conscience, he just wants to do whatever it takes, no regrets.

Caroline tells Stefan about Tom and that she should have realized he was flirting with her cos she's done that enough times.  Stefan tells her the Travellers won't let him go and that he knew Caroline couldn't kill him. They rest their heads on each other and get some shut eye.  But are woken to the Traveller's chanting and in time to see them go up in flames.  The Travellers drank Stefan and Elena's blood and were set alight by Sloan.  So their blood was enough to bring back Markos.

Elena heads back to Whitmore (how much studying will she get done, ha?) cos she and Damon are not only bad for each other but do bad things for one another. (Yawn).  If he gets closer to her, then she'll kiss him and won't leave.  He kisses her forehead in the ultimate romantic gesture and tells her to "travel safely." Perhaps the wrong use of 'travel' there, ha.

Then we have our suspicions confirmed, that the Travellers are on the move to Mystic Falls cos the world and entire universe revolves around Elena.  Newsflash we knew that since the outset.  Not surprising really when even Liv asked Damon to kill her when he and Elena were fighting over their non existent relationship.  So Jeremy can't be controlled by the Travellers since he's a hunter but hasn't really used his abilities much of late.  Except for picking three fights at school.

Friday 2 May 2014

Revenge 3.17 "Addiction" Review

                                             
Emily: "Addiction, an impulse that, once indulged, is impossible to pacify.  Even when starved the hunger survives."

Emily (Emily VanCamp) looks at Aiden's (Barry Sloane) ring and also at the letter but can't make any sense of it.  Nolan (Gabriel Mann) tells her he doesn't know and it will be a while before they find out what that means, but she thinks Aiden can help her and so she visits him.  He doesn't want to help, ripping up the note, but tells him she's here to see him and not just cos she needs his help.   Emily getting to the Bermuda Triangle, a pun or irony in there somewhere, you know, Emily and love triangles! Ha. Daniel (Josh Bowman) meanwhile is determined for his own revenge and tells Charlotte (Christa B Allen) he's going to go after Emily's friends, oh sure you're up to the challenge, Daniel, ha.  Anyway he recruits Charlotte's help but she'll only get on board so long as Jack (Nick Wechsler) isn't hurt.

Victoria (Madeleine Stowe) meets with her friends who all vow allegiance and will help her keep Emily and her foes away.  Particularly Teresa (Morgan Fairchild) who is very vocal. Seems like Victoria's got everyone in her 'pocket' so to speak.  Maybe that's the only way she'll have any friends to begin with.  Talking about Emily's fake pregnancy, isn't that old news by now.  Victoria also telling Pascal (Olivier Martinez) in no uncertain terms that she can't be bought after he sends her a painting she's admired.

Margaux (Karine Vanasse) was offered a job in Rome and Jack thought she should accept it cos it doesn't happen everyday and also cos she shouldn't stick around just for him, but that's exactly what she decides to do.  Margaux even told Daniel she didnt' want to pursue revenge against her father anymore, but Daniel talked some nonsense about Jack and Emily and how he told her to take the job cos she's in the way.  Later she sees Jack and Emily together and he hugs her, well that'll set her mind on the wrong track, but at the same time, Jack has known her longer and they are friends.  Especially since Jack was convincing Emily to tell Aiden how she really feels about him.

Emily asked Stevie (Gail O'Grady) about Pascal and Jack ruined her plans by turning up, as usual, seems like he's spying on her doesn't it.  She only managed that Pascal dated Victoria first.  As later Jack sees her almost taking a drink but manages to throw it away without actually taking a sip.  Not surprising really, as Conrad (Henry Czerny) has his own motives for cosying up to Stevie.  He turns up at her hotel room feigning being drunk and in need of comfort.  She admits to him about Jack and how they had both wanted to make their marriage work (and if you believe Conrad well, you'll believe anything!)  By the time she was out of rehab, Victoria had already gotten her claws into him, or perhaps it was Conrad who most likely did all the chasing.  She feels so guilty she ends up giving Conrad the deeds to the mansion, which is what Pascal needed to get in with Victoria.  Stevie tells Jack about this meeting.

Emily sets up a Monte Carlo card night for charity and does her damnedest to get Pascal to come.  She even steals his poker chip from him whilst lighting up a cigar.  Cue Daniel who really only showed up to gloat at Emily and she hands him his credit card when he asks where she got the money to arrange everything.  Not gloating anymore was he!  Emily wanted to play poker with Pascal but Victoria had to butt in and told him not to trust her.  Well don't think anyone would trust Victoria with that hairstyle!!  She managed a few rounds with the curling tongs, fire her hairdresser she should!  Yet he managed to make Victoria and Emily go head to head.  It's clear Victoria is the winner and she lets Emily win, which Emily knows but isn't sure why.  What was funny was Emily putting up Daniel's engagement ring as a bet.  Now he can't have that back either.

Javier (Henri Esteve) arrives and flirted with Charlotte who admitted his coming clean he was in prison is a breath of fresh air.  Nolan warned him about her but he was already smitten as he kissed her, must have been desperate!  Margaux said Pascal had given her back her magazine and about going into business with Daniel and Jack tried to warn her.  She was rather more jealous of Emily than really listening to anything he had to say.

Pascal met with Emily but she sensed he had a bug there and so she didn't talk with him much other than saying her marriage to Daniel gave her some insights into Grayson secrets.  Victoria arrives after he's given her the deeds to her precious manor and they kiss.  She promising to go after Emily and he promising to never betray her again.  Since Emily's been studying Victoria she knew she lied about the poker hand and just then Aiden shows up telling her the initials stand for his father's name.  Of course, should have known that, since he was the one who planted the bomb on the plane.  Trevor Warren Mathis, should have got that from the 'M'.

As for that bug, the Eiffel Tower should have been a huge giveaway, I mean it looked like one of those tacky souvenirs you bring back from Paris, hell even I have one of those.  He's not exactly going to get on side with Emily and become her ally especially since he only has eyes for Victoria and always did.  Also cos it appears he had a huge part in the David Clark scandal.  Oh someone just put the two 'evil' twins in the corner and shut them up, Daniel and Charlotte acting out any revenge on anyone seems so laughable!

Not much by way of any advancements in plots this ep since we already knew everything that was said. Aiden telling Emily he isn't like Nolan and wouldn't come back to her, but then does exactly that, why can't live without her it seems.  Guess this ep was saved by Emily's red, Special K dress, an ep of Revenge without a main character in a red dress is positively scandalous!  Oh and Nolan's jacket, seems like he was saving it for just this occasion.