Downton Abbey Series 5 Episode 4 Review

                                              
At breakfast they talk of Shrimpie (Peter Egan) coming down and he wants to stay with them.  Robert (Hugh Bonneville) wonders where he'll be sent to next after Bombay, but Mary (Michelle Dockery) signals not to pursue it any further, as Rose (Lily James) doesn't know of her parent's divorce yet.  Isabel (Penelope Wilton) asks how Rose's Russians are doing and they're still despairing.  Cora (Elizabeth McGovern) announces that Bricker (Richard E Grant) will be coming down to view the painting again and to get her opinions, which makes Robert more defensive and jealous.  Also there's talk yet again of Bunting (Daisy Lewis) and how she's affecting Branson, (Allen Leech) leading him back to his old ways.  Walking to the village, they see the war memorial underway and Mrs Patmore (Lesley Nichol) watches the building in tears.  Robert wishes he knew what was wrong with her and later Carson (Jim Carter) tells him.

Robert speaks with her and lets her know that he understands, but the War Office won't let them do anything. She's grateful he sympathizes more than Carson.  Since shell shock affected his mind and so he wasn't aware what he was doing.  It's now more well known what the affect this can have on men.  Yet they're still treated as cowards for their actions.  Her nephew volunteered and fought for his country, he didn't wait around until he was called up.  Mary, Branson and Robert also visits Pip's Corner, the proposed site of the new development of houses and he hates the way in which everything will be altered by cheap housing.

Edith (Laura Carmichael) finds out from Michael's office that there's a trial going on in Germany concerning the notorious Brown Shirts and they may find out what happened to Michael.  She's upset, but Robert thinks it's best she knows once and for all.  Which she agrees with as she doesn't want anymore of Mary's pity.  Robert pities her too.  To make matters worse, she can't even see Marigold anymore cos of Mrs Drewe and Robert thinks she should wait a few months before she she should impose on them again.  He knew this would happen.  Well he seems to know plenty except for the fact his wife's opinions mean nothing to him.

The Dowager (Maggie Smith) and Isabel travel to London and visit Prince Kuragin (Rade Serbedzija) as they reminisce again.  He doesn't know where the Princess is and the Dowager asks Shrimpy to look for her.  Also confiding in Isabel how she was attracted to him back then, but her husband gave her a Faberge frame with photos of her two children.  Of course Isabel already knew how she felt about him.

Mary heads out to London as Rosamund (Samantha Bond) is taking her to a dress show, which Robert belittles as not being that important, but it is for Mary.  She also wants to dump Gillingham (Tom Cullen) as she realizes how she feels about him.  At the show, she sees Charles (Julian Ovenden) with another woman and he introduces her as Miss Lane Fox and he presumes they already know each other.  However, they only know of each other.  It seems she can see why she was jilted in favour of Mary, but now the shoe's on the other foot and it's Mary who'll be doing the jilting, she hopes.  Charles invites her to dinner, where she tells him about dumping Gillingham and he thinks there may be a way for her to soften the blow.  She's agreed to meet him at Kensington, near the Peter Pan statue, with Charles remarking that may make him more clucky! ha.  She wants Gillingham be be godfather to her children, but not their father.

She meets with him, but he doesn't take the news at all.  In typical male fashion he assumes that she's dumping him after their fling and now has decided she doesn't want him, after they've slept together. Assuming once again that a woman can only sleep with her intended future husband, as she's decided he must be that first.  But a man can sleep around to his heart's content and has no such labels or presumptions applied to him.  What's the guess he'll blackmail her reputation to reveal all, with Charles dashing to her rescue!

Anna (Joanne Froggatt) meanwhile is sent to deliver the note to Gillingham's house in person and here she's followed by a plain clothes policeman.  She even heads all the way to Piccadilly, where Green was killed.  Nothing is made of this until the sergeant turns up at Downton again asking more questions.  This time specifically about Anna's whereabouts on the day Green was killed and whether she liked him or not.  Mrs Hughes (Phyliss Logan) says she did and it's a bit silly but it's been in all the papers and they did 'know' each other, so what's suspicious going to see where it happened, Of course we all know where this storyline is headed, with Bates (Brendan Coyle) still not telling Anna where he was that day and she doesn't confide in him either, that there's something about Green and she suspects Bates.  Or does she?

Thomas (Rob James-Collier) returns apparently after his father is now better, but looks rather pale. Baxter (Raquel Cassidy) catches him with some syringes and medical supplies and assumes it's him who is ill, not his father.  He also takes back a magazine that Mrs Hughes found on the floor and looks through it.  Of course he's not going to tell her what's wrong with him.  Molesley (Kevin Doyle) is suffering under the label of 'first footman' as Carson ensures he gets all the wok to do, including being valet, polishing the silver and cleaning the boots, until he finally gets to the point where he asks Carson to reduce his duties, since he's doing everything a second and third footman would be doing.  Exactly what Carson wanted him to do,

Shrimpie tells Rose he and Susan are divorcing and she wants to live with him.  Also asking him to be behind her when she finds the right man to marry for love.  He tells the Dowager that many of the Russians ended up in Hong Kong, as taxi drivers, some were even prostitutes and she dreads to think the Princess could be doing the same.  Lord Merton (Douglas Reith) proposes to Isabel cos he loves her and she promises to think about it.  The Dowager wanting her to reject him outright.  But she's not going to do that.

Bricker examines the painting again and will be staying on a few days further, but still can't resist flirting with Cora, much to Robert's chagrin, who interferes in their little one-sided triste, still being tense with Cora.  The Dowager asking if he doesn't value Cora's opinions.  His reply is he does, most of the time, but not always, therein lies the problem.  Rose thinks Branson should ask Bunting to dinner and Cora tells him he should, knowing this will infuriate Robert and sure enough is fuel to the fire, when at dinner, she remarks on Daisy (Sophie McShera) and how he doesn't even know her name.  Which he says he does.  Then asks for Daisy to be sent for and Mrs Patmore too, since she's been complaining Daisy's studies are getting in the way of work.  She may have said that as she was preoccupied with things happening with her nephew, but Daisy has nothing but praise for Bunting. Who still can't keep her mouth shut and has never heard of a tactical retreat.  Robert has an outburst and leaves the table enraged.  Mary defending him and Branson doesn't do much of anything.

Branson tells Bunting that he loves them all and that she forgets that his daughter is one of them too. Bunting doesn't want him to be changed by them.  Robert later decides they will develop the land, but only according to their terms and the sort of housing they want, nothing cheap or ugly.  Edith doesn't get to see Marigold and Mary lets slip to Rosamund about her doting over Marigold, whom she calls, "it."  Not even realizing that hasn't let slip to Rosamund that Marigold is a 'she'.

Looks like someone should use their influence and get Bunting removed from the school ASAP, well they do have the connections to see do this. Surprised no one's thought of it, yes Robert, why haven't you?  That way she will never mess up another dinner at Downton!  Let's see, is she three for three! What the deuce does Branson see in her, cos she's no Sybil with her wild ideas.  This Bunting just wants to shove her foot into everything first chance she gets and that's not really 'guiding' Branson back to what he used to believe in and stand for. Mary telling him that was the best dinner the Dowager has had.

Oh and you may recall from my reviews last series, I already put forward Anna as a suspect in the killing of Green!  So it's no big deal, or surprises that she's possibly being suspected of it now and put under the police radar!  So perceptive of me, it was that obvious even back then! Ha.

Oh and can we not keep harking back to Pemuk since it appears Mary is a serial man magnet or something or another when it comes to not being able to keep her hands off men, even if they turn out to drag the family name through the mud.  Which is rather hypocritical of the Dowager, not only when she tells Mary that nothing happened between her and the Prince last ep, but this ep she tells Edith that she's looking out for the family and Edith too, which to her are the same thing.  Yet Mary is the one who is causing the most scandal once again, with her inability tot make the right judgement calls as far as her beaus are concerned!

Doctor Who 8.8 "Mummy on the Orient Express" Review

                                           
The Orient Express in Space this time, whereas before it was the Titanic and various other shuttles in one form or another of import. An old woman, Mrs Pitt (Janet Henfry) sees a bandaged Mummy which no one else can see and demands it be removed from the compartment.  However a clock starts running and she has 66 seconds to live.  Just incase no one worked that out, cos as soon as the clock reaches zero, the countdown stops and she's died.  It's put down to a heart attack and she was actually over a 100 years old.  Though her daughter, Maisie (Daisy Beaumont) appears to be distraught over it, beware appearances can be deceptive especially in this show.

The Doctor (Peter Capaldi) brings Clara (Jenna Coleman) aboard and it appears they seem to have made up after their falling out last ep, at least after her telling him to leave.  But as later revealed, this is only their "last hurrah," as she's adamant she is leaving him.  So it was only fitting that he brought her here.  They only just got here so they don't know what's happened and Captain (Quell (David Bamber) hasn't met them either. Since the Doctor shows them the psychic paper and has stated he's a mystery shopper.  So he comments he hates their breakfast bar and he needs extra pillows, when the Captain calls head office and finds there is no mystery shopper on board.  As Maisie is angry when she hears the Doctor talk about some train or another and states that he's lying cos he has to be really old to have been there.  He calls him out on being a liar, which as later events will show she wasn't quite wrong there.

Clara calls Danny (Sam Anderson) and tells him where she is and he tells her to enjoy herself.  Then as the Doctor sneaks out to be a "nosey Parker" as he calls himself, Clara does the same thing too, but he's not around.  He talks to the chief engineer (Frank Skinner) who's being doing his own investigating.  Whilst they ponder, one of the kitchen staff is next and he locks himself into the freezer, but of course there's no escaping Mummy.  He has only 66 seconds to live also. The Doctor remarks on how Professor Moorhouse (Christopher Villiers) is an expert on the "Foretold."  How people offer riches and other things as an enticement to it.  But he knows about the 66 seconds. Offering the Professor jelly beans from a cigarette case was a stroke of genius, as was the Doctor mentioning he's also a genius again to Perkins.  As well as a nosey Parker.

Clara follows Maisie as she wants to see her mother and thing is they won't let her see her and she can't get into the compartment either.  So she uses her shoe to break the control panel and they find themselves locked inside.  She's not really crazy, just upset over the death and apparently she disliked her, she was her grandmother really and made her call her mother.  Clara tries to get hold of the Doctor and finally manages to get in a word shouting she's trapped.  Which sends him running to help her out.  But the Sonic is useless and can't open the door.  In fact the Sonic does the opposite and activates the sarcophagus which contains nothing but bubblewrap.

The Doctor tells the Captain that he's a coward and he's not even bothering to investigate.  Not until one of his guards is killed by the Mummy, does it urge him to take some action.  Shortlived as that was.  The Professor is next on the Mummy's list and the Doctor needs to know what he can see and describe the Mummy.  But he can't save him.  The guests disappear as they were all holograms, except for a select few who were intentionally brought here since they're experts in their field.  Gus speaks to them and he wants them to catch the Mummy and that's what the sarcophagus is for. They're able to do X-rays and find that the Mummy is going after people who have something wrong with them, physically or mentally.  The Captain admitting the kitchen hand was dying.  The guard had synthetic lungs and the Captain suffers from some sort of post traumatic stress.

So he's next and says he might as well go out doing something useful.  Maisie is also suffering over the death and the Doctor tells Clara to bring her here under false pretences, by telling her he can save her.  When she does bring her, she finds out he lied, but when Maisie sees the Mummy, he steps in front of her and takes all her pain and injects it into himself.  Thus being able to see the Mummy now, he is able to work out the Mummy is really a soldier, who was transported here when his ancient tech failed.

Funny line when the Doctor asks, "are you my mummy?"  Not that it was meant to be cos this Doctor doesn't do humour, nor does he do emotion either.  Clara referring to him as being the impossible man again.   Seems there's no getting away from that word in this show.  So it turns out the Doctor knows how to stop the Mummy after all, by discovering the piece of the scroll isn't a scroll or parchment, but a flag.  The Mummy being a soldier and it needs to stop fighting the war.  The Doctor saying he surrenders, they surrender, stopping the Mummy in its tracks as it disintegrates.  And as it does so, it leaves behind the transporter that was inside.  Gus thanking the Doctor but he now proceeds to knock everyone out and the Doctor has to save the day.

Once again they end up on a beach somewhere on another planet, just as last ep when they saved the moon, so to speak.  He transported everyone onto the TARDIS and brought them here, to the nearest planet.  Clara was sleeping so he left her asleep on the beach.  She asks the Doctor if he really saved everyone and he says no he didn't, he only saved the two of them and he has to say that.  He talks about lying and having to lie cos he didn't want Gus to know what he was thinking when he said she had to lie to Maisie to bring her to him.  That he could save her.  He wasn't sure if he could, but he needed to know what the Mummy looked like and see it for himself.  Also that sometimes you have to lie to do what is needed.

Inside Perkins inspects the TARDIS saying some of the drives need work and it's a long job, the Doctor replying if he knows anyone.  So Gus got away after he blew up the train, any thoughts on who Gus could be perhaps Perkins, the chief engineer himself.  Especially the names of the ships that Clara and Maisie found info on, like the Gloriana.  Maybe one reason why he blew up the train, so no one found what was on there.  Clara calls Danny or he calls and asks if it's over.  She says it is and has a change of heart telling him she doesn't want to leave him cos it was Danny who wanted her to leave, but now he's okay with it.  Who's lying now?  As well as the Doctor telling Clara at the beginning that she's sad and smiling all at once, "it's a smile, but it's sad, it's like two different emotions at once.  It's like you're malfunctioning!"  Well she was in a way wasn't she.  She didn't really know if she wanted to stay or to leave him, especially since he said she wouldn't see him again. Thinking she may not go knocking around with him, but he'll be over for dinner!  Yes dinner, can you picture him at dinner. Not likely with this Doctor.  He didn't mean Clara was literally malfunctioning did he?

Though can't help but see there was a little bit of something going on between these two, in terms of him not wanting her to leave and how she was in two minds about leaving too.  Thus the "two different emotions at once."  Unless it was different emotions between those for Danny and those for the Doctor.  Thought there wasn't going to be any of that this time round.  You know flirtatious comments and the like.  They just having them tip toe around each other as far as her feelings for the Doctor are concerned and boy did Clara have feelings for the Doctor.  At least for Doctor Eleven (Matt Smith) and she can't just turn them off like that, even if he has a different face.  Still same old Doctor.  However think this is getting a bit digressive of me! ha.

Coincidence that the Mummy happened to be a soldier at that, after the Doctor going on about hating soldiers and how ancient technology kept the Mummy here.  We've been coming across soldiers being mentioned for a while now and his dislike of them.  Yet he manages to take this one down too. It just seemed so anti-climactic that the Mummy had to be a soldier.  Is this why those marked for death couldn't bargain with it.  He/It was on a mission and well, soldiers aren't meant to be 'bribed' by people for their lives or even save people, not when you really think about it.  One reason why Danny didn't want to be a soldier anymore.  Not to mention the misconception's that come with the territory.

Harkback here to The Unicorn and the Wasp of course, the Agatha Christie inspired ep but also the "are you my mummy" line was a throwback to The Empty Child ep, but still it sounded funny when the Doctor said it at that moment.  As well as shades of Midnight here, when the Tenth Doctor (David Tennent) and Donna (Catherine Tate) found themselves on that shuttle.

Think this is the most I've written for an ep this series!

Dark World: Into The Shadows With the Lead Investigator of the Ghost Adventures by Zak Bagans & Kelly Crigger Review

                                             
Delving into aspects of the paranormal, Dark World: Into the Shadows (2011) is a must read both for those who are novices to the area and for seasoned believers in the paranormal and supernatural. Addressing issues in a friendly, narrative way; as if he's conversing with the reader in person.  Mind you, I did have Zak's voice in my mind when I was reading this, so it was like he was reading to me!  I know I've said this until I'm purple (my fave colour) in the face, but I have to say he so needs to do an audio book!  Zak has the most perfect voice!

Not only a continuation in some ways from the TV show Ghost Adventures (GA) itself as the book gives viewers/fans, the opportunity to read to a greater extent on some of the more significant investigations, than just watching in a 42 minute episode.  Obviously we can't get to see everything we'd like to in that time space.  But you get a real insight into the man behind the show, his reasons for doing the show, what got him interested in the paranormal and in some ways his entire raison d'etre.  Which is more than we get to see in GA itself.  How one fateful encounter in his Michigan apartment led to all of this and how things and his life could have been very different, cos he seemed to be headed nowhere very quickly and in danger of entering that downward spiral from which it is difficult to get out of.  Yeah, okay I admit, I would have liked to have read a little more about this encounter, as would many others.

It's more than just the fun side we see during their research and bringing us the background and facts of a certain place, it's history, connections with the living and the dead on the show.  As well as why it forms an integral part of the lockdown and why that particular location was chosen.  It actually feels very different when you read about all this.

There are things we didn't know, about the show, about Zak and the investigations, providing a real insight and explanation or various paranormal, supernatural phenomena, tools used in investigations, conducting sessions, and PIs (Paranormal Investigations) words of wisdom and warning for any hobbyists or amateurs and you even get the obligatory "science bit."

Some may see it as a repetition of what they've already watched.  Yet it's still interesting to read and sets it apart from the show in many ways.  It's written in a clear, concise way with anecdotes, jokes and serious issues all brought to you with compassion and extreme sensitivity in some cases or wherever necessary.

There are many parts I'm sure we can relate to in our own lives.  Zak easily draws you in with comparisons and allusions to movies and other aspects of pop culture which makes the subject more captivating and easy to comprehend for some.  Like The Others which I have to agree was one of the best movies made relating to this area, with a great plot twist at the end.  Showing that life still goes on and it's our own perceptions, to a degree, that makes the difference or influences us in what we believe or don't believe.

Not all will agree but I like to watch and dissect the show (same with all shows/films) but I feel it's there to do this, and is not just "for entertainment purposes" but also to debate about any questions raised and to encourage people to think outside the "spirit box" (!) in terms of answering perhaps their own fears or anything else they may want to talk about. Or may have found it difficult to do so in the past as they're dealing with such an emotive subject, but also one still subject to many taboos, depending on how one was raised or have experienced for themselves.  This may have been all before the show came along.  Zak's book helps to explain a lot and to bring matters out in the open which may have been uncomfortable to speak about for various reasons.  The biggest one being where someone has a 'label' applied to them just cos they think differently about the paranormal or the afterlife, if they believe in ghosts.

Dark World was and still is an eye opener in many ways, but also it was a credible and fantastic read on an interesting subject and very relevant to humans and to life itself.
It's a very powerful subject on which I can write about and speak to on length, but sometimes, well a lot of the times, the words get in the way.

Comments

There were a few things I was thinking about before reading the book, such as precedence.  Was thinking along the lines of what you said (Yes you, this is meant for YOU ZAK!) Thought there should be some sort of reference database where you can list your findings, what was caught where, what it means and stuff like that.  It's like all the data contained in journals and law books, legal cases, where resources can be pooled and used as a source of reference and further investigation.  It would provide a wealth of information not just for PIs right now, but also for the future.

However, it is understandable, regrettably, that many investigators, amateur (sometimes even the professional ones) wouldn't want to share. It's all about fame and to some extent being the first to break a story.  Have had experience with people like that almost everyday.  When they don't realize it's not really about them, but about what they do and ultimately it should be asked if  they're not doing it for others and putting forward their findings, then why are they even doing it.

It is understandable that Quantum physics and theory would play a big part in PI and explanations, especially since everything in the universe is related to the past, present and future even; leading to breakthroughs in many areas.
The theory, perhaps most easily explained in Quantum Leap (1989) the TV show, where Sam (Scott Bakula) and Al (Dean Stockwell) argued about string theory explaining how the universe works, but ended up deciding it's more like a ball of string, with all points getting jumbled and leading into each other.  Okay, I took the following extract from Wikipedia, it explains it in an easy way and also as it's already done, there's no point me repeating the similar. (I'm not a lazy writer/person! ha.  First time I've done this.)

 "A person's life is like a length of string; one end represents birth, the other represents death. If one were to tie the ends of the string together, their life becomes a loop. Next, by balling the loop together, the days in one's life would touch one another out of sequence. Therefore, jumping from one part of the string to another would allow someone to travel back and forth within their own lifetime, thus making a "quantum leap" between each time period. (How exactly these things are accomplished is never explained.)"

I always liked Scully's (Gillian Anderson) line in an ep of the X-Files where she says, "every answer lies in science." Cos truth is, it doesn't.  There's a whole other set of variables and beliefs, faith and other factors that come into it.  That's why I like to contradict that phrase at every point.  Sure it's from a TV show, but it is relevant in today's world, secular or religious, believers or non-believers. This being although she's a scientist, she also has her faith and her belief in God, shown not just by the Crucifix she wears, but her own experiences in her life.

To believe in the unexplained doesn't mean giving up your faith, what you may believe for yourself, were brought up to believe, or anything else.   It's called keeping an open mind and being open to changes around you, what's happening and the impact unexplained events, phenomena, may have in your own life and that of others.

Burden of proof, yeah my area!  Actually agree so much with Mark and Debby Constantino about EVPs and the like being effective 'tools' in law enforcement and legal cases.  Psychics have been accepted, eventually, but convincing the courts and other legal personnel on the use of EVPs, is a long and arduous step forward.

Though back in the past, there was that one case of the Greenbrier Ghost in 1897.  (Funny our house was built in that year!) where a woman named Elva Zona Hester Shue living in Greenbrier County, West Virginia, USA, was killed by her husband.  He covered up her death saying she had "an everlasting faint."  Later this was said to be childbirth. She appeared to her mother and indicated her husband, Erasmus Shue killed her.  He had broken her neck and she rotated her head around to show this.  She visited her mother for four nights.

At the trial her mother stuck to her testimony and as it was the defence who introduced Zona appearing to her mother, eventually the judge could not direct the jury to ignore it.  He was convicted and part of the marker near the cemetery where Zona is buried, reads: "...only known case in which testimony from a ghost helped convict a murderer."

I read about this a while back (for legal purposes, ha) then saw this on Monumental Mysteries Season 1, also on the Travel Channel.
This was at a time when there were no technical equipment or devices available, but think of the impact this could have in the future.  But the kicker will always be cross examination since the accused has the right to face/challenge his/her accuser.  Also credence was given to this since her body was exhumed to reinforce what her mother was saying.  There's also that elephant in the courtroom going by the law of evidence, including corroboration, which will provide one of the greatest problems in this area..

As I said it is a revealing book and was immensely enjoyed by me.  Am looking forward to the next one, I Am Haunted: Living Life Through the Dead out on 10th February 2015.  But you can pre-order now if you dare.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1628600616/ref=s9_simh_gw_p14_d0_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-3&pf_rd_r=0D3JQM7W9Q7SEH83JR4V&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1688200422&pf_rd_i=507846

http://www.amazon.com/Dark-World-Shadows-Investigator-Adventures/dp/1936608855/ref=pd_sim_b_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=05E5HB5G43Z7F6VVN1ZW

http://mila255.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/ghost-adventures-bringing-paranormal.html

Meeting Bruce Greenwood DSTL3 2014

After months of anticipation and pondering will he or won't he. The big day loomed.  DSTL3 2014 had finally arrived.  Well it was also a huge moment for me, a bit of a milestone after being a fan of Bruce Greenwood for sooooo many years! Was so revved up (then had transport delays, thanx for nothing TfL!!)

First thing I did was to dash for an autograph and I got my sketch signed. Had a great conversation with him and I think he was a little taken aback at just how long I have been a fan of his!  To the point of not believing it for a minute, but he gave me the sweetest compliment!!  True to say, he is the most wonderful, friendly, down to earth guy you will ever meet.  Not just genuinely caring and so gracious of his fans and to his fans! but he really treats them more like a family or special friends than just 'random' strangers.

Bruce was surprised at the reception he received at his first convention and definitely should attend many more.  Let's say London was so privileged to have him here first and for this to be his first one too.  Got a lot to thank JJ Abrams and his casting Bruce as Captain Christopher Pike in the Star Trek movies.  Without that recognition, his fans would've been hard pressed to ever meet him, aside from the lucky ones who already have.

Had a funny time watching Bruce climb onto the stage cos he was 'escorted' the wrong way. He was meant to have been brought from behind the black curtain in true star fashion! Anthony Montgomery compering, decided they should do it again and the proper way, to cheers from the crowd.

Some questions included seven years ago how he got a call about JJ wanting to do Star Trek as a movie and got locked up in the room in LA with a script.  He read it but took tonnes of notes and put them in his pocket and then spoke to JJ.  "One of the best experiences of my life."  Also that Anton is a great chessplayer.

He's open to coming back to the next movie in any way shape or form, "even if they bring my head back in a box."  Adding that Pike's death must be meaningful in such a genre so he can't be brought back straightaway.  It would then seem just too easy to do that if people were killed and then could just return.

He watched the Star Trek show as a kid and went back and watched them again, but he read plenty of books when researching for the JFK role in Thirteen Days.  This involved reading and Star Trek involved watching.

Another question: Who had the biggest bromance of the two films?  "Maybe I didn't witness the biggest bromance...equal opportunity lovefest, to be honest...we were all dressed up in these outfits...get off stage and everybody collapses into their chair...unzip me... we spent  a lot of time undressing each other...is what I meant to say!"

The Talk being only about half an hour, the time was strictly adhered to, but Bruce adding he was going to take a log time to answer the final question, cos they can't get him off stage that easily.  Also, Anthony was eager to have the talk continue cos Bruce really wasn't going anywhere, but it was the organizers that be, you see and plus there was another talk scheduled! So Anthony said he'll be allowed to answer two more questions.

There was me waving like crazy and luckily was in the fourth row at the right end and he saw me. Trying to make the questions as different as possible, seeing as everyone asked about bromance on the set, Pike being a mentor and about Bruce's interaction with the cast of the movie etc.  I asked what he thought of Pike being killed off by Sherlock Holmes?  Getting in Benedict Cumberbatch's name in there too, ha.  Killing two birds with one stone and all the other sayings and cliches that come to mind.

Bruce wasn't sure about how to respond to that.  Even putting on a super Brit accent, luv! Once again he was truly endearing and gracious towards Benedict and working with him, acknowledging how good an actor he really is.  Also wondering why they had Sherlock Holmes in a Star Trek movie to begin with, ha!  SO at least I gave the audience a few more laughs!  Think the ultimate kicker for me, so to speak was that Bruce actually mentioned my name when he saw it was me asking the question.  He couldn't find me at first cos the mic wasn't so good.  Then to hear "Mila" again uttered by his gorgeous voice;  was just so exhilarating.  A fangirl moment but much more than that.  Like watching him all these years, and there have been a lot of years, was leading to this one moment, where I got to share a second where it was just him and me and kinda drowning everyone else out!  It's a huge rush!!

Truly a gifted actor, a superstar in how he treats everyone and so hilarious!  Seeing him in person is a feeling that can't be described, it's like a dream, fate, kismet all rolled into one!  Hope everyone gets the chance to meet him at least once!

For more on Bruce read here: http://mila255h.blogspot.co.uk/2013_09_01_archive.html

CSI 14.19 "The Fallen" Review

                                               
Debbie Hughes (Scottie Thompson) organizes a shift change and puts her husband, Blake (Mike Faiola) onto the reception desk to deal with the public at LVPD.  After everyone remarking they should get a room, wait they're married so they don't need to, DB (Ted Danson) tells them.  Soon all hell breaks loose, as a teenage boy walks in and pushes into the queue.  Knew what was coming next. He pulls out a gun and shoots Blake, before taking a woman hostage and firing at all the other officers there.  Even shooting Mitch (Larry Mitchell).  He kills one fatally and wounds four others who are rushed to hospital.  The boy enters and takes DB hostage, as well as Jacob (Mark Shively) who is arrested again even after Nick (George Eads) warned him about using lasers on airplanes in the ep??

They have no eyes on him and Brass (Paul Guilfoyle) needs to know what's happening in lockdown. Everyone else is informed of what's happening and Nick and Greg (Eric Szmanda) go over there. Sara (Jorga Fox) heads to the hospital and Finn (Elisabeth Shue) takes over (now why didn't that come as a surprise.)  Sara looks at all the blood at the hospital and finds them working on Mitch.  As Brass sends Debbie to be with her husband who's in surgery.  She tells Sara how she was the cause of him being here since she put him behind the desk, if it was any other day he wouldn't have been there, calling it a domino effect.  Well there's what you'd actually call an admission to being behind it right there.  Didn't trust her anyway (and not cos she was Jeanne in NCIS either!)

Jacob lies bleeding as he was shot by a police bullet and needs a doctor but the boy won't release him. Instead DB manages to talk him into getting a first aid kit after Brass calls and he's allowed to communicate with DB.  He also wants a computer.  Finally they get a picture and sound on the camera feed and Greg volunteers to take the supplies to them, including a bug in the epinephrine. Greg tells DB he got it from his desk, so he knows what's in there.  That being the exact thing the boy picks up.  DB asks him for help with the water bottle and manages to get his fingerprint on there, covered with blood and Nick manages to figure out that there's a print on the bottle which they can scan.  Took a while to do that, hey.

Morgan (Elisabeth Harnois) needs the bullet from Officer Dodd's (Jeff Pierre) DB, which Doc (Robert David Hall) removes, so they can probably match it as well as the gun that the boy dropped on the floor, so they can find out his ID. The bullet doesn't help, but the gun is traced to Arizona, but they don't know how he got hold of it.  The print IDs the boy as Mark Powell (Brenden Meyer) who has a sealed juvvie record.  His mother, Cynthia (Stephanie Michels) is brought in and speaks with him, he's upset that she's here and he realizes DB tricked him into finding out who he is.

Greg and Morgan check out the van he drove here in and find he was living inside it, as well with old blueprints to the building, as well as how to dismantle a gun and put ii together.  They also find e-mails on this computer where he's talking with Lookinglass 49 where they plan an assault on another police station.  He's disgruntled over the police shooting people, such as a homeless man on a park bench.  They don't know what other police station will be attacked.

DB reasons with Mark and talks about his St Christopher cos DB's wife gave him one too.  He lets Jacob leave as his lung is filling with blood and he needs a doctor, he's not a policeman so he shouldn't be here.  His mother tells Nick of how he was close to his neighbour, Elliot, they were like brothers and one day he was shot by the police in a store.  Mark has been in trouble ever since including the vandalism and Nick asks why she didn't do anything when she saw the warning signs.  She said she got him therapy, took him to church and he even went on the police sports programme.  That was another clue.

Greg finds that the e-mails originated in the police station and tells Nick one of the officers was Lookinglass 49.  (The name was a big giveaway cos no man would use that as a name!  Re Alice Through the Looking Glass etc and being associated with vanity.)  Greg has to check 72 terminals and has only done 11.  Of course the trigger happy officer Dolan (Billy Miller) was the one we were supposed to suspect since he wanted to shoot him already and end it all.  DB tells Mark that no one else needs to die today, but as soon as he said that again it was apparent what was going to happen.

He gives up his guns and breaks down in DB's arms cos he wanted DB to kill him cos he couldn't shoot himself, but DB put the gun down.  As they walk out, he reaches for his St Christopher, but the same officer Dolan fires first and the rest follow suit.  Which was a little pointless and crazy since DB knew he didn't have any other weapons.  They find it was Dolan sending the e-mails, but it wasn't him as Sara tells Debbie it was her.  She had a affair with Dolan and she confessed to Sara herself about the dominoes and putting Blake on the desk, this way Mark would come in and shoot him.  She used a 16 year old boy to shoot her husband, but doesn't know why, cos he was beating her, cos he'd never let her go.  Having had an affair with Dolan. Well as said, that was obvious.

 A bit of a hit and miss ep, (no pun) looked like it was trying to ask, do you sympathize with a 16 year old carrying a gun who shoots everything in sight.  Even if he was set up and convinced to do that and his vulnerabilities were preyed upon by someone who should have known better.  The short answer being, it doesn't matter the motive, all killings are wrong.  Especially with what's gone on in   the past with gun crime in the US and is still happening everyday.  With DB saying all he saw was a confused kid, just like his mother did.  That it's not for people to judge but for God and also for God to forgive.  Yet people have to read the warning signs and this ep once again speaks to the issue of gun control.

Secondly, the officers couldn't take him down, but he got off so many rounds and wounded 4, killing 2 in the end.  Why didn't they lift his prints from the gun, clearly he wasn't wearing gloves, so that entire bottle ploy wasn't needed.

Downton Abbey Series 5 Episode 3 Review

                                                     
As Mary (Michelle Dockery) and Tom Gillingham (Tom Cullen) wake up to breakfast together, she seems very keen on him and having spent the night, well the entire week with him in Liverpool. Later as she leaves for home, they're spied by Sprat of all people!  So it's not long before he breaks the news of seeing her to the Dowager (Maggie Smith) since he was attending his niece's wedding in Liverpool of all places.  Small world.  He inquires as to what Mary was doing there and the Dowager has to make an excuse that she was at a Northern property conference, realizing that wasn't it at all.

She telephones to see Mary the next day, as Rose (Lily James) discusses inviting the Russians over to Downton.  Cora (Elizabeth McGovern) has planned a trip to London to stay with Rosamund and Bricker (Richard E Grant) has invited her to see paintings at the gallery.  The sergeant is still making enquiries and apparently the witness, a young woman has come forward claiming she heard Green talking and asking, "what are you doing here?" to someone.  Green told the staff at Gillingham's house that he wasn't treated badly at Downton and Carson (Jim Carr) says if anyone had anything against him, it would be him since he was rambunctious and in very high spirits which he didn't approve of,  Also that Green told the staff he and Bates (Brendan Coyle) didn't get on.  This worries Mrs Hughes (Phyllis Logan) as she tells Anna (Joanne Froggatt).

Anna wonders if Bates will be implicated and how he would have found out that it was Green.  She seems to be looking to Mrs Hughes for reassurances but she can't help her as she doesn't know where Bates was.  Bates having told the sergeant that he had tea at a hotel and visited a shoe shop when it opened in York.  Also that he had a drink and walked around, having lunch at some pub.  Mrs Hughes worries that someone higher than the sergeant may work out the shop and the hotel were near the station, so he'd still have time to get to London.  Which is what she also discusses with Mary.  But only the three of them know it was Green who attacked Anna (aside from Gillingham too.)

Well it's obvious this was leading to Bates being discovered and it's still surprising that Anna doesn't know Bates is aware it was Green.  Thomas (Rob James-Collier) also makes a phonecall which we don't really know who it was to, as at dinner he only says his father is unwell and he needs some time off work.  Baxter saying she's sorry to hear it since he was good to her, But Thomas doesn't share the same feelings towards him.

Mrs Patmore (Lesley Nichol) is saddened since her sister's son has not been placed on their town memorial and she thinks they night be able to get his name onto the Downtown memorial as a friend of a family member or some such connection.  She'd like her to talk with Carson but he doesn't think it right since he didn't fight with the rest of the men who were willing to give up everything for King and country.  He's deemed unworthy even though he was found to be suffering from shellshock.  This still doesn't move Carson (well nothing does!)  Mrs Patmore isn't happy with his decision, he can sympathize all he likes.  He doesn't even want Robert (Hugh Bonneville) getting involved since, "it's beneath him."

Cora has a memorable time with Bricker at the gallery and even gives her opinions on the paintings which he finds very enlightening.  This is music to Cora's ears cos Robert really just treats her like a chattel, well he does, it's like she's not allowed to have an opinion just cos she's a woman and she's finally waking up to that.  Bricker invites her to dinner with him and she accepts, little knowing that Robert is on his way to surprise her in London.  So when she arrives home after practically being propositioned by Bricker, she finds Robert waiting and angry.  He arranged dinner at Claridge's but cancelled and takes that out on her too as if she knew he was coming down.  Once again putting her down by wondering what possible insight she could have given an artist on art and paintings.

Mrs Drew gives Edith (Laura Carmichael) more grief over Marigold and she refuses to part with her and takes her back from Edith after she's been looking after her for the day.  Drew tells Edith she can't come round anymore for a while, at which she's disheartened and is seen in tears by Anna and Mrs Hughes.  Mary meanwhile gives Anna the book and paper bag for her to keep at her house and Anna thinks it's some sin that she's committing which will come back on her, well probably it will as far as Bates is concerned and he'll get the wrong idea if ever he found that at their house.  He does notices the package and thinks it's a present for him, but she replies it belongs to Mary.

The Dowager works out what Mary has been up to and Spratt asks her if she found Liverpool interesting.  She lectures Mary on how thins were in her day and how woman had to be told what to do when in the bedroom and didn't act upon their physical attractions at all, their mothers told them when to do so.  Which is all so old fashioned to Mary.  But she also displays her doubts to Branson (Allen Leech) about her feelings for Gillingham, which have changed overnight.  Which is what I said in most of the eps I've reviewed.  He's not really what she wants and seems too stuffy even for Mary! Ha.  Branson of course knew she didn't go away to sketch.  He wants her support cos he's thinking of moving to America and also with Bunting (Daisy Lewis) but she doesn't like her either.  Branson believes Edith has something else on her mind but Mary hasn't noticed.  She never does as far as her sister goes.

Speaking of Bunting (let's not) she's there to give Daisy (Sophie McShera) a lesson, but she's too busy preparing for the Russian tea.  Rose inviting her to join them.  Rose needs to stop being so blinkered and doing the wrong thing.  Robert once again is not amused at her being there, especially as she makes a remarks about the Russian aristocracy, which the guest takes offence to. He wants to leave but Cora saves the day by telling them to look at the Russian memorabilia they have which the Dowager and her husband brought back from St Petersburg and the wedding of Queen Victoria's son.  Robert wants Branson to keep Bunting under control.

The Dowager finds a fan that she was given by a Prince and she says that belongs to her, not to Robert's father.  The Prince is actually there and she tells how hot it was in the Palace and he gave it to her.  Obviously he was much enamoured with her and the same it seems for the Dowager, even though she tells Mary she was married and she didn't feel the same way about him, Mary thinks she does understand her "predicament."  Isabel (Penelope Wilton) also remarking on her "secret admirer" and whether she'll be seeing him again.  It seems the Dowager may have a secret after all and may have been too eager to judge Mary, which is what Mary thinks.

Baxter (Raquel Cassidy) is worried about Cora dismissing her and Molesley  (Kevin Doyle) tells her to give her a condition too, tell the story but add she also wants it forgotten afterwards.  It seems she was smitten by some handsome footman who was a horrible man after all, called Coyle and he made her steal the jewels.  He was to meet her but didn't show up and she took the blame for him cos she hated who she'd become and how he had changed her, causing Cora to let her stay.  Cora understanding the effect a man can have on a woman and how she couldn't be in control anymore.  Especially considering Robert's treatment of her in comparison to Bricker.  As well as Cora telling him about her past and how she had a full dance card.  But she doesn't like to talk about herself.

It appears this entire episode revolved around men, what women have done for them, how they're treated by them and how they don't really have much say in their lives for fear of public scrutiny still at that time.  Having very little or no free will, unless you exercise it and then are condemned for it, explaining why it must be kept secret if they do.

That Bates story should reach ahead soon since it has been going on since the last series.  Guess people thought Bates might go to London with Robert and be seen or something.  Think it would have been dangerous for him to volunteer to accompany Robert now.  

Doctor Who 8.7 "Kill the Moon" Review

                                                   
This time the Doctor (Peter Capaldi) takes Clara (Jenna Coleman) and Courtney (Ellis George) to the moon, Clara finds out he took her on the TARDIS and she was sick.  Now she can has motion sickness pills. Courtney can be the first woman on the moon, which she likes, but she' not.  The TARDIS lands on a shuttle already destined for the moon carrying nuclear bombs.  Which peaks the Doctor's curiosity.  Clara asks if he knows what's wrong with the moon and he replies it's put on weight.  The Doctor uses his yoyo and finds he can still use it, they're meant to be floating around. Also announcing himself as an alien.  The rest of the shuttle's crew investigate the moon, whilst the others are chased by some enormous spider like creature.

The token extra crew is killed and the spider finds its way into the shuttle.  Courtney gets separated from the others and is able to climb the walls.  As the spider approaches, she kills it with the disinfectant she's brought with her.  "Kills 99% of all known germs dead," as those TV ads tell us. The Doctor realizing she's onto something, working out that's what it is, a germ, bacteria.  Heading out to find the source of the weight of the moon and why it's disintegrating, the Doctor finds there are plenty more spiders in the rock.  It's multiplying and living on the moon.  He goes down the hole and Courtney is sent back to the TARDIS to be safe as she wants to go back home.  Lundvik (Hermione Norris) asks if he'll return and Clara is sure if he says he will, then he will.  Watch this later, as he does return but then disappears again, with consequences.

The shuttle sinks into the hole and they head back to base.  He also returns and has found that the moon is actually an egg.  There's a baby growing inside of it, but it will cause the earth harm unless they destroy it.  Therein lies the dilemma, do they destroy it or let it live.  They can't decide and Clara needs to know what he thinks and if he can help.  He uttering that today is a good day for mankind. Just to make sure we get some more Eleventh Doctor lines in.  You know, lines like this (and others, like "today is not a good day to die.  Ahh Matt!"  The Doctor leaves them to sort it out for himself so it was timely that Courtney brought the TARDIS there and joined them.  Clara doesn't know what to do, but then she decides along with Courtney that it's a baby, so they need to save it.  Lundvik doesn't agree, so she decides to detonate the bombs.  Once the sequence starts only the button will stop it. Clara still debates this since they can't kill a baby, whether or not it causes them any harm.

Lundvik contacts earth and is told the situation is dire.  Clara intercedes and asks the earth what it thinks, leave the lights on to save the baby or lights off to kill it.  Obviously they're fickle human beings who will always put their own lives first and gradually the lights begin to turn off, leaving the earth in darkness.  Thus this ep should've been entitled the "darker side of earth," cos some things never really change do they.  So much for embracing new life and other beings, say an alien Doctor.

Lundvik wants to die there anyway as she knows she will and just as Clara pushes the button to stop the countdown, the Doctor arrives back at the same time.  He takes them back to earth and shows them the baby being born and flying away.  The waves are still there and he says earth in the future where mankind is still making advances.  A new moon takes its place as the Doctor calls it and so it will grow to have another baby and then so on.  He sends Lundvik back to NASA, so she can be the first woman on the new moon and returns Clara and Courtney back to school.

This doesn't rest easy with Clara and she is angry to the point of tears with him.  She doesn't like how he treated her, he didn't give her a choice to make up her own mind, that's not what she wanted.  This is their earth, their planet and he breathes their air.  She sends him packing and doesn't want to see him anymore.  He knew what would happen and he wanted her to decide for herself, the fate of her own planet.  She's clearly angry and finds solace in Danny (Sam Anderson).  He's seen that look in her eyes when he left the army, he didn't want to but he had to.  She thinks she's made the right decision as the Doctor's now back to being all alone.  She returns home and there's no TARDIS in the house.  How long will that last?

Seems that Clara is finally taking control of her destiny in some ways as she tells the Doctor how she feels at his treatment of her in no uncertain terms.  A far cry from Doctor Eleven.  He knew exactly how to save humanity over and over and didn't really have that many qualms about it.  This Doctor is making no bones about it and seems to be saying humanity be damned, he's done enough saving and it's time someone took their own initiative and took that mantle away from him, cos at the end of the day he is only an alien!  Though he does mention he's of superior intellect.  Have to feel a little sad for him for the pelting Clara gave him, but he did deserve it, didn't he.  Especially when she said she'll smack him and he'll begin to regenerate again.  He's been saving humankind for all these years, an eternity to him and more and now he decides he'll pike out and leave it up to humanity itself. Since when has that ever been a good idea. So trying to get away from his emotional side and into portraying a more frightening, non-caring, abrasive side.

Plenty of allusions I thought to most every moon ep done in the show (let's face it, there have been quite a few in season/series 5, Day of the Moon etc.  As well as Closing Time.)  This one seems to be alluding to many other eps especially in its lines and speeches.  Having written this, it all makes sense as this ep was originally written for Matt Smith and perhaps once again it was trying to show Doctor Eleven's dark side, a little.  He did have his dark moments which all added to the character he brought out in the Doctor and would have made a fitting dent in their relationship, with Clara perhaps taking a definite step back in their friendship.  Then again if it was meant to have been written with Clara in mind and not Amy.

David Tennent's Tenth Doctor went to the moon and found Martha Jones for the first time.  Thought this ep had a bit of The Beast Below going on in it again, as he talks about the living creature inside it.  Oh and let's not go into the number of times and episodes that spacesuit has been recycled and used, especially for Doctors Ten and Eleven! ha.

CSI 14.18 "Uninvited" Review

                                              
A supposedly normal family is shown in their house at dinner and then mysteriously disappear .
30 days Later.  The house is empty and inside they find an unconscious man.  He hit his head and fell.  So he would've bled to death if the little girl selling chocolate bars hadn't found him.  He's Doug (Nico Nicotero) and is an addict with a criminal record.  He tells them the family found him and brought him home to work for him.  The son, Ethan (Robby Rassmussen) picked him up at the minimart for odd jobs around the house and they even let him stay there.  They asked him to dig trenches for the sprinklers in the garden.  Greg (Eric Szmanda) processes him and Brass (Paul Guilfoyle) is convinced he knows the whereabouts of the Connor family, since he's their suspect. Well, not mine though.

Finn (Elisabeth Shue) finally gets to work her blood analysis expertise at the CS, so I was a little hasty in saying last ep she doesn't do that anymore.  But she still looked so smug and she's always laughing.  She finds the blood spatter is concentrated in one area on the floor, but then there's blood spatter and cast off veering in different directions.  Some of it is facing downwards on the cabinets, which means it didn't belong to Doug.  There's also some on the ceiling and Nick (George Eads) finds a curtain missing from the window, the remaining curtain also has a missing tieback.  Finn throws Nick out so she can use the luminol and doesn't want him trampling on evidence.

Outside Morgan (Elisabeth Harnois) finds the window pane has new caulking on it and Nick notices the pane of glass has been replaced.  He also notices some red stain on the mat outside, which could be blood.  Nick speaks with the neighbour, Madge (Edie McClurg) who tells him that she thought the family were moving as there was a large storage truck out there.  As well as seeing Doug there too, she thought he was a relative.  She gives him the name of the removal company.  Las Vegas Consignments.  Doug tells Brass he ran out of money for food and as he didn't get paid, he sold off some furniture and then gradually sold off more of it. He didn't tell the police about the family, cos he'd be accused.  They left in their blue SUV and didn't come back.

Nick manages to track down the furniture and it's brought back, DB (Ted Danson) told them about the blood spatter for the reluctant ones who wouldn't give it up.  Also noticing the poker in the fireplace is missing in the set.  Finn also finds a whole lot of blood concentrated in the middle of the room and then drag marks going towards the back door, so a DB was dragged out.  Morgan uses ground penetration radar and finds the family dog buried in the garden with its throat cut.

Morgan does a search of the dumpsters and finds a storage receipt.  Hodges (Wallace Langham) telling her he keeps a recycling diary, detailing how much he recycles.  He wished people would recycle more cos landfill is getting full up with too much waste that can be recycled.  Yeah, you hear! The storage is in Doug's name.  He tell them he didn't go there and it's not him in the photo. Obviously it's not him as he's got his head down and wears a hat.  He's not the only one who wears plaid either.  Brass tells him he knew Ethan as they were in the same hospital together, as Ethan was in hospital when his car brakes were cut, but Ethan doesn't even recall him.  The obvious giveaway being that Ethan knew him and so Ethan becomes a suspect now.

Brass interviews Dwight's (Adam Lieberman) boss, Marvin Braxton (Robert Davi) who imports from Columbia ad his company has been accused of money laundering.  He says Dwight stole money from him and it's in his personal account.  Dwight was CFO for him and the money is still there.  At the storage facility Finn and Morgan find the SUV and blood in the back, as well as Dwight's DB.  It's mummified and has been there a long time.  Morgan matches DNA from the blood to a female, so it could have been the wife, Claire (Kenda Benward) in the back, which still leaves open what happened to the children.  Morgan notices tar on the side of the car, so he possibly drove through a newly tarred road and was made to dump the DBs before being brought here.

Doc (Robert David Hall) finds he was beaten, blunt force trauma being the COD.  Hodges finds debris from the car which is red in colour indicating Red Rock canyon, after talking about the reptilian Mesozoic era.  Morgan calls the Department of Transport and they find which road has been tarred recently.  Using ground penetrating radar again, Morgan finds a possible DB.  It's a woman wrapped in their own curtain from the house and they assume it to be Claire.  Doc autopsies her and Finn notices the IAD she's wearing.  Which is unusual since she had a hysterectomy.  The woman was beaten and is identified as Jessica Fenton (Tina Casciani) She works in IT and on her computer, Nick finds a sex tape with Dwight.  It's apparent she was recording that as she looks straight at the camera.  Sh also put the money into Dwight's account.

They assume that Claire found out and invited her to the house, where she beat her up.  Thus it was her in the chair and not Dwight.  They decided to cover her death up.  But then if she hadn't gotten carried away with beating her, she could have claimed self defence since she was stalking her. There's also DNA found Dwight's his fingernails which belongs to Ethan.  Which is what I said, then I changed my mind and said both the children did it and boy was I right (as usual, ha!)  Then later changed my mind again.  It could have been all Heather (Leah Bateman).

Morgan finds Jessica's credit card was used in two places in Arizona, once to buy bus tickets for the family and to check into a motel.  Here the police find Heather and Brass interviews her.  She says she didn't report them since she didn't want to get them into trouble.  Her family isn't perfect but they ruined her life.  See, it's all about her, which makes me think she killed the father too.  She says it wouldn't have happened if he "kept it in."  Cos Ethan was also sleeping with the mistress.  So she could be referring to both of them. They left for a movie she says and she hasn't seen them since. Yeah cos after everything that happened, you'd really wanna go see a movie.  That look she gave and her entire demeanour changed when she said they ruined her life.  As the camera pans into the canyon and the DB's of both Ethan and the mother buried underground.

They did stringing in this ep, finally, I love the stringing aspect of it.  It's just so interesting.  DB resorting to using the old protractor to measure the angles of the blood.  Also finding that the husband was probably subdued with the curtain tieback and then beaten with the poker, as he'd be the first to be taken care of.  Lots of clues here telling you that this wasn't the perfect family, as DB thinks they were.  A beautiful wife and children doesn't automatically mean perfect family.  Nick also pointing out that they're all doing separate things in their photos, except for the one family photo together, which realistically looking at it, hides a lot of secrets.

Well this ep was a repeat in terms of storyline in some ways to the CSI ep 1.7 Blood Drops, where the entire family was killed and the daughter, Tina did it, which is what I said when watching. Turns out the daughter did it again here.  As well as the ep in CSI:Miami when the entire family was killed once again, but the daughter survived.  Though she wasn't the killer.  Gosh my brain/mind works so laterally doesn't it, thinking back so far! Ha.  Then again I like making those sorts of connections and allusions.

Henry (Jon Wellner) returned in this ep but Sara was missing again.  Liked the way in which Greggie was adept in accusing Doug as he's done in the past.  So very dedicated of him.

Downtown Abbey Series 5 Episode 2 Review

                                                 
Following hot on the heels (ha) of the last ep Jimmy (Ed Speleers) says his goodbyes to Thomas (Rob James-Collier) after being fired for his night with Lady Anstruther.  He's sad to be leaving cos they made headway as friends and he can't believe that he could be friends with someone like Thomas.  Thomas tells him to write, but he's not much into that.  You can feel sorry for Thomas here, losing his one and only friend, but that won't last long since he'll be up to his antics in no time.  As he later shows with Baxter  (Raquel Cassidy) once again, when he says she'll get hers.  With Molesley (Kevin Doyle) coming to her rescue once more. Later Thomas even tells Mosley that she's a thief, which changes things for him about her. But he says what I did last ep review, that he believes there's more to her story than just outright theft. She also tells Moseley this and the same to Cora (Elizabeth McGovern).  But she's not having any of it.  Cora's keeping her on but she doesn't know why.

Lady Rose (Lily James) asks Robert (Hugh Bonneville) if he'll get a wireless for Downton, but he's reluctant.  Also there's talk of an art expert, Simon Bricker (Richard E Grant) coming to visit them here as he wants to see some painting they have.  He will be touring with Charles Blake (Julian Ovenden) and Cora thinks she should invite Charles too, as he'll know how to control him.  Mary (Michelle Dockery) says if she needs her then she'll be here but only until Tuesday.  As we know she has a week's rendezvous planned with Tony Gillingham (Tom Cullen).  For which she enlists Anna's (Joanne Froggatt) help in buying her female contraceptives.  She's been reading up on it in Maria Stopes's book and Anna is reluctant to be her partner in crime.  Well that's okay if Anna gets recognized, she is after all married.  Once again, we get Anna being a part of her cover ups, so to speak, first it was Pemouk in series 1 and now it's her dalliances with Gillingham.  Makes you wonder what the wealthy got up to with some much time on their hands.  I digress, of course.

Anna does feel self conscious and ashamed when she's at the store and the woman shopkeeper judging her by saying, well if it's for health reasons, but that's fine then.  But the show trying to reinforce that a woman should have the right to choose what she wants to do, or needs to do, without being judged and most of all by men.  Though Anna changes her mind about this when she says the same, whether she has eight children or not, she shouldn't be treated like this.  There's Mary traipsing off for a week and leaving her son here without his mother.  Not that she takes an active interest in him as a mother either.  But those were the days, as they say.

Daisy (Sophie McShera) is frustrated at not getting anywhere with her study and Mrs Patmore (Lesley Nichol) gets the idea to get Cry Baby Bunting (Daisy Lewis) to help her out and teach her.  Much to our chagrin and Robert's too.  Especially when he finds out she's here and Rose thinks she should invite her to dinner.  Luckily Bunting refuses otherwise there'd be more hell to pay. However dinner with Bricker doesn't go as planned as Branson (Allen Leech) and Robert manage to bicker over the Russian royal family being assassinated and how Branson doesn't agree with his views when he brings up Charles I being killed.  Robert didn't kill Charles and Branson says he didn't kill the Russian royal family either.

Bricker manages to talk to Cora about his "escapades" only just (was that as the Pimpernel?  Cos this was a Scarlet Pimpernel reunion for Richard E Grant and Elizabeth McGovern.)  He looks at the painting and lo and behold they even talk about the French revolution! I rest my case, ha.  All the while he's flirting with Cora, which Robert doesn't notice.  Infact later in bed when they're arguing over Branson and how bunting is changing him and he's going back to his old ways, he mentions Simon Bricker was flirting with Isis, the dog, but didn't even notice anything with Cora!  Robert adding that if Branson moves away, Sibby will be staying here since he's not losing their eldest grandchild.

What about the one they don't even know about, Marigold.  Tim (Andrew Scarborough) attempted to get Edith (Laura Carmichael) to visit with her more and maybe she could become godmother to her. Which she agrees with, but there's stark dissension from his wife who wants Marigold to herself claiming she's part of the family now and not a foundling.  Edith discusses with Robert and Cora how she'd like to care for her and provide for her using the money from her articles and also from her trust.  Slowly finding some way to being her to Downton.  Even suggesting she can play with George and Sibby.  Of course it seems his wife thinks the baby might be his and Edith's. Even so, you know the truth will out eventually.

The Dowager (Maggie Smith) still trying to get Isabel (Penelope Wilton) and Merton (Douglas Reith) away from her altogether.  Well this is a silly storyline cos last ep she was adamant that she should stop seeing him and this ep she tells Isabel he's invited them to his house.  Dr Clarkson (David Robb) thinking a tour of the garden is a good thing, but in the Summer.  Oh and insulin has been discovered too, so there'll be less deaths from diabetes.  Merton it appears is lost without a woman and a woman's touch when they talk about the room at his house and how it was decorated by his mother.  He wants to pick Isabel's brains about medicine.  At one point Isabel even suggests that Merton is vying for the Dowager's affections and not hers.  Yet it appears the Dowager is an expert in knowing when a man is after her!

Anna tries to be friendly with Thomas cos she knows he's missing Jimmy which sours when Bates (Brendan Coyle) walks in.  Bates having told him earlier that he's not interested in anything he has to say.  The Committee would like to plant the War memorial in the cricket ground and Robert is against that.  Carson (Jim Carter) is all for it, but Mrs Hughes (Phyllis Logan) tells him she'd prefer somewhere in the town where people can look at it and pay their respects everyday.  Carson disagrees but he doesn't like it when he and Mrs Hughes aren't on the same page.  During a visit to the village with Robert, Carson changes his mind when they meet a woman whose husband died in the War and she brings her son to his grave so that he doesn't forget him.  Well that got Carson and Mrs Hughes back in agreement then.

A policeman turns up and Thomas brings him in with Carson adding his scaremongering didn't work. He's here to find out about Green and a witness has come forward about the incident.  Of course, Mrs Hughes had to be there to listen in.  Mary and Gillingham meet for their rendezvous and she thinks they should use assumed names.  He doesn't agree as they won't have to lie about the truth.  Mary doesn't even want Gillingham, it's so plain to see.  Even if her reason for the rendezvous is so she can find a husband and marry without ever getting divorced.
Oh and Robert gets the wireless when Rose tells him the King will be making a speech when he opens the Empire exhibit.

I think they have gone as far as they can with the storylines in this show, no really, it's all about how the times they are a changing, but Robert and Carson are set in their ways and on't want that. Whereas the women are more open to it, such as Mrs Hughes, Cora, Rose and obviously Mary with her tryst. Yet it's apparent they will come down to earth and reality with a massive thump, especially whee news of Mary gets out and also of Edith and her baby.

Doctor Who 8.6 "The Caretaker" Review

                                                       
As the Doctor (Peter Capaldi) and Clara (Jenna Coleman) continue their adventures, she has to juggle being with him and turning up for dates with Danny Pink (Samuel Anderson).  The Doctor's setting up to get to a secret location and he won't let her see where it is.  When she leaves, he pinpoints East London, specifically Clara's school, Coal Hill.  He arrives at their staff meeting and is introduced as John Smith, the replacement caretaker, the other one has been taken ill, hypnotized by the Doctor to think he's ill.  Clara is shocked to see him and later goes back to ask what he's doing here.  Well, saving the planet of course. from the Skovoz Blitzer.  Really that was just a plot point, as the real underlying crux of this ep was the Doctor meeting Clara's boyfriend and getting it hopelessly wrong. Cos he thinks she's going out with Adrian (Edward Harrison) er, Adrian who was the Eleventh Doctor's reincarnation if ever there was one.  So naturally he would approve of her seeing him.  You know bow tie 'n' all, and the Matt Smith hair - well - almost!

He dislikes Danny from the outset as he's just a soldier and calls him a PE teacher too, not a Maths teacher.  Cue lots of references to PE, such as swimming certificates and the offside rule (probably a reference to the episode The Lodger, where the Eleventh Doctor played footie and since the episode was co-written by Gareth Roberts, who also wrote The Lodger and well just to prove his point, Danny does a somersault at the end just to save Clara.  Of course before all that, we get the pupils knowing there's something going on between the two and the Doctor going round the school planting devices so he can reel in the Blitzer and send it into the future.  Even climbing the ladder to her classroom to tell her that she's got Jane Austen's year of when she wrote Pride and Prejudice wrong, He read the book and the bio and it's int he back.  As well as cleaning off, "Ozzie loves Squaddie" from the window, but being oblivious to what it means.  (Oswald loves Danny - which she comes out and admits here, though perhaps she wasn't meant to.)

The Skovoz Blitzer, however has blasted a policeman to smithereens and is on the move to the school.  That's why the doctor is ready for it.  Of course Danny messes it up for him cos the devices he plants in the drain (well he didn't find that one) the plants etc, he removes and ends up in the hall just as the Blitzer makes it appearance.  With Danny being there to ensure he sees it being drawn into the vortex created by the Doctor with some very quick thinking. With Clara having to be there too. Thus Danny knowing that Clara already knows the Doctor from before and that he's not a caretaker. She tells him he's an alien, but she isn't, she's still from Blackpool and so hasn't lied to him.

The Doctor shows him the TARDIS and that he's got three days now to prepare for the Blitzer and has to come up with another plan to destroy it.  It's for time travel and that's whats he also does. Giving Danny and Clara the chance to have a heart to heart in terms of her not being honest with him and how she loves him.  Thought here wasn't much said from Danny or the Doctor when Clara blurts out in the school, that she loves him!  No reaction at all!  Anyway she says she does love The Doctor but not like that.  Suppose the other comical moment was when Danny thinks he's her father and the Doctor replies he's not cos they're of similar ages!

Anyway as the Doctor builds a new contraption along the lines of the Ghostbusters backpack!  He's interrupted by the "disruptive influence," Courtney (Ellis George) and she spies the TARDIS and he shows her inside.  Will he be hypnotizing her to forget what she's seen.  He's like that too, that she's disruptive like him, so he shakes her hand, but wants her to get lost now.  So Blitzer returns early than calculated and on Parents Evening of all nights and the Doctor isn't ready but he uses Clara as a diversion giving her the Sonic to ensure it stays away from the hall.  Danny following to help her. Thus the Doctor tries to get the backpack onto his back and to send the Blitzer into space, but he's not ready.  Instead the Blitzer commands itself onto self destruct mode.  So Danny becomes a decoy, somersaults over it and the Doctor has a chance to abort it from self destructing and to follow his order and shutdown.

Clara giving Danny the invisible watch earlier, so he can come inside the TRADIS, did she really think the Doctor wouldn't be aware of his presence.  Causing Danny to reveal himself when he tells Clara they should take a quick trip somewhere, like the frozen Thames and will be back in time for the Blitzer.  That's when Danny reveals himself saying he already knew of Danny' presence, that's why he wanted Clara to leave with him.  But then there was that whole scene with Danny thinking that his being a Time Lord was some sort of reference to aristocracy and how he served under such men.  Calling the Doctor, "Sir" and following his orders, "Sir."  Such animosity in that scene, cos as Danny says, he realizes the Doctor doesn't think he's good enough for her.  But he will try to be.

Danny telling Clara she has to be honest with him since she's so eager to go with the Doctor everywhere.  She did what he wanted without even being afraid and she replies she trusts him.  "He's never let me down" ever.  But he needs her to tell him as he wants to be there to help her.
Oh and that policeman, well he ended up, you know where, heaven, the promised land, the afterlife. But Missy was a little busy so couldn't talk with him, so had Seb (Chris Addison) deal with him.  A little busy for what we wonder and also how long this teasing will drag out.

This was an average sort of an ep, I didn't find it that engrossing aside the funny moments and banter between the Doctor and Clara, like her coming up with the Blitzer being a play they're rehearsing for the Summer feat, this episode wasn't that exciting.  Just enough character driven moments, but even that bordered on the edge of repetition with Danny mentioning honesty and Clara having to be honest with him a few too many times.  Why does Clara need someone to protect her and be there for her all of a sudden, when she managed fine all this time.  It just doesn't seem right.  Also why do we have to have romance in the show. We had Amy and Rory I know, but they were made for each other.  It just seems Clara has been given this dating storyline cos she no longer feels for he Doctor in the same way she did for the Eleventh Doctor.  As long as we get some other reason behind it, other than the two of them just going off into the sunset and getting married, I'll put up with it.

Some funny lines here, like having to clean up spillages and puddles.  As well as having lived with a family of otters before.  "I lived among otters once for a month."  Now if that wasn't a direct reference to Benedict Cumberbatch, well in my mind it was! Ha.   Also that music was also bordering on Sherlock when the Doctor was sneaking round the school and planting the devices.  I said 'bordering' okay!  Clara also mentioning that his name is Pink and we met the future Orson Pink, even looking like him, which the Doctor replies he didn't look like him.  As well as his telling Clara she's washed and Clara sitting in front of her three mirrors, saying she can't continue doing this, then saying she can.

Looks like we're not going to be moving away from Matt Smith anytime soon with the number of references to the Eleventh Doctor!  Shall just weep in the corner then!!

But the Doctor does recall him and River and having a fight.  The Doctor mentioning the Fish People from The Underwater Menace.