The Vampire Diaries SN7 EP18 – ‘ One Way Or Another ‘

SN7 EP18:  One Way Or Another

Written By:  Rebecca Sonnenshine (teleplay) & Penny Cox (story)

Directed By:  Rashaad Ernesto Green

We are now firmly in the “Three Years From Now” story line.  In this episode we got some buddy action going on with Ric and Damon, although Ric really didn’t want to be there.  Ric was grudgingly helping Damon to save Stefan who was still in the body of Marty the drunk driver from E17.  The vamp currently occupying Stefan’s body is a serial killer named Ambrose.

It’s a race against time, because Marty’s way human body can’t hold Stefan for long without breaking down (i.e. what happened early in the season with Jo).  So Damon tells Valerie to set up in a hotel to get ready for the body swapping spell while he tries to get Marty/Stefan and Stefan/Ambrose to her.  Ambrose is inside a frat house in Memphis, a house that Damon can’t enter without an invitation.  But, Ambrose agrees to leave Stefan’s body if Damon will kill Rayna for him.  Sounds easy right?  I mean killing The Huntress now that her sword is gone should be a piece of cake.  Right?

Wrong.  Rayna is in a Uber car headed after one of the vamps that has escaped the Hell of the Phoenix Stone and Enzo hijacks the car and takes Rayna.  He’s trying to find a cure for the poison pills made from Rayna’s blood that he’s been giving to Bonnie to hide her from The Armory.

So Damon has to come up with another plan.  While dealing with Ambrose who keeps compelling college students to deliver messages to Damon and Ric (who is continually telling Damon that he just wants to go home).  First, a college co-ed comes to the car window offering her phone to Damon with the words “He said if you don’t answer it I’m supposed to walk into traffic”.  Damon answers and then keeps the pink sparkly cased phone, which later gives us the best line of the episode when Ambrose calls back and Ric says, “Your Barbie dream phone is ringing.”

In this episode we get to see a frantic Damon who just wants to save his brother.  He really doesn’t want to let Stefan down again…. which has become his default setting.

We finally find out why Bonnie is locked up in a mental institution, and it’s not because being Damon’s best friend finally drove her bonkers.  She’s trying to buddy up to Alex St. John’s (the leader of The Armory) sister, who’s been locked up for a long time. Virginia St. John totally flips out when she finds out that Bonnie is a Bennett Witch.  She tries to kill Bonnie ranting about how Bonnie can not open the vault… the vault has to stay closed or else.  Which left me asking “What’s in the box?  What’s in the box?”

After they save Stefan, Ric tells Damon off … and then tells him where Bonnie is, suggesting that he might have better luck making nice with her.  Damon shows up right behind Enzo, after Bonnie has found out that she’s dying.  Damon even brought flowers.

And, and, and…. Bonnie slams the door in his face!  But, I mean really, did anyone NOT see that coming?

Next week we get to see Bonnie and Clyde, uh I mean Damon go on a rampage.

So. Can’t. Wait.

‘Men In Black’ Meets ‘Jump Street’ Film Title Revealed

 

We heard rumours of a Men In Black meets Jump Street crossover film early last year during the Sony hack scandal that gave an insight into where the companies film division planned on moving forward in the coming years. One of those said plans was Spider-Man being lent out to Marvel which eventually became a reality and it seems that MIB 23 is actually happening also.

At last weekend’s CinemaCon in Las Vegas, sources out of ComicBook.com snapped a quick-pic of the logo (above) revealing the franchise mash-up title alongside Sony’s panel announcement that the film was moving forward.

No official word as to whether Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones will once again step into the black suits for MIB 23. But the Sony Pictures hacks did indicate that Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill will return without Jump Street’s original Director’s Phil Lord & Christopher Miller. Instead Muppets (2011) Director James Bobin has been tapped to takeover the comedy-action series.

For all your Here-Comes-The-Men-In-Black-News, stick with @mitch_rated only on Skatronixxx

Damien SN1 EP6 – ‘ Temptress ‘

Holy shit what an episode! I was on the edge of my seat the whole time and my mind was working overtimeda trying to process what my eyes were seeing and just when I thought I had my head around it BANG! Mazzara throws another twist into the mix that creates heaps more questions and what you thought was real was actually not or was it? For those of you missed last weeks episode or like me have a bad memory here is a recap below.

SN1 EP5 – ‘ Seven Curses ‘ 

Damien goes to meet a shrink about this PTSD and while there he meets the family of the little boy he saved at the subway station. The boy’s father was injured while serving in the army and it undergoing treatment. When Damien asks him to let him shoot his agony, the soldier confesses to Damien that he plans to commit suicide and requests Damien to shoot his attempt. Simone steals the keys to Damien’s apartment from Armani and tries to understand what her sister Kell was trying to do before she died in a freak accident. Damien, quite disturbed after the soldier’s suicide goes to his parent’s home and tries to kill himself in the garage by turning on the car engine and injecting himself with something to lose conscious. After he falls unconscious, tow dogs drag him out and stand guard for him.

SN1 EP6 – ‘ Temptress ‘ 

Ok let’s get into this weeks episode, it was full of twists but has also raised more questions about Damien and his so-called protectors. Damien wakes in hospital only to see Ann trying to convince the doctor that his suicide attempt was an accidental drug overdose, but the doctor is not stupid and knows a suicide when she sees one she calls to tells Damien that Detective Shay will be by later to speak to him. Damien removes the oxygen, gets dressed and escapes from hospital to speak to John Lyons and find out more about Ann. Amani calls Damien and tells him that he has someone who needs to tell him something, when he arrives he meets a tattoos artist that tells him he was forced to tattoo the 666 in his head by to men, and was worried Damien had recognize him from the VA hospital elevator.
Damien receives a call from the doctor and is told they had found hallucinogens in his blood and he suspects that Ann has been poisoning him in order to make him believe he is the Antichrist. Damien goes home and throws out all the food not knowing what was poisoned and what wasn’t, Damien is starting to feel happier now he is starting to realize that the whole Antichrist story is totally fabricated, he tells Simone its like a dark cloud is lifted and then he leans in and starts kissing her? Hold up! what the hell?? That totally came out of nowhere or did I miss something?

Damien sweet talks his way into Lyons office and takes a file of a woman with him and discovers  that’s his mother and she  is actually alive and living in a quiet countryside estate …. Now I definitely didn’t see that coming it’s totally blindsided me. Damien makes contact with her and meets with her at what looks like his childhood home which struck me as a little odd, she tells him she was told that he and his father were dead and that these people are extremely dangerous. Ann followed Damien to his mother’s home and the struggled and in the struggle Damien’s mum lost her footing and fell down the flight of stairs hitting her head, Damien tries to help her but quickly realizes she is gone. He attacks Ann and grabs her by the throat he is then tackled by two of her goons and they try to inject him with something but he manages to avoid it and runs out of there and drives off but later gets arrested by Detective Shay who leaves Damien in the car and he watches on while the old woman attacks Shay and Lyons and then turns on Damien, he wakes up screaming in an ambulance as they are trying to sedate him. Damien wakes up in a hospital room calling for his mother and Ann rushes to his side to calm him and its then he realizes it was all a dream and tells Ann to go away and leave him alone, she then relizese that he hates her and she is visually upset and leaves the hospital in tears.

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I really didn’t see a lot of what happened in this episode coming at all and I’m usually pretty good at that…. well-played Glen Mazzara can’t wait for next weeks episode!
This weeks episode rating: 🎬🎬🎬🎬🎬

‘Marvel’ Reveals New Movie Title ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming’

Spider-Man: Homecoming see’s Marvel’s first son return to the fold – of course not before his well publicised cameo in this months Captain America: Civil War – and to celebrate, the big wigs put on a big soiree which saw Spidey actor Tom Holland release tidbits of information about web-heads newest reboot.

In press released at CinemaCon, Holland joined Sony Pictures Head Tom Rothman on stage to unveil the studios first joint film with Marvel Studios and that nifty new logo (above). “I’m Tom Holland and I’m your new Spider-Man,” quipped Holland before revealing that his first solo Spider-Man movie will see the titular hero search for his identity. While “saving the world and getting your algebra homework done at the same time,” added Rothman.

Acknowledging the woes that Sony have had with the arachnid-hero in recent years, Rothman commented that their lucrative deal with Marvel will hopefully see Spider-Man’s story go past “about three movies.”

Besides Holland’s cameo in Civil War, the actor is also signed to star in future Avengers movies but fans will have to wait until Infinity War Part 1 on May 4, 2018 before they can see that.

But if you really can’t wait to see your favourite Web-Slinger, don’t forget to catch Captain America: Civil War in theatres April 29, 2016.

For all your Web-Headed-Solo-Movie-News, stick with @mitch_rated only on Skatronixxx

Lucifer SN1 EP11 – ‘ St. Lucifer ‘

So with no episode last week, when we left Lucifer, Detective Decker who had been drinking and threw herself at Lucifer and I imagine to everyone surprised he turned her down, I know I didn’t expect that. Here is a quick recap of episode 10…

SN1 EP10 – ‘ Pops ‘

Decker and Lucifer investigate the poisoning death of the owner/Chef at an upscale Mexican restaurant, Suspicion falls on the owner’s estranged son a recovering drug addict, and sous-chef Anne who would assume control of the restaurant if the son was out of the picture. The investigation complicated by the surprise arrival of Chloe’s mother. Malcom reveals to Dan his plans to kill Lucifer, as directed by Amenadiel and Maze visits Dr. Martin as a patient.

SN1-EP11 – ‘ St. Lucifer ‘

Chloe wakes up and slowly starts to realize she is not in her bed, nor is she clothed and then it dawns on her exactly who’s bed she is naked in and its in that moment you see the “oh shit what have I done” look on her face that I’m sure many of us have experience at one time or another? Lucifer cheekily asks Chole if she would like a double espresso or a hair of the dog while he strings her along thinking that they had slept together. Lucifer has gotten some sort of rush from turning Chloe down and seeks to replicate that rush by doing good deeds starting with the latest murder the dynamic duo were called to investigate, Mr Dunlear an ex ball player come philanthropists helping the children of Hati. Lucifer decides that his function must go on and offers the grieving wife to hold the function at LUX, hoping the good deed would provide him with another rush but alas that wasn’t so.

Malcom has Dan in the basement cable tied to a poll, he tells Dan he was brought back from hell by an angel and in order to stay out of hell and live a full life, he has to put a bullet in Lucifer, Dan tells Malcom he doesn’t like Lucifer but he wont allow him to kill him and that’s when Malcom reminded Dan that his print are all over the weapon so it will actually be you killing him. Chloe and Lucifer attend a luncheon full of women in the hopes it Lucifer can charm some information out of them, the suave devil entertains the ladies when a plan D presents itself to the duo. Malcom goes back to the basement to taunt Dan more and he get him to come close enough to kick the food out of this hands and food and cutlery go flying and Dan managers to hide the knife under his foot, he finally able to break out of the basement to find Lucifer.

Maze pays Amenadiel a visit and they bond over wine, both feeling lonely and by the looks could lead to a lot more bonding. Lucifer look devilish for this evening function is surprised when Malcom is behind him pointing a gun at him, Lucifer is able to bargain him off with the pentecostal coin, Mrs Dunlear comes looking for Lucifer the “man of the hour” and it hits him, she murdered her husband and as he turned she shot Lucifer in the chest. Dan gets to LUX and finds Lucifer on the ground upstairs shot in the chest my then Lucifer’s takes a breath much to their surprise. Lucifer is speaking to Maze again and soon finds out she slept with Amenadiel, he tells her that his dear brother got some on to kill him and is not sure why he is alive, he slices his hand with a pocket knife and there was no cut or blood, so why is he immortal sometimes and completely human other times? Lucifer heads to Chloe’s places to test a theory, Chloe tells him their relationship goes further than just work and she is able to let her guard down around him, she can’t do that with anyone else and tell him he makes her vulnerable and at the moment he cuts his hand with the pocket knife behind his back and there is blood in his hand, with a shocked and confused look he tells her that it appears you make me vaunrabl too.

What a great episode didn’t see it going down that road and normally I can pick that stuff a mile away and then I get board with the show, but Lucifer is different It keeps me guessing and interested and now even more so with this episode!

This weeks episode rating: 🎬 🎬 🎬 🎬

DC’s Legends Of Tomorrow SN1 EP10 – Progeny

Episode 10 ‘Progeny; examines the question “If you could go back in time and kill Hitler before he rose to power, should you?’

In the WaveRider  our heroes are faced with a similar dilemma in the year 2147, in the Conglomerate of Kasnia.  Their despot is young Per Degaton played by Cory Gruter-Andrew, who will in 5 years release the Armageddon Virus which provides the springboard Vandal Savage needs to achieve world domination. Once he has released the virus, Savage will kill him.

The episode opens with Rip apologizing to Mick for enlisting him under false pretenses and in denial of Mick’s true nature.  He confesses that he was the one that asked Leonard to deal with him, and that Mick’s quarrel should be with him, not Len.  Mick tells Rip he wants to kill them both.  Rip feels that he has failed Mick.  He mentions that they need Mick’s help, but what form that help will take is never really explained.

On the bridge, Rip explains that the only way to stop Savage in this time is to make Per Degaton useless to Savage.  Snart catches on very quickly that Rip is talking about killing a child, and offers to do it. The rest of the team are aghast at the thought.  Stein is especially eloquent, presenting the argument that if they do this, it makes them no better than Savage.   They decide that perhaps taking Per Degaton from the timeline will be enough to disrupt Savage’s plans. Ray notes that they have gone from killing to kidnapping, and dryly comments that this is progress.  Kendra must stay with the ship, as her presence could alert Savage that the team is about to interfere with his plans. The rest of the team leave the ship to scout the Conglomerate HQ. Ray is shocked to see that the Atom suit technology has been adapted to autonomous robots that are being used as the peacekeepers of the police state, and not in a good way. He needs to sabotage the robots, not wanting to be the Werner Von Braun of Robotics.

The team is split up into Team Kidnapping and Team Robot Sabotage.  Team Kidnapping consists of Rip, Sara and Len; Team Robot Sabotage is made up of Ray, Stein and Jax.

The conglomerate tracks and monitors all of its citizens through bio metrics.  Rip wears a pair of contacts that allows him to enter a shareholders only meeting at the Conglomerate headquarters. While in the meeting, he discovers that Savage is a shareholder who espouses culling the population outside of the Conglomerate’s borders.  Tor Degaton, (Matthew Harrison), Per Degaton’s father and the CEO of the conglomerate flatly refuses to consider this plan.

Rip covertly follows Savage and discovers that Savage is also Per Degaton’s tutor.  He overhears Savage telling Per Degaton that his father refuses to make the hard decisions. Per Degaton has the idea, actively fostered by Savage, that his father is weak.  Team Kidnapping decides where and how to kidnap Per.  When the child leaves HQ to go to his gymnastics lesson accompanied by a squad of  very Nazi looking bodyguards, Sara snipes the rear guard, which gives Rip the opportunity to disguise himself and join the squad.  Len hits the rest of the squad with his cold gun, and Rip grabs the child.  Surprisingly enough, the gunplay does not attract the attention of the peacekeeper robots.

Meanwhile Ray, Stein and Jax have met with Dr. Bryce, the head of the Robotics Department at Conglomerate HQ.  Dr. Bryce is played by Jewel Staite, the Canadian born actress (woot, woot!) whose previous works include The Killing, Firefly, Serenity, Supernatural and Warehouse 13.  Dr. Bryce is giving them a tour of the department when they round a corner and Ray discovers to his shock that her many greats grandfather, is not only the father of the autonomous robots, but is also a dead ringer for him.  Which leads him to the conclusion that he had a child that he didn’t know about when he left 2016.  They return to the ship, not having accomplished any sabotage.  Kendra senses that there is something wrong, but Ray is not ready to tell her about his descendants.

Kendra, having nothing else to do except stay on the ship, has been having flashbacks of her life with Carter and their son Aldus.  Specifically of an instance where they are having to move again because she has sensed that Savage was close.  These flashbacks serve to remind her that Carter is the only great love she has ever known, and make her feel that she is cheating on Carter with Ray.  She struggles with the question of whether to share these memories with Ray.  It occurred to me that this might be an opportune time for Carter to reappear and rejoin the team.

Per is sedated in the med bay.  Sara is watching him, and wonders out loud what genocidal maniacs would dream about. Gideon tells her.  Sara is surprised and chagrined to discover that Gideon can monitor their dreams. Rip asks Gideon if the kidnapping has had the desired effect on the future.  Unfortunately not as Savage will still rise to power.  Rip reconsiders Plan A.  Stein questions Rip as to whether he thought he would be able to look his son in the eyes if he carries out Plan A.  Jax suggests that just talking to Per might do the trick.

A troubled Sara goes to the brig to talk to Mick.  She tells him that they are considering killing a child to save the future.  She tells Mick that Len doesn’t think he can change, but she hopes that he can.  Mick observes that Len doesn’t really care one way or the other about him.  Sara tells him about the conversation she and Len had when they were trapped in the engine room and thought they were about to die.  She says that she thought he ought to know that Len is loyal to him.  As she leaves the brig, Mick tells her that killing a kid is not very heroic.

At the Conglomerate HQ, Tor Degaton is going over the video footage of the kidnapping. He remarks that for the past 50 years, everyone from the conglomerate has submitted bio samples so that they can be tracked and monitored, but that the three people who kidnapped him cannot be.  Savage tells him that this is because they are not from the conglomerate, or even from the last 50 years.  He knows that they will not kill Per Degaton because he knows them, and so he can get Per Degaton back.

Rip leaves the WaveRider in the jumpship, taking Per Degaton with him.  He turns the jumpship’s transponder off so that the team will be unable to stop him from doing what he feels he must do.

Kendra finally tells Ray about the flashbacks she has been having.  She says they are more than memories, they are feelings.  She feels like she is cheating on Carter.  Ray proves once more that he is her future with his understanding and that adorable puppy dog face. Ray tells Kendra it was his many times great granddaughter who created the robot army, which means that he had a child that he did not know about.

Sara advises Len that it is obvious to her that marooning Mick is weighing heavily on his mind, and that he should stop being an ass and go deal with it.

Rip and Per Degaton have landed at the river.  Rip tells Per that his son never got the chance to learn to swim, because he was killed by Savage.  Per Degaton asks Rip  if he is going to kill him.  Rip says he is not killing him but saving his son. Semantics!   But Per Degaton has been an apt pupil.  Savage has taught him what killers look like. He believes that Rip is weak like Tor Degaton, and is not a killer. Rip tells him that Savage will ultimately betray him.  Per will not believe this.  Rip goes on to say that his reticence to kill is not weakness, it is goodness. Since he has found that there are things he will not do to save his son, there is yet hope of a shred of goodness in Per Degaton.  He urges Per to become the man that his father wants him to be, not the man Savage wants him to be.

Kendra senses Savages’ presence outside the ship, just as the ship comes under fire.  Our heroes suit up and engage the enemy.  Ray unsuccessfully tries to draw the robots away.  Firestorm takes the robots on while Ray and Kendra head for the command centre at HQ.    Dr. Bryce  catches them in the act of trying to override the robots.  Ray tells her that he is her grandfather.  She is understandably surprised to find Sidney Palmer in her command centre.  Ray realizes that it was his “stupid” brother who allowed the tech to be perverted, and that he is not a father after all.  Kendra encourages Dr. Bryce to listen to her Palmer blood and do what is right.  She shuts the robots down.

At the fight scene, Savage has Sara at knifepoint.  HUH?  Okay then.  Rip proposes an exchange; Per Degaton for Sara and the safety of his team.  Per tells his father not to do it, but Tor Degaton pulls the knife away from Sara’s neck and agrees.

Len goes to the brig and tells Mick that people think they should have a heart to heart. Mick points out that they don’t have hearts so where does that leave them?  Len says that they each have reasons for killing the other, so the deal is he will open the cell, they will fight to the death and if Mick wins he can take the jumpship and go.  If he loses, he dies, which Mick decides is ultimately better than being locked up.  They have a bare knuckle fight in the cell which Mick handily wins, but cannot bring himself to finish Len off.

Savage tells Per Degaton the myth of Oedipus Rex, and gives Per his knife.   Per Degaton, now convinced that his father is weak beyond redemption, kills Tor Degaton in his sleep.

Gideon breaks the news to the team that nothing has been accomplished by this venture. In fact, the virus that was to be released in 5 years will now be released within days.  At an emergency shareholder’s meeting, Savage announces that he will be acting as Per Degaton’s proxy, and that population control will proceed.

Rip meanwhile is wondering if he did the right thing?  Gideon assures him that not killing is generally considered the right thing.

Mick tells the team that nothing matters now anyway.  The truth is that they are all dead, himself included.  He failed to bring them in, so now the Time-Masters have sent mercenaries after them.  They have even less humanity than Mick and they will not stop until the team has been wiped entirely from the face of history.

My Favorite Moments:

Professor Steins eloquent speech against killing Per Degaton.  Some days the man could sell ice to the Inuit!

Sara’s discomfiture at being told what her dream last night was about.  Naughty girl!

The fist fight between Mick and Len.  A good brawl always clears the air.

Ray understands Kendra’s position, but he will not give up them, even though the math is against him.  And that whipped puppy face!  Have I mentioned that I would just like to squeeze it?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Catch SN1 EP3 – ‘ The Trial ‘

In which Alice takes a trip. We find out Christopher‘s real name; from that point on, I will be referring to him by that name, wherever possible.  Christopher‘s new con proceeds with some twists, and Agent Dao is still after Alice to share information.  We meet Val‘s cheating and soon to be ex-husband Gordon (Alan Ruck) and his sister Susan (Amanda Foreman).

Christopher and his new mark, the Princess Zara, are enjoying a cocktail in the lounge, chatting like old friends, while Qasim and the bodyguards are keeping a close eye from the bar.  The Princess wants one last round, but Qasim tries to break it up, explaining that his job is to see to it that the Princess is not taken advantage of, all the while giving Christopher some serious stink eye.  The Princess orders the round anyway, and Christopher throws down one of his credit cards so as to not take advantage.  Qasim goes back to the bar, and the Princess insists on paying.

Sophie has been tracking the Micheal Thorne name and social security number and has found out that 3 credit cards have been opened in that name.  She calls Alice at home to tell her.  Now all they have to do is wait for activity on any of the cards.  Agent Dao is still camped outside of Alice’s house and is listening in. He has his contacts run the name for bank and card activity.

Gordon, Val’s husband and also a lawyer, shows up at the firm with a case.  The case involves his sister Susan who has MS. The normal medications for MS were not helping Susan, so she had signed up for a clinical trial sponsored by pharmaceutical company Medgenix.  She and 16 other participants had ended up in the ICU after taking the test drug, but Medgenix is claiming no fault because they all signed waivers.  Susan says she signed the waiver based on the claims that there were no adverse effects in the previous trial; and believes that Medgenix has misrepresented those results.  The firm takes the case on.

Meanwhile, the con is on.  Reggie poses as a real estate photographer, and shows up at the Brandeis Properties satellite office overlooking the construction of the Runyon Towers. One thing leads to another, and Reggie steams up the office windows by seducing the real estate agent, thereby getting her access card.

Later, in a conversation between Margot, Reggie and Christopher, Christopher warns that a man like Qasim will require much more detail to convince him.  Reggie thinks he is just jealous that he is not running point on this one.  Margot says neither of them are running point – she is, and tells Ben to stop micromanaging.  AHA!!!  Reggie insists that he is up on the details, so Ben gives him a fun fact to chew on.  Qasim, former Kuroq Major General, beheaded 18 dissidents last year while protecting the Royal Family.

Ben returns to his hotel room where he finds it trashed and Qasim and bodyguards waiting for him.  Qasim has checked up on Micheal Thorne.. He can’t find any record of him anywhere, including at the front desk, online or even in his own wallet, which only contains 3 suspiciously new credit cards. He threatens to find out who Micheal really is, and expose him.  He suggests that Micheal might want to disappear before Qasim sees to it himself.

Alice and Gordon speak after the meeting;  Gordon takes all the blame for his and Val’s breakup. He wants to know how Christopher is and says they should get together.  Alice remembers a dinner party when Susan had told them she was going for an interview at a new job.  Christopher said he would call the boss and tell him to hire her.

Alice’s team discusses how best to proceed with the case.  They decide they need to see the raw data collected by the head of the clinical trials, to compare it with the published data. Sophie and Danny attend a lecture on MS and the clinical trials given by Dr. Watkins (Derek Webster). During the lecture,  and thanks to some quick thinking by Danny, Sophie is able to hack the Doctor’s laptop and downloads the raw data.  It turns out that the raw data and the published data are exactly the same, which means that the drug batch  used in the second trial has possibly been tampered with.  Now they need to figure out who could possibly have tampered with it. Security is tight where the trial is going on, and the only way to get in to obtain a sample of the drug is for Alice to go undercover as a patient.

Sophie has received notice of activity on one of Micheal Thorne’s cards, and gives Alice the address.  Alice runs into Agent Dao on her way to the elevator. Dao wants to share the truth about Christopher Hall, who murdered someone.  That stops her in her tracks.  She sits down with Agent Dao to listen to his story.  It seems that during a previous con, a woman named Natalie was shot in the back on her way home from her job at a flower shop.  Christopher was a regular at that shop.  Dao had convinced Natalie to help him because he had a personal connection with her, so he too has a personal reason to catch Christopher.  The feds do not know this.  Alice considers.  She remembers Susan coming to the door with a bottle, announcing that she got the job.

Meanwhile, Ben is taking the Princess to see the investment property.  The con is being set up in the satellite office of Brandeis Properties, complete with people being brought in to play potential investors.  Ben is also playing the part of a potential investor.  They all listen to Reggie’s spiel, Ben asks questions, Margot turns to Qasim and wishes she could make that idiot go away.  She says that she will take the South Tower, and Qasim jumps in to speak for the other two towers, cutting Ben/Micheal out.

The Princess and Ben have another friendly conversation, during which it becomes apparent to Ben that Qasim is skimming.  The down was $5 million per tower, Qasim has told the Princess it is $8 million per tower.

This could be a way to get rid of Qasim and con the Princess further to pay off all their debts to their mysterious backer.  However, Ben can’t be the one to spill the beans, it has to be Margot.

Alice is at the clinical trial, and signs the waiver to get into the secure patient area.  Dr Watkins informs them that once they have received the drug, they will need crackers or cookies, and juice before they are allowed to leave.  Alice tries to get the drug prior to being hooked up to an IV, but fails.  The nurse hooks her up, Alice pinches the line so that she doesn’t get much of the drug. She receives another card activity alert from Sophie.  Once the nurse leaves, Alice unhooks herself from the IV, grabs the bag and tries to leave.  Dr Watkins catches her, and insists she have juice before leaving.  Outside the clinic, she passes the bag to Val and Danny, and takes off for the restaurant that the credit card has been flagged at.  Meanwhile, Agent Dao is in traffic when he receives the activity alert from his people.

While Alice is busy at the clinic, Ben and the Princess walk into the lobby of the Brandeis satellite office in time to overhear a distraught Margot on the phone, allegedly with her lawyer.  Margot tells them that the real estate agent who took their money doesn’t work for Brandeis Properties, the property company has never heard of him, and they are all out $5 million per tower.

The Princess summons Qasim to meet with her in the hotel lobby.  She confronts him with bank statements and contracts, and tells him he can explain his actions to her brothers when he gets back to Kuroq.  His services are no longer required, and her men will see him to his room.

Alice gets to the restaurant, and sees Ben with the Princess, having dinner at a window table.  She covertly takes pictures with her cell phone, but all is not right. She is experiencing MS like symptoms, complete with limbs not working properly, blurred vision and dizziness.  She drops her phone, but when she retrieves it, Ben has disappeared.  We find him in the bathroom, washing his hands when Qasim enters with a gun, telling him he will now confess to the Princess.  Ben and Qasim fight.  Margot busts in and shoots Qasim.  Reggie and Margot handle the cleanup, Ben needs to get the Princess out of the restaurant.  On the way back to the Princess, Ben sees Alice, and calls her on her phone.  He tells her to leave, it’s not safe in the restaurant.  She runs to the back of the restaurant, and slips in the blood trail left behind by Qasim’s body as Margot and Reggie drag him out to their car, which is parked in the alley.  Alice sees a body being loaded into the trunk of a car.  She rushes back to the front of the restaurant in time to see the Princess and Ben driving away.  She loses consciousness and falls to the ground.  Agent Dao catches her before she hits. When Alice is feeling better, and they are talking- WHY wasn’t she taken to a hospital? – she decides it may be time to compare notes.

Cut to Margot, Ben and Reggie.  Reggie is packing to go to Mexico under the name of Qasim Halabi, wondering how his part of the con could have ended with him burying his mark’s body and having to leave the country.  Using Qasim’s credentials will make the Royal Family think that Qasim has run, diverting attention from their con.

At the firm of Alice and Company, the test results of the IV bag show that it is completely clean, no drugs, no toxic substances.  Alice realizes that the substance she was drugged with had to be in the juice.  They get the police involved, and the samples of the juice turn out to have been doctored with Belladonna, which in small doses will mimic the symptoms of MS.  This means that Dr. Watkins tanked his own trials, because the drug wasn’t working.  Susan and the 16 other participants have a case for a class action suit.

Val excuses herself, not having looked at or talked to Gordon throughout the whole case.  Gordon gives Alice the divorce papers, signed.  And tells her that he will assign an associate to work with them in the future.  Alice gives the papers to Val.  Val is upset, and Alice asks her if this is really what she wants.  Val wonders how she could even wonder after what Christopher has done to her.  Alice says that she needs to believe love is possible especially after what Christopher has done.

Later that night, Alice is in bed, looking at couples pictures of her and Christopher. Ben is in bed looking at couples pictures of them as well.  He calls her to ask if she is alright.  She wants to know who he is, but he tells her she knows who he is. She asks him if he killed Natalie. He tells her not to trust Dao.   She wants to know why he got Susan the job.  He begs her not to come looking for him for her own safety.  She says she won’t.  They hang up, and then she adds that she won’t come looking because she has already found him.

My Favorite Moments:

Surprisingly, my favorite moment this week was all Margot.  This is a character that I would have liked to get to know more about.

That’s it.  That is the only favorite moment I have.  Although this show has so much potential, it just isn’t living up to it, and I am disappointed. There are too many characters running around doing too much stuff that is absolutely not important, and are nothing more than distractions. Regular characters should be developing each and every episode. For instance, Val as partner, going through her own marital difficulties should be more than a by the way type of character. The Danny character also feels totally wasted, in this episode especially.  I had hoped that this episode would change my mind from last week, but it has not.  I will most likely watch it through to the end of season, but I will not continue to review it. There are too many other shows out there that I would rather spend the time on.

Thanks for reading!  And if you enjoy The Catch, it airs on Thursdays.

Bates Motel SN4 EP5 – ‘ Refraction ‘

It’s that time of the week again, but I swear the weeks are getting longer waiting for “Bates Day” to roll around how about you guys? You can never have too much Bates. So let’s do a quick recap of episode 4 before we kick off “Refraction”.

‘Lights of Winter’ SN4 EP4

Norman has an adventure with his new friend Julian to a strip club. Norma get her first real taste of happiness at the White Pine Bay annual winter festival, and Romero finds himself in an awkward situation. Dylan finds himself caught between two families, when Emma asks him to move to Seattle with her and her dad.

‘Refraction’ SN4 EP5

Norma doesn’t understand why or who would break in and trash her home and her favorite stained glass window, she has kept a pretty low profile and believes she hasn’t pissed anyone off lately and thinks it could possibly be Bob Paris’s doing, Romero reassures Norma its wasn’t Paris’s doing but someone in the drug trade that has it in for him. Norma heads into town to find someone who can fix her favorite stained glass windows and is being followed by a brown car but who could it be? The beat up brown car belongs to Chick who follows Norma into the hardware store where he hears she needs a window fixed and now also has her address.
Norman realises after the adventure he and Julian had, that he indeed needs help and perhaps he is in the right place for that after all, he seems more willing in therapy now, but I can’t help thinking he is just playing the game to be released sooner or is that just me being overly suspicious? Norman tells Dr Edwards that he and his mother have close bond, he goes on to explain why their bond is so close but you can see Dr Edwards is suspicious and is starting to realize that Norman’s problem is actually his mother, with the session over Norman asks to make a call to his sick friend Emma but instead he calls mummy dearest but little does he know all calls are monitored and numbers checked. Dr Edwards receives a call back from the police regarding Norman’s accusations about Norma are unfounded and have not found any evidence supporting the accusations.

Chick who followed Norma to the hardware store pays her a visit, claiming he is from the hardware store and here look at the broken window. Norma is unsure of him but lets him in any way to look at the window, Chick has an agenda but not sure what is just yet and when he is asked what happened to him, he tells her that he swerved to miss a dog and rolled his car a few times. With Julian back at Pineview Norman rushes over to greet him only to realize that Julian has undergone a lobotomy, frightened he runs outside to compose himself while sitting on the bench he hear’s a familiar voice and sees his mother, she asks him how therapy is going and that he doesn’t have to talk about anything that upsets him. Dylan goes for his job interview but it’s not going to plan so he tells them his last job was in the drug trade and that he was very good at what he did and he thinks he would be great at the job he is applying for. Chick returns to the motel at an odd hour with plans for the new window and he mentions he knows Caleb is her brother, Norma is clearly creeped out excuses herself for the situation and head for the house.

Norman is in a good mood at therapy because Norma come to visit, Dr Edwards asks Norman if it was possible that he had imagined his mother visiting but Norman is adamant that the visit was real. Dr Edwards tells Norman he knows he spoke to his mother and not Emma and he also knows that Norman wasn’t on the visitors list, that’s when you can see Norman’s mood change, he is upset and feels he is being checked up on and he starts to flip out. The good Dr manages to calm him down but quickly realizes that Norman has slipped into his “Mothers” persona and that “She” thinks Norman “is a weak boy who is easy to take advantage of”, but I’m not sure the good Dr is ready or equipped for all the crazy thats about to follow.

Romero knows Rebecca trashed Norma’s house looking for the second safe deposit box key, so he confronts her at the dinner and tells her he doesn’t have the key and she has crossed the line. When he gets home Norma says she has found someone to fix the window then goes on to ask if he killed Bob Paris, Romero doesn’t answer but she knows and asks why, he tells her he had no choice. Chick calls in to talk to Norma and admits to her he lied about what happened to him, it was actually her brother Caleb that beat him and left him for dead then took off with his family, Norma is visibly upset and scared and asks him what he wants from her and tells her he wants justice and to know where he is.

Was yet another great episode, starting to see Romero and Norma becoming comfortable with each other, they actually make a great couple. We see Norman starting to show the “Norma” side of his personality a little more and I don’t think we have seen the last of Chick or the jealousy of Rebecca.

This weeks episode rating: 🎬 🎬 🎬 🎬 🎬

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. SN3 EP14 – ‘ Watchdogs ‘

This review contains spoilers. 

Last episode saw the team say a tearful goodbye to two of their most loyal and longstanding friends, and the precarious position S.H.I.E.L.D. is in politically.

This episode featured the Watchdogs, the online hate group Daisy mentions, that want to take out Inhumans – and now they’re finally on their way to making that happen. This episode also included a look into Mack’s background – at long last! He’s an incredibly mysterious character and I’m glad we get to know more about him.

The kickass stuff;

Once again, fight scenes. I can’t fault them at all. Not only was the choreography great, but there was this really amazing action scene that took place in the Mack household that I just loved. It mostly involved them walking around a dark house, being stealthy and kick-ass, but it was a great scene.

The Agent Carter reference – hell yes! The Nitramene weapon used by the Watchdogs is very much the same weapon Howard Stark designed, and the weapon that appeared in season one of Agent Carter.  I’m so glad to see more references to Peggy and the good ol’ days of SHIELD – I hope they do that more, with more nods to the things we’ve learned from Agent Carter.

Also, Fitz and Daisy team up! Their friendship was so special in Season 2, so I’m glad they’re still showing them as friends, even if Fitz nearly got imploded in the process. Though really, I knew this show probably wouldn’t let that bomb go off on Fitz neck – it isn’t his time. (I refuse to put a “yet” here because I swear to God, I’ll never forgive Marvel if they kill Fitz.)

I loved seeing the two sides of the Inhuman argument meet in the form of family – Mack’s little brother and Mack himself at odds with each other, Mack firmly (and obviously) on the side of “Do Not Murder Inhumans” and Ruben sharing the same fear-mongering view that the Inhumans will cause nothing but death.

Further to that, I loved the different way that people deal with that hatred – because Daisy is all for the SHIELD method of scaring someone into telling you what they need, whereas Mack points out that using fear for answers will only ignite further fires. I think they’re both right, in a way – of course Mack is right, that proving them right by going after them and spreading fear isn’t the way to go, but on the flipside, this group have gone from Trolls to Terrorists real quick, and there needs to be a way to stop them planting more imploding bombs.

Family moments;

Obviously, Mack and his brother were the outstanding Family Moment of the episode, what with them being brothers. It was really good to not only see a SHIELD agent with regular family (something we haven’t seen before) but also to see how Mack’s involvement with SHIELD touches his relationship with his brother. It’s good to see how he hides who he is, and how is brother is so un-trusting and angry towards him for that. I also just, in general, like knowing more about Mack, where he came from, and how it’s shaped him today.

I loved seeing May and Simmons together – it’s not a usual combo for this show, but after the events of Andrew/Lash, it’s not all that surprising they would come together to help each other. I’m hoping they build on this particular relationship, because it’s mad adorable.

I also really liked Lincoln this episode – his whole life’s been changed so it’s about time he reacted with some anger and got treated like a part of his team, even if Phil’s introduction was…unorthodox. I also appreciated that he’s still furious, still so full of anger – but when push came to shove, he wasn’t happy to outright kill someone.

And speaking of someone…Agent Blake is back! And he’s against SHIELD now? And unwittingly working with Hydra/Malick so that’s super awkward. And also really stupid of him. But I hope they explore his feelings on Inhuman’s a little more rather than just leaving it at “He is ANGRY” – of course he’s angry, for good reason, but his anger might not necessarily be directed entirely at Inhuman’s and I’d like a good arc for him.

Finally, I really loved how this episode ended with Ruben and Daisy coming to an understanding. It seemed corny, but I liked seeing them bond over how much they love Mack, and watching as Ruben started to shift his stand on Inhumans slightly from talking to her – and Daisy had this little look of realisation that maybe it isn’t about scaring people, but about trying to talk and show them what the good Inhumans are really about.

The meh;

I’m not so sure how I felt about this episode in terms of plot development. Or much of a development really. It shuffled some pieces along, but it didn’t feel like we made any significant jumps at all. We made little improvements, and it was nice to see certain interactions I mention about, but overall, I just want something to happen. Top it off with the fact there was hardly any actual progress in the realm of HiveWard, and Malick’s plan (other than one moment at the end which felt so out of place after this episode, involving Blake and Mr. Giyera chit-chatting over a missile). I just want to see this show kick it up like a thousand notches, and I really hope episode 15 blows my freakin’ mind.

Overall, I didn’t hate the episode – it had enjoyable moments, and a nice look at our own Mack’s (Alfie’s) background! However, I feel like I’m just waiting and waiting for something bigger to happen, and the two-hour season finale is ever approaching.

Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. SN3E15 – ‘Spacetime’

This post contains spoilers.

This weeks episode leads off from “Watchdogs”, where we got an inside look on how Maleck is turning Trolls to Terrorists and investing in weapons on a mass scale, while simultaneously we get introduced to Mack’s Inhuman fearing brother, Ruben.

“Spacetime” begins with a homeless man carving a small bird outside the back of a restaurant, and he’s then asked to please leave by the owner because him sleeping out there has put off customers coming in. The owner, realising what’s asking is harsh and unfair, reaches out to give the man some money for a hot meal. The homeless man freaks out and tries to move away – understandably, because when he touches the own, he writhes in pain, staring at the sky and choking, seeming to have some kind of seizure.

After the title card, we are then led to a 911 call recording, in which the attacked owner asks for Daisy Johnson. Understandly, the team are more than confused, especially as this person has zero involvement with SHIELD or any other government body. They get to the scene, to find this owner narrating a sequence of events; then, we watch as the next five minutes play out a horrific massacre – a massacre the owner saw coming. And as Daisy races to catch the homeless man they’ve established as an Inhuman, her fingers brush his – and a horrifying series of events that SHIELD must prevent are shown to her.

This episode was off the chain amazing. For the past few episodes, the audience has been waiting for something to happen – and episode fifteen took us there.

The kickass stuff;

Man, where to begin.

I’ll kick off with this weeks Inhuman – I really enjoyed it. I know the “tortured powered person who can’t touch others” thing has been done a lot, but this was portrayed really well. His power wasn’t just hurting people – it was revealing terrible futures to them. Not only that, but the whole process was excruciatingly painful.

Then, as his past comes out, we find out he was a happy man named Charles, with a wife and a little daughter. After he went through the transition, he left, because not only could he never touch his child again, but if he did ever touch her it gave her nothing but absolute pain, and visions of death. The writing of this episode, combined with the acting of both Bjorn Johnson and Lola Glaudini (Charles’s wife) really portrayed this as absolutely agonising and a heart-wrenching decision he had to make.

Once again, fight scene choreography. I mention this every single review, but hey, when this show stops giving good fight scene, I’ll stop mentioning them. But, seeing as the fight scenes were all wonderfully executed, with gorgeous cinematography and fluid, violent motions, I’m going to keep mentioning that they were great.

Speaking of awesome scenes, I really loved the whole, rushing to change the future stuff – I know, again, it’s done a lot in sci-fi TV shows, where somehow the future is shown to them and the future is awful, so they rush to change it – and they either change it, or the exact same outcome comes about but just in a different way they expect. Watching them rush to change fate, and then how everything falls into place and comes around exactly as Daisy saw, is absolutely amazing. I love putting the pieces together, such as when Daisy thinks Phil is shooting at her and it turns out she’s looking at him in a one-way mirror. This show executed this racing against the future plotline really well, and I thoroughly enjoyed watching it all unfold.

HiveWard is back and goddamn, Brett Dalton, can I get a round of applause for you? His acting this episode (as it has been the entire time he’s been in this show) was out of this world. No pun intended, I guess. Seriously, though, he’s kicked it up into damn good villain notch – again. He looks fearsome, he’s quiet and incredibly formidable. He’s so calm and absolute, and is so all knowing whilst being so new to the Earth. His intelligence and calmness is so measured and easy, that it’s terrifying to watch him, never knowing what he’s going to do next.

What makes HiveWard so much worse is the calmness in which he executes everything. At least with Malick, you can read his emotions – he’s happy, or lying, or angered. For a villain, he was fairly easy to read for an audience; he was generic bad guy 101, here to take over the world.

Hive is an entirely different ball park because he gives away absolutely nothing. He tells people what to do, with no rhyme or reason, he just asks that they do it. He’s calculated and completely devoid of emotion; that is a million times worse than any crazed man looking to take over the world, because this is someone who can, and will, calmly strip human beings down to bits of flesh on a skeleton, and then carry on a conversation as if all he did was bump their arm a bit. That is the sign of something ultimately horrifying.

Finally, I just want to throw out here how goddamn violent this episode was. Like, there was a moment in this episode that made me scream “HE MOUNTAINED HIM!” – Game of Thrones fans, you know what I mean.

Yeah. I’ve mentioned before that Agents of SHIELD, whilst having some gross moments, was never overly violent. It rarely crosses particular lines, especially not the lines its more violent friend Daredevil tends to take – so when it does cross over into violent, bloody territory, it’s always all the more shocking and engaging. The whole episode was full of a lot of blood, death and really graphic imagery that most Agents of SHIELD fans won’t be used to. I mean, not only did that poor schmuck have his entire head crushed, there were other moments, including the pure beating Daisy took. It was so drawn out and aggressive, and it genuinely made you feel like there was a rock in your stomach, watching her suffer that way.

The “Family SHIELD Team Moments;

This episode was not only ripe with kickass stuff – this was such a great episode for character bonding time.

Phil Coulson, back with the quips as always;
“I haven’t seen the original Terminator.”

“…You are off the team.”

And also – “Yeah. Day got weirder.”

I am also completely and utterly here for the “Papa Phil” thing – I don’t care, Phil looking out for Daisy, struggling to cope with her name change and slipping up, and oh the look on his face as he tells her to, “Just come back safe” – it melted me. It’s been a while since we saw Phil care for Daisy the way he seemed to fret about her 24/7, and I’ve missed that dynamic. Now, if we can bring back “A.C.”, please.

I really loved the scenes where they try and re-create the vision Daisy had so they can stop it happening – by sending May instead, and walking her through every single moment. Obviously, this was an important sequence, but it was really good to see them all working so hard together, to watch them try so hard to pull this all together. They looked adorably goofy doing it too.

Final family moment, and this one really broke me, starting with a line from Phil Coulson – “If you don’t go and be with him right now, you’re gonna regret that for the rest of your life.” Andrew, seconds before they get May ready to leave to face Malick and HYDRA, is brought into their base after surrendering himself. He’s about to change for the last time, and he wants to say goodbye.

This whole sequence was pretty awful – May was throwing her all into finding Lash so she could put him down, and then Andrew came to her, calm and knowing, and needing to say goodbye to her. It was a really awful scene, after everything they’d been through and their incredibly rocky relationship, to watch as May witnessed the destruction of the man she loved. It was brutal.

The “meh” stuff;

Honestly, I loved this entire episode. I had but one fault – why did Charles die? Like, I mean, I know he got grabbed by the throat and all by RoboMalick but…nothing, seemed to happen except he got gripped a bit hard? And given the tonne of bloodshed and the crushing of a mans skull that took place not even fifteen minutes prior, you’d think they wouldn’t have an issue being a bit more graphic and clear on why Charles just decided to die then and there. But as I said, this is my one gripe.

Overall, this was such a solid episode. Finally, it’s moved things forward, and not only has it moved them forward, it’s moved in significant and engaging steps. This episode was action-packed, with emotional moments, wonderful characters and fantastic writing. Top it off with the fact Hive has very clearly become the head villain to deal with as the season finale creeps upon us, I’m really excited to see what this show is going to throw at us next. I’m also very interested to see what Malick’s death vision was, and what it is that’s got him so shaken up.

My prediction so far, is that Malick has waded into something way bigger than himself that he cannot hope to control – but I think we all saw that coming after two seconds of HiveWard. I also have a very big feeling that Lash is going to become part of the plan of dealing with Hive – he’s an Inhuman who has a primal urge to murder other Inhumans. And Andrew did say he felt like he had a purpose – so I think this will be it.

I’m also really interested to see what this recurring vision of the view from space, with the cross necklace and the SHIELD logo burning up horrendously – because this isn’t the first we’ve seen of that, and I doubt it will be the last. I’m hoping it’s not a horrific sad sacrifice but when has this show ever been afraid of killing someone?

Also, I’m anticipating perhaps Hive gathering them all in one room under Guest Right then stabbing them in front of their parents. No, just me?

Next episode will be Paradise Lost, airing on Tuesday 12th April.