Law & Order: UK
Season Four, Episode One, Duty of Care
Duty of Care, Original Air Date: November 25, 2010 (Canada)
Duty of Care, Original Air Date: April 4, 2011 (U.K.)
Based on Law & Order (US) "Endurance", Season 11, Episode 1 (18th October, 2000)
The death of a thirteen-year-old boy in a fire is ruled arson. Investigation leads the police to the boys mother, Megan, as the prime suspect due to the circumstances of the boy's health. Megan faces prison and the loss of her young daughter. Matters become complicated when it becomes obvious her lawyer isn't exactly trying to do what is in his clients best interest.
A woman confronts a man wanting his mobile. A fire is raging in a building and she tells him her son is inside. Once the fire has been extinguished, Brooks and Devlin are called in as the boy didn't make it. Fire officials think some sort of accelerent was used but they cannot give further details until they have the opportunity to do a more thorough investigation. A man drives up wanting through to the building. His shop was on the ground floor of the building and he is upset he lost everything in the fire. A fireman presents Brooks and Devlin with a container of paint thinner found just inside the entrance to the flats. The fire is officially arson.
At the home of Eleanor Green (Jean Trend) Brooks and Devlin speak with Megan Parnell (Beatie Edney), the mum of the thirteen-year-old boy, Ian, who died in the fire. He had developmental problems and trouble with his breathing. She tried to get him out but the handle was too hot.
The bottle of paint stripper was too badly burned to get prints or DNA from and the product was widely available. There weren't any signs of forced entry. The flats were owned by a management company who doesn't seem to have anything to gain from starting a fire. The downstairs shop is owned by Sanjuit Chatterjee (Avin Shah) who had, and has, his own share of legal problems including being currently under investigation for selling alcohol without a license.
Brooks and Devlin speak with Chatterjee about previous problems at his store, a fire and a flood. Chatterjee explains his past legal problems as being young, trying to get into the music business and not succeeding. Currently, he will not profit from insurance from a fire as he couldn't afford the premiums thanks to his two previous claims for the flood and fire and is uninsured. Devlin gets a call that Megan Parnell has made several complaints to her safer neighbourhood team as some local lads were giving her a hard time because of Ian and his special needs. They pay a visit to the Lewis home where they speak with Simone Lewis (Ashley McGuire) about her sons Aaron (Joe Mason) and Lee (Luke Bryant). She doesn't seem concerned that her sons were giving Megan a hard time.
In interview, both Aaron and Lee are rude and uncooperative with Brooks and Devlin. Brooks tries playing Lee against his brother by suggesting Aaron doesn't want to have to put up with his baby brother but it doesn't work. The boys were vandalizing their school for three hours the night of the fire. They can charge them for the vandalism but cannot hold them for anything else.
Brooks and Devlin go over the evidence again and Brooks finds that CSA has been after Megan's ex-husband for the past year for non-payment of maintenance. A note on the report states that Parnell is "extremely abusive and uncooperative". They take the chance he matches a description of someone seen knocking on the door earlier the day of the fire and theorize he might have wanted to kill his son to keep from paying maintenance for the next five years. They speak to Craig Parnell (Robert Horwell) who tells them he last saw his son a month or two ago. He felt Ian belonged in a home. He admits he went to Megan's flat because he was fed up with the CSA hassle and wanted to talk to Megan but she wasn't home. Parnell's girlfriend confirms that he was with her at the time the fire started and tells them Ian played with matches. They check to see if Ian could have gotten the thinner and speak with the maintenance man for the flats. He used to let Ian watch him perform the small and quiet jobs. He is surprised to see that the paint thinner he kept on hand is missing.
They speak with a lady who gives them further details of Ian's condition. He had childhood disintegrative disorder (Heller's Syndrome) and didn't plateau, but continued to deteriorate. He required constant monitoring for respiratory and digestive functions as well as becoming increasingly aggressive and violent and had a marked deterioration in motor skills. He couldn't have taken the thinner because by time he left the special school he was in, he couldn't feed himself. She tells them how hard watching her son deteriorate was on Megan Parnell. The new information causes them to suspect Megan of setting the fire.
They go over crime scene photos to pick apart Megan's story. One of the photos shows that Ian's door was already open so she wouldn't have had to touch it and find it too hot as she claimed. While Chandler is telling Devlin she wants to be sure before charging a grieving mother, Brooks receives a call from the lab. Paint thinner was found on Megan Parnell's sweatshirt. In interview, Megan denies starting the fire even after being presented with the evidence.
After their initial court appearance for bail before Judge Hall (Diana Quick), Megan's attorney, Dominic Peck (Oliver Dimsdale), confronts Alesha in the hall. After insulting the average female barrister (they look like a pig in a wig) he insults his client. So much for first impressions. Castle, Steel and Phillips discuss the case and Alesha sees no sympathy for Megan Parnell. Steel explains that Megan had a full psych evaluation in custody and the results give the defense no grounds for diminished responsibility. Castle suggests determining state of mind before the fire. Steel brings up an emergency department visit Megan made with Ian two days prior to the fire and that they should speak with the doctor.
At Royal Hampton Hospital, Dr. Elaine Schreiber (Jane Wheldon) gives Alesha the details of Ian's injuries as well as Megan's and that there weren't any indications of abuse. She tells Alesha she suggested Megan rethink the idea of residential care the last time she spoke with her. Megan told Dr. Schreiber that if it came to that, Ian would be better off dead.
In court, Peck wants Dr. Schreiber's evidence excluded under privilege but he's denied. He also wants to exclude Megan Parnell's sweatshirt. The shirt stays in and the judge suggests Peck quit while he's ahead. In between court sessions, Megan Parnell asks Alesha what time they go back in. She was told she could see her daughter but before she can tell Alesha who told her that, Peck interrupts them and tells Megan to stop "fraternizing with the enemy".
Mike Harris (Geoffrey Leesley), one the fireman who responded to the fire testifies in court that he had never seen a case where someone made their bed before exiting a burning flat. The defense tries to claim Megan might have been reading and fell asleep on top of the covers but no books or magazines were found next to her bed. Dr. Schreiber testifies about her discussion with Megan regarding placing Ian in residential care. Peck questions her about Megan's having asked about alternative treatments for Ian, which Schreiber admits Megan did do.
Castle feels the jury might acquit because they are feeling Megan Parnell's pain and Alesha agrees. Steel cannot understand why Peck didn't try for manslaughter from the start. He suggests that he can talk to Peck and offer a plea for manslaughter and hope Peck will agree. When Steel and Alesha make the offer to Peck but he tells them he promised Megan she could stay with her daughter ("it's always good to give the ladies hope"). The next day, he, accompanied by Megan, tells them they wish to proceed with the not guilty plea. Steel explains the consequences of a guilty conviction. Peck rushes Megan from the office saying he doesn't appreciate the scare tactics Steel and Phillips are using on his client.
Alesha informs Steel and Castle that Peck has entered a new plea: not guilty by reason of insanity. He found an expert that will testify Megan was legally insane when she set the fire. The new plea holds the possibility that Megan could lose everything and end up institutionalized for the rest of her life. Steel confronts Peck who shrugs off Steel's comments saying it's all about emotion, not the truth.
Dr. Roddy Armitage (George Anton) speaks with Megan about her life with Ian and about her setting the fire. She explains about when Ian's condition began and how he deteriorated. Armitage doesn't believe she was insane, although she does have emotional problems including as depression.
In court, Peck's expert, Dr. Elizabeth Arlberg (Julia Montgomery) testifies that Megan suffered from Acute Caretaker Stress Syndrome and that she doesn't believe Megan knew the difference between right and wrong. Dr. Arlberg didn't go to medical school, holds a doctorate in psychoanalytical studies, isn't a qualified psychiatrist, isn't affiliated with any particular hospital or clinic, spent the past few years lecturing, mainly in the United States where she hosts a syndicated radio program. Steel questions her about Acute Caretaker Stress Syndrome saying he cannot find it in any medical publications. She admits it's a relatively new diagnosis first identified by her and in unrecognized by known medical establishments.
Peck and Megan meet with Steel and Phillips where Peck says he isn't sure how to proceed because Megan dropped a bombshell on him. He says she confessed. Peck explains she admitted to starting the fire and feels guilty about that but Ian didn't die in the fire. Alesha stops Peck from talking and asks Megan to tell the story. She explains that Ian was having a seizure. She had the syringe with his injection in her hand but she couldn't administer it. She watched him in pain and she held him and waited for the convulsions to end. Peck wants the trial ended so they can start over but Steel refuses and leaves the office with Alesha. The medical evidence proves Megan is lying or has been told what to say by Peck.
Alesha speaks with Heather (Hazel Ellerby) at the mortuary who says it is possible a particularly violent seizure could result in a coma which would have allowed Ian to get smoke in his lungs but he would have appeared dead to Megan. Both Steel and Alesha know Megan shouldn't have ever been charged with murder had she truly thought Ian was already dead.
In court, Megan tells the jury she couldn't put Ian in a residential home because she loved him too much. Steel asks how they are to believe her because of her previous lies. She testifies that he was already dead. Steel enters a post-mortem report into evidence stating Ian died of smoke inhalation. She insists the report has to be wrong. Once she realizes her son was still alive, she breaks down in court.
Castle, Steel and Phillips all believe Megan was telling the truth. Steel feels Judge Hall will dismiss the jury and start again on a manslaughter charge. Steel sees a way to not only get Peck charged with incompetence but to get Megan a proper lawyer who could have her out within six months. Steel opts to continue with the trial so Megan can appeal on grounds of Peck's incompetence and Judge Hall allows it. Megan pleads guilty to manslaughter. Judge Hall sentences her to three years in prison with recommendation she be psychologically assessed.
Endnote: Dominic Peck no longer practices criminal law and has moved to private practice. Megan Parnell was released after five months in prison following a psychiatric evaluation.
Law & Order: UK airs on Thursday nights at 10:00 p.m. on CityTV in Canada. Season Four is currently not airing in the UK and will air at a later date.
For more information:
Law & Order: UK ITV1 Official Site: http://www.itv.com/drama/copsandcrime/lawandorder/
Internet Movie Database: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1166893/
TV Rage: http://www.tvrage.com/shows/id-18198
Monday, January 31, 2011
Eastern Newfoundland's Newest Celebrity: A Pacific Coast Hummingbird
When you think of an island paradise Newfoundland, Canada might not be the first place that comes to mind, right? I would say "island paradise" are two words that most certainly can be used to describe Newfoundland. From the picturesque landscapes and breathtaking ocean views to the colorful charm of the capitol city, St. John's (which also just happens to be the oldest city in North America), Newfoundland has a beauty and charm a lot of other places cannot claim.
In August of 2010, the island got one more extremely rare thing to add to the already long list of attractions and beauty it's known for: a tiny hummingbird native to the Pacific Coast. Yes, you read that correctly. A hummingbird in Newfoundland, Canada. Eastern Newfoundland, to be exact.
In the summer of 2010, sisters Violet Power and Betty Marsh of Brownsdale, Trinity Bay, Newfoundland put out a hummingbird feeder with hopes of seeing one of the tiny, and fast-flying birds. Seeing a hummingbird in Newfoundland is extremely rare so one can only imagine their surprise when they caught sight of the little bird stopping at their feeder for a drink of sugar water.
Violet Power emailed Bruce Mactavish, an environmental consultant and expert birdwatcher from St. John's, NL with photographs of the new visitor. Mactavish was amazed at what the photographs contained. Sure enough, at the feeder was a true rarity. The little bird in the photographs was an Anna's hummingbird, a species native to the Pacific Coast of North America, an area over 4,000 miles away.
Mactavish and four birding friends, all with more than a century of birding experience between them, drove to Brownsdale in hopes of catching a glimpse of the rare bird. Five minutes after finding the Power home the five birding friends were treated to an exciting and rare sight indeed. The little bird flew first to a bush then to the hummingbird feeder for a drink. The bird, named Bruce after Bruce Mactavish, has fed from the feeder every single day since it arrived in late August. Due to the color development on the bird, Mactavish identified it as an immature male.
The fact Bruce (the bird) somehow managed to make the 4,000 plus mile journey to eastern Newfoundland isn't the only amazing part of this story. What is even more amazing is that Bruce (the bird) is still alive and well despite the harsh winter weather for which Newfoundland is so well known. Newfoundland winters can be very cold and severe and see a lot of snow. However, December was the most mild for Newfoundland in more than 100 years. How Bruce (the bird) survives during the cold nights remains a mystery but Mactavish credits the relatively mild temperatures and well-maintained feeder for Bruce's survival. Mactavish makes no promises that the hummingbird can survive through the entire winter, but he and everyone who has seen or knows about the bird are all cheering for his survival.
Little Bruce has gathered quite a following among the residents of his newly adopted home. Birders from all over Newfoundland have come to see the hummingbird to share in the amazement of his having arrived there in the first place and secondly his miraculous survival.
I find this to be a truly remarkable story in every way. I am first amazed at how Bruce the Hummingbird managed to make it all the way from the Pacific Coast to eastern Newfoundland. That's a lot of flying for such a little bird and I can only imagine how long the journey took. I am perhaps most in awe of how he has been able to survive in an area completely foreign to him. He's alone and dealing with temperatures he isn't used to, but he's doing an amazing job of surviving thus far. I most sincerely commend Violet Power and Betty Marsh for their dedication in making sure Bruce has all the sugar water he needs to keep him strong and healthy.
If you would like to see Bruce the Hummingbird (and I know you want to), watch the video from CBC news. Not only do I love seeing the bird, but I love that Bruce Mactavish actually stopped his interview when the bird arrived to drink. His enthusiasm is awesome!
In August of 2010, the island got one more extremely rare thing to add to the already long list of attractions and beauty it's known for: a tiny hummingbird native to the Pacific Coast. Yes, you read that correctly. A hummingbird in Newfoundland, Canada. Eastern Newfoundland, to be exact.
In the summer of 2010, sisters Violet Power and Betty Marsh of Brownsdale, Trinity Bay, Newfoundland put out a hummingbird feeder with hopes of seeing one of the tiny, and fast-flying birds. Seeing a hummingbird in Newfoundland is extremely rare so one can only imagine their surprise when they caught sight of the little bird stopping at their feeder for a drink of sugar water.
Violet Power emailed Bruce Mactavish, an environmental consultant and expert birdwatcher from St. John's, NL with photographs of the new visitor. Mactavish was amazed at what the photographs contained. Sure enough, at the feeder was a true rarity. The little bird in the photographs was an Anna's hummingbird, a species native to the Pacific Coast of North America, an area over 4,000 miles away.
Mactavish and four birding friends, all with more than a century of birding experience between them, drove to Brownsdale in hopes of catching a glimpse of the rare bird. Five minutes after finding the Power home the five birding friends were treated to an exciting and rare sight indeed. The little bird flew first to a bush then to the hummingbird feeder for a drink. The bird, named Bruce after Bruce Mactavish, has fed from the feeder every single day since it arrived in late August. Due to the color development on the bird, Mactavish identified it as an immature male.
The fact Bruce (the bird) somehow managed to make the 4,000 plus mile journey to eastern Newfoundland isn't the only amazing part of this story. What is even more amazing is that Bruce (the bird) is still alive and well despite the harsh winter weather for which Newfoundland is so well known. Newfoundland winters can be very cold and severe and see a lot of snow. However, December was the most mild for Newfoundland in more than 100 years. How Bruce (the bird) survives during the cold nights remains a mystery but Mactavish credits the relatively mild temperatures and well-maintained feeder for Bruce's survival. Mactavish makes no promises that the hummingbird can survive through the entire winter, but he and everyone who has seen or knows about the bird are all cheering for his survival.
Little Bruce has gathered quite a following among the residents of his newly adopted home. Birders from all over Newfoundland have come to see the hummingbird to share in the amazement of his having arrived there in the first place and secondly his miraculous survival.
I find this to be a truly remarkable story in every way. I am first amazed at how Bruce the Hummingbird managed to make it all the way from the Pacific Coast to eastern Newfoundland. That's a lot of flying for such a little bird and I can only imagine how long the journey took. I am perhaps most in awe of how he has been able to survive in an area completely foreign to him. He's alone and dealing with temperatures he isn't used to, but he's doing an amazing job of surviving thus far. I most sincerely commend Violet Power and Betty Marsh for their dedication in making sure Bruce has all the sugar water he needs to keep him strong and healthy.
If you would like to see Bruce the Hummingbird (and I know you want to), watch the video from CBC news. Not only do I love seeing the bird, but I love that Bruce Mactavish actually stopped his interview when the bird arrived to drink. His enthusiasm is awesome!
Saturday, January 29, 2011
UK Television: Law & Order: UK, Episode 4.3 "Shaken"
Law & Order: UK
Season Four, Episode Three, Shaken
Shaken, Original Air Date: November 18, 2010 (Canada)
Shaken, Original Air Date: March 28, 2011 (U.K.)
Based on Law & Order (US) "Homesick", Season 6, Episode 22 (15th May, 1996)
The death of a baby is thought to be because he was shaken. The suspects include the baby's parents, the nanny and the nanny's boyfriend. The case takes a twist when it is learned the baby might not have died from having been shaken.
At the home of Michael & Suzanne Raines, Michael Raines arrives home to the sound of loud music. He yells to the nanny, Leyla Merton (Rebecca Night), who turns the music down then both of them go in to check on the baby who is apparently sleeping. The baby isn't sleeping and he orders Leyla to phone 999. Suzanne Raines arrives home after Brooks and Devlin have already arrived. Autopsy shows the baby had the characteristic injuries of Shaken Baby Syndrome. He died between 7 and 9 p.m., but the abuse could have occurred anywhere within the last 12 hours of his life.
Jessica goes over the baby monitor the Raines used with their son but she is unable to retrieve the recording from it. She does know someone who can if he has the hard drive. Devlin sees the baby's mum as the prime suspect in his death. However, in this particular case, the nanny, Leyla, was the primary caregiver for the baby although she had no formal childcare training. Chandler orders them to speak with the parents first but to go easy on them.
Both Michael and Suzanne Raines appear to be extremely competent parents who did everything right with their son. Brooks and Devlin inform them that they don't believe it was crib death and that someone shook the boy. While they are speaking with the police, Suzanne's mobile rings. It's work and she has to take the call despite her husband telling her to let the call go to voicemail. When Devlin suggests that Suzanne was under a lot of pressure from work and the baby, Michael Raines immediately jumps to her defense. Neither of the Rains' saw their son the day he died. Suzanne rushed out to work and didn't even open the door. Michael was in Manchester overnight on business. Michael's ex-wife, Andrea, has a key to the Raines home as she and Michael share an online jewelry business and the office for it is in the Raines house.
Brooks and Devlin speak with Andrea Raines who was looking at samples the day the baby died. She didn't return until early evening and provides them with contact information for the individual she met with. She tells them that the nanny overdosed the baby and they should be talking to her instead. After finding out the details of the overdose, Chandler orders them to speak with her. She explains that she was tired and didn't read the bottle properly. The baby was teething and she'd been up with him half the night. She denies hurting baby Alex the day he died. They bring up the loud music she was listening to and suggest that she was playing it because she knew the baby was dead. Leyla used 'controlled crying' with Alex despite the fact Mrs. Raines disapproved of it.
After a discussion where Devlin, Brooks and Chandler don't all agree on the use of controlled crying, Chandler instructs them to speak with Leyla's former employers to see if they experienced any problems with her care. Mrs. Allen tells them Leyla used to spend the entire evening on her laptop and she worried she spent the entire day on it as well. She borrowed a 'nanny cam'. She heard her daughter, Mia, in her room crying while Leyla was on the sofa having sex with her boyfriend.
Jessica accessed Leyla's email and social networking accounts and finds that Leyla's boyfriend, Lloyd is stationed in Afghanistan. They met on a social networking site and have only met a handful of times. She reads some racy communications between the two. She checked Leyla's media files and found a video of Leyla and her boyfriend having sex. The video was made the night the baby died. It started at 8:21 p.m. and finished at 8:45 when Leyla heard Michael Raines come home. She found an email where Leyla told her boyfriend Michael was delayed, his wife was at work and that if he (Lloyd) came to the house she (Leyla) would make sure the baby didn't get in their way.
In interview, Leyla is adamant that Lloyd wouldn't hurt the baby or anyone. Alex cried just after Lloyd arrived. She claims she went upstairs, rocked him back to sleep and by time she got to the bottom of the stairs he was crying again. Lloyd was in the baby's room, but she claims he wasn't in there long. He told her he used to get his baby brother to sleep all the time. The police take a closer look at Lloyd and find he has no criminal record and has been in the army since he left school and stationed in Afghanistan for the past five months. He did have a baby brother that died at 3 months of age but no cause of death could be determined. The death was ruled as SIDS. Lloyd was babysitting.
Devlin and Brooks arrest Lloyd on suspicion of Alex's murder. In interview, he denies hurting his brother, Dante, as well as Alex. He said he sang the baby "Blackbird" by the Beatles as it was a song his mum used to sing to him. Brooks cites an attack on a fellow member of Lloyd's regiment and he explains that he was trying to break up a fight. Brooks lays down a scenario of how he thinks things happened and Lloyd becomes angry. Leyla is surprised to learn that Lloyd's baby brother died under his care. She admits the lights on the baby monitor stopped flashing when Lloyd went into Alex's room. When Brooks tells Lloyd about them working to recover the recording from the baby monitor's hard drive, Lloyd admits Leyla went back into Alex's room and started shouting and completely lost it. He went in after her and turned the baby monitor off. Since they both place each other in the baby's room, Phillips orders that both Leyla and Lloyd are to be charged with murder.
In court, the judge remands both defendants into custody. Leyla's attorney, Helena Marsden (Jemma Redgrave) gives Steel and Phillips a motion to exclude Leyla's laptop, the video and email communications. In court, both Steel and Marsden argue for and against the laptop and information it contained. The judge rules the laptop evidence inadmissible.
Steel would prefer to go after just one of the defendants instead of two so he can be sure of a conviction. Devlin gives Phillips the retrieved video from the baby monitor. The recording proves Lloyd was telling the truth about turning off the monitor then having sex with Leyla and being interrupted by Michael Raines. Nineteen seconds after the baby monitor was shut off, Lloyd turned on the camera to record he and Leyla. The video clears Lloyd of Alex's death. When Steel and Phillips deliver the news to his attorney that he will be free to go, they are met in the prison by the warden who informs them Lloyd was stabbed by his cellmate a half hour ago and died before the ambulance arrived.
Steel meets with Helena Marsden for a drink and they discuss the case. Marsden doesn't feel the video exonerating Lloyd proves Leyla's guilt but Steel thinks she has to be the only other possible suspect. Steel speaks with Lucy, the technician who did the post-mortem on Alex, wanting her to testify in court. She's 100% certain the baby was shaken but she doesn't want to testify.
Steel brings Lucy into court to testify where she tells the jury about the severity of Alex's injuries. Marsden questions whether she found any bruising or damage to the baby's arms, spine or bones, all of which were negative. Marsden suggests an accidental head injury could have caused the same pattern of swelling and bleeding that Alex experienced. Lucy admits that it is possible. Marsden points out shortcomings in Lucy's post-mortem.
Steel calls Andrea Raines who testifies that Leyla was usually on the sofa checking email while Alex was in the cot or playpen upstairs, more of than not, crying. She describes an instance where Alex was ill and needed changing but Leyla ignored the situation and went back to her laptop and put her earphones back on. She describes another event, two weeks before Alex's death, where he threw his bowl of food in the kitchen. Leyla shouted at him, grabbed him from the high chair then shoved him into the playpen.
Suzanne Raines tells the court they trusted Leyla and that it broke her heart to leave her child with a nanny. Marsden questions why she returned to work after Alex's birth and suggests she wanted her job more than her child. Marsden is able to illustrate that Suzanne Raines didn't research the agency where she hired Leyla from very well. Marsden points out the amount of time Suzanne spent away from the house for her job. She then asks if Alex had any injuries or bumps to the head recently and Suzanne admits the baby fell off the changer when Michael was reaching for a nappy, three weeks before Alex died.
The jury cannot reach a verdict in the case and the prosecution is given seven days to determine if there will be a retrial. Steel further researches Suzanne's claim in court that their GP gave Alex a clean bill of health after his fall from the changer. The GP found nothing external indicating an injury so Steel is forced to go back to Lucy. There is the possibility the death could have been accidental but she would need to re-examine the brain and skull to be positive. Steel has the baby exhumed despite Michael Raines begging him not to. After examination, Lucy calls Steel with information there were signs of a healing fracture in Alex's skull. They go back to Leyla to question whether she was rough with him which could have triggered the injury. She denies ever mistreating him. When Marsden finds out the prosecution thinks the death could have been accidental she threatens to sue for damages, which Leyla doesn't want.
Steel and Phillips question Andrea further. She tells them that she passed Alex's room a few days before he died and saw Lloyd in there playing with Alex, flying him like an airplane. She excuses herself for a meeting. When she's gone, Steel knows she's lying as Lloyd couldn't have been there a few days prior. They again question Andrea about her seven failed IVF attempts and press her for the truth. She admits she dropped off files at the Raines home and that she held Alex the night he died. She couldn't hold the baby anymore so she just let go.
Law & Order: UK airs on Thursday nights at 10:00 p.m. on CityTV in Canada. Season Four is currently not airing in the UK and will air at a later date.
For more information:
Law & Order: UK ITV1 Official Site: http://www.itv.com/drama/copsandcrime/lawandorder/
Internet Movie Database: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1166893/
TV Rage: http://www.tvrage.com/shows/id-18198
Season Four, Episode Three, Shaken
Shaken, Original Air Date: November 18, 2010 (Canada)
Shaken, Original Air Date: March 28, 2011 (U.K.)
Based on Law & Order (US) "Homesick", Season 6, Episode 22 (15th May, 1996)
The death of a baby is thought to be because he was shaken. The suspects include the baby's parents, the nanny and the nanny's boyfriend. The case takes a twist when it is learned the baby might not have died from having been shaken.
At the home of Michael & Suzanne Raines, Michael Raines arrives home to the sound of loud music. He yells to the nanny, Leyla Merton (Rebecca Night), who turns the music down then both of them go in to check on the baby who is apparently sleeping. The baby isn't sleeping and he orders Leyla to phone 999. Suzanne Raines arrives home after Brooks and Devlin have already arrived. Autopsy shows the baby had the characteristic injuries of Shaken Baby Syndrome. He died between 7 and 9 p.m., but the abuse could have occurred anywhere within the last 12 hours of his life.
Jessica goes over the baby monitor the Raines used with their son but she is unable to retrieve the recording from it. She does know someone who can if he has the hard drive. Devlin sees the baby's mum as the prime suspect in his death. However, in this particular case, the nanny, Leyla, was the primary caregiver for the baby although she had no formal childcare training. Chandler orders them to speak with the parents first but to go easy on them.
Both Michael and Suzanne Raines appear to be extremely competent parents who did everything right with their son. Brooks and Devlin inform them that they don't believe it was crib death and that someone shook the boy. While they are speaking with the police, Suzanne's mobile rings. It's work and she has to take the call despite her husband telling her to let the call go to voicemail. When Devlin suggests that Suzanne was under a lot of pressure from work and the baby, Michael Raines immediately jumps to her defense. Neither of the Rains' saw their son the day he died. Suzanne rushed out to work and didn't even open the door. Michael was in Manchester overnight on business. Michael's ex-wife, Andrea, has a key to the Raines home as she and Michael share an online jewelry business and the office for it is in the Raines house.
Brooks and Devlin speak with Andrea Raines who was looking at samples the day the baby died. She didn't return until early evening and provides them with contact information for the individual she met with. She tells them that the nanny overdosed the baby and they should be talking to her instead. After finding out the details of the overdose, Chandler orders them to speak with her. She explains that she was tired and didn't read the bottle properly. The baby was teething and she'd been up with him half the night. She denies hurting baby Alex the day he died. They bring up the loud music she was listening to and suggest that she was playing it because she knew the baby was dead. Leyla used 'controlled crying' with Alex despite the fact Mrs. Raines disapproved of it.
After a discussion where Devlin, Brooks and Chandler don't all agree on the use of controlled crying, Chandler instructs them to speak with Leyla's former employers to see if they experienced any problems with her care. Mrs. Allen tells them Leyla used to spend the entire evening on her laptop and she worried she spent the entire day on it as well. She borrowed a 'nanny cam'. She heard her daughter, Mia, in her room crying while Leyla was on the sofa having sex with her boyfriend.
Jessica accessed Leyla's email and social networking accounts and finds that Leyla's boyfriend, Lloyd is stationed in Afghanistan. They met on a social networking site and have only met a handful of times. She reads some racy communications between the two. She checked Leyla's media files and found a video of Leyla and her boyfriend having sex. The video was made the night the baby died. It started at 8:21 p.m. and finished at 8:45 when Leyla heard Michael Raines come home. She found an email where Leyla told her boyfriend Michael was delayed, his wife was at work and that if he (Lloyd) came to the house she (Leyla) would make sure the baby didn't get in their way.
In interview, Leyla is adamant that Lloyd wouldn't hurt the baby or anyone. Alex cried just after Lloyd arrived. She claims she went upstairs, rocked him back to sleep and by time she got to the bottom of the stairs he was crying again. Lloyd was in the baby's room, but she claims he wasn't in there long. He told her he used to get his baby brother to sleep all the time. The police take a closer look at Lloyd and find he has no criminal record and has been in the army since he left school and stationed in Afghanistan for the past five months. He did have a baby brother that died at 3 months of age but no cause of death could be determined. The death was ruled as SIDS. Lloyd was babysitting.
Devlin and Brooks arrest Lloyd on suspicion of Alex's murder. In interview, he denies hurting his brother, Dante, as well as Alex. He said he sang the baby "Blackbird" by the Beatles as it was a song his mum used to sing to him. Brooks cites an attack on a fellow member of Lloyd's regiment and he explains that he was trying to break up a fight. Brooks lays down a scenario of how he thinks things happened and Lloyd becomes angry. Leyla is surprised to learn that Lloyd's baby brother died under his care. She admits the lights on the baby monitor stopped flashing when Lloyd went into Alex's room. When Brooks tells Lloyd about them working to recover the recording from the baby monitor's hard drive, Lloyd admits Leyla went back into Alex's room and started shouting and completely lost it. He went in after her and turned the baby monitor off. Since they both place each other in the baby's room, Phillips orders that both Leyla and Lloyd are to be charged with murder.
In court, the judge remands both defendants into custody. Leyla's attorney, Helena Marsden (Jemma Redgrave) gives Steel and Phillips a motion to exclude Leyla's laptop, the video and email communications. In court, both Steel and Marsden argue for and against the laptop and information it contained. The judge rules the laptop evidence inadmissible.
Steel would prefer to go after just one of the defendants instead of two so he can be sure of a conviction. Devlin gives Phillips the retrieved video from the baby monitor. The recording proves Lloyd was telling the truth about turning off the monitor then having sex with Leyla and being interrupted by Michael Raines. Nineteen seconds after the baby monitor was shut off, Lloyd turned on the camera to record he and Leyla. The video clears Lloyd of Alex's death. When Steel and Phillips deliver the news to his attorney that he will be free to go, they are met in the prison by the warden who informs them Lloyd was stabbed by his cellmate a half hour ago and died before the ambulance arrived.
Steel meets with Helena Marsden for a drink and they discuss the case. Marsden doesn't feel the video exonerating Lloyd proves Leyla's guilt but Steel thinks she has to be the only other possible suspect. Steel speaks with Lucy, the technician who did the post-mortem on Alex, wanting her to testify in court. She's 100% certain the baby was shaken but she doesn't want to testify.
Steel brings Lucy into court to testify where she tells the jury about the severity of Alex's injuries. Marsden questions whether she found any bruising or damage to the baby's arms, spine or bones, all of which were negative. Marsden suggests an accidental head injury could have caused the same pattern of swelling and bleeding that Alex experienced. Lucy admits that it is possible. Marsden points out shortcomings in Lucy's post-mortem.
Steel calls Andrea Raines who testifies that Leyla was usually on the sofa checking email while Alex was in the cot or playpen upstairs, more of than not, crying. She describes an instance where Alex was ill and needed changing but Leyla ignored the situation and went back to her laptop and put her earphones back on. She describes another event, two weeks before Alex's death, where he threw his bowl of food in the kitchen. Leyla shouted at him, grabbed him from the high chair then shoved him into the playpen.
Suzanne Raines tells the court they trusted Leyla and that it broke her heart to leave her child with a nanny. Marsden questions why she returned to work after Alex's birth and suggests she wanted her job more than her child. Marsden is able to illustrate that Suzanne Raines didn't research the agency where she hired Leyla from very well. Marsden points out the amount of time Suzanne spent away from the house for her job. She then asks if Alex had any injuries or bumps to the head recently and Suzanne admits the baby fell off the changer when Michael was reaching for a nappy, three weeks before Alex died.
The jury cannot reach a verdict in the case and the prosecution is given seven days to determine if there will be a retrial. Steel further researches Suzanne's claim in court that their GP gave Alex a clean bill of health after his fall from the changer. The GP found nothing external indicating an injury so Steel is forced to go back to Lucy. There is the possibility the death could have been accidental but she would need to re-examine the brain and skull to be positive. Steel has the baby exhumed despite Michael Raines begging him not to. After examination, Lucy calls Steel with information there were signs of a healing fracture in Alex's skull. They go back to Leyla to question whether she was rough with him which could have triggered the injury. She denies ever mistreating him. When Marsden finds out the prosecution thinks the death could have been accidental she threatens to sue for damages, which Leyla doesn't want.
Steel and Phillips question Andrea further. She tells them that she passed Alex's room a few days before he died and saw Lloyd in there playing with Alex, flying him like an airplane. She excuses herself for a meeting. When she's gone, Steel knows she's lying as Lloyd couldn't have been there a few days prior. They again question Andrea about her seven failed IVF attempts and press her for the truth. She admits she dropped off files at the Raines home and that she held Alex the night he died. She couldn't hold the baby anymore so she just let go.
Law & Order: UK airs on Thursday nights at 10:00 p.m. on CityTV in Canada. Season Four is currently not airing in the UK and will air at a later date.
For more information:
Law & Order: UK ITV1 Official Site: http://www.itv.com/drama/copsandcrime/lawandorder/
Internet Movie Database: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1166893/
TV Rage: http://www.tvrage.com/shows/id-18198
Thursday, January 27, 2011
US Television: Vampire Diaries, Episode 2.12 "The Descent"
Vampire Diaries
Season Two, Episode 2.12, The Descent
Original Air Date: January 27, 2011
Rose is getting sicker and sicker by the day as the werewolf bite grows worse despite all efforts to save her. Stefan feels contacting Isobel for information on Klaus is worth the risk. Damon battles his inner demons. Tyler learns some surprising secrets from Jules. A surprise visitor returns to town.
Jules awakens in the woods after her transformation. She walks through the woods and finds a trashed camp site. As she is cleaning it up, a sheriff's van drives up. As the officer approaches her, she starts to cry and tells the officer a wolf came out of the night and attacked her and her friends. When he goes to call the attack in, she grabs a log and bashes the officer.
Elena and Stefan share a kiss but Stefan ruins the moment because he wants to talk about Klaus, Katherine and Isobel. She points out that she made a deal with Elijah. Stefan understands but he didn't make any deals. Stefan takes a drink of vervane to try and build his tolerance up as Katherine did. Elena asks how Elijah is able to compel another vampire and the only answer Stefan can give is that he's an original and he doesn't really know what that means. No one does, except perhaps Isobel and they should ask her.
Rose's depression is causing her to contemplate her mortality. She's lived 560 years and can die as she's lived long enough. Damon tries cheering her up and gives her blood to drink to help with her injury. The wound on her shoulder is looking worse but Damon doesn't have the heart to tell her. When Elena enters the room, she agrees with Damon that the wound isn't that bad to spare Rose's feelings. Elena wants Damon to speak with Stefan to prevent him from finding Isobel. Damon agrees with Stefan. He asks Elena to sit with Rose while he's out. Elena asks Damon privately if Rose will die. He answers probably and that death happens, then leaves.
Preparations for the Booster Club Barbecue are underway and Taylor finds Caroline amidst the hustle and bustle. Every one of his muscles aches but he made it through his first full moon transformation. She assures him it will get easier as he gets better at it and learns to control it. He thanks her for being there for him. She jokes about them needing to re-inforce the wall and reluctantly tells him that one bite from him and it's curtains for her. Matt interrupts them and she assures him there is nothing going on between she and Tyler, which Matt readily accepts. Matt kisses her but she pulls away and leaves.
Jules finds Sheriff Forbes at the Mystic Grill and asks if there is any news on Mason, which there isn't. Alaric calls Damon to let him know "the wolf is in the Grill". Stefan sits down across from Alaric and the two talk about Jules and Rose. Stefan asks if Alaric can get in touch with Isobel. Alaric doesn't think she would help but admits he has an old number he can try and warns Isobel cannot be trusted, even when it comes to Elena.
Elena helps Rose into bed, in Damon's room, to rest. Elena looks around Damon's room and finds it doesn't look anything like what she would have expected. Rose tells Elena she's lucky because no one has ever loved her the way Stefan does. She asks why Elena is so eager to give up and cites her deal with Elijah when Elena says she isn't. Rose points out the deal is her easiest option. Rose tells Elena she really is determined to die. Rose starts to hallucinate and asks Elena for more blood. When Rose takes a drink the blood makes her sick. Elena goes to get a wet cloth to help Rose and when she turns around Rose is no longer in the bed. Rose is behind her and pushes her against the wall thinking she is Katherine. Elena screams she isn't Katherine and Rose snaps back to herself. Rose realizes she is losing her mind and tells Elena not to be afraid of her. Rose says she wants to go home and Elena, trying to get Rose's mind off her illness, asks her to tell her about her home. Rose tells Elena a few details about her home and how so much time has been wasted.
As Stefan watches Jules at the Grill, Alaric texts him Isobel's number. Stefan immediately calls it and leaves a message for her that he needs to speak with her about Elena. Damon arrives and Stefan tries to stop him from confronting Jules. A call comes in for Stefan as Damon sits down with Jules. He wants Jules to tell him how to cure a wolf bite and he will not kill her. She refuses. She tells him to take a stake and drive it through Rose's heart.
Elena goes back to Damon's room with some clean sheets and again finds Rose gone. She goes through the house looking for her and calls Damon to tell him to come home. She hears a noise and goes to investigate. She finds a blood bag then finds Rose sitting on the floor drinking from a bag. Rose again mistakes her for Katherine and tears through the house after her. Elena keeps telling her she is Elena and not Katherine. As Rose attacks Elena and pushes her to the floor, Elena grabs at a curtain and pulls it from the window. The sunlight streams in and hits Rose. Elena runs to the front door and as she is opening it, Rose grabs her to bite her. Elena claws at her wolf bite which makes Rose sink to the floor and Elena takes the opportunity to escape. She runs to Stefan's room and locks and barricades the door. She opens the balcony doors and breaks a leg from a table for a weapon. From the other side of the door, Rose tells her she knows it is Elena in the room and not Katherine and that she needs her help.
Matt finds Caroline and asks why she ran away. He asks Caroline to tell him how she feels and she says she feels like she loves him. He wants to know what the problem is and what she's keeping from him. Someone distracts Matt giving Caroline a chance to get away.
Everything is quiet outside the door and Elena opens the door to the hall, which is empty. She ventures out, stake in hand, and finds the front door open and Damon behind her. He asks where Rose is and Elena doesn't know.
At the barbecue, Rose stumbles behind a dumpster, sick. A sanitation worker asks if she's OK and she attacks him. Sheriff Forbes calls Damon about the worker so they can look for the vampire. Elena leaves a message for Stefan to call her. When she asks Damon about Stefan, Damon gives her a stake and takes her with him in the search for Rose. In the parking lot, Rose attacks a couple at their car. Damon finds her and tackles her to the ground. Rose comes to her senses and is distraught over killing the couple. She begs Damon to make it stop. He picks her up and carries her home and puts her in bed. Elena enters the room as Rose talks about the urge to kill. She tells Elena that Damon is a lot like her (Rose). He wants to care but runs away from it. She tells Elena she needs to fight even though she's scared. Rose starts convulsing and Damon sits down next to her to comfort her and sends Elena from the room.
Tyler is waiting for Caroline at her house when she gets home that night. They need to talk. He wants to know why she would risk being around him with the dangers of werewolves and vampires. When Caroline starts complaining about him not wanting anyone to care, Tyler steps up and kisses her.
Damon holds Rose to comfort her as she dreams about her favorite place as a girl. Damon is there with her. She tells him he matters. She isn't afraid anymore. In the dream they race to the trees while in real life Damon stakes her to spare her further pain. Damon takes Rose's body to Sheriff Forbes and tells her he will take care of burying the body.
Jules calls a meeting with Tyler and tells him she knows about both he and Mason and that they are werewolves. She also knows about Caroline. She tells him she can help him. She also tells him Caroline and her friends killed Mason, a fact Tyler didn't know. There are others like them and they are on their way.
Elena talks to Damon about his feelings. He admits he feels guilty about Rose dying when it should have been him. He wants her to go home. Before she leaves, she hugs him. When she gets home, Stefan is waiting on her. He called Isobel and didn't exactly find her. John Gilbert is also at the house waiting on Elena.
Jessica (Ahna O'Reilly), a woman driving at night, sees a man in the road. It's Damon. She stops and gets out of the car to check on him. He tells her he's lost. He compels her not to move and then unburdens himself to her. He admits his secret is that he's not human and he misses it more than anything else in the world. There's only so much hurt a man can take. He tells her she's free and as she's running to her car, he attacks.
--
I hated to see Rose die as I really liked her. She was one of the good guys (well, once we were sure she wasn't going to turn Elena over to be killed).
This show focused quite a bit on Damon and how he feels. While feeling isn't something he likes to admit to often, he does feel. Now we finally know his greatest secret: he misses being human more than anything. Seeing the tear on his cheek when he staked Rose lets us know that he still has hold on some of what he used to be as a human, at the very least.
The stage has been set for some fireworks between Tyler and Caroline. Thanks to Jules, who I'm not really liking very much at this point, Tyler knows that Caroline isn't the only vampire in Mystic Falls. Trouble-maker Jules has also pretty much left him with the impression that Caroline was directly involved with Mason's death. We should find out how things go here next week. (And it doesn't look like it's going to go very well, at that.)
Uncle/Daddy John Gilbert is back in the picture! Stefan calls Isobel and it's John Gilbert he gets instead. Course, I would say John Gilbert would know a good deal himself. As long as John plays the good guy and doesn't try to stake Damon or Stefan, I'm good with him being back in the picture.
What an excellent way to come back off holiday break! Vampire Diaries never disappoints, does it?
--
For more information:
Official Site: http://www.cwtv.com/shows/the-vampire-diaries
The Internet Movie Database: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1405406/
TV Rage: http://www.tvrage.com/The_Vampire_Diaries
Season Two, Episode 2.12, The Descent
Original Air Date: January 27, 2011
Rose is getting sicker and sicker by the day as the werewolf bite grows worse despite all efforts to save her. Stefan feels contacting Isobel for information on Klaus is worth the risk. Damon battles his inner demons. Tyler learns some surprising secrets from Jules. A surprise visitor returns to town.
Jules awakens in the woods after her transformation. She walks through the woods and finds a trashed camp site. As she is cleaning it up, a sheriff's van drives up. As the officer approaches her, she starts to cry and tells the officer a wolf came out of the night and attacked her and her friends. When he goes to call the attack in, she grabs a log and bashes the officer.
Elena and Stefan share a kiss but Stefan ruins the moment because he wants to talk about Klaus, Katherine and Isobel. She points out that she made a deal with Elijah. Stefan understands but he didn't make any deals. Stefan takes a drink of vervane to try and build his tolerance up as Katherine did. Elena asks how Elijah is able to compel another vampire and the only answer Stefan can give is that he's an original and he doesn't really know what that means. No one does, except perhaps Isobel and they should ask her.
Rose's depression is causing her to contemplate her mortality. She's lived 560 years and can die as she's lived long enough. Damon tries cheering her up and gives her blood to drink to help with her injury. The wound on her shoulder is looking worse but Damon doesn't have the heart to tell her. When Elena enters the room, she agrees with Damon that the wound isn't that bad to spare Rose's feelings. Elena wants Damon to speak with Stefan to prevent him from finding Isobel. Damon agrees with Stefan. He asks Elena to sit with Rose while he's out. Elena asks Damon privately if Rose will die. He answers probably and that death happens, then leaves.
Preparations for the Booster Club Barbecue are underway and Taylor finds Caroline amidst the hustle and bustle. Every one of his muscles aches but he made it through his first full moon transformation. She assures him it will get easier as he gets better at it and learns to control it. He thanks her for being there for him. She jokes about them needing to re-inforce the wall and reluctantly tells him that one bite from him and it's curtains for her. Matt interrupts them and she assures him there is nothing going on between she and Tyler, which Matt readily accepts. Matt kisses her but she pulls away and leaves.
Jules finds Sheriff Forbes at the Mystic Grill and asks if there is any news on Mason, which there isn't. Alaric calls Damon to let him know "the wolf is in the Grill". Stefan sits down across from Alaric and the two talk about Jules and Rose. Stefan asks if Alaric can get in touch with Isobel. Alaric doesn't think she would help but admits he has an old number he can try and warns Isobel cannot be trusted, even when it comes to Elena.
Elena helps Rose into bed, in Damon's room, to rest. Elena looks around Damon's room and finds it doesn't look anything like what she would have expected. Rose tells Elena she's lucky because no one has ever loved her the way Stefan does. She asks why Elena is so eager to give up and cites her deal with Elijah when Elena says she isn't. Rose points out the deal is her easiest option. Rose tells Elena she really is determined to die. Rose starts to hallucinate and asks Elena for more blood. When Rose takes a drink the blood makes her sick. Elena goes to get a wet cloth to help Rose and when she turns around Rose is no longer in the bed. Rose is behind her and pushes her against the wall thinking she is Katherine. Elena screams she isn't Katherine and Rose snaps back to herself. Rose realizes she is losing her mind and tells Elena not to be afraid of her. Rose says she wants to go home and Elena, trying to get Rose's mind off her illness, asks her to tell her about her home. Rose tells Elena a few details about her home and how so much time has been wasted.
As Stefan watches Jules at the Grill, Alaric texts him Isobel's number. Stefan immediately calls it and leaves a message for her that he needs to speak with her about Elena. Damon arrives and Stefan tries to stop him from confronting Jules. A call comes in for Stefan as Damon sits down with Jules. He wants Jules to tell him how to cure a wolf bite and he will not kill her. She refuses. She tells him to take a stake and drive it through Rose's heart.
Elena goes back to Damon's room with some clean sheets and again finds Rose gone. She goes through the house looking for her and calls Damon to tell him to come home. She hears a noise and goes to investigate. She finds a blood bag then finds Rose sitting on the floor drinking from a bag. Rose again mistakes her for Katherine and tears through the house after her. Elena keeps telling her she is Elena and not Katherine. As Rose attacks Elena and pushes her to the floor, Elena grabs at a curtain and pulls it from the window. The sunlight streams in and hits Rose. Elena runs to the front door and as she is opening it, Rose grabs her to bite her. Elena claws at her wolf bite which makes Rose sink to the floor and Elena takes the opportunity to escape. She runs to Stefan's room and locks and barricades the door. She opens the balcony doors and breaks a leg from a table for a weapon. From the other side of the door, Rose tells her she knows it is Elena in the room and not Katherine and that she needs her help.
Matt finds Caroline and asks why she ran away. He asks Caroline to tell him how she feels and she says she feels like she loves him. He wants to know what the problem is and what she's keeping from him. Someone distracts Matt giving Caroline a chance to get away.
Everything is quiet outside the door and Elena opens the door to the hall, which is empty. She ventures out, stake in hand, and finds the front door open and Damon behind her. He asks where Rose is and Elena doesn't know.
At the barbecue, Rose stumbles behind a dumpster, sick. A sanitation worker asks if she's OK and she attacks him. Sheriff Forbes calls Damon about the worker so they can look for the vampire. Elena leaves a message for Stefan to call her. When she asks Damon about Stefan, Damon gives her a stake and takes her with him in the search for Rose. In the parking lot, Rose attacks a couple at their car. Damon finds her and tackles her to the ground. Rose comes to her senses and is distraught over killing the couple. She begs Damon to make it stop. He picks her up and carries her home and puts her in bed. Elena enters the room as Rose talks about the urge to kill. She tells Elena that Damon is a lot like her (Rose). He wants to care but runs away from it. She tells Elena she needs to fight even though she's scared. Rose starts convulsing and Damon sits down next to her to comfort her and sends Elena from the room.
Tyler is waiting for Caroline at her house when she gets home that night. They need to talk. He wants to know why she would risk being around him with the dangers of werewolves and vampires. When Caroline starts complaining about him not wanting anyone to care, Tyler steps up and kisses her.
Damon holds Rose to comfort her as she dreams about her favorite place as a girl. Damon is there with her. She tells him he matters. She isn't afraid anymore. In the dream they race to the trees while in real life Damon stakes her to spare her further pain. Damon takes Rose's body to Sheriff Forbes and tells her he will take care of burying the body.
Jules calls a meeting with Tyler and tells him she knows about both he and Mason and that they are werewolves. She also knows about Caroline. She tells him she can help him. She also tells him Caroline and her friends killed Mason, a fact Tyler didn't know. There are others like them and they are on their way.
Elena talks to Damon about his feelings. He admits he feels guilty about Rose dying when it should have been him. He wants her to go home. Before she leaves, she hugs him. When she gets home, Stefan is waiting on her. He called Isobel and didn't exactly find her. John Gilbert is also at the house waiting on Elena.
Jessica (Ahna O'Reilly), a woman driving at night, sees a man in the road. It's Damon. She stops and gets out of the car to check on him. He tells her he's lost. He compels her not to move and then unburdens himself to her. He admits his secret is that he's not human and he misses it more than anything else in the world. There's only so much hurt a man can take. He tells her she's free and as she's running to her car, he attacks.
--
I hated to see Rose die as I really liked her. She was one of the good guys (well, once we were sure she wasn't going to turn Elena over to be killed).
This show focused quite a bit on Damon and how he feels. While feeling isn't something he likes to admit to often, he does feel. Now we finally know his greatest secret: he misses being human more than anything. Seeing the tear on his cheek when he staked Rose lets us know that he still has hold on some of what he used to be as a human, at the very least.
The stage has been set for some fireworks between Tyler and Caroline. Thanks to Jules, who I'm not really liking very much at this point, Tyler knows that Caroline isn't the only vampire in Mystic Falls. Trouble-maker Jules has also pretty much left him with the impression that Caroline was directly involved with Mason's death. We should find out how things go here next week. (And it doesn't look like it's going to go very well, at that.)
Uncle/Daddy John Gilbert is back in the picture! Stefan calls Isobel and it's John Gilbert he gets instead. Course, I would say John Gilbert would know a good deal himself. As long as John plays the good guy and doesn't try to stake Damon or Stefan, I'm good with him being back in the picture.
What an excellent way to come back off holiday break! Vampire Diaries never disappoints, does it?
--
For more information:
Official Site: http://www.cwtv.com/shows/the-vampire-diaries
The Internet Movie Database: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1405406/
TV Rage: http://www.tvrage.com/The_Vampire_Diaries
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
US Television, White Collar, Episode 2.11 "Forging Bonds"
White Collar
Season Two, Episode Eleven, Forging Bonds
Original Air Date: January 25, 2011
When Peter finds Neal in the same photograph with Vincent Adler, he goes to see his friend wanting to know more about Neal's involvement with the billion-dollar swindler, Adler. Neal relates to him the story of how he came to know Mozzie, Adler and even Kate and Alex. Peter, in turn, tells the story of his investigation of Neal and what led him to capture one of the smoothest and best con men in the business.
Peter is going through the case file of a billion dollar ponzi scheme involving Vincent Adler (Andrew McCarthy) and finds Neal in the background of a picture of Adler. Later that evening, Neal is at home working on a painting, purely for relaxation purposes, when Peter arrives. He shows Neal the picture of the two of them and asks Neal about Adler. Neal admits Alder is the man who made him who he is today and that he himself just figured out Adler was responsible for everything that has happened.
Over beer and wine (that cost as much as the beer), Peter asks Neal how he knew Adler. He wants the entire story from the beginning so they can catch Adler. Peter will not take 'no' for an answer, even though the story includes crimes he doesn't know about. He puts his badge on the table and makes Neal a deal: full immunity for anything he says from that moment until the sun rises over the balcony as long as he didn't kill anyone (which Neal didn't). Neal takes the deal and starts the story.
Neal shows Peter the fractal Mozzie built from the music box code and tells him he saw one like it before in Adler's office when he worked for him. When Peter asks how he met Adler, Neal says to know more about Adler they have to start with Mozzie.
Eight years ago, Neal was a newcomer to New York and knew nothing about the city. He stops to watch a game of "find the lady" that Mozzie (sporting a goatee!) and another man are running. Neal ends up betting $500 and takes them for another $500 when he "finds the queen". However, he left another card in place of the real queen. Mozzie pays a kid to follow Neal then he later shows up at Neal's apartment. He wants to partner with Neal because of how good he was at switching the queen. They go over some forged bonds Neal is working on and Mozzie knows immediately that the two of them could go far together. He wants to do the "Everest of Swindles" with the mark being Vincent Adler.
When the issue of the bonds arise, Peter admits they were the first time he came across him. Peter, complete with his Mario mustache, gets the case. Neal asks what his nickname was since every case gets one. Peter reluctantly admits it was "James Bonds". Peter and Elizabeth were just moving into their new home together, with puppy Satchmo, and Peter is, as usual, consumed by work--Neal's case. Peter can see Neal's potential in just one forged bond.
Neal continues to tell Peter about Adler. He and Mozzie studied and researched Adler before starting the con: "know thine enemy, and you will win". They need just two pieces of information to re-route Adler's money wire transfer from the Cayman islands: his account number and password. That's where Neal comes in. He has five months to become Adler's trusted friend and get the information. He had to cash in a few more bonds to be able to get into a charity dinner to meet Adler, which gave the FBI their first visual on Neal Caffrey.
However, Neal wasn't the only one to make a mistake. Neal and Mozzie overhear Peter talking to the bank manager outside the bank after Neal cashed in some of his bonds. Neal gives Mozzie the money and walks right up to Peter and talks to him about the money in the bank, bonds and even gives him the sucker the teller gave him when he cashed in the bonds. That night, Neal comes up with his first alias, Nicholas Halden after seeing the surname on an advertisement. Mozzie has gotten him a fine suit and has even prepared a fake bottle of fine wine for him to give to Adler.
At the dinner, Neal spots the Mark and gives him the wine. In the course of ingratiating himself to Alder, he meets Kate, who is, at that time, Adler assistant. He and Kate discuss art even though Neal is completely taken by the lovely Kate. Neal switches seats at the dinner with Adler's date (unbeknownst to her) and Adler gives him to the salad course to state his case. Neal admits he wants to work for him. He gives Adler a tip about a firm buyout Adler is getting ready to embark upon (the Singer deal) and gives Adler his card so when the information he provided turns out to be true Adler can call him to offer a job. One month later, Adler ditched Singer and brought in Neal. Part of his job was to know everything about everyone Adler dealt with, which Neal was adept at.
The whole time he worked with Adler, he also got to spend time with Kate, who had a boyfriend at the time. She tells him her boyfriend asked her to move to Chicago with him in one months time, which she agreed to do.
Neal sees the fractal, something Adler was obsessed with, for the first time in Adler's office. Neal found the "culprit" that was looking into Adler's business dealings. Neal brings her into the office and we see it is Alex Hunter. From the get-go, Adler wants to know who Alex is working for and plays hardball from the start. He gives Alex one chance to "fix her mistake" and allows her to leave. Adler gives Neal a reward check once Alex leaves which Neal wants to invest with Adler. Adler makes an exception for Neal and allows him to do so.
Peter questions what happened to Alex. She confronted Neal outside Adler's office. The two have a drink to discuss what Alex is working on. They end up at Neal's apartment where she admits that, even then, she's looking for the music box. Alex promised to send Neal a message if she ever needed his help: a paper flower. Things changed with Kate. Instead of going to Chicago, she shows up at Neal's apartment wanting to be with him instead. A few days before the con is to expire, Neal still doesn't have the password. Mozzie informs Neal "The Suit" has been asking around about him and that they should finish the con and move on. During a fitting for a $10,000 suit Adler is buying Neal, Neal informs his boss about an irregularity with his account in the Cayman's. Adler gives him the password to the account. Neal tells Mozzie he didn't get the password and that he is in love with Kate.
Later, when Neal and Kate are at his apartment, they see the news story of Adler's disappearance with hundreds of millions of dollars of his clients money. Clinton Jones joins Peter in the White Collar Division. Adler left one dollar in his account and the password he gave Neal was an anagram for "nice try Neal". Neal promises a distressed Kate that everything will be alright now that it's just the two of them. He tells her the truth about who he is and what he does. He taught her how to survive and how to con. He explains to Peter how they stole a 16th century manuscript. He wants them to leave for France because of Peter but she doesn't want to go because Neal tried to con her into going to Copenhagen for the music box with Alex. Neal went without Alex but the job fell apart since it was a 3 person job and Kate wasn't there to help. Kate was gone when Neal returned to New York. Peter and the FBI knew a lot about Neal and another of his aliases, Steve Tabernacle. Diana gives the team the idea to stake out Kate.
Mozzie brings Neal news of Kate's location, even though it appears to be a trap. The two meet and express their love for one another and, sure enough, the FBI raids and Peter is arrested by Peter. Neal thanks Peter for helping him find Kate.
Their next step: find Adler even though it will be near impossible. The key is the fractal. Seeing a clue that lets him know Alex was there that day, Peter asks what she thinks the fractal is. He reveals it is a fractal antenna that responds to a specific frequency for an emergency beacon. If the fractal is built and put into a radio, it will lead to a boat, plane or something else that disappeared in the 1940's. Adler wants it and they must find it first.
--
I loved this episode! We got some great backstory here on how all of our favorite characters met and what made them who we know and love them to be. And how great was it to see Mozzie with that goatee and Peter with that crazy Mario mustache?
Not only all that, but the entire storyline is propelled forward with the reveal of the importance of the fractal and what they must find to catch the man who has made their lives miserable. I can only begin to imagine that they are looking for and know it will be something amazing.
What do you think the fractal will lead them to?
--
White Collar airs Tuesdays at 10:00 p.m. (US Eastern time) on the USA Network.
For More Information:
Official Site: http://www.usanetwork.com/series/whitecollar/
The Internet Movie Database: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1358522/
TV Rage: http://www.tvrage.com/White_Collar
Season Two, Episode Eleven, Forging Bonds
Original Air Date: January 25, 2011
When Peter finds Neal in the same photograph with Vincent Adler, he goes to see his friend wanting to know more about Neal's involvement with the billion-dollar swindler, Adler. Neal relates to him the story of how he came to know Mozzie, Adler and even Kate and Alex. Peter, in turn, tells the story of his investigation of Neal and what led him to capture one of the smoothest and best con men in the business.
Peter is going through the case file of a billion dollar ponzi scheme involving Vincent Adler (Andrew McCarthy) and finds Neal in the background of a picture of Adler. Later that evening, Neal is at home working on a painting, purely for relaxation purposes, when Peter arrives. He shows Neal the picture of the two of them and asks Neal about Adler. Neal admits Alder is the man who made him who he is today and that he himself just figured out Adler was responsible for everything that has happened.
Over beer and wine (that cost as much as the beer), Peter asks Neal how he knew Adler. He wants the entire story from the beginning so they can catch Adler. Peter will not take 'no' for an answer, even though the story includes crimes he doesn't know about. He puts his badge on the table and makes Neal a deal: full immunity for anything he says from that moment until the sun rises over the balcony as long as he didn't kill anyone (which Neal didn't). Neal takes the deal and starts the story.
Neal shows Peter the fractal Mozzie built from the music box code and tells him he saw one like it before in Adler's office when he worked for him. When Peter asks how he met Adler, Neal says to know more about Adler they have to start with Mozzie.
Eight years ago, Neal was a newcomer to New York and knew nothing about the city. He stops to watch a game of "find the lady" that Mozzie (sporting a goatee!) and another man are running. Neal ends up betting $500 and takes them for another $500 when he "finds the queen". However, he left another card in place of the real queen. Mozzie pays a kid to follow Neal then he later shows up at Neal's apartment. He wants to partner with Neal because of how good he was at switching the queen. They go over some forged bonds Neal is working on and Mozzie knows immediately that the two of them could go far together. He wants to do the "Everest of Swindles" with the mark being Vincent Adler.
When the issue of the bonds arise, Peter admits they were the first time he came across him. Peter, complete with his Mario mustache, gets the case. Neal asks what his nickname was since every case gets one. Peter reluctantly admits it was "James Bonds". Peter and Elizabeth were just moving into their new home together, with puppy Satchmo, and Peter is, as usual, consumed by work--Neal's case. Peter can see Neal's potential in just one forged bond.
Neal continues to tell Peter about Adler. He and Mozzie studied and researched Adler before starting the con: "know thine enemy, and you will win". They need just two pieces of information to re-route Adler's money wire transfer from the Cayman islands: his account number and password. That's where Neal comes in. He has five months to become Adler's trusted friend and get the information. He had to cash in a few more bonds to be able to get into a charity dinner to meet Adler, which gave the FBI their first visual on Neal Caffrey.
However, Neal wasn't the only one to make a mistake. Neal and Mozzie overhear Peter talking to the bank manager outside the bank after Neal cashed in some of his bonds. Neal gives Mozzie the money and walks right up to Peter and talks to him about the money in the bank, bonds and even gives him the sucker the teller gave him when he cashed in the bonds. That night, Neal comes up with his first alias, Nicholas Halden after seeing the surname on an advertisement. Mozzie has gotten him a fine suit and has even prepared a fake bottle of fine wine for him to give to Adler.
At the dinner, Neal spots the Mark and gives him the wine. In the course of ingratiating himself to Alder, he meets Kate, who is, at that time, Adler assistant. He and Kate discuss art even though Neal is completely taken by the lovely Kate. Neal switches seats at the dinner with Adler's date (unbeknownst to her) and Adler gives him to the salad course to state his case. Neal admits he wants to work for him. He gives Adler a tip about a firm buyout Adler is getting ready to embark upon (the Singer deal) and gives Adler his card so when the information he provided turns out to be true Adler can call him to offer a job. One month later, Adler ditched Singer and brought in Neal. Part of his job was to know everything about everyone Adler dealt with, which Neal was adept at.
The whole time he worked with Adler, he also got to spend time with Kate, who had a boyfriend at the time. She tells him her boyfriend asked her to move to Chicago with him in one months time, which she agreed to do.
Neal sees the fractal, something Adler was obsessed with, for the first time in Adler's office. Neal found the "culprit" that was looking into Adler's business dealings. Neal brings her into the office and we see it is Alex Hunter. From the get-go, Adler wants to know who Alex is working for and plays hardball from the start. He gives Alex one chance to "fix her mistake" and allows her to leave. Adler gives Neal a reward check once Alex leaves which Neal wants to invest with Adler. Adler makes an exception for Neal and allows him to do so.
Peter questions what happened to Alex. She confronted Neal outside Adler's office. The two have a drink to discuss what Alex is working on. They end up at Neal's apartment where she admits that, even then, she's looking for the music box. Alex promised to send Neal a message if she ever needed his help: a paper flower. Things changed with Kate. Instead of going to Chicago, she shows up at Neal's apartment wanting to be with him instead. A few days before the con is to expire, Neal still doesn't have the password. Mozzie informs Neal "The Suit" has been asking around about him and that they should finish the con and move on. During a fitting for a $10,000 suit Adler is buying Neal, Neal informs his boss about an irregularity with his account in the Cayman's. Adler gives him the password to the account. Neal tells Mozzie he didn't get the password and that he is in love with Kate.
Later, when Neal and Kate are at his apartment, they see the news story of Adler's disappearance with hundreds of millions of dollars of his clients money. Clinton Jones joins Peter in the White Collar Division. Adler left one dollar in his account and the password he gave Neal was an anagram for "nice try Neal". Neal promises a distressed Kate that everything will be alright now that it's just the two of them. He tells her the truth about who he is and what he does. He taught her how to survive and how to con. He explains to Peter how they stole a 16th century manuscript. He wants them to leave for France because of Peter but she doesn't want to go because Neal tried to con her into going to Copenhagen for the music box with Alex. Neal went without Alex but the job fell apart since it was a 3 person job and Kate wasn't there to help. Kate was gone when Neal returned to New York. Peter and the FBI knew a lot about Neal and another of his aliases, Steve Tabernacle. Diana gives the team the idea to stake out Kate.
Mozzie brings Neal news of Kate's location, even though it appears to be a trap. The two meet and express their love for one another and, sure enough, the FBI raids and Peter is arrested by Peter. Neal thanks Peter for helping him find Kate.
Their next step: find Adler even though it will be near impossible. The key is the fractal. Seeing a clue that lets him know Alex was there that day, Peter asks what she thinks the fractal is. He reveals it is a fractal antenna that responds to a specific frequency for an emergency beacon. If the fractal is built and put into a radio, it will lead to a boat, plane or something else that disappeared in the 1940's. Adler wants it and they must find it first.
--
I loved this episode! We got some great backstory here on how all of our favorite characters met and what made them who we know and love them to be. And how great was it to see Mozzie with that goatee and Peter with that crazy Mario mustache?
Not only all that, but the entire storyline is propelled forward with the reveal of the importance of the fractal and what they must find to catch the man who has made their lives miserable. I can only begin to imagine that they are looking for and know it will be something amazing.
What do you think the fractal will lead them to?
--
White Collar airs Tuesdays at 10:00 p.m. (US Eastern time) on the USA Network.
For More Information:
Official Site: http://www.usanetwork.com/series/whitecollar/
The Internet Movie Database: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1358522/
TV Rage: http://www.tvrage.com/White_Collar
Saturday, January 22, 2011
someecards.com Card Of the Week: Sunday, 23rd, January, 2011
We all have that one special friend we love and adore and would do anything for and these cards work perfectly for that friend. (Yes, there are two cards this week. I couldn't decide which one I liked better so I'm including them both. Send one to a dear friend today!)
UK Television: Law & Order: UK, Episode 4.2 "Denial"
Law & Order: UK
Season Four, Episode Two, Denial
Denial, Original Air Date: November 4, 2010 (Canada)
Denial, Original Air Date: March 14, 2011 (U.K.)
Based on Law & Order (US) "DNR", Season 10, Episode 3 (6th October, 1999)
A high court judge is shot when she and her husband return from their vacation cottage. At first, it appears to be a carjacking but, as the details of the case start to not add up the judges husband becomes a suspect for hiring her murder. However, the judge insists her husband couldn't have done it as he was always with her and never had the opportunity to call the shooter. Are they suspecting the wrong man or is the judge lying?
Rachel Callaghan (Juliet Stevenson), a high court judge, is shot in a car park and her car is stolen. A tube of red dye gel is found at the scene. If sprayed in an attackers face, it will not wash off for seven days. From hospital, Devlin calls to order the GPS tracking device in Judge Callaghan's car be activated. He and Brooks talk with the judges husband, Dan Callaghan (John McArdle) who didn't notice anyone suspicious in the car park.
The police locate where the GPS device signal stopped. The tracking device is at the location but the car is not. They get a time and location of the stolen car off CCTV and can see that there are two men in the car but their faces cannot be seen. The plates are cloned. Angela (Jessica Gunning) finds the location where the car is parked in the city and gives the information to Brooks and Devlin.
They find the car but the current owner, Nick (Oliver Le Sueur) claims the car is his. In interrogation, he admits he didn't know the car was stolen even though he got a £56,000 car for £8,000. He bought the car the day before and didn't know the name of the man who sold it. He met the man in a scrap yard in Putney because he needed a car to look the part for his job and to impress a woman. He identifies a photograph from a lineup but says the man did not have red paint on his face.
The police go to arrest the man Nick identified, Marty Flynn (Duane Henry), but he runs when they arrive. Devlin catches him and they arrest and take him back for interrogation. Marty tells them they want Eddie Wade, not him. He denies shooting the judge despite a gun having been found in his flat. Marty tells them Eddie had already stolen the car when he asked him to help him. Eddie had paint on his face and needed Marty to take the car down to a dealer he had lined up as it was supposed to be shipped abroad. Marty did the £8,000 deal with Nick and that angered Eddie who insisted the car should have been shipped to Africa. Eddie wasn't interested in the money. He said he was onto something a lot bigger than the Mercedes and Marty had bungled it. Eddie told him to sit and wait for a £10,000 payment.
Chandler theorizes that if the interest wasn't in the money for the stolen car, Eddie might have been paid by someone to shoot Judge Callaghan. Eddie had given Marty a mobile that someone should have called to make the second payment while he went into hiding wearing ski goggles to hide the red paint on his face. Chandler orders a nationwide search for Eddie and surveillance for his flat in the event he returns home. The bigger question is who wanted the judge dead. Brooks knows of one person who knew the couple were returning home early: the judges husband.
Brooks and Devlin question the judge and show him Eddie's photo. He denies knowing him or the name. He is angered when Devlin asks if he and his wife are getting on okay. They go in to speak with the judge alone. She is able to identify Eddie from the photograph they show her. She tells them that had her husband not taken the tacky old mirror they brought back with them into their home she might not be in hospital right now. That conflicts with what her husband had told them the night she was shot as he claimed she wanted him to take the mirror inside.
The police are able to find one number taken from the phone Eddie had given Marty. They go to speak with the judges clerk to see if there are any other possible suspects. Her clerk, Andrea Poole (Natasha Gordon), had called about a conference the judge needed to attend. She is shocked to learn the attack on the judge is possibly an attempted murder. Andrea knew of a few highly emotive cases the judge had ruled on.
Going through the judges ongoing cases, Devlin and Brooks come across a man named Walter Reeves, a site manager who was running a protection racket on service companies. The judge was building a case against him. One of the companies in Reeves' pocket is Aeroclear, a company Eddie Wade just so happened to work for up until three years ago. Aeroclear also happens to do repairs on the building the judge lives in.
Brooks and Devlin interview the concierge of the building where the judge lived. He had tried to change the air con company and Walter Reeves sent two men around to 'change his mind'. He did as Reeves wished and doesn't want to give evidence against Reeves as he has family and worries for their safety. He tells them he was the one who blew the whistle on Reeves which led to the judge starting to dig around into Walter Reeves' dealings. The judge kept his name out of things for his own protection.
They next speak with the man who runs Aeroclear, Zaki Smith (Edward Hughes). He wants to put Walter Reeves away as much as anyone else. He also claims Eddie Wade would never have done any work at the judges building as the company had gotten the maintenance contract seven years ago on Dan Callaghan's recommendation. He tells them they worked together a lot before Dan Callaghan and Eddie Wade fell out with one another. They find out about a shopping mall job Callaghan and Eddie had done together that led to their falling out.
They bring Dan Callaghan in for interview and again show him the photo of Eddie. He identifies him as the man who shot his wife because they had shown him the photo before but still denies ever having known or seen him before. They present him with the information about the shopping mall project he and Eddie Wade worked together. He gets a touch rattled but still denies knowing him. Devlin asks him who wanted the mirror unloaded and Dan again tells them it was his wife's. He tells Callaghan his wife had said it was his idea and that they had been arguing that day. Callaghan becomes overcome with emotion and tells them that Rachel has lost the use of a kidney and is getting worse. He gets up to leave to go to her but Brooks stops him and places him under arrest on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder.
In court, Judge Mary Hall (Diana Quick) reads a statement from Rachel Callaghan stating her husband was with her at all times and had no opportunity to call and arrange her murder. Alesha argues against the statement and strongly objects to bail for Callaghan. Callaghan's attorney, Simon Wheeler (Terence Harvey), reveals that most of the Callaghan's money is tied up in trusts and that what is available now is earmarked for Judge Callaghan's care. The judge grants bail on certain conditions, the first being assurance of £50,000, an amount Dan Callaghan's attorney said his client could provide.
Alesha tells Steel and Castle about Wheeler's revelation of the Callaghan's money being tied up in trusts and that Dan Callaghan does not have access to his wife's money. There are no large withdrawals from Dan Callaghan's personal accounts but he was in Oxford Street the day the phone was bought. They really have no evidence against Dan Callaghan. Everything is circumstantial.
Alesha visits Judge Callaghan and her daughter Lindsay (Georginia Rich) in hospital to ask about the alibi she had given her husband. She maintains her husband was with her every minute and had absolutely no time to make a call to order her murder. When Alesha tells the judge about her husband lying about knowing Wade and about who wanted the mirror taken into their home the judge chastises her and says she will give evidence on his behalf if they prosecute him.
Lindsay Callaghan catches up to Alesha as she is leaving to ask why they have to make things harder on her mother. Alesha questions if the judge was as curt with her father as she was with her (Lindsay). Lindsay tells Alesha the judge intends to sue the hospital for causing her renal failure and that they are wrong about her father. Her mother's insurance and estate go to Lindsay's children.
The financial motive has disappeared but an eyewitness has come out. A woman who lives on the same lane where the Callaghan's cottage is located insists she saw Dan Callaghan in the garden just five minutes after the call was made to Eddie Wade. The same woman had thrown a party the night before and Dan Callaghan was drunk and introducing himself as Mr. Rachel Callaghan which led to the couple arguing.
Steel and Phillips speak with Dave Jordan (Paul Ridley), Dan Callaghan's former architectural partner. Jordan had let Callaghan go as he was a liability. Rachel Callaghan never knew Dan was let go and Dave Jordan covered for him when she showed up at the offices wanting to speak with her husband. The couple had put a deposit on some land in the Lake District where Dan could build their dream home but Rachel's promotion put a damper on those plans. Dan was able to get £20,000 of the £25,000 deposit on the Lake District land back in cash. Steel receives a call that the call to Eddie Wade was placed from within 500 metres of the Callaghan's cottage.
When Judge Callaghan is presented with the new information about the location of the call she says that someone was obviously following them and, when they saw them loading up their car to return home, made the call ordering her murder. Her husband still couldn't have been involved. She finally admits that Dan went into the garden but she could still see him through the window the entire time he was there. When the judge says she knows her husband better than anyone, Steel drops the bombshell in her lap that Dan had lost his job surprising both Rachel and Lindsay Callaghan.
Steel and Phillips arrive in Castle's office to tell him they know Rachel Callaghan is lying. He informs them Rachel has asked her doctors to withdraw her medication because she wants to die.
In court, Steel makes the request to examine Rachel Callaghan on video because of questions of truthfulness in the original statement she had made. Wheeler argues against this but tells the judge Rachel is prepared to give evidence one last time on what happened the day in question. The judge allows Steel to proceed despite continued protests from Wheeler. She warns if Steel pushes Rachel Callaghan one step too far, she will stop proceedings. Later, even Castle warns Steel of the dangers of questioning Rachel. Steel promises he will be careful in his questioning of the judge.
Rachel still insists Dan never left her sight on the day in question and still maintains someone must have been watching them. Steel delicately pushes her harder but she holds with her story. He tells her about Dan taking the £20,000 deposit for their property back in cash and that it was the exact amount of money Eddie Wade was promised if he killed her. Wheeler wants to stop proceedings and the judge questions Rachel if she is alright. After Rachel admits she is, the judge orders Steel to step lightly and questioning continues. Steel reminds Rachel of her loyalty and oath to the law. She admits to Steel she would act the same way he is if she were faced with a similar situation in court. He begs her one last time to tell the truth. Again, she provides an alibi for her husband.
In the hall, Lindsay Callaghan asks if her mother stuck to her story. Lindsay tells Steel and Phillips that the judge knows Dan Callaghan ordered her murder. As they are talking, the nurses station receives warning that the judge is going into renal failure as she has disconnected her dialysis machine.
In court, Steel challenges Rachel Callaghan's mental capacity in light of her suicide attempt. Wheeler objects but Judge Hall grants Steel permission for his psychiatrist to examine Rachel. Judge Hall later speaks with Castle about her worries for Rachel Callaghan and that Dr. Armitage has recommended she be put on suicide watch. In court, Judge Hall declares Rachel not competent to give evidence in Dan Callaghan's case.
George Castle pays a visit to Rachel in hospital. The two talk about old memories and better times. Wheeler and Dan Callaghan come to see Steel and Phillips to tell them they intend to appeal Judge Hall's decision. Castle tells Rachel she could come to terms with her condition in time. She can't see what she has to live for. He speaks plainly and clearly to her about how she should be thinking, what she has to live for and about her lying for Dan. Dan describes the relationship between he and Rachel and starts talking about the day in question. Rachel tells Castle the truth about what happened the day she was shot. Dan confesses to making the call to Steel and Phillips. Castle insists that now she has told the truth, Rachel needn't die. She still wants to terminate her treatment.
Castle receives a call that the court decided to revoke its decision and Rachel's treatment was terminated. She wants her husband with her as she is dying. Castle and two PC's take Dan to Rachel's hospital room where they are able to embrace before she dies.
Law & Order: UK airs on Thursday nights at 10:00 p.m. on CityTV in Canada. Season Four is currently not airing in the UK and will air at a later date.
For more information:
Law & Order: UK ITV1 Official Site: http://www.itv.com/drama/copsandcrime/lawandorder/
Internet Movie Database: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1166893/
TV Rage: http://www.tvrage.com/shows/id-18198
Season Four, Episode Two, Denial
Denial, Original Air Date: November 4, 2010 (Canada)
Denial, Original Air Date: March 14, 2011 (U.K.)
Based on Law & Order (US) "DNR", Season 10, Episode 3 (6th October, 1999)
A high court judge is shot when she and her husband return from their vacation cottage. At first, it appears to be a carjacking but, as the details of the case start to not add up the judges husband becomes a suspect for hiring her murder. However, the judge insists her husband couldn't have done it as he was always with her and never had the opportunity to call the shooter. Are they suspecting the wrong man or is the judge lying?
Rachel Callaghan (Juliet Stevenson), a high court judge, is shot in a car park and her car is stolen. A tube of red dye gel is found at the scene. If sprayed in an attackers face, it will not wash off for seven days. From hospital, Devlin calls to order the GPS tracking device in Judge Callaghan's car be activated. He and Brooks talk with the judges husband, Dan Callaghan (John McArdle) who didn't notice anyone suspicious in the car park.
The police locate where the GPS device signal stopped. The tracking device is at the location but the car is not. They get a time and location of the stolen car off CCTV and can see that there are two men in the car but their faces cannot be seen. The plates are cloned. Angela (Jessica Gunning) finds the location where the car is parked in the city and gives the information to Brooks and Devlin.
They find the car but the current owner, Nick (Oliver Le Sueur) claims the car is his. In interrogation, he admits he didn't know the car was stolen even though he got a £56,000 car for £8,000. He bought the car the day before and didn't know the name of the man who sold it. He met the man in a scrap yard in Putney because he needed a car to look the part for his job and to impress a woman. He identifies a photograph from a lineup but says the man did not have red paint on his face.
The police go to arrest the man Nick identified, Marty Flynn (Duane Henry), but he runs when they arrive. Devlin catches him and they arrest and take him back for interrogation. Marty tells them they want Eddie Wade, not him. He denies shooting the judge despite a gun having been found in his flat. Marty tells them Eddie had already stolen the car when he asked him to help him. Eddie had paint on his face and needed Marty to take the car down to a dealer he had lined up as it was supposed to be shipped abroad. Marty did the £8,000 deal with Nick and that angered Eddie who insisted the car should have been shipped to Africa. Eddie wasn't interested in the money. He said he was onto something a lot bigger than the Mercedes and Marty had bungled it. Eddie told him to sit and wait for a £10,000 payment.
Chandler theorizes that if the interest wasn't in the money for the stolen car, Eddie might have been paid by someone to shoot Judge Callaghan. Eddie had given Marty a mobile that someone should have called to make the second payment while he went into hiding wearing ski goggles to hide the red paint on his face. Chandler orders a nationwide search for Eddie and surveillance for his flat in the event he returns home. The bigger question is who wanted the judge dead. Brooks knows of one person who knew the couple were returning home early: the judges husband.
Brooks and Devlin question the judge and show him Eddie's photo. He denies knowing him or the name. He is angered when Devlin asks if he and his wife are getting on okay. They go in to speak with the judge alone. She is able to identify Eddie from the photograph they show her. She tells them that had her husband not taken the tacky old mirror they brought back with them into their home she might not be in hospital right now. That conflicts with what her husband had told them the night she was shot as he claimed she wanted him to take the mirror inside.
The police are able to find one number taken from the phone Eddie had given Marty. They go to speak with the judges clerk to see if there are any other possible suspects. Her clerk, Andrea Poole (Natasha Gordon), had called about a conference the judge needed to attend. She is shocked to learn the attack on the judge is possibly an attempted murder. Andrea knew of a few highly emotive cases the judge had ruled on.
Going through the judges ongoing cases, Devlin and Brooks come across a man named Walter Reeves, a site manager who was running a protection racket on service companies. The judge was building a case against him. One of the companies in Reeves' pocket is Aeroclear, a company Eddie Wade just so happened to work for up until three years ago. Aeroclear also happens to do repairs on the building the judge lives in.
Brooks and Devlin interview the concierge of the building where the judge lived. He had tried to change the air con company and Walter Reeves sent two men around to 'change his mind'. He did as Reeves wished and doesn't want to give evidence against Reeves as he has family and worries for their safety. He tells them he was the one who blew the whistle on Reeves which led to the judge starting to dig around into Walter Reeves' dealings. The judge kept his name out of things for his own protection.
They next speak with the man who runs Aeroclear, Zaki Smith (Edward Hughes). He wants to put Walter Reeves away as much as anyone else. He also claims Eddie Wade would never have done any work at the judges building as the company had gotten the maintenance contract seven years ago on Dan Callaghan's recommendation. He tells them they worked together a lot before Dan Callaghan and Eddie Wade fell out with one another. They find out about a shopping mall job Callaghan and Eddie had done together that led to their falling out.
They bring Dan Callaghan in for interview and again show him the photo of Eddie. He identifies him as the man who shot his wife because they had shown him the photo before but still denies ever having known or seen him before. They present him with the information about the shopping mall project he and Eddie Wade worked together. He gets a touch rattled but still denies knowing him. Devlin asks him who wanted the mirror unloaded and Dan again tells them it was his wife's. He tells Callaghan his wife had said it was his idea and that they had been arguing that day. Callaghan becomes overcome with emotion and tells them that Rachel has lost the use of a kidney and is getting worse. He gets up to leave to go to her but Brooks stops him and places him under arrest on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder.
In court, Judge Mary Hall (Diana Quick) reads a statement from Rachel Callaghan stating her husband was with her at all times and had no opportunity to call and arrange her murder. Alesha argues against the statement and strongly objects to bail for Callaghan. Callaghan's attorney, Simon Wheeler (Terence Harvey), reveals that most of the Callaghan's money is tied up in trusts and that what is available now is earmarked for Judge Callaghan's care. The judge grants bail on certain conditions, the first being assurance of £50,000, an amount Dan Callaghan's attorney said his client could provide.
Alesha tells Steel and Castle about Wheeler's revelation of the Callaghan's money being tied up in trusts and that Dan Callaghan does not have access to his wife's money. There are no large withdrawals from Dan Callaghan's personal accounts but he was in Oxford Street the day the phone was bought. They really have no evidence against Dan Callaghan. Everything is circumstantial.
Alesha visits Judge Callaghan and her daughter Lindsay (Georginia Rich) in hospital to ask about the alibi she had given her husband. She maintains her husband was with her every minute and had absolutely no time to make a call to order her murder. When Alesha tells the judge about her husband lying about knowing Wade and about who wanted the mirror taken into their home the judge chastises her and says she will give evidence on his behalf if they prosecute him.
Lindsay Callaghan catches up to Alesha as she is leaving to ask why they have to make things harder on her mother. Alesha questions if the judge was as curt with her father as she was with her (Lindsay). Lindsay tells Alesha the judge intends to sue the hospital for causing her renal failure and that they are wrong about her father. Her mother's insurance and estate go to Lindsay's children.
The financial motive has disappeared but an eyewitness has come out. A woman who lives on the same lane where the Callaghan's cottage is located insists she saw Dan Callaghan in the garden just five minutes after the call was made to Eddie Wade. The same woman had thrown a party the night before and Dan Callaghan was drunk and introducing himself as Mr. Rachel Callaghan which led to the couple arguing.
Steel and Phillips speak with Dave Jordan (Paul Ridley), Dan Callaghan's former architectural partner. Jordan had let Callaghan go as he was a liability. Rachel Callaghan never knew Dan was let go and Dave Jordan covered for him when she showed up at the offices wanting to speak with her husband. The couple had put a deposit on some land in the Lake District where Dan could build their dream home but Rachel's promotion put a damper on those plans. Dan was able to get £20,000 of the £25,000 deposit on the Lake District land back in cash. Steel receives a call that the call to Eddie Wade was placed from within 500 metres of the Callaghan's cottage.
When Judge Callaghan is presented with the new information about the location of the call she says that someone was obviously following them and, when they saw them loading up their car to return home, made the call ordering her murder. Her husband still couldn't have been involved. She finally admits that Dan went into the garden but she could still see him through the window the entire time he was there. When the judge says she knows her husband better than anyone, Steel drops the bombshell in her lap that Dan had lost his job surprising both Rachel and Lindsay Callaghan.
Steel and Phillips arrive in Castle's office to tell him they know Rachel Callaghan is lying. He informs them Rachel has asked her doctors to withdraw her medication because she wants to die.
In court, Steel makes the request to examine Rachel Callaghan on video because of questions of truthfulness in the original statement she had made. Wheeler argues against this but tells the judge Rachel is prepared to give evidence one last time on what happened the day in question. The judge allows Steel to proceed despite continued protests from Wheeler. She warns if Steel pushes Rachel Callaghan one step too far, she will stop proceedings. Later, even Castle warns Steel of the dangers of questioning Rachel. Steel promises he will be careful in his questioning of the judge.
Rachel still insists Dan never left her sight on the day in question and still maintains someone must have been watching them. Steel delicately pushes her harder but she holds with her story. He tells her about Dan taking the £20,000 deposit for their property back in cash and that it was the exact amount of money Eddie Wade was promised if he killed her. Wheeler wants to stop proceedings and the judge questions Rachel if she is alright. After Rachel admits she is, the judge orders Steel to step lightly and questioning continues. Steel reminds Rachel of her loyalty and oath to the law. She admits to Steel she would act the same way he is if she were faced with a similar situation in court. He begs her one last time to tell the truth. Again, she provides an alibi for her husband.
In the hall, Lindsay Callaghan asks if her mother stuck to her story. Lindsay tells Steel and Phillips that the judge knows Dan Callaghan ordered her murder. As they are talking, the nurses station receives warning that the judge is going into renal failure as she has disconnected her dialysis machine.
In court, Steel challenges Rachel Callaghan's mental capacity in light of her suicide attempt. Wheeler objects but Judge Hall grants Steel permission for his psychiatrist to examine Rachel. Judge Hall later speaks with Castle about her worries for Rachel Callaghan and that Dr. Armitage has recommended she be put on suicide watch. In court, Judge Hall declares Rachel not competent to give evidence in Dan Callaghan's case.
George Castle pays a visit to Rachel in hospital. The two talk about old memories and better times. Wheeler and Dan Callaghan come to see Steel and Phillips to tell them they intend to appeal Judge Hall's decision. Castle tells Rachel she could come to terms with her condition in time. She can't see what she has to live for. He speaks plainly and clearly to her about how she should be thinking, what she has to live for and about her lying for Dan. Dan describes the relationship between he and Rachel and starts talking about the day in question. Rachel tells Castle the truth about what happened the day she was shot. Dan confesses to making the call to Steel and Phillips. Castle insists that now she has told the truth, Rachel needn't die. She still wants to terminate her treatment.
Castle receives a call that the court decided to revoke its decision and Rachel's treatment was terminated. She wants her husband with her as she is dying. Castle and two PC's take Dan to Rachel's hospital room where they are able to embrace before she dies.
Law & Order: UK airs on Thursday nights at 10:00 p.m. on CityTV in Canada. Season Four is currently not airing in the UK and will air at a later date.
For more information:
Law & Order: UK ITV1 Official Site: http://www.itv.com/drama/copsandcrime/lawandorder/
Internet Movie Database: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1166893/
TV Rage: http://www.tvrage.com/shows/id-18198
Thursday, January 20, 2011
US Television, White Collar, Season 2, Episodes 1-9
Season Two, Episode One: Withdrawal
Original Air Date: July 13, 2010
Peter and Neal are dealing with the aftermath of the explosion that killed Kate. Fowler has disappeared, Neal is back in prison and Peter is trying to get him out again. Two months later, Neal has made his choice and is back working with Peter and the White Collar Investigation Unit. The team is working on conducting tests of banking security. There is the danger that one of the banks the team is working with will be hit by "The Architect" within a week. Neal is still feeling the effects of what happened with Kate and Peter and Mozzie are both working to keep him focused on The Architect's case. Neal Caffrey may have very well met his match in their prime suspect, Edward Walker.
Season Two, Episode Two: Need to Know
Original Air Date: July 20, 2010
Peter and Diane go to a secret meeting with Fowler who is a no-show but an unidentifiable mystery man flees the location. Peter and Neal have a new case on their hands to investigate a potentially corrupt politician. With the help of his assistant, they have to get Neal into the state senators inner circle so he can work the case from the inside. Peter goes in with his FBI identification and plays "bad cop" so Neal can get inside as the "good consultant". Getting their man might put one of their own in jeopardy.
Season Two, Episode Three: Copycat Caffrey
Original Air Date: July 27, 2010
The theft of a valuable piece of artwork from a major gallery and while the rest of the team use the regular methods, Neal goes to Mozzie. Alex returns with news of the missing painting. At the same time, every other member of the team finds the same painting in different locations. The thieves are copycatting one of Neal's former scams. Observation of the forgeries leads them to a university art student who leads them to another student. Alex is in trouble and needs Neal and Mozzie to help her out. Peter and Diana make a discovery about the music box and Alex gives Neal the cherub she had been holding onto from the box.
Season Two, Episode Four: By the Book
Original Air Date: August 3, 2010
The White Collar team is working on an identity theft ring. The prize for solving the case is Peter's Quantico pen. Neal links the victims to the same dermatologist. He wants that pen! A waitress friend of Mozzie's is in trouble and he goes to Neal for help. Peter and the rest of the team find out about and start working on the waitress' case and they learn how much danger Neal and Mozzie are in and the identity theft case takes the back burner. Peter takes Neal and Mozzie back to the office for them to brief him on Gina's (the waitress) case. When Peter sidelines Neal and Mozzie, they do their own investigation.
Season Two, Episode Five: Unfinished Business
Original Air Date: August 10, 2010
One-hundred million dollars of Japanese barabonds have been stolen and Peter and Neal meet with Sara Ellis, an insurance investigator who was once a witness against Neal at trial about the theft. The prime suspect is a wealthy real estate developer Edgar Halbridge. To snare Halbridge, Neal goes undercover as "Mr. Black". Things change when he learns that "Mr. Black's" job is to kill Sara Ellis. She goes along with the plan thinking it best Halbridge believes she's dead. They are surprised to find that Edgar Halbridge is, in fact, dead and the man they know as Halbridge is a smart impostor. Mozzie and Neal try to get a copy of the cockpit recorder from Kate's plane.
Season Two, Episode Six: In the Red
Original Air Date: August 17, 2010
The team take down a suspect in a jewel case, Catherine McMillan, only to be surprised to find she has her young son in the car with her at the time of the arrest. After the bust, McMillan tells Peter and Neal about an international adoption extortion scheme. The investigation leads them to suspects in the Chechen mob. They enter the world of high-stakes gambling to get the evidence they need to get the extortion suspect. Mozzie gets the copy of the cockpit recorder for Neal. Sara Ellis returns wanting the truth from Neal about the theft of the FAA package. When Sara has Neal arrested for stealing the recording, it could ruin the entire White Collar case.
Season Two, Episode Seven: Prisoner's Dilemma
Original Air Date: August 24, 2010
Peter and Elizabeth's personal life is suffering because of their busy careers so Peter promises they'll have a date night that night. The U.S. Marshals seek the help of Peter and his team to find an FBI agent, Jack Franklin, they believe is compromising witness information. The trail leads to a gorgeous former C.I. of the agent they're hunting. Franklin contacts Peter at home to give him his side of the story and how he believes the U.S. Marshal hunting him is the one who is truly guilty. Neal gets a surprising
Season Two, Episode Eight: Company Man
Original Air Date: August 31, 2010
The White Collar team is investigating a murder linked to corporate espionage. Their prime suspect is Wesley Kent, the Novis CEO. Peter goes undercover as an accountant to find the evidence they need. To help get close to the junior executives, Neal goes in as a new marketing employee. The investigation turns deadly when the vengeance of the murdered executives girlfriend puts Peter's life in jeopardy. Peter informs Neal that they will be working on investigating Kate's death together and that he wants Diana working with Mozzie despite the fact they mix like oil and water. Mozzie learns that Peter knows Diana has the music box and Neal confronts Peter about it.
Season Two, Episode Nine: Point Blank
Original Air Date: September 7, 2010
The cherub Alex gave Neal opens a secret compartment in the music box which reveals a second comb that Mozzie records to try to break. Neal and Mozzie realize Alex had both the key and the box at the same time before giving the box to Neal. They forge a silver theft case file to raise interest with Peter to start an investigation. The plan works perfectly and Peter gets the team onto the case. Alex steals the music box and gives it to the Russian History Museum. Peter and Diana's investigation into Fowler gives them a big piece of information that Peter shares with Neal. Peter knows it is critical he get to Fowler before Neal or it could be disastrous. Once more truths are revealed, even more questions and mysteries arise.
Original Air Date: July 13, 2010
Peter and Neal are dealing with the aftermath of the explosion that killed Kate. Fowler has disappeared, Neal is back in prison and Peter is trying to get him out again. Two months later, Neal has made his choice and is back working with Peter and the White Collar Investigation Unit. The team is working on conducting tests of banking security. There is the danger that one of the banks the team is working with will be hit by "The Architect" within a week. Neal is still feeling the effects of what happened with Kate and Peter and Mozzie are both working to keep him focused on The Architect's case. Neal Caffrey may have very well met his match in their prime suspect, Edward Walker.
Season Two, Episode Two: Need to Know
Original Air Date: July 20, 2010
Peter and Diane go to a secret meeting with Fowler who is a no-show but an unidentifiable mystery man flees the location. Peter and Neal have a new case on their hands to investigate a potentially corrupt politician. With the help of his assistant, they have to get Neal into the state senators inner circle so he can work the case from the inside. Peter goes in with his FBI identification and plays "bad cop" so Neal can get inside as the "good consultant". Getting their man might put one of their own in jeopardy.
Season Two, Episode Three: Copycat Caffrey
Original Air Date: July 27, 2010
The theft of a valuable piece of artwork from a major gallery and while the rest of the team use the regular methods, Neal goes to Mozzie. Alex returns with news of the missing painting. At the same time, every other member of the team finds the same painting in different locations. The thieves are copycatting one of Neal's former scams. Observation of the forgeries leads them to a university art student who leads them to another student. Alex is in trouble and needs Neal and Mozzie to help her out. Peter and Diana make a discovery about the music box and Alex gives Neal the cherub she had been holding onto from the box.
Season Two, Episode Four: By the Book
Original Air Date: August 3, 2010
The White Collar team is working on an identity theft ring. The prize for solving the case is Peter's Quantico pen. Neal links the victims to the same dermatologist. He wants that pen! A waitress friend of Mozzie's is in trouble and he goes to Neal for help. Peter and the rest of the team find out about and start working on the waitress' case and they learn how much danger Neal and Mozzie are in and the identity theft case takes the back burner. Peter takes Neal and Mozzie back to the office for them to brief him on Gina's (the waitress) case. When Peter sidelines Neal and Mozzie, they do their own investigation.
Season Two, Episode Five: Unfinished Business
Original Air Date: August 10, 2010
One-hundred million dollars of Japanese barabonds have been stolen and Peter and Neal meet with Sara Ellis, an insurance investigator who was once a witness against Neal at trial about the theft. The prime suspect is a wealthy real estate developer Edgar Halbridge. To snare Halbridge, Neal goes undercover as "Mr. Black". Things change when he learns that "Mr. Black's" job is to kill Sara Ellis. She goes along with the plan thinking it best Halbridge believes she's dead. They are surprised to find that Edgar Halbridge is, in fact, dead and the man they know as Halbridge is a smart impostor. Mozzie and Neal try to get a copy of the cockpit recorder from Kate's plane.
Season Two, Episode Six: In the Red
Original Air Date: August 17, 2010
The team take down a suspect in a jewel case, Catherine McMillan, only to be surprised to find she has her young son in the car with her at the time of the arrest. After the bust, McMillan tells Peter and Neal about an international adoption extortion scheme. The investigation leads them to suspects in the Chechen mob. They enter the world of high-stakes gambling to get the evidence they need to get the extortion suspect. Mozzie gets the copy of the cockpit recorder for Neal. Sara Ellis returns wanting the truth from Neal about the theft of the FAA package. When Sara has Neal arrested for stealing the recording, it could ruin the entire White Collar case.
Season Two, Episode Seven: Prisoner's Dilemma
Original Air Date: August 24, 2010
Peter and Elizabeth's personal life is suffering because of their busy careers so Peter promises they'll have a date night that night. The U.S. Marshals seek the help of Peter and his team to find an FBI agent, Jack Franklin, they believe is compromising witness information. The trail leads to a gorgeous former C.I. of the agent they're hunting. Franklin contacts Peter at home to give him his side of the story and how he believes the U.S. Marshal hunting him is the one who is truly guilty. Neal gets a surprising
Season Two, Episode Eight: Company Man
Original Air Date: August 31, 2010
The White Collar team is investigating a murder linked to corporate espionage. Their prime suspect is Wesley Kent, the Novis CEO. Peter goes undercover as an accountant to find the evidence they need. To help get close to the junior executives, Neal goes in as a new marketing employee. The investigation turns deadly when the vengeance of the murdered executives girlfriend puts Peter's life in jeopardy. Peter informs Neal that they will be working on investigating Kate's death together and that he wants Diana working with Mozzie despite the fact they mix like oil and water. Mozzie learns that Peter knows Diana has the music box and Neal confronts Peter about it.
Season Two, Episode Nine: Point Blank
Original Air Date: September 7, 2010
The cherub Alex gave Neal opens a secret compartment in the music box which reveals a second comb that Mozzie records to try to break. Neal and Mozzie realize Alex had both the key and the box at the same time before giving the box to Neal. They forge a silver theft case file to raise interest with Peter to start an investigation. The plan works perfectly and Peter gets the team onto the case. Alex steals the music box and gives it to the Russian History Museum. Peter and Diana's investigation into Fowler gives them a big piece of information that Peter shares with Neal. Peter knows it is critical he get to Fowler before Neal or it could be disastrous. Once more truths are revealed, even more questions and mysteries arise.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
US Television, White Collar, Season 1
Season One, Episode One: Pilot
Original Air Date: October 23, 2009
After a final visit from his girlfriend a month prior, genius forger Neal Caffrey escapes from the maximum security prison where he's housed with just three months left on his four-year sentence. The FBI agent who had originally arrested him, Peter Burke, is called in to find Neal a second time, which he does. Neal makes a deal with Burke that he will help him find the criminal he's current chasing: . The arrangements of the deal is that Neal must wear an ankle monitor and if his assistance doesn't lead to the capture of "" he will go back to prison.
Season One, Episode Two: Threads
Original Air Date: October 30, 2009
During Fashion Week, Peter and Neal are going after an Israeli counterfeiter known as "The Ghost". Neal proposes to throw a party so their sole witness can identify The Ghost's voice. Peter and his boss reluctantly go along with the plan and it almost succeeds but The Ghost figures out they are onto him and leads them to someone else. Everything changes when The Ghost abducts their beautiful witness and threatens to kill her if what he wants, and Peter Burke is holding, isn't returned to him. Neal and Mozzie decipher the code Kate left for Neal the last time she saw him in prison.
Season One, Episode Three: Book of Hours
Original Air Date: November 6, 2009
When a priceless Bible known as the "healing Bible" is stolen from a church the FBI is contacted by a local crime boss to help recover the book. The investigation takes Caffrey and Burke to a number of suspects including a homeless man, a beautiful historian and even the nephew of the crime boss himself.
Season One, Episode Four: Flip of the Coin
Original Air Date: November 13, 2009
Peter Burke's wife Elizabeth turns up at his office with her best friend who's soldier husband, Jonathan Mitchell, has been accused of stealing antiquities in Iraq. The evidence leads Burke to believe Mitchell actually might be innocent of the crime. The trail takes them to a rogue government agent and a news reporter who interviewed Mitchell. Burke finally gets to meet Mozzie.
Season One, Episode Five: The Portrait
Original Air Date: November 20, 2009
Peter and Neal investigate a residential burglary where a valuable painting was stolen. Neal goes undercover to try to "buy" the painting but the deal goes wrong and the thief, Dorsett, disappears with both the painting and the money. After Neal steals the painting back, Dorsett calls him wanting it back. Neal has two days to devise a plan. He creates a brilliant forgery of the painting so he can return the original to its rightful owner. Neal, who has been tracking his girlfriend Kate finally gets to talk to her only to learn she wants to know where he hid everything and that is the only way the man with the ring will allow her to return home.
Season One, Episode Six: All In
Original Air Date: November 27, 2009
When an undercover FBI agent turns up missing, Neal has to go undercover using one of his former aliases so he can ingratiate himself to the dangerous criminal mastermind, Lao, the agent was investigating. Things get complicated when Neal learns Interpol is involved and he is offered Kate in exchange for allowing Lao to walk so they (Interpol) can get his boss they feel is a "bigger fish". Will Neal choose Interpol and the possible promise of Kate or his loyalty to Peter Burke?
Season One, Episode Seven: Free Fall
Original Air Date: December 4, 2009
The most exquisite pink diamond in the world is stolen and a brilliant fake is left in its place. Garrett Fowler arrives and suggests that Neal is responsible for the theft of the diamond. Knowing that the man who has Kate is in the Bureau, Neal and Mozzie look into the agents Neal works with everyday as well as Fowler. When Neal is arrested for the theft, Mozzie takes on the role of his lawyer and the two orchestrate Neal's escape so he can get to the truth. He goes to the one person he can trust to help him: Peter Burke.
Season One, Episode Eight: Hard Sell
Original Air Date: January 19, 2010
Neal goes undercover to infiltrate a group of stockbrokers running a stock scam. After Neal's escape, Peter warns him they need a win on this case or Neal will be going back to maximum security prison. To further trap the group, Peter goes undercover as a CEO to exploit the brokers. Neal suspects Peter might be the man with the ring thanks to Fowler and sees the ring on Peter's hand in a photograph of he and his wife that is hanging in Peter's house. He later learns the ring is common amongst Bureau agents. Peter tells Neal he talked to Kate and what Kate is wanting: a music box (which Neal doesn't have).
Season One, Episode Nine: Bad Judgment
Original Air Date: January 26, 2010
David Sullivan comes to Peter begging him to investigate what he feels is a case of mortgage fraud. Peter agrees to look into the case but makes no promises. The case takes them to a corrupt judge and into an investigation that could cause Peter his career. Elizabeth asks Neal and Mozzie to go to extraordinary lengths to save Peter. Peter discovers a bug in his home leading he and Neal to further suspect Fowler. Fowler returns to the White Collar Crime Unit to work out of the unit for a time.
Season One, Episode Ten: Vital Signs
Original Air Date: February 2, 2010
June's granddaughter, Samantha, needs a kidney transplant and was removed from the donor list. June was approached by a woman who said she could find a kidney for a large "donation". Peter and Neal investigate the organization and Peter must go undercover with his "magic hands".
Season One, Episode Eleven: Home Invasion
Original Air Date: February 9, 2010
Neal meets with an old friend, Alexandra Hunter, about the music box. A stock trader the FBI has had under surveillance is murdered under their eyes and their prime suspect gets away. They must recover a priceless set of Japanese elephants before the case can become an international incident. Neal and Peter become roommates while Peter's house is being re-wired.
Season One, Episode Twelve: Bottlenecked
Original Air Date: February 23, 2010
Neal receives another mystery chess move and it move reveals his opponents identity. Neal goes into work early to look over a heist at the Museum of Natural History which he and Peter later go to investigate and end up witnessing the hit and run death of the heist suspect: Manuel Campos. Neal suspects Matthew Keller, his mystery chess and professional opponent, of the museum heist in order to counterfeit a rare, and impossible to fake, bottle of wine that once belonged to Benjamin Franklin. After Keller issues a challenge to Neal as to which one will be the first to fake the Franklin bottle, the race is on to find a way to nail Keller not only for forgery but for Campos' murder.
Season One, Episode Thirteen: Front Man
Original Air Date: March 2, 2010
Alex responds to Neal's request to see her about the music box, which he is still searching for and makes her an offer in exchange for her help in obtaining it. Kimberly Rice, an agent from Kidnapping & Missing Persons, arrives in White Collar wanting the help of Neal and Peter on a ransom case. Neal has a history with the prime suspect--and not a positive history at that. Peter is worried about Neal working with Agent Rice and drops in to check up on him and the two end up doing a little investigating of their own on Rice's case. Things take a turn for the worse when the kidnapping suspect takes Neal out from under Rice's nose to use as a front man for the operation he's currently working on. Peter must work fast to save both the kidnapping victim and Neal. Neal finally learns the location of the music box thanks to a meeting with Alex.
Season One, Episode Fourteen: Out of the Box
Original Air Date: March 9, 2010
Alex reveals the music box is in the Italian consulate and Neal calls Fowler to make arrangements for getting the box. Peter, knowing something is up with Neal, follows Caffrey to his meeting with Fowler. Fowler gets Neal's tracking device deactivated and raids Elizabeth's office to occupy Peter to keep him from Neal. Fowler takes Peter's gun and badge when Peter becomes enraged and hits Fowler at Elizabeth's office. Peter calls an old friend from the Bureau he can trust to look into Fowler: Diana. The plan to steal the music box goes full steam ahead. Neal gets the box but Alex double crosses him and takes it and later returns it to him. Neal turns the box over to Fowler. Peter and Diana's investigation brings the Mentor Project to light. There is heartbreak for Neal when he's finally free to be with Kate.
Original Air Date: October 23, 2009
After a final visit from his girlfriend a month prior, genius forger Neal Caffrey escapes from the maximum security prison where he's housed with just three months left on his four-year sentence. The FBI agent who had originally arrested him, Peter Burke, is called in to find Neal a second time, which he does. Neal makes a deal with Burke that he will help him find the criminal he's current chasing: . The arrangements of the deal is that Neal must wear an ankle monitor and if his assistance doesn't lead to the capture of "" he will go back to prison.
Season One, Episode Two: Threads
Original Air Date: October 30, 2009
During Fashion Week, Peter and Neal are going after an Israeli counterfeiter known as "The Ghost". Neal proposes to throw a party so their sole witness can identify The Ghost's voice. Peter and his boss reluctantly go along with the plan and it almost succeeds but The Ghost figures out they are onto him and leads them to someone else. Everything changes when The Ghost abducts their beautiful witness and threatens to kill her if what he wants, and Peter Burke is holding, isn't returned to him. Neal and Mozzie decipher the code Kate left for Neal the last time she saw him in prison.
Season One, Episode Three: Book of Hours
Original Air Date: November 6, 2009
When a priceless Bible known as the "healing Bible" is stolen from a church the FBI is contacted by a local crime boss to help recover the book. The investigation takes Caffrey and Burke to a number of suspects including a homeless man, a beautiful historian and even the nephew of the crime boss himself.
Season One, Episode Four: Flip of the Coin
Original Air Date: November 13, 2009
Peter Burke's wife Elizabeth turns up at his office with her best friend who's soldier husband, Jonathan Mitchell, has been accused of stealing antiquities in Iraq. The evidence leads Burke to believe Mitchell actually might be innocent of the crime. The trail takes them to a rogue government agent and a news reporter who interviewed Mitchell. Burke finally gets to meet Mozzie.
Season One, Episode Five: The Portrait
Original Air Date: November 20, 2009
Peter and Neal investigate a residential burglary where a valuable painting was stolen. Neal goes undercover to try to "buy" the painting but the deal goes wrong and the thief, Dorsett, disappears with both the painting and the money. After Neal steals the painting back, Dorsett calls him wanting it back. Neal has two days to devise a plan. He creates a brilliant forgery of the painting so he can return the original to its rightful owner. Neal, who has been tracking his girlfriend Kate finally gets to talk to her only to learn she wants to know where he hid everything and that is the only way the man with the ring will allow her to return home.
Season One, Episode Six: All In
Original Air Date: November 27, 2009
When an undercover FBI agent turns up missing, Neal has to go undercover using one of his former aliases so he can ingratiate himself to the dangerous criminal mastermind, Lao, the agent was investigating. Things get complicated when Neal learns Interpol is involved and he is offered Kate in exchange for allowing Lao to walk so they (Interpol) can get his boss they feel is a "bigger fish". Will Neal choose Interpol and the possible promise of Kate or his loyalty to Peter Burke?
Season One, Episode Seven: Free Fall
Original Air Date: December 4, 2009
The most exquisite pink diamond in the world is stolen and a brilliant fake is left in its place. Garrett Fowler arrives and suggests that Neal is responsible for the theft of the diamond. Knowing that the man who has Kate is in the Bureau, Neal and Mozzie look into the agents Neal works with everyday as well as Fowler. When Neal is arrested for the theft, Mozzie takes on the role of his lawyer and the two orchestrate Neal's escape so he can get to the truth. He goes to the one person he can trust to help him: Peter Burke.
Season One, Episode Eight: Hard Sell
Original Air Date: January 19, 2010
Neal goes undercover to infiltrate a group of stockbrokers running a stock scam. After Neal's escape, Peter warns him they need a win on this case or Neal will be going back to maximum security prison. To further trap the group, Peter goes undercover as a CEO to exploit the brokers. Neal suspects Peter might be the man with the ring thanks to Fowler and sees the ring on Peter's hand in a photograph of he and his wife that is hanging in Peter's house. He later learns the ring is common amongst Bureau agents. Peter tells Neal he talked to Kate and what Kate is wanting: a music box (which Neal doesn't have).
Season One, Episode Nine: Bad Judgment
Original Air Date: January 26, 2010
David Sullivan comes to Peter begging him to investigate what he feels is a case of mortgage fraud. Peter agrees to look into the case but makes no promises. The case takes them to a corrupt judge and into an investigation that could cause Peter his career. Elizabeth asks Neal and Mozzie to go to extraordinary lengths to save Peter. Peter discovers a bug in his home leading he and Neal to further suspect Fowler. Fowler returns to the White Collar Crime Unit to work out of the unit for a time.
Season One, Episode Ten: Vital Signs
Original Air Date: February 2, 2010
June's granddaughter, Samantha, needs a kidney transplant and was removed from the donor list. June was approached by a woman who said she could find a kidney for a large "donation". Peter and Neal investigate the organization and Peter must go undercover with his "magic hands".
Season One, Episode Eleven: Home Invasion
Original Air Date: February 9, 2010
Neal meets with an old friend, Alexandra Hunter, about the music box. A stock trader the FBI has had under surveillance is murdered under their eyes and their prime suspect gets away. They must recover a priceless set of Japanese elephants before the case can become an international incident. Neal and Peter become roommates while Peter's house is being re-wired.
Season One, Episode Twelve: Bottlenecked
Original Air Date: February 23, 2010
Neal receives another mystery chess move and it move reveals his opponents identity. Neal goes into work early to look over a heist at the Museum of Natural History which he and Peter later go to investigate and end up witnessing the hit and run death of the heist suspect: Manuel Campos. Neal suspects Matthew Keller, his mystery chess and professional opponent, of the museum heist in order to counterfeit a rare, and impossible to fake, bottle of wine that once belonged to Benjamin Franklin. After Keller issues a challenge to Neal as to which one will be the first to fake the Franklin bottle, the race is on to find a way to nail Keller not only for forgery but for Campos' murder.
Season One, Episode Thirteen: Front Man
Original Air Date: March 2, 2010
Alex responds to Neal's request to see her about the music box, which he is still searching for and makes her an offer in exchange for her help in obtaining it. Kimberly Rice, an agent from Kidnapping & Missing Persons, arrives in White Collar wanting the help of Neal and Peter on a ransom case. Neal has a history with the prime suspect--and not a positive history at that. Peter is worried about Neal working with Agent Rice and drops in to check up on him and the two end up doing a little investigating of their own on Rice's case. Things take a turn for the worse when the kidnapping suspect takes Neal out from under Rice's nose to use as a front man for the operation he's currently working on. Peter must work fast to save both the kidnapping victim and Neal. Neal finally learns the location of the music box thanks to a meeting with Alex.
Season One, Episode Fourteen: Out of the Box
Original Air Date: March 9, 2010
Alex reveals the music box is in the Italian consulate and Neal calls Fowler to make arrangements for getting the box. Peter, knowing something is up with Neal, follows Caffrey to his meeting with Fowler. Fowler gets Neal's tracking device deactivated and raids Elizabeth's office to occupy Peter to keep him from Neal. Fowler takes Peter's gun and badge when Peter becomes enraged and hits Fowler at Elizabeth's office. Peter calls an old friend from the Bureau he can trust to look into Fowler: Diana. The plan to steal the music box goes full steam ahead. Neal gets the box but Alex double crosses him and takes it and later returns it to him. Neal turns the box over to Fowler. Peter and Diana's investigation brings the Mentor Project to light. There is heartbreak for Neal when he's finally free to be with Kate.
US Television, White Collar, Introduction
What happens when one of the smartest and smoothest con men teams up with one of the smartest and toughest FBI agents? That's the question White Collar answers every week.
White Collar is an hour-long drama airing on the USA Network. The popular series is in its sophomore season and stars Matthew Bomer as former con man Neal Caffrey and Tim DeKay as FBI Special Agent Peter Burke. Peter Burke was the only FBI agent that could ever find and bring Neal Caffrey to justice. When Kate, the love of Neal's life, says goodbye to him in prison, Neal escapes to find her and find out what's wrong. Peter catches Neal for the second time and returns him to prison. Neal presents Peter with a deal: get me out of prison and I'll help you with your cases. Peter secures Neal's release and the two become the best white collar crime fighting team the Bureau has. Neal, now sporting an ankle tracking device, lends his considerable criminal know-how to Peter and his team while, when he's off the clock, he and his friend Mozzie try to unravel the ever-increasing mystery surrounding Kate.
Neal Caffrey (Matthew Bomer) is a charming, highly intelligent and sophisticated con man and forgery artist. There isn't a statue, painting or manuscript he cannot re-create and not a single con he cannot successfully run. He's almost a big kid at times and possesses a good sense of humor and zest for the finer things in life. He's hardly ever seen without his "classic Rat Pack" look: a fine suit and trademark fedora. Underneath Neal's perfect con man ability to lie, forge and swindle is a man with a good heart. He often does what he feels is right regardless of what anyone else thinks. He loves Kate more than life itself and is tired of running. He wants to have a life of his own for a change. Neal can count those he can truly trust and call 'friend' on one hand and still have a finger or two left over.
FBI Special Agent Peter Burke (Tim DeKay) is smart, tough and FBI agent through and through. He works in the White Collar Crime Division of the Bureau and has an excellent record for closing cases. He's also the only law enforcement agent, from any branch of the services, who can claim the title of having been able to find and capture the elusive Neal Caffrey. Peter is loyal to the job and follows the law but isn't beyond allowing Neal a little leeway here and there to bring down the most dangerous of white collar criminals. Peter is a loving husband to his beautiful wife, Elizabeth (Tiffani Thiessen) and perhaps one of the best and most trusted friends Neal Caffrey could ever have.
Mozzie (Willie Garson) is quite the character! A long-time friend to Neal, Mozzie has a way of finding out just about anything anyone could ever want to know. Much like Neal, he's adept at forgeries and running the perfect con. Mozzie is ever-paranoid and a raging conspiracy theorist. He's distrustful of Peter at first but warms to him a bit over the course of the series, although, it's highly unlikely he'll ever fully trust Peter regardless of what happens as Peter is, and always will be "the suit".
Last, and most certainly not least, the other characters rounding out White Collar are FBI Agent Clinton Jones (Sharif Atkins), FBI Agent Diana Barrigan (Marsha Thomason), Lauren Cruz (Natalie Morales, season one only) and June (Diahann Carroll).
The characters in White Collar are all brilliantly developed and portrayed by the perfect actors. Neal and Peter have a relationship that goes beyond two individuals who just work together. They are friends and the two men trust and respect one another. When one is in trouble, he automatically knows he can trust the other. Mozzie is thoroughly charming and brings a wonderful bit of humor to the show. It's impossible not to love the character. Elizabeth Burke is a loving and understanding wife. She's Peter's rock and even becomes someone both Neal and Mozzie feel comfortable with. Thus far, she hasn't been as prominent in season two, which is a shame. June, Neal's wealthy landlord, is the widow of a con man. She feels a certain camaraderie with Neal and Mozzie and enjoys having Caffrey around the house.
The storylines of White Collar are smart. There's a nice balance of humor, drama and straightforward crime show. No one element overshadows another. The chemistry between the actors is perfect further drawing the viewer into the world of Peter Burke and Neal Caffrey.
If you love a well-written mystery with sharp and engaging characters and a setting and environment that is just as much a character as the main players then White Collar is a show you shouldn't miss!
White Collar airs Tuesdays at 10:00 p.m. (US Eastern time) on the USA Network.
For More Information:
Official Site: http://www.usanetwork.com/series/whitecollar/
The Internet Movie Database: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1358522/
TV Rage: http://www.tvrage.com/White_Collar
White Collar is an hour-long drama airing on the USA Network. The popular series is in its sophomore season and stars Matthew Bomer as former con man Neal Caffrey and Tim DeKay as FBI Special Agent Peter Burke. Peter Burke was the only FBI agent that could ever find and bring Neal Caffrey to justice. When Kate, the love of Neal's life, says goodbye to him in prison, Neal escapes to find her and find out what's wrong. Peter catches Neal for the second time and returns him to prison. Neal presents Peter with a deal: get me out of prison and I'll help you with your cases. Peter secures Neal's release and the two become the best white collar crime fighting team the Bureau has. Neal, now sporting an ankle tracking device, lends his considerable criminal know-how to Peter and his team while, when he's off the clock, he and his friend Mozzie try to unravel the ever-increasing mystery surrounding Kate.
Neal Caffrey (Matthew Bomer) is a charming, highly intelligent and sophisticated con man and forgery artist. There isn't a statue, painting or manuscript he cannot re-create and not a single con he cannot successfully run. He's almost a big kid at times and possesses a good sense of humor and zest for the finer things in life. He's hardly ever seen without his "classic Rat Pack" look: a fine suit and trademark fedora. Underneath Neal's perfect con man ability to lie, forge and swindle is a man with a good heart. He often does what he feels is right regardless of what anyone else thinks. He loves Kate more than life itself and is tired of running. He wants to have a life of his own for a change. Neal can count those he can truly trust and call 'friend' on one hand and still have a finger or two left over.
FBI Special Agent Peter Burke (Tim DeKay) is smart, tough and FBI agent through and through. He works in the White Collar Crime Division of the Bureau and has an excellent record for closing cases. He's also the only law enforcement agent, from any branch of the services, who can claim the title of having been able to find and capture the elusive Neal Caffrey. Peter is loyal to the job and follows the law but isn't beyond allowing Neal a little leeway here and there to bring down the most dangerous of white collar criminals. Peter is a loving husband to his beautiful wife, Elizabeth (Tiffani Thiessen) and perhaps one of the best and most trusted friends Neal Caffrey could ever have.
Mozzie (Willie Garson) is quite the character! A long-time friend to Neal, Mozzie has a way of finding out just about anything anyone could ever want to know. Much like Neal, he's adept at forgeries and running the perfect con. Mozzie is ever-paranoid and a raging conspiracy theorist. He's distrustful of Peter at first but warms to him a bit over the course of the series, although, it's highly unlikely he'll ever fully trust Peter regardless of what happens as Peter is, and always will be "the suit".
Last, and most certainly not least, the other characters rounding out White Collar are FBI Agent Clinton Jones (Sharif Atkins), FBI Agent Diana Barrigan (Marsha Thomason), Lauren Cruz (Natalie Morales, season one only) and June (Diahann Carroll).
The characters in White Collar are all brilliantly developed and portrayed by the perfect actors. Neal and Peter have a relationship that goes beyond two individuals who just work together. They are friends and the two men trust and respect one another. When one is in trouble, he automatically knows he can trust the other. Mozzie is thoroughly charming and brings a wonderful bit of humor to the show. It's impossible not to love the character. Elizabeth Burke is a loving and understanding wife. She's Peter's rock and even becomes someone both Neal and Mozzie feel comfortable with. Thus far, she hasn't been as prominent in season two, which is a shame. June, Neal's wealthy landlord, is the widow of a con man. She feels a certain camaraderie with Neal and Mozzie and enjoys having Caffrey around the house.
The storylines of White Collar are smart. There's a nice balance of humor, drama and straightforward crime show. No one element overshadows another. The chemistry between the actors is perfect further drawing the viewer into the world of Peter Burke and Neal Caffrey.
If you love a well-written mystery with sharp and engaging characters and a setting and environment that is just as much a character as the main players then White Collar is a show you shouldn't miss!
White Collar airs Tuesdays at 10:00 p.m. (US Eastern time) on the USA Network.
For More Information:
Official Site: http://www.usanetwork.com/series/whitecollar/
The Internet Movie Database: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1358522/
TV Rage: http://www.tvrage.com/White_Collar
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
US Television, White Collar, Episode 2.10 "Burke's Seven"
White Collar
Season Two, Episode Ten, Burke's Seven
Original Air Date: January 18, 2011
Peter Burke and Neal Caffrey begin work on their investigation into finding out who shot Mozzie and bringing that person to justice. However, their investigation is interrupted when a Department of Justice agent arrives and removes Peter from his job after a single print belonging to Peter is found inside the gun that was used to shoot Mozzie. Peter and Neal must organize a con to bring Mozzie's shooter to justice and restore Peter's good name.
Mozzie is rushed to the hospital where Neal stands vigil over his friend who is in a medically induced coma. Peter convinces Neal to leave and get to working on the case so they can get the guy who shot Mozzie.
Neal and Peter start burning all of Julian Larson's (Paul Blackthorne) aliases so he will have to have more created and, hopefully, leave a trail for them to follow right up to him. They agree to let Julian buy an alias they choose. Peter interviews old associates of Julian's to get as much information on him as possible while Neal invites all the best identity creators in the city to one location. He wants them to give Julian the identity of Justin Springer. Once they know it isn't for Neal, but for Mozzie, they are all in agreement.
Mozzie awakens and is his usual quirky self. He's worried that he's now "in the system" but Neal assures him that isn't the case. He was registered to the hospital under the name "Ivan Bliminse" aka Invisible Man. Mozzie is unable to identify the shooter despite Neal showing him a picture of Julian Larson.
Neal calls Peter to let him know Mozzie is awake but cannot remember the face of the shooter and Peter tells him Diana has burned the last of Larson's I.D.'s. When Neal ends his call with Peter and starts to walk away, Larson is behind him. Neal walks down an alley and Larson follows. Neal, knowing he was being followed, jumps out from the shadows at Larson, pins him against the wall and wants to know why he shot Mozzie. Larson gets the upper hand and pins Neal against the wall telling him he wants to make a deal as his FBI friends are making it hard for him to disappear. He offers to deliver the man behind the curtain that ordered Mozzie's murder but Neal refuses. Neal tells Peter about the deal and that, this time, things will be done Peter's way. His revenge will come in the justice.
The next morning, Diana brings in news that Justin Springer booked a flight to Samoa one week from Tuesday. Springer was tracked to an apartment in Queens and there is a search warrant being put through as they speak. The FBI raid the apartment and arrest Larson then search the apartment for information.
Mozzie tells Neal about the code from the music box and that Larson had taken his notebook so the bad guys have the equation as well. Mozzie doesn't want them to solve it before he does. Mozzie confesses to Neal that he was the one who told Peter about him going after Fowler and that he is a Judas for doing so. Neal thanks him for telling Peter explaining that he might have killed an innocent man.
Larson refuses to cooperate with Peter. Hughes pulls him from the interview telling him they couldn't make a match from the bullet. A Department of Justice agent steps up to say the outside of the gun was wiped down. Hughes reveals a single print was found inside the weapon which the DOJ agent says belonged to Agent Peter Burke. He puts Peter on leave until the investigation is completed. Hughes takes Peter's gun and badge as Neal and Diana look on. Larson is released as they cannot hold him despite protests from Neal.
Neal goes to see Peter at home. Peter tells him Diana called because DOJ has pulled all of Peter's files to investigate him for evidence tampering. Neal can explain to Peter how Larson put his print inside the gun but where the print came from is another story. Peter remembers his missing coffee mug and they both know that was where the print came from. Diana and Jones check the FBI cameras and find a man dressed like Neal going into Peter's office and leaving with his coffee mug. They also learn he was on Peter's computer. Jones wants to know what Peter and Diane have been investigating and she tells him Peter should be the one to tell him that.
Thanks to a secret key logger Peter keeps on his computer he was able to know that Larson erased something from his own file. He erased the name Fredrick Bilal, a Nigerian prince who likes international horse racing, owns a number of shipping companies and handles a great deal of import/export out of New York Harbor. Bilal spends days at the New York Yacht Club. Peter calls in a favor with Sara Ellis to get into the Yacht Club.
Peter goes into the bar and watches, and talks, horse racing with Bilal while Sara and Neal remain outside. Neal and Sara pose as Mr. and Mrs. Frank Wellington (Jr.) in order to get a look at the boat captains log book. Neal learned that every time Larson came to New York, Brian Blitek (one of Larson's aliases) rented the yacht. Normally, a search warrant of the docks and wire taps would be the next step. Since that isn't an option, Neal suggests to do things his way: get someone else to arrest them. Peter is in as long as it isn't anything illegal and as long as it brings Larson down.
The first step is to form a crew, Burke's crew. Diana and Jones are brought in by Peter and Neal brings in Sara Ellis. They both tell the recruits about the music box and the code. Jones agrees to help as does Sara. Elizabeth takes Mozzie his care package and ends up bringing him back to Peter's house to help the group. Peter and Neal lay down the plan of how they will work the sting against Bilal and Larson.
According to plan, Diana approaches Bilal. Mozzie jumps in to do his part and an innocent bystander gets drawn into the plan by accident. Diana stalls while the rest of the team gets the bystander out of the way. The man is expecting to speak to his wife. Elizabeth answers the phone and succeeds in getting the guy off the phone so Bilal can use it. Neal takes the call and, using the prepared list of words, he makes Bilal think he's talking to Julian Larson and sends him to a pre-determined location.
When Bilal arrives, Neal, Diana and Peter are there to meet him. He has a large crate with him that contains china with a Nazi swastika on the back. Julian calls Larson as instructed by Peter and Neal. Sara's part of the plan kicks in. She goes to the FBI office to file a complaint that her client is being harassed by Peter Burke. She takes the DOJ agent to meet her "client". Hughes, after being told by Jones that Peter needs their help, follows. The DOJ agent, Jones and Hughes arrive and find Larson with latex prints on his fingers to frame Peter for guns he places into the crate containing the china.
Neal, Peter and Diana watch from across the street and Sara joins them. They watch as Larson is being led out in handcuffs. Larson escapes, overpowers the agent and takes his gun. Peter takes a New York City police horse and pursues Larson. He tackles him and gets the gun under the watchful eyes and cameras of locals and tourists. Peter tells Sara the Nazi dinnerware Larson was shipping is going to Argentina which is out of the Bureau's jurisdiction. She says it's not out of hers as her company has clients in South America and she has vacation days coming up.
Peter is back in his office and Diana presents him with a new mug. He interrogates Larson a second time and Larson wants to know what the offer is for him to tell who the man behind him is. Peter tells him the deal is closed. The only deal he'll make is to protect Larson from him. As Peter is leaving, Larson speaks up that the man's name is Vincent Adler, a name Peter apparently recognizes.
Neal calls Moz to let him know they arrested Larson. Moz "sees his accomplishment and raises him one": he built the equation and he should see what he found. Moz shows him a bendy-straw created fractal design that was encoded by the music box. Neal recognizes the pattern and knows who is behind everything. It's "the man who made me everything I am today".
--
What a great start off after such a long break! I loved the use of "Burke's Seven". Now that Jones knows everything about the music box and Fowler, I sure do hope we see him in the mix when that particular storyline is the focus. Jones is an awesome character and any chance to see him on screen is fantastic. Elizabeth sure proved herself to be quite useful in a con, didn't she? I'm sure that was a side of her Peter hadn't seen before! It was great seeing Sara Ellis back in the show as well. I like her character. She's tough, smart and the perfect match for Neal. I hope we see her a lot over the course of the rest of this season.
Peter going after Larson on horseback was another favorite part of the episode for me. I love the humor splashed here and there throughout every episode of White Collar and the horseback take down was brilliant! I couldn't help but smile seeing Peter leading Larson back, Peter on horseback and Larson on foot. It was like a modern-day Old West bad guy roundup.
I'm very pleased with how the second part of season two has kicked off. This was a great episode that I enjoyed very much. I can't wait to get all the details on the mysterious Vincent Adler!
--
White Collar airs Tuesdays at 10:00 p.m. (US Eastern time) on the USA Network.
For More Information:
Official Site: http://www.usanetwork.com/series/whitecollar/
The Internet Movie Database: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1358522/
TV Rage: http://www.tvrage.com/White_Collar
Season Two, Episode Ten, Burke's Seven
Original Air Date: January 18, 2011
Peter Burke and Neal Caffrey begin work on their investigation into finding out who shot Mozzie and bringing that person to justice. However, their investigation is interrupted when a Department of Justice agent arrives and removes Peter from his job after a single print belonging to Peter is found inside the gun that was used to shoot Mozzie. Peter and Neal must organize a con to bring Mozzie's shooter to justice and restore Peter's good name.
Mozzie is rushed to the hospital where Neal stands vigil over his friend who is in a medically induced coma. Peter convinces Neal to leave and get to working on the case so they can get the guy who shot Mozzie.
Neal and Peter start burning all of Julian Larson's (Paul Blackthorne) aliases so he will have to have more created and, hopefully, leave a trail for them to follow right up to him. They agree to let Julian buy an alias they choose. Peter interviews old associates of Julian's to get as much information on him as possible while Neal invites all the best identity creators in the city to one location. He wants them to give Julian the identity of Justin Springer. Once they know it isn't for Neal, but for Mozzie, they are all in agreement.
Mozzie awakens and is his usual quirky self. He's worried that he's now "in the system" but Neal assures him that isn't the case. He was registered to the hospital under the name "Ivan Bliminse" aka Invisible Man. Mozzie is unable to identify the shooter despite Neal showing him a picture of Julian Larson.
Neal calls Peter to let him know Mozzie is awake but cannot remember the face of the shooter and Peter tells him Diana has burned the last of Larson's I.D.'s. When Neal ends his call with Peter and starts to walk away, Larson is behind him. Neal walks down an alley and Larson follows. Neal, knowing he was being followed, jumps out from the shadows at Larson, pins him against the wall and wants to know why he shot Mozzie. Larson gets the upper hand and pins Neal against the wall telling him he wants to make a deal as his FBI friends are making it hard for him to disappear. He offers to deliver the man behind the curtain that ordered Mozzie's murder but Neal refuses. Neal tells Peter about the deal and that, this time, things will be done Peter's way. His revenge will come in the justice.
The next morning, Diana brings in news that Justin Springer booked a flight to Samoa one week from Tuesday. Springer was tracked to an apartment in Queens and there is a search warrant being put through as they speak. The FBI raid the apartment and arrest Larson then search the apartment for information.
Mozzie tells Neal about the code from the music box and that Larson had taken his notebook so the bad guys have the equation as well. Mozzie doesn't want them to solve it before he does. Mozzie confesses to Neal that he was the one who told Peter about him going after Fowler and that he is a Judas for doing so. Neal thanks him for telling Peter explaining that he might have killed an innocent man.
Larson refuses to cooperate with Peter. Hughes pulls him from the interview telling him they couldn't make a match from the bullet. A Department of Justice agent steps up to say the outside of the gun was wiped down. Hughes reveals a single print was found inside the weapon which the DOJ agent says belonged to Agent Peter Burke. He puts Peter on leave until the investigation is completed. Hughes takes Peter's gun and badge as Neal and Diana look on. Larson is released as they cannot hold him despite protests from Neal.
Neal goes to see Peter at home. Peter tells him Diana called because DOJ has pulled all of Peter's files to investigate him for evidence tampering. Neal can explain to Peter how Larson put his print inside the gun but where the print came from is another story. Peter remembers his missing coffee mug and they both know that was where the print came from. Diana and Jones check the FBI cameras and find a man dressed like Neal going into Peter's office and leaving with his coffee mug. They also learn he was on Peter's computer. Jones wants to know what Peter and Diane have been investigating and she tells him Peter should be the one to tell him that.
Thanks to a secret key logger Peter keeps on his computer he was able to know that Larson erased something from his own file. He erased the name Fredrick Bilal, a Nigerian prince who likes international horse racing, owns a number of shipping companies and handles a great deal of import/export out of New York Harbor. Bilal spends days at the New York Yacht Club. Peter calls in a favor with Sara Ellis to get into the Yacht Club.
Peter goes into the bar and watches, and talks, horse racing with Bilal while Sara and Neal remain outside. Neal and Sara pose as Mr. and Mrs. Frank Wellington (Jr.) in order to get a look at the boat captains log book. Neal learned that every time Larson came to New York, Brian Blitek (one of Larson's aliases) rented the yacht. Normally, a search warrant of the docks and wire taps would be the next step. Since that isn't an option, Neal suggests to do things his way: get someone else to arrest them. Peter is in as long as it isn't anything illegal and as long as it brings Larson down.
The first step is to form a crew, Burke's crew. Diana and Jones are brought in by Peter and Neal brings in Sara Ellis. They both tell the recruits about the music box and the code. Jones agrees to help as does Sara. Elizabeth takes Mozzie his care package and ends up bringing him back to Peter's house to help the group. Peter and Neal lay down the plan of how they will work the sting against Bilal and Larson.
According to plan, Diana approaches Bilal. Mozzie jumps in to do his part and an innocent bystander gets drawn into the plan by accident. Diana stalls while the rest of the team gets the bystander out of the way. The man is expecting to speak to his wife. Elizabeth answers the phone and succeeds in getting the guy off the phone so Bilal can use it. Neal takes the call and, using the prepared list of words, he makes Bilal think he's talking to Julian Larson and sends him to a pre-determined location.
When Bilal arrives, Neal, Diana and Peter are there to meet him. He has a large crate with him that contains china with a Nazi swastika on the back. Julian calls Larson as instructed by Peter and Neal. Sara's part of the plan kicks in. She goes to the FBI office to file a complaint that her client is being harassed by Peter Burke. She takes the DOJ agent to meet her "client". Hughes, after being told by Jones that Peter needs their help, follows. The DOJ agent, Jones and Hughes arrive and find Larson with latex prints on his fingers to frame Peter for guns he places into the crate containing the china.
Neal, Peter and Diana watch from across the street and Sara joins them. They watch as Larson is being led out in handcuffs. Larson escapes, overpowers the agent and takes his gun. Peter takes a New York City police horse and pursues Larson. He tackles him and gets the gun under the watchful eyes and cameras of locals and tourists. Peter tells Sara the Nazi dinnerware Larson was shipping is going to Argentina which is out of the Bureau's jurisdiction. She says it's not out of hers as her company has clients in South America and she has vacation days coming up.
Peter is back in his office and Diana presents him with a new mug. He interrogates Larson a second time and Larson wants to know what the offer is for him to tell who the man behind him is. Peter tells him the deal is closed. The only deal he'll make is to protect Larson from him. As Peter is leaving, Larson speaks up that the man's name is Vincent Adler, a name Peter apparently recognizes.
Neal calls Moz to let him know they arrested Larson. Moz "sees his accomplishment and raises him one": he built the equation and he should see what he found. Moz shows him a bendy-straw created fractal design that was encoded by the music box. Neal recognizes the pattern and knows who is behind everything. It's "the man who made me everything I am today".
--
What a great start off after such a long break! I loved the use of "Burke's Seven". Now that Jones knows everything about the music box and Fowler, I sure do hope we see him in the mix when that particular storyline is the focus. Jones is an awesome character and any chance to see him on screen is fantastic. Elizabeth sure proved herself to be quite useful in a con, didn't she? I'm sure that was a side of her Peter hadn't seen before! It was great seeing Sara Ellis back in the show as well. I like her character. She's tough, smart and the perfect match for Neal. I hope we see her a lot over the course of the rest of this season.
Peter going after Larson on horseback was another favorite part of the episode for me. I love the humor splashed here and there throughout every episode of White Collar and the horseback take down was brilliant! I couldn't help but smile seeing Peter leading Larson back, Peter on horseback and Larson on foot. It was like a modern-day Old West bad guy roundup.
I'm very pleased with how the second part of season two has kicked off. This was a great episode that I enjoyed very much. I can't wait to get all the details on the mysterious Vincent Adler!
--
White Collar airs Tuesdays at 10:00 p.m. (US Eastern time) on the USA Network.
For More Information:
Official Site: http://www.usanetwork.com/series/whitecollar/
The Internet Movie Database: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1358522/
TV Rage: http://www.tvrage.com/White_Collar
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