The Originals, Season Three, Episode Five: The Axeman's Letter

This week starts with a flashback to Aurora's romance with Klaus.  Klaus says that there was a bright light in Aurora which made him feel like the man he was.  He is morose about the fact that he created Lucian and is a killer.  It seems that in the middle of the feeding, Aurora burst in and caught Klaus with his face covered in blood.  She run into a field to mourn and he leaves her a letter explaining what the little he can filled.

In the present, Aurora has written a letter to Klaus. When Klaus does get the letter, he plucks it from the dead hand of the bloody delivery girl.  The letter contains a poem suggesting that Klaus find Aurora before she finds him.  Elijah remarks about how eager Klaus is to find Aurora.  Elijah then brings up his visions behind the red door but Klaus is adamant that he this is not time for Elijah's confessions.  Klaus walks off saying that if need be, they can kill Aurora together.

Vincent and Cami are in the Quarter where it seems that city of New Orleans has decided to throw a party celebrating a serial killer while the cops are busy tying to catch a serial killer who is terrorizing the city.  Vincent explains that the killer was actually witch who didn't kill people for a day because the city threw a party. Cami and Vincent discuss Lucian's involvement and Cami's desire to keep tabs on him because she is the one who convinced Klaus not to kill him.

Klaus and Elijah are in the Quarter looking for Aurora. Yes, another blasted flashback and this time, Klaus is in bed with her. Aurora tells Klaus that he doesn't have to treat her gently and asks him to turn her, saying that then they wouldn't have to hide their love.  Klaus tells Aurora that she doesn't know what she is asking and adds that she is perfect the way she is. Klaus asks her how it is that her hair smells like a summer's day. In the present, Klaus holds a bottle of perfume.  When Elijah turns around, he finds that Klaus is gone.

Klaus enters a perfume store and finds Aurora waiting for him.  Aurora greats Klaus by calling him her sweet love.

Davina thanks Jackson and Hayley for coming to see her and they point out that they have no choice because they are pretty much her slaves. Jackson asks what Davina wants and Davina says that this is her first public event as regent and is worried that it won't go so well since Van Nguyen blames her for murdering his mother. Umm yeah you think? It seems that Davina wants Hayley and Jackson to be her bodyguards and points out that if she dies, the candle goes out as well. Jackson tells Hayley to stick with Davina while he checks out the crowd.

Aurora says that it doesn't feel like a thousand years since she and Klaus were together.  Aurora snarks about Klaus arriving alone and Klaus says that Elijah has been texting him constantly about an ancient secret.  Klaus believes that the secret is that Aurora and Elijah slept together but she denies it. Flashback and this time Aurora is crying, saying that her mother died giving birth to her and that it makes her cursed and broken. Klaus says that there's a thing that he is done which he can never tell anyone because it would destroy his family. Klaus admits that he killed his mother in a fit of rage because she crippled him from becoming who he was meant to be.  Klaus reveals that he blamed it on his father and that they have been running ever since.  Klaus tells Aurora that she is not as broken as him. Aurora however is not repelled and says that this revelation means that they are the same.  Klaus vows to give Aurora anything and so she asks once again to be like him.  Well these two are well matched. Could they be anymore melodramatic?

In the present, Aurora claims that she is here to protect her sire and surprise, surprise, her sire is Rebekah.

Elijah sits down with Tristan at a restaurant to discuss the threats facing the Mikaelsons.  Elijah hands over Aurora's note. Tristan says that Aurora is in one of her dark periods.  Elijah however wants to know where Aurora is because she cultivates misfortune.  Tristan denies that Aurora is in New Orleans because Aurora has not made contact with him. Elijah walks away telling Tristan that he shouldn't be so sure about that.

Lucian is still walking through the Quarter with Cami and Vincent hot on his heels.  Vincent says that everyone likes a charismatic killer and that he doesn't practice magic anymore because he was drawn to Eva's darkness.  Lucian suddenly disappears and when Vincent scans the crowd, Lucian's takes the opportunity to snatch Cami. Lucian questions why Cami is haunting him and says that what is between them needs to end, as he strokes Cami's face.  Cami is quick to threaten Lucian with Klaus but Lucian makes it clear that Cami has no idea what he is capable of.  Lucian makes a quick exit after warning Cami that she is about to find out.  When Cami walks around the corner, she finds another victim.

Klaus makes it clear to Aurora that she didn't have to come to New Orleans to protect Rebekah because Rebekah has moved on.  Aurora yells that her fate is bound to Rebekah's. Flashback time and this time, Rebekah comes across Aurora who has slit her wrists and gives her some of her blood. Rebekah calls Aurora stupid and questions why she would do this to herself.  Aurora apparently tried to commit suicide because Tristan forbade her from seeing Klaus. Aurora says that her mind haunts her and points out that Mikaelsons are never wounded. Rebekah says that they have their own torments.  Rebekah is angry and yells that they are cursed. Aurora asks Rebekah to leave, saying that she wants to sleep and that the Mikaelson curse is nothing in comparison to hers.  The moment Rebekah leaves, Aurora stands and makes her way slowly to the window.  Aurora then jumps out of the window and plummets to her death.

The Librarians, Season Two, Episode Two: And the Broken Staff

The librarians are all back safe and sound and Flynn immediately wants to send the team out.  It's Eve who bothers to acknowledge the good work that team did but Flynn can only point out that they didn't actually beat Prospero. Flynn is sulking because he feels that he and Eve had a good thing along but Eve points out that if they work together, they can get the drop on the bad guys.

Unbeknownst to The Librarians, Prospero has sneaked into the Library.

Flynn decides to give the team a pep talk about joining their forces to defeat Prospero.  He explains that in rare cases when a story is really well read and the character written beautifully, the ambient energy allows them to step out of their story.  While Flynn updates the team, Jenkins is busy giving him the side eye.  I guess Flynn forgot that Jenkins is the one who first explained this to him.  Jenkins finally intervenes to say that what Prospero is doing is weird because characters normally lack the will to change their own stories. When Flynn gives him the eye, Jenkins gives Flynn back the floor. Flynn tells the group that Prospero's next move will be to find and repair his staff. Jenkins interrupts again, and explains that he normally does the briefings and Flynn does the rapid fire conclusions. Yeah, one day Flynn will realise that he is not the only smart person in the room. Flynn finally gives the floor to Jenkins, who says that they don't know what happened to the pieces of the staff.  The team break up to look for clues as to where the pieces of the staff are located.

When Flynn get a moment alone with Eve, she suggests that they need a Plan B in case Prospero gets to the staff first.  Flynn has a eureka moment and thinks that he knows where the staff is and suggests that the team work on a Plan B.  Eve is immediately suspicious and wonders if this is a plan to be alone together.

Prospero calls on Moriarty and uses electricity to discipline Moriarty and remind him of his place. Prospero then calls on the sprite to help him find the heart.  The sprite however does not move and Prosepero believes the magic in the library is confusing the sprite. It's then that Jenkins walks in.

Eve and Flynn arrive at the estate of John Dee, who was a contemporary of Shakespeare. Flynn discovers Shakespeare's stage and rambles on about how he thought he would have made a good actor.  Eve suggests words that never would have been spoken on the stage would lead to the staff. Flynn whispers Macbeth. Yes, they are invoking the superstition where an actor cannot say Macbeth because it is believed by some that the play is cursed. Flynn utters Macbeth and magical writing appears on the stage. Flynn figures out that the staff is below them.

Jones and Jake are looking for references to the sword and Jake is astonished that Jake doesn't know how to use a card catalog.  Jones points out that it's the 21st century and he doesn't know how to shoe a horse either, causing Jake to leave in disgust.  When Jake tries to open the door, he finds that he is locked in. Jones says that the library is in lock down security as an intruder alert.  They realise that Prospero must be in the library with Jenkins.

Prospero tells Jenkins that they are going to walk the path of power.  Jenkins refuses to help and asks Prospero and Moriarty if they know who he is. Moriarty deduces that Jenkins was a knight of the round of the table, so Jenkins says that he has been tortured and grilled long before Moriarty and Prospero were even conceived of.  It seems however that Prospero is interested in the tree of knowledge and so has set his sights on the library's heart.

Jones is all chill while Jake and Cassandra are freaking out about the fact that Prospero has Jenkins. Jones says that the alert which is going off is low level security and that there's a hidden pass code if a librarian needs to get back in.  Jones pull out his phone and says that they need to go the local library. Jones is astounded that no one has bothered to read the security manual.

Flynn pulls out a box from under the stage and finds it locked.  There's another code on the box and Eve suggests that it is an anagram.  After several attempts, it's Eve who figures it out, relying on her knowledge of Macbeth.  Once Flynn opens the box, they find a parchment which indicates that a Librarian from 400 years ago collected the staff.

The crew is at the regular Library and Jones approaches the Librarian and asks to check out a book. It seems that he doesn't have a library card and resorts to insisting that he is a Librarian.  Jones asks for the complete works of William Shakespeare unabridged and learns that it was checked out. The crew chase down the little girl who checked it out and beg her to give them the book but she is savvy and starts demanding money.  When they resist, she increases the price. Jones is clearly impressed with her.

Sleepy Hollow, Season 3, Episode 6: The Red Lady from Caribe

Ichabod is on a date with Zoe and he is so very very out of his depth and awkward. Normally I find awkward endearing, but not here.

Reynolds and Abbie talk about the reveal last episode – that Jenny is working to bring down/infiltrate this artefact dealer called Atticus while Reynolds wants to bring him down as a big underworld figure and make his name and career with the FBI. They discuss it like mature adults and Reynolds recognises that Abbie is not responsible for everything Jenny does nor is Abbie likely to break confidentiality

How very refreshing

Pandora is continuing to play with her creepy foliage and doing random stuff the sake of her horticulture. This time raising “the red lady from Caribe”. Which involves a woman made up of lots of stinging insects that then go out and kill someone. Ok, new monster of the week

Ichabod is still in trouble from the first episode and now has to go to court even as he pouts about his own property (which he cannot prove) and being all pouty and outraged. They also poke each other’s relationships.

In the court the judge is the man who was overcome with the woo-woo stinging insects (and his skin looks awful). He is having a complete megalomaniac power trip in his court room and trying to have people shot. He continues to rant – before falling down dead. In the process Ichabod sees a swam of stinging insects in the shape of a woman leave the scene.

They examine one of the insects – a Carribean wasp – and declare the creature a Soucouyant (a Trinidadian monster) which causes paranoia and death.

Of course this comes with an anecdote involving Abbie’s ancestor Grace Dixon, Betsy Ross (who was EVERYWHERE AT ALL TIMES) and Washington – with Washington being stung and Grace’s Obeah being needed to try and stop him dying and kill the monster – the only cure for the sting.

Reynolds calls Abbie in for another death – a paranoid member of the PTA burning books before dying. They decide that the Soucouyant always aims for leaders (wait, that’s a stretch – PTA member and a judge? C’mon… oh Sleepy Hollow). And who else is a leader? Why that would be Agent Reynolds. Who starts scratching and being an arsehole to Abbie – and a terrible driver.

Vampire Diaries, Season 7, Episode 5: Live Through This

Another jump to the future – 3 years from now with Bonnie expressing some major regret in what looks like a support group. She goes home to find Enzo – and greets him with a passionate kiss. Ok, Bonnie this is a bad plan. Didn’t we just discuss bad decisions

And back to the present with Alaric and his newly raised zombie-wife Joe (hey here’s one of Bonnie’s many many bad mistakes). She wants to do research to see if she’s just set off The Walking Dead. Joe wakes up hungry FOR BRAINS! She’s starve in Mystic Falls.

It seems Joe has forgotten just about everything including what a television is and that she is a vegetarian.

Caroline and Stefan are being all lovey dovey and I have to give points to Caroline being characterised enough and Stefan knowing her well enough to recognise how lying around doing nothing is Caroline’s idea of hell. Stefan interrupts everything to be annoying and he wants to drag Stefan to interview Valerie, of course

Which creates Issues with Caroline. Poor poor Stefan.

At chez Witchpire Oscar is guzzling food and Lily is all enthusiastic about Julian arriving. Enzo is not. Nora and Mary-Louise are also concerned that the bright and funny Oscar is looking so grim. Lily et al go out looking for Julian which worries Valerie who already has a head start looking for him (Enzo sends a warning). She’s more delayed by Stefan and Damon turning up and wanting to know why Valerie wanted to kill Oscar. There’s a brief moment where she tortures Damon (funsies) before Stefan arrives and we have dramangst. Can we go back to the torture?

So Valerie recaps them on Julian being evil (do I laugh or cry at how Damon points out that Stefan’s death count is just as huge) and needing to be stopped while Damon merrily pokes everyone’s sore spots. Damon is the most evil of big brothers. We keep getting more Caroline and Stefan angst over Valerie. Oh, honestly, why why why am I being subjected to this?

Bonnie and Caroline catch up noticing how little love life Bonnie has before talking about Caroline and Stefan’s issues and Caroline’s decision to force Stefan to meet with his ex.  Bonnie goes to see Enzo who accurately sums up her European holiday as “following Damon around with spare bottles of bourbon” which is just sad. Bonnie is there to speak to Oscar not exchange taunts with Enzo – though that’s always fun.

American Horror Story Season 5 (Hotel), Episode: 5: Room Service

Alex is now a vampire – but still a doctor (and naturally checks out her less than normal body temperature). Walking around the hospital she finds her new vampirism slightly disorientating. She’s also consuming blood bags – yum yum. I ask again, don’t hospitals and other medical establishments keep a track of their blood? Do they have such an extreme surplus they don’t need to count? I know they’re not desperate but I would have thought some accounting system would be useful.

The measles boy, Max, she’s treating is in a terrible condition (Vaccinate your kids!) and Alex has the perfect cure – her vampire blood. He makes a miraculous recovery, of course.

Which is nice, until he goes home and eats his parents (Vaccinate your kids or your kids will eat you!). Then he goes to school which is having a Hallowe’en event. And at school he plays a nice game with his friend involving them tasting each other’s blood and killing the teacher for his friends to snack on.

Soon this spreads – dead teachers and turning children everywhere (vaccinate your kids or you will start a baby vampire apocalypse!)

This spreads to the other teachers – even the good one who calls out one of her fellows for wearing an appropriative Native American costume while not being Native American (I think another teacher is dressed as a costume shop Rroma as well). All are eaten, sadly including the sensible one. (Vaccinate your kids! Or sensible people get eaten as well as those in racist hallowe’en costumes!)

Police arrive and find an utter bloodbath. Of course they save the poor poor children and get them out to their terrified snackfood parents. They blame a fictional masked man for the massacre all telling the same story.

This is how The Strain starts but with more costumes and less dicks falling off.

Alex returns to the hotel and her vampire son Holden – and the assurance she can stay forever so long as she obeys the rules: to be a governess. There’s also the possibility of her connecting with John. Alex and Holden go into one big coffein for the pair of them.

Donovan also has a new vampire to deal with and takes his newly vampiric mother to Ramona. She’s presents Iris as the perfect inside man for their scheme to bring down the Countess. She is perfect because she’s “invisible” among all the young beautiful people, Iris is ignored. Ramona is torn between admiring Donovan’s ruthlessness and scorning him for it.

Iris returns to the hotel and is clearly not entirely invisible – because Liz sees her and knows exactly what happened and what Iris is. She feeds her blood and tells her she has to feed on fresh living blood. Iris is not happy about getting immortality at her age – she angrily tells Liz how invisible she is as an older woman, how completely forgotten and invisible she is and will be forever.

Supernatural, Season 11, Episode 5: Thin Lizzie

Massachusetts, a haunted B&B, terrible music (and a reference to the awful Ghost-facers) and people who are just begging to be murdered. Chop chop, wish granted

Apparently it’s the Lizzie Borden B&B and museum – actually Lizzie Borden’s actual house. Sam thinks it’s a case, Dean thinks it’s a serial killer but, as has been touched on before, Sam has, as Dean puts it, a serial killer fetish and he’s looking for an excuse to go visit the house. Castiel is still completely addicted to Netflix.

They arrive and book themselves into the crime scene room – and the learn that the dead guy was a descendant of the original Bordens. Dean also faces the horror of chintz – CHINTZ EVERYWHERE.

Lots of snooping follows and both Dean and Sam find numerous fake gadgetry designed to create all kinds of spookiness. Dean puts it all down to a tourist trap. Though there was someone taking photos with an old-timey camera who ran when Dean saw him

Except the owner of the inn is then brutally murdered as well. Time for Sam and Dean to impersonate federal agents. The local police do say the guy taking photos was Lem, a ghost fanatic but basically harmless

Another crime scene not in the area also drags them in – Sam goes to play FBI agent only to find the bereaved wife very hostile to him. Sam finds this odd, but the local police (reasonably) accept that loss makes people act oddly.

Dean’s interview with Lem basically reveals someone with a rather unhealthy obsession with Lizzie Borden, but, yes kind of harmless. Until he finds a symbol for the Darkness in his house. He ran into Amarra at the Borden house – and tells Dean that Amarra has aged to 12 years old. She also ate his soul – but didn’t kill him. It has left him slightly bereft, uninterested in just about everything, including his previous obsession. He’s desperate for Amarra to fix him – he no longer feels anything, he only imitates how he should act.

Dean realises this is soul eating – having remembered Sam all soulless. Dean also thinks they can’t kill Lem until he shows it’s dangerous – which concerns Sam because they’re supposed to be saving people. Not killing them. Bad Dean. Though they do have a brief debate of why Lem doesn’t become a vicious killer like Sam did when he had no soul – and Dean nominates Sam to deliver the bad news. Sam asks why him. I ask why he asks this question – seriously would anyone in the world ever want Dean to deliver bad news? Ever?

The Librarians, Season Two, Episode One: And the Drowned Book

Then

When last we saw The Librarians, magic had  returned to the world and the ley lines reopened. Nine months ago, Prospero took the complete works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's, Sherlock Holmes from a book shelf. Prospero opeeds the book and placeed it on the floor.  With his hands he created a magical sphere and smoke poured from the book.  The smoke shifted into none other than Moriarty. Well, the Librarians are in trouble now.

Today 

Jenkins watches as objects begin to flash and disappear from the Library.  The bookcases start to move and crash to the floor.

Eve sits in a boat as Flynn pulls it down a river.  The plan is to enter a village to collect an idol but when we see them next, they are being chased by the villagers.  When Eve and Flynn return to the Library, she points out that they haven't seen the other Librarians since they left and wonders if they should check on them.  Flynn tells Eve not to worry because they are doing what Librarians do. Rather than dealing with Eve's concern, Flynn decides that they should check out shipwreck exhibit and the museum of history in New York when the books opens and reveals clippings about the event.

 Jake is somewhere in Asia and he is being chased. When he opens his book, he sees a clipping about the museum.

Cassandra is at a lab and when she opens her book, she sees the same clipping.

Jones has once again broken into somewhere.  His phone signals (yes, Jones made his book digital) and like the others, he has a notification about the museum event

Jake returns to the library and is welcomed back by Jenkins.  Cassandra arrives right after Jake and  is followed by Jones.  All of the librarians head off to New York without even seeing each other, or becoming aware that they are on the same mission.

Flynn and Eve approach the shipwrecked Isola Perduta.  Eve warns Flynn about his wallet, as Jones tries to slip by and is grabbed by Eve. Cassandra and Jake show up and explain that the librarians together but split up after Peru.  A tornado suddenly appears in the sky as the librarians head inside. Flynn suggests that they find out what the shipwreck has to do with the storm, but it seems that Jake's notice is about a chess set that was donated the museum, Cassandra's about new high frequency weather sonar equipment and Jones is about jewelry.  Eve suggests that they pool their resources but Jones thinks that they should each do their own job.  All the librarians say that they all kind of have their own style and Flynn is quick to support them. The conversation is end when James Moriarty announces that no one will be allowed to leave because of flooding. As he speaks, Moriarty takes note of Flynn in the gathered crowd.

Jake goes after his target and finds a series of chess sets.  Jones approaches a woman from the Italian delegation and he gets his flirt on but his shot down.  Cassandra rushes up the stairs to the National Weather Station to find people starting to evacuate, leaving her alone.  Eve suggests to Flynn that they should ask for some help because checking out the artifacts might take a while but Flynn, being Flynn, responds that doesn't need any help. Eve approaches Moriarty to ask if he knows about the exhibit but Flynn cuts her off saying that the man she is talking to is James Worth, professor of antiquities from Oxford university.  When Moriarty asks how he discerned his identity, Flynn replies that it was,"elementary."  Really Librarians?  No, that wasn't at all forced.  Moriarty returns the favour by revealing that he not only knows Flynn's name but knows that Flynn is a Librarian and finishes off with "elementary." Yeah I am rolling my eyes really hard now.  Moriarty charms Eve by calling her a Duchess but Flynn snarks that Eve's accent should have given her away.  Moriarty walks off with Eve.

Cassandra has manged to boot up the power and is using the computer to investigate the storm. When she puts on the headset, she can hear a sound in the storm.  Cassandra sends it Jenkins, who records it and she reveals that she cannot see a mathematical formula to explain the sound. Jenkins asks her to put aside logic and mathematics for a moment and asks Cassandra what it sounds like to her.  Cassandra says that it sounds sad.  Jake bursts in asks Cassandra to write down the relative densities of any stone she thinks someone might make a chess piece out of. Cassandra tells him that he could look this up on her own but he responds that she is faster than the internet.  Jones bursts in and asks Jake to write down some Italian cultural stuff: paintings, poem etc.  Jake questions why they stopped working together and Jones responds that Jake kept ordering him around and Cassandra kept taking Jake's side.  Cassandra says that she tried to get Jake and Jones to stop arguing and wonders why they can work so well together at the library but not when they are on their own. Right so this whole thing is going to be about the fact that the librarians get more accomplished together than apart.

First Circle Club (First Circle Club #1) by Alex Siegel

Virgil didn’t lead a good life – not totally awful or he would have been banished to a lower circle of Hell than the first circle – but not a good one. Facing a dull eternity in limbo stretches ahead of him – until something unprecedented happened: a soul escaped Hell.

And not just any soul – but a serial killer hunting teeangers.

Equally unprecedented the demons of Hell and the Angels of Heaven decide only humans can bring this escaped soul back – 2 from the first circle of Hell, 2 from the first circle of Heaven. None of them saintly but none of them totally evil – the four of them have the diverse skills and powers to return the killer where he belongs.

I love the entire concept of this series – Heaven, Hell, demons and angels the different layers of both. The whole concept of the judgement and the different sides arguing and throwing law and precedent and treaty back and forth was hilarious

The whole concept of the treaty between the two sides – and all the loop holes and amendments they’ve had to produce to try and cover everything. I can see it so well and it’s such a lot of fun. On top of that all the demons and angels are such creatures of the contract that they have little imagination or skill or intelligence beyond their designated roles. And I love that they have budgets for divine or infernal interventions.

And so we have our protagonists – people in the first level of Hell who are bad – but not quite that bad. And the people in the first level of Heaven who are good… but not quite that good.  Virgil and Lisa from Hell and Sara and Arthur from heaven. As a team they work well for having a lot of excellent complimentary skills which makes all of them very valuable contributors

I say that but I do think the story focused mainly on Virgil and Arthur, leaving Lisa, a Black woman and Sara a White woman in lesser role. Part of this is the nature of their powers – Lisa’s power is to be able to hurt with a touch while Sara has the power to heal. Despite all of the combat in the series and Lisa definitely been the most dangerous of them, the true powers that are used are the social powers – Virgil’s power causes shame and Arthur’s causes trust

iZombie, Season 2, Episode 5: Love & Basketball

Liv and Major are making out but Liv still has worries about whether zombieness is transmittable and after sexy questions about mouth sores and toothbrushing, she calls time. Major is still eager but Liv is firm in the face of sexy Major’s sexiness

Liv has a lot more self-control than me.

We then see a random guy get murdered. Ok (I’m going to assume that this isn’t just iZombie looking at its fellow shows an thinking “damn, we don’t have enough dead Black people” and this is the week’s murder).

The next day Liv checks Major out for deadness and reveals she is an unholy abomination – she can’t make coffee. Liv continues to worry about how they cannot possibly have a future together. Major continues to be horny (despite Liv’s coffee murdering ways).

Liv’s called out to the murder and, yes, dead security guard called Mike is this week’s murder. Ravi makes a Bon Jovi based pun over the body and reminds us all that he’s totally totally awesome. He and Liv continue to be gloriously sarcastic.

Clive also demands psychic visions – before Liv’s have chance to snack on gooey brains. Naturally this achieves nothing before she creates another of her disturbingly appetising recipes. Now all brained up, she comments on basketball (Mike was a basketball coach for kids) and Clive has another of her big personality/knowledge changes and at some point he’s really going to have to notice something wrong with her.

Those kids he coaches have an idea who may have killed Mike – a rather over the top parent. They really really hate this guy.

Off they go see the man, TJ, who is grossly unpleasant, violent, homophobic and generally needs a good axe-murdering. Liv has a vision of TJ hitting his kid and Mike calling the CPS over him. Clive decides to visit TJ that night to warn him about hitting his son – and when TJ pokes him, Clive punches him – repeatedly.

Clive is still suspicious about the end of the last season and all the drama there – and his questions to Suzuki’s widow ruffle feathers which gets him in hot water with his boss, Lt Lavore. It doesn’t help that fun FBI agent makes him laugh through the window. Bad FBI agent! No cookie!

She later asks why Clive was taken off the case of Suzuki’s death – and he tells her how the official story is neat and makes for cool headlines… his digging for a messier truth was not popular. She is still following up the missing rich people (that Blaine was selling for brain experience snacks) – and found the hair of said rich guy at Blaine’s charcuterie where Suzuki died.

The Iron Warrior (Iron Fey #7, Call of the Forgotten #3) by Julie Kagawa

Ethan wakes up – which is something of a surprise since his uncle, Keirran, stabbed him to destroy the Veil

He isn’t dead and the Veil hasn’t been destroyed – but Keirran has joined the Forgotten and their terrible Queen in their war against the other courts. Even Meghan, his mother and the Iron Queen will be forced to move against him.

Unless Ethan can save Keirran from himself – and the whole of the NeverNever with him

My main love of the Iron Fae series is the world. The different fae courts, their politics, their magic how they all combat each other – I’ve always liked this world and it’s an excellent backdrop or adventures.

Ethan is this book’s protagonist… in the past I haven’t been a big fan of Ethan. In a way he’s an excellent every-man except for his combat skills. He’s not… stellar in any real way, I find him kind of bland, to be honest, especially next to the major personalities around him. But this book he did have some excellent character growth and maturity that made me like him a little more

The star of the book had to be Kenzie – she works so excellently well with Ethan and, in a genre full of action heroes who can kick arse, she showed us a powerful character who wasn’t defined by her ability to break things. She’s clever, she’s prepared. She has a big pack of useful items. She can negotiate with the fae because she thinks. She’s the brains and she’s one of the most powerful characters because of that. Ethan may be able to stab things, but ultimately Kenzie is the one who knows you need costume jewellery to bribe yourself over a bridge, or to carry a big canister of salt. It’s Kenzie who is most able to cut through the fairy politics and make raging, uncooperative fae stop and think for 5 seconds. Ethan can stab things, but it’s Kenzie with the brain to direct that stabbing.

More than any other character she works with the world. The other characters either have swords or woo-woo enough that they don’t really interact with the intricacies of the world. It’s Kenzie who has to work with how the world works, who knows the bargains and the rules and the loop holes and so it’s she who most shows of the world.

The Leftovers, Season 2, Episode 5: No Room at the Inn

Matt continues to focus on his wife, he has cameras focused on her all through the night so he can watch them and see if there’s any response at al. There isn’t, even as he cares for her, cleans her and clothes her.

He continues his daily life, taking her with him everywhere. She never responds as the routine goes on and on. Matt becomes less and less positive and more and more worn down and more and more desperate. The pattern he’s repeating from the food he eats to the places he visits are all copying exactly what happened last time when Mary spoke to him – only it’s not repeating.

Matt breaks his routine to take Mary out of the town for a doctor’s appointment – again we’re reminded how extreme this town is in being isolated from the people outside with only one narrow, heavily policed bridge in and hordes of people trying to get inside, running the gauntlet past the violent rangers.

And one of the doctors tells Matt that Mary is pregnant. Matt is shocked – they never could have children before. Whoa whoa whoa, never mind fertility, has he been having sex with her while she’s utterly incapable of communicating consent?!

The doctor warns him that she’s unlikely to be able to carry the baby to turn before hitting my outrage – Mary cannot possibly consent for anything. To which Matt insists that the ex happened during her miraculous wakeful period (which means I am both relieved and trying to avoid speculating on how bad Matt is in bed if she returned to a comatose state afterwards). The doctor is not that impressed with his explanation.

Matt is now completely elated over the pregnancy. So elated he stops to help someone with car trouble – who then bludgeons him for his Miracle wrist-band, breaking his hand to get it. Matt wakes up – because Mary is awake and telling him to get theme to Miracle.

His car disabled, he has to walk to Miracle, pushing Mary in a wheelchair. He manages to get to Miracle and through the crowds. At the gate, Matt has to try and convince the brutal rangers that he’s actually a resident – and surprisingly he is treated with compassion and allowed to go to the visitor’s centre to get a replacement wrist band.

Once Upon a Time, Season 5, Episode 6: The Bear and the Bow

In Camelot, Merlin, Killian, David and Belle break into the dungeon and free Lancelot and Merida because Merlin is kind of like having a pocket nuclear weapon (making Killian and David pointless but Belle’s brains still useful). They have to convince Merida to leave without her wisps and her key to finding her brothers

As they leave Merida knocks Bell unconscious and kidnaps her so she can use her book smarts and magic to find her brothers. Merida reminds us of her motivation – she’s not going to give up her thrown or marry someone she doesn’t want to simply because they don’t think a woman can rule.

First step is to go visit the witch’s house to use her cauldron for a little scrying for her brothers and the three men determined to marry Merida. They learn that the men intend to kill her brother’s by the end of the day. Merida seizes on changing their fate – which is a spell which will change her into a bear. Belle rejects that, having seen Merida’s supernaturally awesome skill with a bow, she doesn’t see why Merida needs to become a bear.

Merida explains she doesn’t trust her archery because she missed the shot that would have saved her father’s life in battle so, like every hero everywhere in the history of fiction, totally blames herself. She blames that moment for the clans losing faith in her as well.

Merida confronts the clans and drinks the bear potion – which doesn’t work because Belle swatched the potion with water – to make Merida face him as a Queen.

As the clans men shoot her brothers she shoots their arrows out of the air with her own arrow. One arrow to hit all three of theirs. Duly intimidated everyone backs down and kneels to the Queen.

Back to Merlin and Emma, Merlin reminds Emma that he saw her when she was a young child. He reminds her of his warning not to draw Excalibur.

To the present! Rumple smashes the teacup to get a shard of porcelain to cut through his ropes. He escapes and is gone when Merida brings Emma to the camp. Emma’s happy though – it proves to her that Rumple is willing to fight for Belle (does it? I’d interpret it as him willing to smash his memories of Belle if he can get his own chance to escape). Anyway her plan is to order Merida to kill Belle, forcing Rumple to protect her

Rumple finds Belle and after some cowering they are reunited with Rumple acknowledging how much he totally doesn’t deserve Belle standing by him. He also tells Belle Emma’s plan – and is smart enough to realise how Emma plans to make him into a hero.

Dracula: The Modern Prometheus by Rafael Chandler (Mary Shelley and Bram Stoker)

Mina Harker, newly qualified solicitor, was just going to Transylvania to aid in the transfer of property – the Countess is certainly a little unusual but she is also educated and worldly and she certainly appreciates that

Until it becomes clear she’s stumbled onto something very unworldly, one she barely escapes – but when that threat follows her to London she gathers her fellows and is determined to fight

Even while the Countess’s grizzly experiments rise from the grave with her own desperate purpose.

This book has that very elaborate writing that is quite common with a lot of books set in the Victorian era. This does a lot to convey a greater sense of time and place – which did work very well to create that sense of place that these books needed. But it does make for a book that is quite long winded – it does slow the plot down.

This slow speed is a particular problem because, certainly in the beginning, we kind of know what the story is going to be like. Yes, bits have been changed and the book combines both Dracula and Frankenstein. We all know when Mina Harker arrives at Countess Dracula’s castle roughly how this plot is going to play out. Elaborate and beautiful language may be good for the setting – but we know this setting – and it may set the tone but it makes the book very slow to start and get past the basic plot lines we don’t already recognise.

Once we do get past that beginning it develops excellently, weaving the two stories together into a coherent whole. The Countess and her drive to bring back her beloved sister resorts to any means she can – both mystical and “scientific” – regardless of the cost and with her obsessive focus and brilliant intellect, leading to both vampirism and the monster being created.

Ash vs Evil Dead

There was absolutely no way we couldn’t cover this show, drawing on one of the most iconic zombie film series of all times. I expect very little sense, very little coherence, and a whole lot of chainsaws.

And apparently a man putting on a girdle in a trailer before heading out on what I will optimistically call a “date.” He also attaches a false hand over his stump. Yes, this is Ash – and the same actor that appeared in the original films, so rather older now.

He goes to a bar and tries to be cool, picking up a woman for sex in the toilets. Including him needing a breather half way through. It’s campy, over the top and rather classically sets the tone for the whole episode. When his partner turns all demonic and yells “they’re coming for you” (yes this riffs of “coming”. Of course it does). The woman is surprised he stopped and turned back to normal. He briefly worries about something happening that hasn’t happened in 30 years – the evil dead – before they finish having sex.

Tone has been set – but not badly, it got a laugh, I admit.

Afterwards he hurries home and finds his big ominous book under his porn and drugs. And remembers he actually recited several parts of it to impress a girl while high.

 Move to some police checking a house where they had reports of a woman screaming for her life. It is now ominously silent. I know the police don’t have the option – but I’d turn around and run right there – sorry lady, you’re on your own. Alas, Detective Amanda Fisher and her partner are braver than I and Amanda finds a body of a woman who died in terror. Even worse, John her partner finds a rocking chair that rocks by itself.

I would be out of there so fast the monsters chasing me would be stunned by the sonic boom.

They find a woman – the same woman Ash tried to impress with his evil poetry – and she twists her head around backwards to go all evil dead on them. She runs at them backwards in the most ridiculously comic zombie attack ever followed by a bloody and nasty gory fight with scissors and a shotgun. And John is killed by the antlers on the wall. As you would expect, there is spouting gore everywhere. John’s body disappears but there’s still lots of ominous noises… John’s body is running across the ceiling. Yes, the ceiling. I have no idea why things running across the ceiling is ultra creepy, it just is.

The Walking Dead, Season Six, Episode Four: Here's Not Here

Now

With tears in his eyes Morgan tells his captive that he said he wanted everything that Morgan had. Morgan tells the man he is going to give him every last bit.

Then

Morgan has clearly lost it. He paces back and forth with the radio near by that Rick left him. He screams as a fire breaks out around him.  Morgan screams repeatedly, "you know that you were supposed to."

Morgan is now in the woods and he goes on a spree bashing walkers with the but end of his gun. He then gathers all of the dead walkers and places them in a pile.  Later that night, Morgan sets the walkers on fire and watches them burn.  Another walker approaches attracted by the firelight and Morgan bashes it.  One walker walks through the fire and Morgan takes it out.

The next day, Morgan is sharpening wooden sticks and creating a barrier.  A walker stumbles forward with its hand tied and he makes short work of it before dragging it close the burning remains of the walkers from last night.  Alternately, we see him moving through the woods and drinking beside the fire.  In the woods, two men follow Morgan.  He hides behind a tree and when they catch up with him, Morgan drives a wooden stake through the neck of one and chokes the other to death saying repeatedly, "you don't".  That night, Morgan has another huge bonfire burning.  In the morning, he pulls a walker off the wooden stakes he has erected around his site. One walker has a belly wound and Morgan uses the blood to make markings on the trees around his perimeter. On the rocks he writes in blood, "pointless acts, clear" and "here's not here." Morgan is hypervigilant as he walks around his little area in the woods.  He makes his way into a clearing where flowers are blooming and sunlight is streaming through the trees.  Morgan talks to his staff saying , "you know what it is." He swings his staff as though he is fighting off an opponent though there is no one there.

Morgan hear's the sound of a goat and move towards it.  He has step over a booby trap.  Morgan follows the sound until he comes across a house.  Morgan hops over the fence and approaches the goat. A voice calls out asking Morgan to step away from the goat because she is still needed and the owner is still trying to figure out how to make cheese. Morgan looks around and when he sees the speaker, he fires a round. The speaker asks Morgan to put the gun down so that they can talk and eat. Morgan makes his way to the house and looks through a window.  Morgan continues to move around the house as the man asks him again to put down the rifle so they can talk. The man calls out that this is Morgan's last chance and that he is to lower his gun and step away from the cabin.  Morgan keeps moving though, gun at the ready.  Morgan is then hit from behind by a man holding a staff and knocked out.

When Morgan awakes, he is lying on the floor in some kind of cell with a plate of food next to him. The man enters the cabin carrying wood and asks Morgan for his name. Morgan asks the man to kill him and the man responds, "that's a stupid name; it's dangerous." Morgan again asks to be killed and when he gets no response, he screams it repeatedly.  The man walks over to Morgan's cage and tosses in a book entitled, The Art of Peace.  The man introduces himself as Eastman and leaves the house. Outside, Eastman takes out a walker to protect his goat Tabitha.  Morgan watches through a window as Eastman drags the walker away.  Morgan is eating and says repeatedly, "it's yours so you take it." Eastman brings the goat in the house for the night and asks Morgan not to hurt the goat because though Morgan shot at him, he fed him.  Eastman says goodnight to Morgan, turns out the lights and locks his door.

The next morning, a more settled Morgan watches as Eastman rushes outside and kills yet another walker.  Slowly, Morgan eats his food but he is still talking to himself.  Later, Eastman continues to work on making cheese from the goats milk.  After some time, Eastman checks his efforts and finds that once again, he has failed to make cheese and spits it out in disgust.  Later, Morgan looks out the window to find Eastman practicing the kata with his staff.

Eastman is now preparing some salad and tells Morgan that he wanted to wait awhile before they talk. Eastman says that he is from Atlanta and worked as a forensic psychiatrist.  Eastman asks what Morgan did and Morgan replies that he clears: kills anything that gets anywhere near him. When Eastman asks why, Morgan explains that this is why he is still here. Eastman gives Morgan a plate of food and tells him that his response is the biggest horse shit he has ever heard.

Morgan has managed to get the head of a zipper and is using it to loosen the window frame.  When he sees Eastman heading towards the house Morgan stops.  Eastman tells Morgan that he is suffering from PTSD.  Finally, The Walking Dead has bothered to name what its characters are going through. Morgan tells Eastman about the two men he killed the day before he arrived at the house. Morgan says that this is what he does and that he has killed a lot of people. Eastman asks if Morgan has saved anyone and Morgan calls it a pointless act because everybody turns.  Eastman asks about Morgan's wedding ring and if he had children. Eastman says that Morgan saw it all happen in front of him and that he cannot stop thinking about what happened with his family. Morgan tells Eastman that he is going to kill him because he has to kill but Eastman counters that humanity isn't meant to kill. Eastman explains that vets come back with PTSD because we aren't comfortable with killing. I gotta say that this line really blew me away. I have to admit that I have never thought about it like that. Eastmen says that of all the people he has interviewed for his job, he has only met one evil person and the rest could heal. Eastman tells Morgan that the cell door is open and that he threw the key in the river awhile back.  Eastman says that the door has been open all along and that Morgan can stay or go but he will not allow Morgan to kill him.

Morgan opens the door and attacks Eastman but is taken down to the ground. Eastman tells Morgan to stop and reminds him that he gave him two choices.  The two men struggle and this time, Morgan gets the upper hand and starts choking Eastman.  Eastman gets on top of Morgan and this time, it's Morgan who finds himself being choked. Morgan raises his hands in submission and Eastman backs off and picks up his staff.  A defeated Morgan lies on the floor.  When Eastman notices that in the struggle, the child's drawing that was hanging on the wall got ripped in half, he picks up his staff in anger and aims it at Morgan. Morgan calls out for Eastman to kill him but Eastman backs off and reminds Morgan of the choices he was given.  Morgan gets to his feet and walks back into the cage and closes the door.  Eastman picks up the drawing and then opens the cage door before walking away.  Morgan uses his foot to kick the cage door closed.

Da Vinci's Demons, Season 3, Episode 2: Abaddon

Random cryptic vision time before Leo wakes up from the ruin left by the tank, pulled to his feet but Zoroaster and his father, Pierro. Lorenzo is still fighting to try and delay the advancing Ottomans – even as they use more inventions that look like Leonard’s work. Lorenzo is captured.

There’s lots of slaughter and capturing and general awfulness in the sacked Naples, complete with that tank rumbling around causing chaos and destruction and death. The gang seeks shelter in a church while Leo starts to have genius moments

Zoroaster does his best to try and comfort some of the locals – he’s awesome and cute at it. Leo is busy being a genius and doing smart stuff – and realising that Al Rahim is the one who betrayed him and stole his designs. Al Rahim responds with cryptic riddles and insists that yes, they do want what Leonardo wants. An “enlightened world.” And to create that – they need to destroy everything first. Leo is not a fan of this idea

Of course Al Rahim is one of Leo’s hallucinations and Pierro catches him talking to himself. While Leo babbles, Pierro tries to get him to see sense and see reality. It’s not a matter of Leo vs his own genius, it’s about saving the people who are dying. He also collapses over having, presumably, killed his mother to try and stop the Turks. Leo is carrying around a mountain of guilt but Pierro is there to keep him focused on saving them

With brains, archery and a plucky child they manage to get the gathered refugees to a neighbouring building where they can flee through the hidden tunnels underneath (pointed out by Malia, a Jewish woman who knows where the tunnels the Jews use to hide are). Pierro is captured delaying the enemy so they can escape.

Lorenzo is taken before Bayezid. Bayezid’s general doesn’t care but keeps him around in case he is useful.

The captured men are gathered those who refuse to convert to Islam are executed. Pierro is in the line.

Despite everyone else escaping, Leonard decides to stay… and, of course, Zoroaster stays for him. Leo watches as Al Rahim tries to recruit Pierro – who speaks out against everything Al Rahim stands for and embraced death. Pierro is executed, saying Leo will save them right to the end.

Doctor Who, Season Nine, Episode Seven: The Zygon Invasion

Once upon a time, there were three Doctors and two Osgoods.  Think back to the 50th anniversary special when the Doctor was dealing with the destruction of Gallifrey (the day when it was impossible to get it right) and the invasion of the Zygones.  The Doctors decides to force the humans and Zygones to create a treaty by affecting their memory so that neither human or Zygone could remember their identity, thus forcing them to create a treaty that works for both sides.

Last week, Ashildr said that the Doctor solves the problems and then flies away leaving others to deal with the results.  Well in The Zygon Invasion we get to see the results of the Doctor's problem solving. In The Day of the Doctor, two Osgoods were created when a Zygon took the form from the human Osgood. In the present, the two Osgoods speak about operation double which was created to resettle and rehouse an alien race.  With Unit's help, 20 million Zygones have taken human form and are now living on earth. The Osgoods are making this recording in case something goes wrong and Unit is infiltrated or one or both of them dies.

We then flash to a scene where one Osgood stands in front of a tombstone which is inscribed with the word sister with no date of birth or death. The dead Osgood was killed by Missy.

Back to the recording where the Osgoods both claim that the Zygones are a peaceful race.  They claim that shape shifting is a survival mechanism and that any race is capable of the best and the worst. The Osgoods claim that if one Zygone or on Human goes rogue, it will destroy the peace treaty. It seems that the Doctor left the Osgoods, the Osgood Box and it is the last resort - the final sanction. Both Osgoods say that if the box is ever needed, it would be a disaster; it would mean war.

Osgoode is now in a war zone and she rushes into a building to hide.  When a Zygone approaches, she tries to hide under a desk. Osgood uses her inhaler and then frantically pulls out her phone to send a message to the Doctor.  The Zygone enters the building and then pulls Osgood out from under the desk where she is hiding and then zaps her in the forehead.

The Doctor is in the Tardis playing Amazing Grace on his guitar when he receives Osgood's message about the nightmare scenario. Is every episode going to have Capaldi playing the guitar now?

The Doctor is in Brockwell Park, London.  Several school age children mill around and the Doctor sits on a swing. The Doctor calls Clara, calling himself Doctor Disco and says that he staking out some of the most dangerous people imaginable.  The Doctor takes off his glasses (yes, the Doctor is still wearing the blasted sonic sunglasses. A pox on Moffat)  and approaches two little girls who are playing on the monkey bars, telling them that they need to talk.

In the Unit safe house, in south London, Kate Lethbridge Stewart is trying to plan what to do next now that one Osgood is dead and the other is missing.  Kate watches a video of Osgood being taken away and learns that the encryption system for Osgood's files have been hacked.

On the playground, the Doctor informs the kids that he knows that they are Zygones but they ignore him and play. The Doctor says that he knows that the factions which the twins don't control are planning something. He warns that if they don't do something the peace will end. One of the girls tells the Doctor that this is their jurisdiction and that are close to finding the rebels.  The Doctor replies that he is taking this out of their hands and steps away when his phone rings.  It's Kate, who informs the Doctor that the cease fire has broken down.  Suddenly, red smoke appears on the playground and the Doctor rushes to the two little girls.  Zygones appear out of the smoke, snatch the girls and then drive away in the truck, leaving behind a claw like mark.

The Doctor and Kate watch a recording of Osgood. Two Zygones stand guard as Osgood says that the war is about to begin and that those who oppose the Zygones will be destroyed wherever they are. Osgood says that there will be truth or there will be consequences.  The Doctor calls Clara and once again gets her answering machine. The Doctor leaves a message demanding that Clara call him now.

Clara returns home and when she checks her phone, she notes that she has missed 127 calls from the Doctor. Clearly something is up. I cannot imagine the Doctor calling even one time and Clara ignoring him, particularly given how close they have become recently. Clara quickly hangs up the phone on the Doctor when she sees a dejected Sanjeep sitting on the stairwell.  The little boy says that he cannot find his parents, so Clara instructs him to wait there while she has a look.  Clara enters the child's apartment and is approached by two Zygones masquerading as Sanjeep's parents.  The child screams but Clara is told that everything is fine.  When Clara leaves the apartment, she gets another call from the Doctor.

Clara and the Doctor meet Kate at Drakeman Junior School - the Zygone headquarters in Dulwich London.  Kate explains the treaty to Clara and the Doctor and says that he left them with an impossible situation. Yep, remember what Ashildir said last week. The Doctor simply calls it peace and asks about the two little girls.  Kate answers that the girls were impossible to deal with since Osgood left and that there's a revolution brewing in the younger brood.  The Doctor says that the Osgoods were the peace because they were Zygone and human at the same time.  The Doctor learns that when one of the Osgoods died, the other went mad with grief.  Touching the control pod for all of the Zygones on earth, the Doctor learns that the Zygones are starting to worry.  The Zygones hatched and dispersed but something has gone wrong and they are worried about what would happen if the humans knew who they were.

They get another video from the Zygones which says that their rights were violated and that they demand the right to be themselves. They force the two little girls to take their true form and then slaughter them. The Zygones say that they will kill all traitors and finish with the words, "truth or consequences."

The Doctor wants to open negotiations but Kate refuses to do so. Kate wants to bomb Turmezistan. The Doctor points out that the problem is a splinter group and that if Kate starts bombing, the rest will be radicalized.  Clara pipes up to say that Truth or Consequences is in New Mexico and she knows this because it's a Trivial Pursuit question.  It seems that Clara's little hobby is memorizing the answers so that she can win. The Doctor sends Kate to Truth or Consequences to negotiate peace and rescue Osgood. Clara and Jack are told to stay in the U.K. because this is their country. The Doctor asks about his the presidential aircraft because he likes flying about in a big plane.

The Doctor boards the plane and Kate says that they don't have many troops.  Kate talks about a previous invasion in which a member of their staff created a nerve gas to take out the Zygones but it was stolen by somebody with a Tardis.  Yes, they are talking about the same gas Harry Sullivan created to turn the Zygones inside out after he was duplicated by them (classic who, 4th Doctor). I guess that's one way to get even.

Clara and Jack head to her home to grab a couple of things.  They come across the zygones dragging out the little boy wrapped in a carpet.  Clara's big plan is to catch up to the elevator and she and Zack race down the stairs.  Clara notes that the elevator is slower than usual and when the doors open, the elevator is empty.  Clara and Zack enter the elevator and the doors close. Something starts to ooze out of the control panel of the elevator and when Clara opens the control panel. she sees Zygone parts. Clara touches it and the lights go out and the elevator starts to shake.  When the elevator door opens again, Clara and Jack cautiously step out.  In the distance, they hear the screams of the little boy. They see the zygones in their true form, so Clara suggests that they need  reinforcements.

Grimm, Season Five, Episode One: The Grimm Identity

"It is not light that we need,

but fire."

Juliette lies dead in Nick's arms. He barely has time to comprehend what has happened when armed men burst in and take Truble away.

The screen now flashes to Juliette lying in her coffin and her friends and Nick looking down at her dead body. This scene is filmed in black white. Nick returns home to his empty house and sits at the table absolutely lost.  Suddenly a box appears in colour in front of him and in the box is the face of his mother.  Then  coffins start to appear and more boxes.  The face in the box opens its eyes.

Nick awakes and finds himself on the floor.  He remembers Truble being dragged out of the house and searches for her but gets no answer.  His phone starts to ring and it's Hank, who is checking in on him.  Nick says that he was drugged, that Juliet is dead and that Truble was taken.  Nick looks at the place on the floor where Juliet's body should be and finds it missing.  Nick flashes back to his fight with Juliet and her death.

Monroe has made some waffles when Rosalee enters the kitchen. It seems she was up thinking about all of the help that Nick is going to need because eventually, Adalind is going to give birth.  They are interrupted by a call from Nick, who immediately asks if they have seen Truble. When Monroe says that they last saw Truble at Bud's, Nick explains that Truble has been taken and so has his mother's head and that Juliet is dead.  Nick hangs up promising to call them back.

Nick rushes upstairs and is still clearly disoriented from the drugs.  Nick has a vision of Truble telling him that it was Chavez who kidnapped her and that Chavez is a Wesen.  Nick rushes down the stairs when he hears Hank downstairs.  Nick explains that Truble killed Juliet to stop Juliet from killing him. Nick grabs his gun, quickly loads it and heads towards the door. Hank tells Nick to calm down and Nick explains that the men who entered the house were professional because when he tried to protect Truble, they drugged him. Hank questions why this happened and a frantic Nick explains that they took everything, so now there's on evidence that anyone was ever here. Nick doesn't believe it was the royals because he would be dead now and is instead convinced that it was Chavez. Nick reveals that Truble told him that Chavez is part of a secret government group that wants to use her to go after wesen. Hank wonders why they didn't take Nick as well since he was a Grimm and Nick explains that when Chavez was investigating, he had lost his Grimm powers.  Hank again asks Nick to slow down and Nick asks Hank to find out everything he can about Chavez.  Nick heads towards the door determined to go after Chavez. Hank tries to stop Nick, pointing out that he is going after an FBI agent but Nick is adamant that since Chavez is Wesen, he is taking her down.

At the station, Renard is informed that the cops believe that they have caught their Jack the Ripper. Apparently, the cops found the murder weapon on him. Renard tells the cops to do what they need to do to wrap it up.

Nick is driving and he remembers Chavez asking him about Truble and commenting how handy Truble is with a machete.  Nick is so lost in his thoughts that he barely avoids getting into an accident.

At the station, Wu approaches Hank to talk to him about a 911 call they just received but is cut off by Hank, who instead brings Wu into Renard's office.  Renard is on the phone talking to the mayor about the capture of the Jack the Ripper killer. As soon as Renard is off the phone, Hank tells Renard that Nick has "gone off the deep end" and is going after Chavez.  Wu and Renard are in shock, as Hank explains what happened with Juliet and Truble.  Hank says that Nick is going to take Chavez down because he believes she is behind it all.

At the FBI office, Chavez is informed that Nick is there to see her.

In Renard's office, Wu says that two bodies were found across the street from Nick's house and it looks like a home invasion. Hank wonders if it is all connected and says that Nick wants a background run on Chavez. Renard makes it clear that he doesn't want this connected to the precinct and tells both Hank and Wu that if they do it, they are not to do it here. Renard then advises that the men find Nick first.

Chavez let's Nick into her office and Nick immediately asks Chavez were Truble is. Nick yells at Chavez that she took Truble from his house last night.  Nick starts to rant and Chavez says that she doesn't know what he is talking about.  Chavez threatens to have Nick arrested and two officers drag him out of her office.

Back at the station, Wu reports that no body has been brought in matching either Truble or Juliet's description. Wu acknowledges that Juliet turned into a hexenbiest but had hoped that she would come around.  Hank however says that another body was found in the house across the street from Nick's and it was reported as a home invasion.   They are interrupted by a call from Nick, who says that he had a chat with Chavez and she knows.  Nick asks about the background check and where Chavez lives but Hank tells him that he needs to forget about this for now and return to the station.  Hank then informs Nick about his dead neighbours and he finally agrees to come in.

Renard is in his office practicing the speech he is going to give about the Jack the Ripper murders when his secretary informs him that Chavez is on the phone for him.  Chavez tells Renard that Nick made some accusations which lead her to believe that he is under a lot of stress. Renard replies that Nick has had some family problems recently but Chavez informs him that she almost had to place Nick under arrest. Chavez warns that if it happens again, it will be out of her hands and Nick will find himself in jail. Renard promises to ensure that it doesn't happen again.

Back at the station, Hank tells Nick about his dead neighbours.  Nick says that this is how the royal family controlled the area to get to his mother.  Renard tells Nick that he needs to see him in his office. Once in the office, an angry Renard confronts Nick about his visit to the FBI. Renard tells Nick that if he doesn't stop, he will get arrested on federal charges.  Nick explains what Chavez is part of a secret government organisation but Renard stops him cold, promising that they will investigate. When Renard tells Nick that he needs to take some time, Nick questions if Renard believes him. Nick says that he doesn't need time but Renard makes it clear that if Nick doesn't take time, he will be suspended. Renard warns Nick that if he goes near Chavez again, he will be facing a lot more than a suspension. An angry Nick storms out of Renards office and moves to leave the building.  Nick catches up with Hank and tells him what happened in the office. Hank believes it might not be a bad idea for Nick to take some time, causing Nick to say that Hank doesn't believe him either.

Z Nation, Season Two, Episode Eight: The Collector

The crew stop to take stock of their supplies.  They are extremely short on ammunition food and gas. Warren assures the group that they will find a way to get Murphy to California.  Murphy is asleep in the back of the car and he dreams of seeing Doc and the brains that lie under Doc's skull.  Doc wakes Murphy from his dreams to help him find some edible food.  In the woods, Doc tries munching on a tree bark but ends up spitting it out. When the Doc hears the car horn, he tells Murphy it's time to go. Murphy doesn't follow because he is captivated by a brain just hanging from a tree. Murphy reaches for the brains and falls into a trap. His hat on the ground is the only indicator of where he has gone.

The crew decides to head into the woods and look for Murphy. Warren is not impressed that Doc lost Murphy.  In his little trap, Murphy regains consciousness and finds himself facing a zombie who is munching on brains.  The zombie offers Murphy a bite of his brains and Murphy sticks his finger in the brain matter before putting his finger in his mouth. Wow, it looks like Murphy is turning more and more into a zombie. Murphy stands and calls out for help.

The group are angry about the missing Murphy as Doc leads them to where he believes is the last place he saw Murphy is.  Murphy kills sometime interacting with the zombie. The collector charges in and hog ties Murphy. The angry zombie tries to come to Murphy's rescue but the collector is wearing protective body armor and promptly kills the zombie.  The collector then cuts off the zombie's head as Murphy watches.

The group has made their way back to the car and still no Murphy. Vasquez says that Murphy is going to spend the rest of his days in shackles if he has anything to say about it.

Murphy regains consciousness and finds himself strapped to a cold metal table.  The collector is now whistling and he notices that Murphy's eyes are following him.  Murphy watches as the collector opens up the zombie's head and pulls out the brain.  The collector says that he wishes he were a doctor. He adds that the quacks at the CDC should have listened to him. The collector then begins his examination of Murphy and comments on how mellow Murphy is.  When Murphy speaks, the collector takes a note.  The collector says that he is going to have to remove Murphy's brain to see if it matches the brains of the typical zombies. Murphy then asks for water and is given the nickname bright eyes.  Yep a nice little reference to Planet of the Apes. The collector lifts Murphy's head and gives him some water. The collector is ecstatic to find his first talking zombie. The collector says that Murphy's skin is deteriorating but he is conscious. Murphy tries to explain that he accidentally stumbled into the trap.

The collector then plays the recording from Citizen Z, informing the population of Murphy.  The collector the pronounces Murphy half man/ half zombie. The collector opens Murphy's shirt and looks at the bites to confirm Murphy's identity.

Murphy is now off the lab table and the collector continues to take notes on the things he notices about Murphy. Murphy is wearing a shock collar because the collector believes that Murphy is dangerous. Murphy warns that his friends are going to be looking for him but the collector says that they are taking Murphy to the idiots at the CDC lab.  The collector shows Murphy all of the unopened letters he sent to the CDC and warns Murphy to stay away from the CDC. Murphy concedes that his interactions with the CDC have left him less than impressed.  The collector tells Murphy to relax because he doesn't want the bounty and only wants to know what it is to be Murphy.

The collector gives Murphy a tour of the zombie museum that he is creating as he continues to rant about the CDC.  The collector  shows Murphy his collection of zombie movie posters.  When Murphy is slightly critical of Dawn of the Dead, he gets an electric shock for his trouble. The collector says that Murphy is to be revered and that people will travel great distances to be in his presence.  Murphy talks about how filthy the apocalypse is and the collector offers Murphy a hot shower.  This is a rare find in the apocalypse.

The crew are still looking for Murphy and can find no sign of him. Warren says that without Murphy, there is no mission.

Murphy gets out of the shower and puts on clean clothes.  While Murphy has been showering, the collector has wrangled up another zombie.  Murphy bashes the man in the head and tries to escape but he is shot with a tranquilizer gun.  The collector screams that if anyone wants to see Murphy, they are going to have to come to him.

Murphy wakes up and finds that the collector is taking a blood sample.  The collector decides to record an interview with Murphy and when Murphy doesn't answer, he is shocked for his failure to comply.  Murphy decides to play along.  The collector takes a swab of Murphy's mouth and prepares to take a bone marrow sample to discover if Murphy is more human than zombie.  The collector jams the eight inch needle in Murphy's leg and Murphy screams.

Haven, Season 5, Episode 17: Wild Card

Dave has more scary dreams – a vision warning him of a woman being attacked.

So he and Vince go to check it out… alone. C’mon guys you have more brains than this. They find no killer – but thy do find the woman alive. Unfortunately, like everyone else exposed to void-beasties, she doesn’t remember a thing. Dwight hopes Gloria will be able to do something

She can’t use her lab because of a random Trouble. Goria is always awesome. She can’t restore memories –but she can test if people have lost time. They realise they all have, that day – the beastie has been around.

Now Charlotte and Dwight are all couply and romantic (and clearly just woke up together) – and Dwight address the whole immortality thing when she raises the idea of them living “happily ever after.” So she’ll still look like this and he will lose that impressive torso (thank you Haven by the way).

She and Audrey go to the massive stack of Aether which they have to control/convert together. Charlotte’s plan is create a new non-killy barn.

There’s a random man ranting about horsemen of the apocalypse. In any other town that would just be random ranting guy – in Haven it means a man being trampled to death by invisible horses, of course.

Later Dwight and Nathan find another body who looks burned and pummelled. Both dead men had roman numeral tattoos – but different numbers. The body helpfully has a list of names attached which may take a while to look up because Haven no longer has phone lines or internet or computers.

Dwight has a random bruise which Nathan turns into a sex joke which then goes into the deepe end of talking about dating immortals. And Nathan gets a Roman Numeral X while Dwight gets VII. Not a good sign.

Charlotte and Audrey, working with the Aether, get their own numbers VIII (Chalotte coming with a lot of fatigue) and II (Audrey can’t see). Dwight realises this is just a bit too targeted – though Audrey and Charlotte have to continually push to keep working on the Aether despite both being incapacitated. They also have doubts about their skill to control the Aether since Mara learned all her skills from her dad – which is a nice exposition lead in to daddy being all dangerous and obsessed with his research which got him banished.