Stargate Universe - Sabotage, S01E16

I should call a foul on how easily Stargate Universe fixed one of the problems it had intentionally created for itself, but, as the episode made good sense and was interesting in its own way, I will let it pass. Not, however, without comment.

I am, of course, referring to how easily Chloe (Elyse Levesque), Eli (David Blue), and Scott (Brain J. Smith) were returned to the Destiny. I had expected some complicated mess, where either Eli managed to get the other alien ship working again, or they returned to that paradise planet and the aliens who created it helped them out there. But, while my ideas would have been cool, they would also have been complicated and time consuming and may have prevented other story lines requiring Chloe, Eli, and Scott for some time. So, creating a sabotage plot preventing the Destiny from being fully out of range of the stargate was actually a clever, though quick, fix.

Then, we had our 4th intelligent use of the communication crystals. That's right, I am praising the use of the communication crystals. Why? Because it was intelligent! It forwarded the plot, instead of having some useless foray into the lives the crew left behind that resembled the soon-to-be-cancelled Melrose Place. Allowing the alien race to use the communication crystals to take over the bodies of people on board creates drama and tension, and bringing scientists on the ship to fix problems rather than just sending people on pleasure trips home is cool.

Kathleen Munroe, whom you may remember as the amnesiac on Republic of Doyle earlier this year, was absolutely brilliant as Amanda Perry. Mandy is disabled, unable to do anything for herself, so watching Munroe interact on the ship, having taken Wray (Ming-Na)'s body, was watching art. Her physicality, holding her arms in such an awkward way, was perfect. Meanwhile Wray got to spend time with her girlfriend, also the challenge of the disabled body was there too.

Finally, Young (Justin Louis) actually got to demonstrate both his strengths and his weaknesses. When it became necessary that someone sit in the chair (a potentially fatal act), Young insisted on doing it. Yes, it shows that he is brave, but, as the leader, he should not put himself in that kind of danger, as who would be able to lead them as well *scoff scoff* when he is gone?

Luckily, he didn't have to. The man whom the chair had previously put in a coma recovered just in time to save the day.

I could also go on about the morals of being in another persons body and using it as if it were truly your own - I was very glad that Rush (Robert Carlyle) and Mandy did not sleep together while she was in Wray's body - and I could also talk about the soul and how much it might or might not be affected by the packaging, but those are topics that are possibly still a little too serious for Stargate Universe. Give it a few more weeks. It's still getting better.

Thoughts?

Miami Medical - Calle Cubana, S01E06

Festivals are always a busy time for hospitals. Between the drinking and the insanities of having too much fun, people hurt themselves far worse than in any other circumstances. No surprise that Alpha team was very busy repairing a myriad of injuries.

While Eva (Lana Parrilla) helped a teenager from a bad neighbourhood who had been left for dead at the entrance to the hospital, Serena (Elisabeth Harnois) took a special interest in a stabbing victim who had protected his wallet, and pictures of his late wife and child, from 3 attackers, and Tuck (Omar Gooding) paid his usual, tender attentions to the sister of another stabbing victim.

I like the attention Miami Medical pays to the Cuban population of the city. Eva has come a long was since she was a teenager at a high school where the life expectancy isn't more than 17. As depressing as that is, to know someone got out, that there is a chance for a better life even starting so low, is so full of hope that you can't help but smile and hope too. But it also credits that betterment to luck as well as effort. Had no one helps Eva, had her patient not ended up in her care, maybe neither of them would have had the chance to improve their lots.

As for the two stabbing victims, it was apparent from early on that they were linked. Regardless of how kind a man Serena's patient seemed, and he did a very good job of seeming kind, I knew from the start that he was the attacker himself, from the moment we met/saw the second victim. What I did not see coming was what happened after Alpha team figured it out. I assumed that the man's plan would be to try to finish what he started, to kill the girl he had attacked before she had a chance to denounce him. Instead, he ran. And during his escape, he encountered Tuck and stabbed him in the heart with a pair of scissors.

After watching Tuck be so kind to the sister of the true victim of the stabbing attack, and knowing just how good a nurse he is, how much Alpha team relies on him, to see him stabbed was simply awful. Unexpected and heartbreaking, we do not even know how long he was unconscious before he was found, if he is likely to suffer brain damage nothing. And what's worse is that the SOB who did this to him escaped.

And in the moment the team found Tuck and began to work on him, we were again reminded of why Proctor (Jeremy Northam) was chosen to be the team lead over Eva and Chris (Mike Vogel). While they and Serena were in a panic over what had happened to their friend, Proctor maintained his distance and forced them to do the same so that they would be able to help him as they would any other patient, rather than have their judgement and abilities clouded by emotions.

Hopefully Tuck will recover, though I would enjoy seeing have to work for that recovery. It would be far more realistic. If that doesn't happen, I won't mind either. What are your thoughts?

Supernatural - Two Minutes to Midnight, S05E21

With only one episode left of the season, knowing that next episode will be the showdown that either brings on the end of the world or saves it, how is it that I still find myself laughing and smiling just as much as I am cringing?

Supernatural combines extreme talent of every sort - acting, writing, directing, etc. I always expect the best, and, even in the most absurd episode (I'm looking at the one with the suicidal Teddy bear), I always get just that. With so little time to tell so much, Dean (Jensen Ackles) and Sam (Jared Padalecki) took their time on their mission to recover the ring from Pestilence. It was over within the first half of the episode, and yet it did not feel at all rushed or lacking in development.

There was still time in the episode for amusement, such as Bobby (Jim Beaver) and Crowley (Mark Sheppard)'s kiss and Cas (Misha Collins)'s return, as well as emotions, with Bobby regaining the use of his legs.

The second half, Sam and Dean separated so that each could accomplish the two tasks necessary to stop imminent disaster, and, again, both missions were completed successfully, believably, and taking just the right amount of time, leaving us fully satisfied that all that needs to take place next week is a battle of wills between Sam and Lucifer, which should end with Lucifer back in Hell and the Apocalypse put off for a while to come.

What will happen next? I don't think any of us expected Dean to actually end up in Hell despite having sold his soul, but he did and the ensuing plot lines were absolutely splendid. If Sam lets Lucifer in, says yes, then gets him back in jail, I doubt there will be a quick fix to returning him to Dean anymore than there was a quick fix returning Dean to Sam then.

But have we even considered the possibility that they won't win? Might Lucifer find another way and we have another season of Apocalyptic disaster? What do you think will happen on the Season Finale of Season 5, and during Season 6?

Vampire Diaries - Isobel, S01E21

Penultimate episode WIN! The second last episode of the Vampire Diaries' first season continued to make things more interesting and more complicated leading up to the finale.

First, Isobel (guest star Mia Kirshner) showed up to break Alaric (Matt Davis)'s heart just a little bit more and prove herself a real bitch to her daughter. Focused on getting the device back from Damon (Ian Somerhalder), Isobel threatened everyone Elena (Nina Dobrev) loves. After breaking Matt (Zach Roerig)'s arm, she kidnapped Jeremy (Steven R. McQueen). And she did get what she wanted.

What's worse is that the thing was not disabled, as Bonnie (Katerina Graham) promised. The little witch betrayed Elena by saying she had removed the device's ability to hurt vampires when she hadn't, rather than simply refusing to do the task. Somehow I feel this was the worst thing to happen in the episode.

But Isobel did do some good deeds while she was around. Although Alaric will not remember it, she glamoured him into getting over her, so he should be able to move on with his life. She also forced Matt to rely on Tyler (Michael Trevino)'s help when he was hurt, which may allow the boys to reconcile.

Otherwise, Jeremy finally confronted Elena about the whole vampire thing, furious with her for invading his privacy by making him forget Vicki, as well as not trusting him with her secrets. He also told her that his feelings for Anna (Malese Jow) ran deep, knowing that she was a vampire and knowing that she had once been planning on killing him.

I'm interested in seeing how this and his new bond with Uncle John (David Anders), who hates vamps, will play out in the season finale.

Uncle John, by the way, is Elena's real dad, making her just as much of a Gilbert as Jeremy, even if he is not her blood brother.

Oh, and Damon is in love with Elena (duh.)

With all that excitement, what is waiting for us in the finale? Who will die now that John has the vamp killing device, and what sort of terror does it promise us for next season.

I just hope that the cliff hanger isn't so cliff hangery that I can't stand the summer for preventing me from discovering what happens next!

The Mentalist - 18-5-4, S02E21

No wonder some people have such fear of clowns, when television and movies conspire to make them so utterly terrifying. The clown we saw in the first few moments of the episode not only stalked a man who was clearly scared out of his wits, but also shot him in the chest and cut off his finger. And if that wasn't scary enough, the make up was that of a killer clown, not the friendly variety...though perhaps that would have been even more upsetting.

As for the rest of the episode, I am getting tired, as I'm sure you have noticed, of Patrick Jane (Simon Baker). I still find him absolutely charming and clever, and he never ceases to get a smile out of me, but, despite his excessive pride, he is too perfect. He is too clever, never missing a clue, never failing to figure out what is happening. He is too good at too many things. In this episode, he proved himself an excellent chess player, as well as capable of talking to the insane without upsetting them, and we already know about so many other talents which he has. If he had not suffered from his encounter with Red John, I wonder if there would be anything to like about him at all since, at least a little, you can assume he's not quite as arrogant as he once was.

But maybe it's just that I miss the feeling that The Mentalist distributed focus over all the agents, rather than only on Jane with a side of Lisbon (Robin Tunney). Cho (Tim Kang) barely did anything except chase a suspect, and while I do love watching Cho case people, I prefer to see him in the interrogation room. We did not get a lot of that.

I can't even remember if Rigsby (Owain Yeoman) accomplished anything of note in the entire episode, and Van Pelt (Amanda Righetti) used her computer skills and that's about it.

I'm not saying that I didn't enjoy all of Jane's sparing matches with potential suspects, but, despite the fact that it is called The Mentalist, and the pictures in the opening are only of Jane, I don't want to watch the Patrick Jane show every week. Let's try a mix of 50% Jane, 50% Lisbon, Cho, Rigsby, and Van Pelt so that I take pleasure in Jane's shenanigans, rather than feel they are getting tedious.

But maybe this is just me. How are you feeling about the Mentalist of late? Too much Jane, or is that an impossible assertion?

Happy Town - I Came to Haplin for the Waters, S01E02

Happy Town is in its second week, and while the ratings are dropping, the crazy is certainly increasing. Which may be why it's not having an easy time finding an audience. I'm sort of fascinated by all the weird stuff going on, the darkness, and the mystery, but that stuff doesn't generally have mass appeal. Too bad, because I really get the sense that it's building towards something very creepy and very cool.

If last week wasn't enough, this week gave more introduction to the nutty folk who control Haplin. We were introduced to Mrs Haplin (Frances Conroy), who not only runs the town but has the power to chose the interim Sheriff, and she picks Tommy Conroy (Geoff Stults) to take over for his incapacitated father not because he's the best qualified but because he suits her best. With a murder to solve and a whole lot of crazy going on, Tommy's going up against a whole lot more than he can handle.

Add to that the fact that Tommy was, in fact, able to solve the murder and discovered that his best friend, Big Dave (Abraham Benrubi), killed the guy believing he was the magic man. Now Dave was a few fries short of a happy meal, so Tommy's desire to protect him was a little odd, but the show has done a very good job of showing that Haplin is a small town which functions on its own subset of laws and rules. Let's just hope what Big Dave knows, regardless of how badly he misused the information, helps Tommy out.

And what is the deal with Dan Farmer (Peter Outerbridge)? Supposedly a State Agent, he drugged Georgia (Sarah Gadon) and dragged her to that farm. Or did he? Did something else happen to her, make her trip out, which had nothing to do with him? I didn't like him from the moment we saw him, but I can't tell who's a good guy and who's a bad guy based on whom I like.

Take Henley (Lauren German) and Merritt Grieves (Sam Neill). I like both these characters; I find them interesting and exciting. I can't, however, help but feel like whatever they've got going on, it's not in the interest of anyone but themselves.

And what is the significance of the goat hammer Henley stole from the 3rd floor. And more importantly, what's with that hawk? What sort of weird black magic is going on, and who's at the centre of it?

***News Flash***

Happy Town has been pulled. While this Wednesday, the 3 episode will be aired, the remaining 5 episodes will have to wait until after May sweeps to complete their run. Too bad, but not unexpected. What are your thoughts?

Bones - The Witch in the Wardrobe, S05E20

This show got lucky. I was bored and it happened to be on, and it was an entertaining and excellent episode so I watched it. After last week, I wasn't even certain I was going to finish the season, but it has earned yet another reprieve. I guess that what years of loyalty and the sincere desire for it to deliver have earned it.

While Bones (Emily Deschanel), Booth (David Boreanaz), and the rest try to determine who burnt down a house a murdered a witch, Hodgins (T.J. Thyne) and Angela (Michaela Conlin) are stuck in jail after they were pulled over for poor driving and both had outstanding warrants. Oops. On the one side, we had the mystical mystery of a dead witch, and on the other the romance that I have been most torn up about in Bones relationships.

I was very pleased with the use of forensics and historical research to determine the identity of old bones assembled in a closet. I also loved that Clark (Eugene Byrd) had to design his own experiment because Hodgins was in jail. The difficulties incurred because Angela and Hodgins weren't available was amazing; all the team members are needed to properly and effectively determine the truth.

Adding to the above, that part of the motive was caused by hallucinogens which were accidentally absorbed from a ceremonial agent - rye flour, the details of the case were very complex and believable

And, while in no way do I want to remove the focus from the fact that good science and exciting mystery made this case what I have come to expect from Bones and so often not found of late, there can be no denying that I am beside myself with joy over the outcome of Angela and Hodgins spending several days together in jail.

Finally, this couple has reunited. And not only that, but they married before anything or anyone could possibly stop them from accomplishing what should have happened 2 years ago.

Looks like everyone in Bones except Booth and Brennan are tying the knot - I guess they are trying to keep us happy. Cam (Tamara Taylor) is likely to be next!

Let's just hope the feeling lasts until the end of the season.

Vampire Diaries - Blood Brothers, S01E20

In Blood Brothers, we finally got the entire story about Damon (Ian Somerhalder) and Stefan (Paul Wesley)'s transformations from men to vampires. I was pleased both to finally have the answer and to find that the answer fit perfectly with all the knowledge we already had about the incidents.

I love watching the flashback segments. Watching Stefan and Damon choose to die, though Stefan seems less in love with the idea, and Damon only wants it because he sees no reason to live without Katherine, and that having that choice changed helped explain their current dynamic. That Stefan's first kill was his own father, a father who ensured that his sons were remembered as heroes and humans, not as the traitors he saw them as, undermined a lot of our preconceptions of Stefan, as his blood addictions has been doing. And for him then to coerce Damon into joining him...the pain of the love those brothers have for each other, completely embittered by their jealousy over Katherine...no wonder they hate each other so much.

And if awesome flashbacks weren't enough, we got to see more of Damon and Alaric (Matthew Davis) working together. Best conversation? "You tried to kill me," accused Damon. "Well, you did kill me," returned Alaric. They have a great dynamic, and despite all the reasons they have to hate each other, I hope a friendship develops and we continue to get to see them working together.

And despite all the drama of Stefan's choice to live and Alaric's to give up on Isobel, that wasn't enough. We then had to watch Anna (Malese Jow) lose her mother, killed by Johnathan Gilbert (David Anders), and have the surprise of seeing Isobel finally showing up. With only two more episodes of the season left, I am at the edge of my seat and certain that I will hate the summer months.

Glee - Bad Reputation, S01E17

Reputation, reputation, reputation. What do we value more than our reputations? They don't have to have anything to do with who we really are as long as everyone has a certain perspective of us and we can maintain it. And even when we are older, and don't want to maintain it anymore, it is so easy to sink back into that pattern without thinking.

My thoughts on this episode were:

Holy crap! Olivia Newton John?!? I could not believe that she was guest starring, and in such a hilarious way. Good for her for being able to make fun of herself as well as for redoing Let's Get Physical with Sue (Jane Lynch). That was just amazing.

Will (Matthew Morrison) is a slut. Or a man whore, depending on whose expression you want to use. I am very proud of Emma (Jayma Mays) for standing up for herself, although I am a little creeped out that Sue has baby monitors all over Will's apartment. And that scene at the end, when Will just wanted to regain that awe-inspired look Emma used to give him, but she had learned from what had happened, and her eyes were open. That was beautiful.

Glee does such an excellent job of interspersing the adult story lines with the teen ones.

Finally, heart break of heart breaks - Rachel (Lea Michele) creates the most fantastic video using 3 men opposite her in Run, Joey, Run, and ends up losing her boyfriend, Jesse (Jonathan Groff) because he is so hurt. I have to remember they are both teenagers, so slapping them upside the head and saying "Get over her one tiny mistake," probably wouldn't cut it. Frankly, I would have much rather had them break up because Rachel kissed Puck (Mark Salling) cause then, at least, we would have got a Puckelberry kiss!

Also, the "rehabilitation" worked, I guess, but I'm going to admit that I have always liked those songs, even if they weren't considered cool. Then again, I have to deny all claims to having any musical knowledge...so, I'm allowed to like songs with Bad Reputations.

What was the high light of the episode for you?

V - Hearts and Minds, S01E10

The Vs always seem a step ahead of the 5th Column. That may be because the 5th Column is human, is feeling emotions, and is driven in a non-mindless way to achieve its goals. Anna (Morena Baccarin) has no such scruples and even has some humans on her side, as well as many agents who appear human.

Father Jack (Joel Gretsch) has some issues about death. He put the entire 5th Column in danger when he warned Chad (Scott Wolf) about the danger to the V only shuttles. Not only was it foolish as how can he be sure that Chad, who spends so much time with the V, isn't seduced by Anna's power and personality, but also because there is no way that Anna would have put any human on a ship with V planning to come down to Earth to annihilate some humans.

The question of whose side Chad is really on gets tricky when this betrayal is considered. Even if feeding Anna information to make him seem like a compliant source is necessary, this particular move just put the 5th Column at the top of the FBI's most wanted list. And, along with Erica (Elizabeth Mitchell), Malik (Rekha Sharma) is now leading a government agency in the work of her queen - BTW, I hope you all saw it coming that she was the other V in the agency.

We are promised an interesting competition as the two leaders of that team have opposing intentions - Erica wants to save the world and the 5th Column, Malik wants whatever Anna wants.

Finally, although Lisa (Laura Vandervoort) supposedly passed the emotions test, her mother is becoming suspicious, and, when Lisa failed to achieve her target (well, actually, when Lisa let her target go), Anna had no qualms about beating her own daughter to a pulp to achieve a desired affect. Too bad Anna doesn't understand emotions well enough to realize that she may have lost her daughter's loyalty by that move.

I guess we will have to wait to see how everything develops!

The Good Wife - Mock, S01E20

And it's a win for Team Florrick. Peter (Chris Noth)'s desperate and crazy move of following Alicia (Julianna Margulies) out of the apartment to try to get her back seems to have worked, and I'm sure many of us have mixed feelings about this.

Peter's move, provoked by raw emotion rather than any kind of thought, is the sort of action we all wish a man would take to prove that he loves us. That is, if we ignore the fact that such a move was very likely to get him thrown in jail. And if his move didn't get your heart going with excitement and terror, his children's actions following his choice just made the heart melt. Grace (Makenzie Vega) and Zach (Graham Phillips) did what they could, including Zach breaking his arm, to keep their father home with them. And who didn't love Elsbeth Tascioni (True Blood's Carrie Preston)? Lawyers with that much sass get what they want very easily.

The rest of the episode didn't have the same flare or energy as those first moments, which was a little disappointing. I'm not sure if it was the unstructured nature of the case Alicia was pursuing on her own time, or the lack of interaction between the firm partners and the juniors, but it didn't have the same magic as The Good Wife usually does. But by the end of the episode, when returning to the family drama, we were back at the edge of our seats when a man who threatened to inform on Peter was found dead...apparently having committed suicide.

Despite one case I wasn't enthralled by, The Good Wife is one of the best new shows, and promises to have some great episode concluding the rest of the season, as well as more excitement in season 2.

Chuck - Chuck vs the Role Models, S03E15

Now that Chuck (Zachary Levi) and Sarah (Yvonne Strahovski) are official, their first mission is to learn how to be a couple and be great spies. Regardless of how utterly irritating Operation Bartowski must be, you know that General Beckman (Bonita Friedericy) has a soft spot for this most unconventional team, and she wants them to continue succeeding.

This episode contained the most interesting menagerie. From a tiger in the bedroom, to a snake in the jungle, to Morgan (Joshua Gomez) presenting himself as bait, the wild was loose and dangerous. But, never fear, the Ring is still very active. Although we hadn't seen them since Daniel Shaw's death, they've still been plotting, and Devon (Ryan McPartlin) and Ellie (Sarah Lancaster) are the centre of that plan. Their trip to Africa to save the world (or at least the sick people in Africa) was cut short when Devon came down with Malaria. Only, it wasn't malaria. Let's just hope that whatever the Ring infected him with was only an illusion to get him back to Burbank.

In Burbank, the adventure was much more goofy and fun, as Chuck and Sarah had to face off with their supposed mentors, Laura and Craig Turner (Swoosie Kurtz and Fred Willard). 30 years in the business is not easy on a young, idealistic couple, revisiting the idea that maybe Chuck and Sarah should just run, but who wants that?

So, with 4 episodes left in the season, we are returning to a Ring-centric plotline. I just hope that Dr. SuperFantastic white person and his gorgeous and lovely wife can escape the line of fire Chuck and the Ring are putting them into. Thoughts?

Castle - Food to Die For, S02E22

While the tension between Kate Beckett (Stana Katic) and Richard Castle (Nathan Fillion) continues to increase due to Beckett's new interest, Tom Demming (Michael Trucco), the murder mysteries remain consistently interesting and mysterious.

A renown chef is murdered, bathed in Nitroglycerin. Although Beckett and Castle follow multiple money trails, none of them lead to a believable story as to why the man was killed. When they finally realize that the motive was love, Beckett and Castle find themselves talking to other people, yet again, and reaching the same conclusions apart at the same time. There is no denying the bond the two share, nor the similarities is the way their minds process information.

We, the viewers, know how great Castle and Beckett's chemistry is, and we know how great a couple they would make. If you've read Heat Wave, you know that they could become a couple and the writers could still keep their relationship entertaining, and not end up losing their audience a la Moonlighting. Yet, what kind of impression does Castle generally give about his ability to be in a committed relationship? His two marriages don't speak very well for him, and when he speaks about them, the impression only worsens.

And then Demming was introduced. He's hot and passionate and a good guy. There is no reason that Kate shouldn't go for him; their love for Chinese food unites them forever. But in the back of her mind, a little voice is saying "What about Castle?" Which is the right risk to take? Should Beckett commit to Demming, knowing what that relationship is likely to bring to her, or should she throw that away in favour of the adventure that would be a relationship with Castle? Can we really blame the girl that she probably wants to do both?

The Mentalist - Red All Over, S02E20

Patrick Jane (Simon Baker) may be an incredible clever and charismatic guy who always seems to know who committed a crime and is always able to get a confession from that person, though not always through the most legal of means, but sometimes his actions are callous and cruel.

Although Jane improved on his crazy techniques this episode - he actually informed the rest of the CBI team what he was planning on doing to gain a confession from the murderer - his actions put a little girl at risk. Not at physical risk, I doubt Jane would do such a thing anyway, and Lisbon (Robin Tunney) would not have gone along with such a thing, but the child was at risk of emotional damage.

Her father was murdered, and by her grandfather of all people. Not even for the right reasons. The family patriarch had no qualms about his son driving him out of a position of power in the family business, but when he suspected that his wife was having an affair and that her child was not his, but his son's, he went into a rage. The most tragic part of the entire mess was that the son he killed was not the son who had fathered the child.

Jane's plan to convince the man that his granddaughter had witnessed the murder worked well. The grandfather, fearful, it seemed in his confession, for the mental stability of the child, wished to reassure her that he had meant no harm, that they were just playing. The problem is that the child had not been in the room, was not even certain in the way adults are that her father was dead, and could easily have been traumatized by her grandfather's words had she properly understood them. When her mother slapped Jane across the face, I cheered.

And while Jane was not busy tracking down the murderer, he was playing with a Cult Leader. The clashing of the two, and the clearly illegal, but not clearly associated with him, actions that some of the cult members were involved in promise an ongoing battle. I look forward to seeing another villain for Jane to butt heads with, particularly one who is not afraid to show his face, relying more on the inability to tie the crimes to him to protect him than invisibility.

Does this mean Red John might actually be caught? Or will there be two villains to pursue? Or are we going to be given some relief when this new villain is caught after a comparatively short time, while Red John continues to give us the slip?

The Pacific - Part 8: Iwo Jima

Alright, well, I'm just going to sit here and cry for a little bit before I have the heart to put my feelings after watching this episode into words.

Last week, we lost Cpt. Haldane (Scott Gibson), picked off by a sniper. It was horrible and sad. I didn't think they could actually make me feel worse about a soldier's death. And I was very wrong about that.

Watching John Basilone (Jon Seda) finally manage to be able to return to active duty after suffering so long as a hero in name, but only in action past, filled me with a mix of understanding and sadness. I never doubted he would return to the war, never doubted that he had any other goals. That he had lost his best friend and that so many of his friends had stayed behind to fight and to die while he was given so many favours and was safe at home never sat well with him.

So he returns and begins training the new recruits. He doesn't want them going in feeling as useless and unsure of themselves has he had his first time, and he proves himself a leader as compassionate and wonderful as Haldane.

Next, he meets a woman. A woman whom he considers superior to all the other women he has ever met in his life, Lena Riggi (Annie Parisse). Most men, when they meet that woman, they marry her, and John was no exception. He wooed and won himself the perfect bride.

And then he had a choice - he could go home when his term of duty ended, or he could renew it and stay with his men. And I knew the choice that a man like John Basilone would make. He stayed on. And he went to Iwo Jima. And although he did a wonderful job rallying his men, he was shot down the first day of combat, and never saw his wife again.

It's very much the tragic Hollywood story, meant to draw our tears. But it is history, not just a story. John Basilone lived once. He had a wife and family, and he had friends. And he chose to stay with those friends, to continue to fight for his country, for his family, and for his wife, and he died for them.

That fight was so long ago, it's harder to understand why he fought. He could have gone home. He could have lived. He could still be alive today, or at least have lived into this century. But he chose to fight. And I can't be upset with him, no matter how sad it makes me, because, while he was a man who could have lived with a lot of things, he could never have lived with hearing the casualty rates from Iwo Jima and not thought to himself "How many of those men might have lived had I been there to help them?"

Murdoch Mysteries - Future Imperfect, S03E08

I have run out of words to describe how pleased I am with Season 3 of Murdoch Mysteries. It is no surprise that we have received yet another excellent episode, nor that plot lines developed earlier are being renewed and characters known previously have returned.

While examining Eugenics in its infancy, this episode, filled with support for Eugenics from characters we question, such as the returning James Pendrick (Peter Stebbings) and the promiscuous HG Wells, and disgust for it from those we respect, such as William Murdoch (Yannick Bisson), also gave us a dash of romance and a pinch of renewed suspicion.

Murdoch continues to feel a very strong sense of doubt about the motive of Pendrick, and though he was able to keep his personal feelings in check while he investigated, they could not remain completely uninvolved. Murdoch did not cease his investigation into Pendrick's involvement in a murder somehow related to the newly formed Eugenics society, pushing ahead despite Pendrick's prominent place in society. This may not be the first time that Murdoch has ignored rank and power in the search of the truth, but it is the first time he took so much pleasure in the discomfort of the man he investigated. And although he determined Pendrick's innocence in this matter, his concern for the threat the man causes society lead him to offer his help to Mrs. Pendrick should she ever require it.

The case was an interesting study in Eugenics. A gentleman refused to allow his daughter to marry a man because his family suffered a variety of faults, from criminal involvement to disease. Although he changed his mind because of his love for that daughter and her happiness, the man he refused killed him in a rage before he was able to express his changed opinion. In contrast to Murdoch's outright refusal to ever sanctify Eugenics, this man fully believed in it, saying "Hang me and put an end to my mongrel existence."

But, however interesting all that was, I am certain that some of the viewers are only concerned with the romances which were in full bloom. Murdoch and Julia Ogden (Helene Joy) have been often seen together, going out. It may seem to some that their relationship is progressing without a hitch, and were it a relationship of the 21st century, that may be so, but we are looking at the very beginning of the 20th century, and there William and Julia ought to be talking marriage by now.

Murdoch was told last week that he would have to make a great sacrifice for love. I would argue that he already has, but that is not the point. And this week, we learn that Julia is missing something in her life, something to do with her love life, and Murdoch is not filling that void. What new challenge will our lovers face? Frankly, as long as they don't touch the abortion subject again, I'm sure I will love wherever this story is going.

And if you want a romance which seems even less likely but somehow more likely to succeed, we have only to look at the dashing George Crabtree (Jonny Harris), who spent the episode saving dogs, and the affection he has earned from Ruby Ogden (Sarah Gadon). What a perfect match she has found after all her chasing of excitement and danger - a man who is strong and steady and always honest.

Will we see Ruby again this season? And what about Pendrick? What case will he get tied up in next?