Below is a list of my favorite episodes from Season Four of the Netflix series, “THE CROWN”. Created by Peter Morgan, the series starred Olivia Colman and Tobias Menzies as Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh:
TOP FIVE FAVORITE EPISODES OF “THE CROWN” SEASON FOUR (2020)
1. (4.08) “48:1” – While many nations condemn apartheid in South Africa, tensions mount between Queen Elizabeth II and Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher over their clashing opinions on applying sanctions.
2. (4.02) “The Balmoral Test” – Thatcher and her husband visit Balmoral Castle for a weekend with the Royal Family, but has trouble fitting in. Meanwhile Charles finds himself torn between his feelings for Camilla Parker-Bowles and family duty to get married and produce a future heir. This leads to young Lady Diana Spencer’s own weekend visit at Balmoral.
3. 4.06) “Terra Nullius” – During the Prince and Princess of Wales’ state visit to Australia; Diana, Princess of Wales struggles to balance motherhood with her royal duties, while she and Charles cope with their marriage difficulties.
4. (4.10) “War” – In the season finale, Thatcher fights to maintain her role as Prime Minister amid a growing challenge to her power. Charles grows more determined to separate from Diana as their marriage unravels.
5. (4.01) “Gold Stick” – In the season premiere, the Queen welcomes Thatcher as Britain’s first woman prime minister. Charles meets a young Diana for the first time. And an IRA attack brings tragedy to the Royal Family.
“BAND OF BROTHERS” (2001) – Episode Seven “The Breaking Point” Commentary
Easy Company continues its experiences in Belgium in ”The Breaking Point”, Episode Seven of HBO’s ”BAND OF BROTHERS”. Following the Bastogne campaign, the paratroopers find themselves in the Bois Jacques Forest just outside of Foy, Belgium. There, they to prepare for an assault on the town, while dealing with the competency of their commander, Lieutenant Norman Dike.
”The Breaking Point” proved to be just as much of an epic episode as ”Bastogne” and ”Carentan”. Narrated by First Sergeant Carwood Lipton (Donnie Wahlberg), the episode depicted Easy Company’s experiences in the Bois Jacques Forest, just outside of Foy. The episode began with Corporal Don Hoobler’s (Peter McCabe) killing of a German soldier and his acquisition of a Luger. However, this minor incident proves to foreshadow a series of rather depressing incidents for Easy Company to endure. While displaying his new treasure trove to some of his fellow troopers, Hoobler accidentally shot himself in the leg and severed a major artery. He died on the way to the nearest aid station. The rest of the episode’s first half focused around the company’s discussion of Hoobler’s death, the need for a new company commander to replace the incompetent Norman Dike, Babe and Guarnere’s discussion of platoon leader “Buck” Compton’s increasingly odd behavior and more rumors about Dog Company’s Lieutenant Ronald Spiers.
Unfortunately for Easy Company, matters grow worse when German artillery in Foy begin shelling the 101st Airborne’s lines in the Bois Jacques Forest. One series of shelling results in Sergeant Joe Toye losing part of his leg. When Bill Guarnerne tries to come to his rescue, another series of shelling commences and “Wild Bill” meets with the same fate. Worse, both Lipton and Sergeant George Luz witness a moment of cowardice from Lieutenant Dike. The injuries suffered by the two sergeants leads Compton – who is still recovering from his wound in Holland and a stint in an Army hospital – to have a nervous breakdown. He is relieved of duty and Easy Company finds itself short of one of its more competent officers. Easy Company has a short respite before another round of shelling by the Germans. Poor Luz finds himself crawling through the forest, searching for a foxhole for refuge. Before he could reach Warren “Skip” Muck and Alex Penkala’s foxhole, a German shell completely obliterated it . . . and them. Lipton tries to warn battalion XO Winters that Dike might prove to be a disaster for Easy Company’s assault upon Foy. But Winters can do nothing without any cause, due to Dike’s connections. But when Dike panics in the middle of the assault, causing the needless deaths of many men, Winters finally has an excuse to get rid of him and replaces him with Ronald Spiers. His choice proves to be the correct one, as Spiers manages to extract Easy Company from disaster and lead them toward victory.
”The Breaking Point” proved to be on such an epic scale that it could have easily been stretched into a 90 minute movie on its own. It had everything – drama, humor, action, and suspense. Screenwriter Graham Yost did a magnificent job in re-creating Easy Company’s experiences in the Bois Jacques and during the assault on Foy. I did have one quibble about this episode. I found myself slightly confused over the consequences of Don Hoobler’s death. The reaction of the men around the paratrooper seemed to indicate that he had died, while “Doc” Roe tried to revive him. Yet, according to Lipton, Hoobler had died on the way to an aid station. Despite this, the episode had some outstanding sequences. Some of the best featured “Skip” Muck’s recount of the wounds suffered by some of Easy Company’s men during their six-to-seven months in France, Holland and Belgium; Lipton’s attempt to warn Winters of Dike’s inadequacies as a company commander; and Spiers assuming command of Easy Company. I cannot decide whether the episode’s pièce de résistance were the shelling sequences that led to Toye and Guarnere’s injuries and the deaths of Muck and Penkala, or Easy Company actual assault upon Foy. Perhaps ”The Breaking Point” might prove to be that one episode with two exceptional sequences.
Director David Frankel not only put it all together with some exceptional action sequences, but also with his guidance of the cast. It did help that this episode featured some first-class performances. I found myself especially impressed by Frank John Hughes, who made his last appearance in the miniseries as the memorable William “Wild Bill” Guarnere; Peter O’Meara as the incompetent Norman Dike; Scott Grimes, who gave a poignant performance as Donald Marlarkey; Matthew Settle as the formidable Ronald Spiers, who proved to be a lot more human than Easy Company had earlier surmised; Neal McDonough, who brilliantly conveyed the strain Buck Compton suffered upon his return from an Army hospital and his eventual breakdown; and Rick Gomez, who proved to be both funny and dramatic as the company’s own comic, George Luz. Damian Lewis, Ron Livingston Richard Speight Jr. and Peter McCabe also gave solid support. But the best performance came from Donnie Walhberg in his portrayal of Easy’s dependable first sergeant, Carwood Lipton. Walhberg not only gave a subtle performance as the soft-spoken Lipton, but also had the screen presence to hold this epic episode together. He also captured Lipton’s style of speech in his narration of the episode.
In earlier articles, I had already indicated that there were at least three ”BAND OF BROTHERS” that I held above the others in terms of quality. Two of them were ”Bastogne” and ”Carentan”. The third episode turned out to be ”The Breaking Point”. In fact, I would go as far to say that David Frankel’s direction, Graham Yost’s script and Donnie Walhberg’s performance made it the best in the entire series.
“THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG” (2013) Review
The second part of Peter Jackson’s film adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s 1937 fantasy novel, “The Hobbit” had been released in the theaters back in December 2013. After my recent viewing of it, I am amazed that I had ever been against the idea of a three-film adaptation of the Tolkien’s story.
Titled “THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG”, the second film began not long after the first one left off. I take that back. The movie began with a flashback featuring a meet between the wizard Gandalf the Gray and the Dwarf prince, Thorin Oakenshield at the Prancing Pony Tavern in Bree. Those familiar with the trilogy, will remember that Froddo Baggins and his fellow Hobbits were supposed to meet Gandalf at the Prancing Pony and ended up meeting Strider aka Aragon, future king of Gondor. The audiences learn in this flashback that it was Gandalf, who originally kickstarted the adventure by convincing Thorin to obtain the Arkenstone in order to unite the Dwarves of the Lonely Mountain.
Finally, the story begins where the last movie left off, with Gandalf, Bilbo Baggins and the Dwarves evading the Orc chieftain Azog and his party. They eventually seek shelter at the home of a shapeshifter named Beorn, before they make their way to the Milkwood forest. There, Gandalf parts company with the others after discovering Black Speech graffiti imprinted on an old ruin. He heads toward the tombs of the Nazgûl in Dol Guldur, to investigate with fellow wizard Radagast. Meanwhile, Bilbo and the Dwarves get lost in the Milkwood forest and eventually captured by giant spiders. Using the One Ring to render himself invisible, Bilbo manages to free the Dwarves from the spiders’ webs. However, they end up being captured by a party of Wood Elves led by Legolas and Tauriel, who finish off the spiders. During the Dwarves’ captivity, Thorin gets into a conflict with the Wood Elves’ king, Thranduil; Kili becomes attracted to the Elves’ Chief of Guards, Tauriel. Again, Bilbo comes to the Dwaves’ rescue and help them escape, with their Orc pursuers close at their heels. And with the help of a barge man named Bard the Bowman (who is also a descendant of the last king of Dale), the travelers not only reach Lake-town, but eventually the Lonely Mountain and Smaug. Unbeknownst to Bilbo, Thorin and the other Dwarves, Gandalf is captured by the Necromancer of Nazgûl, who reveals himself as the Dark Lord Sauron.
Many fans and critics tend to view “THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG” as superior to the first movie in this new trilogy, “THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY”. If I have to be brutally honest, I did not originally share this view. Nor did I regard the first “HOBBIT” movie as superior to this second one. But after twelve years, I finally came to the conclusion that I enjoyed this second “HOBBIT” film a bit more. “THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG” did not have a first act that took its time in introducing the character. On the other hand, “AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY” did not have an abrupt ending. And both films, in my opinion, had been well written by screenwriters Jackson, Philippa Boyens, Fran Walsh and Guillermo del Toro. I also want to add this film featured further development of the major characters, development of the main narrative and some superb action sequences. Which is why I slightly prefer it over the first film.
Before I wax lyrical over “THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG”, I might as well comment over its shortcomings. Thankfully, there were only a few. Two of them featured characters from the Wood Elves – Legolas and Tauriel. Orlando Bloom returned to portray the sixty years younger Legolas for this new trilogy. However, Bloom is over a decade older than he was when he portrayed the older Legolas. I wish I could say that he looked young enough to portray the younger Legolas. But I would be lying. And I am not being shallow. Bloom looked great. But I could tell that he looked older than he did in the “LORD OF THE RINGS” trilogy. And for me, this did not gel very well, considering that he was portraying the same character at a younger age. I also had a problem with the new character, Tauriel, Chief Guard for the Wood Elves. I understand that she had been created by Jackson and the other screenwriters, due to the dearth of female characters in this story’s chapter. Quite frankly, I have no problem with this, unlike the Tolkien “purists”. But there were times when I found her character a little too ideal. It is great that she was a badass. But aside from an initial show of bigotry toward the Dwarves, there seemed to be a lack of flaws in Tauriel’s characterization. Not only was she a badass fighter, but was also the only Elf who seemed to be aware of a growing evil throughout Middle Earth and believed something should have been done about it. Tauriel was practically a borderline “Mary Sue”. And like many moviegoers, I found the movie’s final scene rather perplexing. I realize that “THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG” is only the second of three movies. But Jackson had ended previous Tolkien movies – aside from “LORD OF THE RING: RETURN OF THE KING” – with the conclusion of a major action sequence. I had expected him to resolve the matter of Smaug before moving on to the last chapter of “THE HOBBIT”. He did not. And because of this, the movie ended on an erupt note.
As I had earlier stated, I had originally viewed “THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG” equally first-rate as “AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY”. However, I now view it as superior to the first. First of all, it benefited from the establishment of the main characters and main narrative from the first film. I also have to give kudos to Peter Jackson for maintaining a steady pace throughout the movie – in both the action and dramatic sequences. I find that very impressive for a movie with a running time of two hours and forty-one minutes. The movie also continued Jackson’s track record with impressive production designs. I was especially impressed by Dan Hennah’s work for the Mirkwood Elves Realm, Lake-wood and the Lonely Mountain interior sequences. The costumes designed by Bob Buck, Ann Maskrey and Richard Taylor struck me as beautiful . . . especially those designed for the Wood Elves. I cannot forget Andrew Lesnie’s beautiful photography of New Zealand, which served as Middle Earth. And the makeup designs for the Dwaves characters and the Elves continued to impress me. But I cannot forget the visual effects used in this film. Most of the faces for the Orcs were computer generated, and I must say that I found that impressive. The visual effects team also did exceptional work for the Dol Guldur sequences – especially with Gandalf’s encounter with Sauron. And despite my dislike of spiders, I was also impressed by the visual work on the Milkwood Forest sequence that featured the protagonists’ encounters with the deadly beasts. But the one sequence that stands above the others – at least for me – proved to be Bilbo and the Dwarves’ encounter with the dragon Smaug. How can I put it? I found it breathtaking, mesmerizing . . . and extremely frightening. The visual creation of Smaug truly have to be the movie’s pièce de résistance. Benedict Cumberbatch’s superb voice performance greatly added to the terror . . . and I am being complementary.
However, “THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG” was not all about visual effects. The movie also featured some top-notch action sequences and superb dramatic moments. Not even my negative opinion of spiders could blind me from the first-rate sequence that featured the Milwood Elves’ rescue of Bilbo and the Dwarves. It was an especially good moment for actors Orlando Bloom and Evangeline Lilly. Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage and the other actors who had portrayed the Dwarves had their chance to really shine in that outstanding sequence featuring Smaug within the great halls of Erebor. But my favorite action sequence featured Bilbo and the Dwarves’ escape from Wood Elves’ realm by traveling along a river inside empty wine barrels. Not even that brief, silly moment that featured Legolas balancing on the heads of two Dwarves, while fighting the pursuing Orcs could mar my enjoyment of that scene. If Jackson ever consider opening an amusement park, he might want to consider that sequence as an inspiration for an attraction. However, “THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG” was not all action and no drama. The movie certain featured some fine dramatic scenes. My favorites include two scenes featuring the growing romance between the Dwarf Kili and the Elf Guard Tauriel, Bilbo’s cat-and-mouse session with Smaug, and a wonderful moment in which Thorin manages to convince the citizens of Lake-town to support the Dwarves’ efforts to reclaim Erebor. But if there is one scene that really impressed me, it happened to be the stormy confrontation between the two leaders, Thorin and Thranduil, within the latter’s realm. I feel it was the dramatic highlight of the movie, thanks to superb performances from both Richard Armitage and Lee Pace.
Speaking of performances . . . I really cannot say there was one that failed to impress me. Although I had some criticisms of the Legolas and Tauriel characters, I certainly had none regarding the two performers who portrayed them. Granted, Orlando Bloom may have been a bit old for portraying the younger Legolas, I must admit that I found his acting in this movie a lot more impressive than in the “LORD OF THE RINGS”. His Legolas in this film was a bit darker and more complex. And Bloom rose to the occasion perfectly. Evangeline Lilly’s portrayal of Tauriel was probably one of the best things in this movie. She had certainly come a long way since her early years as an actress. Tauriel may have been something of a “Mary Sue”, but Lilly certainly injected a great deal of brilliance and excitement into the character. And she had great screen chemistry with Aidan Turner, who portrayed the youngest member of Thorin’s Dwarf band – Kili. Turner, who was such fun in the first “HOBBIT” film, did a marvelous job as the lovesick Kili. I especially enjoyed his one scene in which the barely conscious Kili not only poignantly expressed his love for Tauriel, but also his self-doubts about her feelings for him. Lee Pace added another eccentric character to his gallery of roles as the arrogant king of the Wood Elves, Thranduil. Mind you, Pace went out of his way to express Thranduil’s desire to protect his people from the growing evil. But he also did such a marvelous job in expressing Thranduil’s showy personality and arrogance.
Luke Evans made his debut in the trilogy as Bard the Bowman, an archer and descendant of the lords of Dale. And he was fantastic. Evans captured a great deal of the character’s grim charisma and presence with great ease. Some of the other actors who portrayed the Erebor Dwarves certainly made their presence felt in this film. Graham McTavish was deliciously surly as the aggressive Dwalin, the first Dwarf that Bilbo ever met. Ken Stott continued his outstanding portrayal of the elderly and very wise Balin. Dean O’Gorman continued his strong chemistry with Aidan Turner as Fili, Kili’s older brother. Stephen Hunter got to shine as the overweight Dwarf, Bombur. After his character was treated as a joke in the first film, Hunter had a great heroic moment when his character fought off several Orcs during the flight from the Milkwood Palace. Stephen Fry appeared in the film as the Master of Lake-town and gave a deliciously nasty performance as the self-involved and greedy leader of the community near the Lonely Mountain. In fact, I cannot recall him portraying such a negative character before. He should do it more often.
Ian McKellen continued his elegant portrayal of the wizard Gandalf the Gray. Like the second film in the “LORD OF RINGS” trilogy, his appearance was more limited than it was in the first. But he had some marvelous moments during the sequence that featured Gandalf’s visit to Dol Guldur. Martin Freeman’s portrayal of Bilbo Baggins developed in a way that I found both satisfying and disturbing. I have to give Freeman kudos in the subtle manner in which he conveyed Bilbo’s growing confidence in his role as a member of Thorin’s company. At the same, audiences could see the growing negative imapact of the One Ring upon his character . . . especially in the Milkwood Forest sequence. Bilbo’s character was not the only one growing increasingly darker. As much as I enjoyed Viggo Mortensen’s portrayal of the heroic Aragon in the “LORD OF THE RINGS” trilogy, I must admit that I find Richard Armitage’s portrayal of Thorin Oakenshield more rewarding. The character is so rich in its complexity and Armitage does a superb job in portraying the Dwarf prince’s moral ambiguity. I found it interesting that in this second film, Thorin begins to rely a lot more on Bilbo to help the company through its travails. Yet, the closer the company reaches its goal in Erebor, the darker Thorin’s personality becomes. It is fascinating to watch Armitage take this character down a dark road.
It is a pity that “THE HOBBIT” trilogy has not garnered as much critical acclaim as the “LORD OF THE RINGS” movies. Quite frankly, I find them more enjoyable to watch. Unlike the first trilogy, the two “HOBBIT” movies have managed to more than satisfy me. “THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG” may have possessed a few flaws, but it kept me fully entertained and fascinated right to the end. Right now, Peter Jackson seemed to be on a roll with this second trilogy. I only hope that the third and last film will not disappoint me.
Below is my ranking of the Season One episodes of “HIS DARK MATERIALS”, HBO’s adaptation of Philip Pullman’s 1995 novel, “The Golden Compass” aka “Northern Lights” and the first part of his 1997 novel, “The Subtle Knife”. Written by Jack Thorne, the series starred Dafne Keen:
RANKING OF “HIS DARK MATERIALS” SEASON ONE (2019) Episodes
1. (1.02) “The Idea of North” – Orphan Lyra Belacqua starts a new life in London with the charming socialite, Mrs. Marisa Coulter; determined to find her missing friend, Roger Parslow. The Gyptians continue searching for their missing children and the elusive Gobblers, a group of government sanctioned child snatchers.
2. (1.06) “The Daemon-Cages” – Lyra discovers the horrific truth behind the Gobblers’ activities at a science station in the North called Bolvangar.
3. (1.08) “Betrayal” – As the Magesterium, a religious-political body, closes in; Lyra learns more about Lord Asriel’s rebellion. But her assistance to him comes at a great personal cost.
4. (1.01) “Lyra’s Jordan” – Lyra’s world at Jordan College in Oxford, is turned upside-down by the arrival of her long-absent uncle Lord Asriel from the North. Meanwhile, she meets the glamorous Mrs. Coulter for the first time.
5. (1.04) “Armour” – As Lyra and the Gyptians head up North, she searches for allies in her search for Lord Asriel. With the help of a balloonist named Lee Scoresby, she comes across an armored bear named Iorek Byrnison at a port town in Svalbard.
6. (1.03) “Spies” – Lyra is rescued from the clutches of the Gobblers by the Gyptians, who helps her piece together more about her past and keep her safe from the Magisterium.
7. (1.07) “Fight to the Death” – Separated from her friends and captured by the armoured bears ruled the usurper king Iofur Raknison, Lyra must use all of her methods of deception to thwart him in order to be rescued by Iorek Byrnison, the true king. Meanwhile, Mrs. Coulter plots her next move.
8. (1.05) “The Lost Boy” – On their journey to the Bolvangar Station, Lyra and the Gyptians finally discover what the Gobblers have been doing to the missing children. In the alternate World, an adolescent named Will Parry and his mentally ill mother Elaine are being stalked by Magisterium official Lord Carlo Boreal, who seeks Will’s father, a missing explorer named John Parry.
The young man’s voice babbled on and on, while Cole did his level best to patiently listen. “Look, I’m sorry Alonzo but the answer is no. I cannot extend you any money at this time. Not until it’s time for your next check. You know the terms of your trust fund.”
“But this is an emergency!” Mark Giovanni’s son protested.
Cole sighed. “It’s always an emergency with you, Alonzo. I’m sorry, but the answer is no. Look, if you need money that badly, why don’t you ask your . . ” The line went dead. Cole glared at the receiver and hung up. Spoiled little bastard, he thought bitterly.
“Congratulations.”
The half-daemon glanced up and found Veronica Altman standing in his doorway. “Huh? What are you talking about?”
The chestnut-haired woman strode into the office and sat down opposite Cole. “Feldman had just told me the news. You’ve landed the Macmillan case.”
Cole realized that Veronica spoke of his new client, a young Palo Alto socialite named Holly Macmillan. She had been charged with the murder of her much older husband, a wealthy entrepreneur named Tobias Macmillan. “What’s to congratulate me about? I didn’t ask for the case and everyone thinks she’s guilty.”
“So what? At least you have a challenging case,” Veronica replied. “And guilty or not, the Macmillans are important clients of the firm. If you win this one, the Old Boys will probably make you a partner by the end of the year.”
His gaze now focused upon his colleague, Cole quietly asked, “And if I lose?”
Veronica merely responded with a shrug. Then she added, “Didn’t Mike Bowers first have this case?”
“Yeah, but he managed to drop out, citing health issues.” Cole leaned back into his chair and sighed. “I think he came to the conclusion that Mrs. Macmillan was guilty and lied to the partners to get out of it. Didn’t exactly make Jackson or Kline very happy.” He paused, as something occurred to him. “Um, do you know the name of the junior associate that was working for Bowers? Kline had mentioned something about one.”
Nodding, Veronica answered, “A second year named Janet Hui. She’s . . .”
“I think I’ve met her,” Cole said, interrupting. “Yesterday. It turns out that she’s an old friend of my brother-in-law’s. The younger one.”
Veronica frowned. “Wait a minute. Isn’t that the one who’s now dating your former . . . um, sister-in-law?”
“You mean Paige.”
Shaking her head, Veronica quipped, “Don’t you find it a tad bizarre that your present brother-in-law is now dating your former sister-in-law?”
Cole merely smiled and summoned his assistant. “Eleanor, could you get hold of a junior associate named Janet Hui for me? Thank you.”
Minutes passed while Cole and Veronica discussed the current office gossip. Then Eleanor returned his call. “I’m sorry Mr. Turner, but according to Ms. Hui’s assistant, she’s not in the office, today. Would you like her home phone number?”
Cole sighed. “Yes. Thank you, Eleanor.” Then he changed his mind. “No, wait a minute. Ask Ms. Hui’s assistant . . .”
“Carl,” Eleanor added.
“Yes. Ask him if he could find any files on the Holly Macmillan case in Ms. Hui’s office.”
The phone line went silent again. Veronica stood up. “I better get going. I have a meeting with a client in . . .” she glanced at her watch, “. . . forty minutes or so. I’ll catch you later.” She bid Cole good-bye and started toward the door. As she left the office, Eleanor entered at the same time.
Cole stared at his assistant. “Was . . . um, Carl able to find the files?”
“I’m sorry Mr. Turner, but according to him, Ms. Hui had taken her copy of the Macmillan files home with her.” Eleanor paused, as she held up a slip of paper. “But I did managed to get her address. If you want it.”
Another sigh left Cole’s mouth. “Her address will be fine.” The assistant strode forward and handed over the slip of paper to Cole. “Thank you, Eleanor.” Once alone, Cole sighed for the last time. He had hoped to leave work an hour early in order to begin preparation of tonight’s dinner – to celebrate his and Olivia’s one-month wedding anniversary. It looked as if a quick trip to Janet Hui’s home had nipped his plans in the bud.
———–
The four police inspectors and the forensics expert filed into Darryl’s office. Both Olivia and Debbie Hui eased into empty chairs, while the other three detectives remained standing. “So, Debbie,” Darryl began, “is there anything we should know about the body found this morning?”
Debbie shook her head in disbelief. “This is getting unreal. Like Kenneth Jai and Bernard Remar, it seems that this . . .”
“Jan Alamdar,” Olivia added.
“Thanks,” Debbie murmured. “It seems that this Jan Alamdar had died the same way – collapsed lungs. Both of them. And the puncture marks found on his chest weren’t responsible. Sudden loss of oxygen. I also found bruise marks on both of his forearms, caused by large fingernails. Or claws.”
Both Marcus and Carlotta stared at the pathologist. “What the hell was he doing on Ronald Wong’s driveway?” Marcus demanded.
Debbie glared at him. “How the hell would I know? That’s your job.” She returned her attention to Darryl. “By the way, blood was found on Mr. Wong and Ms. Hui’s driveway. And it didn’t belong to this Jan Alamdar.”
“Maybe it belonged to Ronald Wong,” Carlotta suggested. “Maybe Mr. Alamdar had witnessed Wong being attacked or something . . . and was killed himself.”
Marcus protested, “But why leave Alamdar’s body behind, and not Wong’s?”
Carlotta grunted slightly. “I don’t know. This case has been strange from the beginning, if you ask me. I think it’s more suited for THE X-FILES.” She paused and glanced at the others. “Or maybe that crazy old man was right about this being the work of a vampire.”
“C’mon!” Marcus exclaimed. Everyone stared at him. “You can’t honestly believe that! Do you? Besides, vampires are blood suckers. Their fangs leave two holes on the necks of their victims. I don’t recall any of our victims being ‘bitten’.”
Debbie retorted, “That old man had claimed that Jai was bitten by a chiang shi. A Chinese vampire. A chiang shi doesn’t suck the blood of its victims. It sucks the air. Which could explain the collapsed lungs. Right Scott?”
Scott started to open his mouth, but Darryl intervened before the conversation could spiral out of control. “Right now, we have a pretty wild story for McPherson. Let’s just keep investigating, until we can find something that makes sense. Something tells me that either Ronald Wong is responsible for the three bodies, or that he might just end up being body number four.” He nodded at the pathologist. “Thanks for the info, Debbie. And that’s all, everyone.”
Everyone else began to file out of his office. Darryl asked Olivia and Scott to wait before they could leave. They sat down. “Okay, you two,” he continued. “What do you think is really going on?”
Olivia and Scott exchanged glances. The latter began, “I don’t know. I mean, I can understand if the chiang shi had killed Alamdar. But what happened to Wong? He’s missing. His car is in the driveway. I just don’t know.”
“It’s possible that Wong is now a chiang shi,” Olivia stated. The two men stared at her. “How else can you explain the fact that he’s gone and Alamdar was found dead on his drive?”
Confused, Darryl asked, “You mean to say that this . . . chiang shi may have turned Wong into the vampire?”
Scott shook his head. “A chiang shi doesn’t turn his or her victim into another vampire. Not like the European vampires.”
Olivia continued, “Let me put it this way. The Chinese, the West Africans and many others believe that each person has two souls, a superior or rational soul and an inferior or irrational soul. The superior soul could leave a sleeping body and appear as the body’s double as it roamed about. It could also possess and speak through the body of another. Now, the inferior soul, or the po . . .”
“. . . or p’ai,” Scott added.
Olivia nodded. “Right. Well, the po often lingers in the bodies of the dead. Many believe that it can preserve the corpse. If the p’ai was strong enough, it could preserve and inhabit a corpse for a length of time, using the body to serve its needs. Once the dead body becomes animated by the p’ai, it becomes a chiang shi. Chances are that Ronald Wong had died a violent death and became one.”
A horrifying thought came to Darryl. “In other words, we might have two of these Chinese vampires roaming the city.” He leaned back into his chair and sighed. “Man, I don’t know what to say to McPherson about this. I don’t know. Maybe we should just do as you had suggested, Livy. Tell him everything. Especially since Debbie seems to believe in this chiang shi.” He shook his head in disbelief. “I’m only surprised that she does.”
“I’m not,” Scott said. “I think you’d be surprised at how many people believe in the supernatural. They just don’t want to admit it, because they fear that such beliefs might make them seem crazy. I mean, if people really didn’t believe in the supernatural, shows like “IN SEARCH OF” would have died before the end of its first season.”
Darryl rubbed both of his temples. “Well, it looks as if we’re in for another night of vamp hunting.”
Olivia stood up. “I’ll give Paige and Piper a call.” And another sigh left Darryl’s mouth.
————
Paige parked her lime-green Volkswagen Bug behind Harry’s Mazda. The cell phone on the passenger seat rang. Paige answered it. “Hello?”
“It’s me, Piper,” her older sister replied. “I got your message. How long are you going to be there?”
With an automatic shrug of her shoulders, Paige replied, “I don’t know. Until later tonight, I supposed. Harry’s been with Janet since this morning.”
A long pause followed before Piper spoke. “All day?”
“It’s nothing, Piper!” Paige’s voice hardened at her sister’s unspoken suggestion. “Harry and Janet are friends . . . and nothing else. I saw how she was with her boyfriend, two nights ago. Trust me.”
Piper said, “If you say so. I just find it odd that a woman would contact an ex-boyfriend she hasn’t seen in years, after her own boyfriend turns up missing.”
“If that ex-boyfriend happens to be the brother of a cop, I’d call him too,” Paige retorted.
A sigh left Piper’s mouth. “Sorry. I should have known.” She paused. “By the way, I just got a call from Olivia. She, Darryl, Scott and Cole might end up hunting for that chiang shi, tonight.”
“You go ahead and join them,” Paige said. “I’ll just stay with Harry and Janet.”
Again, Piper paused. “Okay,” she finally said. “If you say so. I’ll see you later. Bye.” The older woman hung up, as Paige disconnected her cell phone. Minutes later, the youngest Charmed One climbed the small stoop that led to the manor’s porch. Just as she reached out to ring the doorbell, a familiar sensation tingled the back of her neck. It could only mean one thing – danger. Paige turned around and allowed her eyes to scan the semi-dark street. Nothing. So, she went ahead and rang the bell.
A few minutes passed before the front door swung open, revealing a slightly disappointed Janet Hui. “Hi,” she greeted the Charmed One. “Glad you could make it.” She did not seem glad, but Paige refrained from saying so. She simply returned the other woman’s greeting.
“I gather the police haven’t found Ron, yet,” Paige commented after entering the house.
Janet shook her head. “No, not yet. Harry’s been forcing me to drink chamomile tea all day long. I’m surprised I haven’t zonked out, yet.” She led Paige toward the living room. “By the way, someone else you know is here.”
That “someone” turned out to be Cole. Paige greeted her former brother-in-law with surprise. “What are you doing here? Did Harry . . .?”
“I came here to see Ms. Hui,” Cole explained. “Regarding work.”
“Oh? Like what?” Paige asked without thinking. Cole responded with a questioning stare. “Oh. Sorry. Didn’t mean to be nosy.”
Harry asked, “By the way, Cole, have you heard anything from Olivia about Ron? Or the guy I had found in the driveway?”
Cole shook his head. “Sorry, but I haven’t heard from Olivia all day. I could get her . . .” He paused and cocked his head upward – as if had sensed something.
At the same time, Paige felt a similar sensation that she had experienced on Janet’s front porch. It happened to be the same tingling sensation at the back of her neck. She stared at Cole. “Did you just sense . . .?”
The doorbell rang. Janet stood up and started toward the front door. “Maybe that’s Olivia.” She disappeared into the foyer. Seconds passed before Paige overheard Janet’s voice cry out, “Ron? Ron! Where have you been?”
A frown appeared on Harry’s face. “Wait a minute!” he exclaimed. “I don’t think . . .” He rushed after his friend. Paige and Cole quickly followed. “Janet! Get away from . . .”
A scream filled Paige’s ears. When she, Harry and Cole reached the foyer, they found Janet’s body sprawled on the floor. Ronald Wong . . . or someone in a red Chinese silk robe that bore a strong resemblance knelt over her. Paige noticed the green tinge on his pale skin, along with his long, claw-like fingernails. “Oh my God!” she cried out in shock. “What happened to . . .?”
Then a second figure dressed in a similar Chinese robe appeared in the doorway. He opened his mouth, and a strong gust of wind sent Paige, Harry and Cole flying toward a bare wall. Ron, or whatever he happened to be, lifted Janet into his arms. Paige cried out, “Janet!” and the other woman beamed out of her boyfriend’s grasp and onto the living room sofa.
Ron glared at the trio and joined his companion in the doorway. Cole hurled two fireballs at the creatures. But they both leapt upward and out of view . . . before Cole’s fire could inflict any damage.
One of the most beloved films from the Disney Studios’ live-action collection is the 1961 romantic-comedy, “THE PARENT TRAP”. Based upon Erich Kästner’s 1949 novel, “Lisa and Lottie” aka “Das doppelte Lottchen”, the movie was a box office hit that earned two Academy Award nominations and produced three television sequels in the 1980s and a remake in 1998.
As I had pointed out in the previous paragraph, “THE PARENT TRAP” was an adaptation of “Lisa and Lottie”. However, Wikipedia claimed that the movie’s plot bore a stronger resemblance to the 1945 movie, “TWICE BLESSED”. I have read the plot summaries for both the novel and the movie. If I must be honest, I believe the 1961 movie bore a closer resemblance to Kästner’s novel. “THE PARENT TRAP” began when teenagers Sharon McKendrick of Boston, Massachusetts and Susan Evers of Monterey, California meet at a summer camp for girls. Their identical appearance causes jealousy, resentment, and a rivalry between them in which they continually get each other in trouble and disrupt camp activities. The camp’s owner Miss Inch punishes the pair by forcing them to spend the remainder of the camp season rooming and dining together in isolation. Sharon and Susan overcome their mutual dislike when they discover they are identical twin sisters whom their parents had separated upon divorcing shortly after their birth. Eager to meet the parents from whom they were separated, Susan and Sharon decide to switch places, cut their hair identically, and coach each other on their lives. Susan becomes acquainted with her mother, Margaret “Maggie” McKendrick and her maternal grandparents in Boston. Sharon becomes acquainted with her father, Mitch Evers and his longtime employees at his ranch in Monterey. But when Sharon learns of Mitch’s engagement to a gold-digger named Vicky Robinson, who intends to send Susan to a boarding school following the wedding, she informs Susan and the twins decide to end their charade in order to reunite their parents.
I was surprised to learn that “THE PARENT TRAP” had a running time of 128 minutes. This struck me as a bit long for a romantic comedy about two teenage girls plotting to reunite their divorced parents. Mind you, I thought the summer camp sequence seemed a bit longer than necessary. It could be that I was impatient for Sharon and Susan to leave their summer camp in order to put their deception into motion. Then again . . . yeah, I believe the camp sequence could have been shortened a bit. But it seemed like a minor hiccup in an otherwise well-paced film. I found the narrative, which explored family ties, past mistakes and romance with a great deal of humor and surprising pathos, so engrossing that the rest of the movie zoomed by without any notice of its running time by me. May I be frank? I thought David Swift did an excellent job as both screenwriter and director in translating Kästner’s novel to film.
But the summer camp sequence was not the only aspect of the film I found a little troubling. I had one other quibble – namely the past history of the Evers-McKendrick family dynamic. As much as I had enjoyed this film, I found it troubling that Maggie McKendrick and Mitch Evers had kept the girls apart for so long . . . all due to the acrimonious nature of their divorce. This was also the case in Kästner’s novel and in “TWICE BLESSED”. Worse, neither parent allowed Sharon to know their father or Susan to know their mother. I found Maggie and Mitch’s actions rather cruel and unnecessary. And the twins only questioned their parents’ decision once . . . twice in the movie. However . . . I do realize that without Maggie and Mitch’s decision to keep the girls apart, the story would have never worked.
But there were many aspects of “THE PARENT TRAP” I did enjoy. The movie featured first-rate production values. Not only was the film shot in different locations in California, but also in Boston, Massachusetts, thanks to Lucien Ballard’s sharp and colorful photography. As Production Designer, Ken Anderson did an excellent job in projecting the film’s different settings in Monterey, Boston and the unknown location for Miss Inch’s Summer Camp for Girls. Although I believe the Inch summer camp sequence required a bit more editing, I thought Philip Anderson did a first-rate job as the film’s editing.
Earlier I had commented on David Swift’s role as the film’s screenwriter and director. “THE PARENT TRAP” featured a great number of scenes I really enjoyed. One of them featured Sharon and Susan’s realization that they were twin sisters. I thought it was a beautifully poignant moment that also struck me as a bit sad. I also felt the same when Maggie and her parents discovered Susan’s true identity following a long-distance call Sharon made to her. Sharon’s constant arguments with Mitch over his fiancée Vicky Robinson hilarious. Also, Mitch and Maggie’s scenes together were either very funny or charmingly poignant. However, there are two sequences that I consider to be the film’s pièce de resistances – the Evers-McKendrick family reunion following Susan and Maggie’s arrival at Mitch’s ranch and the infamous camping trip near the film’s end. The latter featured a good number of funny moments in which Susan and Sharon inflicted a very reluctant Vicky with a series of pranks to remind her of the price of being their future stepmother. Yes, it was systematic and cruel. But since I disliked Vicky so much, I really did not care. For me, the movie’s funniest sequence revolved around Susan and Maggie’s arrival at the Evers ranch . . . and Mitch’s hilarious reaction to seeing his ex-wife and both of his daughters together for the first time in over a decade. Granted, the cast’s performances in this sequence were top-notch. But I do not believe it would have worked without Brian Keith’s comedic performance.
Speaking of performances, I might as well comment on the cast. “THE PARENT TRAP” featured some first-rate performances not only from those in supporting roles, but also from the leads. Mind you, I was not particularly impressed one way or the other from those who barely had a line, including actress Nancy Culp, who portrayed one of the summer camp’s counselors. Another year or two would pass before Culp’s more memorable nine-year run as Miss Jane Hathaway on CBS’s “THE BEVERLY HILLBILLIES”. But there were supporting performances that did attract my notice. One came from veteran actress Ruth McDevitt, who gave an entertaining performance as Miss Abbey Inch, the ladylike owner of the Miss Inch’s Summer Camp for Girls. Charles Ruggles and Cathleen Nesbitt created a first-rate screen team as Maggie McKendrick’s parents – the witty and observant Charles McKendrick and the emotional, yet slightly controlling Louise McKendrick. Crahan Denton gave a subtle, yet funny performance as Mitch’s ranch foreman, Hecky. Una Merkel was very funny as Mitch’s sharp-tongue housekeeper, Verbena. Leo G. Carroll proved to be sly, yet charming as Reverend Dr. Mosby, the minister set to marry Mitch and Vicky. Linda Watkins’ performance as Vicky’s ambitious mother, Edna Robinson, dripped deliciously with malice and greed. Joanna Barnes’ performance as Vicky Robinson struck me as a bit more subtle as Watkins, yet equally effective in the character’s own greed and ambition.
Disney Studios cast Maureen O’Hara to portray the sisters’ Boston Brahmin mother, Margaret “Maggie” McKendrick. Judging from Maggie’s early appearances in the movie, one would be inclined to view her as a soft-spoken, yet genteel woman. Yet, the movie’s second half revealed Maggie’s iron-will, talent for manipulation and quick temper underneath the gentility. And O’Hara did an exceptional job of conveying all of Maggie’s traits with a smooth and skillful performance. She also managed to create a sizzling screen chemistry with Brian Keith, who portrayed her ex-husband and the twins’ father, Mitchell “Mitch” Evers. In my opinion, Keith gave a hilarious and, in my opinion, the second-best performance in the movie as the twins’ beleaguered father. As I had indicated earlier, the scene featuring Mitch’s reunion with his ex-wife and both daughters proved to be the movie’s funniest moment, thanks to Keith’s performance. But in the end, it was Hayley Mills who truly made “THE PARENT TRAP” a success, thanks to her portrayal of the twins Sharon McKendrick and Susan Evers. Mills, who had been fourteen when the movie was shot, did an exceptional job of portraying the two sisters – the reserved Sharon and the more gregarious Susan – with such ease and skill. In an interview, Mills had stated that she used two different accents for her portrayal of the twins. I must confess that Mills seemed to use the same mid-Atlantic accent for both Sharon and Susan. But I did notice she had utilized different diction styles for the twins – a casual California slang for Susan and for the upper-class Bostonian Sharon, a more formal style of speech. It seemed a travesty to me that Mills never received any acting nominations or awards for her performance.
It has been over sixty-four years since Disney Studios first released “THE PARENT TRAP” in theaters. One would believe it has not held up after so long. Yet, in my eyes, it has. “THE PARENT TRAP” has remained a first-rate family comedy and romance thanks to David Swift’s screenplay and direction, along with a phenomenal cast led by the very talented Hayley Mills.
“CHARMED” RETROSPECT: (1.22) “Déjà Vu All Over Again”
When I first saw (1.22) “Déjà Vu All Over Again”, the Season One finale for “CHARMED”, I promised myself that I would never watch another episode of the series again. Never. Yet four months later, I broke my promise and resumed watching the series for another three-and-a-half seasons.
One would assume that I harbor some very negative feelings about “Déjà Vu All Over Again”. And that person would be wrong. From an artistic point-of-view, the episode was first-rate. Not only do I consider “Déjà Vu All Over Again” to be one of the best Season One episodes, I believe it is one of the best episodes of the series. And yet . . . after watching it, I was ready to give up the series. The ending upset me very much.
Directed by Les Sheldon and written by Constance Burge and Brad Kern, “Déjà Vu All Over Again” began with Phoebe Halliwell experiencing a premonition of the most deadly kind. She saw a demonic attack result in the death of her oldest sister’s former boyfriend, Andy Trudeau of the San Francisco Police Department. And the demon in question happened to be one Inspector Rodriguez, who was established as a member of the police department’s Internal Affairs in previous episodes investigating Andy’s connection to the Halliwell sisters. Determined to prevent Andy’s death, Prue warns Andy that Rodriguez is a demon who has plans to kill her and her sisters – the Charmed Ones. As Rodriguez makes plans to kill the Charmed Ones, he receives a visit from a high-level demon named Tempus. The latter reveals he has the ability to turn back time and was sent by The Source to help Rodriguez kill the Halliwells.
Mind you, “Déjà Vu All Over Again” had its flaws. In one conversation between Rodriguez and Tempus, the latter instructed the younger demon to make sure that all three Halliwells were gathered in the same place before killing them. Frankly, this sounds rather stupid to me. Surely, anyone with intelligence would know that the Halliwells were at their strongest when they were together. For me, it made better sense to kill the Halliwells one by one. After all, the sisters cannot stay in each other’s company, 24/7, unless they want to forgo a life. And why did Rodriguez even bother to appear at the Halliwells’ front door in the first place? He could have simply teleported inside the manor and kill the sisters a lot faster. According to (1.03) “Thank You For Not Morphing, Piper was born three years before Phoebe. And according to (1.17) “That 70s Episode”, Phoebe was born in late 1975, making Piper’s birth year 1972. Phoebe remembered that Piper’s old classmate, Joanne Hertz, had graduated from their high school in 1992, making her birth year at least 1974. Why would Piper recall someone who graduated two years after her?
Aside from Tempus’ suggestion that Rodriguez gather all three Halliwell sisters in one place before killing them, the flaws in “Déjà Vu All Over Again” seemed minor to me. In other words, the virtues outweighed the flaws. Burge and Kern nearly outdid themselves in an episode that served as the end of the first stage in the Halliwells’ lives as the Charmed Ones. The episode also marked the end of what I consider to be the best romance featured in the entire series – that between Prue Halliwell and Andy Trudeau. Another interesting aspect about this episode is that it marked one of the rare occasions in which the sisters tragically failed to avert one of Phoebe’s premonitions. Rodriguez made three attempts to kill the Charmed Ones, thanks to Tempus’ time changing ability. If it had not been for Tempus, Rodriguez would have been dead after his first try. And so would Phoebe. After his second try, Rodriguez ended up dead again, thanks to Prue’s telekinesis. But he ended up killing both Phoebe and Piper before his death. On his third try . . . Phoebe’s premonition came true, when Rodriguez killed Andy. Is it any wonder that this episode depressed me? By this time, the sisters had figured out that someone was rewinding time and they cast a spell to break Tempus’ time loop. Unfortunately, this act left Andy permanently dead. I supposed I should have foreseen this when I first saw “Déjà Vu All Over Again” all those years ago due to the scenes that featured Prue meeting Andy in a park to warn him about Rodriguez. Although their first meeting came off as slightly businesslike, their second and third scenes grew increasingly poignant and romantic. Both Shannen Doherty and T.W. King were excellent in these scenes.
Not only did this episode featured first-rate performances from Doherty and King, I was also impressed by the rest of the cast. All of them gave solid performances. Although I found him a tad over-the-top at times, Carlos Gomez was appropriately intimidating as the demonic assassin out to kill the Charmed Ones. But it was David Carradine who gave the best performance as the time manipulator, Tempus. He was witty, elegant and menacing. It seemed a pity that he never made a second or third appearance on the show. Even worse, his character was mentioned before being killed off-screen in the Season Three finale, (3.22) “All Hell Breaks Loose”.
I am certain that my brief apathy toward “CHARMED” must have been figured out by now. This episode marked the last appearance of T.W. King as Andy Trudeau and it took me a long time to recover from this – over a year, to be exact. I had first became a fan of King, when I saw him in the short-lived series, “TIME COP”. His portrayal of the sharp and no-nonsense Andy only solidify my admiration of him. Unlike Julian McMahon, of whom I also became a great fan, King’s last episode proved to be first-rate and probably one of the best in the series. It seems a pity that it also proved to be one of the saddest for me.
While perusing one of the many BUFFYVERSE message boards on the Internet years ago, I had come across a passage from an old article titled, “Classic CJL: Spike and the Whedonverse”:
“In order to battle the new enemy (vampires), the Powers have called upon Slayers, Champions (welcome, Cordy!), Seers and Mystics, all dedicated to protecting the human race from the vampires and half-breed demons who feed upon and ravage the populace.”
Like many other “BUFFY THE VAMPIRE” fans, I had believed in this nonsense . . . until I saw the Season Seven episode, (7.15) “Get It Done”. Thanks to this particular episode, I finally came to the conclusion that the above comment about the so-called “Powers That Be” featured in both “BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER” and its spin-off, “ANGEL” just might not be true. Following the suicide of one of the Potential Slayers and a dream of the First Slayer, in “Get It Done”, Buffy Summers had received a bag from Principal Robin Wood. The bag once belonged to his mother – a former Slayer from the 1970s named Nikki Wood. This bag eventually led Buffy to discover the true origins of a long line of vampire slayers.
In “Get It Done”, Buffy finally discovered that the Powers That Be had not created the Slayer line. Instead, a trio of ancient African shamans had committed the dead in order to create a weapon (one of flesh) to fight vampires and other demons for them. And to ensure this weapon would remain under their control – and under the controls of those that followed them – the shamans had guaranteed the Slayer line would continue through countless young females throughout the ages via a spell. Why? Because they had believed that adolescent girls and young women would be easily controlled, due to their ages and gender. So one has to wonder – did the First Slayer, Buffy, Faith Lehane, Kendra Young, Nikki Wood, Xin Rong and all of the Slayers before and after really had a sacred duty to defend humans against vampires and other demons, because of the Powers to Be? Or had they merely been reluctant conscripts in a never ending war waged against demons by these shamans and their descendants – the Watcher’s Council?
Speaking of vampires, here is another passage from the article . . . this time, it centered around Angel – the vampire with a soul, who had formed his own gang to fight demonic evil on his own show in Los Angeles:
“Of course, the biggest exception to the rule, the vamp who broke the mold, is Angel. The Powers and our Lord Joss have spent a great deal of time and effort guiding his path from Chaos, prepping him for his pivotal and unique role in the upcoming “End of Days” we’ve been waiting for since BtVS, Season 1.”
I am curious. Exactly how did the vaunted Powers That Be guide Angel toward his actions in one of the late Season Seven “BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER” episodes, (7.21) “End of Days”? I will admit that the Powers to Be had been responsible for placing him in Buffy’s path back in 1996. A demon named Whistler had introduced Angel to the future Slayer and within less than a year, the latter followed her to Sunnydale and his own future in demon slaying.
But the Powers That Be had not been responsible for giving Angel/Angeleus his soul back in 1898. A group of Kalderash gypsies from Romania had restored his human soul in an act of revenge for his murder of one of their children. This soul would afflict him with a conscience and condemn him to an eternity of guilt and remorse for the crimes he has committed. After Angel lost his soul again one hundred years later in 1998, one of Buffy’s close friends, Willow Rosenberg, restored his soul while he was engaged in a lethal sword fight against the Slayer. Come to think of it, Willow performed this act again five years later, on the behest of Angel’s Los Angeles associates. If the Powers to Be were not responsible for the various restorations of his soul, who would have become their “Champion” from the Shanshu Prophecy, if Angel had not killed that Kalderash gypsy child?
As for his role in “End of Days” – the only task Angel had ended up performing was to hand Buffy the amulet that would help her defeat the First Evil’s plans to upset the balance of good and evil. Come to think of it, the heads of Wolfram and Hart – the law firm that served as the Powers That Be’s opposite number – had given Angel that amulet. But another powerful and souled vampire eventually wore the amulet in the “BUFFY THE VAMPIRE” series finale, (7.22) “Chosen” which led to the First Evil’s defeat.
That vampire proved to be Spike, originally a lovesick and failed Victorian poet who ended up being sired by one Drusilla, the very vampire who had been driven insane and sired by Angel or Angelus. Although Spike had originally traveled with Drusilla, Angel and his sire Darla for several years; he and Drusilla eventually broke away and became a romantic pair on their own. By the time he had reached Sunnydale in 1997, Spike had developed a reputation as the only vampire to have killed more than one Slayer (including Nikki Wood). He had hoped Buffy would prove to be his third Slayer. However, a series of events eventually led to Spike falling in love with Buffy, forming an alliance with her and her friends, and winning back his soul. Although Angel had brought the amulet to Sunnydale, Buffy had decided Spike would be the one to wear it during her final showdown against the First Evil. Buffy had decided . . . not the Powers That Be.
From what I have surmised, the Powers That Be had only committed one major act in their “war against evil” – they had used Whistler to guide Angel toward making his acquaintance with Buffy before she became a Slayer. They were certainly not responsible for the creation of the Slayer line. They were not responsible for Angel getting back his human soul . . . three times. Come to think of it, they were not responsible for Spike retrieving his soul. Apparently, William the Bloody had made the choice to regain his soul. No one had made it for him. And Buffy had decided which souled vampire would wear the mystical amulet during her fight against the First Evil. This only led me to wonder just how relevant were the Powers That Be in the Whedonverse.
The summer of 2005 saw the release of a science-fiction thriller called “THE ISLAND”. Directed by Michael Bay, the movie proved to be a box office failure in the U.S., but a hit with overseas moviegoers.
Many have described “THE ISLAND” as a pastiche of the “escape-from-dystopia” science fiction films of the 1960s and 1970s like “FAHRENHEIT 451”, “THX 1138” and “LOGAN’S RUN”. The movie begins with a young man named Lincoln Echo Six, who lives in an isolated compound which strictly regulates its inhabitants’ lives. The Overseers control every aspect of the lives of Lincoln, his friend Jordan Two Delta and the other residents from diet and free time activities, to social relationships. The inhabitants hope to win a lottery to go to “the Island”, the only place on Earth not contaminated by a deadly pathogen.
Already dissatisfied with his life, Lincoln illicitly visits a power-plant basement where his friend, technician James McCord, works. There, he discovers a live moth in the ventilation shaft, leading him to realize that the outside world might not be contaminated. When Lincoln releases the mother, he follows it to another section, where he witnesses the murders of two lottery winners – one after childbirth, and the other in the process of having his liver harvested. When Jordan becomes the next lottery winner, Lincoln rescues her from a similar fate and the two make their escape from the facility. While the facility’s medical official, Dr. Merrick, hires mercenary Albert Laurent and his men to find Lincoln and Jordan, the pair learns from McCord the truth about their existence – they are clones of wealthy sponsors, who intend to use them for spare parts or surrogate motherhood.
“THE ISLAND” had received mixed reviews from critics. Some complained that the movie seemed to be an uneasy mixture of a science-fiction thriller and an action film. Others complain that the movie did not handled the ethical issue of cloning very well. I might as well be honest. I like “THE ISLAND” very much. In fact, it is one of four Michael Bay movies that I consider personal favorites of mine. And I am not a big Michael Bay fan. Unlike many critics, I thought the movie did an excellent job of mixing science-fiction creepiness and high octane action. Well . . . most of the time. Now, I would not consider “THE ISLAND” to be perfect. But my complaints about the movie are different from those made by other critics. Well . . . not really.
A good number of critics had a problem with the movie’s action sequences. They felt it was too over-the-top. I was fine with most of the action sequences. But there were two that failed to entertain me. Lincoln and Jordan’s arrival in downtown Los Angeles led to a high octane chase that involved the pair, the Los Angeles Police and Laurent and his team. It was too much and too damn confusing. I found some of the stunts – especially those that involved the two clones hanging from high-rise building to improbable to swallow. It was just too over-the-top for my tastes. I also had a problem with Lincoln’s fight with Dr. Merrick in the finale. It involved wires, glass and some rather confusing photography from Mauro Fiore. I have one last complaint. What in the hell happened to the clones at the end of the movie? I realize that they managed to escape the facility. But what happened to them following their escape? Like Lincoln and Jordan, they were adults with the mentality of adolescents or younger. Unlike Lincoln and Jordan, they had no experiences of life outside of the facility. What happened to them?
But for me, the good outweighed the bad in “THE ISLAND”. There were a good number of action sequences that I actually enjoyed. And they include Laurent’s confrontation with Lincoln and his sponsor, the real Tom Lincoln; and Lincoln and Jordan’s encounter with Laurent’s team at the Yucca train station in Arizona. But the best sequence for me proved to be Lincoln and Jordan’s escape from the facility. I found it absolutely thrilling and well shot by Bay and Fiore. The action sequences also benefited from Nigel Phelps’ colorful production designs and especially from the movie’s special effects team.
The above action sequences were not the only aspects of “THE ISLAND” that I enjoyed. The movie also featured some rather interesting scenes that I found either creepy, very dramatic or rather funny. Screenwriters Caspian Tredwell-Owen, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci did an excellent job in setting up what I believe is one of the film’s best moments – namely the two murders that he witnessed and his discovery of the truth behind the facility. And the latter sequence was truly frightening, but in a subtle way. The most jarring moment proved to be Starkweather Two Delta’s attempt to evade the facility’s guards and have his organs harvested. That scene really had me on edge. Another wonderful scene proved to be one between Laurent and Dr. Merrick, in which the former begins to harbor doubt about the activities of his client’s cloning facility. Lead actor Ewan McGregor was really allowed to strut his stuff in a scene that featured Lincoln and Jordan’s meeting with the former’s sponsor, billionaire boat designer Tom Lincoln. I found it creepy, yet rather funny. However, the best scene – at least for me – proved to be James McCord’s revelation that Lincoln and Jordan were clones. This scene was so well acted and so funny that not only is it my favorite one in the film, but . . . it is just a favorite of mine, period. If I had to list my ten favorite movie scenes of all time, it would be on the list.
I thought the cast was impeccable. Instead of using an American accent, Ewan McGregor used a Canadian accent for his role as Lincoln Six Echo. And it worked. If I must be honest, I have never been a fan of his American accents. And for his performance as Tom Lincoln, the actor used his own Scottish accent. Whether he was the clone Lincoln or the billionaire Tom Lincoln, McGregor was brilliant. I regard his performance in this movie as among his best work ever. “THE ISLAND” turned out to be the first time I ever became aware of Scarlett Johansson. And she not only impressed me with her performance as the surprisingly strong-willed Jordan, but also made me realized what a strong screen presence she possessed. What I liked about her performance is that beneath Jordan’s projected facade of delicacy and charm, laid a tough young woman who also proved to be rather observant of other people. And Johansson did a great job with her role.
The movie’s supporting cast included Sean Bean, who portrayed Dr. Merrick, the cloning facility’s administrator. One of the best things I can say about Bean is that he is an actor who has always struck me as being a persistently first-rate chameleon. He can play hero, villain or otherwise at the drop of the hat. And while his Merrick is obviously a bad guy, he is a very subtle and at times, an emotional one. Djimon Hounsou portrayed the Afro-French mercenary, Albert Laurent. And like Bean, he also gave a first-rate and very subtle performance. In fact, Hounsou’s Laurent seemed like an enigma to me. Thanks to his performance, he deliberately made it hard for the audience to surmise whether he was a true villain or someone who might prove to be an ally for the two protagonists.
“THE ISLAND” also provided comic relief from first-rate actors such as Ethan Phillips, Kim Coates, and Brian Stepanek. Michael Clarke Duncan gave a brief, yet very effective performance as Starkweather Two Delta, the doomed clone whose elation at being chosen to live on “the island” became despair over discovering that he was being operated on for his organs. It was a great moment for the late Oscar-nominated actor. But my favorite performance came from Steve Buscemi, who portrayed Lincoln’s friend, engineer James McCord. Remember my rhapsody over the scene featuring McCord, Lincoln and Jordan? Well, he was mainly responsible for making it so memorable for me. Mind you, both McGregor and Johansson also contributed to the scene with some excellent acting. But Buscemi made it for me. I believe it was one of his finest moments on screen – big and small.
I will not claim that “THE ISLAND” is a perfect film. It had a few action scenes that seemed over-the-top for me. And I believe it could have been clearer about the fates of the clones at the end of the movie. But I cannot deny that it was an entertaining film with an intriguing plot. And for me, it worked, due to Michael Bay’s energetic direction and a superb cast led by Ewan McGregor and Scarlett Johansson.
SUMMARY: Tom Paris helps Pablo Baytart win the affections of Sue Nicoletti and endangers his own pursuit of the Chief Engineer in the process. Set during late Season 3.
Part 2
Tom approached the engineer, flashing his trademark effervescent grin. “Sue!”
Nicoletti eyed the helmsman with a wary eye. “Tom. What can I do for you?” She picked up a breakfast tray and began to examine the dishes on the counter.
“Just wanted to know if you enjoyed last night’s party.” From the corner of his eye, Tom noticed the perked interest on Neelix’s face.
Sue quietly made her breakfast selections. “I enjoyed it,” she coolly replied, “aside from getting a plate full of dim sum and soy sauce on one of my best dresses.”
Tom winced at her answer. It seemed Pablo’s clumsy act had failed to fade from Sue’s memory. “Yeah, I’m real sorry about that. Mike should really learn to keep his feet tucked in.”
“And Baytart should learn to watch where he steps,” Sue retorted. Oh, oh! Things did not look promising. Once Neelix filled her plate with food, Sue carried it over to the nearest empty table. Tom followed. She eased into a chair with a sigh. “Okay, Tom. What do you want, now?”
Tom sat down in a chair, opposite her. “I have a favor to ask.” He paused.
“What favor?”
In a breathless rush, Tom informed Sue of his plans (phony ones, at that) to develop a training simulation holoprogram for the pilots in his division. “Holoprogram?” Sue took a bite of her Eggs Benedict and grimaced. Then she chewed her food and swallowed. “What do you need me for? You’re one of the best holoprogrammers on the ship.”
It amazed Tom how a compliment could sound so cold. What on earth did Baytart see in this woman? Better yet, what on earth made me pursue her for six months? The challenge? Tom gathered all of his patience and replied, “It’s not your programming skills I need, Sue. It’s your memory. Of Geminian Prime. I understand that your last assignment before Voyager was the Hiriku. And that it was the first starship to chart the Geminian Prime system.”
“So what? I’m an engineer, not a astrophysicist.”
Tom sighed. Patience, Tommy boy, patience. Hell, you’ve been practicing it long enough with B’Elanna. His lips still fixed in a smile, Tom continued, “That may be true, but I heard you were part of the original survey team. To study the geological and metallurgical details of several of the planets. I need to provide me some details of the system.”
Sue warily speared a piece of Ragealan sausage. “You can find all the information you need in the ship’s database.”
“The database cannot provide those little details that make a program exciting. C’mon Sue! Please?” Tom gave the engineer the full blast of his blue eyes.
A sigh left Sue’s mouth. “Okay,” she said, surprising Tom. “I’ll help you. I may not remember much, but I’ll help. When do we start?”
So much for Cold Hands/Cold Hearts Nicoletti, Tom decided. Maybe he should have tried begging, when he had pursued her a year ago. “How about tomorrow evening? Around 1900 hours? I’ll meet you outside the Hololab.”
“It’s a date,” Sue replied. Unfortunately, she had spoken loud enough to draw stares from nearby diners.
Tom decided it was time to leave before a false rumor could start. He bid Sue a quick good-bye and returned to Harry’s table. However, one person seemed to be missing. Tom’s eyes narrowed. “Where’s B’Elanna?” he asked. Harry did not say a word and instead, responded with a sardonic smirk.
* * * *
Somewhere on Deck 8, B’Elanna crawled through Jeffries tube 26, lugging her toolkit with her. Several of the EPS conduits had malfunctioned and for some reason, the two engineers she assigned to make repairs seemed incapable of completing the task. A firm believer in the old adage – “If you want something done, do it yourself” – B’Elanna decided to deal with the repairs, personally.
She came upon a console, located a few feet away from one of the tube’s opened doors. After removing the console’s panel, B’Elanna’s dark eyes examined the circuitry. Obviously, Ensigns Mulcahey and Ballard’s repairs had failed to solve the problem. In fact, their work only seemed to have made matters worse. How in Kahless’s name did Starfleet allow such incompetents on their starships?
A sigh left the Chief Engineer’s mouth. She picked up a hydro-spanner and set about making repairs. B’Elanna hoped that a little work would help her forget that scene she had witnessed in the Mess Hall. Unfortunately, no sooner had she begun repairs, her hopes quickly dashed. The circuits before her, soon transformed into the unwelcome vision of Tom Paris and Susan Nicoletti engaged in an intimate conversation.
What in the hell made Tom rush to Sue’s side, the moment she entered the Mess Hall? Did he have an innocent matter to discuss? Or did he invite her to another one of his private parties? B’Elanna began to wonder if Tom’s romantic interest in the red-haired woman had revived, after his failure to woo the Chief Engineer. The latter longed to know. And yet, a part of her had no desire to concern herself with the notorious Chief Helmsman. Ah, conflict! Her constant companion in life.
“. . . has to be,” a voice beyond the tube’s door, was saying. “How else can you explain it?”
Another voice sighed. “Explain what?” B’Elanna recognized that soft, sarcastic voice anywhere. It belonged to her second-in-command, Joe Carey. “Pat, you don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Ensign Patrick Mulcahey snorted. “Of course, I do! I was sitting at the table next to them, inside the Mess Hall . . .”
B’Elanna’s hands paused over the console. She placed the spanner on the floor and quietly crept toward the door. When Mulcahey mentioned the words, “Mess Hall”, she realized that he and Joe were discussing Paris and Nicoletti. At that moment, B’Elanna refused to even think of the Chief Pilot as Tom.
“You mean to say,” Carey sarcastically continued, “that you and Lindsay overheard the entire conversation?”
Mulcahey retorted, “We heard enough.” He paused, causing B’Elanna to mentally scream for the man to continue. “Paris asked Sue to help him with a holodeck program.”
“And?”
B’Elanna’s heart lurched at the news. Since when did Tom Paris need help with a holoprogram?
“Tom Paris, asking for help with a holoprogram?” Mulcahey cried out, repeating B’Elanna’s thoughts. “He’s one of the best programmers on the ship! Probably the best! What the hell does he need Sue’s help for?”
A sigh from Carey. “What are you leading to, Pat?”
“I think Paris is interested in Sue, again. C’mon Joe! What else can it be? He invites her to a party inside his quarters . . .”
Joe shot back, “I was there!” I could have been, B’Elanna added silently. “There were at least ten to fifteen people at that party.”
Mulcahey continued, “And what about this morning? Paris seeking help for his new holoprogram?”
Silence followed. B’Elanna immediately knew the answer to Mulcahey’s suggestion. Tom Paris wanted Sue Nicoletti. Quite simple. He had apparently grown weary of pursuing B’Elanna and now focused his attention upon another woman. Surely, Joe could see that?
Seconds later, B’Elanna had her answer. “I guess Paris finally got tired of chasing the Chief after Sakaris IV,” Joe finally said. “Too bad.”
“Too bad?” Mulcahey’s voice rang with disbelief. “Are you kidding me? Can you imagine the Chief and Playboy Paris as a couple? It would never work! She’s too intense for a guy like that!” Intense could only mean one thing – too Klingon in Mulcahey’s eyes. He did not realize it, but he had just earned another black mark in the Chief Engineer’s book.
Carey responded, “I don’t know. Personally, I thought they had something. Like I said, too bad.” He almost sounded mournful. But not as much as B’Elanna felt.
* * * *
Tom strode along Deck Six’s corridor in his usual, easygoing manner. He was on his way to Pablo Baytart’s quarters, located right next door to Harry. Upon reaching his destination, he rang the announciator. Several times. After six weeks of accumulating extra flying time, Baytart managed to get two days off for his troubles. Today was the first of his off-duty time. A groggy voice from inside cried out, “Wha . . . Who’s there?”
“It’s me, Pablo! Paris! I have something for you.” Seconds passed before the door opened, allowing Tom to enter.
Tom’s eyes glanced around the immaculate cabin. There were a few facts about Pablo Baytart. He was an excellent pilot, a good juggler, a friendly soul, he constantly complained about Harry’s clarinet and he also happened to be a neat freak. Tom barely saw an object out of place or a piece of clothing scattered about. Amazing.
“Lieutenant,” Baytart greeted his superior, while tugging at his robe. “Can I help you?”
Tom replied, “Not really. Actually, I’m here to help you. Here,” he tossed a PADD at the ensign. “Read that. You’re going to be helping Sue with a holoprogram, tomorrow. Nineteen hundred hours. Be there.” He turned on his heels and started toward the door.
“Wait!” Pablo cried out. He ran a hand through his dark hair. “What do I need this PADD for?”
“I told Sue that I needed help with a pilot training program. It’s all there on the PADD. She’ll be expecting me, but you’ll show up, instead. Tell her . . .” Tom’s mind raced for a plausible explanation. “Tell her that I was called unexpectedly by Ensign Kim, regarding an Operations matter.” He slapped the younger man’s back. “After that, it’s up to you.”
Before Tom could leave, Pablo thanked him. “I really appreciate this, Lieutenant.” The Chief Pilot responded with a quick grin and left.
* * * *
At precisely 19:00 hours, the following evening, Tom deliberately failed to meet Lieutenant Nicoletti in the Hololab. Instead, he turned on his computer inside his quarters and watched Ensign Baytart make the appointment in his place, by activating the lab’s video monitor.
The expression on Sue’s face expressed annoyance at Tom’s failure to meet her. However, the engineer seemed willing to work with Pablo. Within twenty minutes, Tom could see that his plan was going smoothly. Both Sue and Pablo worked well, together. And unlike the party from a few days ago, there seemed to be no mishaps.
No sooner had those words entered Tom’s thoughts, Pablo punched in a few entries on his console, his eyes fixed upon Sue with unabashed admiration. Sparks immediately lit up the engineer’s workstation. Sue cried out in pain, before she fell to the floor, unconscious.
Tom lowered his head into his hand and let out a heavy sigh. He realized, with a touch of despair that his efforts to help Baytart win Nicoletti’s affections had just risen from difficult to near impossible.
* * * *
“One last item on the agenda, this morning,” Captain Janeway declared, “is Lieutenant Nicoletti’s injuries.” The auburn-haired captain and her senior officers sat around the large table, inside Voyager’s Conference Room. “Doctor, can you give us the details on this matter?”
Due to his possession of a 29th century holoemitter four-and-a-half months ago, the Chief Medical Officer had been able to appear outside Sick Bay and the holodecks. And finally even make personal appearances at senior staff meetings. Much to Tom’s annoyance. The latter preferred the good old days when they communicated with the EMH via a computer monitor. Which meant anyone could switch off the ponderous hologram whenever he became annoying.
The Doctor gave a slight cough. “Lieutenant Nicoletti had suffered minor burns and electric shock from an outage in her console in the Hololab. She healed quite nicely, following a minor surgery and a few hours of rest.”
“How on earth did that happened?” the Captain demanded. She turned to B’Elanna with concerned eyes. “Lieutenant, was there something wrong with one of the Hololab’s computer terminals?”
The Chief Engineer’s mouth formed a grim line. Tom almost smiled. She looked very Klingon at that moment. And quite gorgeous. “There was nothing wrong, Captain,” B’Elanna grumbled. “It seemed Ensign Baytart had accidentally caused a surge in the console Sue was working from.”
A puzzled frown appeared on Chakotay’s face. “I’m surprised those two were working together. Neither really struck me as being exceptional holoprogrammers.”
Tom spoke out. “It was my idea.” All eyes fell upon him. “I needed Sue’s help on a particular program, but I had to bow out at the last moment. So I asked Ensign Baytart to take my place.”
“Why?” Janeway asked.
Tom shrugged. “It’s nothing. I’m creating a new training program for the Conn Division.”
“Is that what you two were talking about in the Mess Hall?” Harry blurted out.
The question took Tom off guard. He had no idea that his little conversation with Sue had generated so much speculation. “Well . . . yeah,” he replied slowly. “What did you think?” He stared at his best friend, whose face turned red. Even more surprisingly, so did B’Elanna’s.
Before Harry could answer, Neelix had a question of his own. “Why would you need Lieutenant Nicoletti’s help with a holoprogram?” His question reflected in the eyes of the others.
“There’s a certain system in the . . .” Tom paused. Why on earth was everyone interested in him and Sue Nicoletti? “Look, it’s a private matter,” he quickly explained. “Excuse me, but isn’t this suppose to be a staff meeting and not gossip time in the Mess Hall?”
The majority of the staff glanced away, looking embarrassed. Except for the Captain, who let out a small cough. “You’re right, Mister Paris. This is turning into a gossip session. However, you cannot blame us for being a little curious.” She gave Tom a small smile. “If there is nothing more to discuss, everyone is dismissed.”
The rest of the staff filed out, one by one. Tom started toward B’Elanna, but she walked past the door and toward the turbolift, before he could stop her. Damn! And he thought he had problems with Pablo and Sue.
* * * *
Two hours later, B’Elanna paused outside the doors to Engineering and took a deep breath. Disappointment threatened to overwhelm her. Disappointment that Tom Paris had found someone new to pursue. Or to be more accurate, someone he had pursued before. Namely, Sue Nicoletti. After the senior staff meeting, there was no doubt in B’Elanna’s mind.
So many regrets filled her thoughts and heart. Regret that she had resisted Tom’s overtures for a date. Or that he had resisted her pon farr-induced overtures on Sakaris IV. And that Vorik had interrupted when she and Tom were finally about to have sex. After receiving rejection after rejection, Tom had finally lost interest in her.
“Going in, Chief?”
B’Elanna snapped out of her funk and stared at the figure next to her. Carl Ashmore. She gave the engineer a tight smile. “After you, Ensign.” She indicated the door with a wave and followed him inside Engineering.
The moment she stepped inside, B’Elanna froze in her tracks. Just ahead stood both Sue and Tom, their heads together in deep conversation. And judging by the animated expressions on their faces, Tom may have finally succeeded in his pursuit of the red-haired engineer. A surge of anger flared briefly inside B’Elanna, followed by jealousy and despair. Life was so damn unfair!
LJONES66 
