Shoemaker's Children

Posted by LT_TanyaHuff 11/30/07 10:59am GMT

This is the other episode I knew absolute nothing about. I know it was written by Dennis Heaton (Necrodome, Deadly Departed, Bugged, Drawn and Quartered) and Travis MacDonald (5:55) which should be an interesting combination. I'll be interested in seeing how writing together differs from them writing alone and from the D² (Dennis and Denis) that we got previously. The director is James Head who not only also directed Bugged, Heart of Ice, and Gifted but also The Dresden Files episode nine, The Other Dick.

I love how Mike's treating the "psychic ramblings of a convicted killer". He's been around a while, he's seen this sort of thing before. Also, the pre-crime division being down the hall... OMG! Tom Cruise is down the hall? (That's a Minority Report joke. Okay, not a great one...) Nice exchange of quotes. They're both starting from a strong position. I like that. Yeah, we "know" Vicki's right but that's outside info. Doesn't count.

I started making squeaky noises during the flashback... THAT's why I'm all about Vicki/Mike. He doesn't just make her hot, he makes her happy.

Wow, defensive with Henry much, Vicki? Great line about the Hallmark card but back off a little, after all you DID stab him in the gut, drink his vampire blood, and perform a dark ritual. It's going to take him a while. Although he's definitely calmed down a bit from last week.

Hmmm, seems Henry can read Vicki's writing when Coreen can't.

"...that you think you can just stroll in and get whatever it is you want." Raise your hand everyone who thinks Mike's referring to more than the case here. Especially when he then turns and gives her -at least broadly -- the information about the body she's after.

Wow, desiccated corpses last week and a mock-up of a headless body this week - the art department's definitely having fun.

Hee. I love the way Dr. Mohadevan gets out from between them. Since their fights are legendary - remember Dave's line about Vicki shooting Mike again back in episode one? - this isn't necessarily indicative of their relationship deteriorating. Although, the next flashback seems to show they used to be better at seeing the other person's point of view. (also, the way she held his little finger was so cute!)

Nice pacing in the cutting between Vicki's story and Mike and Kate's. And Kelly, the brother who isn't in jail, is a lot creepier than Charles, the brother who is.

"No, I'll grab you..." Kate and Mike are working the innuendo. I love innuendo - because that's how grown-ups talk. Well, okay, it's how I talk... your mileage may vary.

And oh, Henry... don't whammy Mike! Man, he can really be an arrogant s.o.b can't he? Just like his father... From the expression on Mike's face I'm wondering if he's starting to realize when it's happening. Bet he blames Vicki for it if he does. And I'm glad Vicki's at least a little upset about it but Henry's right, she wouldn't give up the advantage. She's way too competitive. It's one of the things that made her a good cop. It's also one of the things that makes her so irritating.

It was wrong to laugh when Henry tilted his head and said, "Definitely dead." But I laughed anyhow.

Ha. I was right. Mike blames Vicki. Can't honestly say I blame him. Especially since she's lying to him about knowing Henry did it. And Mike knows she's had Henry do whammy thing for her in the past.

I wish there'd been time to see Coreen go undercover. She's clearly gotten better at it than she was in Bugged.

Mixing the heads and the bodies was a nice touch.

Am I being particularly obtuse or did we need a line that said Vicki was pulling the information she gave Coreen out of the journals? That she had to have read overnight. That she took from Mike's crime scene. Oh, yeah, that's going to go down well...

"I vowed to protect you from evil; I can't protect you from yourself." Oh Henry, that's the thing about Vicki... she needs protecting from herself.

Whoa. Mike's really angry and that's closing him off to any possibilities that he's not finding himself. Not good. Although, if we didn't know what we know about the show, that there's a supernatural element somewhere, we'd be totally on Mike's side here. Vicki believe something but she has nothing but that belief to support it. We could just as easily believe Mike as Vicki - it's still too close to call.

"You were always there to pull me back."

"I'm not there now..."

Wow. Does that conversation between Vicki and dream!Mike explain a lot about how Vicki's been acting. She's said she always works better as part of a team (Love Hurts) but Henry's not Mike. She can't go on like she used to, she's lost her safety net. But she's so armored it's hard for her to change - not that change is easy for most of us. (see previous line about her needing protecting from herself)

"She drives us both insane."

"Consistently."

Nice.

How much do I love that Vicki had essentially saved herself when Henry charged in? ::holds hands really far apart:: That much. And then the casual way that Henry reaches back and snaps Sidney/Kelly's neck. I adore competence.

"I can't keep doing this."

"Neither can I."

Foreshadowing. (dum dum dum DUM!)

Loved the ending of this. Not that the obvious integration of the three brothers into Charlie was a big surprise but the way they handled it. That Vicki knows...

And that's where we leave it. This is it for this blog here at Lifetime. I know there's two episodes to go but since Lifetime is only airing them online, I can't in good conscience write about them because of the WGA strike. Check the post for Friday, November 3oth at my live journal -- http://andpuff.livejournal.com/ -- if you haven't already got the longer explanation.

It's been fun! Thanks for your support and your interest and your willingness to throw yourselves so completely into this world. I hope that someday we all get a chance to do it again.

You guys are the greatest!

Tanya

Are You My Mummy?

Posted by LT_TanyaHuff 11/26/07 4:38pm GMT

So last winter I got an email from Peter Mohan -- Blood Ties terrific executive director/showrunner – to let me know they were doing a Mummy episode. A kind of Blood Lines light. Because it wasn't going to be a two parter, they had to lose a lot of stuff and because they couldn't get back to Toronto to shoot at the ROM they had to write all the museum stuff out. I don't remember why they decided to go with an Incan mummy rather than an Egyptian mummy – maybe because the names are so cool, probably because it's an area a little less mined. That's cool.

And then Peter told me they'd got Danny Trejo to play the mummy. Definitely way cool! Danny Trejo, for those of you who don't know, is one of those amazing character actors who've been in hundreds of television episodes and movies. Check his IMDB listing and I can guarantee you've seen something he's been in. He's not the kind of guy who disappears into the background and I've been a fan of his for a long time now. He works a lot with Robert Rodriguez and he was on Death Row with Kyle. Which is how we got him. It was Kyle's idea. Like I said, definitely way cool.

This episode was the last Mark Leiren-Young wrote before he left to devote his attention to his movie The Green Chain. Holly Dale, the director, also directed STONE COLD the episode I wrote.

I like the whole truck-jacking a mummy thing. I'm very much in favor of proving that crime doesn't pay – in fact, crime results you in having your life force sucked away to rejuvenate an ancient Mayan sorcerer. That'll teach you. And hey, there's Fred Ewanuick from Corner Gas playing Wendal. (The mummy gets your memories with your life force, that's how he knew Wendal's name and, later, wanted an internet connection. I don't think it was ever stated explicitly but by the time he makes the internet comment it's pretty obvious.)

One of the interesting things about Danny Trejo is that he's got a lot of tats on his torso. Amy Van Wormer, the show's Key Make-up Artist, had to develop a special process to cover them. She told me that when she finished, Danny looked down and said, "It's the first time I've seen my chest since the sixties!"

I wasn't sure how much of the book they were going to use – obviously – but Henry dreaming, that's right out of Blood Lines. Not exactly that dream but the sun and the fact that vampires don't dream so it's not the dream but the dreaming that's important.

I like the thought that Vicki is Henry's death wish. I know, just a throw-away line but still...

And clumsy cops dust the body. Two reasons: first to keep the coroner from finding out inexplicable evidence (sigh, no Dr. Mohadevan) and second to set up Mike's action later – he knows how quickly the bodies can be destroyed.

Henry can speed draw. Makes sense. Is this the first we've seen it though? And Vicki using Mesopotamian History to pick up boys may explain your current dating problems.

The art department must've had fun building desiccated corpses for this episode. (oh come on, desiccated corpses are always fun!)

I suppose you've got to give Wendal points for trying to lie to someone he's already seen kill twice. Stupid points, but points. And this mummy's smarter than average – neutralizing the amulet means neutralizing the only thing that could hold him. Usually they just never seem to get around to doing that...

I love Mike and Vicki's conversation. The dialogue is just crackling here. "What else am I going to think these days?" Poor Mike. His world is shifting way over into the weird.

Mike's there for the exposition – that's new too. I suspect they didn't want to have to repeat Coreen's info dump. Quite a mouthful there. And an impressive handling of a lot of complicated names at full speed by Gina.

Great shot of Henry waking up and moving into that really tight close-up! Actually, all the shots of Henry waking up have been great. The next time, when he wakes as a vampire, is just gorgeously shot. Well, yes, he's got gorgeous material to work with but Danny Nowak the cinematographer makes magic with light.

"He wants my memories, he wants my power, he wants my soul."

"Good."

"That's not the first word that came to my mind."

"Oh please, do not go all vampire macho on me!"

"He'll die just like everyone else."

I love the way Christina and Kyle played that extended scene.

Kate's line about not being able to cover Mike's back if he doesn't have hers is completely valid. You have got to trust the cops you're working with. There's an – understandable – us against them mentality in most police forces and an indication of a lack of trust is one of the reasons Internal Affairs is so hated. I understand why he's not telling her things -- as he says later he can't pull her into this stuff – but this can't end well.

When he crushed the corpse so Kate wouldn't see it, I sat and muttered, "Mike, Mike, Mike..." at the screen. Slippery, slippery slope.

Vicki's willing to risk losing Henry in order to keep him alive. She will, as she told him, do whatever it takes. She'll pay the price.

"They're called graphic novels!" Hee.

There's two reasons I like the scene with Mike and Vicki. One, I like that they're showing the way the weird is effecting Mike. Henry's existence and everything that implies is literally changing the world. The other reason is that in the books, Mike and Vicki were each other's safety valves. Police officers are under one hell of a lot of stress and many of them drink to dull the edges – Mike and Vicki fought. And they had hot sex which unfortunately didn't happen here.

SHE STABBED HIM? With his own sword? Okay, didn't see that coming...

I think Coreen threw up after Vicki left... nice touch.

He caught the bullet! Cool.

And Vicki kills the unkillable. But at what price? "I wish I could forgive you."

Things are changing. Between Mike and Vicki. Between Henry and Vicki. And there's only three episodes left...

I Don't Know Art, But I Know What I Like

Posted by LT_TanyaHuff 11/16/07 9:13am GMT

This is one of the episodes that I have no inside information on at all. None. Nothing. Zilch. Nada. I come to this as fresh as you do. I can tell you that the writers were Dennis Heaton and Denis McGrath which is almost scary. Two Den(n)ises takes things to a whole 'nuther level. The director is David Winning who also directed Post Partum and 5:55 (as well as a whole screen of other shows).

I have this little rant about certain other shows I watch that have women working with long hair hanging loose and in the way. Now, I know why they do it - it's a whole lot easier to factor in stunt work if you can't see faces - but it still drives me nuts. Thus, I love that Vicki has her hair tied back in a ponytail here. It's a little thing but it makes me happy.

And speaking of happy, Henry definitely looks amused when he's talking about the rats.

Lovely shot of him sitting behind Vicki. The red highlights are gorgeous. Also, it's not so much that Henry's sentry skills leave a little to be desired it's just that he's so damned distracting -- his hair looks a bit different. Longer sideburns maybe?

You know the scary thing about that painting? I have one remarkably similar to it on my living room wall. Okay, no hanged guy in the window but still... (play the Twilight Zone music boys)

Henry's description of Maya and his subsequent defense of her was so... defensive... that I knew something had to be up between them, particularly since the audience was in on her being innocent of the murder. Didn't suspect the eventual conclusion though so, go guys!

My late father-in-law was a fine artist. "Go be pretentious..." is a perfectly valid suggestion when it comes to interacting with at least half of any crowd at a gallery opening.

Coreen and Tyrone are just so cute together. It's a shame that later... well, you know...

Okay, what the hell is Henry wearing on his crotch? Seriously, not a place I generally look (actually getting to know actors kills your fantasy life - well, that and the fact I'm old enough to be his mother) but it's like there's a big shiny LOOK AT ME right there. Front and center. Wow, is that distracting... And if it's distracting ME from Christina in a dress, it's damned distracting.

Nice silent exchange between Vicki and Mike when Mike walks in.

Henry is really, obviously over-protective of Maya in the morgue. Did you notice the glance Vicki exchanges with Mike when she says, she'll help find the killer but that's all she can promise? There's a lot being said in the silences in this episode. When you write in silences, it shows you really trust your actors.

Drowned in impossible oil paint... well, that's a eww for sure.

Ah ha! Henry's sideburns might indeed be a bit different but I think I was noticing the eye-liner!

I haven't said it for a while so I'll say it now - I love Henry's condo! Andrew Deskin, BT's production designer, did an amazing job. My one regret about there being no more Blood books is that I'd love to write Henry in that condo.

Maya's lipstick is a mess post-coital! Remember what I said about the little things? I am absurdly thrilled about this. And they find lipstick on Angus later. Lipstick is better than breadcrumbs for leaving a trail. Many, many points for showing that!

Wow. Vicki sucks at taking no for an answer too. But then, we pretty much knew that.

"Talismans don't kill people. People kill people." Snicker...

Coreen obviously finds used bookstores and yard sales that I don't. I'm always on the lookout for weird occult books (for research!) and the best I can usually find is a few sticky volumes of R. L. Stine's Goosebumps series. Not very helpful.

"Vicki Nelson, vampire wrangler..." That's what we almost called the series. Kidding!

I love Maya's backstory. When you watch it again knowing that Henry was her mother's "demon lover" there's a lot of subtle subtext happening in Henry's expressions. In fact, his expressions tell the whole story... Very nicely done.

"Or what?" Also nicely done.

The date is so cute. It's really too bad how this turns out but I'm sure someday Coreen will meet a nice person who doesn't want to sacrifice her to their metaphysical mentor.

OMG! It's Tom McBeath in the painting. Great Canadian character actor!

Tyrone really is a cutie. Okay, he's a bit creepy too but still cute. It's such a shame he fell victim to the "don't date anyone who's a reoccurring character on television show with supernaturally high body count" rule. No really, there's a rule...

The Devil Who Knows You

Posted by LT_TanyaHuff 11/08/07 5:37pm GMT

The writer for this episode was Denis McGrath. Denis joined the writing team just after Christmas last year and this is the first of his episodes to air. Now one of the cool things about Denis -- and there are many - is that Denis has one of the best blogs about television on the net. There aren't a lot of places online that I go to regularly but I'll refresh Dead Things on Sticks a couple of times a day just to see if Denis has reposted. And then I cruise through his side bar of blogs he reads because if they say something to him, they definitely have something to say to me. He's more than willing to answer my WTF questions about this weird business I find myself on the periphery of and, someday, I hope I'm in the position to buy him that beer I owe him.

So, as we determined at the end of last week's episode, Christina is back! Da da da dum! And let me just say, that had I known way, way back when I wrote the first blood book that Christina Cox was going to be cast as Vicki, I'd have named Henry's sire something else.

Love Henry's phone conversation with Augustus about who has what territory. That's a lovely bit of vampire world building that I'm going to have to fight to keep from using in a short story.

Great look on Vicki's face when Henry opens the door! She's not happy with him. And he's too distracted by what's going on to really care.

"...and you go to Mike for help. Which is astounding really..." Love the way Christina hit "astounding". (Andy Mikita, who is also a Stargate producer/director, is back directing this ep, btw. He also helmed Necrodome and Wild Blood.) I wonder if Vicki really is wandering the night -- alone - looking for the "other" vampire or if she's just saying it to get a reaction out of Henry. Either option is definitely possible given Vicki.

Henry, sweetie, you have issues...

"Denial is just a river in Egypt." I say that all the time. No, really, I do. Or variations anyway. Just one more example of how well the writers for this show are still holding onto the heart of my books. And reading my mind. Which is a little unsettling...

"You don't walk undetected among humans for 600 years by putting on lurid displays like this." Very good point. So, since we know Christina is back... another vampire? Three of them? Another triangle! Let's hear it for symmetry!

And all that happens before the credits!

Nice juxtaposition of the two feedings - modern and flashback. Christina's clearly still got a strong hold on him.

Mike and Vicki are eating Chinese food together! Yes! Needs more beer though... The whole conversation between them is brilliant. Mike's job is be us -- the person who needs to be told what's going on -- and this fulfilled that purpose wonderfully. But I was really glad I wasn't drinking anything at "Oedipal issues aside..." because that would have been a coffee out the nose moment. And nice repeat of 'us' - this week, Mike and Vicki are an "us" and Henry is the outsider.

Henry certainly doesn't seem surprised to see Christina in his bedroom does he? "Every time you show up, you cause nothing but trouble." And there's a hundred stories right there in that sentence. Interesting that she provoked that fight. Getting it out of the way maybe, so they could move on to other things? She certainly knows how to push his buttons.

And in spite of what she tells him about another vampire stalking her, she's coming across more like a creepy stalker. And Henry, you loved her. As she said, past tense. You've really got to let it go. (see previous comment about issues)

Love the way they're shooting Christina in Vicki's office. That perfect oval of her face looks suspended in the darkness.

Okay, remember how many of you were having little freak outs at the end of Heart of Fire when Vicki picked up the drains-the-power-out-of-vampires thingie? And remember now what you forgot? Henry is not the only vampire out there. Many of them are nasty s.o.b's. and they all kill.

Hey, there's a second person working in the morgue! Well, that's... realistic.

Incompetent bite marks. Raise your hand everyone who figured it out here! Yeah, okay, my mythos so I suppose that's cheating a bit.

Dave! Missed you, buddy! There's a certain honesty to his lechery that I appreciate.

Who else snickered at the poster for "Die Fledermaus"? I wonder if that was set dressing or location serendipity.

Oh my... Henry feeding off his sire. At his age. Vicki really nailed it with that Oedipal issues comment.

"Sorry, she's a hugger!" Nice Coreen bit!

I like the way we find out Christina has been lying. And why can't Christina handle a little baby vamp? Twisty bits... I was curious here too since this situation had never come up in the books so I had no idea where they were going with it. All things considered, Henry's belief in Christina is a little sad.

I wonder if he's beginning to realize what had to have happened when he remembers her teaching him.

"And a cookie." Hee.

And Henry's scene later with Christina, when he finally gets it, and realizes she can't deal with Alexander because she's still bonded to him. That she made him and tossed him aside. That was amazing and really emphasized the difference between the two of them. Christina just got older, kept looking for things to amuse her, manipulating others to clean up her messes. Henry, in contrast, grew up.

Sun lamps! Right out of This Town Ain't Big Enough (one of the short stories).

Stunningly gorgeous shot of Henry vamped out holding the burned Christina - should you happen to hit pause at that point. A few times.

And OMG, the scene with Alexander? How sad was that? First the mercy that Henry showed his sister. Then Henry's realization, his horror, that Alexander hadn't asked to be changed. And finally, the horrible fact that Christina so totally destroyed Alexander's life that there isn't enough left for him to allow Henry to heal him.

"I hate what we are!"

It isn't all sexy scenes in night clubs. Sometimes it's pain and terror and knowing you're a monster. I am so impressed that this show remembered that.

And I'm also impressed that Henry, Prince of Man, not Henry Prince of Darkness gave Christina his final ultimatum. I wonder if he'll be painting her portrait next year...

Beetlemania

Posted by LT_TanyaHuff 11/05/07 10:28am GMT

This particular episode was written by Dennis Heaton. During my few brief days of glory in the writer's room, Dennis and I were discussing something either mythic or comic bookish or comic book mythic and Shelly rolled her eyes, turned to Dennis and said, "My God, she's as big a geek as you are." I considered that a great compliment! Dennis is also the man behind Fido, the best zombie movie of 2006 - which I mentioned back when blogging "Necrodome", also written by Dennis, but it bears repeating.

So we open up on two great looking Goth guys, obviously coming out of a club, obviously adult, one of them obviously strung out on something, and one of them is worried about catching the last bus. For some reason the whole "I live a dark, alternative lifestyle and I take public transit." just strikes me as so wonderfully Canadian. We bad. But very responsible.

And can I just say, right up front, that I'm so glad I wasn't around when they were shooting the bug stuff because... eww. One at a time, no problem. A whole bunch of them... I'm gone.

Love the hair and make-up on Lexia - the silver of that lip piercing looked great against the black. Vicki was definitely coming across as a bit intolerant in this scene She's never liked posers and I think, now that she knows the real dark alternatives, she has even less patience than she had. Which was never much.

I always like it when television shows reference themselves - refer back to things that happened in their reality - so Coreen's protest about almost becoming a demon bride twice and having her mouth stolen by a voodoo queen was wonderful. And relevant. But Vicki's not entirely accurate in her final observation; some of us are very fond of perky Goths.

It's interesting how well Coreen does in the morgue. She's standing back but she's neither grossed out nor freaked out by what's clearly not an attractive corpse and she's still perfectly capable of analytical thought. Given what she's seen since she hooked up with Vicki, I think this is a fair reaction.

Good thing we find out later why Henry's so freaked during that phone call, it dials what looks like an over-reaction back to perfectly understandable.

I love that Coreen is so bad at interviewing Gene's friend and worse later when she goes undercover. While she inarguably has mad research skillz, that doesn't mean she can suddenly do everything that comes with the job. She's so pathetic it's cute.

Patrick Currie did a very nice delivery of - "...it's not sweet, it hurts."

How much do I love that Henry went to Mike? ::holds hands really, really far apart:: This much! Also the line about the kitten posters cracked me up even if Mike was being a bit of a shit since Henry was visibly upset. And now we know why Henry's so upset - another vampire in town. This is bad. Although the dead girl probably gave that away already...

Love that Mike reacts first and foremost like a cop - "You moved the body?!" And I think that Henry's "Detective, I need your help." was more effective than the implied threat in "Or would you rather I handled it myself?" And the reaction to "I'm the devil you know, Detective." - I'm loving Dylan's Mike more every week.

Wow, Coreen, defensive much?

I suppose it's to Henry's credit that his feelings for Vicki - be they friendship or stronger - make him such a terrible liar but I found that scene as painful as Vicki did. He could suave his way out it no problem but since he didn't, this is where I start thinking he's more than angry about this vampire in his territory, he's frightened.

Does anyone ever tell the truth when asked if they're doing something illegal? Yet people keep asking...

Way to go Coreen in grabbing that bug - because research IS her area of expertise.

Interesting that "The one still alive." doesn't actually answer Mike's question.

Loved Mike's speech about what he gets to do next. Really love that this show takes death so seriously and that they remember it's different for Henry. And guys, it's obvious you don't like each other, but you respect each other and that'll do for now.

If I had the time I'd go through and check to see the ratio of "Fitzroy" to "Henry" because Mike does call him both. Mostly Henry calls Mike, "Detective" although he has called him "Celluci" at least once that I can remember. Why? Oh, just curious.

Interesting that Dr. Mohadevan doesn't like Mike keeping secrets that may concern Henry from Vicki.

Vicki walking in on Henry and Mike and Henry and Mike presenting a united front. Great scene! Definitely my favorite scene in the episode. Possibly because it's one of two that all three of them are in together and I love all the shifting in the three way dynamic.

And we find out that the other vampire is... Christina. I think they're implying that the painting Henry's looking at is one of the 500 odd that Henry's painted of Christina and, therefore, she's obviously been keeping tabs on his life.

Winter is cool. I liked her spikes and I liked her motivations - get in good with the Big Bad by killing some of the people she wants dead. I really like that there's different kinds of demons hanging around.

And I love that even drugged, Coreen never stops fighting and that rather than be the damsel in distress, she saves herself by using the fire extinguisher! You go girl! Her cuddling the fire extinguisher later; cutest way to reference a horrific incident that may cause psychological scarring ever.

I glad Vicki got a few hits in but it probably says something about me that I thought splatting the bug demon all over the windshield of the van was the funniest part of the episode. And then the bit with the windshield wipers... still snickering.

And you know what this show never forgets? That Vicki's smart and she's good at her job. Of course she figured it out! And Mike knows Henry well enough, or is good enough at reading people - because he's good at his job too -- that he can tell Henry knows who it is. Although I'm not sure threatening him was the best way to help out there, Mike.

Next week... the woman behind the vampire. Christina! I'm really looking forward to seeing what Peter's done with her story. There's supposed to be flashbacks! What? Nope, haven't seen it. I have it but I'm sitting on it until next week when I watch it to blog it. You guys have to wait so I'll share the pain.

Five Fifty-Five

Posted by LT_TanyaHuff 10/29/07 11:43pm GMT

I laughed a lot during this episode but I'm not ashamed to admit, I also cried.

The writer for 5:55 was Travis MacDonald, who was the script coordinator for the entire season. For those of you who don't know, the script coordinator is the point person between the writers and production. This is a job not unlike herding cats. It's like being the link between art and craft. He also makes sure that final shooting copies are filed and he very wonderfully burns a disc with all the shooting scripts for the season for the person whose books they used to create the show. Okay, that last bit may be specific to Travis. Who is a really nice guy. And one HELL of a writer.

Did I mention I cried? Good. Moving on.

I think there's a rule that eventually, every show that has the potential to do a Groundhog Day episode must do a Groundhog Day episode. That said, ours totally kicked ass.

I loved the explanation of why Henry's so cranky. I love that he gets to be cranky about this — that the writers allow him a full range of emotion not just the whole broody sexy vampire cliché.

Didn't Christina play the terror of having died in her "dream" beautifully? She's dead, Henry's dead, her client is dead and we know there's something hinky going on because her tattoos lit up. (in case I hadn't mentioned it before, I really like the way they use the tats to tie the smaller stories to the bigger arc)

And now we start to get the backstory…

For the record, I have the exact same reaction Henry does to the whole Southern accent thing.

Vicki, Vicki, Vicki, if you can't/won't step up to the plate you have no right to be jealous if Mike and Kate have dinner while he's wearing his lucky tie. Nice scene. Someone asked me why no one on this show had "inner demons" — I think Vicki's are painfully obvious.

The whole conversation between Vicki and Henry in the hall, that's a conversation between friends. How much do I love that they're showing these two — under all the weird and the UST — have become friends? One heck of a lot.

There is and there has been a fair number of blondes kicking butt on TV but when Vicki as played by Christina does it, you don't doubt for a minute it's real. She has such believable physicality when she throws Keller up against the wall that I wince.

I actually had to stop playback and laugh at "Yeah, we'll always have aggravated assault." And the look on Mike's face during that whole conversation is just… well, I'm snickering again.

Some nice meta on the seduction of evil. Those of you who were around for the first part things may remember how I felt we got to the core of Henry in "Heart of Fire/Heart of Ice" that they were definitive Henry eps. And last week was very much a definitive Mike. "I will not be Fate's bitch!" That right there, that's Vicki in a nutshell.

Henry is definitely preening in response to Coreen's comment. (see my comment above about the writers giving him a full range of emotions)

Now this is what I mean about good writing — we're over half way through and suddenly there's a whole new plot twist. The timeline has changed enough that new factors are starting to come into play.

Small technical point — regardless of what you see on other shows, when people get shot, they don't go flying backwards. Mythbusters even proved it.

The slow lead up to the blood and the falling and the realization… that was one of the most chilling collaspes I've ever seen. And good lord, Dylan dies well! (Did you hear Henry's "No!"?)

Right about… "You're getting blood on your lucky tie." that's when I started tearing up. By "He could have had a chance to be happy." I was crying right along with Vicki. And then Henry's realization, how it took him two tries to actually say it!

When she started talking to Mike again… after waking up. I started crying again. No matter what else changes, nothing can change the fact that she saw him die. And she chose him over the world.

And you've got to love the arrogance of these two — there's a secret order that's been around to protect the box for hundreds of years and yet, they believe it'll be safer drywalled into Henry's condo. Um. Guys? Did you miss the earlier episode where we proved the flaw in that theory? You know, where Norman hauled the knife out of the wall?

Okay, the elevator scene… Vicki chose Mike over the world. Henry chose Vicki over the world. Mike doesn't know. Henry's been told but didn't experience. And Vicki can't ever forget. Vicki's heart is clearly still in two pieces. What lovely twisty emotional interplay. I'm not sure about the feeding though… I liked it, both on a visceral level (ahem) and because he fed off her in the books so yay, back to source, but I think it may have needed a bit more than "Do you mind?" On the other hand, not complaining it was in there.

THEN the look of relief on Vicki's face when Mike tells her it wasn't a date and she believes him. Twisty emotional interplay. Like the cutline says, "Some women have it all." If she was only willing to believe that…

The goblet falling off the table at the end? Classic horror movie trope.

No favorite scene this time out because there wasn't a moment in this epsiode I didn't adore. Sorry Shelley, I still love Love Hurts but 5:55 has definitely become my new favorite episode.

And Christina — that must have been a killer shooting schedual for her! There were maybe five minutes of this episode that she wasn't in and good grief the emotional rollercoaster she had to convey. Knocked it out of the park. Grand slam. Just… wow. The strength, the vulnerablity, the humour, the heart… This is a gorgeous woman who knows that no one is gorgeous when they cry and just throws herself into the moment. I foresee another embarrassing fangirl reaction on my part if and when we ever meet up again.

Where cat? There cat.

Posted by LT_TanyaHuff 10/19/07 11:41am GMT

Now that was a really meaty Celluci episode. I'm so glad that he's not getting lost in the whole Vicki/Henry, supernatural storylines stuff but is holding his own in the relationship and that the writers are showing how his contact with the supernatural is beginning to mess up his career. He can't deny it exists nor can he share his knowledge with his co-workers - damned if he does, damned if he doesn't, and Dylan is playing that frustration perfectly. One wonders how far Celluci will fall - he's already adhering to the spirit rather than the letter of the law.

Those of you who have read the novels will notice some small similarities to Blood Trail, the werewolf book. Okay, two similarities for those who're counting -- that the were live on a farm and that they've always lived among us. With the limitless space of a novel, you can explore the family dynamics the way you can't in 43 minutes of television - where you also have to cover the crime, the investigation, and the entanglements of the three leads - but I like what they managed to get in. Especially in the last few minutes where the father is talking to Mike. That tells a lot about how they live.

Yes, that was an actual panther. One of the crew guys was telling me when I was out last spring about wanting to go and get something from his car and on his way out the door someone stopped him and told him to be careful because there was a panther walking around the parking lot. Just getting a feel for the scene. Finding motivation. Spraying tires. Honestly, actors...

I thought Ellen Dubin, who played Felicia, was great. Such strength so wonderfully understated. You could see the grief and anger roiling beneath the surface calm. She'd make a terrific Torin Kerr from the Valor books. (should they ever be optioned which they haven't been so no one get too excited, I'm just speculating)

And to the episode itself...

Some nice vampire meta there in the beginning - how Henry experiences the world, what he's gained, what he's lost hidden in telling Vicki what she'd gain, what she'd lose. "You'd lose me, what we have." Strictly speaking as a fan - if I knew nothing more than what we see each week on the television - after that line and Vicki's response, I'd be thinking, "What have you two been up to between episodes?"

On vamp territorialism -- "I suppose it's nature's way of preventing us from turning too many friends and lovers..." I'd have to reread bits of book four and five to be sure but I think that's pure Peter and it's brilliant.

How cool is it that they actually catch the perp in act one and spend the rest of the show trying to prove she did it in a way that the courts can deal with? Don't bother answering that, I'll tell you. From a writing perspective, it's way cool because it's not how it's usually done.

Although I miss Dave, I like that they're beefing Kate's part up. She'll call Mike - and Vicki -- on stuff the way Dave never would. And if you don't know that there's all sorts of supernatural stuff actually going on, her reactions are completely logical. Mike admits he's not telling her things; she has every right to be thoroughly pissed at him.

Vicki is enjoying Mike having to come to her just a little too much...

And for everyone who wanted more interplay between Mike and Henry - there, happy now? "You know, I like him. I'm going to regret having to draw him being eaten by Hellhounds." And I love the look on Mike's face when Henry calls him, "Constable."

They react to the smell in the storage locker! Yay! Do you guys have any idea how often smell gets forgotten about? No? Well, take my word for it, it does.

"Neither do I, that doesn't make me a killer... Bad example." How much do I love that Henry gets to acknowledge what he is? No brooding, no inner demons. Also, loved the delivery on the tag. Hee.

I like Crowley in this. With no actual evidence, she can only let Mike go with his gut for so long and, all things considered, she's cutting him a lot of slack.

I wonder what Mike's reaction would have been if Felicia had trusted him the way he asked her to. I totally get why she didn't but I wonder what he would have done if she'd just told him about her brother and why she'd killed while she was still in custody. Would he have let her go? That's a whole different line in the sand than letting her go after she'd been released...

I love how horrified Henry looks when they realize what Melville has been hunting.

Rhonda Dent, as Aylssa, really did an excellent job of selling the backstory. She makes you feel the horror of her brother's death.

And coming up on the end, brings me to my favorite scene:

"Who would have seen justice done for my son?"

"Maybe three people in the whole world, and they're here in this parking lot right now."

Favorite for a couple of reasons. The first because the difference between justice and the law was one of the themes of the books. And second, because it's one of those just over-the-top statements you have to be a kickass actor to sell and Dylan sells it completely.

OMG moment: Henry describing the way the world is to a vampire. The way his voice caresses the words... As Vicki mentioned back in the very first episode, he should be in recruiting.

One last thing. Most of you know that they don't usually shoot television sequentially, there's a number of different ways things get broken up -- availability of locations, of guest stars, because of the budget... This episode though: take a look at Mike's stubble. That's either one incredible special effect from Amy and Justin in make-up or they took the time to shoot Dylan's scenes to match the length of his facial hair. That's an attention to detail you almost never see on series television. Go team!

It's Time for "Dirty" Deeds

Posted by LT_TanyaHuff 10/10/07 3:12pm GMT

And we're back! Is it just me or has it seemed like a long summer ... ?

Heading into "D.O.A." there were two things I was excited about. The first is that it was written by Shelley Eriksen, who also wrote my favorite episode of the first lot, "Love Hurts." Not to take anything away from the other amazing writers on this show, but Shelley has a way with one-liners that I adore, and she's not afraid to bring sexy back. Also, and most importantly for the matter at hand, it takes a woman to really know how to write a bad boy.

Speaking of bad boys, that brings us to the second thing I was excited about: guest star Steve Bacic. Steve is one of those Canadian actors who've been in pretty much everything: "Highlander," "Stargate" (two recurring roles, plus he's in the upcoming movie), "Smallville," "Battlestar Galactica," "X-Files" and of course, his long run in "Andromeda." And that's just some of the genre stuff. Because of the whole tall, dark and handsome thing, his characters often spend a lot of their time either glowering or brooding, but Steve's got a killer smile and kick-ass comic timing, and I'm so thrilled that he got to use both in this episode. And the leather chaps ... totally don't hurt.

All that said, it's good to see Vicki, Henry and Mike again.

I like the setup to this episode — that an old colleague of Vicki's is in trouble, her kind of trouble, and comes to her for help. I really like that they spend a little time playing catch-up, the way people who haven't seen each other for a while do. And I love that while she looks a little freaked initially, Vicki's become so accepting of the weird detour her life has taken that she can have the whole "busting my balls about my marital problems" conversation with a ghost.

How cute is Coreen's "Is Paul invisible?" Her tone and body language are saying, "If he is, this is so cool. If he isn't, it's still so cool!" And I snickered my way through the following scene. I'm kind of curious how Paul knew she was wearing a red thong, though. Apparently being dead comes with X-ray vision ...

Nice interaction in the Vicki and Mike scene. Liked the touching at the beginning, liked that he's taking the whole thing seriously. "Of course you are." Of course she is ...

And just what did Paul find in Henry's bedroom? Inquiring minds want to know. *g* And the whole sequence that ends with "Then maybe I've got a shot" makes me laugh like a loon every time I see it. Dude, you're dead! But way to stay true to character!

"I don't always hunt in the Opera circuit." I love that Henry's not one of those brooding vampires. That he embraces what he is. Oh wait, that was my doing back in the bright beginning. Well, yay me. And yay Peter for embracing it. And yay Kyle for having so much fun with it.

I really like the way Amy and Justin are doing Crowley's makeup. Very understated. Very much in character for her. I also very much appreciate that she's not just the in-house antagonist, that she's getting more depth every time we see her, and that she interacts with Mike as a cop and his superior about things other than Vicki. That's good writing.

And hey look, there's Paul "Dirty" Deeds in the flesh. A plot twist that took me totally by surprise.

Nice bit of supernatural meta there from Coreen about everyone being afraid of the same things. Also, great hair. And good for Coreen, making a few moves on Henry. It makes for a visually interesting background to the dialogue. Henry still seems to be in a "little sister" space with her, though — and that's a good thing. Poor boy's got enough on his plate. And lo, we finish up by tying back into the seasonal story arc and Astoroth, our big bad. Nicely done.

Does the way Steve is playing fleshPaul remind anyone else a little bit of the way Vincent D'Onofrio played the Edgar-suit in "Men in Black"? Like things don't quite fit? Very creepy! And some nice subtle differences — ghost Paul was a lech but a charming one; flesh Paul's charm is gone, although many of the mannerisms remain the same.

"Threw me over the car. Cuffed me. I thought he was going to take me down to Cherry Beach and beat me."

Oh man, and we didn't get to see it! ::is pouting now::

Is it wrong of me to love the morgue scenes so much? Any gross bit of exposition seems palatable when delivered with that lovely accent.

Hey, they did some non-supernatural detective work in this episode. Way to go!

Coreen appearing behind Vicki and Henry with the coffee during the "partnership" conversation — too funny. I think she decided to interrupt when she did because — given her earlier actions — she's a little jealous And Vicki, you don't only want the mocha.

And then it turns out Paul is/was dirty, and Vicki, although she wants to save an old friend, feels her trust was betrayed. There's a lot of good character stuff going on in this episode under the whole ghostPaul, body-jumping plot. A lot of good stuff about how police work can chew you up and spit you out if you're not careful.

Was it trying to move into Vicki in the record room? Because that looked like the same moves it was making just before the end when it tried to jump bodies into Ms. Fang. For what it's worth, I wanted Vicki to kick the bad guy in the balls back in "Stone Cold," but that fight scene got lost in rewrites.

Though he died well, I really didn't want Paul to die. I liked him. A lot. And I liked that Vicki gets upset when she can't save people. That their death affects her.

Of course, the good news is, this is a show about things that go bump in the night — although without the kind of bumping in the night that most of you lot would like to see *g* — so being dead doesn't necessarily mean you never get to come back for another kick at the can.

Favorite scene: the whole ghost Paul Henry?, Mike?, Me? sequence. Fast, funny, and perfectly delivered.

OMG moment: When Henry pushes Coreen's hand aside when she's fingering his medallion. There was just a lovely underplay of power there that I really appreciated.