"Obssessions" [PG-13] - Chapter 17

"OBSSESSIONS"

Part 17

Olivia, Darryl and Paul burst into the McNeill house. The former cried out, "Bruce? Bruce, are you here?"

"We're in the living room!" a voice that certainly did not belong to Bruce, cried out. Olivia stared at her two companions. The voice sounded like it belonged to Harry. What was he doing here?

Seconds later, the trio found the youngest McNeill in the living room, surrounded by Barbara and the Charmed Ones. "Harry, what are you doing here?" Olivia demanded. She glanced at Barbara and Paige. "What is this? A happening?"

Phoebe stood up from her chair. "We came by to help save Bruce. But we were too late."

Olivia noticed the strained expression on Barbara's face. "Bruce? He's gone? Dead?"

"Not dead. Just kidnapped." Harry added, "I don't think that Portia killed him."

Kneeling in front of her old friend, Olivia said, "Oh honey! Barbara, are you okay?"

"Okay? No, I don't think so," Barbara replied in a shaky voice. "My fiancé is missing. Possibly dead. And just two weeks before my wedding."

Harry spoke up, "He's not dead, Barbara. At least I don't think so." Everyone stared at him. "C'mon people! Portia Whatshername had plenty of opportunity to kill Bruce! Instead, she merely kidnaps him. I mean, why?"

Paul said, "Perhaps she wanted some information from him, first. Or perhaps she snatched him for this Marcano person to kill."

"Marcano?" Barbara's blue eyes widened. "Nick Marcano? What does he have to do with all of this?"

Olivia glanced at Darryl, who merely shrugged. "Remember that button Darryl and I found inside Mann's apartment?" she asked. Barbara nodded. "Well, according to Forensics, it belongs to Nick."

"Oh my God!" Paige cried out.

Piper asked, "Who's Nick?"

While Paige explained to Piper, Olivia turned to Barbara. "Listen, we also found a book on Demonology inside Nick's apartment. Apparently, he had summoned a daemon to kill Bruce."

"But why?" Barbara demanded. "Why would he . . .?"

Paige spoke up. "I think I know why. God! I should have figured it out, yesterday. I think I almost did."

"Paige!"

"Okay," the Charmed One continued, "I think that Nick has a crush on you, Barbara. Or should I say a bad case of unrequited love. Heck, I've noticed it for months."

Shock poured out of Barbara's eyes. "What?"

Darryl added, "It's possible that he was trying to stop you from marrying Bruce."

"By summoning a daemon? What the . . . why go through all of that riglamore just to get Bruce?" Barbara demanded.

Phoebe added, "That's a good question. Why kill Wolfie?"

"To allow Portia to get close to Bruce," Olivia replied. "He must have known about the interview. And this house usually has a protection spell. Of course," she sighed, "I have no idea how Portia managed to get inside the house, this time."

Harry added, "I think that Bruce had removed the spell. How, I don't know."

Looking remorseful, Paige shook her head. "I know how Nick found out about the interview. I told him. God! If I had only knew!"

"Only knew what?" a familiar voice asked. Olivia repressed a shiver, as she and the others stared at the doorway. It was Cole. She took a few deep breaths to calm her increasing heartbeat. He strode into the living room, wearing a curious expression. "Who are you guys talking about?"

Before anyone else could answer, Paige spoke up. "Nick Marcano."

"Who?"

Paige added, "Remember Nick? The guy we talked about, last night?"

Phoebe frowned. "You two saw each other, last night?"

"Yeah, at Vorando's. Nate and I went there to celebrate his birthday." Paige turned back to Cole. "Speaking of Vorando's, have you heard from your friend?"

"No, not yet," the half-daemon replied. "I uh . . . I left a message behind for him to contact me."

A suspicious-looking Piper asked, "What friend?"

Right on cue, a handsome, dark-haired man of medium height, materialized in the middle of the McNeills' living room, surprising Olivia and the others. He glanced around, until his eyes rested upon Cole. "Belthazor! There you are."

"Demon!" Piper cried out. She raised her hands to blast the newcomer. Fortunately, Cole slapped her hands down before she could inflict any damage. Piper glared at her former brother-in-law. "What the hell you do that for?"

Cole retorted, "Figure it out!" He turned to the newcomer. "Sorry about that, Riggerio. I've been trying to find you." So this was Riggerio. Olivia's eyes appreciatively swept over the handsome visitor. Aunt Carla had not done justice to her description of the daemon. Cole added, "I'm glad you're here, Riggerio. I've been trying to find you."

Riggerio judiciously stepped forward. "Yes, I know. My . . . assistant had informed me." He spoke with a smooth Italian accent. "Do you have what I had requested?"

"Do you have what I want?"

Darryl cried out, "Wait a minute! Could someone please tell me who is this guy?"

"I can only assume that he's a demon," Paul coldly replied. "Exactly who, I have no idea." His eyes resembled marbles.

Cole made the introductions. "Everyone, this is Riggerio. He's an old . . . acquaintance of mine. And he's agreed to help us with information on Portia."

"Riggerio?" One of Piper's brows lifted dubiously. "Is he in the Book of Shadows? I don't recall seeing him."

"I doubt it. Riggerio is not exactly known in Wicca circles." Cole tartly added, "And will you please stop speaking of him, as if he's not here?" Piper's mouth curved downward.

With a polite smile on her face, Olivia stepped forward and offered her hand to the newcomer. "Buena sera, signor. My name is Olivia."

"And I'm Riggerio." The daemon planted a light kiss on her hand. "I am very happy to meet such a lovely young woman, such as yourself."

A snort left Piper's mouth. Cole glared at her. "And this is Piper Halliwell, my former sister-in-law," he said in a curt tone. "Thankfully." He ignored Piper's sharp glance. Then Cole introduced the others to the newcomers. "So, is there a reason for this visit?"

Riggerio smoothly explained that he had the information that Cole requested. "Of course," he added, "this would require the item you had mentioned."

Cole removed what looked like a small black box from his jacket pocket. The Crotona Ring, Olivia surmised. He opened the box and displayed the contents to the Stregheria daemon. "Now, about that information . . ." Riggerio reached for the box. Cole snapped it shut. "Ah, ah, ah, the information first."

"Yes, of course," Riggerio said with a regretful sigh. He revealed that Portia Della Scalla was the name of a powerful succubus.

Olivia frowned. "A succubus? Is that what she is?"

"No wondered she snatched Bruce, instead of killing him," Harry exclaimed.

A confused expression appeared on Paige's face. "What the hell is a succubus?"

"A daemon that kills by sucking away one's life force," Cole explained. "Through sex. A succubus is usually a woman. Of course, she has to have sex with her victim several times, before she can kill him. Or her."

"A female demon?"

Barbara added, "A succubus is a female daemon and her victims are usually men - especially if she wants to get pregn . . ." Her blue eyes widened in horror. "Oh my God! Do you think that's what she wants with Bruce?"

Harry replied grimly, "Wouldn't put it past her."

"Harry!" Olivia glared at her brother. Who rolled his eyes and looked away.

Cole said, "The male counterpart to a succubus is an incubus. He either kills or impregnates his victims."

"How did Portia acquire a human name?" Olivia asked. "I mean, Della Scalla?"

Riggerio nodded. "Yes. Della Scalla was the name of a reputable Venetian family. I believe they are still around. Portia's grandmother, a succubus, became pregnant by a scion of the Della Scalla family. She then gave birth to a son. An amadatti."

"A what?" Phoebe demanded.

"Amadatti." Riggerio frowned. "Surely you know what a wizard is? Some wizards or amadatti are the offspring of an incubus or succubus and a mortal. Anyway," he continued, "Portia's father was a wizard named Alberto Della Scalla. He became acquainted with a succubus named Burlanda. They first conceived Portia's older sister, Claudia. Three years later, Portia was born. However, Alberto never lived to see his second daughter. It seemed," Riggerio gave a discreet cough, "he and Burlanda got out of hand, the night Portia was conceived."

A smirk appeared on Cole's face. "Hmmm, in other words, they had failed to practice safe sex. I bet Alberto's last orgasm must have been quite a doozy." Riggerio rolled his eyes.

"If we're dealing with a succubus," Paul said, "then she should pose no real problem. A succubus is not that difficult to vanquish."

Contempt flared in Riggerio's eyes. "This succubus is. Portia is not some ordinary daemon. Her father was a wizard. She is very powerful, fast and resourceful. Both she and her sister have defeated more powerful opponents."

Olivia stepped forward. "So what are you saying? She won't be easy to kill? What about her powers?"

"Aside from teleportation and thrall, she also possesses electro kinesis. And like most succubus and incubus, she can put anyone within several feet, to sleep in an instant. You should be careful when approaching her, signorina. I hear that she is residing at one of the city's hotels." Riggerio regarded Olivia with deep appreciation. "However, I believe you have the intelligence not to overestimate Portia." Olivia responded with a brief smile.

Piper, who had been regarding Riggerio with deep suspicion, asked, "And what exactly do we have that makes you so willing to betray your own kind?"

"My own kind?" One of Riggerio's dark brows formed an arch. "Signora, the only ones I consider to be of my own kind are members of my congrega. My coven." He returned his attention to Cole. "By the way, Belthazor, I believe you have something that belongs to us."

Cole reached inside his jacket pocket for the small box. He handed it to Riggerio. "Here you go. As promised."

"Grazie." Riggerio bowed to the others. "Ladies, gentlemen, it has been a pleasure to make your acquaintance. Ciao." He immediately disappeared.

"Hmmm," Paige commented, "how very Old World."

Paul seemed concerned about another matter. He turned to Cole, eyes dark with suspicion. "What exactly did you give him?" he demanded.

"A ring," Cole replied. "A very special ring. It belonged to Riggerio's coven."

Piper added, "And what if Riggerio and his cronies decide to use it against innocents? Or other witches? You were taking a big risk, Cole, giving it to him."

Blue eyes coldly focused upon the oldest Halliwell. "Riggerio and his coven have managed to cause enough chaos and mayhem without that ring. Besides, it's been collecting dust in the Source's Realm for the last 36 years."

"Leo was right about you," Paul retorted. "You just made a deal with some demon by giving him a weapon that can be used against innocents. And you have the nerve to be nonchalant about it."

Cole shot back, "First of all, that ring is not a weapon! It's the Crotona Coven's sigil! Their personal seal. Which means that the damn thing belongs to them! And if you want to take it from them, be my guest! But your ass will end up in a whole world of trouble, because all you will be doing is stealing from them!"

"You son-of-a-bitch!" Paul growled.

Harry interrupted. "Hey! Enough of this shit! All right? If giving this Riggerio his sigil is going to help get my brother back, so be it!"

"Harry's right," Olivia added. "Now all we have to do is check the hotels. And I have a way." She held up the half-slip that Darryl had found. "Phoebe, Darryl found this inside Nick's apartment. We believe that it belonged to Portia."

Phoebe reluctantly took the slip. She closed her eyes and then . . . "Nothing. I'm sorry, but I'm not getting anything."

"Try harder," Piper suggested. "Concentrate."

Olivia shook her head. "No! Don't try concentrate. Relax. And allow the image to come to you."

As her body sagged into a relaxed form, Phoebe took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Seconds passed. Then a minute. After three minutes passed, Piper commented, "This isn't working. Phoebe needs to . . ."

Olivia shot the eldest Halliwell a dark look. "Shhhh! Be quiet!" Piper immediately clamped her mouth shut and glared at the older witch.

Another three minutes passed before a gasp escaped her mouth and she went into a deep trance. Which lasted for at least two minutes. When the trance ended, Phoebe fell to her knees. "Oh! Oh God!"

"What is it?" Paige demanded. She leaned down to help her older sister rise up. "Phoebe? Are you okay?"

The middle Charmed One turned to Olivia with anguished eyes. "I saw them. Portia and Bruce. And it was almost like my last premonition. With them having sex." From the corner of her eye, Olivia saw Barbara stiffened. Phoebe continued, "Only I didn't see Portia kidnap Bruce. And while they were having sex, she seemed to be sucking the life out of him. Then he was dead."

"Did you see where they were?" Paul asked.

Phoebe nodded. "Looked like a hotel room."

Olivia asked, "Do you know which hotel?"

Again, Phoebe closed her eyes. "I think . . . I can't . . ."

"Concen . . ." Piper broke off. "I mean . . ."

Olivia spoke up. "Just relax, Phoebe. Like before. And focus."

Once more, Phoebe's body became less tense. Her breathing became shallow, less ragged. She gasped and went into a trance for the second time. Then, "The Omni!" Her outburst took Olivia and the others by surprise. "The Omni Hotel. On Nob Hill. At least that's what the sign in front of the building says." Breathing heavily, she added, "They're at the Omni Hotel."

Paul stepped forward. "All right, this is what we'll do. We'll call Leo to orb . . ."

"We don't have time," Cole sharply interrupted. He grabbed both Darryl and Olivia. "I'll take them to the hotel. Hopefully, we'll be able to stop her. Let's go." Before he, Olivia and Darryl could beam out, Barbara grabbed hold of Olivia's arm. And the four disappeared.


END OF PART 17

"THE BOUNTY HUNTER" Review

”THE BOUNTY HUNTER” Review

When I first saw the preview trailers for both ”THE BOUNTY HUNTER” and ”COP OUT”, I had naturally assumed I would prefer this new action/romantic comedy starring Jennifer Aniston and Gerard Butler. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that my opinions of the two movie proved to be reversed. I am not claiming that ”COP OUT” was an exceptional action/comedy film. Trust me, it was not. But I consider it a piece of cinematic artistry in compare to the incoherent ”THE BOUNTY HUNTER”.

To my knowledge, ”THE BOUNTY HUNTER” told the story of a New York journalist named Nicole Hurley, who jumped bailed and ignored a court summons over an altercation with a cop in order to pursue a promising story about a suicide that smelled suspiciously like a murder. Hot on the journalist’s trail is her ex-husband, a former cop-turned-bounty hunter named Milo Boyd. He had been given the assignment to find her and turn her over to the police. Once Milo found Nicole, the two were forced to contend with another former cop, who also happened to be a killer; and a pair of hired thugs who worked for a bookie to whom Milo owned money.

Judging from the plot’s outline, one might assume that it was not that complicated. I wish I could say that the movie was not complicated. After all, there were aspects of it that I enjoyed. For instance, I enjoyed the bed-and-breakfast scene where Nicole and Milo a moonlight dinner on the hotel’s terrace. Not only did it featured first-rate acting by Jennifer Aniston and Gerard Butler, but also allowed their characters to reflect upon their error in getting a divorce. I also enjoyed the rather humorous scene in which the pair tracked down a golf caddy, who could provide information on the killer, to a country club. And Nicole and Milo’s encounter with the killer on the road back to New York City, was filled with both humor and good action. I must almost admit that director Andy Tennant did a solid job in pacing the film, despite the unnecessary plotlines in the script. One last thing . . . I enjoyed Oliver Bokelberg’s crisp and colorful photography of Manhattan, Atlantic City and other parts of New Jersey and New York State.

As for the plot . . . what in the hell happened? What led screenwriter Sarah Thorp to take a straightforward plot and screw it up? What problem did I have with the story’s plot? Its execution made no sense whatsoever. I had no problems with the idea of a bounty hunter searching his bail jumping ex-wife. However, I had a problem with how Thorp handled the entire story. In the movie, it took Milo a few hours to track down Nicole from her Manhattan apartment, to her singer/mother at an Atlantic City hotel and finally to a race track. But once Milo caught up with Nicole, it took them two days to return to Manhattan. Why? Because Thorp had side tracked the couple with some unnecessary adventures.

One, Nicole and Milo stopped at an Atlantic City casino-hotel to gamble at the craps table. Milo had made a deal with Nicole that if she served as his good luck charmed and enabled him to win at least $5,000 (the money he was receiving for her capture), he would let her go. He ended up winning $8,000, she walked away, he eventually lost the money with more gambling and they ended up spending the night together at the casino-hotel. Their second day on the road included a close encounter with the killer (unmemorably portrayed by Peter Greene), a side trip to a country club to interrogate the golf caddy and an unnecessary stop at the very bed-and-breakfast where they had spent their honeymoon. Meanwhile, the movie also focused upon a pair of hired thugs for a female bookie portrayed by Oscar nominee Cathy Moriarty, to whom Milo owned money due to his gambling habit. A good deal of mistaken identity ensued when the thugs picked up Nicole’s newspaper colleague, whom one of them had mistaken for Milo. Finally, the movie ended with a showdown with the killer and Milo’s ex-partner. The entire sequence was nothing more than a vague, yet convoluted mess that left me feeling dissatisfied.

Some critics have complained about a lack of screen chemistry between Jennifer Aniston and Gerard Butler. I would have to disagree with that opinion . . . somewhat. I must admit that the two stars had failed to produce any sparks in their first scene together. Fortunately, Aniston and Butler managed to create some kind of chemistry, as the movie progressed. But they did not have the kind of chemistry that Butler had with Katherine Heigel in ”THE UGLY TRUTH” or Aniston had with Vince Vaughn in ”THE BREAK UP”. In fact, Butler’s role seemed like a remake of his Mike Chadway character in ”THE UGLY TRUTH”. Whereas his Chadway character had managed to perfectly contrast with Heigel’s prissy character in the 2009 comedy, his Milo Boyd character failed to do the same with Aniston’s more sardonic and extroverted personality in ”THE BOUNTY HUNTER”. But the pair still managed to create some chemistry.

Only a handful of the supporting cast actually impressed me. Dorian Missick did a solid job of portraying the ambiguity of Detective Bobby Singer, the police detective who was Milo’s ex-partner, the couple’s close friend and of whom they suspected of being corrupt. Christine Baranski was charming and funny as Nicole’s mother, a nightclub singer at an Atlantic City casino. Siobhan Fallon was equally funny as the wife of the bail bondsman that Milo works for. Christian Borle gave a hilarious performance as the country club golf caddy who reluctantly gave Milo and Nicole the information they needed on the killer. I would have included Jason Sudeikis’ hilarious portrayal of Nicole’s wacky colleague and former one-night stand, Stewart. But once he got caught up in the useless bookie storyline, he became a nuisance and I eventually lost interest in him.

In the end, I do not know if I could really recommend ”THE BOUNTY HUNTER”. A forgettable villain and numerous subplots that made the movie’s story convoluted prevented it from going anywhere. Pity. The movie could have been a first-rate comedy in the vein of 1988’s ”MIDNIGHT RUN”. Instead, it turned out to be a second-rate movie with too many flaws.

The Nicholas Brothers in "THE BLACK NETWORK" (1936)

THE NICHOLAS BROTHERS in "THE BLACK NETWORK" (1936)

Fayard and Harold Nicholas (aka the Nicholas Brothers) appeared in the 1936 all-black musical called "THE BLACK NETWORK". HERE is a video clip of them in a song-and-dance routine called "Lucky Numbers"

"THE PACIFIC" (Episode Five) Commentary

”THE PACIFIC” (Episode Five) Commentary

I wrote this commentary on the fifth episode of "THE PACIFIC":

Episode Five began with war hero John Basilone in the middle of a war bond drive with Hollywood actress, Virginia Grey. Everything seemed to be hunky-dory with the Marine. Many servicemen seemed recognize his face on sight. And the good sergeant is also enjoying more passionate moments with the actress. This brief scene into the life of Basilone also featured his reunion with his younger brother George, already a Marine sergeant. The younger Basilone tried to express hope that he would be able to live to the older sibling’s name and reputation. But John immediately warned him not to bother. The last thing Basilone wants is his younger brother getting killed in combat over some reckless attempt to live up to his reputation.

This episode also marked Eugene Sledge’s baptism of fire, as he join Robert Leckie and his other fellow Marines of the First Division land on Peleliu for a major assault in September 1944. Three months earlier, Sledge had arrived on Pavuvu, where he had a joyful reunion with his childhood buddy, Sid Phillips and engaged in a brief conversation with Leckie on the meaning of war. But the privations of Pavuvu proved to be minor for Sledge, when the First Marines land on the hellish beaches of Peleliu.

Around the same time Sledge arrived on Pavuvu, Leckie returned to How Company and enjoyed a happy reunion with his three buddies – Chuckler, Runner and Hoosier. In typical Leckie fashion, he kept silent about his experiences at the psych ward on Banika and his encounter with the mentally unstable Ronnie Gibson. But he did find the time for a brief conversation in which he expressed his slightly more cynical views on what the war really meant. Sledge’s expression seemed to hint a reluctance to consider Leckie’s view. Peleliu will end up providing a different lesson for the Mobile, Alabama native. As for Leckie, Peleliu – at least in this episode – provided both some pain and a great personal fear.

Producers Gary Goetzman, Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks made it clear that the Battle of Peleliu (which was fought between September and November 1944) would be shown in three episodes. Episode Five featured the First Marines Division landing on the island. And director Carl Franklin did a superb job in conveying the horrors that Leckie, Sledge and their fellow Marines had experienced in landing on the island and establishing a beach hold. The most interesting aspect of that landing came from Sledge’s point-of-view, as the camera followed him from his boarding of the amtrack (amphibious tracked vehicles) to the fury of battle on the beach.

With Sledge finally experiencing combat for the first time, the miniseries introduced new characters - Merriell "SNAFU" Shelton (Rami Malek); Bill Leyden (Brendan Fletcher); R.V. Burgin (Martin McCann); and Captain Andrew "Ack Ack" Haldane (Scott Gibson). Burgin barely uttered a word in this episode. I cannot even remember Leyden’s face. And Haldane seemed to be an officer in the tradition of Richard Winters of ”BAND OF BROTHERS”. Shelton is another matter. Judging from the comments on the Web, I suspect that many viewers had been looking forward to experiencing Malek’s performance as Shelton, as much as seeing Sledge experience combat for the first time. And the actor did not fail to deliver. He gave a riveting, yet eccentric performance as the slightly soulless Shelton.

As I had stated earlier, Peleliu provided a great deal of pain and anxiety for Leckie. One, his breakdown in Episode Four led Hoosier to fret over him during the Peleliu landing – much to his annoyance. The two eventually got separated from Chuckler and Runner before disaster happened. Poor Hoosier became seriously wounded in the leg. Although Leckie managed to summon a medic, poor Hoosier lost consciousness before he was carried away. Both Leckie and the audience were left in a state of anxiety over the Marine’s fate. Leckie finally managed to hook up with Runner. Unfortunately, both men seemed to be at a loss over Chuckler, who has yet to make an appearance. And they, along with Sledge and the rest of the First Marines Division were poised to begin the assault on the airfield on Peleliu.

In the end, Episode Five proved to be a solid and very interesting look into Eugene Sledge’s arrival in the Pacific Theater’s war zone. It also provided a peak into John Basilone’s experiences as a war hero on the homefront and what might possibly be the beginning of the end of Robert Leckie’s circle of friends. The episode provided some interesting moments. I enjoyed hometown friends Sledge and Phillips’ immediate reconciliation and its interruption by Sledge’s company commander, Captain Andy Haldane. For some reason, it reminded me of a scene from 1994’s ”FORREST GUMP” depicting the lead character’s arrival in Vietnam. Their reunion became more serious as Phillips tries to warn Sledge that combat was not as they had imaged when they were kids. Leckie’s reunion with his friends brought a smile to my face. I have grown accustomed to all four of them that much. Did anyone notice the grizzled sergeant who was practicing bayonet thrusts when Sledge first arrived on Parvuvu? Keep an eye on him. The episode also featured a poignant moment when Sledge discovered that Phillips had left Parvuvu for leave, back home in Mobile.

But the one scene that caught me by surprise centered on a brief conversation between Leckie and Sledge, inside the former’s tent. That the producers would feature a meeting between the two did not surprise me. After all, ”THE PACIFIC” is a historical drama, not a documentary. There were bound to be some historical inaccuracies. I have yet to see a historical drama that DID NOT have historical inaccuracies – including the much lauded ”BAND OF BROTHERS”. What I found surprising about this scene was that actors James Badge Dale and Joseph Mazello made it clear in this ARTICLE that they did not have any scenes togethers. Guys? Lying is a big “no, no” to me.

The episode finally shifted to the First Marines Division’s landing on Peleliu and it was a doozy. The scene featuring Sledge’s beach landing struck me as surreal, especially in that brief moment when the sun shone in the Marine’s eyes as the amtrack conveying his regiment prepared to leave the ship and hit the water. The actual beach landings for both Sledge and Leckie were graphic and rather scary. The scene in which Sledge witnessed Shelton removing gold teeth from a Japanese soldier struck me as an ominous sign of more darkness for the naïve Sledge to encounter. But the biggest heartbreak – at least for me – was the moment when Leckie witnessed Hoosier being seriously wounded by Japanese artillery.

The acting, as usual, was up to par. Joseph Mazello gave a excellent performance as the intense, yet naïve Sledge. In fact, I have to point out that the actor really knows how to use his eyes to convey his character’s emotional state. I could probably say the same about James Badge Dale, who continued to give consistently first-rate performances as Robert Leckie. Both he and Mazello were perfectly understated in their one scene together. Jon Seda, whom we have not seen since Episode Three was solid as war hero John Basilone. I especially enjoyed his performance in a scene with Mark Casamento, who portrayed his younger brother George. As Sid Phillips, Ashton Holmes gave one of his better performances by perfectly balancing his character’s joy at seeing childhood friend Sledge and war weariness at trying to explain the realities of combat to his buddy. Many fans had been anticipating Rami Malek’s debut as Sledge’s very eccentric comrade, Merriell “SNAFU” Shelton. And Malek managed to brilliantly live up to Shelton’s reputation as an eccentric and somewhat cold-blooded warrior. However, I felt a slight disappointment that the Shelton character had already arrived at this emotional point upon his introduction. Considering that his character was already a veteran of the Cape Gloucester campaign, I am not surprised. But the audience will never get to witness Malek develop his character to that point, as we got to witness Ronnie Gibson develop from a rather nervous Marine, to a slightly demented warrior and emotional wreck.

Episode Five was a pretty damn good episode. Audiences managed to witness a full-fledged battle sequence in the daylight for the first time since this episode aired. But I have one major complaint. It ended too soon. I realize that the Peleliu campaign will stretch out in two more episodes, but I still believe that this particular episode should have had a longer running time. Other than that I am looking forward to Episode Six.

"DATE NIGHT" (2010) Photo Gallery

Below is a photo gallery featuring images from the new comedy, "DATE NIGHT". Directed by Shawn Levy, the movie stars Steve Carell and Tina Fey:


"DATE NIGHT" (2010) Photo Gallery

Top Ten (10) Favorite Episodes of "HOMICIDE: LIFE ON THE STREETS"

Below are my top ten (10) episodes from NBC's "HOMICIDE: LIFE ON THE STREETS" (1993-1999):


TOP TEN (10) FAVORITE EPISODES OF "HOMICIDE: LIFE ON THE STREETS"



1. (5.19) "Deception" - The murder of a Nigerian drug courier sets the scene for an explosive encounter between gangster Luthor Mahoney and Detectives Mike Kellerman, Meldrick Lewis and Terri Stivers. Kellerman's action will result in repercussion for the squad in over a year.





2. (1.06) "Three Men and Adena" - Tim Bayliss and Frank Pembleton bring in an arabber named Risley Tucker as the prime suspect in the murder of the 11 year-old girl, Adena Watson. With a 12-hour time limit, the two partners try one last interrogation in a desperate attempt to get a confession. Writer Tom Fontana won an Emmy for writing this episode.





3. (3.04) "Crosetti" - The squad reels with shock over the news of Detective Steve Crosetti's suicide death - especially former partner Lewis, who has difficulty accepting the detective's death.





4. (3.10) "Every Mother's Son" - Pembleton and Bayliss investigate the shooting of a 13-year-old boy, Darryl Nawls. During the course of their investigation, the mother of the shooter unknowingly meets the mother of the victim and finds that they have much in common.





5. (6.22) "Fallen Heroes (Part 1) - Junior Bunk is arrested for the death of a corrupt judge named Gibbons. After stealing a revolver from an officer's death while no one is looking, Junior engages in a shooting spree, killing and wounding several officers - including Laura Ballard and Stu Gharty.





6. (6.23) "Fallen Heroes (Part 2) - The squad goes after the Mahoney organization, following Junior Bunk's shooting spree in Part 1. This leads to Bayliss getting seriously wounded. Meanwhile, Lieutenant Al Giardello and Pemberton eventually learn about Kellerman's killing of Luthor Mahoney.





7. (2.02) "Black and Blue" - The department and community pressure the Homicide Unit to solve a cop-involved killing. With the lives and reputations of fellow officers at stake, Giardello clashes with Pembleton over the investigations. Giardello demands a pursuit of civilian suspects, but Pembleton's instincts tell him the cops are lying.





8. (5.13) "Betrayal" - Bayliss's shaky history with child victims leads him to reveal a family secret to Pemberton after the two work the beating death of a young girl found by the interstate. Kellerman rejects the Fifth Amendment before a grand jury, and is let off the hook.





9. (7.10) "Shades of Gray" - Rene Sheppard is assaulted when she and Lewis investigate an incident involving the accidental death of a West Indian immigrant at the hands of a white bus driver.





10. (1.07) "And the Rockets' Dead Glare" - When a student who was a political refugee is murdered, Lewis and Crosetti take it upon themselves to investigate individuals at the Chinese Embassy in Washington, DC. Kay Howard and Beau Felton spend the day in court testifying in the ongoing case against "Pony" Johnson. Pembleton weighs the pros and cons of a possible promotion within the department.

"Obssessions" [PG-13] - Chapter 16

"OBSSESSIONS"

Part 16

Darryl parked the sedan across the street from Nick Marcano's apartment building. "Okay," he said to his companions, "we're here. I sure wish we had a squad car or two for backup."

"Somehow, I don't think that police backup will help." The words came from Paul Margolin, who sat in the car's back seat. He had accompanied Darryl and Olivia to Marcano's apartment in North Beach. "Especially if there's a chance he's involved with a demon or warlock," the ADA added.

Olivia said, "To be honest, I'm not sure about us being here. Other than Nick, I have no idea who or what we'll be facing. I hope that Nick won't give us any trouble, when we arrest him. I can't believe that he's behind all this."

"At least the Captain will be very happy," Darryl added. "He's been pressuring me to find a suspect for nearly a week. And now that we have one, we might as well deal with him. I just . . . I don't know. I still wish we had backup." He opened the door and climbed out of the car. Olivia and Margolin followed. The trio crossed the street and entered the apartment building.

Once inside, they paid a visit to the building's manager and demanded the key to Nick's apartment. The manager happily obliged - especially after Darryl showed him the search warrant. Once the trio reached outside Marcano's apartment, Darryl hesitated. "Think he's here? Marcano?" he asked.

"Well, we called his office," Olivia reminded her partner. "And he wasn't there."

Darryl knocked on the door. Seconds passed and no one answered. Then Olivia knocked. "Nick? It's Olivia McNeill. Are you home?"

More silence greeted the trio. Olivia suggested to Darryl that he use the key he had received from the manager. The two partners whipped out their revolvers. After Darryl unlocked the door, the two police officers and the ADA entered the apartment. "What exactly are we looking for?" Margolin asked.

Olivia replied, "Anything that can lead us to Nick's whereabouts. Or at least link him to DeWolfe Mann's death." She began to rummage through Marcano's desk.

Darryl went inside the bedroom and began his search with a highboy dresser. He did not find anything important, but he did notice that some of Marcano's clothing seemed to be missing. But he did find an interesting piece of female clothing behind the dresser. Everything else seemed to be normal. However, Darryl noticed that a few personal items seemed to be missing. Like a toothbrush, toothpaste and deodorant.

Then his eyes fell upon the sink. Darryl noticed a faint red streak on the edge. One touch indicated that it was dry. After removing a napkin and a pair of tweezers from his pocket, he delicately scraped at the red streak, using the tweezers. Then he brushed some of the residue onto the napkin. Darryl only hoped that his efforts would amount to something. Or that his "evidence" would not linger in Forensics for a week.

Just as he left the bathroom, Darryl overheard Olivia cry out, "Found something!" He rushed into the living room and spotted his red-haired partner waving a thick book in the air. "I found this in a tote bag, underneath the desk." Olivia glanced at it. "Looks like a library book. Huh. It's a book on . . . demonology?"

"On what?" Darryl took the book from Olivia's hand. He read the title. "FORMMAN'S ENCYCLOPEDIA ON WORLD DEMONOLOGY?" What the hell?" Then he peered inside the book. "Damn, this thing is old! Published in 1932."

Olivia nodded. "I know. I have a copy of it, at home." She retrieved the book. "And it looks as if I was right about Nick summoning a daemon to kill Bruce. The problem is we don't know what kind of daemon he had summoned." She sighed. "God, I wish that Cole was here."

Darryl noticed the dark look that flitted across Margolin's face. "Why?" the latter demanded. "We seem to be doing fine on our own."

"Because he was trying to get information on Miss Della Scalla, last night," Olivia explained. "From another daemon."

Margolin's mouth formed a tight line. "So, Belthazor is still in contact with other demons? I thought he had put that life behind him."

Olivia heaved a deep sigh. "You're not going to have a problem with Cole, are you Paul? Yes, he's still in contact with other daemons. They're a source of information. Besides, Cole's friend had promised he would find all he can about . . . or whatever her name."

"Can he be trusted?" Darryl wondered if Margolin meant Cole or the other demon. Fortunately, the ADA clarified matters. "This friend of Belthazor's. Can he be trusted?"

Shrugging her shoulders, Olivia replied, "I wouldn't know. I've never met this Riggerio, but I've heard of him. Very . . . ambiguous. He's a daemon known among Stregheria practioners."

"Stregheria. Like Nick," Darryl added.

Olivia nodded. "Precisely. It was Aunt Car . . . Mom's friend, Carla, who once told me about Riggerio. I just wish she were here in town. She could have told us about Portia."

One glance at the ADA told Darryl that the former still disapproved of Cole's decision to seek help from another demon. Probably disapproved of Cole, period. Darryl would have understood over two years ago. But now, he only wished that Margolin would learn to be a little more open-minded.

"I've been going through Marcano's dresser," Darryl added. "Looks like he's packed a few things. And his suitcase is missing. But I found this." He held up the piece of clothing found behind the highboy. A half-slip. "And this." He displayed the residue of dried blood inside the folded napkin.

Olivia grabbed the half-slip. "This must belong to Miss Della Scalla."

"That's what I figured," Darryl said.

Margolin asked, "If this Nick and his suitcase are missing, where is he?"

Darryl's cell phone rang. He answered it. "Hello? Oh, Phoebe. Wha . . .?" He fell silent, while the witch explained a premonition that she had experienced. Once she finished, he said, "Look Phoebe, if you're having trouble in reaching Leo, call Paige. I'm sure that she can get you to the McNeills' home in time." From the corner of his eye, he saw Olivia turn pale. "We'll see you there. Bye." He disconnected his phone.

Concern flared in Olivia's green eyes. "The McNeills' home? What's going on, Darryl?"

"That was Phoebe. She had a premonition of Bruce being kidnapped by Portia Della Scalla. And Piper can't get a hold of Leo."

Margolin added, "Then we better get over there, as soon as possible. And stop her." He turned to Olivia, who looked very upset. "Perhaps you better give your brother a call. That is, if he's at home."

"Yeah. Right." Olivia retrieved her cell phone from her purse. "God, I knew I should have called Bruce, again!"

Meanwhile, Darryl dialed the number to the precinct. And placed an All Points Bulletin for one Nicholas Marcano.

* * * *

The telephone rang. Paige rushed toward the counter to answer. "Ostera's," she greeted politely. "How may I help you?"

"Paige? It's Piper." The oldest Charmed One's voice sounded urgent. "Listen, can you orb to Phoebe's office at the BAY-MIRROR and pick us up? We have an emergency."

The youngest Charmed One glanced at her boss, who was busy with a customer. "Uh, what kind of emergency?"

Piper sighed. "Of the demonic kind. Look, I don't have time to explain. We need you. Now. I'm sure that Barbara would understand. It involves Bruce."

"Bruce? What about him?" Paige spoke loud enough to capture Barbara's attention. The latter shot a quick glance at her.

"Phoebe saw him being kidnapped by that Portia woman. Now get your butt over here, so we can save him!"

A sigh left Paige's mouth. She hated it when Piper assumed a bossy attitude. It made her elder sister seem bitchy - a trait that did not suit Piper at all. As much as she loved Piper, the latter never struck Paige as a natural leader. "All right, Piper! Gee! I'll be there as soon as I tell Barbara."

After she hung up, Paige looked at Barbraa. The latter turned over the customer to the shop's other assistant, Madeline. Then she approached Paige. "What's going on?" she demanded. "Is it Bruce? Is he in trouble?"

"Yeah. Um, that was Piper." Paige went on to describe her sister's news about Phoebe's premonition and Leo's missing status. "They need me to orb them over to the McNeills' house and . . ."

Barbara immediately interjected, "I'm going with you." She turned to Madeline, who had just bid a customer good-bye a few minutes ago. "Maddy, Paige and I have an emergency. We'll be gone for a few hours."

"But my lunch . . ." the younger woman protested.

"Don't worry. I'll give you an extra hour or two of overtime. We'll be back." Barbara led Paige to the storeroom. "Okay, let's go," she quietly ordered. The pair immediately orbed from the store.

* * * *

About fifteen minutes before Phoebe had experienced her premonition, Harry sat inside his father's study, working on a merger proposition between McNeill Corporation and a real estate company. Unfortunately, his mind seemed to linger on something other than his work. Matters like his older brother's odd behavior and the voice he thought he had overheard, last night.

Harry realized that there was no way a daemon or any other magical being could have entered the house. Not without the protection spell that Gran had cast over the house. Unless . . . Harry immediately dismissed the disturbing thought. No. If someone had managed to enter Bruce's apartment, he or possibly she had to be strong enough to bypass the spell. Or . . . Harry realized that he could not deny it any longer. The possibility that someone inside the house had removed the spell.

Heaving a sigh, Harry left the study and began a tour of the house, to check on the protection herbs. Ten minutes later, he discovered, to his dismay, that every sprig of Mallow planted around the house, had disappeared. Who had removed . . .?

The disturbing thought returned. That and memories of Bruce's behavior, this morning. Harry began to wonder if his older brother had been responsible for the removal of the Mallow. Determined to find out, he made his way upstairs, to Bruce's bedroom. As he raised his hand to knock on the door, Harry could hear a voice. A woman's voice that sounded very familiar. A mental alert rang inside his head. This time, he planned to discover the identity of Bruce's visitor. As he grasped the doorknob, Harry gently opened the door.

Inside, he saw a beautiful, dark-haired woman on the edge of Bruce's bed, leaning over the older man's inert figure. "What the hell?" Harry cried out. The woman's head whipped around. Sherry-brown eyes flew open. "Who the hell are you?"

The woman slowly rose from the bed. Her eyes widened further, as she stared at Harry. A sudden attack of lethargy overcame him, and he found himself struggling to remain conscious. "Sleep," he heard the woman command. "do not fight it." Harry's knees gave way and he slowly slid to the floor. "Yes, yes," the woman murmured in her soft accent, "allow the sleep to wash over you."

"No!" Using every ounce of his will and his telepathy, Harry deflected the woman's psychic attack. She gasped out loud and fell to her knees. Harry crawled toward her, as he used his mind to apply pressure to hers. She clasped both hands to each side of her head and screamed. Then she disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

Harry sighed with relief and slowly rose to his feet. He took one step toward the bed, when the woman reappeared. "Hey!" he cried. She smiled at him, grabbed Bruce's arm and disappeared. This time, with the oldest McNeill sibling in tow.

Oh no! Panic struck Harry. He had failed to save Bruce, despite his best efforts. Shit! What the hell was he supposed to do, now? At first, Harry considered calling his parents or grandmother. Then he thought of one person truly capable of tracking down Bruce. He reached for the cordless telephone on the nightstand and dialed the number for the offices of Jackman, Kline and Carter.

* * * *

Cole glanced at the clock on his desk and sighed with relief. Two minutes past noon. Which meant it was time for lunch. Only he did not feel like eating. A liquid lunch seemed more preferable. Something alcoholic.

This morning, he barely had time to recover from his latest one-night stand, when he realized that he had to go to work. Encountering Olivia in the building's parking lot had done nothing for his mood. Cole still felt embarrassed over her discovery of the lipstick on his chin. And a little pissed. After all, who in the hell was she to strike an attitude over his late night activities? Especially since she had dinner with her saintly new ADA, last night. God only knew what else happened between them once that dinner ended.

And yet, Cole could not rid himself of the guilt or the embarrassment. Or the longing for a return to their old relationship. Before Paul Margolin had entered their lives. It would be even better if they could take their relationship toward a new . . . The intercom box on his desk buzzed. "Mr. Turner," his assistant announced, "you have a call on Line 3. It's Harry McNeill."

Harry? Why would he be calling around this time of the day? Cole calmed down and replied, "Thanks Eleanor. Buzz him through." She connected the call to Cole's desk and he answered. "Hello? Harry?"

The youngest McNeill literally shouted into the phone. "Cole! Thank God I reached you! I need your help! Badly!"

"Harry, calm down. What's wrong?"

"It's Bruce," Harry continued. "He's gone!" The young witch went on to explain about the demonic visitor that had snatched Bruce. Judging from the kidnapper's description, Cole realized that Portia Della Scalla had paid a visit. His mind on the present emergency, Cole sat up in his chair. "Listen Harry, get a hold of Olivia, Leo, your parents, or anyone who might help. Don't . . . don't worry, Harry! I'll help as well. Listen, make sure that you tell Olivia first. I have something to do, first."

"Oh. Okay," Harry replied. "Anything else?"

An idea came to Cole. "Remember how you managed to tap into Phoebe's premonition, last fall? Just before she and her sisters got caught by those warlocks?"

Hesitation crept into Harry's voice. "Uh, yeah. Are you . . . are you suggesting that I . . .?"

"Harry, just try it. Try to make a connection with Bruce and find out where he is."

Harry replied doubtfully, "I don't know. I had only managed to connect with Phoebe by accident. I was meditating at the time."

"Well, a little meditation wouldn't help right now," Cole said. "Meanwhile, I have a little errand to run. It's regarding Bruce. I should be at your house, soon." He hung up before Harry could respond. Then Cole grabbed his jacket and left the office. "Eleanor," he said to his assistant, "I'll be out of the office for the rest of the day. If anyone calls or comes looking for me, tell them I'm at an important meeting."

Eleanor nodded. "Yes, Mr. Turner." But Cole barely heard her, as he marched toward the elevator.

* * * *

Seconds later, Cole materialized in the middle of a long corridor, deep within the Source's Realm. He immediately recognized the corridor as the very one that led to the Source's throne room. Dismissing memories that threatened to overwhelm him, Cole made his way toward the aforementioned room and entered.

"Who the hell are you?" a voice from behind, demanded.

Cole whirled around and faced a young man who looked to be in his twenties. The latter was of medium height and possessed dark hair, dark eyes and a swarthy complexion. There seemed to be something oddly familiar about him.

The young daemon repeated his question. "Who are you? What are . . .?" His dark eyes widened in recognition. "Belthazor! I mean you're the Source! The last Source!"

"And you are?" Cole demanded.

"Sirius." The demon stood proudly. "My father was Bacchus. He was part of the old Source's Council."

An image of an older version of Sirius popped into Cole's head. "Of course! Bacchus was also part of my council. You . . . uh, you look a lot like your father. Was he among those who perished when the Seer tried to become the new Source?"

Sirius shook his head. "No, he wasn't at the ceremony. He was killed six months later. By Barbas. Thankfully that bastard is dead."

"Yeah, thankfully," Cole murmured, recalling his part in Barbas' death.

Dark eyes swept over the older daemon. "It's good to see you again, Your Eminence. Are you here to reclaim leadership of the Realm?"

"No," Cole curtly replied.

Sirius frowned. "Then why are you here?"

Cole walked past the younger daemon and headed toward the altar. "I'm here for another matter. To retrieve something." He stepped behind the altar and used his telekinesis to remove a heavy stone embedded in the wall.

Sirius leaned over Cole, irritating the latter. "What are you doing? What is that?"

Cole held up a small black box. He replaced the stone. "A little personal item that I had left behind," he replied. "Now that I have it, I'll be on my way." He started to walk away from the altar. Sirius blocked his path. Cole glared at the younger daemon. "Look, do you mind getting out of my way?"

"No. I cannot allow you to leave with whatever you have. It belongs here."

A long sigh left Cole's mouth. "Actually, it doesn't. Not really. Now please, get out of my way." When the younger daemon refused to move, Cole's expression hardened. "Let me remind you of a few facts of life, Sirius. One, this realm is in chaos, which means there is no reason for you to act as guardian of the Source's throne room. Two, this little item in my hand does belong to someone else - another daemon - and I intend to return it to him. For a price. And three, if you don't get out of my way, I will kill you." Cole took a threatening step forward. "Slowly and painfully. And you're not strong enough to stop me."

A few seconds passed before Sirius finally stepped aside. He seemed to humiliated and embarrassed to face Cole. Which produced a spark of pity within the latter. Cole gave the younger daemon a quick punch to the shoulder. "Look, there's no reason to feel humiliated. Neither your father or the Old Source would have been able to stop me. Besides, you strike me as an intelligent person. Like your father. Keep it up and you might have an important place if the Source's Realm ever becomes reorganized." Sirius gave Cole a grateful nod, before the latter disappeared from the Source's chamber.


END OF PART 16