"SHANGHAI EXPRESS" (1932) Review

"SHANGHAI EXPRESS" (1932) Review

Many years have passed since I last saw the 1932 movie, "SHANGHAI EXPRESS". Many years. In fact, the last time I saw it was on late night television back in the early 1990s. But I had such difficulty in finding it on VHS and later, on DVD that I never thought I would see it again . . . until I recently viewed it online. 

"SHANGHAI EXPRESS" marked the fourth out of seven collaborations between director Josef von Sternberg and actress Marlene Dietrich. Filmed and set in 1931, the movie featured a train journey in civil war-torn China from Beiping (now known as Beijing) and Shanghai. Among the passengers are missionary Mr. Carmichael, an inveterate gambler named Sam Salt, opium dealer Eric Baum, a boarding house keeper named Mrs. Haggerty, French officer Major Lenard, and mysterious Eurasian, Henry Chang. 

Also among the passengers are a British Army doctor named Captain Donald "Doc" Harvey and two high-priced "coasters" (prostitutes) - Hui Fei and the notorious coaster, "Shanghai Lily". The train journey marked the reunion between "Doc" Harvey and "Shanghai Lily", who had been lovers five years ago, when he knew her as a woman named Magdalen. Back then, Magdalen had played a trick on Harvey to test his love for her, but it backfired and he left her. Upset over the loss of Harvey, Magdalen became a courtesan, And according to her, "It took more than one man to change my name to Shanghai Lily." Lily informs Harvey that she still loves him and it becomes apparent that his feelings for her have not changed.

When government troops stop the train to search and arrest an enemy agent, the mysterious Henry Chang is revealed to be a powerful warlord, who is the agent's commanding officer. He sends a telegram and hours later, rebel troops loyal to him stop the train and take the first-class passengers hostage. Chang intends to find the right passenger he can use as barter to get back his spy. And he finds that passenger in Captain Harvey, who is on his way to perform brain surgery on a British official in Shanghai.

"SHANGHAI EXPRESS" managed to earn three Academy Award nominations - Best Picture, Best Director for Sternberg and Best Cinematography for Lee Garmes. Only Garmes won a statuette. And it was a well deserved win. The movie's look has gained a reputation for its lush and atmospheric photography, especially in the way he shot the movie's star, Marlene Dietrich. A famous example of the movie's photography could be found in the shot below:



There were other memorable moments that made the movie's photography so memorable. Moments that include the passengers boarding the train, the takeover of the train by Chang's men, and the two leads' arrival in Shanghai. But the moment that really impressed me featured the train's departure from Beiping. Not only did I find the photography in that scene impressive, but also Hans Dreier's art direction.

As for its Best Picture and Best Director nominations . . . well, I am not so certain about that. According to Dietrich, von Sternberg was more responsible for the atmospheric photography than Garmes or an uncredited James Wong Howe. That is grand. However, that little tidbit only convinced me that Sternberg should have taken home the Best Cinematography statuette, not Garmes. But I must admit that I found the nominations for Best Picture and Best Director rather questionable. "SHANGHAI EXPRESS" is an entertaining film and an interesting example of the Pre-Code era of the early 1930s. I simply found the Best Picture and Best Director nominations a little hard to swallow.

"SHANGHAI EXPRESS" struck me as the type of story that would have made a perfect summer blockbuster, if given a bigger budget and a little more action. But Jules Furthman's story did not exactly knock my socks off. And von Sternberg's slightly turgid direction could not exactly light a fire under it. Also, there were certain aspects of the story that I found questionable. Considering the circumstances behind Magdalen's breakup from Donald Harvey, I found it hard to swallow that this would drive her to become a high-priced prostitute in China for five years. I simply found that ludicrous. And Chang decided to take the train passengers hostage "before" discovering which one could be used to get his spy back. I could not help thinking it would have been more prudent to search for that valuable hostage first, before capturing the entire train. 

For a movie that featured sex, travel, romance and intrigue; there was very little action in this film. I realize this movie was made and released in 1931-32, and not in 2011-12. But even for an early 30s movie, it had very little action, considering its story line. Also, good old-fashioned early 20th century racism reared its ugly head in Chang's dealings with Magdalen and her fellow prostitute Hui Fei. The Eurasian warlord wanted both women, but was only willing to rape Hui Fei. In 1931-32 Hollywood movies, a non-white man could not soil the depths of a white woman, even if she was a whore.

The cast seemed pretty solid. But if I must honest, I could not find an exceptional performance within the cast. Marlene Dietrich gave a solid performance as the soiled Shanghai Lily. And that is the best I can say about her. She was not exactly at the top of her form as an actress in the early 30s. Garmes . . . or should I say von Sternberg's photography contributed to her status as a film icon after a year or two in Hollywood, not her acting skills.

Dietrich was supported by the likes of Clive Brook, Anna May Wong, and Warner Oland. Of the three performers, the Swedish-born Oland ended up looking the best. Despite portraying the villainous Chang, he managed to give a relaxed, yet commanding performance without resorting to any hammy acting or posing. Anna May Wong also managed to restrain from any histronics. And her character's actions near the end of the film saved the lives of the other passengers. But she barely had twenty lines, let alone ten lines in the movie; and spent the first two-thirds of the movie looking iconic . . . and playing cards. Why on earth did von Sternberg cast British actor Clive Brook as Dietrich's love interest, British Army Captain Donald "Doc" Harvey? Why? He was so wrong for the role. Brook was perfect as the patriarch of the Marryot family in Noel Coward's 1933 sentimental family saga, "CAVALCADE". But as the dashing, yet bitter Captain Harvey, he seemed out of his depth. And his chemistry with Dietrich struck me as rather flat. I hate to say this, but he was no Gary Cooper. Thankfully, other supporting players such as Eugene Pallette, Louise Classer Hale and Lawrence Grant provided plenty of comic relief and color as some of the other train passengers.

I realize that "SHANGHAI EXPRESS" is one of those highly regarded films from the Pre-Code Era. But after watching it, I could not help but feel that it might be slightly overrated. Yet, I could not deny that despite its flaws, it is a beautiful and exotic-looking film with an entertaining story. More importantly, it is an example of Josef von Sternberg's work and Marlene Dietrich's beauty at their heights.

"The Power of One" [PG-13] - 18/20

"THE POWER OF ONE"

PART XVIII

Inside the BAY-MIRROR's parking lot, the four people approached the figure sprawled on the ground. Daley glanced down at the fallen witch. "Step one completed," she noted with an air of satisfaction. 

One of her lieutenants - Clive - said to the remaining two people nearby, "Ramon, Angela . . . pick her up." He asked Daley, "How long do we have to hold the witch?"

Daley sighed. "Don't bother to wait. I'll send all of you to the factory, where you can kill her. Dump her body in the bay." Instead of leaving, Clive and the other two hesitated. "What are you waiting for?"

"You don't mind giving us a lift, do you?" Clive asked.

"Oh. Yeah." Daley waved her hand and the others orbed out of the parking lot.

Then the sorceress chanted a brief spell. Within seconds, she transformed into the middle Halliwell sister. Daley then checked her appearance with a small, compact mirror. Satisfied by the results, she climbed into the witch's car and drove away.

--------------

The two figures emerged from behind a large Cadillac. "Ugh," Harry commented, grimacing at the vehicle. "I didn't realize that gas guzzlers were still popular with some people." He turned to Paige. "Think you can track Phoebe?"

The Charmed One sighed. "Maybe. This is more Leo's gig. But I'll give it a shot." Paige closed her eyes for a few seconds. She sensed . . . nothing. Then she took a deep breath and tried again. Finally, a sense of her sister's presence hit her subconscious. "Found her. Let's go."

The young couple held hands, before Paige orbed them out of the parking lot. Seconds later, they appeared in the middle of a half-deserted office, where they found an unconscious Phoebe stretched out on a black leather divan. A man and a woman flanked her. A second man with light brown skin stood near a desk . . . holding a needle.

The woman, who wore long braids to her shoulders, glanced up. "Clive! We've got company!" Then she flung her hands out, while screaming some word that Paige did not understand. Seconds later, the couple found themselves flung against a wall.

As the pair struggled to their feet, Paige murmured, "Okay, I've had enough." She disappeared from Harry's side and reappeared beside the woman. Then she caught the latter off guard with a punch to the jaw. The woman lay sprawled on the floor.

The woman's companion regarded Paige in a threatening manner, as an energy ball formed in his hand. To the Charmed One's surprise, Harry cried out, "Pain!" The energy ball disappeared, as the man clutched his head. Screaming in agony. He then dropped to the floor, unconscious.

Then the Charmed One orbed the needle out of the second man's grasp. Before she could do anything further, the needle dropped out of her hand, as someone's foot kicked her in the back. Paige fell forward and ended up sprawled over Phoebe's unconscious form. She barely heard Harry call out her name. A hand - apparently belonging to the woman she had just punched - grabbed hold of her hair and jerked her bodily to her feet.

"Ow!" Paige cried, before she orbed out of the woman's grasp. She reappeared behind the woman, tapped the latter's shoulder and knocked the woman unconscious with two punches.

The second man waved his hand and sent Paige flying back across Phoebe's body. He turned to Harry, but with a series of kick, the latter sent the man reeling to the floor. The man reached out for the needle and it flew into his grasp. He telekinetically sent it flying toward Harry, but the latter muttered a word, "Gwyro!" and the needle zipped back toward the man . . . before its tip slid into his flesh.

Paige slid off of Phoebe's body. Along with an equally fascinated Harry, she watched the man's eyes widened in horror at the sight of the needle protruding from his arm. Then his body convulsed for a few seconds and fell into a heap upon the floor. "What the hell was in that needle?" Paige demanded.

Heaving a sigh, Harry replied, "Who knows? Maybe an overdose of Ms. Bakker's Methacathinone. Right now, let's grab Phoebe and get the hell out of here." He unfastened the middle sister's bonds and slung her over his shoulder. "Okay Scotty, beam us up."

Paige shot the red-haired witch a dark glare. Then she grabbed his forearm and orbed all three of them out of the office.

-------------

Daley guided Phoebe Halliwell's Mini Cooper into the family's driveway. She checked the rear-view mirror and noted with satisfaction, her exact resemblance to the columnist/witch. She took a deep breath, grabbed the witch's belongings and climbed out of the vehicle. Then she made her way to the manor's front door.

For nearly a minute, Daley fumbled with the witch's keys to find the right one to open the door. After she finally managed to open the manor, she closed the door with a relieved sigh. Piper's voice cried out, "Paige? Phoebe? Is that you?"

Daley hesitated before she responded, "It's me, Piper! Phoebe!" Then she recalled the youngest sister. "Paige isn't home, yet?"

Piper emerged from the Solarium. "No, not yet." The oldest sister continued, "I guess that Paige is still at the shop, trying to find that last ingredient for the potion."

Potion? Piper's words piqued Daley's curiosity. "You . . . uh, really think that this . . . potion will work?"

Doubt seemed to creep into Piper's eyes. "I'm not sure. But since it had worked with Barbas, last year, I'm sure that it'll work on Don . . . I mean, Daley Bakker." She shook her head. "God, I keep forgetting that Donna isn't her real name."

"Yeah." Daley gave a quick, nervous laugh. Inwardly, she could not help but wonder how they had learned her real name. Then she heard a baby's cry and the more, important matter returned to her attention. Trying to sound as casual as possible, Daley asked, "Something wrong with Wyatt?"

A sigh left Piper's mouth. "Oh . . . no. It's the same problem, as usual. Wyatt's been a little fretful, ever since that bitch took his powers. I guess that he's lost a bit of himself."

At that moment, Daley felt sorely tempted to kill the Charmed One for the remark. And she would have, if the sound of an infant's cries had not filled the house. Wyatt.

Piper turned to the disguised sorceress. "Listen Pheebs, could you look in on Wyatt for me? I want to start preparing this potion. He's in the Solarium."

All thoughts of killing Piper vanished from Daley's mind. Opportunity had knocked on her door. The sorceress gave the Charmed One her most supportive smile. "Sure honey. I'd love to." The moment Piper turned away, Daley headed toward Wyatt's cries.

The red-faced infant sat inside his crib, ignoring a red butterfly that fluttered around his head. Daley allowed herself a brief smile, as she approached the infant. She transformed back to her former self. "Hello Wyatt," she cooed, while removing a hypodermic needle from her jacket pocket. Then she picked up the squalling infant. "Time for us to finish our little business together."

Using her newly acquired telekinesis, Daley removed the needle's plastic cover.
Before she could slip the needle into the child's flesh, four people teleported into the room - Piper, Cecile Dubois, Andre Morrell and the half-daemon, Cole Turner. "I'll take Wyatt, thank you very much," the daemon commented. Daley gasped as he beamed the infant out of her arms and into his own. Angry at being foiled again, the sorceress lost her temper.

The sorceress' eyes turned red. "Son-of-a-bitch!" she hissed, as a stream of red heat poured from her eyes and beamed toward Cole. The latter immediately raised one hand and deflected Daley Bakker's attack toward her. She orbed away just in time and the heat beam blew a hole in the wall.

"Good grief!" Andre cried. "Was that one of Wyatt's powers?"

Daley reappeared beside Piper and pointed a hypodermic needle at the latter's throat. "No, it's mine! Now, put the baby on the sofa." She glared at Cole. "Either do it now or she's dead!" Cole hesitated. "I mean it!"

"Do you?" the half-demon coolly murmured.

Piper cried, "Don't do it, Cole! Don't hand Wyatt over to her! I'd rather die first!" In a swift motion, she yanked the amulet from around Daley's neck and tossed it on the floor. Before the sorceress could plunge the needle into her neck, Cole teleported Piper out of harm's way and by his side. He handed Wyatt over to her.

Daley waved her hand, as she cried out, "Antoine! Remy!" Two men appeared by her side. She called out more names and four other people appeared - two men and two women. "You know what to do!" she ordered. "Leave the daemon to me!"

Before Cole knew what was happening, the sorceress' people attacked. He wanted to help the others, but he had his own problems dealing with he. As he deflected one of her energy balls, he felt sure that without the amulet, he would easily defeat her. He discovered that he had underestimated the sorceress' ability to utilize Wyatt's teleportation power. The woman moved so fast that she managed to strike his shoulder with a fireball just seconds after she had orbed behind him. In retaliation, Cole used his telekinesis to send her body slamming against the wall.

The half-daemon glanced at his companions and saw Andre engaged in hand-to-hand combat with one of Daley Bakker's companions. The houngan finally subdued the man with a magical binding ring around the latter's body. Cecile managed to send two of the sorceress' companions on their knees and crying in pain. One of them dropped to the floor with a brain aneurysm. Piper froze one of the females and placed Wyatt in the crib. Before she could freeze another minion, the latter muttered a chant and a large bolt of electricity shot from one of his hands and toward the Charmed One. Cole quickly reversed the positions of those concerned and the young bokor ended up being struck by lighting.

Daley Bakker eyed her fallen companions anxiously. She struggled to her feet, glared at Cole and began to chant in the Fon language. At that moment, a red butterfly hovered beside her head. Cole spotted it and waved his hand - transforming the butterfly into Olivia. The red-haired witch snatched a knife from one of the sorceress' henchmen using telekinesis. Before Daley could react, Olivia slashed her side with the knife, and tossed the latter to Cecile. "Use it!" she cried to the mambo.

An enraged sorceress cried out in pain. She flung an energy ball at Olivia. The latter quickly raised her hands and cried out, "Gwyra aes!" A shield immediately materialized before the witch. As the energy ball struck the shield, its force and power sent Olivia flying back against the sofa.

Cecile removed a large cloth that covered the coffee table, revealing a Vodoun altar. A strand of Wyatt's hair wrapped with bloodroot sat in one small bowl. The mambo allowed a few drops of the sorceress' blood into another bowl. She began to chant in Fon, "Oh Legba, God of the spiritual crossroads! Re-open the pathway first done so by Kalfu on the eve of the moon's first quarter. Please reverse the spell and return to this child, his powers previously stolen. In your name, I beseech you!"

The sorceress gripped her side and cried out, "No!" But it was too late. A beam of light emitted from her body and shot straight up to the roof. It eventually formed an arch, before it finally settled upon Wyatt, who squirmed inside the crib. The Bakker woman glared at Cecile. "You bitch!"

One man grabbed the beleaguered sorceress' arm. "Daley! We have to leave! Now!" He muttered a quick chant and disappeared. Along with Daley Bakker.

"Shit!" Cole exclaimed. "I didn't think they would . . ." At that moment, the rest of the sorceress' companions disappeared.

Andre shook his head in self-disgust. "I should have known that would happen. One of them must be a teleporter. Or used a teleportation spell."

Piper anxiously glanced at Cole. "Can't you get them back?"

"Sure," the half-daemon replied. He lifted his hand.

Cecile stopped him. "Don't bother. They're gone. Wyatt's safe and he has his powers back. End of story."

"But we can't let them get away!" the Charmed One cried.

A sigh left Cecile's mouth. "What are we going to do, Piper? Kill them the moment Cole returns them? Two of them are already dead, thanks to Cole and me."

"I could arrest Ms. Bakker for breaking and entering," Olivia commented. "Or the attempted murder of a nine month-old infant. Only the murder weapon is missing and I can't very well tell my captain what really happened."

Frustration tightened Piper's lips. "Fine. I get the message," she growled. "I just can't stand that the bitch got away." Her expression then softened, as she gazed upon her son. "At least Wyatt is safe. And back to normal."

"That's good to hear," Cole commented. "Because after that little battle, I need to rest." He glanced at his right shoulder. The wound left by the fireball had completely healed. "By the way, I didn't realize that Wyatt was a latent fire starter. Or an electrokinetic."

Piper continued to stare at her son. "Yeah, it is a bit of a shock." She shook her head and sighed. "Boy! Wait until Leo hears about this."


END OF PART XVIII

"THE AVENGERS" (2012) Photo Gallery

Below are images from "THE AVENGERS", the new movie featuring Marvel Comics superheroes.  The movie was directed by Joss Whedon:

"THE AVENGERS" (2012) Photo Gallery

"THIS MEANS WAR" (2012) Review

"THIS MEANS WAR" (2012) Review

The story idea of two male friends battling for the affections of one woman has not been new to Hollywood.  One of the earliest examples of this kind of plot proved to Ernst Lubitsch's 1933 adaptation of Noel Coward's play. The latest film to play out this scenario was McG's movie, "THIS MEANS WAR". 

Written by Timothy Dowling and Simon Kinberg, "THIS MEANS WAR" began two C.I.A. agents and best friends FDR Foster and Tuck Henson being deployed to Hong Kong to prevent international criminals/brothers Heinrich and Jonas from acquiring a weapon of mass destruction. Unfortunately, the assignment goes awry, resulting in the death of Jonas and Heinrich swearing revenge against FDR and Tuck.  For the two agents' protection, their boss, Collins, assigns them to desk duty upon returning to the U.S.

While both are busy investigating the whereabouts of Heinrich, the divorced Tuck decides to find a new girlfriend via online dating. He eventually meets a product testing executive named Lauren Scott and falls for her. Not long after the two first met, womanizer FDR meets Lauren at a video store and unsuccessfully hits on her. But when FDR helps her fool an ex-boyfriend into believing she had a boyfriend, the pair eventually become attracted to one another. Lauren feels guilty about dating two men, but her girlfriend Trish convinces her to give it a try to see whom she likes best. Meanwhile, FDR and Tuck discover they are both dating Lauren and eventually begin to compete for her hand. While the two agents continue to compete for Lauren's love, Heinrich sets about investigating their whereabouts in order to seek revenge.

Although "THIS MEANS WAR" was not a big box office hit, it did manage to earn over twice its budget, which made it a minimal success. I really did not expect much from the film, but I must admit that the movie's plot did intrigue me. How did I feel about it? In some ways, "THIS MEANS WAR" reminds me of the 2005 action comedy, "MR. AND MRS. SMITH". In other words, the movie's romance and comedy overshadowed its plot line. And if I must be honest, this did not bother me one bit. The movie's action did not attract my attention in the first place.

However, at least the action in "MR. AND MRS. SMITH" struck me as more substantial and played a major role in the romance and comedy between the two major characters. I cannot say the same for "THIS MEANS WAR". The movie's action nearly struck me as irrelevant and the characters of FDR and Tuck could have easily had other professions. And I do have one complaint about the movie's love triangle. A part of me wished that it could have ended on the same note as "DESIGN FOR LIVING". Instead, it ended with Lauren choosing one man over the other. And I found this resolution lacking a little bite or originality.

Aside from Lauren eventually choosing one man over the other, I cannot deny that I found the movie's romantic plot very satisfying. More importantly, it was surprisingly funny. "THIS MEANS WAR" could boast some hilarious scenes and dialogue that had me shaking with laughter. Among my favorite moments include Lauren and Tuck's afternoon at a paintball field, and FDR's efforts to impress Lauren at a dog pound. Thanks to Dowling and Kinberg's script and McG's direction, the movie featured some hilarious conversations in the movie. My favorite scene included a conversation between Lauren and Trish overheard by the two men, in which she compared both their virtues and shortcomings. But even the movie's final action scene included a hilarious moment that featured Trish during a high speed chase.

"THIS MEANS WAR" had a solid cast that included pleasant performances from Rosemary Harris, who portrayed FDR's grandmother; Warren Christie as Lauren's too perfect boyfriend; John Paul Rittan as Tuck's son Joe; and Abigail Spencer as his ex-wife, Katie. Both Angela Bassett and Til Schweiger were appropriately intimidating as FDR and Tuck's C.I.A. supervisor, and master criminal Heinrich. However, there were moments when I found Bassett's performance to be a little over-the-top and Schweiger seemed a bit wasted in his all too brief appearances. The one supporting performance that really impressed me came from comedienne Chelsea Handler. One could accuse Handler of taking her stand-up routine and utilizing it in her role as Lauren's best friend, Trish. Fortunately, Handler proved to be a first-rate comic actress who also handled her more poignant moments featuring the character's marriage very well.

But the three performances that made this movie truly enjoyable came from Reese Witherspoon, Chris Pine and Tom Hardy. I was surprised by the high level of chemistry between the three performers. Not only did Witherspoon possessed great chemistry with the two actors individually, but both Pine and Hardy managed to create a first-rate "bromance" between them. It seemed a shame that Witherspoon's character ended up choosing one over the other. Also, Witherspoon was charming and witty as the beleaguered Lauren. Pine made a first-rate ladies' man and still managed to convey his character's feelings for the leading lady as very believable. And Hardy expertly walked a fine line as an introverted romantic and aggressive intelligence agent.

"THIS MEANS WAR" was not perfect. The action subplot was not as strong as I thought it could be. Which lead me to believe that the professions of the two male protagonists could have easily been something other than C.I.A. agents. But I cannot deny that McG directed a very funny movie, which was blessed with three talented performers in the lead. To my surprise, I ended up enjoying "THIS MEANS WAR" very much.

"CENTENNIAL" (1978-79) - Episode Nine "The Crime" Commentary

"CENTENNIAL" (1978-79) - Episode Nine "The Crime" Commentary

The ninth episode of "CENTENNIAL" proved to be an improvement over the last installment. Picking up a few months after"The Storm", "The Crime" proved to be an intriguing episode that featured a blossoming romance, psychological warfare and two shocking events. 

"The Crime" begins during the spring of 1888, which finds Oliver Seccombe at the end of his reign as manager of Venneford Ranch. Unable to face a future in disgraced and unemployed, Seccombe commits suicide to end his misery. His widow, Charlotte Seccombe returns to England to grieve. After a conversation with her dying uncle, the Earl of Venneford, she becomes the sole owner of the Colorado ranch. Upon her return to Centennial, Charlotte becomes attracted to ranch hand-turned-foreman, Jim Lloyd, and sets out to woo him in her subtle way.

Hans Brumbaugh's efforts to find permanent farm hands continue to frustrate him. Using John Skimmerhorn as an intermediary, he contacts Ignacio "Nacho" Gomez to recruit future farm hands from Mexico. "Nacho" tries to recruit his nephew,Tranquilino Marquez, into immigrating to the United States and Colorado. But the cynical younger man does not seem interested in leaving Mexico. Brumbaugh, Jim and Amos Calendar are still threatened by gunfighters, hired by the remnants of the Petis gang, who want revenge for the deaths of Frank and Orvid Pettis in Episode Seven. Sheriff Axel Dumire was forced to arrest a hired gun in a tense moment at Centennial's train station.

Speaking of Sheriff Dumire, he continues to harbor suspicions that the Wendell family are more than just actors and entertainers. He believes they are swindlers, who acquired a home by using the Badger Game on the town's local pastor, Reverend Holly. Dumire's suspicions create a surprising consequence - namely a burgeoning friendship with the Wendells' only son, Philip. Although the young boy encourages the friendship to keep an eye on Dumire and vice versa, the two develop a liking for one another. Their friendship is tested when Maude and Mervin Wendell try to use the Badger Game on a Mr. Sorenson, a visiting businessman interested in purchasing land near Centennial. When the scam backfires, Sorenson attacks Mervin and Maude accidentally kills him with a blow to the head. Philip comes to his parents' aid by hiding the man's body in a nearby creek, Mervin discovers a great deal of money inside Sorenson's satchel and Dumire begins to investigate the man's disappearance.

"The Crime" proved to be one of the better episodes from the miniseries' second half, thanks to Charles Larson's screenplay and Virgil Vogel's direction. It proved to be a well-balanced mixture of character study, psychological warfare and romance. The consequences from "The Shepherd" continue to cast a shadow on the lives of Hans Brumbaugh, Jim Lloyd and Amos Calendar. Oliver Seccombe's suicide proved to be a sad and poignant affair, thanks to Timothy Dalton and Lynn Redgrave's performances. The surprising consequence to Seccombe's death proved to be a burgeoning romance between two unlikely people - Charlotte and ranch hand, Jim Lloyd. On paper, the idea of a romance between a British aristocrat and a cowboy from Texas seemed so unlikely . . . and even a little clumsy. Yet, it worked thanks to Larson's writing and subtle performances from Redgrave and William Atherton. Brumbaugh's search for permanent ranch hands served to introduce a new character to the saga, future immigrant from Mexico, Tranquilino Marquez - a story that will continue with more detail in the following episodes.

But the episode's pièce de résistance proved to be the cat-and-mouse game between Sheriff Axel Dumire and the Wendell family. The story line about the two antagonists began in "The Storm", when Dumire tried to run the theatrical family out of Centennial. Their scam on Reverend Holly kept them in town. Two events threatened the Wendells' increasingly popularity with the citizens of Centennial. One, young Philip and Dumire have developed a surprising friendship, despite their wariness of each other. And two, the Wendells' use the Badger Game on the businessman, Mr. Sorenson not only backfired, but led to manslaughter, when Maude bashed him on the head. Eventually, the sheriff became aware of Mr. Sorenson's disappearance and what followed was a delicious game of cat-and-mouse and some tense psychological warfare between Dumire and Philip. I really enjoyed it, thanks to some superb performances by Brian Keith, Doug McKeon, Lois Nettleton and Anthony Zerbe. 

Although I had enjoyed "The Crime" in the past, I never really considered it as one of my favorite episodes from the miniseries. I have now changed my mind. Now that I am older, I feel as if I have developed a greater appreciation of the episode. And I also believe that it just might be one of the better ones of the miniseries.

"The Power of One" [PG-13] - 17/20

"THE POWER OF ONE"

PART XVII

The four people materialized in the hallway, outside of Olivia's apartment. "Home sweet home," the redhead murmured, as she inserted her key into the apartment door's lock. 

The moment Olivia opened the door, Andre grabbed his girlfriend's arm. "Hey Cecile, could we talk for a minute? Alone?"

Cecile stared at him. "Sure."

"Let's go outside." As the couple headed for the elevator, Andre glanced over his shoulder and saw Cole beamed out of the hallway. It never occurred to him to question why the half-daemon had not followed Olivia inside her apartment.

The moment they entered the elevator, Cecile turned to Andre. "So, what do you want to talk about?"

"What we were discussing, last night," Andre replied. "About . . ." The doors slid open and two people entered the elevator. Unfortunately for Andre, they accompanied the couple all of the way to the ground floor. Once outside the apartment building, Andre led Cecile a few yards down the street.

Cecile said, "Okay, we're alone. What were you going to tell me?"

Taking a deep breath, Andre faced his girlfriend. "Remember what we were talking about, last night? About you wanting more from our relationship?"

A sigh left Cecile's mouth. "Yeah, I remember. Look, can you just forget what I had said? I've been doing a lot of thinking over the past three days, and I realize that I . . . I don't want to lose you." Her dark eyes bored into his. "I love you too much, Andre. And to be honest, I didn't really want to break up with you. But I was afraid that our relationship was going no where."

Andre contemplated Cecile's words for a stuck his hands into his jacket pockets and heaved a mournful sigh. "That's too bad."

"What do you mean?" Cecile frowned.

"Since you're okay with the way things are between us, I guess . . ." Andre paused dramatically.

"You guess what?"

Andre paused dramatically. Then he reached for the small velvet box inside his jacket pocket. "I guess I might as well return this . . ." He pulled out the box. ". . . engagement ring to Olivia's shop."

Cecile's eyes grew wide with shock. "Engage . . . Are you asking . . .?"

Andre held up his hand to silence her. "Before you say anything else, let me finish." He took a deep breath and snapped open the box. Inside sat the silver 17th century ring that he had purchased. "Cecile," he began, inciting a gasp from the priestess' mouth, ". . . uh, will you marry me?"

The priestess continued to stare at the ring. "Oh God! I . . . is this because you had found out that I . . .?"

"This has nothing to do with what you were planning to do," Andre firmly assured her. "I had been planning to propose for practically a month, now. I've just been too busy looking for the right ring. And I found it. Inside Olivia's new shop."

Cecile continued to stare at the ring with awe. "How long have they known about this? Olivia and Cole, I mean?"

"A few days." A slight dread crept into Andre's heart. He realized that Cecile had not answered. "Um, about my proposal . . ."

A wide smile curved Cecile's lips. "The answer is yes," she crowed.

"Huh?"

Still smiling, Cecile threw her arms around Andre's neck and gave him a passionate kiss. "Yes, you big dummy! I'll marry you. Are you deaf, or what?"

Of course he had heard. But Andre also thought that his imagination had played a trick on him. He slowly allowed himself a wide smile, before returning Cecile's kiss with one just as passionate. By the time their lips had separated, both were breathing heavily. Then Andre removed the ring from the box and gently slid it upon one of Cecile's finger. "Don't worry," he said in a quiet voice. "I hear just fine." Despite the dim light from a nearby street light, Andre could see the happiness shining in Cecile's eyes. Her expression matched exactly how he felt.

----------- 

"Is Wyatt asleep?" Leo asked his ex-wife.

Piper coolly replied. "Yeah. It took a while, but he finally fell asleep." She heaved a sigh and sat down in one of the kitchen chairs. "Is there anything else you need?"

"Yes, there is," Leo shot back. "Why didn't you tell me that you had hired a nanny for Wyatt?"

The oldest Charmed One gave her former husband a cold stare. "Why should I? You weren't around, Leo. Remember? You had decided to turn your back on your family, to pursue your . . . destiny. Why should I let you know what was going on? You gave up that right when you had decided to join the Elders Council."

"For God's sake, Piper! Not only am I Wyatt's father, I'm an Elder, too! This . . . what happened to him could have been prevented, if you had informed the Council about this Bakker woman you had hired!"

Rolling her eyes, Piper retorted, "Are you saying that I had to get permission from the Elders before hiring someone to baby sit Wyatt? Whatever happened to free will?"

Leo shouted, "I didn't mean it . . ." He sighed and lowered his voice. "I didn't mean to say that only the Council can approve who will be Wyatt's nanny. But I'm part of the Council, Piper. You could have told me."

"This argument is going nowhere, Leo." Piper stood up and headed toward one of the cabinets. "Unless you have something else to say, I suggest you leave."

"Piper . . ." Leo hesitated. "Look, if you need a babysitter for Wyatt that badly, I'll do it. Maybe this will give me the opportunity to spend more time with him."

Although a retort had formed on her lips, Piper decided not to express it. She realized that she could not argue with Leo's suggestion. Granted, they could no longer share a bed . . . or a life together. At least this situation will not deprive Wyatt of a father. "Okay," she murmured. "Sounds fair. I'll probably need a babysitter for next weekend. That is . . . unless Phoebe and Paige are free." She paused before adding, "You better go."

"Piper . . ."

"Good-night, Leo."

The whitelighter-turned-Elder gave her a curt nod, before he orbed out of the kitchen. And out of her life for the umpteenth time. Piper sighed, as she struggled to hold back the tears.

--------- 

Olivia heard the front door close. She walked into the living room and found Cecile grinning happily, while staring at her hand. "You're back." She stared at her friend's uber-happy expression. "What happened to you?"

"Huh?" Cecile glanced up.

"You look as if someone had slipped a happy pill in your drink." Olivia glanced at Cecile's hand and noticed a small, silver object gleaming from one finger. "Oh Goddess! Is that . . .?"

Cecile waved her hand in front of Olivia's face. "An engagement ring! Andre had just asked me to marry him!"

Olivia squealed with delight as she and Cecile enveloped each other into a bear hug. "Ohmigod!" Olivia said. "It's crazy. I've been expecting this ever since Andre first told me that he planned to propose. And yet . . . I don't know. It's still feels so unexpected."

"I can understand," Cecile commented. "Considering what's happened in the past two days. With that Bakker woman. We've all been distracted."

With a sigh, Olivia shook her head. "To be honest, I rather envy you."

"Getting engaged?" Cecile shrugged her shoulders. "Hey, it might happen to you, someday. Come to think of it," she paused, "it has happened. With Richard."

A bitter chuckle escaped from Olivia's mouth. "Yeah, and we all know how that ended. I guess that when it comes to the men in my life, I don't seem to have much luck. One boyfriend dumps me, one gets killed by my crazy aunt and the third is so traumatized by his divorce that he doesn't even want to think about another marriage."

"You don't know that," Cecile protested. "I doubt that Cole's feelings are permanent."

Again, Olivia sighed. "Look, I'm not eager to rush into marriage or anything like that. On the other hand, I wouldn't avoid it, either. I just don't want to go through with . . . that again."

Cecile demanded, "Go through with what?"

"The frustration of waiting for Cole to be willing to take our relationship another step," Olivia continued. "It was bad enough wondering if he ever wanted to be more than just friends. I got impatient and ended up flirting with Paul Margolin. With disastrous results."

"Be patient, cherie. That's all you can ever do."

Olivia rolled her eyes and caustically retorted, "Oh, you mean like you were with Andre?"

Cecile shot her a dark glare. "Well then, let me put it another way. At least try to be patient with Cole. Sooner or later, he'll get over his fears. After all, you did." Olivia glared at her. "Remember your break-up with Adrian Chambers in college? Took you quite a while to get over him."

"Please don't remind me of that bastard."

As she began to fiddle with her engagement ring, Cecile continued, "All I'm saying is . . . give Cole a chance. Don't make the same mistake that I nearly made. Okay?"

--------- 

Phoebe glanced at the clock on the wall and sighed. It read one-thirty. In other words, it was time to cut her Saturday working day, short. She reluctantly collected her jacket, purse and briefcase and headed toward the door. As she opened it, she found her boyfriend and employer standing beyond the doorway. "Jason!"

The young billionaire gave her a dim smile. "Phoebe. Heading home? I'm surprised that you're even here. You usually don't work on Saturdays."

"Yeah, I uh . . . had some work to finish. So, I thought I might as well come in today and get it over with." She paused, desperately trying to avoid Jason's stare. "So, I haven't heard from you, since Thursday night."

Jason glanced away, as if he was too embarrassed to meet Phoebe's eyes. "Uh, I've been busy." Then he heaved a large sigh and faced the Charmed One. "And I guess I've been a little pissed off, as well."

"Jason, I told you there was a family emergency!"

"Phoebe, there always is a family emergency! Even Elise is beginning to complain about them!"

Oh God! "What do you . . .?" Frustrated, Phoebe broke off, as she tried to gather her senses. "Are you saying that I'm not entitled to family emergencies?"

"Phoebe, you and Paige had disappeared from the party for over two hours," Jason retorted sharply. "Without saying a word to me! I had to find out about your 'little emergency' from Jack McNeill!"

Phoebe protested, "But it was a family emergency! Wyatt . . ."

". . . who has a babysitter. A babysitter who could have dealt with whatever emergency that popped up!" Jason finished. "Or called Piper."

Again, Phoebe glanced at the clock. One thirty-six. "Jason, it was a family emergency. I'm sorry that I forgot to tell you beforehand, but we . . . Paige and I were thinking of Wyatt. What else can I say?"

A brief pause followed before Jason hung his head down low and murmured, "You can say that you'll accompany me to Hong Kong. And stay with me, for a while."

"Huh?"

Jason continued, "I'll be returning to Hong Kong, early next month. I should be back after the New Year. I thought . . . well, that this time you would stay with me."

The proposal took Phoebe by surprise. Then again, she should have known better. Jason had asked her this very same question about six months ago. Then, she had rejected his offer and ended up enduring a four-month separation from him. And although she hated the idea of being apart from Jason for so long, she had family obligations to deal with. Namely the Power of Three.

"I . . ." Phoebe glanced into Jason's eyes and realized that she did not have the heart to reject his offer. "I'll think about it," she finally said.

Disappointment flickered in his eyes. "In other words - no. Right?"

Phoebe gently cupped Jason's jaw. "In other words . . . no, for now. But I'm seriously thinking about changing my mind."

A wry smile twisted Jason's mouth. "Okay. I guess that'll have to do. At least for now." He turned away and paused. "At least let me keep that date we had made for tonight."

"Could we change it to tomorrow night?" Phoebe planted a light kiss on his cheek. "I think I might catch up on my sleep, tonight." Jason nodded and walked away.

Then Phoebe took a deep breath, and finally left her office. She headed toward the elevator. When she finally reached the underground parking lot, her eyes scanned the area for any strangers. The only people she saw were two employees from the Sports Department.

Phoebe then proceeded across the parking lot and toward her car. Upon reaching the latter, she unlocked the driver's door, opened it and dumped her belongings inside. Before she could climb into the driver's seat, the Charmed One felt a sharp prick on the side of her neck. Phoebe fervently groped her neck and pulled out a small dart. As everything faded to black, it flashed through her mind that Daley Bakker had actually fallen for Andre's trap.


END OF PART XVII