"The Corellian Connection" [PG-13] - Chapter Five

"THE CORELLIAN CONNECTION"

CHAPTER FIVE

OUTSIDE ALDERA, ALDERAAN

The evacuation of the villa near Aldera Palace continued in an orderly fashion. With the Imperial presence focused upon the palace, Padme and her companions managed to clear the villa of her belongings with great speed. They carted the items to Captain Antilles' shuttle, parked underneath a nearby grove of trees.

The twins' nursemaid, Madga finally walked out of the villa for the last time, carrying Luke and her belongings. Padme, who held a sleeping Leia in a baby sling, spotted her mini holoprojector and some data pads on a table. She fetched the objects and thrust them into her traveling bag. After checking on the sleeping Leia, Padme examined her bedroom of eight months for the last time and walked out. Just as she reached the villa's front door, she saw Madga scuttle hurriedly toward the grove's edge. Padme frowned. Why would Madga rush . . .?

Captain Antilles' voice crackled on her comlink. She removed it from her cloak's left pocket and answered. "Captain, is there a problem?"

"Clone troopers coming from the palace," Antilles answered. "Just three kilometers from the east."

Padme inhaled sharply. She glanced to her right and spotted three clone troopers marching toward the villa. Making a run for the grove and Captain Antilles' shuttle seemed out of the question. Then she heard the clone troopers' voices. Hoping and praying that Leia would not wake up, Padme quickly rushed into one of the villa's small rooms.

Minutes passed. Then she heard the troopers enter the villa. She held her breath, as they conducted their search by opening and closing doors. As footsteps approached the small room Padme had chosen as her sanctuary, she desperately searched for a closet where she could hide. She glanced around. Apparently the room lacked a closet. But it did lead to the villa's second-floor veranda.

Footsteps grew closer to the room. Clutching the baby sling that held Leia and her traveling bag, Padme quickly dashed out onto the veranda. And just in time. She overheard voices inside the room.

"No one's here," a trooper announced.

Another one asked, "What about a holoprojector?"

"No sign of one." The first trooper paused. "I'll check the veranda."

Panic filled Padme. Now, she really had no place to hide. She quickly rushed along the veranda, searching for an opened door. Fortunately, one appeared just short of the veranda's south end. Padme ducked inside, just as she heard voices from the outside. The former senator allowed herself a quick sigh of relief. Then she glanced at her daughter. Leia's eyes fluttered briefly before they snapped wide open. Padme hoped and prayed to nearly every deity she could think of - along with the Force - that Leia would not cry for food. Several seconds passed, as her infant daughter blinked several times and yawned. Then to Padme's relief, Leia closed her eyes and fell back asleep. Again, Padme sighed.

Then an idea came to her. With the clone troopers searching the veranda, she saw an opportunity to escape from the villa. Padme rushed out of what used to be her dining room. Without a moment's hesitation, Padme continued to rush toward the villa's front door. She spotted Antilles, Madga and Threepio silently urging her to head toward the grove. Which she did as fast as her feet would allow. Once she reached the safety of her companions, Captain Antilles ordered, "Into the shuttle, everyone! We're leaving now."

"No!" Padme insisted. "Not yet." Everyone stared at her, as if she had lost her mind. "The Imperial troopers are still searching the villa. If we leave now, we'll be spotted." And so . . . they waited.

Another fifteen minutes passed before the three clone troopers emerged from the villa. Padme overheard one of them said, "We might as well return. There's no inside. Or a holoprojector." He and the other two troopers proceeded along the path that led back to the palace.

Once the clone troopers disappeared, Padme, Captain Antilles and Madga all heaved sighs of relief. Threepio exclaimed, "Thank the Maker! They're gone. When can we leave, Miss Padme?"

"I think it would be best to leave now," Padme replied. "While we can."

Magda frowned. "But why should we leave, Milady? The troopers are gone. They won't be coming back."

A sigh left Padme's mouth. "I'm afraid that I've outstayed my welcome, Magda," she gently replied. "It's time for me to leave Alderaan." She hesitated, dreading the response to her next words. "I'll understand if you want to remain. After all, Alderaan is your home."

To Padme's surprise, the nursemaid said, "No, I'll leave. I've become . . ." A sweet smile formed on her lips. ". . . very fond of you and the children. And Alderaan has nothing for me. Not anymore."

The Nabooan woman planted a light kiss on the nursemaid's cheek. "Thank you, Magda."

"I believe that we should leave now, Milady." Captain Antilles led Padme and the others to the shuttle. Once everyone was seated inside, it rose several feet from the ground and sped away. As it zoomed above the picturesque landscape, Padme realized with a pang that she would miss the months spent here on Alderaan.

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CORONET, CORELLIA

Solipo Yeb packed the last of his belongings into his traveling valise. Then he glanced over his shoulder and saw his sister staring out of the window. "I'm ready, Thalia. Now, all we have to do is wait to hear from Captain Horus." When his sister failed to answer, he joined her at the window. "Thalia?"

"I think we're in trouble, Solipo," Thalia declared ominously. "Look."

Solipo glanced out of the window. The usual crowd of sentient beings filled the street below. But Solipo noticed something more disturbing - four human males heading toward the hotel. Two of them wore the uniforms of Corellia's security force, the third wore civilian clothes and the last man turned out to be an Imperial officer. "Oh no!" he murmured. "I think we've been sold out."

Thalia frowned. "By someone here at the hotel?"

Another candidate loomed in Solipo's mind. "How about our intrepid Captain Horus? After all, he had recognized me."

"I doubt it very much," Thalia replied. She turned away from the window. "Let's get out of here. Now."

Grabbing his valise, Solipo retorted, "And go where? We can't leave Corellia without Horus' help. And our only alternative is to take a shuttle to another city."

Brother and sister slipped out of their room. After making sure that the corridor was empty, they made their way to the nearest staircase and rushed downstairs. The pair spotted one of the hotel's employees near the back door. Once he left, the Andalians slipped outside and quickly rushed down an alley.

"I can't believe that we're doing this," Solipo bemoaned. "We didn't even pay our bill. And as for Captain Horus . . ."

An annoyed sigh from his flamboyant sister, interrupted him. "For goodness sake, Solipo! He didn't inform on us! Not Captain Horus."

"And how do you know?"

The pair merged into a busy street. "Because Captain Horus has a very good reason to avoid the Imperials. Trust me." Brother and sister continued on toward Coronet's spaceport.

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ALDERA PALACE, ALDERAAN

"Nothing or no one was found at the villa, my Lord," the clone trooper reported to Darth Rasche. "It is empty."

Breha heaved an inward sigh of relief. Padme and the children had evaded detection.

Darth Rasche nodded. "Wait for me near the shuttle." He turned to the queen. "Well, Your Majesty, it seems you had spoken the truth."

"Of course I had!" Breha retorted. "We do not understand why you would doubt our word." She paused and added with less asperity, "By the way, when are you leaving?"

"You wish to be rid of our presence so soon?" Breha shot a dark look at the Sith Lord. Who quickly sobered. "If you must know, we'll be leaving as soon as our search is completed."

A frowning Breha demanded, "What do you mean? You've searched the entire palace and the villa near the lagoon."

"But not Aldera or Crevasse City," Rasche added. "The signal from Corellia had been received in this sector of the planet. We intend to learn who had received it."

Breha heaved a frustrated sigh. So much for getting rid of the Imperials. "Has it ever occurred to you, my Lord, that the Corellian signal had been sent by someone other than Solipo Yeb?"

A long silence followed. Confusion whirled in the Sith Lord's eyes momentarily, before Rasche glared at the monarch. Then he turned away. Four other clone troopers appeared in the foyer. "No sign of the holoprojector, my Lord," one trooper announced.

Rasche's jaw twitched, as he barked, "Fine! Return to the shuttle. I'll . . ." The Sith Lord's face turned pale, as he halted in mid-sentence. His dark eyes glazed over for a second, before a frown appeared on his face. He faced Breha. "Excuse me, Your Majesty. I have an emergency message to send." Breha opened her mouth to respond, but Darth Rasche strode away before she could.

----------

Darth Rasche strode out of the royal palace and halted before the wide staircase. He made his way toward the Imperial shuttle and entered. "Leave," he barked at the pilot, inside the cockpit.

Once alone, the young Sith Lord sent a signal to Coruscant. Two minutes passed before the shuttle's holoprojector lit up with his mentor's image. "Lord Rasche," Darth Sidious pronounced. "You have news for me?"

"No one within the royal palace had received the message from Corellia, Master," Rasche reported. "Including Senator Organa. The holoprojector that had received the signal had not been inside Aldera Palace." Rasche hesitated. "However, I have more important news. I have sensed a presence in the Force."

Lord Sidious replied, "We both have, my young apprentice. On Kashyyyk."

"Jedi on the Wookie homeworld?" Rasche paused. "It is possible that Skywalker might be . . .?"

The Sith Master continued, "Whether Skywalker is on Kashyyk or not, there is a Jedi presence on that planet. You will rendezvous with Grand Moff Tarkin in the Kashyyyk System and stamp out any Wookie resistance and hunt down the Jedi. As for the signal from Corellia, ignore it. This is a more urgent matter."

"Hunt down the Jedi? Including Skywalker, if he is there?"

Lord Sidious' already hideous face formed a grim mask. "Yes, Lord Rasche. Including him. Hunt them all down and kill them. Kill them all."

-------

CORONET, CORELLIA

"Good afternoon," Coronet's port master greeted Anakin. "Here to schedule a departure?"

Anakin smiled, at the other man. "Yes. I'm Captain Horus of the Javian Hawk." He spotted the departure schedule on the port master's desk. Using the Force, he knocked an object off the desk and the port master bent down to retrieve the object. At that moment, Anakin used the opportunity to check the schedule. He saw that two other Corellian freighters were scheduled to depart within the next hour. Perfect.

The port master sat up and shot an embarrassed smile at the former Jedi Knight. "Sorry about that. Um . . . about your departure?"

"I hope to leave between now and an hour from now," Anakin replied. "If it's possible."

The other man glanced at the departure schedule. "Yes, well there is no problem there." He entered the information in the data pad that contained the schedule. "The Javian Hawk. Okay. I've managed to fit you in between the Eureka and the Tawhid. Will that do?

Anakin nodded politely. "Yes, it will. Thank you."

Smiling, the port master replied, "Glad to be of service. Have a safe journey, Captain."

After leaving the port master's office, Anakin headed back to the Javian Hawk's hangar. He hoped that his Andalian passengers were ready to depart. The pilot contacted the pair through his comlink and ordered them to meet him inside the Hawk's hangar within twenty minutes. "We should be there within ten minutes, Captain," Thalia Yeb's voice replied. "We had to leave a lot sooner than we had planned."

In other words, brother and sister had encountered trouble. Great.

-------

Captain Hardy and his three companions entered the Selonia Hotel's modest lobby. They approached a neatly dressed desk clerk. "May I help you?" she asked in a prim voice.

The senior CorSec officer, a dark-haired human named Gil Bastra switched on a small holoprojector. It contained images of the Andalian senator and his sister. "Are these two guests at this hotel?" he asked.

The desk clerk shrugged her thin shoulders. "The man does not look familiar," she began.

"How can he not look familiar?" Captain Hardy demanded. "He's Senator Solipo Yeb of Andalia. He's wanted for treason by the Empire. And his image has been posted on the Imperial Holovision for the past several days."

"Imperial Holovision?" The clerk frowned. "I've never . . ."

Hardy sighed. "It used to be the old HoloNet News Service. It's now called Imperial Holovision. This man's face has been plastered all over the news recently. And you don't recognize him?"

A supercilious smile touched the clerk's lips. "I do not pay attention to politics."

"Really?" A pale, dark-haired man with a thin, aristocratic face glared at the clerk. Kirtan Loor happened to be the Imperial liaison to CorSec and an agent for Imperial Intelligence. "I suppose you know nothing about the recent death of one of your senators, Garm Bel Iblis, at the hands of Separatist fugitives?"

The desk clerk stiffened slightly. "He was Corellian. Of course, I knew about him."

"What about the woman?" Hardy asked, feeling slightly impatient. "Have you seen her?"

"Yes," the clerk replied. "Her name is Thalia Kor and she's a guest in Room Eleven. Second Floor."

Bastra frowned. "She's alone?"

The clerk checked the hotel's records. "Not anymore. Her husband became an additional guest, three days ago. I was not on duty when he had arrived."

Hardy felt a surge of triumph. The Emperor would be quite pleased upon learning of the capture of his new prize. "Take us to Room Eleven," he barked at the clerk. He and his three companions followed the desk clerk toward the wide staircase.

-------

The moment the Andalians arrived at the hangar, Anakin rounded on them. "Why did you leave before I could signal you?"

Solipo Yeb regarded the former Jedi with suspicious eyes. "Why did you want us to wait for your signal? So that the Imperials would take us by surprise at the hotel?"

Anakin frowned at the senator. "What?"

"The Imperials are here," Thalia Yeb explained. "My brother and I had spotted an Imperial officer, along with two CorSec officers, approaching the hotel. And we've spotted Imperial clone troopers on the streets. We need to get out of here, fast."

But Solipo Yeb refused to budge. "Wait a minute! Four hours after we met Captain Horus, we nearly encounter the Imperials. I want to know how . . ."

"Are you suggesting that I had turned you in to the Empire?" Anakin demanded, glaring at the Andalian male.

Miss Yeb sarcastically retorted, "My brother has no idea of what he is talking about, Captain. Meanwhile, may we please leave? Now?"

Senator Yeb protested, "But Thalia . . ." His sister marched toward the Javian Hawk's ramp. He glanced uneasily at Anakin. "Never mind."

Anakin made final checks on the Javian Hawk's systems. He noticed that his hypodrive system needed repairs and reminded himself to see to it when they arrive on Averam. Then he boarded the starship and made his way to the cockpit. The Andalians stood behind him. "I suggest that you two strap yourselves in for the takeoff."

"Why aren't we leaving now?" Senator Yeb demanded.

Miss Yeb pleaded with her brother. "Solipo, please!"

Anakin retorted, "We're not scheduled to depart until another ten minutes, Senator. This is not Tatooine, where I can simply take off anytime I want. Despite Corellia's questionable reputation, the spaceport is operated in a tight and orderly manner. And I refuse to take off at a moment's whim and attract unwanted attention. Now please . . . take your seat and strap in!"

Thankfully, the senator's sister managed to convince the annoying man to sit down in one of the passengers' seats. Anakin turned on the ship's engines after receiving a signal to depart. He guided the Hawk toward one of the landing pads. Within three minutes, the freighter was airborne and zooming away from Corellia's atmosphere.


END OF CHAPTER FIVE

”MAD MEN”: “The Times They Are A-Changin'”

”There's a battle outside; And it is ragin'
It'll soon shake your windows And rattle your walls
For the times they are a-changin'.” - “The Times They Are A-Changin”
(recorded by Bob Dylan on October 24, 1963)


”MAD MEN”: “The Times They Are A-Changin'”

Not long after I had watched the latest episode of ”MAD MEN” called (3.12) “The Grown Ups”, I walked into a pizza eatery and heard a song being played on the jukebox. To my surprise, it was an old Bob Dylan song called ”The Times They Are A-Changin’”. I could not help but feel that it could have been an appropriate song for this latest episode.

Although series creator Matthew Weiner had claimed that he wanted to avoid airing an episode about President John F. Kennedy’s assassination on November 22, 1963; I never saw how he could avoid the topic in the first place. Not only was the Kennedy assassination one of the major events of the 1960s, but one in this country’s history. And one of the series’ major themes is supposed to be the changing social mores of 1960s America.

The interesting thing about ”The Grown Ups” - at least for me – was how certain characters reacted to the assassination. Someone on one of the ”MAD MEN” websites had brought up a comment that the series lead character, Don Draper aka Dick Whitman, had made about a funeral in which he had participated in the Season One episode, (1.10) “The Long Weekend”:

”I remember the first time I was a pallbearer. I’d seen dead bodies before. I must have been fifteen. My aunt. I remember thinking, ‘They’re letting me carry the box, they’re letting me be this close to it, they’re not hiding anything from me now.’ And then I looked over and I saw all the old people waiting together by the grave and I remember thinking I, I just moved up a notch.”

Judging from the above comments, Don seemed to view his participation in this funeral as a sign that the adults in his life considered him mature enough to accept death and the changes it brings in the lives of many. His comments also made me wonder how the characters and the title of last Sunday’s episode. Who exactly were ”the grownups”? Were they characters like Don, Roger Sterling, Mona Sterling, Peggy Olson and Joan Harris; who seemed the least shaken by Kennedy’s assassination? Or were they characters like Pete and Trudy Campbell, Betty Draper, Jane Sterling and Bert Cooper, who not only seemed profoundly shaken by Kennedy’s death, but aware that the event might be a sign of the social upheavals to come?

JFK's assassination seemed to have a very interesting impact upon many of the series’ characters. For Pete Campbell, the assassination encouraged both him and Trudy to realize that he was wasting his time at Sterling Cooper. Earlier in the episode, Lane Pryce had informed him that Ken Cosgrove had won the battle for the position of Sterling Cooper’s Head of Accounts. Although he managed to keep his disappointment in check in front of the Englishman, Pete allowed his feelings to finally pour out in front of Trudy. When he informed that he plans to take up Duck Phillips’ offer for a position at Grey’s, Trudy informed him to hold back on that decision and remain at Sterling Cooper. Then came the assassination. Both of the Campbells were not only shocked by the event, Pete saw it as a sign that society was about to change. In his odd way, Pete has had a talent for realizing that the world is changing. He was the one who saw Kennedy as a potential head of state. And he was the one who was willing to view African-Americans as consumers to be targeted – a concept that that the old-fashioned Sterling Cooper executives had frowned upon. When he and Trudy learned that the Sterlings planned to go ahead with Margaret Sterling’s wedding on the following day, the couple found the whole thing distasteful and decided not to attend the wedding. More importantly, Trudy encouraged Pete to go ahead and consider leaving the firm. Perhaps they had both finally realize that Pete could no longer pretend that nothing has changed.

I believe that other ”MAD MEN” characters were aware of the possible impact of John Kennedy’s assassination. But whereas some wanted to pretend that nothing will really change, others seemed certain that changes are in the air. During Margaret Sterling wedding reception, her stepmother Jane Sterling and Bert Cooper seemed pivoted to the hotel kitchen’s television set during the media’s coverage of the assassination and its immediate aftermath. Cooper seemed to have become increasingly aware of the changes that were affecting the country. I believe it had began with the sale of Sterling Cooper to the Putnam Powell and Lowe, a British firm in the Season Two finale, (2.13) “Mediations on an Emergency”. It continued with him facing the death of a former colleague and Sterling Cooper’s 40th anniversary in (3.10) “The Color Blue”. While watching him remain glued to the television set during the wedding reception, I wonder if the assassination might prove to be the last straw for Bert Cooper. And how will he react in the months and years to come? Will he wither away, longing for the days when he was younger and social values were different? Or being the pragmatic man he has shown to be in the past, will he learn to go with the flow?

Many fans have commented that Jane Sterling, nee Siegal, is too young for Roger Sterling. Perhaps. However, I find this sentiment rather interesting, considering that many viewers have been fans of the Roger Sterling/Joan Holloway affair . . . and Joan is at least two decades younger than Roger. But Jane was barely 20 years old when she first met Roger in (2.05) “The New Girl” and 21 years old, this season. As she had pointed out, she was not old enough to vote for Kennedy back in 1960. So far, she has been portrayed as a young and immature trophy wife for Roger. And he seemed to treat her more as a child than his spouse, as his reaction to her attempt to befriend Margaret proved. But like Cooper, Jane’s attention became glued to the hotel kitchen’s television. Many fans accused her of using the assassination news to ignore Margaret’s reception. I disagree. I believe that Jane was not watching the news just to ignore the wedding celebrations. The assassination had made an impact upon her, just as it has obviously made an impact upon Bert Cooper. Once more, Roger treated her as a child and tried to pull her away and shield her from the media coverage . . . just as Don tried to do the same to Betty, Sally and Bobby. Jane refused to allow Roger to pull her away. The assassination bothered her and she was being honest about it. I am not saying that Jane is a fully mature character. After all, she is only 21 years old. But considering her reaction to Roger trying to pull her away from one of the hotel's TVs, I suspect that sooner or later, Roger will no longer have a child bride on his hands. And I cannot help but wonder how long Jane will remain with him.

Duck Phillips had an interesting reaction to the assassination. After calling Peggy Olson for an assignation at a hotel room, he heard the news of the events in Dallas on the television. Duck expressed silent shock before ripping the television’s extension cord from the wall. Then Peggy appeared. Many fans saw this as a sign of Duck using Peggy for his own nefarious means. When their affair had first started in (3.07) “Seven Twenty-Three”, fans were claiming that Duck was using Peggy to get even with Don for his termination from Sterling Cooper last season. Considering that Peggy has not left Sterling Cooper, fans are now claiming that Duck is using Peggy as some kind of addiction. Frankly, I no longer care. I am getting tired of these bigoted remarks about Duck. I realize that he is not perfect. But he is no more or less flawed than the other characters. I also get the feeling that fans have not forgiven him for abandoning his dog in (2.06) “Maidenform” and continue to view him as some kind of slimy villain. As for his actions regarding the hotel room’s television, I believe that the assassination had upset him so much that he tried to turn away from it and continue his assignation with Peggy. But even after they had sex, he realized that he could not run away from it. Duck told Peggy what he had done and turned the TV back on. The interesting result to all of this is that he - quite rightly - thought about his kids and wanted to check on them. On the other hand, I found Peggy's reaction to the assassination rather interesting. She seemed a little put out by her family's reaction to the news and went to the office to hide from the media coverage by working. This reminded me of her reaction to Marilyn Monroe's death. I wonder if Peggy is slowly becoming a Don Draper. If not, good. But if she is, I cannot view this as a good thing.

For the Drapers, I think the assassination made Betty realize that the world is changing and that it was useless to pretend otherwise. Don tried to shield his family from the bad news and pretend that everything was going to be okay. Even Joan Harris had pointed this out to Roger Sterling during a telephone conversation that the world will continue, despite traumatic events like the assassination. And in a way, both Don and Joan were right. Life will continue. But the two characters also failed to see the long term affect that the assassination would have on American society. Betty seemed to feel that life as she had known it will change. Which would explain why she had no qualms about Sally and Bobby watching the news about JFK's death. As she had pointed out to Don, what was the purpose of trying to shield them from the news. And I think the assassination made her confront that she no longer has a marriage. Or perhaps she never had one.

I have always suspected that Don and Betty never really loved each other when they first got married. Both had married each the other for superficial reasons. Betty tried to maintain the marriage by pretending to be the perfect housewife and making attempts to emotionally connect with Don. She also fooled herself into believing that a third child might finally improve their marriage. Don simply tried to maintain the status quo as successful professional man and suburban husband/father. Whenever things went wrong with Betty - her discovery of his communications with her psychiatrist, her discovery of his affair with Bobbie Barrett, her kicking him out of the house and finally her discovery of his identity as Dick Whitman - Don tried to be the perfect husband/father and pretend that all is right with the world. I found myself recalling his comment in (2.08) "A Night to Remember", when he told Betty that he doesn't want to lose "this", following her confrontation about Bobbie Barrett. There is a good chance that he might be in love with Suzanne Farrell. But I suspect that he harbor doubts that she could be the perfect social wife that he feels that Betty can be. But the assassination and other events of the year, like her discovery of Don’s true identity may have finally made Betty realize that her marriage is a lie. I suspect that Don's attempts to placate her over the assassination may have been the last straw. Even Sally had failed to buy Don's reassurances that everything is going to be all right, by a strange look she had given him. I feel that Betty is tired of living the lie. I feel that she is tired of being a "housecat". Her dream in (3.05) "The Fog" made me wonder if she would ever start to reject that role. I think her confession to Don that she no longer loved him made me suspect that she has had enough. When will Don realize that he has only loved the idea of Betty and not the woman, herself?

I might as well say it. I believe that ”The Grown Ups”, like (3.11) “The Gypsy and the Hobo” from the previous week, to be one of the best episodes in the past three seasons of ”MAD MEN”. Some seemed to think that showing the assassination on the series was pointless. They feel that Weiner will return both the Draper marriage and everything else to what it used to be. If that was true, what would have been the point of creating a series like ”MAD MEN” in the first place? Or better yet, what if those people proved to be wrong? What if ”The Grown Ups” proved to be the catalyst for more changes, as the series moves deeper into the 1960s?

"AMELIA" (2009) Review

Below is my review of the new biographical film on Amelia Earhart, the famous aviatrix from the 1930s:


”AMELIA” (2009) Review

To this day, there have been at least three biographical movies about the 1930s aviatrix, Amelia Earhart. And I have not seen the first two films – a 1943 movie that starred Rosalind Russell and a 1976 television movie that starred Susan Clark. I finally got around to seeing the latest biopic film about Earhart called ”AMELIA”. Directed by Mira Nair, the film starred two-time Oscar winner Hilary Swank in the title role.

Written by Ronald Bass and Anna Hamilton Phelan, the screenplay was based upon research from sources like ”East to the Dawn” by Susan Butler and ”The Sound of Wings” by Mary S. Lovell. Instead of covering Earhart’s entire life, the story focused purely on the aviatrix’s career as a pilot from her first flight over the Atlantic Ocean in 1928 (as a passenger) to her disappearance over the Pacific Ocean in an attempt to circumnavigate the globe in 1937. The movie also focused upon Earhart’s relationships with publishing tycoon and husband George Putnam (Richard Gere) and her lover, aviator Gene Vidal (Ewan McGregor); along with her collaboration with navigator Fred Noonan (Christopher Eccleston) during that last flight.

I can honestly say that ”AMELIA” is not one of the greatest Hollywood biographical films I have ever seen. It is not the worst . . . but I have certainly seen better biopics. The problem with ”AMELIA” is that it is simply mediocre. I am aware that the aviatrix had accomplished a great deal during her flying career. The film began with her becoming the first female to fly over the Atlantic as commander of the flight . . . and as a passenger. Embarrassed that her fame had not been earned, Earhart finally became the first female to fly over the Atlantic as a pilot in 1932. And although I felt a little teary-eyed and a sense of satisfaction over her accomplishments, I still found the movie to be a bit mediocre. For me, the movie’s main problem seemed to focus upon its portrayal of the main character – namely Earhart. I might as well be honest. The problem could have been Hilary Swank’s portrayal of the aviatrix. Or the problem simply could have been Bass and Phelan’s portrayal of her. She was not that interesting as a personality. Mind you, Earhart was not portrayed as a saint in the film. It included her alleged affair with Gene Vidal, during her marriage to Putnam, she had an affair with pilot Gene Vidal. Yet, Earhart still managed to come off as a less than interesting personality.

But all was not lost with ”AMELIA”. It included a handful of scenes that I found memorable. These scenes featured Earhart’s clash with Wilmer “Bill” Stultz (Joe Anderson) before the 1928 trans-Atlantic flight, that particular flight, George Putnam’s jealously over Earhart’s relationship with Vidal, her 1932 solo flight across the Atlantic, and her brief disagreement with Fred Noonan during their overnight stay in Lae, Papual New Guinea. The film’s minor centerpiece focused on those last moments of communication between Earhart’s plane and a U.S. Coast Guard picket ship called the U.S.C.G.C. Itasca before she and Noonan disappeared. I found myself especially impressed with Nair’s handling of this last scene, despite the fact that everyone knew its outcome.

Hilary Swank gave a solid and understated performance as Earhart. Considering that the aviatrix’s personality was understated, I doubt that it was much of a stretch for. I am a big fan of Ewan McGregor, but I think he was basically wasted in the role of Gene Vidal. Aside from providing a few romantic moments and expressing concern for Earhart’s plans to circumnavigate the globe, he really did not do much. On the other hand, I did enjoy Christopher Eccleston’s performance as the alcoholic navigator, Fred Noonan. He did not appear in that many scenes, but I really enjoyed the tension between him and Swank as they played out Noonan’s subtle, yet drunken come-on in Lae. In the end, it was Richard Gere who gave the most interesting performance. He gave an exuberant performance as the celebrated publisher/publicist George Putnam. Gere also gave audiences a glimpse into Putnam’s jealousy over Earhart’s relationship with Vidal – a jealousy that led him to propose marriage to the aviatrix in the first place. But in the end, not even Gere’s performance could provide enough energy to rejuvenate this film.

If there is one aspect of ”AMELIA” that I truly enjoy, it was the look of the film. Thanks to Stephanie Carroll’s production designs, Nigel Churcher and Jonathan Hely-Hutchinson’s art direction, Kasia Walicka-Maimone’s costume designs, and Stuart Dryburgh’s photography; the movie managed to capture – somewhat – the sleek Art Deco look of the late 1920s and the 1930s. Mind you, not all of it was historically accurate. However, I have come to the point where I find it useless to complain about historical accuracy in a movie with a historical backdrop. I wish I could say something about Gabriel Yared’s score, but I found nothing memorable about it.

I suspect that ”AMELIA” barely made a budge in the box office return. Not surprising. It is not a memorable film. It would probably turn out to be one of those films I would not mind watching on cable television or renting it from NETFLIX. Like I had stated earlier, it is not a terrible film. But I cannot see this movie earning Academy Award nomination two to three months from now. And I doubt that it will go down in history as a memorable historical drama. If you want my opinion, I would suggest that you either wait until this movie is released on cable . . . or wait until it is released on DVD and rent it.

"THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH" 10th Anniversary Photo Gallery

Today marks the 10th anniversary of the 19th James Bond adventure, "THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH". Directed by Michael Apted, this 1999 movie starred Pierce Brosnan, Sophie Marceau, Robert Carlyle, Robbie Coltrane and Denise Richards. Below are some photos from that movie:

"THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH" 10th Anniversary Photo Gallery

Top Ten Favorite "LOST" Episodes (Seasons One - Five)

Below is a list of my ten favorite "LOST" episodes . . . so far. After all, the television series has another season before it finally ends. But these episodes are my favorite so far:


Top Ten Favorite "LOST" Episodes (Seasons One - Five)




1. "The Other 48 Days" - This is the episode that made me a full fledged fan of "LOST". I had seen some of the early Season 2 episodes, but this one caught me, hook, line and sinker. I had yet to see the Season 1 episodes on DVD. After nearly four years, this story about the Tail Section survivors' first forty-eight days on the island is still my favorite. (Season 2; Episode 7)




2. "LaFleur" - This wonderful episode featured a combination of a time travel adventure and character study of con man James "Sawyer" Ford and about how he, Juliet and a few others become members of the Dharma Initiative in the 1970s. (Season 5; Episode 8)




3. "Through a Looking Glass I & II" - This is my favorite Jack-centric episode. It centered on the Flight 815 survivors' attempt to contact the inhabitants of a freighter some 80 miles away from the island and deal with a kidnapping threat posed by Ben and the Others. Not only does this episode marked Charlie Pace's death, but also an ending that surprised many viewers. (Season 3; Episodes 22 and 23)




4. "Exodus I" - In the first of a two-part episode in which Danielle Rousseau shocks the survivors by showing up with a dire warning about "the Others" who are on the island, and the black smoke that precedes them. Meanwhile, Michael, Sawyer and Jin ready the raft for sailing. In flashbacks, we see the survivors final moments before they boarded their fateful flight. This episode features some of the series' more emotional moments. (Season 1; Episode 23)




5. " . . . In Translation" - For the first time, fans discover that Jin Kwon is not the overbearing and dangerous husband of Sun that many had assumed him to be. Jin and the other survivors also discover a surprising fact about Sun. My favorite episode about the Kwons. (Season 1; Episode 17)




6. "The Hunting Party" - In this episode, Jack leads a small party to find Michael, who has left camp to search for his kidnapped son, Walt. This episode is not very popular with fans, but for some reason I like it . . . a lot. I especially enjoyed Jack's interactions with the two men who have rubbed him the wrong way - Sawyer and Locke and the flashbacks that featured the break up of his marriage. (Season 2; Episode 11)




7. "The Economist" - In this episode, Locke's hostage, one of the newcomers who had parachuted onto the island in the previous episode, may be the key to getting off the island. Sayid and Kate go in search of their fellow castaway in an attempt to negotiate a peaceful deal. The episode also featured a look into Sayid's post-Island life . . . with a surprise twist. (Season 4; Episode 3)




8. "Collision" - Ana-Lucia Cortez has been my favorite character for the last three years and this episode featured the violent consequences of Ana-Lucia's accidental shooting of Shannon. The flashbacks featured Ana-Lucia's troubles as a cop in Los Angeles and the episode ended with reunions between the Flight 815 survivors. A personal favorite of mine. (Season 2; Episode 8)




9. "The Man Behind the Curtain" - Locke confronts Ben and demands that the latter take him to Jacob. Ben complies, but the answers Locke receives are not what he expected. In flashbacks, Ben remembers his childhood on the Island, revealing the history of the Dharma Initiative and how the Others came to power. Meanwhile, Juliet's deception is revealed back at the beach, but her and Jack's reactions are quite unexpected. One of the very few good Season 3 episodes. (Season 3; Episode 20)




10. "The Shape of Things to Come" - In this tense and exciting episode, Jack tries to discover the identity of a body that has washed ashore. Meanwhile, Locke's camp is attacked by Ben's adversaries. This episode featured a superb performance by Michael Emerson, which probably led to an Emmy nomination for him. (Season 4; Episode 9)


Well . . . that is it. What are your favorites?

"With Harry Kim's Compliments" [R] - 1/2

Here is a humorous story set during Season 3 of "Star Trek Voyager" about Harry Kim's efforts to act as matchmaker for his two best friends:


"WITH HARRY KIM'S COMPLIMENTS"

RATING: [R] For sexual innuendos.
SUMMARY: Harry Kim decides to play matchmaker with a shower and his two best friends. Set between Season 3's "Alter Ego" and "Coda".
FEEDBACK: deerush76@yahoo.com - Be my guest. But please, be kind.
DISCLAIMER: Tom, B'Elanna, Harry and all other characters related to Star Trek Voyager belong to Paramount, Viacom and the usual Trek Powers to Be. Dammit!

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"WITH HARRY KIM'S COMPLIMENTS"

Part 1


Tom Paris strolled along the corridors of Deck Four, humming to himself. He had just finished a double shift on the Bridge. And at the moment, he looked forward to spending quality time in his quarters. Underneath a nice shower with hot running water. And a meal, along with a long rest, would make a great follow-up.

His quarters loomed ahead. Tom punched in his entry code and walked inside. Ah! Home at last! Without any thought, he began removing his uniform. Once he removed the last stitch of clothing, Tom entered his bathroom and stepped into the shower. "Computer," he ordered, "begin shower with hot water."

Instead of water slucing down his body, Tom heard the computer reply, "Unable to comply. The water system for the shower is malfunctioning."

"WHAT??" Tom cried out in outrage.

The computer dryly responded, "Please restate the question."

"Computer . . ." Tom took a few deep breaths. 'Calm down, Paris. It's just a computer.' Now he felt calm and collected. "Computer, how long has the water shower been down?"

The computer replied, "The ship's water system has malfunctioned since 14:23 hours."

In other words, for the past six hours. Great! Tom heaved an exasperated sigh. So much for a nice, hot shower. It looked as if he would have to settle for a sonic shower. And Tom hated them. "Computer," he continued, "begin sonic shower."

To his surprise, the computer announced, "Unable to comply. The sonic shower is malfunctioning."

What the hell? Now, Tom was in a fix. How in the hell was he supposed to clean himself, with both showers not operating? Maintaining a tight rein on his temper, the pilot asked the computer how long the sonic shower has been malfunctioning. Since 14:23 hours - like the water shower.

Tom left the shower stall and snatched his uniform jacket to activate his combadge. "Paris to Engineering."

"Engineering here." The voice belonged to Ensign Carl Ashmore, one of the engineers under B'Elanna Torres' command. "I gather you're calling about your shower?"

"That's right. What the hell is going on?"

Ashmore explained that the ship's shower systems were malfunctioning. "None of the showers from Decks Two to Five aren't working. Also Decks Eight and Nine. And only the sonic showers from Decks Ten to Fifteen are operating."

"Great!" Tom retorted. "What the hell am I supposed to . . ." He paused, recalling Ashmore's words. That meant the showers on Decks Six and Seven were fully operational. And Tom personally knew one crewman with quarters on Deck Six. "Never mind, Carl. I believe I know how to solve my problem. Paris out." After severing his connection to the engineer, Tom activated his combadge once more. "Paris to Kim." Sounds of grunting reached his ears. What the hell was Harry doing? "Paris to Kim. Harry, can you . . .?"

"I hear you, Tom. What is it?"

Tom asked, "What the hell is going on? Where are you?"

"Jeffries Tube 23C. Working on the internal systems," Harry replied. "What do you need?"

"A shower, buddy. Neither my water or sonic shower is working. Can I use yours? All showers on Decks Six and Seven are operational."

Harry responded through more grunts, "Be . . . my guest."

"Great! Paris out."

The moment he tapped off his combadge, Tom donned a T-shirt and stretched pants. Happy that he would be getting that shower after all, the helmsman strolled out of his quarters, whistling through his teeth.

* * * *

"Hey Starfleet!"

Harry jumped at the sound of B'Elanna's voice and bumped his head against the tube's wall. He had been staring at the panel before him, for the past five minutes, wondering where the hell he went wrong in repairing the conduits that maintained the ship's shower systems.

Rubbing his head, Harry glanced at the tube's entrance and found Voyager's chief engineer in a crouching position. "Hey B'Elanna!" he greeted in a tired voice.

"How long have you been here, Starfleet?"

A heavy sigh left Harry's mouth. "It seems like forever. Damn shower systems! I can't get the damn thing to work properly. Only the showers on Decks Six and Seven are completely operational."

B'Elanna cleared her throat. "Speaking of Deck Six, isn't your shower working?"

Harry saw what was coming. "Yeah, it is. Why?"

"Well, my shift ends in a few mintues," B'Elanna continued. "And systems malfunctions or not, I'm beat. I really need a shower and rest. So . . ."

This was news. B'Elanna leaving her post before the completion of repairs. Harry realized that she must really be beat. As for her using his shower . . . well, there was the problem of Tom. Who knew how long the helmsman might be using his shower? Harry opened his mouth to tell B'Elanna about Tom, but suddenly changed his mind.

"What is it?" B'Elanna asked, frowning at the younger man.

Should he tell B'Elanna? Harry knew he should. But he also remembered what Neelix told him about what happened at the luau, some ten days ago. The Talaxian cook had described the look on Tom's face after Vorik had usurped B'Elanna's time during the party. Harry had been well aware of the attraction between his two best friends. And their frustrating attempts to deny their feelings. Perhaps an accidental meeting in his quarters would help strengthen the bond between the two. And so with matchmaking in mind, Harry set about a course that no sane person in his or her right mind would attempt.

Harry finally answered, "Nothing. Go right ahead, Maquis. Be my guest. It'll be a while before I'm probably off-duty."

B'Elanna flashed her friend a smile. "Thanks, Harry. You're a prince." She crawled away from the tube's entrance.

Smiling himself, Harry sat on his hunches and returned his attention to the console. If only he were a fly on a wall. He would give his right arm to witness the fireworks between the chief engineer and the pilot. Harry had no idea that in the end, he would sacrifice something a lot more important than a limb.

* * * *

A shower at last! B'Elanna could barely wait. Many of the ship's systems had been crashing all day. With the exception of the showers, B'Elanna, the Engineering staff and the Operations division, managed to repair them all.

After nearly pulling a double shift, all she required . . . needed was a refreshing shower and a long rest. Two years ago, B'Elanna would have insisted on remaining on duty until the last repair was completed. But that was two years ago, when she was an inexperienced division head. It took her staff, especially her second-in-command, Joe Carey, to teach her the joys of delegation. She could deal with working during a double shift. But beyond that . . . well, she was a wiser and older woman. Let poor Harry deal with the remaining repairs. Besides, the ship's system was technically a job usually assigned to the Operations Division.

The turbolift halted on Deck Six. B'Elanna stepped out and made her way along the corridor. In fact, she nearly skipped all the way to Harry's quarters. And she did not care if any passing crewman saw her.

Still feeling high over her escape from Engineering, B'Elanna punched in Harry's entry codes and continued inside. The first thing she noticed was the sound of running water. The shower. B'Elanna frowned. Why in the hell was Harry's shower running? Did he . . .? B'Elanna immediately spoke up. "Computer, locate Ensign Kim."

"Ensign Kim is located in Jeffries Tube 23C Alpha," the computer's voice responded. Which only meant one thing - Harry had left his shower running all day, the dumb idiot. Talk about ration credits pouring down the drain. For her friend's generosity, B'Elanna decided to donate a few extra credits to his account. Meanwhile, she might as well take advantage of the running water.

B'Elanna removed her boots and peeled off her uniform. Completely nude, she strode into Harry's bathroom and opened the shower door. A loud cry escaped her mouth. B'Elanna found herself facing Tom Paris - wet, naked and fully frontal.

"B'Elanna?" Tom's blue eyes grew wide with surprise. "What the hell are you doing here?"

To stunned to speak, B'Elanna surrendered to panic and proceeded to slam the shower door, shut. Unfortunately, Tom had decided at that moment to stick out an arm and the door slammed against the protruding limb. "AAAUGH!" The pilot cried out in pain.

"Tom! Are you hurt?" Forgetting about his naked state, a concerned B'Elanna grabbed his arm and began to examine it. She found a purple bruise between his elbow and his wrist. Without thinking, she began to rub it. "Is that better?" she crooned. "Do you need a dermal regenerator?"

The pilot's eyes grew even wider. "Uh, B'Elanna?"

"What?" B'Elanna stared at Tom, who looked very uncomfortable. Almost stiff. What the hell was the matter . . .? For some unexplained reason, her eyes slid downward and noticed Tom's swelling member. Then she remembered. He was naked. Completely. And when she saw him staring at her chest - her bare chest - she realized that she was also naked. "Kahless!" B'Elanna cried out, immediately dropping Tom's arm. "I have to . . . I have to go!" The half-Klingon woman turned on her heels and quickly fled the bathroom.

* * * *

"B'Elanna!"

Tom cried after the fleeing woman. "B'Ela. . ." As he stepped out of the shower, he nearly slipped on the wet floor. Goddammit! "B'Elanna!"

Tom took one step toward the doorway and realized that he was still nude. He reached for a towel and wrapped it around his waist. Then he reached for another towel and scurried into the living area. And just in time. He spotted B'Elanna, shapely bottom included, scampering out of the door. With no clothes on. "B'Elanna, you don't have any . . ."

The half-Klingon stopped in her tracks, noticed the state of her undress with a gasp and bolted back inside. Tom quickly turned away to spare her any further embarrassment. "Uh, B'Elanna? Here's a towel you might want to use," he said, holding out the object.

Growling a quick "Thanks," B'Elanna snatched the towel from Tom's hand. "By the way Paris," she added, "what the hell are you doing here?"

Paris? "You haven't called me Paris in over a . . ." The word stuck in Tom's throat as he turned around. And found the towel wrapped around B'Elanna's torso - accentuating every shapely . . . 'Don't go there, Tommy Boy! Just don't!'

"Tom!" B'Elanna added in a sharp voice. "You haven't explained what the hell you're doing here!"

Tom replied, "Taking a shower, of course. Harry gave me permission to use his shower."

"What are you talking about? He gave me permission!" B'Elanna's eyes grew wide. "Oh my God! The big idiot! I bet he planned all this!"

Recalling the fatigue in Harry's voice, Tom doubted it. He suspected that the Operations chief had merely suffered a lapse in memory. Still, who was he to complain when it gave him the opportunity to see B'Elanna Torres in all her glo . . . 'Stop it, Paris!' Tom inwardly reprimanded himself.

"What's wrong?" B'Elanna's voice cut through Tom's thoughts. "Why are you staring at me like . . .?" She paused and glanced at her towel. Red spots tinged her cheeks. "I better get out of here." The chief engineer gathered her belongings.

Tom rushed toward the departing engineer. "B'Elanna! No! Wait! You don't have to leave now. You can . . ." he grabbed her arm, ". . . take the shower, first. Please."

The half-Klingon paused, seemingly unaware of Tom's hand on her bare arm. He noticed that up close, her eyes seemed to focus upon everything, except him. B'Elanna shook her head. "Uh, that's okay. At least my sonic shower is still working."

"Perhaps, but you were obviously in the mood for a water shower. Why else would you be here? Look, I just barely got started on my shower, when you, uh . . ." Tom stumbled a bit. "Well, you know. Just go ahead and use it. Be my guest." He gently steered the engineer toward Harry's bathroom. "Ladies first."

Dark brown eyes grew wide with disbelief. "Ladies?" However, B'Elanna did not reject Tom's offer. She dumped her clothes and boots on a nearby chair and headed for the shower. Once the bathroom door closed behind her, Tom dumped himself unceremoniously on the sofa and sighed. Green or not, Ensign Harry Kim had a lot to answer for.

END OF Part 1

"CHARMED" RETROSPECTIVE: "The Death of Dr. Williamson"

"CHARMED" RETROSPECTIVE: ”The Death of Dr. Williamson”

I just recently finished watching the Season Two episode from ”CHARMED”, (2.20) "Astral Monkey" . There were some things that were said in this episode that really pissed me off. And all of my complaints centered upon the character, Dr. Curtis Williamson.

Curtis Williamson first appeared in an earlier episode, (2.12) ”Awakened”. In this episode, Piper became infected with a deadly disease called Arroyo Fever, after eating some South American fruit she had purchased to serve at her club, P3. After her sisters and later Leo had both cured her using magic, Williamson became obsessed in discovering the reason behind Piper’s miraculous recovery from a disease that had no cure.

In ”Astral Monkey”, Williamson’s obsession not led him to continuously contact Piper by letter, but use the Halliwells’ blood drawn by the doctor in ”Awakened” to experiment on a trio of monkeys kept in his lab. Eventually, the Halliwells and Leo learned about Dr. Williamson’s experiments when the monkey with Prue’s abilities, astral projected to the manor. Piper, Prue and Phoebe went to the hospital to examine Dr. Williamson’s laboratory and Leo consulted the Elders . . . after they discovered that the Charmed Ones’ blood had been accidentally injected into Dr. Williamson and he ended up with their abilities. The following is what Leo had to say on the matter:

Piper: So what's the bad news?

Leo: Well, simply put, Dr. Williamson is cosmically screwed. He's got your powers in his mortal body. It took generations to prepare you for that, you can handle it, he can't.

Mortal body? Once again, the audience are led to believe that the Halliwells are not mortals. And yet, the series has proven over again that they were mortals. This point was specifically made in the Season Three episode, (3.22) "All Hell Breaks Loose", when Piper died from a gunshot wound in the first timeline before the demon Tempus changed it on behalf of the Source and the whitelighter Elders.

However, the following comment made by Leo really pissed me off:

Phoebe: Wait, are you saying that out powers are in our blood and he injected himself with it?

Leo: That blood, yeah. See, the spell that you cast to cure Piper changed everything and now it's changing Dr. Williamson. See, your magic is meant for doing good but in the wrong person, somebody not ready for it, that need to do good things...

Piper: Could go bad?

Leo: Real bad. Piper, it's nobody's fault. Dr. Williamson chose his own path. This is not the consequence of anybody's actions except his own. Still, you have to find a way to stop him before things get worse.

One, Leo had claimed that the spell Prue and Phoebe had cast to cure Piper in ”Awakened” was partly responsible for the Halliwells' abilities affecting Dr. Williamson. But it got worse. Then he further claimed that none of them - Piper, Prue and Phoebe, and he - were not responsible for Williamson’s abuse of their abilities and the latter’s effect upon him. Only Williamson was to blame.

Leo . . . Let me take a deep breath, here. Constance Burge, who wrote ”Astral Monkey”, really got the whitelighter’s character down pat in this episode. It seemed quite obvious – at least to me – that Leo’s feelings for Piper have constantly led him to spout stupid lies in order to placate any negative feelings she might be experiencing. In ”Astral Monkey”, she felt guilt for failing to respond to his letters about her recovery from Arroyo Fever . . . and because he was a mortal that she and her sisters had to kill.

After listening to Leo’s attempt to solely blame Williamson over the entire incident, I still find it amazing how fans continue to condemn Brad Kern for some of the series' bad writing, when Burge was also responsible for the crap that popped up during her tenure as executive producer of ”CHARMED”. And I am condemning Burge for an act that Kern consistently committed in the series’ future – namely give the Halliwells slack for some of their questionable actions in both ”Awakened” and ”Astral Monkey”.

I am quite certain that Curtis Williamson had been partially responsible for what happened. After all, he became obsessed with finding the source of Piper's "miraculous" cure from Arroyo Fever in "Awakened". Even the hospital’s Chief of Staff, Dr. Jeffries, warned him to allow the matter to drop. But the Halliwells and Leo should have accepted some of the blame over the entire situation. And Burge refused to allow this to happen in her script. Back in ”Awakened”, Prue and Phoebe used magic to cure Piper’s fever, when they should not have done so in the first place. After the pair reversed the spell and Piper fell ill for the second time, Leo stepped in and cured her . . . when he should not have done so. Because of Prue, Phoebe and Leo’s actions, Piper managed to avoid facing the consequences of her actions. And it was Piper who had started this whole mess in motion when she became greedy and decided to purchase South American fruit that had not been inspected by U.S. Customs.

It had been bad enough when Vivian and Valerie Mayhew’s script for ”Awakened” had failed to allow Piper face any legal ramifications from the U.S. government for her act of greed. After all, the episode never mentioned any legal fines and P3 had only been closed for a day . . . before Leo cured her. But in the story for ”Astral Monkey”, Constance Burge had failed to bring up all of the Halliwells and Leo’s past transgressions. Instead, she decided to lay all of the blame on Williamson's shoulders. Prue and Phoebe did not even seem the worse for wear following Williamson's death at the end of the episode. As for Piper, she only felt guilty for not being able to save Williamson and for failing to respond to his letters in the first place. Not once did the episode’s script allow Piper to express any guilt for allowing her greed in ”Awakened” to set everything in motion.

For two episodes considered to among the best by the series’ fans, I find it interesting that both managed to fill me with disgust from its portrayals of the main characters. Even worse, the only character who ended up facing consequences from questionable choices happened to be one portrayed by a guest star. And I find it ironic that I have Constance Burge, and not the much maligned Brad Kern, to blame.