"Why Rhonda Wilcox Does Not Matter"

"WHY RHONDA WILCOX DOES NOT MATTER"

I am feeling very emotional right now. I have managed to read nine out of twelve chapters of "WHY BUFFY MATTERS: The Art of Buffy the Vampire Slayer". After reading the latest chapter called, Fear: The Princess Screamed Once - Power, Silence and Fear in "Hush", I decided not to finish the book. Why? The last chapter really pissed me off.

What I am about to say will probably not generate any sympathy toward my views. It has a lot to do with Rhonda Wilcox's opinion on the character, Riley Finn. And Riley, bless his heart, is probably one of the more hated characters in Buffyverse. But you know what? Regardless of how other fans may view Riley, what Wilcox had to say about him in her book pissed me off. It was the last straw.

The first straw - at least for me - had nothing to do with Riley. It had to do what Wilcox had to say about a character created for another fictional universe. Earlier in the book, Wilcox compared the characters of Buffy Summers and Harry Potter in a chapter titled, When Harry Met Buffy: Buffy Summers, Harry Potter and Heroism. Not only did Wilcox compared Buffy and Harry in this chapter, but their friends as well. This idiot woman had the nerve to compare the characters of Xander Harris (BUFFY) and Ron Weasley (HARRY POTTER) in the following manner:

"Their (Xander and Ron) lack of special gifts accentuates the loyalty and bravery that Ron and Xander each offers as a friend to a character frequently placed in abnormal danger.

Thus, in each world, there is a triumvirate of friends: Harry and Buffy each have a modest, normal male and an unusually intelligent female as friends."

Ron Weasely lacked special gifts? Ron? He was a wizard. He did not lack any supernatural powers like Xander. Nor was he a less gifted magic practitioner than Harry or Hermione. Ron lacked Harry's special gift for Defense Against the Dark Arts and Quidditch. But he was still proficient in both skills. He lacked Hermione's intelligence. But so did Harry. And Ron was better at Defense Against the Dark Arts magic than Hermione. Most importantly, Ron was a very skillful chess player - something that neither Harry or Hermione could boast. Apparently, Ms. Wilcox has forgotten this and decided to judge Ron's character based on his "Idiot at Hogswarts" portrayal in the movies. Not a very good researcher, is she?

But her comparison of Ron Weasley and Xander Harris was nothing in compare to what she had to say about Riley in the chapter about "Hush". In one passage, Wilcox described Riley in this manner:

"It connects Riley with the myth of Virgil's Aeneas, the hero of 'Aeneid', one of the three great Greco-Roman epics. (And I refer you to C.W. Marshall's article on Giles and Aeneas in 'Slayage' to suggest the further applicability of this particular source.) Aeneas is perhaps the most purely patriarchal of the classic heroes. This (to me) dull and duty-bound hero is an excellent parallel for Riley, the least liminal of Buffy's significant others.

This woman is a moron. Okay, perhaps I may have been a little too harsh. But Wilcox actually have the nerve to label Riley as "purely patriarchal". Riley Finn? Had Wilcox been so blinded by her dislike of him that she failed to notice that he was hardly patriarchal? For me, Riley's problem - at least in early and mid Season 4 - seemed to be his willingness to blindly adhere to authority figures, whether they were patriarchal or in the case of Maggie Walsh, matriarchal. If one good thing that came out of Riley's relationship with Buffy was that he learned to stop following authority figures in such a mindless manner. Yes, he had rejoined the Army. But post-Season 5 Riley was open-minded enough to allow Buffy to make a decision on what to do about Spike when they learned he was smuggling demon eggs in Season 6's "As You Were". It was the same Riley who helped Buffy get rid of the chip in Spike's brain in Season 7's "The Killer in Me", despite his dislike of the vampire.


She also claimed that following the end of Riley's relationship with Buffy, he decided to invest his identity in being a fighter and not a lover:

"Those familiar with the Bufy story beyond the standalone "Hush" episode can see further parallels: after Aeneas and Queen Dido's love affair, he leaves to fight for his (future) country and she kills herself. Just so, Riley eventually decides to invest his identity in being a fighter, not a lover; he rejoins the Army and departs the Hellmouth, leaving Buffy to kill herself during the battle against Glory (and consider the military implications of that phrase: the battle 'against' Glory)."

Apparently, Wilcox forgot that not only did Riley rejoin the Army, he GOT MARRIED! She forgot or had decided to dismiss that one little tidbit.

Later, she accused Riley of fearfulness:

"But to return to the fearfulness of Riley. That phrasing ambiguously allows two implications: that Riley is fearful, and that Riley is to be feared. And I would argue that this episode suggests the same - and applies the fear to all that Riley stands for."

If Wilcox was referring to Riley's inability to communicate to Buffy his fears about their relationship in Season 5 - I could understand this. But . . . as usual, she overlooked something else. Namely Buffy's inability to communicate her own fears to Riley. She also failed to mention that Buffy's fear of being emotional damaged in a relationship after her experiences with Angel led her to get involved with Riley in the hopes of having a "normal" relationship. I suspect that by Season 5, Riley began to fear this. And this is where Riley's fearfulness came in. He failed to communicate his fears to Buffy before it was too late.

Had Wilcox been so willing overlook Riley's more complex natuer in order to paint Riley in such a one-dimensional manner? It seemed like it. In fact, she seemed so driven by her dislike of the character that she dumped the blame of their break-up solely upon his shoulders. And as I had stated earlier, she literally viewed Riley as some human version of the Gentlemen from "Hush":

"Riley is both Aeneas and the Gentlemen. Heroic self-denial and repression - with all the attendant miseries."

And;

"Consider the closing scene. This episode presents patriarchy as horror in the form of the Gentlemen, and patriarchy with its best face on as the kindly, brave Riley. Riley can help Buffy defeat that worst side of patriarchy, but is he, its best incarnation, enough for Buffy?"

Riley Finn is a symbol of the patriarchy of the Gentlemen? Riley Finn was the series' best incarnation of patriarchy? Wilcox was speaking of a character who had allowed his view points and his life to revolve around women - whether it was Maggie Walsh in Season 4 or Buffy in early Season 5. I only hoped that he had managed to break this habit with his marriage between Seasons 5 and 6.

Right now, I am desperately trying to maintain my temper . . . and remember that I am discussing fictional characters. I realize that Ms. Wilcox, like many Buffyverse fans disliked Riley. I understand. I dislike Angel. I have for a long time. But I have always felt that Angel had the capacity to grow as a character. I have also experienced moments when I have either sympathized or even liked him. But I hope and pray that I would never devolve into the kind of characterizations of Angel or any other fictional character I may dislike in the same way that Wilcox has characterized Riley Finn. Her portrait of Riley in her book only makes me realize that I had wasted my time reading her book.

"HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE" Review

Below is my review of the new HARRY POTTER movie called ”Half-Blood Prince”. Directed by David Yates, the movie starred Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson and Sir Michael Gambon:


”HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE” Review

When the producers of the latest installment of the HARRY POTTER movie franchise had announced their intentions to push back the movie’s release date from November 2008 to July 2009, a relative of mine had expressed disappointment. My own disappointment was muted by the possibility that the movie required further retakes for improvement. After finally seeing ”HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE”, I am beginning to wonder if any retakes had ever been made.

Judging by my words, one would assume that I harbor a low opinion of ”HALF-BLOOD PRINCE”. Well . . . that person would be right. Because I do have a low opinion of the movie. I am almost inclined to declare ”HALF-BLOOD PRINCE” as the worst HARRY POTTER ever made. But I believe that it would receive stiff competition from 2005’s ”GOBLET OF FIRE” for that particular title.

Not all of ”HALF-BLOOD PRINCE” seemed terrible to me. One, the movie can boast some of the best acting featured in the entire franchise. Director David Yates seemed to have gone through a great deal of trouble to draw out some excellent performances from the cast. I was especially impressed by Rupert Grint’s lovesick Ron Weasley; Jim Broadbent as the new Potions Master, the eccentric and slightly selfish Horace Slughorn; Michael Gambon as a frighteningly vulnerable Albus Dumbledore; Jessie Cave as the Ron-infatuated Lavender Brown; the always superb Alan Rickman as Severus Snape; and Tom Felton as Draco Malfoy. I was surprisingly pleased by Felton’s performance as a Draco who found himself recruited by Lord Voldemort to carry out a special task involving Hogswarts and Dumbledore. Felton’s past performances seemed to have been an exercise in adolescent hammy acting that was usually accompanied by sneers. For once, Felton portrayed Draco as a complex individual who may have gotten himself involved in something that was over his head, instead of a caricature of a school bully.

The movie also featured some rather memorable moments for me. Bruno Delbonnel’s photography and John Richardson’s special effects really shone in a sequence that featured the Death Eaters’ kidnapping of wand maker Mr. Ollivander (John Hurt) and attack upon one of London’s bridges. I also enjoyed the humorous scene that featured Slughorn’s introduction into the story. And from an emotional point of view, one of my favorite scenes centered on a quarrel between Hermoine Granger (Emma Watson) and Lavender over a hospitalized Ron, recovering from a love potion and poisoned mead meant for Dumbledore. But my two favorite scenes happened to be Harry and Dumbledore’s encounter with inferi inside a seaside cave; and also Bellatrix Black Lestrange (Helena Bonham-Carter) and Narcissa Black Malfoy (Helen McCrory)’s visit to Snape’s home in Spinner’s End. Although some fans have dismissed the inferi shown in the film as ineffective, I found them creepy. Especially when they attempted to claim Harry’s body for themselves. Dumbledore’s fiery solution to their threat proved to be breathtaking. As stated earlier, my other favorite scene featured the Black sisters – Bellatrix Lestrange and Narcissa Malfoy – visiting Snape’s home. Not only did I enjoy how Delbonnel’s photography captured the gloomy and rain-soaked atmosphere of Spinner’s End, I also enjoyed the tense interactions between Alan Rickman, Helena Bonham-Carter and Helen McCrory when the sisters managed to coerce an “Unbreakable Vow” from Snape in order to protect Draco.

As much as I had enjoyed the above aspects of ”HALF-BLOOD PRINCE”, there was a great deal about the film that disappointed me. One of the main problems I had was the movie’s pacing. How can I put it? It was too damn slow! I cannot think of the numerous times I nearly fell asleep or squirmed in my seat out of sheer boredom. Perhaps the movie had emphasized too heavily upon the love lives of Harry and his friends and not enough on both Lord Voldemort’s past and the identity of the Half-Blood Prince. Even worse, the movie not only left out scenes important to the saga’s main narrative, but inserted scenes that proved to be irrelevant to the story. I will begin with those scenes featured in the novel, but not in the movie.

Considering that the name of this particular story was ”HALF-BLOOD PRINCE”, I found it odd that screenwriter Steve Kloves had placed such a small emphasis on the title character’s Potions book discovered by Harry. Moviegoers saw Harry use the book to win Slughorn’s favor during Potions class. And in one scene, Kloves allowed Hermoine to express annoyance at Harry’s use of the book. Moviegoers even saw Harry briefly spot the Sectumsempra spell before using it in a duel against Draco. But the movie never hinted any real effort by the friends to discover the real identity of the Half-Blood Prince, as they had done in the novel. And Snape’s identity as the owner of the book seemed to have come out of the blue near the end of the film. Nor was it ever mentioned that his witch mother’s surname was Prince. Hell, that Potions book almost became an afterthought in the film.

I also found myself annoyed that the movie only featured two flashbacks or memories of Voldemort’s past – one in which Dumbledore first met the eleven year-old Tom Riddle, and the second in which Horace Slughorn told an older Tom about horcruxes. As any fan of the HARRY POTTER franchise knows, a Horcrux is a "receptacle in which a Dark wizard has hidden a part of his soul for the purposes of attaining immortality." With part of a wizard's soul thus stored, the wizard becomes immortal so long as the Horcrux remains intact. For this reason, Horcruxes are typically hidden in a safe location. The literary version of ”HALF-BLOOD PRINCE” allowed Harry to learn about the objects that Voldemort had converted into Horcruxes via the memories of others who had met the dark wizard. In the movie, Harry only learned that the diary he had destroyed in ”THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS”, Salazar Slytherin’s locket and Marvolo Gaunt’s ring were Horcruxes. I can only wonder how Yates and Kloves will reveal the identities of the other Horcruxes in the two ”DEATHLY HALLOWS” movies. What exactly are the seven Horcruxes that Voldemort had created? They are:

*Harry Potter – Dumbledore realized that the boy wizard was a Horcrux right before his death
*Nagini – Voldemort’s pet snake seen by Harry in his dreams about Voldemort in ”GOBLET OF FIRE” and ”ORDER OF THE PHOENIX”
*Tom Riddle’s diary – destroyed by Harry in ”CHAMBER OF SECRETS”
*Marvolo Gaunt’s ring – found and destroyed by Dumbledore in ”HALF-BLOOD PRINCE”
*Salazar Slytherin’s locket – taken by Regulus Black and substituted with a fake
*Rowena Ravenclaw’s diadem – unbeknownst to anyone
*Helga Hufflepuff’s cup – unbeknownst to anyone

The movies have only revealed the following Horcruxes to the audience – Harry, Nagini, Tom’s diary, Gaunt’s ring and Slytherin’s locket. Of the five, the movies have either skimmed over or never revealed the origins of the ring and the locket. Nor has ”HALF-BLOOD PRINCE” bothered to reveal how Voldemort got his hands on Ravenclaw’s diadem or Hufflepuff’s cup. Without any additional scenes featuring Voldemort’s past and with Dumbledore dead, I am curious to see how Kloves will allow Harry, Ron and Hermoine will learn about the diadem and the cup in the two ”DEATHLY HALLOWS” movies.

There are other deleted scenes that disturbed me. Audiences had learned in the first story, ”SORCERER’S STONE” that Snape had coveted the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts instructor for years. Yet, when he finally assumed the position, the movie never gave audiences a glimpse of his tenure in this position. Also, Dumbledore did not put Harry in a body-binding curse and hide him underneath his invisibility cloak. Instead, Harry is instructed to hide when Draco and the Death Eaters make their appearance in the Astronomy Tower, and do nothing. I really cannot see Harry following these instructions. Even if Dumbledore had made them. Even worse, Yates and Kloves also left out the battle between the Death Eaters and the Order of the Phoenix, after the former managed to infiltrate Hogswarts’ grounds. Either the director or the producer had claimed they did not want to repeat themselves, considering a similar battle will be featured in ”DEATHLY HALLOWS II”. But audiences will not be able to see this in another two years. I really see no reason why they could not have included this. It made no sense that the aurors posted at Hogswarts would not eventually become aware of the Death Eaters’ presence, especially with Bellatrix Lestrange whooping it up inside the school’s Great Hall. In fact the entire finale left me feeling disappointed. Not only did Kloves and Yates include a scene that featured Dumbledore instructing Harry to hide inside the Astronomy Tower, they deleted Dumbledore’s funeral, yet included a scene in which the students and faculty at Hogwarts had gathered around Dumbledore’s body before paying homage to the dead wizard by lighting up their wands. Let me go on record in stating that this whole ”We Are the World” moment left me rolling my eyes in disgust.

And speaking of inserted scenes, I have noticed several others that were included in the film. One scene featured a flashback with Harry and Dumbledore emerging from the Ministry of Magic, following the battle that resulted in Sirius Black’s death in ”ORDER OF THE PHOENIX”. I can only assume that the flashback was meant to hint Harry’s continuing grief over his godfather’s death. And yet . . . aside from a brief mention by Horace Slughorn, there was no further mention of Sirius. The filmmakers had decided to add this scene, yet did not bother to add a sequence featuring Harry’s inheritance of the Blacks’ home at Number 12, Grimmauld Place and their house elf, Kreacher. A plot point that would prove to be very important in the upcoming ”DEATHLY HALLOWS”. Another scene featured Harry at a neighborhood café, where a pretty waitress manages to catch his attention before Dumbledore made his appearance. Was this scene supposed to be a foreshadow of the adolescent soap operas that permeated a great deal of the movie? Or Harry’s own libido? Well, the topic of Harry’s libido was first approached in ”GOBLET OF FIRE” and continued in ”ORDER OF THE PHOENIX”, through his relationship with Cho Chang (Katie Leung). In other words, I found both the Ministry of Magic flashback, and café scene irrelevant to the story. Both could have easily been replaced with Harry learning about his inheritance from Sirius. Yates and Kloves also decided to include a scene featuring the Death Eaters attacking and burning the Weasleys’ home, the Burrows, during the Christmas holidays. My question . . . why bother? What purpose did this scene serve other than to include an action sequence in the movie? Neither Ron, Ginny or Harry seemed disturbed by the event following their return to Hogwarts. In fact, audiences never learned where Molly and Arthur Weasley were staying following the fire. And in the end, the sequence only robbed more potential screen time from the more important horcrux storyline.

Another aspect of the movie’s story that annoyed me turned out to be the Vanishing Cabinet that Draco used to smuggle Death Eaters inside Hogwarts Castle. Now, I am well aware that the Vanishing Cabinet played a major role in the story. But Kloves and Yates took it too far. In other words, they gave away the mystery surrounding Draco’s actions before they could surprise the moviegoers. While still in London; Harry, Ron and Hermoine managed to eavesdrop on Draco interacting with the owner of a Knockturn Alley shop called Borgin and Burkes. And instead of following Rowling’s example by maintaining the mystery behind Draco’s actions until near the end of the story, Kloves’ screenplay continuously hinted Draco’s intentions and the cabinet’s magic properties before the finale at the Astronomy Tower. In my opinion, Kloves and Yates could have maintained the mystery, leaving enough time to explore the horcrux storyline via memories of Voldemort.

Although I found myself impressed by the acting featured in the movie, I had a problem with three of the characters. One of the characters I had a problem with happened to be Cho Chang (Katie Leung), Harry’s girlfriend in ”ORDER OF THE PHOENIX”. Or should I say a lack of Cho Chang? What happened between Harry and Cho? ”ORDER OF THE PHOENIX” never bothered to bring closure to Harry and Cho’s story, after he and Hermoine discovered that Cho had been forced to expose Dumbledore’s Army thanks to the Veritaserum (truth potion) forced upon her by Dolores Umbridge. I had expected to see such closure in ”HALF-BLOOD PRINCE”, but it never materialized, much to my disappointment.

I also had a problem with the characterization of Ginny Weasley (Bonnie Wright), as well as the Harry/Ginny romance. I just want to say that Bonnie Wright is not to blame. She has shown in the past – namely in ”GOBLET OF FIRE” that she is quite capable of portraying Ginny as J.K. Rowling had written her – a lively and sardonic girl, whose outgoing personality made Harry feel relaxed. And then came ”ORDER OF THE PHOENIX” and David Yates. In both the fifth film and this one, Ginny seemed quiet and . . . dull. Well, at least two scenes in ”HALF-BLOOD PRINCE” gave Wright a chance to portray a lively Ginny – one that featured the Quidditch tryouts for the Gryffindor team in which she managed to get everyone to shut up, and the Room of Requirements scene that led to her first kiss with Harry. There were times when I suspected that Yates had a view of Ginny as the quiet type and that it seemed to be at cross purposes with Rowling’s portrayal. As for the Harry/Ginny kiss in the Room of Requirements . . . meh. I am not certain if they actually kissed or simply touched lips. Harry’s kiss with Cho in ”ORDER OF THE PHOENIX” seemed more memorable. Either Daniel Radcliffe found Katie Leung more attractive than Bonnie Wright or . . . you know what? I do not know. I just was not that impressed by the kiss.

Last, but not least, there is Evanna Lynch’s performance as Luna Lovegood. In my ”ORDER OF THE PHOENIX” review, I was very critical of Ms. Lynch’s portrayal of Luna. I thought she came off as too unemotional for my taste. And two years and one movie later, her performance has not improved one whit. I hate to say this about the Irish actress, considering that she is such a major fan of Rowling’s book series. I hate to say this, considering that everyone else seemed to think that she is perfect. I simply find it hard to accept this prevailing view of her performance. Ms. Lynch does not strike me as a talented actress. I’m sorry.

I might as well be blunt. Although I found cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel’s photography of the Death Eaters’ attack upon London and the Spinner’s End sequence impressive, I hated the rest of his work. I hated that he had decided to use a dark, washed-out tone for the movie, similar to what Roger Pratt had used in ”GOBLET OF FIRE”. For some reason, there seemed to be this idea that in order to convey the story’s darker tone, the film had to look similar to the second and third movies from the ”LORD OF THE RINGS” trilogy. And I am not that fond of those two movies. I also hated both Yates and Delbonnel’s decision to emulate ”LORD OF THE RINGS” again by shooting Dumbledore’s fatal fall in the same manner that Gollum’s death was filmed in ”Return of the King”. I found the whole scene rather cheap, worthy of another eye roll.

I wish I could say that I loved ”HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE”. I wish I could say that I even liked it. I will admit that I enjoyed a few scenes featured in the movie. And I certainly felt impressed by the cast’s performances. But . . . I feel that screenwriter Steve Kloves and director David Yates made some major mistakes with the movie’s plot by leaving out scenes and storylines that were necessary to drive the saga’s main plot. And even worse, they inserted scenes that were not in the novel and – at least to me – irrelevant to the plot. Nor did it help that the movie crept at a pace that nearly put me to sleep, halfway into the film. Honestly? The filmmakers of the HARRY POTTER franchise could have done better than this.

"Second Power" [PG-13] - 6/8

"SECOND POWER"

PART SIX

Jack McNeill strode inside the TWA terminal, at the San Francisco International Airport. Judging from the clock above the airline's desk, the McNeill matriarch's flight from Edinburgh had just arrived. Jack strode inside the Lounge and spotted his elderly mother walking toward the end of the arrival ramp.

Mother and son greeted each other with warm hugs. The latter grabbed his mother's carry-on luggage and the pair strode toward the lounge's exit. After Elise McNeill described her brief time in Scotland and trip home, Jack asked a question. "So, how did the family take the news?"

"The news?" Elise repeated. "About Olivia's new power?" She paused dramatically. "They were flabbergasted."

Jack chuckled. "I'm not surprised. Considering that no witch from our branch of the family hasn't been a potential Keeper of Aingeal in nearly 70 years." He sighed. "I haven't told Olivia about the staff, yet."

Elise frowned. "Oh? Why not?"

"She's been in a bit of an emotional state, lately. Ever since the New Year. And her emotions were affecting her new powers. Gwen and I thought it would be best if she learned to maintain some control of it, first."

The pair headed for the Baggage Area. There, Jack hired a porter to collect his mother's remaining luggage. All three then headed for terminal's exit, where the McNeill limousine awaited them. Along with Davies. "Miss Elise," the Welshman greeted, "it's good to have you home."

Elise smiled at the manservant. "I'm glad to be home, Davies. Thank you." Once the luggage was placed inside the limousine's trunk, Jack tipped the porter and the McNeills and Davies headed back toward the city's limits. "You said something about Olivia being in some kind of emotional state?" the older woman continued.

Jack sighed. "Well, she's been a little tense, lately." He paused momentarily. "Something happened between her and Cole at Warren Mitchell's New Year party."

"Oh. What happened?"

"Don't worry, it's nothing horrific," Jack reassured his mother. "Bruce and Barbara saw them kiss . . ."

"Oh!"

Jack continued, ". . . kissing. Then Cole went into some kind of panic and pushed Olivia away."

Elise shook her head. "Oh God!"

"Yeah. Fortunately, all is not lost. Harry managed to convince Cole to break the silence between him and Livy, and teach her how to control her power."

Elise continued, "So, Olivia and Cole have . . ."

"Well, not quite," Jack answered. "They're at cease fire at the moment. But, who knows what the future will bring?" He paused before revealing one last piece of news. "By the way, Leo knows."

Elise stared at her son. "About Livy's firepower?"

"About the Staff of Aingeal," Jack continued. "James, my old whitelighter, told me this morning. Apparently, Leo found out from Cousin Keith's old whitelighter."

A gust of breath left Elise's mouth. "Well! The Elders are not going to like this. Not at all! The Keeper of Aingeal acquainted with Belthazor? Oh Goddess! They definitely will not like it. Mind you, I don't give a rat's ass. It's not really their business."

"I agree." Jack paused. "It's just . . . I don't know. I only hope that the Elders don't try to interfere." He glanced at his mother. The expression on her face told him that interference from the Elders was something they should expect.

* * * *

You're telling me now?" Paige said over the telephone. "This is awfully short notice, isn't it?"

Harry McNeill's voice replied, "I thought you already knew. Didn't you guys celebrate last year?"

A sigh left Paige's mouth. "Yeah, right. I forgot. How did you guys find out? Did Cole tell you?"

"Most reluctantly, I might add. About a month ago."

Paige continued, "I suppose that Olivia is planning all of this."

Slight regret inflicted Harry's voice. "Uh, not quite. I think she's still a little pissed at him. It was Mom's idea. But Livy knows about it. Do you plan to bring anything?"

"Yeah, I guess." A frustrated sigh left Paige's mouth. "Looks like I have some last minute shopping to do. I wish you guys had told me before today. I hate these Saturday shopping crowds."

Harry added, "By the way, will your family be here, tomorrow? I know they don't usually bother with the Sunday brunches . . ." Paige felt a twinge of embarrassment, ". . . but since tomorrow is a special day . . ."

"To be honest, I don't if they'll come," Paige murmured. "But I'll tell them they're invited."

Harry's voice now radiated cheer. "Great! I'll see you tomorrow. And don't forget the gift."

"I won't," Paige replied with false cheer. "Buy." She hung the telephone and muttered an oath. "Shit!"

"Is there a problem?" Phoebe asked. She, Piper and Leo strolled into the Sun Room.

Paige replied with a sigh, "No. It's just . . . well, Harry just told me that the McNeills will be doing something extra for their Sunday brunch, tomorrow. A little birthday bash for Cole. And now I have some last minute shopping to do."

Shock, followed by realization, lit up Phoebe's dark eyes. "Oh God! I forgot! Tomorrow is his birthday, isn't it?"

Something resembling a grunt left Piper's mouth. "You're going to buy Cole a birthday present?" Then she rolled her eyes. "Of course! I forgot. You two are buddies now."

It became Paige's turn to roll her eyes. "Please Piper! We're not going to start another bitch fest over Cole or Olivia, are we?" She paused. "Besides, Cole and I aren't that close."

Piper's eyebrow rose another inch. "Oh? Finding it difficult to bond with a murderous half-demon?"

"Piper!" Phoebe glared at the oldest Halliwell. Who shrugged.

Paige continued in a sharp voice, "Actually, I think Cole has difficult bonding with a witch who had unnecessarily killed him, eight months ago." Her sisters responded with tight expressions. Paige's voice softened. "Besides, I hope this might be an opportunity for Cole and me to be closer. I miss being friends with him."

"Oh God!" Piper shook her head in disbelief. "Well, don't expect me to show up. I can certainly do without his company."

Paige hesitated. "Well, the McNeills did invite all of us."

"I'm not interested. And neither is Phoebe." Piper turned to the middle sister. "Right Pheebs?"

Phoebe opened her mouth to respond, but Leo spoke up, instead. "I am," he replied in a firm voice. Everyone stared at him. "What? This has nothing to do with Cole's birthday."

Phoebe frowned. "Is this about Cole helping Olivia with her new power? Is something wrong?"

Leo nodded. "One, I don't like the idea of him helping her. Especially in another dimension."

"I told you that Cole isn't training Olivia in some demonic dimension!" Paige retorted.

Blue eyes stared knowingly at the youngest woman. "I know what you said. And I even told the Elders that they had nothing to worry about. But still, I can't help but wonder . . ." Leo paused and took a deep breath. "Besides, who knows what Cole is teaching her. And there's another problem."

Piper asked, "Like what?"

Shaking his head, Leo replied, "I can't say. It's a private matter. Whitelighter/witch business."

"Really?" an obviously resentful Piper retorted. "That didn't stop you from telling Olivia all about us. But you can't tell us anything about her?"

"Piper!"

Paige suppressed a sigh. Another Piper and Leo spat. Frequent since the beginning of Piper's pregnancy, their fights have acquired a bitter tone since the disastrous McNeill brunch, when the Halliwells and the McNeills learned about the trouble brewing in the Whitelighter realm.

Interrupting the quarreling couple, Paige said, "Listen, uh . . . I'll just leave you guys to your little . . . talk. I have some shopping to do." Paige left her family and headed upstairs to retrieve her purse and car keys. When she returned downstairs, she discovered that Piper and Leo were now fighting in the living room. Along with Phoebe, acting as the peacekeeper. Paige murmured a quick "See ya," and immediately left the house. Unaware that her family had not heard her.

* * * *

Olivia sat on the thick grass, her legs tucked under her body. Her arms were stretched out on either side, while a column of fire hovered above each opened palm. Cole looked on, approvingly.

Saturday meant that Cole and Olivia would have continued her exercises for her new power on the McNeills' back lawn. However, Cole had one last exercise planned for today and what he had in mind could be considered dangerous to practice at the McNeills' home. Which was why they were back in the Tuatha Dé Dannan dimension.

"How long do I have to do this?" Olivia complained in a slightly irritated voice. "I think my arms are getting tired."

A sly smile creased Cole's lips. "Well, I had planned to let you stop," he answered. "Until you had opened your mouth. Now, you can continued this exercise for another ten minutes."

Olivia's arms wavered slightly. And so did the twin towers of flames. "Cole, you . . ."

"Keep it up and I'll make it another fifteen minutes."

Sounds of grumbling escaped Olivia's mouth, but she managed to keep her retorts in check. The exercise continued. After another ten minutes, Cole finally decided to end it, much to Olivia's obvious relief. She let out a gust of breath, lowered her arms and stood up. "What's this last exercise you wanted me to do?" she asked. "Has it . . ." She frowned, as Cole backed away. "Where are you going?"

Three daemons appeared out of nowhere. Cole stood by and watched them attack Olivia. Using considerable skill, the red-haired witch sent one reptilian-looking creature flying several feet away with a kick to the chest. She dispatched another by flinging its body into an exposed tree branch, using telekinesis. The daemon died instantly. Olivia found herself engaged in a martial arts bout with the third, until she finally killed it by breaking its neck. The first daemon rose from the ground, looking slightly disoriented. Olivia cried to Cole, "Hey! I could use a little help!"

Cole coolly replied, "You seemed to be doing just fine on your own." Three more beings materialized. Unlike the previous trio, they were in human form - two men and a woman. "Why don't you use your pyrokinesis, this time?"

"Huh?" The reptilian demon took a swing at Olivia. She ducked. Unfortunately, the former responded with a low kick to her legs, sending her reeling on the ground, rear end first.

"Your power, Olivia! Use it!"

Still prone on the ground, Olivia stretched forth her hand toward the daemon. Who immediately became engulfed in flames. Cole smiled. The other three attacked. One by one, they met the same fate. Olivia struggled to her feet. She strolled toward Cole.

"Very good!" the half-daemon declared. "You're really learning how to control and use your new power. Who knows how long before you . . ." He was interrupted by a small fist striking his jaw. Cole fell to the ground, bleeding from the corner of his mouth. "What the hell?"

Green eyes blazed with anger, as Olivia towered above her companion. "You did this on purpose, didn't you? You summoned those daemons to attack me!"

The bruise at the side of Cole's mouth disappeared. Along with the blood. He stood up with great difficulty. "Yeah, I summoned them. I wanted to see how effective your power was in a surprise attack."

"You insane bastard! I could have been killed! What the hell were you thinking?"

Cole rolled his eyes in annoyance. "They weren't real. Sure, they were able to knock you around, but they weren't able to kill you. I made sure of that. See?" A new daemon appeared beside Olivia. She gasped, as the creature shoved a knife into her side. Instead of reeling from the wound, Olivia incinerated the daemon with her pyrokinesis. Another smile touched Cole's lips. "I see that you're really getting into the habit of using that new power of yours."

"You sadistic son-of-a- . . ."

Raising his hand, Cole interrupted. "Look, I'm sorry. All right? But I couldn't tell you what I had planned. Like I said, I wanted to see how you would use your power in a surprise attack."

Olivia merely responded with a dark glare. "Kiss my ass, Cole!"

He heaved a sigh and shook his head. "I see that you haven't forgiven me, yet. Have you?"

"You're damn right, I haven't!" Olivia retorted. "You went too . . ."

"I'm talking about what happened at that New Year's Eve party," Cole quietly added. "That's why you're so unforgiving right now."

Olivia immediately glanced away. Her face turned bright pink. "I don't know what you're talking about," she muttered. "And quite frankly, I'm not in the mood to . . ."

"Well, I am!" Cole grabbed Olivia's shoulders, forcing her to face him. "Look, I'm . . . I'm sorry for what I did. Pushing you away like that was a big mistake, and again, I'm sorry. Can't you understand that?"

A quiet moment passed, before Olivia heaved a sigh. "Can't you understand how humiliating that night was for me?" she replied in a soft, intense voice. Her green eyes now bore into Cole's. "I felt as if I was being rejected. And I've had enough of that to last a lifetime, thank you very much."

"Olivia . . ."

But the witch would not - could not stop. "It was humiliating, Cole. I realize that you're not in love with me." She glanced away. "And I know that I'm . . . well, not in . . ."

"I know," Cole quickly interjected, before she could finish. For some reason, he could not bear hearing Olivia telling him that she did not love him. "I know how we both feel. It's just . . ." He sighed. Shifted nervously from one foot to the other. "Look, about that kiss . . . I enjoyed it. I mean, really enjoyed it." Olivia's face grew even pinker. "And that was the problem, you see. I mean, you're one of my closest friends. In fact, you're the first true friend I've had in a long time. And here I was, kissing you and enjoying it. You see, I'm not ready to get seriously involved with anyone, right now."

Olivia nodded. "You mean, so soon after your divorce. I understand."

"Yeah. Well, I guess I just panicked. Especially since I had enjoyed the kiss so much."

Again, the pair fell silent. Cole's eyes roamed about in an effort to avoid Olivia's gaze. Then he heard her ask in a light voice, "So, you think I'm a good kisser?" He finally met her eyes. To his relief, they danced with mischief.

A smile tugged Cole's lips. "Well, maybe I had exaggerated. You're not that bad."

"Bastard!" Olivia slapped his arm, playfully. The two friends laughed. Once their laughter died down, Olivia added, "By the way, will you be dropping by for Sunday brunch? I've . . . missed you."

Cole's eyes drank in the redhead's presence. Olivia practically glowed from an inner light. God, she looked beautiful! "Yeah, I missed you, too," Cole mumbled. "And I'll be there." Olivia responded with a bright smile. Cole felt as if he had finally arrived home after a long trip.


END OF PART SIX

Timothy Dalton and the JAMES BOND Franchise

TIMOTHY DALTON AND THE JAMES BOND FRANCHISE
I am going to start out saying that EON Productions have been lucky in choosing six actors who managed to bring their own sense of style to the role of James Bond . . . and I mean all of them. And all were smart enough to portray Bond in a way that suited them, instead of adhering to what the public or the producers wanted them to play Bond.
That said, I want to say a few things about Timothy Dalton. Even though I was a major fan of Roger Moore, I realized by the mid-80s that it was time for him to retire from the role. With great fondness, I said adieu and breathlessly anticipated Timothy Dalton's debut in "THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS". And I was not disappointed. The 1987 movie easily became one of my all time favorite Bond films and I became a major fan of Dalton's. Although the drug angle in "LICENSE TO KILL" seemed a little too "MIAMI VICE" for my taste, I still recognized it as a good revenge story that allowed Dalton to take the Bond role to a grittier edge. So, when I heard that he would no longer be playing Bond in the early 90s, I had felt a little disappointed. I had really enjoyed his interpretation of the role and felt that one or two more movies starring him would not hurt. I just was not ready to give up on him as Bond.
In the past seventeen-and-a-half years since "LICENSE TO KILL"'s release, I have come to appreciate Dalton's contribution to the Bond franchise even more. Whoever said that he was the right Bond at the wrong time was probably right. The man was ahead of his time . . . not just for the Bond franchise, but for many espionage films. But I feel that his impact upon the franchise has been a lot stronger than many Bond critics would admit. First of all, it seemed very obvious - at least to me - that Dalton' interpretation of Bond may have strongly influenced Daniel Craig's debut as Bond in last year's "CASINO ROYALE". It is also possible that Dalton's performance may have influenced his immediate successor, Pierce Brosnan, as well. After all, it seemed apparent to me that Brosnan was not above utilizing Dalton's darker take on Bond, every now and then.
I also believe that Dalton may have been partially responsible for the influx of edgy, angst-filled spy or action/adventure characters that have emerged over the years. Characters portrayed by the likes of Matt Damon, Matthew McFaydden, Kiefer Sutherland, Harrison Ford and possibly even Richard Chamberlain and Robert DeNiro. Some directors of action film over the next several years seemed quite willing to shoot their own interpretation of the Tangier hotel scene between Dalton and D'Abo in "THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS". Similar scenes have appeared in "LICENSE TO KILL", between Dalton and Carey Lowell; Bruce Willis and Bonnie Bedalia in "DIE HARD"; Harrison Ford and Allison Doody in "INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE"; Brosnan and Izabella Scorupco in "GOLDENEYE"; Brosnan and Teri Hatcher in "TOMORROW NEVER DIES" and again, with Sophie Marceau in "THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH"; and even Matt Damon and Franka Potente in both "THE BOURNE IDENTITY" and "THE BOURNE SUPREMACY". But no one did it better than Dalton and D'Abo, as far as I'm concerned.
I had read in another Bond forum that Dalton and another actor did not have much an impact upon the Bond franchise as Sean Connery and Roger Moore. Of course I had disagreed. As I had stated earlier, Dalton's impact on the franchise - while not immediate - proved to have a far reaching impact upon the Bond franchise. And he may have also had an impact on how many action characters would be portrayed over the next decade or two.

"DIRTY DEEDS" (2002) Screenshots Gallery

Below are screenshots from the 2002 mob comedy, "DIRTY DEEDS". Directed by David Caesar, the movie starred Bryan Brown, Toni Collette, John Goodman, Sam Worthington and Sam Neill: 


"DIRTY DEEDS" (2002) Image Gallery

"The Rain Chronicles" [PG] - Book VIII

"The Rain Chronicles" [PG] - Book VIII

Rain Robinson of ”Future’s End” ends up on Voyager, following her adventures with Tom Paris and Tuvok in late 20th century Earth. Here is Book VIII.

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

RAIN ROBINSON - SEPTEMBER 3, 2373:

Life has pretty much returned to normal aboard Voyager. Well, somewhat. I've noticed that Captain Janeway and Commander Chakotay seem a bit distant with each other. Considering his romance with a beautiful bionic woman, I'm not really surprised.

Maybe I had been wrong about her. Maybe the Captain is really in love with the Commander. But why does my gut say otherwise? I had immediately noticed that she was attracted to the man. Who wouldn't? Jenny and Megan told me that even B'Elanna Torres once harbored a secret passion for the guy. Maybe so, but I've never seen her look at him with lovesick eyes. As for Janeway, either she is the world's greatest actress, or she is simply not in love with Chakotay. I haven't made up my mind, yet.

The Doctor has been displaying unusual interest in Earth's history. Mainly in famous personalities. When he wasn't checking the ship's computer, he was grilling me about people like Gandhi and Lord Byron. Lord Byron? Jesus! What the hell would I know about him? I'm not even a fan! I mean, I used to be pretty good in history. Especially World History. So, I really didn't have much problems in answering the Doc's question. Well, except for questions about Lord Byron. What I wanted to know is why he has developed a sudden interest in this topic.

"I have decided to expand my programming," he declared in his usual pompous, but friendly manner. "I am in the process of creating a personality-improvement holographic program, utilizing the personalities of several historic characters." Then he waved his little instrument over my chest. "Take a deep breath, please."

Ever since I stowed away on this damn ship, I have been subjected to a medical check-up on a monthly basis. It seems the Captain wanted to make sure that I didn't fall victim to some 24th century disease that I might be unable to resist. Once the medical exam ended, the Doctor declared me fit. I slid off the bed and faced him. "Say Doc," I began, "about this new program of yours - are you sure you want to do this? I don't see anything wrong with your personality right now."

"That is what I keep telling him," Kes said from the other side of Sick Bay. She walked over to where we stood. "But the Doctor will not listen to me. Doctor, I'm not sure that this new program is a good idea. Remember what happened the last time?"

Kes explained that a few months before my arrival, the Doctor's program had begun to malfunction after two years of continuous activation and added subroutines to his program. Four months ago, I wouldn't have known what the hell Kes was talking about. But I do now. What she was describing was similar to someone adding additional and unnecessary programs to a PC hard drive.

"The only way we could save him was to graft the Doctor Zimmerman matrix from the holodeck systems into his program." She gave him a look that expressed both annoyance and concern.

The Doctor had the good sense to look embarrassed. But he still insisted upon going through with his experiment. "Many of the crew have complained about my lack of a bedside manner. Perhaps this new program will help me develop one."

"Doc, you already have a bedside manner," I retorted. "And quite frankly, I have no problems with it. Okay, you can be a little brusque and arrogant at times." He shot me a glare that I did my best to ignore. "So what? I've encountered too many doctors who will smile in my face and do absolutely nothing for my health. I think the crew should be grateful that you know how to do your job. And to be honest, many of them aren't exactly a bed of roses in the personality department."

One would think after a speech like that, the Doctor would reconsider his idea. But, no. Much to my and Kes' disappointment, he decided to go ahead with his scheme. Who knew that a being of photon light and energy could be so damn stubborn?


LIEUTENANT B'ELANNA TORRES - STARDATE 50696.83:

What is it with the Universe? Why is it so damn determined to make my life miserable? What the hell have I ever done to it?

Once again, I found myself in Sick Bay. For the third time in less than two months. Only this time, I found myself under attack by the Doctor. Yes, that's right, the Doctor. Not Vorik, not Chakotay, but Voyager's very own holographic medical officer. Kahless!

It was that damn program he had created! That personality improvement holographic program! The stupid idiot wanted to add it to his own program, in order to improve his personality. Some improvement. Instead of a hologram with a new and improved bedside manner, I found myself facing a schizophrenic psychopath, who paralyzed my legs and my vocal cords, kidnapped Kes and tried to kill her new boyfriend. Well, at least he achieved one objective. He prevented Kes from leaving Voyager for good. Of course, it's not the way I would have done it.

The Doctor apologized for what he did to my legs, this afternoon. You know, it seemed like déjà vu, for the third time around. And as usual, I had no choice but to accept an apology. At least I won't have to worry about his personality going through such a change in another seven years. Or worry about some piece of Borg technology in his body. I made sure that his new program was purged from his matrix. Permanently.

As for Zahir, Kes decided not to join him with the other Mikhal Travelers. She claimed that she could not leave Voyager. I wonder. I suspect that she felt worried about the Doctor, after his experiences in that damn 4-C program. Or maybe she was simply afraid to move on. Too bad. I have this feeling that she might eventually regret not joining Zahir.


THE EMERGENCY MEDICAL HOLOGRAM - STARDATE 50730.33:

In the two weeks since my failed experiment with the 4-C program, I have managed to repair any damaged relationship with both Kes and Lieutenant Torres. Much to my profound relief. Not only do the two women serve a vital function to my duties as Chief Medical Officer aboard Voyager, I consider them both friends. Especially Kes.

Ironically, restoring my relationship with Lieutenant Torres has proven to be less difficult. Perhaps after dealing with Ensign Vorik's pon-far and a slightly assimilated Commander Chakotay, being paralyzed by me must have seem like another day in the Delta Quadrant. It was not long before we regained our old relationship.

Kes has proven to be somewhat more difficult. Not only did I physically assault her companion, Zahir, I also kidnapped her. And threatened her with force. Even worse, I had admitted my true feelings for her, while in the throes of schizophrenia. Very embarrassing, I must say. We spent the following week in a state of awkwardness that nearly left me in despair of ever regaining our old friendship.

Within a week, our awkwardness had begun to dissipate. It did not completely disappear until today - when we found ourselves facing another endless medical emergency. It started when Voyager encountered an alien ship. Ensign Kim, for some apparent reason, deemed the ship a threat and fired upon it. Naturally, the aliens fired back and Voyager suffered major damage in the Engineering Section. By the time the ship managed to slip away, Kes and I found ourselves faced with wounded crewmen. Including Miss Robinson. Imagine our surprise.

Ensign Kim appeared a few minutes later. The Captain wanted him examined to comprehend the reasons behind his actions on the Bridge. The ensign seemed particularly stricken by Miss Robinson's unconscious state. Kes and I managed to stabilize Miss Robinson's condition by treating her scorched lungs with pulmozine. However, her burns still required attendance and I curtly dismissed Mister Kim.


THE EMERGENCY MEDICAL HOLOGRAM - STARDATE 50733.28:

The following morning, Ensign Kim returned to Sick Bay with a new dilemma. Spots. Spots had appeared on his face, overnight. I immediately assumed he had been infected with some kind of virus. After a careful examination of his body, I came to the conclusion that Mister Kim had not been afflicted by some disease.

Miss Robinson regained consciousness while Ensign Kim was in Sickbay. She seemed slightly groggy from the pulmozine and she also continued to experience slight pain in her lungs. Which is why I ordered her to remain in Sickbay for another day.

Mister Kim apologized for the being the cause of her injuries. Miss Robinson seemed more than willing to accept his apologies. In fact, she seemed quite friendly. Both Mister Kim and myself learned from her that she was in Engineering to deliver an Astrometrics report, when she suffered her injuries.

A few hours later, Voyager came across a Taresian ship, which helped us fight off the pursuing Nasari ships - the very people whom Ensign Kim had attacked. The Captain, Lieutenants Tuvok and Paris, and Ensign Kim paid a visit to the Taresian surface. Only Ensign Kim remained behind. The Captain delivered an astonishing tale about the ensign discovering that his true heritage was Taresian and that his DNA had resurfaced upon Voyager's proximity to the planet. After examination of Mister Kim's DNA, it seemed the Taresians had been truthful. However, I decided to run more tests.

Lieutenant Paris paid a visit to Sick Bay, several hours later. He expressed interest in Ensign Kim's genetic condition. But I knew the truth. While I discussed Mister Kim's DNA coding, Mister Paris began casting surreptious glances at the once again unconscious Miss Robinson. Realizing that I was wasting my breath, I asked in an exasperated tone, "Do you wish to speak with Miss Robinson?" It was not difficult to detect the emotions that reflected in his eyes. Concern, compassion, tenderness and something else. Dare I say it? Love?

For a moment, I wondered if I had been hasty. After all, I have been aware of the attraction between Lieutenants Paris and Torres for the past half year. However, I also recalled the vibrant chemistry between Mister Paris and Miss Robinson during our adventures on 20th century Earth. Although their relationship has somewhat cooled in the past five months, the chemistry between the pair remained obvious.

"Mister Paris?" I added. He had failed to respond.

The helmsman snapped out of his reverie and blushed. Interesting. "Yeah, Doc. Did you say something?"

"Yes. I asked if you would like to speak with Miss Robinson. I'm sure that a few minutes of your dazzling wit will not harm her." My usual caustic tone drew a glare from the pilot.

However, Mister Paris rejected my offer. He shook his head and replied, "No thanks, Doc. Rain probably needs the rest and I don't want to disturb her." He started toward the door.

I called after him. "Mister Paris!" He paused and I caught up with him. "Mister Paris, about a year ago, a compassionate young man once convinced me to take a chance with a woman I had harbored a great interest in. And now, I would like to return the favor."

Blue eyes stared at me, warily. "Meaning?"

I sighed. When it came to facing his emotions, Thomas Eugene Paris can be incredibly stubborn. "Meaning, it seems clear to me that you still harbor some feelings for Miss Robinson. I do not comprehend the reason behind your estrangement during the past five months, but it is apparent that neither of you have been happy, lately. May I suggest that you take a chance? Mend your relationship. Why continue in this unhappy state?"

The helmsman's face hardened. "Thanks for the advice, Doc. But I think you're barking up the wrong tree. Excuse me, I have to report back to the Bridge." He quickly left Sick Bay.

Kes sauntered over to me and patted my arm. "I'm sorry, Doctor. I had hoped Tom would take your advice. Perhaps he will. One day." She stood on her toes and planted a light kiss on my cheek. "On the other hand, I'm also very proud of you."

I never realized that holograms could experience bodily warmth, due to a kiss from an organic. Until today.


RAIN ROBINSON - SEPTEMBER 27, 2373:

I missed the whole incident regarding Harry and the Taresian women, thanks to the injuries I had suffered. No matter. Harry told Neelix, Tom and myself the entire story during lunch.

He told us how he had been deliberately infected with a retrovirus that genetically altered his DNA to resemble the Taresians. The retrovirus gave him an instinctive urge to return to Taresia. And attack the Nasari ships. The very act that led me to being nearly scorched beyond recognition.

To make a long story short, Voyager visited Taresia. Harry decided to remain on the planet's surface, believing he had returned home. He learned that the planet was mainly inhabited by women, who gave him this cock-and-bull story about some Taresian who traveled to Earth to plant an embryo into his mother's womb. The Taresians really wanted his genetic material to harvest for procreation. I guess this was their way getting knocked up. Lovely. Harry managed to escape with Voyager's help. This led to a discussion about sea sirens that lured men to their doom. If you ask me, this whole incident could have been called, "Ensign Kim and the Vampire Women". What a great B-movie that would made. Bram Stoker couldn't have written a better story.

Then as we left the Mess Hall, Harry and Tom began some nonsense about how they wish they could be each other. Yeah, right. It became so nauseating that I begged them to stop. After the turbolift stopped on Deck Six, Harry said good-bye and disappeared. But not without one last apology. Tom took it upon himself to escort me to my quarters. I didn't mind. Although I had been released from Sick Bay, I still felt a little weak.

Once we reached my quarters on Deck Eight, I invited Tom inside for a drink. Surprise, surprise! Perhaps I was in the mood for company. Or maybe I remembered what the Doc told me about Tom's visit to Sick Bay. Tom accepted my offer. He even suggested that I lay on the couch, while he replicated the coffee. Is it any wonder that I . . .

"Here you go." Tom handed me a cup. His blue eyes reflected concern. Compassion. Hell, I almost drowned just staring into them. Then he asked me, "How do you feel?"

I took a sip of the coffee. Strong, sweet and with plenty of milk. "Fine," I said, "but I'm still a little groggy. And my skin is a bit tender in some parts."

"Regenerated skin."

Both of fell silent and continued drinking our coffee. I never realized that silence could be so damn uncomfortable. Then at the same time, we both decided to speak. I don't know about Tom, but I wanted to get a few things off my chest. "About what I said that last time," I began.

He said at the same time, "Rain, I want to apologize . . ."

We blinked and stared at each other. I asked, "Apologize? For what?"

"For avoiding you these past two months," he replied. Tom glanced away as his face slowly grew red. "I guess I was . . . well, a little upset over what . . . I mean . . ."

Knowing what he was about to say, I quickly added, "You mean you were upset when I brought up your past." A hot flush burned my cheeks. Embarrassed, I found myself unable to look at him. "I know. I don't blame you for being upset. I didn't mean to use your past against you."

"You have every right, believe me."

A note of self-hatred in Tom's voice caught my attention. I've recognized it so many times in my own voice that it seemed strange to hear in someone else's. Especially from someone as confident as Tom.

"Look Tom," I continued, "I wasn't putting you down for what you did in the past. I was just trying to point out that if you could be forgiven for your actions, so could Vorik. I . . . I'm sorry if I caused you any pain." I took a deep breath and lifted my eyes to meet Tom's. Forgiveness and understanding shined in those blue peepers, much to my relief.

A smile touched Tom's lips. "I understand." The smile disappeared. "How did you . . . uh, find out about . . . Caldik Prime, anyway?"

"From a crewman." The answer popped out of my mouth before I could stop myself. Dammit! When will I ever learn to control my mouth?

Sandy blond brows rose questioningly. "Oh? From whom?"

I stared into a pair of blue eyes that seemed to grow steadily angry. I knew that his anger was not directed at me, but at the person who told me about Caldik Prime. Namely that creep, Pat Mulcahey. Actually, the latter hinted it and I checked the ship's computer for more details. Looking into Tom's eyes, it struck me that if I named Mulcahey, he would go after the man with a vengeance. Which would only lead to trouble. So I lied.

"I forgot who mentioned it," I said. It was easy to see that he didn't believe me. "I read about Caldik Prime from the ship's computer."

"Oh."

"I read that you confessed to lying about the accident and who was to blame, despite the fact there were no evidence on what really happened."

Tom nodded silently. I could see that he still found the subject, disturbing after all these years. "But I still lied," he added. "And Starfleet cashiered me."

"Why? You confessed. I can understand if you had been found out before confessing." I continued, "But you did so before anyone could learn the truth."

In a low voice, Tom explained that Starfleet frowned upon lying and falsifying reports. "Typical military hypocrisy," I murmured sarcastically. "I bet they've lied every now and then, themselves." If it had been up to me, I would have demoted Tom for a while and assigned him to some post in the boondocks. And maybe ensure that he never receive his own command. Personally, I think Starfleet went too far - especially since he had confessed before anyone could discover that he had lied.

I sighed. "Oh well. I'm just glad that . . ." Again, my face turned hot with embarrassment. "I'm just glad that we came to an . . . you know, understanding."

Tom smiled. "So am I." He paused momentarily. "By the way, I've found these two old vids in the computer database. I thought it would be nice to show them to a few friends in my quarters. Would you like to join us?" Tom added that he would be showing, "Orgy of the Walking Dead" and "Bride of the Corpse". Bless his heart! I haven't seen a decent movie since I boarded this ship. And the fact that he would be showing two of my favorite movies? Well, how could I resist? I said yes.

"Okay then," Tom added with a broad smile. "I'll be seeing you in my quarters, tomorrow evening at 01900 hours."

O what? "Huh?" I gave him a perplexed frown. Tom explained that meant at seven o'clock, tomorrow evening. Of course. Dummy me.

I returned Tom's smile with one of my own. "Seven o'clock, then. I'll be there." He flashed one last smile, finished his coffee and left. Well, that went great! Tom and I might never find ourselves in a romance, but at least we're talking again. As friends. Perhaps that is the best that either of us can do.


THE END

"THE INFORMANT!" Review

Below is my review of "THE INFORMANT!", Steven Soderbergh's latest film:


”THE INFORMANT!” Review

As a rule, I am not particularly fond of whistleblower films. I find them rather boring and unoriginal. Then I saw Steven Soderbergh’s new movie, ”THE INFORMANT!” and realized there might be one whistleblower film that I do like.

Based on true events and the 2000 non-fiction book, ”The Informant”, by journalist Kurt Eichenwald, the movie is about Mark Whitacre, a rising star at Decatur, Illinois based Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) in the early 1990s who wound up blowing the whistle on the company’s price-fixing tactics, only after his wife forced him to. Soderbergh cast Matt Damon as Whitacre and Scott Bakula as FBI Special Agent Brian Shephard, the man to whom he ratted out ADM.

The movie began in 1992 when the FBI was brought in to investigate a possible case of corporate espionage against ADM. The espionage case later was found to be groundless, but during their investigation, Mark Whitacre, under pressure from his wife, told an FBI agent named Brian Shephard that he and other ADM executives were involved in a multinational conspiracy to control the price of lysine. So far, this plot struck me as no different than any other whistleblower movie. But what made ”THE INFORMANT!” unique to me was the character of said whistleblower – Mark Whitacre. The movie’s first half portrayed him as an eccentric man and enthusiastic executive who seemed reluctant to expose his superiors at ADM. But he eventually dedicated himself into assisting the FBI into spending years in gathering evidence by clandestinely taping the company’s activity in business meetings at various locations around the globe such as Tokyo, Paris, Mexico City, and Hong Kong, eventually collecting enough evidence of collaboration and conspiracy to warrant a raid. Following the raid, it all went downhill for Whitacre. The stress of being the FBI’s mole for three years led him to react to the media in a bizarre manner. More importantly, the FBI and the public discovered that Whitacre had embezzled millions of dollars from ADM.

When I first saw the billboards for ”THE INFORMANT!”, I thought it would be some kind of espionage film like the Jack Ryan novels or something like 1974’s ”THE CONVERSATION”. I eventually learn that the movie might have more to do with industrial espionage . . . and the fact that it was another whistleblower film. Why I did not bother to skip this film upon hearing this, I do not know. Perhaps I was willing to give it a chance due to the fact that Soderbergh and Damon (who did the three ”OCEAN’S ELEVEN” movies) were working together, again. And you know what? I am so glad that I gave it a chance. What started out as an amusing, yet detailed account of Whitacre’s years as a whistleblower for the FBI, ended in a chaotic character study of a very intelligent man who turned out to be a chronic liar and embezzler. As much as I enjoyed the movie’s first half, I really enjoyed the second half that exposed Whitacre’s crimes. The plot – or should I say Whitacre’s character – began to spiral out of control once the whistleblower tried to deflect himself from fraud charges in hilarious ways. By the time the movie ended, I did not know whether to be astounded or amused by how it all fell apart for Whitacre.

”THE INFORMANT!” featured a pretty good solid cast that included Scott Bakula as the long suffering FBI agent Brian Shephard who had recruited Whitacre to act as an informant for his agency . . . and lived to regret it. Joel McHale portrayed his partner, the more outgoing FBI agent Robert Herndon. It was interesting to see comedians like Thomas F.Wilson, the Smothers Brothers – Tom and Dick, Allan Harvey, Patton Oswalt and Scott Adsit all in serious roles. I enjoyed Tony Hale’s performance as Whitacre’s first attorney, James Epstein. Watching his reaction to the growing chaos that seemed to surround Whitacre was rather funny. And Melanie Lynskey gave a strong performance as Whitacre’s wife, Ginger, who seemed to act as the whistleblower’s conscious and backbone. But who am I kidding? The movie is owned lock, stock and barrel by Matt Damon’s brilliant performance as Mark Whitacre. I cannot even describe how good he was in capturing this complex, deceiving and yet, sympathetic personality. It would be criminal if he fails to snag an Academy Award nomination for this film.

Do I have any quibbles about ”THE INFORMANT!”? Uh . . . I can only think of one or two complaints right now. I found Soderbergh’s cinematography rather uninspiring. Yep . . . that is what I had said. The film’s director had also acted as the photographer. And I found it dull and slightly metallic at times. If Soderbergh honestly considers himself a genuine cinematographer . . . well, I would suggest that he stick to directing and producing. And I must admit that right before the FBI had decided to arrest some of ADM’s executives, the pacing became so slow that it nearly dragged the film. Aside from those complaints, I really enjoyed this movie. But I must warn you . . . if you are expecting it to be another ”THE INSIDER” or ”DEFENSE OF THE REALM”, you are going to be sadly disappointed. ”THE INFORMANT!” struck me as possessing an unusual and highly original story for it to be viewed as another whistleblower film.