"STAR TREK VOYAGER: Love on a Starship"

"STAR TREK VOYAGER: Love on a Starship"

I am not going to deceive myself and pretend that the relationship between Captain Kathryn Janeway and her First Officer, Commander Chakotay, lacked any chemistry. Of course there had been chemistry. Even a blind person could have sensed the chemistry between them just by listening to their dialogue. But while I will admit the enormous dynamics between the two characters, I never could see the possibility of a ”happily ever after” for them. Not while the pair served as the command team of the U.S.S. Voyager.

When many ”STAR TREK VOYAGER” fans had first started speculating upon the possible futures for the main characters during the series’ early Season Seven, for some reason I had foreseen a tragic ending in the Janeway/Chakotay relationship. I figured that the Captain or the First Officer would bite the dust in the finale, leaving the others to mourn and regret their decision not to pursue a romance during Voyager’s nearly seven years in the Delta Quadrant. This feeling was reinforced in the episode, (7.11) “Shattered”, when Season Seven Chakotay not only revealed the lack of romance in their relationship to the Season One Janeway, but also expressed regret in his words . . . and tone:

JANEWAY: Mind if I ask you one last question?
CHAKOTAY: Will I have to break the Temporal Prime Directive to answer it?
JANEWAY: Maybe, just a little. For two people who started off as enemies it seems we get to know each other pretty well, so I've been wondering. Just how close do we get?
CHAKOTAY: Let's just say there are some barriers we never cross.

Both Kate Mulgrew (Kathryn Janeway) and the series’ producers had expressed opposition against an affair between Janeway and Chakotay. They have repeatedly stated that it would be appropriate for the two to get involved in a romance. At first, I had believed that she, Rick Berman, Michael Piller, Jeri Taylor and later, Brannon Braga and Kenneth Biller were being obtuse. Now that I have had a chance to think about it, I have managed to see their point of view. They were right. A romance between Janeway and Chakotay could have lead to many problems.

I have never believed that a good idea for someone in a position of power to have a romance with a subordinate. If you think that it is difficult for equals to maintain a relationship, it might be doubly so for a superior and his/her subordinate. There is a great deal of potential for resentment from one partner, subjugation from the other and manipulation from both sides. Chakotay’s relationship with Voyager’s Chief Engineer, B’Elanna Torres, is a mild example of this. I had been one of those fans who had been relieved by the quiet death of B’Elanna’s infatuation with the First Officer by late Season Two. Do not get me wrong. Chakotay was a fine First Officer. Frankly, I have always felt that he was one of the best in the entire ”TREK” franchise. But he had an unfortunate habit of dealing with B’Elanna’s temperament by inflicting his will upon her, using his position as her superior officer. I am not saying that Chakotay did not have the right to behave this way toward B’Elanna. After all, he was Voyager’s First Officer. But he was also supposed to be one of B’Elanna’s closest friends. If he and B’Elanna had such moments during their ”friendship”, can you imagine how damaging this would have been to any romance that may have sprung between them? Remember when I had mentioned the possibility of resentment? Well, even B’Elanna eventually expressed her resentment of being chastised by Chakotay in the Season Five episode, (5.21) “Juggernaut”:

CHAKOTAY: Your concerns are noted. Get them inoculated. We'll meet you in Transporter Room one. We're trying to avoid explosions, remember?
TORRES: Not another lecture about my emotions.
CHAKOTAY: No, a lecture about how to treat guests aboard this ship.
TORRES: Guests? Chakotay, these people are the scourge of the quadrant.
CHAKOTAY: Agreed, but right now they're our only hope of repairing that freighter, so I suggest you make friends.
TORRES: Diplomacy. Janeway's answer to everything.
CHAKOTAY: This isn't the Captain talking, it's me, and I'm giving you an order. Keep your temper in check. Understood? Understood?
TORRES: Yeah.
CHAKOTAY: I didn't hear you.
TORRES: Yes.
CHAKOTAY: B'Elanna, I need your expertise on this mission, not your bad mood.
TORRES: I'll see what I can do.

Like Chakotay, Janeway was not above using her position to inflict her will upon the crew members under her command, regardless of whether she was right or wrong. And we have seen how Chakotay had reacted when he believed that she was wrong . . . especially in (3.26) “Scorpion I” and (4.01) “Scorpion II”:

CHAKOTAY: How much is our safety worth?
JANEWAY: What do you mean?
CHAKOTAY: We'd be giving an advantage to a race guilty of murdering billions. We'd be helping the Borg assimilate yet another species just to get ourselves back home. It's wrong!
JANEWAY: Tell that to Harry Kim. He's barely alive thanks to that species. Maybe helping to assimilate them isn't such a bad idea. We could be doing the Delta Quadrant a favour.
CHAKOTAY: I don't think you really believe that. I think you're struggling to justify your plan, because your desire to get this crew home is blinding you to other options. I know you, Kathryn. Sometimes you don't know when to step back.
JANEWAY: Do you trust me, Chakotay?
CHAKOTAY: That's not the issue.
JANEWAY: Oh, but it is. Only yesterday you were saying that we'd face this together, that you'd be at my side.
CHAKOTAY: I still have to tell you what I believe. I'm no good to you if I don't do that.
JANEWAY: I appreciate your insights but the time for debate is over. I've made my decision. Now, do I have your support?
CHAKOTAY: You're the Captain. I'm the First Officer. I'll follow your orders. That doesn't change my belief that we're making a fatal mistake.
JANEWAY: Then I guess I'm alone, after all. Dismissed.

Had there been any semblance of hope of a romance between Kathryn Janeway and Chakotay? Perhaps. If Chakotay’s Maquis ship had remained intact following the battle against the Kazon-Ogla in (1.02) “Caretaker II”. Both the Starfleet and the Maquis captains could have become allies in the Delta Quandrant. And they could have engaged in a romance as equals. They also could have begun a relationship if Voyager’s crew had never rescued them from New Earth in (2.25) “Resolutions”. To this day, I still wonder if Janeway had ever learned of Harry Kim’s role in that rescue. That would explain his inability to earn a promotion during those seven years in the Delta Quadrant. As for Janeway and Chakotay, there seemed to be a residual of flirtation between the two after their rescue from New Earth that lasted through most of Season Three. This flirtation eventually died after Chakotay’s romance with ex-Borg Riley Fraizer in (3.17) “Unity”.

In the end, Chakotay began a relationship with another former Borg drone, Voyager’s own Seven-of-Nine by late Season Seven. As for Janeway, she ended up in a relationship with Michael Sullivan, a holographic character created by Chief Helmsman Tom Paris’ for his Fair Haven program. She also had a relationship with Norvalian named Jaffen, after her memory was altered for work at a power plant on Quarren in the Season Seven episode, (7.16-7.17) “Workforce I & II”. When she regained her original memory she suggested that he join Voyager’s crew as an engineer. But she also pointed out that it would not be appropriate as they were romantically involved. Jaffen had decided to remain on Quarren.

Could Janeway and Chakotay have pursued a romance upon Voyager’s return to the Alpha Quadrant? I really do not how to answer this question. Chakotay had assumed command of Voyager, in the post-series ”VOYAGER” novels and Janeway was promoted to vice-admiral. On one hand, there was a chance that he might not have found himself under her direct command. Then again . . . he probably did. But the only way I could see a romance between Janeway and Chakotay was if they had both resigned their Starfleet commissions, one of them resigned from Starfleet or if Chakotay found himself at the same rank as Janeway. Other than the above, I can never see a serious romance between the two . . . even though I believe they were emotionally suited for one another.

"INCEPTION" (2010) Review

"INCEPTION" (2010) Review

It still amazes me at how director/writer Christopher Nolan’s films manage to generate a great deal of emotion from filmgoers and critics. This has certainly been the case for his latest work, the science-fiction drama called ”INCEPTION”.

Inspired by the experiences of lucid dreaming and dream incubation, ”INCEPTION” told the story of Dom Cobb, a dream “extractor” who enters the dreams of others in order to obtain information that is otherwise inaccessible. After failing to extract corporate secrets from a Japanese businessman named Saito, Cobb is hired by the latter to perform the act of ”inception” - the secret implant of an idea into a target’s mind – on the son of Saito’s terminally ill corporate rival, one Robert Fischer. Saito’s object is to convince Fischer to break up his father’s corporate empire in order to prevent it from becoming a monopoly and threatening the businessman’s own corporation. If Cobb manages to succeed, Saito promises to use his influence to clear the younger man of murdering his wife, so that he can reunite with his children.

Cobb assembles a team to achieve Saito’s objectives. They are:

*Arthur, the Point Man – who is also Cobb’s partner, and responsible for researching the team’s target

*Ariadne, the Architect – a graduate student who is recruited to construct worlds in which dreams take place

*Eames, the Forger – has the ability to take the form of others in order to manipulate the dreamer

*Yusuf, the Chemist – who formulates the drugs needed to sustain the team members’ dream states

*Saito, the Client/Observer – who decides to become part of the team

Despite assembling a skillful crew, Cobb encounters a few difficulties. One, Arthur had failed to discover that their mark, Fischer, had been trained in lucid dreaming and creating mental defenses. His mind manages to manifest armed personnel, which attacks the team in downtown Los Angeles, after they kidnap him in Yusuf’s dream. This leads to disaster for Saito, who is wounded during a gun battle. Due to Saito’s wounds, the rest of the team discovers that Cobb had failed to inform them that they could end up in limbo if they die in a dream state, due to the drugs given to them by Yusuf. Worst of all, Cobb has to deal with the manifestation of his dead wife, Mal (the Shade), whose presence in the dreams could end up threatening the assignment.

There had been a good deal of hype surrounding ”INCEPTION” before it hit the theaters in mid July. Surprisingly, I had been unaware of it. I merely wanted to see it due to Nolan’s role as director and writer, and from what I had seen in the movie trailer. I had no idea on how I would react to the film, considering my reactions to 2006’s ”THE PRESTIGE” and 2008’s ”THE DARK KNIGHT”. Do not get me wrong. I enjoyed both movies very much. But it took me a while to understand the plot to ”THE PRESTIGE” and I have never liked the last 30 minutes of ”THE DARK KNIGHT”.

In the end, I not only understood ”INCEPTION”, I enjoyed it. Hell, I more than enjoyed it. I loved it. It is one of the most original movies I have seen in years. I found it very rare to see a movie that used unusual visuals to convey a main character’s emotional story. Through the use of dreams, the team manages to allow Robert Fischer to face his demons regarding his father and to finally put them aside, so that he can learn to be his own man. But more importantly, the Fischer assignment finally allows Cobb to face his own demons and guilt over his wife’s suicide.

The concepts of lucid dreaming and dream incubation are nothing new in movies or television. Both topics have been used in movies like ”THE MATRIX” and television series like "BABYLON FIVE", ”BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER” and ”STAR TREK VOYAGER”. With the amazing special effects supervised by Chris Corbould and Wally Pfister’s beautiful photography, Nolan managed to take these concepts to another level. And he did it without resorting to 3-D photography (thank you God!) or slow motion action (with the exception of one scene). The special effects were especially put to good use in scenes that featured a fight scene between Arthur and an unnamed man inside a high-priced hotel corridor, Cobb and Ariadne’s dream experiences on Parisian streets; and the Limbo world first created by Cobb and Mal.

Nolan had gathered an impressive group of actors and actresses for his cast. Veteran actors Michael Caine, Postlethwaite and Tom Berenger portrayed father figures (literally or otherwise) for at least two of the major characters and gave solid performances – especially Berenger, who portrayed Robert Fischer’s godfather and business associate. Dileep Rao, last seen in the 2009 blockbuster ”AVATAR”, had the good fortune to be cast in a larger role as Yusef, the Chemist. His character provided sedatives for the team to use in order to easily go into dream state. And I must say that I enjoyed Rao’s sly, yet humorous performance very much.

I have been aware of Tom Hardy since his two-episode appearance in the HBO miniseries, ”BAND OF BROTHERS”. But his portrayal of Eames the Forger is probably the first role in which he truly impressed me. Like Rao, he projected a sly sense of humor, mingled with a sharp wit and a hint of arrogance. And dear God! That man has a voice to die for. Cillian Murphy’s role as the Mark, Robert Fischer, seemed like a far cry from his villainous Dr. Jonathan Crane aka the Scarecrow in Nolan’s two BATMAN movies. Yet, the actor did an excellent job in his subtle portrayal of a man disappointed by what he deemed as his father’s lack of love toward him and his own insecurities that he may be unable to live up to his father’s shadow or expectations of him. Marion Cotillard proved to be quite an enigma in her portrayal of Mal, Cobb’s late wife. In some scenes, she projected a quiet, self-assurance as her character tried to manipulate her husband into accepting his dreams of her as reality. In others, she projected the melancholy of a woman teetering on the edge of suicide. And there were moments when Cotilllard conveyed a sense of subtle menace, whenever someone threatened Cobb’s memories of her. It was a very effective performance.

Another complex performance came from Ken Watanabe, who portrayed Cobb’s client, Saito. Judging from Watanabe’s portrayal of Saito, one would have felt certain that he would end up as the movie’s villain. Yet, thanks to Nolan’s script and Watanabe’s performance, Saito proved to be a complex individual that developed an interesting relationship with Cobb. The latter formed another interesting relationship with the team’s Architect, a college graduate named Ariadne. And Ellen Page did an excellent job in portraying Ariadne’s sense of wonder at her introduction of the world of lucid dreaming. More importantly, Page was effective in portraying what I believe was the movie’s emotional center – the one person who was able to help Cobb deal with his demons regarding Mal. Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s role as Arthur, Cobb’s main partner, should finally set him on the road to stardom. He gave a wonderful performance as the team’s pragmatic Point Man, whose job was to provide background information on Fischer. He was cool, sardonic, dashing and surprisingly a pretty solid action man. His fight in the dream state hotel corridor might prove to be the talk of moviegoers and critics for months to come.

But the one man who held this movie together, other than Nolan, turned out to be leading man Leonardo DiCaprio. I could, in many words, praise his performance as Dom Cobb, the team’s leader and extractor/inceptor. I could describe the emotional complexity of his portrayal of a man who remained torn by his wife’s death and his longing to reunite with his children and his efforts to keep his demons in check and prevent them from affecting his jobs. I could also praise DiCaprio for handling the movie’s action sequences like a born-again Bruce Willis. But why bother? All one has to do is watch the actor upon the movie screen. Personally, I believe that he may have given one of the better performances of his career, so far. In short, DiCaprio was phenomenal.

I tried to think of something to complain about ”INCEPTION” and only ended up with one. It seemed to me that two-thirds into the movie, its pacing began to drag. Which seemed odd, considering while the movie focused upon scenes featuring Eames’ dream – the snow fortress – I found myself squirming in my seat in an attempt to stay awake. Some of the action sequences seemed to go on a little too long by this point. Fortunately, the movie moved on to its final scenes, starting in the Limbo City dream sequence and my attention became revived.

There have been many discussions and debates over the movie’s final scene – namely Cobb’s reunion with his children and the last shot featuring the spinning top. Many claim the last shot was an indicator that the entire movie had been a dream and that Cobb remained stuck in a dream state. Others believe the spinning top – Mal’s totem – was nothing more than a red herring. As far as they were concerned, Cobb had genuinely reunited with his kids. Personally, I have no idea if the entire movie was a dream or not. A part of me feels it should not matter. What mattered to me was that Cobb finally learned to let go of Mal . . . and put his guilt over her death behind him. And by turning his back on Mal’s spinning top, I believe he had finally achieved this.

As far as movies go, the summer of 2010 has not been a memorable one for me. But it has not been a complete bust. I have seen a good number of entertaining movies. Yet, only a handful has truly impressed me. As far as I am concerned, the one movie that seemed to rise ahead of the others is Christopher Nolan’s new opus - ”INCEPTION”.

"SALT" (2010) Photo Gallery

Here are some images from the new political thriller, "SALT". Directed by Phillip Noyce, the movie stars Angelina Jolie, Liev Schreiber and Chiwetel Ejiofor:


"SALT" (2010) Photo Gallery

"A Wedding in Four Acts" [PG-13] - Act 4 (Part 1)

"A WEDDING IN FOUR ACTS"

Act IV - Part 1

"Is she dead?" Claudia demanded. She stood in front of a large, oval mirror, primping her hair.

Giancarlo promptly replied, "I believe so, Padronessa." The succubus glanced sharply at him. "Uh, I hit the Vodoun sacerdotessa's head very hard. Her body is locked inside the greenhouse. And both Alessandro and Talia are dead."

Claudia whirled around to stare pointedly at her minion. "Are you certain she is dead? Did you examine her body?"

Fear gleamed in the incubus's eyes. "I . . . am afraid not, Padronessa. I thought it was more prudent to find the Soma plant for you. But she must be dead. I had hit the sacerdotessa's head very . . . hard." He shrugged, as his voice faded away. He handed her the bridal bouquet.

A sigh left Claudia's mouth. "Oh well. Alive or dead, at least the Dubois woman is no longer a danger. What about the Soma plant? Was it found?"

Giancarlo smiled. "Si, Padronessa. I handed it over to Leonardo, who has returned it to the house. It is in the libreria."

"Good." Claudia faced the minion once more. "I should kill you for your failure to ensure the Vodoine's death." Giancarlo's face paled. "However, I need you to assume her form and take her place in the wedding ceremony."

"Si Padronessa."

Claudia continued, "If everything goes as planned, I will marry the witch and enjoy a few days with him, on our honeymoon."

Giancarlo frowned. "You are not going to kill him right away?"

"Of course not!" Claudia retorted haughtily. "At least not until after we have conceived a child. According to the Streghone, this witch is a descendant of a powerful wizard named Niaghall. From Scotland. Niaghall was the original bearer of the Aingeal Staff. And Signor McNeill's sister is one of those considered to be the staff's next keeper."

Nodding, Giancarlo added, "Of course! The Staff of Aingeal. I have heard of it. Do you plan to acquire this staff for yourself? I have heard that only a descendant of Niaghall can use it. Besides, you know have the Soma plant."

"I know that!" Claudia shot back with a glare. Giancarlo trembled. Her expression softened. "But once I conceive a child with Bruce McNeill, there will be a chance that child or a descendant will become the staff's future bearer. And I must say," a smile curved her lips, "I never realized that I would find a mortal who is descended from a powerful wizard, let alone a daemon. Niaghall was also adamitici - like my father. The offspring of a mortal and an incubus. In my father's case, a mortal and a succubus."

A knock on the door took the pair by surprise. "Barbara? Honey, it's me, Dad!" a voice from behind the door cried out. "Are you ready to begin the ceremony?"

"Get out of here!" Claudia hissed at her subordinate. "Now! And do not forget to morph into that Dubois woman and take her place."

The witch's father cried, "Barbara?"

Giancarlo nodded, "Si, Padronessa." He quickly disappeared.

Claudia walked over to the door and opened it. A tall, good-looking man in his mid or late fifties stood in the doorway. "Hey Dad!" The succubus flashed a smile. "I'll be ready in a minute."

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

Vivian Dubois stood at the foot of the curved staircase, while the bride's father leaned over the balustrade. "She's ready!" he announced. "Could you send for the bridesmaids, Vi?"

"Okay." She waved at the witch and started toward the west drawing room. From the corner of her eye, she saw her daughter emerge from one of the corridors. "There you are! We've been all looking for you."

Cecile replied, "I . . . I ended up lost, after fetching the bridal bouquet for . . . Barbara. Is the ceremony about to begin?"

Vivian frowned. Cecile's dialogue seemed unusually formal. "In a minute. You better join Barbara, upstairs. I'll fetch Olivia and the other two." Once more, Vivian started toward the drawing room, until a thought came to her. "By the way, did you tell Livy about your vision?"

Surprise reflected in Cecile's dark eyes. "Vision?" A brief moment of panic flashed in those same eyes. Then self-assurance quickly followed. "Oh. Oh, yes. The vision." Cecile nodded emphatically. "Yes, I told her. Olivia should be on her guard."

On her guard? Now it was Vivian's turn to express surprise. "On her guard? You . . ."

". . . told her," Cecile finished. Her uneasiness returned. "Did I make a mistake?"

The hair on the back of Vivian's neck bristled ominously. She recalled Olivia's story about the male stripper, who had appeared at the bridal shower nearly a half hour after his body was discovered. If the stripper at the nightclub . . . At that moment, Vivian decided that the best thing to do was lie. "No. Of course not. Uh . . . I was beginning to wonder if you had remembered. You know, about a daemon that might be roaming about the house. Can't have that."

Relief now flooded Cecile's eyes. That is . . . if the person standing before her was Cecile. "Don't worry, Mot . . . Mama. I am sure that Olivia has warned the others."

Vivian forced herself to smile. "Good. Why don't you get upstairs? Barbara is waiting for you. I'll tell the other bridesmaids." As she watched the other person climbed the staircase, her smile disappeared. Anxiety filled every inch of her heart. If the person she had spoken to had not been Cecile, where was her daughter?

Fighting down her rising anxiety, the middle-aged Vodoun priestess walked the west drawing room and past the double French doors. Upon entering the garden, she spotted Olivia talking to that attorney, who also happened to be a witch. Paul Something. The expression on the two witches' faces told Vivian that they were in the middle of a serious . . . and somewhat unpleasant conversation. But since she desperately needed help regarding Cecile, Vivian decided that now was not the time to worry about discretion. Heaving a deep breath, the Vodoun priestess walked over to the pair and interrupted them. "Excuse me, Livy? I need to talk to you. Right away."

---------

Five minutes earlier, Olivia had just greeted the latest arriving guest, when she felt a tap on her left shoulder. "Olivia?"

She spun around and found Paul standing beside her. "Oh. Paul." Her mouth stretched into a smile. "Haven't you found a seat, yet?"

"Uh, not yet." The other witch hesitated, his eyes cast downward. "Listen, uh Olivia? I . . . I uh, tried to bring this up earlier, but . . . one of Inspector Morris' sons had interrupted." Darryl Jr. had been in search of the nearest bathroom. "And I realize that this can wait later, but I can't stop thinking about it. I need to get this off my chest."

Olivia frowned. "Need to get what off your chest?"

Again, Paul hesitated. "I . . . wanted to know if . . . if you would like to spend a weekend down in Monterey. There's this hotel in the downtown area . . . it's supposed to be well-known . . ."

"Oh, you mean the Monterey Hotel?" Olivia nodded. "I've been there, before. It's nearly a century old. A weekend there would be great. Cecile, Andre and her mother will be in town for another week or so. Maybe we can all . . ."

Paul interrupted with a slight cough. "Actually, I was thinking about the two of us. Alone." His blue-gray eyes radiated a longing that made Olivia feel uneasy. "I . . . well, I thought this would be a good time for us to grow a little closer. I'm . . . well, I guess I'm more than just a little attracted to you. And I would like . . ."

A sense of dread overwhelmed Olivia. Apparently, Paul had finally decided to take their relationship to another level. One that involved romance. And that was something that Olivia did not desire. "Oh," she finally said, before glancing away. "I see. Uh Paul . . ."

"Yeah?" Hope gleamed in his eyes. He looked so vulnerable. Olivia hated to disappoint him, but she had no choice. Of course, she only had herself to blame. Her impatience at Cole's persistence in maintaining a platonic friendship had led her to this moment. Along with Olivia's reluctance to approach Cole on her own.

She took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Paul. But I'll have to say no. That is, if you're talking about a weekend for just the two of us."

Paul's face fell. "I . . . I don't understand. You're not . . .?"

"I like you, Paul. A lot," Olivia said, feeling like the lowest creature imaginable. "But that's all. I'm not interested in a romance . . ."

"At the moment," Paul quickly added. "I understand. Leo told me all about your . . . fiancé. It's been . . . what? A little over a year since his death? You're probably still grieving."

Realizing that Paul did not want to hear the truth, Olivia sighed. "Actually, that's not it. I'm just not in love with you, Paul. But I am interested in us being friends." She gave him a gentle smile. "I'm sorry."

Paul's entire body stiffened. His jaw twitched uncontrollably, and his eyes refused to meet hers. "I see," he finally answered in a cool tone. "Is there a . . . I guess you're interested in someone else. Like a certain half-demon, perhaps?"

The insinuation in the other witch's tone set off a spark of anger within Olivia. She took a few deep breaths to keep her temper in check. "I don't think that is any of your business," Olivia coolly replied. "Do you?"

A snort left Paul's mouth. "Shouldn't a fellow be aware of his rival?"

Olivia gave him a hard stare. "Your rival? For whose hand? Certainly not for mine."

Looking slightly embarrassed, Paul nodded. "I didn't . . . I mean I did . . ." He sighed. "Sorry. I didn't mean to imply . . ."

"Never mind," Olivia said. She paused momentarily to overcome her own embarrassment. "Listen Paul, I like you a lot. Really, I do. And although I'm not interested in a romance . . . with you, I would still like us to remain friends."

Once again, Paul nodded. "Yeah, I under. . ."

"Excuse me, Livy?" Vivian Dubois appeared beside the couple. "I need to talk to you. Right away."

Olivia gave Paul an apologetic look. "I'm sorry Paul," she began.

"Yeah, I understand." He flashed Vivian a brief smile. "Excuse me." Then he walked away.

Olivia faced her best friend's mother. "Is there something wrong?"

"I'm not sure, but . . ." Mrs. Dubois went on to explain an odd encounter with her daughter.

---------

The door swung open and Nick entered the bedroom, smiling. "Good afternoon," he greeted cheerfully. "How are you feeling?"

Barbara glared at the Streghone. "Pissed off," she retorted. "How do you think I feel?"

Nick's benevolent smile remained fixed. "Well, I can't help that. You shouldn't have tried to escape."

Rolling her eyes, Barbara retorted, "Did you honestly think I was going to stay here like some chump and let you get away with hurting Bruce?"

Nick's smile disappeared. He shook his head. "Bruce, Bruce! It's always about Bruce, isn't it? I really don't understand what you see in that guy. He's so superficial!"

"And if you believe that," Barbara shot back, "you're a hell of a lot dumber than I now think you are."

Stepping closer, Nick's eyes burned with intensity that Barbara found disconcerting. "Can't you see that he's wrong for you? Oh sure, he's rich, handsome and a successful chef. But that's all there is to him. Superficial crap. He doesn't understand you the way I do. Or cherish you. For him, you're some kind of . . . I don't know . . . trophy. Another Stepford Wife. Someone who looks good, beside him. Whereas I . . ."

"You what?" Barbara demanded. "Know me better than anyone else? Please! I doubt it. If you did, you would have known that I would never chase after the first rich guy I meet. Do you really think I'm shallow enough to marry Bruce for his money? And by the way, you don't know him any better than you know me!"

Desperation surrounded Nick like a heavy fog. "Barbara! You don't know what you're saying! I thought we understood each other!"

"Well, you had obviously never understood me!" Barbara opened the door. A guard stood outside. "Now get the hell out!"

Nick slowly made his way toward the opened door. He paused and turned to stare at Barbara. "I had hoped you would understand what this was about. Understand that you don't need Bruce. But . . ."

"But what?" Barbara asked uneasily. "You're going to kill me, after all?"

"No." Nick assumed a calm air that Barbara found disconcerting. "No, I'll make sure that the Signorina Della Scalla keeps you alive. However, she is willing to help me find a way to convince you to become Mrs. Marcano - whether you like it or not." Nick gave her a serene smile that hinted an unbalanced mind. "And if I were you, I would seriously consider volunteering for the position."

---------

Olivia knocked on the door to Barbara's bedroom, before entering. She found the bride, the bride's father and Cecile already inside. Philip Bowen was engaged in a conversation with someone on his cell phone, while Barbara and Cecile were busy in a private conversation. When Olivia approached her friends, they immediately stopped talking.

"Hey guys!" the redhead said with a smile. "Ready to start?"

A too bright smile appeared on Barbara's lips. Which surprised Olivia. The latter had expected a similar reaction from Cecile, following the conversation with Mrs. Dubois. But Barbara? "I'm ready than ever!" Barbara merrily chirped. She turned to her father. "Dad?"

Mr. Bowen acknowledged his daughter's question with a wave and continued his telephone conversation. Cecile added, "By the way, I told Barbara about . . . my vision. You know, the one about the daemon." A vision, as far as Olivia knew, did not exist.

Olivia smiled. "Great. Everyone will be keeping their eyes open. Especially now that the wedding is about to start."

Then to her surprise, Olivia saw Barbara's shoulders sag with relief. Interesting. Before she could further contemplate on the matter, Mr. Bowen ended his phone call. Both Paige and Barbara's other shop assistant, Madeline Oser, appeared. "Is the wedding about to start?" the Charmed One asked.

Mr. Bowen smiled broadly. "Right now." Then he offered his arm to the bride-to-be. "Ready sweetheart?"

"Ready." Barbara looped her arm through her father's. "Let's go." She and Mr. Bowen slowly marched out of the room, with Paige, Madeline and the possible phony Cecile, close at their heels.

Olivia hesitated, as her mind tried to ascertain Vivian Dubois' words and Barbara's odd behavior. When the Vodoun priestess had told her about the possibility of Cecile being a daemon in disguise, Olivia had assumed that the phony Lee Carver had someone managed to kidnap or kill the real Cecile and assume the latter's place. As a bridesmaid, the phony Cecile would be in a perfect position to strike the groom, the bride or both. But now, Olivia began to wonder about the bride's odd behavior. Was that the real Barbara slowly walking out of the bedroom with Mr. Bowen, or . . .?

Cecile scuttled back into the bedroom. "Are you not coming?"

Ah yes, the formal dialogue. Keeping her suspicions in check, Olivia gave a quick nod. "Sure." Then she followed the other bridesmaid out of the room.

-----------

Inside the McNeills' greenhouse, Cecile struggled into a sitting position. A dull pain throbbed the nape of her neck, which did not surprise her. While probing that area, she came across a slight bump - a result of someone knocking her unconscious.

Cecile continued to rub the back of her neck, as she slowly stood up. She glanced around the greenhouse and noticed two piles of ashes. Unfortunately, Cecile noticed something else - namely a certain mythological plant that seemed to be missing. She groaned aloud. When the McNeills hear about Barbara's missing plant, they will have a fit. She could only imagine how Bruce and Mr. Bowen will react once they learn that the bride is actually a powerful succubus.

Still feeling groggy, Cecile made her way toward the door. She gripped the knob and turned. Unfortunately, the damn thing refused to budge. "Shit!" Whoever had knocked her unconscious, had also locked her inside this damn greenhouse. Cecile found herself wishing that she had Olivia's telekinesis power. Visions simply did not unlock doors. Nor did telepa . . . An idea came to her. One that would get her out of this place.

Cecile's eyes scanned the greenhouse, until they fell upon an empty chair sitting in front of a row of green tomatoes. She sat down, took a deep breath, closed her eyes and began to chant in Fon. Slowly, Cecile felt her essence leave her body. When her eyes flew open, she discovered to her satisfaction that she had astral projected outside the greenhouse. Perfect! Cecile unfastened the lock. Then she stood still and willed her essence back into her body.

Seconds later, she stood from the chair, and slowly made her way out of the greenhouse. A curse emitted from her mouth. The astral projection had left Cecile feeling a little sluggish. Which she had to recover from, in order to reach the garden and stop the wedding in time.


END OF PART IV - Part 1

Top Ten (10) Favorite Episodes of "BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER"

Below is a list of my ten favorite episodes of "BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER" (1997-2003), which starred Sarah Michelle Gellar:


TOP TEN (10) FAVORITE EPISODES OF “BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER”



1. (5.07) "Fool For Love" - After a common vampire nearly kills her with her own stake, Buffy turns to Spike to learn how other Slayers met their end so as not to make further mistakes and in turn, discovers a lot about his past history as one of the undead.





2. (6.03) "After Life" - While Buffy deals with being alive again, the Scooby Gang fights a demon that appeared as a consequence of resurrecting her in this haunting episode.





3. (7.17) "Lies My Parents Told Me" - While the gang investigates Spike's trigger; Principal Wood and Giles team up to get rid of the vampire without Buffy's knowledge.





4. (4.08) "Pangs" - Angel secretly arrives in Sunnydale to protect Buffy; who is attempting to prepare a perfect Thanksgiving, while dealing with the hostile spirit of a Chumash warrior. A very funny episode.





5. (7.08) "Sleeper" - After a newly risen and slain vampire named Holden has told Buffy that Spike is his sire, she investigates the possibility that the vampire might be killing again.





6. (3.07) "Revelations" - Gwendolyn Post shows up as Faith's new Watcher and warns the Scoobies that a demon is looking for the Glove of Myneghon, a powerful gauntlet.





7. (3.08) "Lovers Walk" - A lovelorn Spike returns to Sunnydale and kidnaps Willow and Xander. Oz and Cordelia discover them kissing, while attempting a rescue.





8. (6.18) "Entropy" - In a pivotal episode, Anya seeks vengeance on Xander after he had abandoned her at the wedding altar, and finds comfort with Spike; Willow and Tara decide to reconcile by arranging a date.





9. (4.09) "Something Blue" - A spell by a lovelorn Willow goes awry; blinding Giles, making Xander a literal demon magnet, and causing Buffy and Spike to fall in love and get engaged in this very funny episode.





10. (2.19) "I Only Have Eyes For You" - In this emotionally charged episode, a ghost possesses high school boys and Buffy; while his school teacher-lover possesses high school girls and Angelus.

"PRIDE AND PREJUDICE" (1995) Photo Gallery

Below is a photo gallery featuring images from "PRIDE AND PREJUDICE", the 1995 television adaptation of Jane Austen's 1813 novel. Directed by Simon Langton, the miniseries starred Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth: 


"PRIDE AND PREJUDICE" (1995) Photo Gallery