"Spells, Lies and Remorse" [R] - 7/9

"SPELLS, LIES AND REMORSE"

CHAPTER SEVEN

The bell over Ostera's front door rang, signaling a new customer. Both Paige and Barbara glanced up from the inventory sheet spread over the counter and were surprised to see Olivia enter the shop. "Hey!" Barbara greeted cheerfully. "What are you doing here?"

Smiling, Olivia walked over to the counter. "Just a little shopping, today. For some herbs and resin."

"New spell?" Paige asked.

Olivia's smile tightened. Which made Paige feel slightly uneasy. "No, not really. Just stocking up."

Barbara asked, "What do you need?" Olivia handed her a list. "Huh. Interesting." She handed the list to Paige. "Honey, why don't you and Maddy get this for Livy?"

Very reluctantly, Paige headed for the stockroom, where she found the other shop assistant, opening a large box. "Hey Maddy, we've got a job to do." She showed the younger woman the list. "We have to get this stuff for Olivia." The two women commenced upon finding the requested herbs.

"Italian Cypress seeds?" Madeline declared out loud. "What the hell?"

Paige sighed. "I know. This is a strange list. Yarrow, garlic, willow evergreen." Her eyes widened at the sight of one item. "Nightshade?"

"Hmmm," Maddy commented. "Deadly."

It took the two women nearly fifteen minutes to gather all of the supplies on the list. They returned to the store's front room, where they found Barbara dealing with a new customer. Olivia remained standing in front of the counter, patiently waiting for her supplies.

"Here you go," Paige said, as she and Maddy dumped the items on the counter. "Do you want to wait for Barbara?"

Olivia shook her head. "That's okay. I have to get back to work. You can ring it up."

After scanning the items, Paige announced the total sum. "Twenty-seven dollars and thirty-two cents." Olivia handed her thirty dollars. "So," Paige continued, as she took the money, "what's all this stuff for?"

Olivia gave the younger witch a cool look. "Like I said . . . stocking up."

"Oh. Yeah." Paige arched a dubious brow. "I forgot. Well, you sure know how to pick some interesting stuff for stock." She placed the last item into a plastic bag.

"Hmmm. Well," Olivia picked up the bag. "Gotta go. I'll see you."

Paige added, "Will you be at your parents' brunch, tomorrow?"

"I don't think so. I've been feeling a little tired, lately." Olivia started toward the door.

"Wait!"

Impatience stamped on her face, Olivia hesitated. "Yes?"

"Um, have you seen Cole, lately?"

Green eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Why do you ask?"

Feeling slightly intimidated by Olivia's odd manner, Paige murmured, "Well . . . uh, I haven't see you guys . . . together. I mean, I heard . . ."

"We broke up, if you want to know," Olivia stated bluntly. "Actually, I broke up with him."

The news sent Paige into a state of shock. "Wha . . .? Why?"

Olivia's face assumed a cold mask. "Excuse me?"

"Uh . . . nothing." Paige took a deep breath. "Well, I guess you have to leave, huh?"

Once more, Olivia stared at the younger woman. "I guess so." Then she smiled. Somewhat. "I'll see you later, Paige."

"Yeah. Later." Paige watched nervously, as the red-haired witch left the shop. She murmured under her breath, "Oh my God! What the hell happened to her?"

----------

"Oh my God! Not again!" Darryl Morris nudged his wife. It was the following Sunday evening, and the couple sat inside the House of Prime Rib, one of San Francisco's more popular restaurants. They had left their sons to spend the week with Darryl's parents. He pointed at a couple sitting inside a booth, on the other side of the dining room.

Sheila frowned at the couple. "What are you talking about? What's wrong?"

Darryl sighed. "Oh yeah. I guess I never told you about last Thursday. Or was it Friday?"

"Friday?" Sheila stared at her husband. "What happened, last Friday?"

"Olivia made a date with Paul Margolin. For dinner."

Disbelief shone briefly in Sheila's dark eyes. "What's the big deal?" she finally said. "He seems like a reasonably good-looking man. Decent. And didn't you once tell me that he was a witch? Like Olivia?"

"Yeah, but I thought she had grown bored with him, last spring." Darryl frowned, as a thought came to him. "Now that I think about it, she hadn't seemed all that interested in him, during the trial. It wasn't until after we had lunch . . ."

Sheila asked, "Is it true that Phoebe and Cole have reconciled? I was at Ostera's, when I heard the news."

Darryl shrugged his shoulders. "That's what I had heard. Maybe that would explain those two." Husband and wife continued to stare at the couple. "Man, I can't believe it. Was Cole and Phoebe the reason why Olivia got interested in Margolin, again?"

"Should we drop by and say hello?"

Darryl contemplated his wife's question for a minute. Then he saw their waiter approaching their table. "Nah, maybe we should let Olivia and Margolin have their privacy. Besides, I think our food is ready."

-----------

Inside Cole's penthouse, Phoebe took a sip of her Manhattan. "Hmmm, not bad." She glanced around the living room. "This place looks a little different. What did you do to it?"

"Nothing really," Cole replied. He sat next to Phoebe, holding a martini. "You just haven't seen it in a long time."

Her eyes now resting on the row of plants resting on the shelf above the fireplace, Phoebe said, "Are you sure? I don't recall seeing plants in here."

A heavy silence fell between the pair. When Phoebe had first received Cole's invitation, she had felt overjoyed. Thrilled. Now, she began to wonder if this date had been a good idea. Both she and Cole seemed wary in each other's company. Perhaps those fifteen months apart had taken a toll on their ability to feel comfortable in each other's presence.

Cole cleared his throat. "Phoebe, I . . ." He paused, and glanced toward the kitchen. "Uh, the reason I wanted to see you tonight . . . Well, it's about your question. You know . . ." He coughed slightly.

Phoebe decided to help out. "I understand," she said gently. "You wanted to work it out with Olivia, first."

"Actually, I was going to say yes."

Phoebe nearly choked on her cocktail. "Huh?"

Smiling briefly, Cole continued, "I don't see why we can't give it a shot." He quickly sobered. "But I have to be honest. Olivia had recently decided to end it between us. A couple of days ago, I would have been upset. Now," he sighed, "I guess I wasn't really that surprised."

"I'm so sorry, Cole." Phoebe's voice oozed sympathy. Another silent pause followed. "Um . . . how do you want . . .?"

Cole placed his martini glass on the table and removed the Manhattan from Phoebe's grip. He placed that next to his martini. Then he covered Phoebe's hands with his own. The touch of his skin sent a warm flush throughout her body. "Why don't we just take it one day at a time?" he quietly suggested. "I think it would be best for both of us. Okay?"

One day at a time. Although Phoebe found the suggestion a little too slow for her taste, she realized that it would do. Especially if it meant getting Cole back into her life. She gave him a warm smile. "One day at a time sounds great to me."

-----------

Leo orbed into one of the seats around the dining room, taking both Paige and Piper by surprise. "I'm home!" he declared. "What's for dinner?"

"Where have you been?" Piper demanded. "It's almost been two days!"

"Honey, you knew I had business to attend to. Another charge." Leo reached for the pitcher of iced tea. "And it was a difficult case, I might add."

Paige stared at her brother-in-law. "Who was the charge?"

"Paige, you know better than to ask me."

"How about this?" the younger Charmed One asked. "When was the last time you saw Paul Margolin?"

Leo frowned at Paige. "What . . . what are you getting at?"

Piper cut in. "Paige! It's nothing, Leo. Just some crazy idea that Paige has come up with."

"It's not crazy!"

"Paige, Leo hasn't been home in two days. Let him eat!"

But the younger woman refused to give up. "C'mon Piper. I only want to know what's going on between and Paul. And what does Olivia has to do with it?"

Leo's blue eyes expressed confusion. "Paige, what are you talking about?"

"Harry and I saw Olivia and Paul at the Golden Horn, last Friday night. And they were looking quite chummy." Paige hesitated. "I had . . . I had talked Harry into reading Paul's mind. To find out what was going on . . ."

Leo exclaimed, "My God, Paige! What were you thinking? You should have known that Harry isn't allowed to use his telepathy like that! It's a breach of privacy!"

"Yeah? Well, so is what you and Paul have been scheming in regard to Olivia!" Paige shot back. "According to Harry, Paul said something about some plan going well, and your name came up."

Not only did Paige continue to stare at Leo, but so did Piper. "Leo?" she said. "Is there something going on we don't know about?"

An exasperated sigh left Leo's mouth. "It's nothing. Paul . . . he merely wanted my advice regarding Olivia. Apparently, he's still interested in her. I told him that if he was still that interested, he should give it a go."

"And what did he do to Olivia to make her interested in him, again?" Paige demanded.

Leo cried out, "He didn't do anything! Maybe Olivia's finally tired of Cole! Or maybe, she didn't like the fact that he and Phoebe are friends, again. I don't know!"

Piper spoke up. "Paige, maybe we ought to give this a rest. I don't think you have anything to be suspicious about."

Paige slumped into her chair. "Fine."

Piper rolled her eyes and handed a platter of meat to her husband. "Pork chops, Leo?"

The whitelighter hesitated, before he grabbed the platter. But his eyes continued to stare uneasily at Paige. Which failed to dim her suspicions. Judging from Leo's unease, he was worried about something. And Paige intended to find out.

-----------

Harry hung up the telephone and rejoined his family inside the drawing room. The McNeills, along with Paul Margolin, had retired there, following a sumptuous meal prepared by his mother.

"Who was that?" Gran asked.

"Paige." Harry returned to his seat. "She, uh . . . her brooch is missing and she wanted to know if I had found it inside my car."

Gran continued, "Well, did you?"

"I'll check later."

Olivia's green eyes sparkled with mischief. "So, you and Paige had a date. Strange, she didn't say anything to me."

Harry gave his sister a thin smile. "It was nothing. I took her out, last Friday night. To the Empress of China, in Chinatown."

A brief frown flitted across Bruce's face. Fortunately, their usually uber-observant sister had not noticed. Olivia smiled. "Very impressive. How was your date?"

"Uh . . . interesting."

Olivia continued, "Paul took me out to dinner that night. At the Golden Horn." She smiled warmly at the ADA.

Harry choked back his bile, and smiled. "Hmmm, isn't that nice?"

After Olivia and Paul had departed over an hour later, Jack turned to his younger son. "Okay Harry, what did Paige really want to talk to you about?"

"Leo's back," Harry grimly replied. "She tried to question him about Livy and Paul, but it didn't go anywhere. She also wants to question him again." He hesitated. "I told her to lay off, since Bruce and I have a plan."

The oldest McNeill sibling looked surprised. "We do?"

"Of course. Don't you remember what Paul had told us, earlier?" Harry asked. "About his upcoming lunch with the D.A.? It's supposed to be tomorrow."

Bruce shook his head silently.

Harry sighed. "Okay, I see you weren't paying attention. While Paul is having lunch with his boss, you'll be meeting Leo inside his office."

"What makes you think that Leo is going to talk to me?" Bruce demanded.

Harry smiled. "Don't worry, Big Brother. Leo will think he is meeting with Paul. And thanks to your shapeshifting ability, you'll make sure that he will."

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

Monday morning dawned bright over San Francisco. Olivia stood inside the kitchen, as she prepared a potion that she believed would become a final solution to a problem . . . a problem that came in the form of a certain daemon named Belthazor.

While she hummed, "Nobody Does It Better" under her breath, she reached inside one of the cabinets and retrieved a small, black cauldron. Olivia filled it with water - straight out of San Francisco Bay - and placed it on top of the stove. She turned on the flame and the water inside the cauldron began to boil. Next, came the ingredients she had purchased at Ostera's - jasmine, yarrow, garlic and willow. Olivia also added the Nightshade. A puff of black smoke exploded above the cauldron and she allowed the mixture to continue boiling.

Leaving the kitchen, Olivia headed back into the living room and toward the altar she had previously set up in a small corner. She removed the pentagram, sketched inside a circle, from the altar and replaced it with another circle - which contained a heptagram. Then she lit both of the altar's candles and placed sprigs of evergreen around the altar. Finally, she poured the Italian Cypress seeds into the cauldron. Satisfied that everything had been prepared, Olivia returned to the kitchen, removed the cauldron from the stove and placed it over the heptagram.

Olivia then donned her ceremonial robe, retrieved the Aingeal staff from her closet and stood before the altar. Holding the staff in her left hand, she grabbed a stick of tree bark and mumbled an incantation in Celtic - invoking the names of Hecate and Pele. While she continued to chant, she added a piece of earthworm, a piece of water snake, a dried up spider and a sliver of salamander flesh to them mixture inside the cauldron. Then using prongs, she retrieved a small lump of mercury, dropped it into the mixture and finished the incantation with a flourish. The red carnelian stone in her staff shone bright red. And another puff of red smoke exploded above the cauldron.

Once the smoke had cleared, Olivia returned the staff to her bedroom closet and removed her robe. She retrieved the cauldron and returned it to the kitchen. After spreading a white, cheesecloth over a small cooking pot, Olivia poured the cauldron's contents upon the cloth. After the liquid had seeped through, she squeezed the last of it into the pot and placed the cloth on the kitchen's counter, allowing the contents to dry. Then she poured the liquid from the pot into several small bottles - ammunition for another day - and washed her hands in the kitchen sink.

Now that her task had been completed, Olivia picked up her cordless telephone and dialed a number. "Hi, Paul. It's me, Olivia. I'm finished with that potion we had discussed. Well, almost. I have a little dehydration to complete."

"When do we use it?" the other witch asked.

Olivia glanced at the clock on the kitchen wall. It read ten twenty-three. "How about in a few hours? Meet me at Cole's penthouse around two-thirty, this afternoon. We would have to get there before him."

Doubt clouded Paul's voice. "Are you sure you don't want to try, tomorrow? This afternoon seemed to be cutting it a little close. I have that lunch with the D.A., don't forget."

"You won't be finished before two?" Olivia asked.

A pause followed before Paul continued with a sigh. "I guess I can. If it begins to stretch too long, I'll just tell Coleman that I have an afternoon appointment. I'm sure he'll understand."

"Good. I'll see you this afternoon. Bye." Olivia hung up, allowing herself a satisfied smile. If all went well, Cole Turner aka Belthazor would no longer exist by the end of the day.


END OF CHAPTER 7

"THE BLACK DAHLIA" (2006) Review

Below is a review of "THE BLACK DAHLIA", the 2006 adaptation of James Ellroy's 1987 novel:


"THE BLACK DAHLIA" (2006) Review

Judging from the reactions among moviegoers, it seemed quite obvious that director Brian DePalma’s adaptation of James Ellroy’s 1987 novel had disappointed them. The ironic thing is that I do not share their feelings.

A good number of people – including a relative of mine – have told me that they had expected "THE BLACK DAHLIA" to be a docudrama of the infamous 1947 murder case. Others had expected the movie to be an epic-style crime drama similar to the 1997 Academy Award winning film, "L.A. CONFIDENTIAL" - another Ellroy adaptation. "THE BLACK DAHLIA" proved to be neither for many fans. For me, it turned out to be an entertaining and solid film noir that I enjoyed.

Told from the point-of-view of Los Angeles Police detective Dwight “Bucky” Bleichert (Josh Harnett), ”THE BLACK DAHLIA” told the story of how the January 1947 murder of Hollywood star wannabe, Elizabeth Short aka “The Black Dahlia” (Mia Kershner) affected Bleichert’s life and the lives of others close to him – especially his partner, Lee Blanchard (Aaron Eckhart). The story began over three years before Short’s murder when Bleichert saved Blanchard’s life during the Zoot Riots in 1943. After World War II, the pair (who also happened to be celebrated local boxers) participated in an inter-departmental boxing match to help raise support for a political bond issue that will increase pay for the LAPD, but with a slight tax increase. Although Bleichert lost the match, both he and Blanchard are rewarded by Assistant District Attorney Ellis Loew (Patrick Fischler) with promotions and transfers to the Warrants Department and the pair became partners. Bleichert not only became partners and friends with Blanchard, he also became acquainted with Blanchard’s live-in girlfriend, a former prostitute and artist named Kay Lake (Scarlett Johansson). Although Bleichert fell in love with Kay, he kept his feelings to himself, due to his relationship with Blanchard. Thanks to Blanchard’s penchant for publicity, the two partners eventually participated in the murder investigation of Elizabeth Short (nicknamed the Black Dahlia). The case not only led the pair to a rich young playgirl named Madeleine Linscott (Hillary Swank) and her family, but also into a world of prostitution, pornography, lesbian nightclubs and the dark underbelly of Hollywood life.

Written by James Ellroy and originally published in 1987, ”The Black Dahlia” became the first of four novels about the Los Angeles Police Department in the post-World War II era (”L.A. Confidential” was the third in the quartet). In my opinion, it was the best in Ellroy’s L.A. Quartet. I believe that it translated quite well to the movie screen, thanks to DePalma’s direction and Josh Friedman’s screenplay. Like the movie ”L.A. CONFIDENTIAL”, ”THE BLACK DAHLIA” turned out to be superior to its literary version. Not only did DePalma and Friedman’s screenplay recapture the ambiance of the novel’s characters and 1940s Los Angeles setting, the plot turned out to be an improvement over the novel. Especially over the latter’s chaotic finale. Despite the improvement, ”THE BLACK DAHLIA” never achieved the epic style and quality of ”L.A. CONFIDENTIAL”. If I must be frank, I really do not care. Movies like the 1997 Oscar winner are rare occurrences of near perfect quality. Just because ”THE BLACK DAHLIA” was another film adaptation of an Ellroy novel, did not mean that I had expected it to become another ”L.A. CONFIDENTIAL”.

Mark Isham’s score for the film did not turn out to be that memorable to me. All I can say is that I am grateful that he did not attempt a remake of Jerry Goldsmith’s scores for ”L.A. CONFIDENTIAL” and ”CHINATOWN”. On the other hand, I was very impressed with Vilmos Zsigmond’s photography for the film. One sequence stood out for me – namely the overhead shot that featured the discovery of Elizabeth Short’s dead body in the Leimert Park neighborhood in Los Angeles. Ironically, part of the movie was shot in Sofia, Bulgaria substituting as 1946-47 Los Angeles. Production Designer Dante Ferretti and Art Director Christopher Tandon did a solid job in disguising Sofia as Los Angeles. But there were a few times when the City of Angels seemed like it was located on the East Coast. And I could spot a few palm trees that definitely looked false. However, I really loved the set designs for Kay’s home and the lesbian nightclub where Bleichert first met Madeline. I loved Jenny Beavan’s costume designs for the film. She did an excellent job of recapturing the clothing styles of the mid-to-late 1940s and designing clothes for particular characters.

One of the movie’s best strengths turned out to be its very interesting characters and the cast of actors that portrayed them. Characters that included the ambitious and sometimes malevolent ADA Ellis Loew, portrayed with great intensity by Patrick Fischler; Rose McGowan’s bitchy and shallow Hollywood landlady/movie extra; Elizabeth Short’s frank and crude father Cleo Short (Kevin Dunn); Mike Starr’s solid portrayal of Bleichert and Blanchard’s immediate supervisor Russ Millard; and Lorna Mertz, the young Hollywood prostitute portrayed memorably by Jemima Rooper. John Kavanagh and Fiona Shaw portrayed Madeline Linscott’s parents – a Scottish-born real estate magnate and his alcoholic California society wife. Kavanagh was charming and fun in a slightly corrupt manner, but Shaw hammed it up in grand style as the alcoholic Ramona Linscott. I doubt that a lesser actress could have pulled off such a performance.

Not only were the supporting characters memorable, so were the leading characters, thanks to the performances of the actors and actresses that portrayed them. I was very impressed by Mia Kershner’s portrayal of the doomed Elizabeth Short. She managed to skillfully conveyed Short’s desperation and eagerness to become a Hollywood movie star in flashbacks shown in the form of black-and-white audition clips and a pornographic film clip. At first, I found Scarlett Johansson as slightly too young for the role of Kay Lake, the former prostitute and artist that both Bleichert and Blanchard loved. She seemed a bit out of her depth, especially when she used a cigarette holder to convey her character’s sophistication. Fortunately, Johansson had ditched the cigarette holder and Kay’s so-called sophistication and portrayed the character as a warm and pragmatic woman, who turned out to be more emotionally mature than the other characters. I found Aaron Eckhart’s performance as the passionate, yet calculating Lee Blanchard great fun to watch. He seemed funny, sharp, verbose, passionate and rather manic all at once. There were times when his character’s growing obsession toward the Black Dahlia case seemed to border on histrionics. But in the end, Eckhart managed to keep it all together. Another performance I truly enjoyed was Hillary Swank’s portrayal of the sensual, rich playgirl Madeline Linscott. Just by watching Swank on screen, I got the impression that the actress had enjoyed herself playing Madeline. I know I had a ball watching her reveal the charming, yet dark facets of this interesting character.

Ellroy’s novel had been written in the first person – from the viewpoint of LAPD detective, Dwight “Bucky” Bleichert. Which meant that the entire movie had to focus around the actor who portrayed Bleichert. I once heard a rumor that Josh Harnett became interested in the role before casting for the movie actually began. In the end, many critics had either dismissed Hartnett’s performance or judged him incapable of portraying a complex character. Personally, I found their opinions hard – even impossible – to accept. For me, Harnett did not merely give a first-rate performance. He ”was” Dwight “Bucky” Bleichert. One must understand that Bleichert was a difficult role for any actor – especially a non-showy role that also had to keep the story together. Throughout the movie, Harnett, DePalma’s direction and Friedman’s script managed to convey the many complexities of Bleichert’s personality without being overtly dramatic about it. After all, Dwight was basically a quiet and subtle character. Harnett portrayed the character’s growing obsession with both the Black Dahlia case and Madeline Linscott without the manic and abrupt manner that seemed to mark Blanchard’s obsession. You know what? I really wish I could say more about Harnett’s performance. But what else can I say? He perfectly hit every nuance of Bleichert’s personality. I personally believe that Dwight Bleichert might be his best role to date.

I wish I could explain or even understand why ”THE BLACK DAHLIA” had flopped at the box office. Some have complained that the film had failed to match the epic qualities of ”L.A. CONFIDENTIAL”. Others have complained that it failed as a docudrama that would solve the true life murder of Elizabeth Short. And there have been complaints that Brian DePalma’s editing of a film that was originally three hours ruined it. I had never expected the movie to become another ”L.A. CONFIDENTIAL” (which did a mediocre job at the box office) – a rare case of near Hollywood perfection. I really do not see how a three hour running time would have helped ”THE BLACK DAHLIA”. It was a complex story, but not as much as the 1997 film. Hell, the novel was more straightforward than the literary L.A. Confidential”. And since the Hollywood publicity machine had made it clear that the movie was a direct adaptation of the novel, I found the argument that ”THE BLACK DAHLIA” should have been a docudrama that would solve Short’s murder rather ludicrous. Since I had read the novel back in the late 90s, I simply found myself wondering how DePalma would translate it to the movie screen.

In the end, I found myself more than satisfied with ”THE BLACK DAHLIA”. It possessed a first-rate cast led by a superb performance from Josh Harnett. Screenwriter Josh Friedman’s screenplay turned out to be a solid job that slightly improved Ellroy’s novel – especially the finale. And director Brian DePalma did an excellent job of putting it all together. I highly recommend it – if one does not harbor any high expectations.

"CENTENNIAL" (1978-79) - Episode Two "The Yellow Apron" Commentary

"CENTENNIAL" (1978-79) - Episode Two "The Yellow Apron" Commentary

Set during the 1810s and 1820s, the second episode of the NBC miniseries, ”CENTENNIAL”, continued the story of French-Canadian trapper, Pasquinel; his Scottish-born partner, Alexander McKeag; and their relationship with Clay Basket, the daughter of an Arapaho warrior. ”The Yellow Apron” explored how jealousies, resentments and desire nearly broke apart their tenuous relationship.

”The Yellow Apron” began in 1809, with Clay Basket giving birth to the first of hers and Pasquinel’s three children, Jacques. The story quickly jumped to 1811, with the birth of their second child, Marcel. By the time the story begins in earnest in 1816, Pasquinel is still obsessed in finding the gold that Lame Beaver had stumbled upon in the last episode. Because of his obsession, he asks McKeag to make the visit to the Bockweiss household in St. Louis for more goods to trade with the Plains tribes. Upon his arrival in St. Louis, McKeag learns that Bockweiss is anxious over his son-in-law’s failure to make the trip. He also learns that Lise Bockweiss Pasquinel has given birth to Pasquinel’s daughter, Lisette. And all of this happened within the episode’s first nine to ten minutes.

So much occurred in ”The Yellow Apron”. The episode saw the birth of Pasquinel’s four children – his children by Clay Basket (Jacques, Marcel and Lucinda) and his daughter by Lise (Lisette). McKeag has to deal with Jacques’ dislike of the Scots trapper and suspicion of Clay Basket’s love for him. Clashes with both the Native American world and the white world leave scars on Jacques, deepening his dislike of McKeag and leaving a mark on his psyche. Both McKeag and Clay Basket continue their struggle to keep their feelings for one another in check. And both have to contend with Pasquinel’s desire for gold and his penchant for leaving them all behind in order to be with his St. Louis wife, Lise. And Lise has to struggle between her own love for the French-Canadian trapper and her growing jealousy for his love of the West and a suspicion that he may have Native American wife. And although he seems very fond of Clay Basket, it is obvious that he is more divided by his feelings for Lise, the West and his desire for gold.

The episode’s last half hour spirals into a series of heartbreaking and bittersweet events. Jacques tries to kill McKeag in a fit of anger over a dispute regarding beaver traps. After the attack, McKeag leaves Pasquinel and the latter’s Arapaho family. After spending a winter inside a hut encased by a snowdrift, McKeag hooks up with a group of trappers that include Jim Bridger and James Beckwourth. They travel to a rendezvous for other mountain men. There, McKeag has an emotional reunion with Pasquinel. But McKeag’s lingering resentment toward his former partner makes the reunion short-lived. After one last trip to St. Louis, Lise convinces McKeag to reconcile with Pasquinel. Unfortunately, McKeag’s efforts to reconcile with his former partner come too late. Minutes earlier, Pasquinel is attacked and killed by a band of Ute warriors after finding the gold he had sought for so long. Despite the tragedy, McKeag and Clay Basket are now free to be together. And the Scots trapper agrees to claim Lucinda as his own. The episode ended with a shot of the gold nuggets that Pasquinel finally discovered, but failed to claim as his own due to his death. However, that final shot struck an ominous note . . . as conveying to the audience that not only will the nuggets be discovered again, but also bring havoc to the region. Especially for Pasquinel's Arapaho family and other Native Americans.

I must admit that I found ”The Yellow Apron” is probably one of the most bittersweet episodes in this miniseries. And possibly one of the most epic. The latter is not surprising, considering that most of the episode spans nearly fifteen years. But what I really enjoyed about it was that it touched upon an era of the Old West that is rarely covered in Hollywood films or television. I say . . . rarely. There have been movies about trappers and mountain men of the early 19th century, but most Hollywood productions tend to focus upon the West between the 1840s and the 1880s. The episode featured the growing conflict between the Native Americans and whites (both mountain men and the military) that set foot on their lands. This conflict was apparent in an effective scene in which McKeag, Pasquinel and the latter’s Arapaho family visited a fort along the Missouri River, where they clash with a group of hostile American soldiers. Viewers also had an opportunity to enjoy a scene that featured a rendezvous between trappers and traders from many nations and Native Americans. Thanks to some detailed and colorful direction by Virgil W. Vogel, the scene not only went into detail over what transpired at a rendezvous – trading, horse and foot racing, target shooting, singing, dancing, gambling and other activities.

A yellow apron figured into a session of dancing, initiated by a mountain man playing a bag pipe. This incident led to an emotional reunion between Pasquinel and McKeag. Considering the acrimony (at least on McKeag’s part) that led to their separation, watching the two former friends dance away the bitterness proved to be one of the most poignant moments in the entire miniseries. The scene also proved to be one of the finest moments on screen for both Richard Chamberlain and Robert Conrad. In fact, this particular episode provided some of the best acting in the entire miniseries. Not only did Chamberlain and Conrad did some of their best work, so did the likes of Barbara Carrera and Sally Kellerman, who both did excellent jobs in conveying the emotional difficulties in being Pasquinel’s wife. I also have to commend the late Vincent Roberts’ portrayal of Jacques Pasquinel in his early teens. I thought he did a top notch job of conveying the young Jacques’ dislike and resentment toward McKeag without resorting to any over-the-top acting.

Directed by Virgil Vogel, ”The Yellow Apron” is without a doubt, one of my favorite episodes in the miniseries. Personally, I thought it conveyed the complex friendship between Pasquinel and Alexander McKeag with more depth than even ”Only the Rocks Live Forever”. Not only did it boast some first-rate performances, especially from Richard Chamberlain and Robert Conrad, but also provided one of the most memorable scenes in the entire miniseries.

"THE FORBIDDEN KINGDOM" (2008) Photo Gallery

Below is a gallery from the 2008 Jackie Chan/Jet Li fantasy action film:


"THE FORBIDDEN KINGDOM" (2008) Photo Gallery

"Spells, Lies and Remorse" [R] - 6/9

"SPELLS, LIES AND REMORSE"

CHAPTER SIX

The waiter handed Cole and Phoebe, each a menu. "Here you go," he said. "Would you like to order now?"

Cole glanced at Phoebe, who shook her head. He said to the waiter. "Give us a few minutes." The other man nodded, and walked away. A giggle escaped from Phoebe's mouth. Cole stared at her. "What is it?"

"Nothing." Phoebe paused. "Well, this. This is nice. I mean, when was the last time we were here, at the Crab House?"

Cole sighed and allowed the memories to return. "Two years, five months and two weeks ago. Well, to be exact, one week. Right after Piper and Leo's wedding."

Phoebe smiled. "I remember. That was the night we had those pictures taken in a photo booth, here at the Pier."

"Hmmm." Cole took a sip of his water.

Voices from other diners inside the Crab House filled the silence that developed between the couple. Cole took a few more sips of water and averted his gaze to the view of the Golden Gate Bridge, beyond the window. Phoebe finally broke the silence. "It's funny," she said. "I had pasted one of those pictures in the Book of Shadows." Cole glanced at his former wife. "To describe your human half. I had added it after . . ." She paused. "I mean, just before . . . you know, before I became a banshee."

Cole blinked. He knew what Phoebe had meant to say. She had added information about his human side just after Raynor had forced him to kill that witch. "Oh. Is it still there? The picture?" When Phoebe hesitated, Cole quickly guessed the answer to his question. "Well, I hope that you've managed to save the other pictures," he added with a mirthless chuckle. "I'd hate to think that my four dollar investment had turned out to be a waste."

"I'm sorry Cole." Phoebe's head hung low.

A slight frown creased Cole's forehead. "Sorry about what?"

Phoebe sighed. "Everything. For over a year, we had wasted a second chance to be together, because I had allowed my fears to come between us."

"Phoebe . . ."

The middle Charmed One shook her head. "No! Cole . . . don't. I'm tired of running away from the truth. I was so afraid of being evil that I . . . well, I guess I had projected my fears upon you."

"I guess those classes in Psychology have finally paid off," Cole said with another chuckle.

"Cole . . ."

"Look Phoebe, there's an old saying that Elise McNeill once told me. It takes two to break up a marriage. Maybe you and your sisters could have given me the benefit of the doubt. But I should have never made that deal with the Seer. I had suspected that she would trying something . . ." He broke off and stared at the Bridge for the second time. A sigh left his mouth. "I guess that I was afraid of losing you . . . to the Source. Especially after he had used the Hollow to steal Piper and Paige's powers. And when I came back from the Wasteland, I shouldn't have tried so hard to win you back. Perhaps give you some room to breath."

Phoebe absent-mindedly began to play with the sugar bowl. "I guess we both had screwed up."

"Yeah," Cole murmured. "But at least we're friends again." He paused, as if he had received an epiphany. "Or perhaps that was our real problem."

"What do you mean?"

Cole sighed. "Were we ever friends? Even when we loved each other?"

Phoebe opened her mouth to speak. No sound came from her mouth. Instead, she shook her head in a helpless manner.

"I mean, think about it," Cole continued. "The first two months we were together, both of us were lying to each other. We barely knew each other before we first had sex. And after we had started over again before Piper's wedding, we simply jumped back into the romance. We were always doing that."

"People have been known to begin successful relationships without knowing each other very long," Phoebe shot back. Almost resentfully.

Nodding, Cole said, "Perhaps. But did you ever stop to think that . . . well that neither of us were mature or experienced enough to deal with falling in love so fast?"

A pause followed before Phoebe added, "Well, we're friends now."

Cole stared into her dark eyes. Eyes that radiated hope and desire. "Oh."

"Maybe you're right about us moving too fast in our relationship," Phoebe continued. "But . . ." She hesitated. "But can't we start all over again? Just take it a little slow, this time?"

Nine, perhaps ten months ago, Cole would have jumped at Phoebe's offer. But now, he had someone else to consider. Olivia.

Phoebe added, "I realize that you might not want to hear this, Cole. But it seems to me that it's over between you and Olivia. She doesn't seem to want to have anything to do with you. I'm not . . ." Despite the restaurant's low lighting, Cole could see red spots on Phoebe's cheeks. She took a deep breath. "I'm not asking you to jump right into bed with me. But could you think about it? About us being together, again?"

Cole responded in the only manner he could - with a wide-eyed stare.

-----------

"Hey." Paige greeted the oldest Charmed One, as she entered the kitchen the following morning. Piper glanced over her shoulder and coolly returned the younger woman's greeting. Paige winced. She could clearly see that Piper had not forgotten their confrontation over Phoebe's vision. In an attempt to erase the hostility that hung thick inside the kitchen, Paige cheerfully added, "So, where's Wyatt?"

"Upstairs. Fast asleep. I've already fed him." Piper placed several bacon strips into the frying pan. "So is Phoebe. I think. I didn't hear her come in, last night."

Paige said, "I did. She came in about twenty minutes after I did."

"Well, that's a relief."

It did not take a genius to figure out the meaning behind Piper's words. Phoebe arriving home on time could only mean that she did not spend the night with Cole. Paige sighed and sat down in one of the kitchen chairs.

The sizzle of frying bacon filled the air. Piper opened the refrigerator and removed some eggs. "So . . . how did your date go, last night?"

"It wasn't bad . . . at the beginning," Paige replied. After Harry's attempt to read Paul Margolin's thoughts, the mood between the two young witches had sobered. Paige squirmed, while Piper stared at her. "We, uh . . . Harry and I had ran into an unpleasant surprise at the Golden Horn."

With a sneer Piper said, "One of Harry's old girlfriends? Like Dana Morton?" Paige glared at the older woman. Who looked immediately contrite. "Sorry."

"No, it wasn't an old girlfriend," Paige coldly replied. Her anger immediately vanished. "It was Olivia. And Paul Margolin."

"Oh." Piper cracked an egg into a porcelain bowl. "What's so unpleasant about that?"

Paige watched her sister crack more eggs into the bowl. "I don't know, Piper. Maybe it's the idea of Olivia dating a man whom she once described as being dull."

Piper heaved a sigh. Then she turned to face the other woman. "Paige, has it ever occurred to you that Olivia simply had enough of Cole and decided to consider greener pastures?"

"Gee Piper, if Olivia wanted greener pastures that badly, she would have accepted Paul's offer to take things seriously, last April. Don't you think?" Piper rolled her eyes, while Paige continued. "Besides, now that Olivia is giving Cole the cold shoulder, he's running back to Phoebe. Who's welcoming him with open arms."

Piper returned her attention to the eggs. "It won't last," she growled. "Phoebe will soon come to her senses."

"Really? You better hope and pray that both Olivia and Cole does, as well."

"Paige . . ."

But the youngest Charmed One was not finished. "By the way, where's Leo?"

Piper cracked another egg into the bowl. "I don't know. He had left last night to answer a summons from one of his charges. Why?"

"What's the name of this charge?"

Once more, Piper whirled around to stare at Paige. "What are you getting at?"

Paige told her about last night. "After we had spotted Olivia and Paul together, I talked Harry into reading their minds."

"Paige! Are you crazy?"

The younger woman ignored her sister. "I know it was the wrong thing to do. And Harry didn't want to do it - especially read Olivia's mind. He figured that she would detect him. But he did managed to read a little from Paul's mind."

Piper turned away. "I'm not listening to this."

Paige continued. "He heard these words in Paul's thoughts - 'I can't believe it. It really worked. Leo will be . . .' And then a waiter had interrupted." She paused. "I don't know about you, Piper, but I can't help but wonder what Leo has to do with all of this."

-----------

"And I heard this in Paul's mind," Harry said to his family. "'I can't believe it. It really worked. Leo will be . . .' And then he was interrupted." Harry paused, while the other McNeills stared at him in horror. He sighed. "Okay, I realized that you're all disappointed that I had used my telepathy on Paul. I know I am. Hell, I've been beating myself about it, all night."

Gweneth McNeill sighed. "By the way, how did your date with Paige go?"

"It was nice. At first." Harry paused. "Until we saw Olivia and Paul at the Golden Horn." He shook his head in disbelief. "I never realized that underneath all that intelligence and wit was a paranoid and obsessive woman."

A smirk curved Gwenth's mouth. "Well, you must really be attracted to her." Harry shot a dark look at his mother.

Jack McNeill frowned. "What on earth does Leo have to do with Olivia and Paul?"

Harry shrugged his shoulders. "I have no idea. But if Olivia has been acting strange lately . . ."

"You mean her sudden interest in Paul?" Bruce added.

Jack eyed his son suspiciously. "What are you saying? That magic was involved . . . on Leo's part?"

"Leo and Paul."

Barbara shook her head in disbelief. "A whitelighter casting a spell on one of his charges?"

"Actually, Leo hasn't been Olivia's official whitelighter for years," Gweneth reminded her family. "You know how he feels about Cole. And if Paul is involved, then he would be the one to cast a spell upon Olivia."

"Paul Margolin casting a spell on a fellow witch?" The McNeills' elderly matriarch exclaimed. "The Wiccan Boy Scout?" The others stared at her. "Well, isn't that Cole's nickname for him?"

Gweneth rolled her eyes. "Please! Just because Paul believes himself to be the epitome of goodness, it doesn't mean that he is. We all know how he feels about Olivia. And Cole. If his feelings are that strong, it is possible that he would cast such a spell."

Jack asked, "But where does Leo fit into all of this?"

Good question, Harry thought. Hopefully, Paige will eventually find out.

-----------

Cole reached for the digital clock on his nightstand and stared at it. The clock read 8:27 in the morning. He sighed and realized that he had been awake for the past five hours.

After delivering Phoebe to the Prescott Street manor, Cole had stopped by Vorando's for a few drinks. He had hoped to discuss his problems with Riggerio, the daemon who owned the nightclub. But Riggerio was out of town on a business trip. And Marbus had matters to attend with the Gimle Order. After drowning his troubles with a few martinis, he went home and fell asleep for a few hours. A bad dream featuring Olivia and Phoebe had awaken him from his brief slumber.

Following his interrupted sleep, Cole spent the next five hours contemplating Phoebe's suggestion. Start over again? The two of them? Cole considered it, but he realized that his desire to win back Phoebe's hand had faded since meeting Olivia. Granted, he did not allow his life to revolve around the redhead. Olivia would not have tolerated a possessive or clinging lover. And Cole's experiences with Phoebe had ended any desire on his part to repeat his past mistakes. But Olivia had opened new horizons for him. She had allowed him . . . No. She had encouraged him to be his own man. Not the notorious demonic killer that the Source and Raynor wanted, or the perfect man/supernatural vigilante that Phoebe had tried to create. Olivia had wanted to be with Cole Turner aka Belthazor - both the good and the bad.

However, Olivia no longer seemed satisfied with him. She apparently wanted someone like the Wiccan Boy Scout. And it looked as if she finally got what she wanted. Had the last two months spent on the DiMatteo case finally led the two witches to become close, again? It was the only explanation that Cole could consider.

The half-daemon sat up and threw the sheets off him. He donned a pair of black trousers and a gray T-shirt. He decided to give Olivia one last chance to explain what had gone wrong between them. Because he sure as hell had no idea.

Seconds later, Cole beamed out of his bedroom and into the corridor, outside Olivia's apartment. After a brief hesitation, he rang the doorbell. A minute passed before a voice murmured, "Who is it?"

"It's Cole. I want to speak with you."

Two minutes passed before Cole rang the doorbell for the second time. Finally, the door opened and he found himself facing the beautiful redhead. She regarded him with baleful eyes. "What do you want, Cole?"

The half-demon's mouth hung open for a second. Then, "I, uh . . ." He took a deep breath. "Look Olivia, I just want to know . . . What have I done to piss you off?"

Green eyes expressed contempt. "You really are one arrogant bastard, aren't you?"

"What?" Now, what in the hell has he done?

Olivia continued, "You seemed to believe that this is all about you. That my life has to revolve around you. Well, it doesn't . . . Belthazor!" Contempt oozed from her voice, as she uttered his demonic name. Cole winced. "You know, there are other people in my life. People who haven't spent a least a century leaving behind dead innocents like a trail of blown roses."

Now Cole felt confused. "Since when have you ever been bothered by my past?"

"I don't know, Cole. I guess since you had failed to tell us about your uncle," Olivia shot back. "Or the fact that your mother now heads the Thorn Brotherhood."

An exasperated Cole protested, "I didn't know about my mother, until three hours before you did! As for Marbus . . ." He shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. I just never got around to mentioning him."

But Olivia was not listening. Instead, she continued to rant over Cole's habit of harboring secrets. Pretty soon, her rants became accusations. "Or maybe there was another reason why you never mentioned your family." Her green eyes resembled polished stones, as she sneered at him with contempt. "After all, once a daemon, always a daemon. Right Belthazor?"

"Olivia?" Cole shook his head in disbelief. It seemed as if the ghost of Prue Halliwell had taken possession of the redhead.

"I'm sorry Cole, but I don't think our relationship is going to work." Olivia's expression became distant. Cold. "It's over between us." She slammed the door in Cole's face, leaving him stunned . . . and heartbroken.

-----------

Bruce was in a fix. His watch read four thirty-seven and he was already running late. Two days ago, a local historical society had reserved one of the Golden Horn's private rooms for a dinner party. A dinner that was scheduled to begin in over six hours from now. Although he and his kitchen staff had just began to preparation of the food, Bruce discovered that one of his assistants had failed to order several cases of wine for the dinner.

"Shit!" he murmured to himself. He drove his Jaguar into the parking lot of the Wine Cellar, an exclusive liquor store in the Castro District. Since Bruce happened to be a regular customer, he decided to drop by and hope the store's owner could provide an emergency supply of the wine he needed.

After easing his car into a parking space, Bruce climbed out and entered the store. Instead of searching the shelves for the wine, he headed straight for the store's owner. "Emilio! Good afternoon!"

"Bruce!" Emilio Rinaldi, owner of the Wine Cellar, gave the chef a cheerful wave. Then he stared at Bruce with shrewd eyes. "Don't tell me. Let me guess. You have an emergency?"

Bruce hung his head in desperation. "I need a case of wine. Badly. It's for a private dinner party at the Golden Horn."

Emilio asked, "What are the main courses?"

"Beef Wellington and Eggs en Gelee. Along with Peas in Lettuce, Calliflower Polonaise and Tomato Vinaigrette."

Nodding, the storeowner said, "Hmm, this sounds like you'll need several bottles of Cabernet Saivignon."

"Precisely!"

Emilio added, "I'll check my stock. He disappeared through a door that led to the store's cellar. Meanwhile, Bruce stood before the counter. Waiting.

Several minutes passed before a new customer entered the store. Bruce glanced at the front door and was surprised to see Cole. He called out the half-daemon's name.

Cole seemed surprised . . . and a little wary at the sight of the witch. "Bruce," he greeted politely. "Doing a little shopping?"

"It's an emergency," Bruce replied. "For a private dinner I'm preparing at the restaurant." He paused and noted Cole's unhappy demeanor. "So, uh . . . how are you doing?"

A wan smile appeared on Cole's face. "Fine. I'm . . . doing okay. Excuse me." He turned away.

"Hey! Wait a minute! Cole!" The other man paused. Bruce hurried toward him. "Hey, what's going on? You look as if your favorite pet had just died."

A heavy, dry sigh escaped from Cole's mouth. "It's over between us. Olivia and me."

"Look, just because Livy has been acting odd lately . . ."

Cole interrupted. "I just got the official word from her, this morning. As far as she's concerned, we're through."

"Oh." Bruce did not know what to say. He felt tempted to convey his family's suspicions about Leo and Paul. But knowing Cole's bull-by-the-horn nature, Bruce feared that the half-daemon would go after the pair and ruin any chances of them learning the truth behind Olivia's sudden aversion to her now former boyfriend. "I . . . uh, . . . Hey man, I'm sorry to hear that." Bruce paused. "Did she explain why?"

With a shrug, Cole replied, "She had mentioned something about me not telling her about Marbus. And not trusting me." He reached for a bottle of Chardonnay, glanced at it and placed it back on the shelf. "To hell with it," he growled. "I'm not in the mood to waste fifty bucks so I can drown my sorrows in booze. I'll see you later." He turned away and walked out of the store.

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

Phoebe's cell phone rang. She retrieved it from her purse and answered it. "Hello?"

"Phoebe? It's Cole."

"Cole!" The witch perked up at the sound of her ex-husband's voice. "Uh, what are you . . . is there something you want?"

A silent pause followed before Cole answered, "Yeah. Are you free for dinner, tomorrow night?"

Phoebe nearly had a heart attack over Cole's question. "Did you . . .? I mean, yeah! Yes, I'd love to have dinner with you."

"Good. I'll be preparing dinner at my place," Cole continued. "You'll really love it. Can you be here around seven?"

In a voice that rang with happiness, Phoebe replied, "Yeah, sure. I'll be ready. I'll see you tomorrow night?"

"Tomorrow night it is. Good-bye, Phoebe."

"Bye!" Phoebe hung up the telephone. Thrilled over Cole's invitation, she had failed to recognize the melancholy in his voice.


END OF CHAPTER 6

"SENSE AND SENSIBILITY" (2008) Review

"SENSE AND SENSIBILITY" (2008) Review

The year 2008 marked the fourth adaptation of Jane Austen's 1811 novel, "Sense and Sensibility". First aired on the BBC, this three-part miniseries had been adapted by Andrew Davies and directed by John Alexander.

"SENSE AND SENSIBILITY" told the story of the two older of three sisters and their financial and romantic travails in early 19th century England. Elinor and Marianne Dashwood, along with their mother and young sister, Margaret; found themselves homeless and in financial straits following the death of their father. Their elder half-brother, John Dashwood, had promised their father he would financially compensate them, since the Norland Park estate was entailed to the male heir. Unfortunately, John possessed the backbone of jelly and allowed his venal wife Fanny to convince him into withholding any financial assistance from the Dashwood women. Fanny received a shock when her younger brother, Edward Ferrars, paid a visit and ended up becoming romantically involved with Elinor. Before their romance could flourish; Elinor, her sisters and her mother were forced to leave Norland Park. They settled at a cottage in Devon, owned by Mrs. Dashwood’s cousin, Sir John Middleton.

Upon settling in Devon, the Dashwoods became acquainted with the gregarious Sir John, his chilly wife and his equally extroverted mother-in-law, Mrs. Jennings. Marianne attracted the attention of two potential suitors – Sir John’s neighbor and former Army comrade, Colonel Christopher Brandon; and a handsome young blade named John Willoughby. Being seventeen and emotionally volatile, Marianne preferred the handsome Willoughby over the more stoic Colonel Brandon. And Elinor began to wonder if she would ever lay eyes upon Edward Ferrars again.

Unlike Ang Lee and Emma Thompson’s 1995 adaptation of Austen’s novel, John Alexander and Andrew Davies had decided to be a little more faithful to Austen’s novel. They included Lady Middleton, the autocratic Mrs. Ferrars and both Steele sisters – Lucy and Anne – to the story. They also included Edward Ferrars’ brief visit to the Dashwoods’ cottage, the dinner party at Mrs. Ferrars’ London house and a contrite Willoughby’s conversation with Elinor. But for me, being faithful to a literary source does not guarantee a superior production. If Alexander and Davies called themselves creating a production more faithful and superior to the 1995 movie, I do not believe they had succeeded. I am not saying that this ”SENSE AND SENSIBILITY” was a terrible production. On the contrary, I believe it was first-rate. I simply believe that the 1995 movie was a better adaptation.

This three-part miniseries had a lot going for it. Both Davies and Alexander beautifully captured most of the heart of soul of Austen’s tale. And aside from a few scenes, it was wonderfully paced. ”SENSE AND SENSIBILITY” captured the financial and social dilemma faced by the Dashwood females, upon the family patriarch’s death. The miniseries’ style permeated with warmth, solidity and color. The production designs created by James Merifield did an excellent job in sending viewers back to early 19th century England. But I must give kudos to cinematographer Sean Bobbitt, who received a well deserved Emmy nomination for his beautiful photography. The Devon, Hertfordshire and Surrey countryside looked rich and lush in color. I also enjoyed Michele Clapton’s colorful costumes, which earned a BAFTA nomination. Were they historically accurate? I do not know. I am not an expert in early 19th century fashion. However, I do have a question. Was ”SENSE AND SENSIBILITY” set during the decade of 1800-1809? Or was it set between 1810 and 1819? According to the family tree briefly shown in the following photo, the movie was set around 1800-1801:




There were some aspects of ”SENSE AND SENSIBILITY” that did not appeal to me. As much as I had enjoyed Merifield’s production designs, I found it disappointing that the majority of the London sequences featured interior shots. Which meant that viewers failed to get a truly rich view of early 19th century London. But most of my quibbles were about a few scenes that struck me as unnecessary. The miniseries opened with a young couple making love in the candlelight. Viewers easily surmised the identities of the pair – John Willoughby and Colonel Brandon’s young ward, Eliza. Perhaps this was Davies’ way of foreshadowing Willoughby’s character and his near seduction of Marianne. This was the first scene I found unnecessary and heavy-handed. There are some stories in which the use of foreshadowing as a literary device work very well. This particular scene failed to work for me. Another scene that struck me as unnecessary was Edward Ferrars’ brief visit to Barton Cottage. This scene was lifted from the novel and was used to foreshadow Elinor’s discovery of his engagement to Lucy Steele. Again, the use of foreshadow failed to work for me. I would have preferred that the audience’s knowledge of the Edward-Lucy engagement had been revealed as a complete surprise to them, as well as to Elinor.

Two more scenes also failed to impress me. Austen’s novel had hinted a duel between Willoughby and Brandon over the former’s seduction of young Eliza. Davies’ screenplay included the duel, after Willoughby’s rejection of Marianne and the birth of his and Eliza’s child. This duel would have served better following Willoughby’s seduction. In fact, I wish that Davies had not included it at all. For a brief moment, I found myself confused on whether the duel was fought over Eliza or Marianne. The scene also seemed to be an indication of Davies and Alexander’s attempt to inject some overt masculinity into Austen’s tale. The last scene that Davies carried over from the novel featured Willoughby’s expression of remorse to Elinor, over his treatment of Marianne. I must admit that I found that scene a little contrived and unnecessary. Willoughby’s reasons behind his abandonment of Marianne and his embarrassment at the assembly ball seemed pretty obvious to me. And in the 1995 version, the expression on Greg Wise’s face fully expressed Willoughby’s remorse more effectively than any of Austen’s (or Davies’) words.

Despite my misgivings, I must admit that ”SENSE AND SENSIBILITY” possessed a first-rate cast. Both Hattie Morahan and Charity Wakefield gave solid performances as the story’s two heroines – Elinor and Marianne Dashwood. Morahan nicely portrayed the sober and level-headed aspects of Elinor’s personality. Yet at the same time, she conveyed subtle hints of the character’s emotions behind the mask. I found it difficult to believe that Morahan’s Elinor was 19 to 20 years-old in this story. She looked and behaved like a person who was at least 5 to 10 years older. Morahan had a tendency to utilize this ”deer-in-the-headlights” expression, whenever Elinor was surprised. Wakefield gave a decent performance as the volatile Marianne. She portrayed the character as written by Austen – an emotional and thoughtless adolescent with a kind heart. Were young females in their late teens really expected to behave in a mature manner, consistently? My only problem with Wakefield was there were a few moments when her performance seemed mechanical with hardly any style or true skill.

The miniseries received fine support from the likes of Janet Teer as the emotional Mrs. Dashwood, Mark Williams as the jovial Sir John Middleton, Jean Marsh as Mrs. Ferrars, Mark Gatiss as the vacuous John Dashwood and young Lucy Boynton as Margaret Dashwood. In his first scene, Dan Stevens seemed to hint that his interpretation of Edward Ferrars might prove to be a little livelier than past interpretations. It was a hint that failed to flourish. His Edward proved to be just as mild. At least his performance was adequate. When the miniseries first aired in Britain nearly three years ago, the media had declared Dominic Cooper as the new sex symbol of British costume drama. After seeing his performance as John Willoughby, I find this hard to swallow. But he did give a decent performance. There were performances that failed to impress me. One, I had a problem with the Steele sisters. Anna Madeley’s performance as the subtle, yet catty Lucy Steele seemed perfectly fine with me. But I found Daisy Haggard’s broadly comic take on Anne Steele ridiculously overdone. And I never could understand why one Steele sister spoke with a well-bred accent (Lucy) and the other with a regional accent that strongly hinted of the lower classes. Very inconsistent. I also had a problem with Rosanna Lavelle as Sir John’s cold wife, Lady Middleton. She barely seemed to exist. In fact, I never understood why Davies did not follow Emma Thompson’s example by deleting the character altogether. Linda Bassett gave a friendly performance as Mrs. Jennings, Lady Middleton’s mother. But her portrayal lacked that deliciously meddlesome trait that prevailed in Austen’s novel and the 1995 movie. And I also found Bassett’s accent questionable. I could not tell whether her character was from amongst the upper or middle class.

At least two performances in ”SENSE AND SENSIBILITY” managed to impress me. One of those performances belonged to Claire Skinner, who portrayed the Dashwood sisters’ bitchy sister-in-law, Fanny Ferrars Dashwood. Skinner was truly superb as the venal and manipulative Fanny, who seemed more than determined to not only rule her husband, but also make her sisters-in-law miserable for the sake of her ego. My favorite Fanny scene featured that delicious montage in which she wore down John’s determination to help his sisters and stepmother financially. The other outstanding performance came from David Morrissey’s portrayal of the stoic Colonel Brandon. As much as I admire Morrissey’s skills as an actor, I have found some of his performances a little too theatrical at times. I certainly cannot say the same about his performance in ”SENSE AND SENSIBILITY”. He perfectly captured the quiet nuance of his character; and at the same time, expressed Brandon’s passion for Marianne through facial expressions and body language.

”SENSE AND SENSIBILITY” may have been marred by scenes that I found unnecessary, and lacked a witty sense of humor and something of an edge; but it still turned out to be an intelligent and solid adaptation of Austen’s novel. And fans of Austen’s novel can thank Andrew Davies’ script, John Alexander’s direction, Sean Bobbitt’s photography and a solid cast lead by Hattie Morahan and Charity Wakefield.

Top Ten Favorite "AGATHA CHRISTIE'S POIROT" Episodes

Below is a list of my top ten favorite episodes from ITV1's "AGATHA CHRISTIE'S POIROT", which stars David Suchet as Hercule Poirot:


TOP TEN FAVORITE "AGATHA CHRISTIE'S POIROT" EPISODES




1. "Triangle at Rhodes" (1989) - While on holiday on the Greek island of Rhodes, Hercule Poirot stumbles across a love "triangle" and murder, involving two couples.






2. "Problem at Sea" (1989) - While vacationing with Arthur Hastings on a Mediterranean Sea cruise, Poirot investigates the murder of the aggressive and demanding Mrs. Clapperton.






3. "The Plymouth Express" (1991) - Poirot and Hastings investigate the brutal murder of a wealthy Australian's daughter aboard the Plymouth. A forerunner of Christie's 1928 novel, "The Mystery of the Blue Train".






4. "Dead Man's Mirror" (1993) - Poirot and Hastings investigate the murder of the bullying millionaire, who had outbid the Belgian detective on an antique mirror.






5. "The Yellow Iris" (1993) - Poirot's investigation into the death of a British heiress spans from Buenos Aires to London, during a period of two years.






6. "The Case of the Missing Will" (1993) - Poirot investigates the death of a British millionaire and his missing will.






7. "The Adventure of the Egyptian Tomb" (1993) - Poirot and Hastings investigate a series of mysterious deaths related to the opening of the tomb of an ancient Egyptian pharaoh.






8. "The Third Floor Flat" (1989) - A new tenant, who had just moved into Poirot's apartment building, is found murdered.






9. "The Mystery of the Spanish Chest" (1991) - A peeress asks for Poirot's assistance, when she comes to fear for the safety of her unhappily married friend.






10. "The Affair at the Victory Ball" (1991) - Poirot and Hastings investigate the murder of a peer at a costumed event called the Victory Ball, and his connection to an actress with a drug addiction.