Friday, January 17, 2014

'Almost Human' GifTweetCap: How to Catch a Tracking Bullet

"You Are Here" was a bit out of place, since it was originally supposed to be the second episode in the "Almost Human" series, but was aired as the eighth. That's OK, because it was still one of the best episodes. It was nice to see some of the first days of Kennex/Dorian snark. That is one thing about this show that will never get old.

Near the beginning of the episode, Kennex is in an anger management seminar. The first guy we hear from seems to be hatin' on everything in the group, including their therapist. But Kennex insists that he is doing fine. The therapist insists that he is not telling the truth, what with his girlfriend having been part of the criminal organization that blew off his leg and had his entire team killed. Instead, he projects it all on a poor guy named Marty... because he would definitely want to off himself if he were that poor sap. And then he asks "Anal"... er, "Aneel" how he's doing. Kennex really knows how to lay on the insults to pull the focus away from himself.
The episode opens with a man running for his life, attempting to find a place to hide. He just misses a subway train, and that's when the cops stop him. He frantically tries to explain that his life is in danger, but it's too late; a bullet enters through the glass in the top of the building, and makes its way to the man, killing him.
Kennex and Dorian arrive, showing off some cool tech, highlighted a little better than it had been in previous episodes. The first is the nifty transparent paper that acts as a tablet computer. The next is the virtual crime scene tape that checks the identities of the people who enter through it to ensure they are allowed.
Det. Richard Paul's MX comes up with a highly improbable theory for what went down, suggesting that a single bullet ricocheted to its destination, and just coincidentally hit a man walking by at that moment. Dorian disagrees, explaining that that is no residue from any object from which the bullet could have ricocheted. The MX then suggests that Dorian is an inferior DRN, and should be replaced, causing Kennex to cover the MX's mouth so he can hear the rest of Dorian's theory.
When Kennex removes his hand, the MX just won't shut up in his unemotional beratement of Dorian. Of course, that leaves Kennex with only one option:
Maldonado is pissed beyond belief that Kennex has wasted so much of the department's money, along with firing his weapon in a public place. He insists, however, that the MXs are inferior "bullet catchers," deserving of the same fate as a "broken toaster." Paul is, of course, pissed that Kennex destroyed his MX, and threatens to do the same to Dorian. A short cat fight ensues.
Rudy confirms that Dorian was correct. The single bullet did not ricochet, but had its own power source and tracker, allowing it to find a specific target. The shooting was not due to coincidence and ricochets.
Kira, the girlfriend of Anton, the guy who was shot, doesn't know anything other than the fact that Anton had been distracted. She also has a phone message from him, which she displays for Kennex right on the palm of her hand.
Dorian notices some ads targeted directly to him in the building where Anton and Kira worked together. After a little research (in his own brain), he learns that the ad tracking software created by Anton is the same technology used in the bullet, and the bullet design was stolen by a group known as Revolution Now. Meanwhile, an arms-dealing woman who has the tracking software to match with the special bullet, sets up a new tracking bullet for some customers. She's going to prove that it works by killing Kira!
The arms dealer fires the weapon, but Dorian can sense it coming. He moves Kennex out of the way and takes the bullet!
Dorian's injury leads to a round of hilariousness, in which he is only able to speak Korean until Rudy patches him up. He even sings a little ditty in Korean... until Kennex threatens to shoot Dorian in the face unless Rudy turns off the noise.
Kennex brings Kira and her daughter to safety, but she's under the delusion that she can go to a "Scrubber" to have her memories of Anton erased, and the bad guys will simply let her go free.
She escapes from her safe haven, and heads right to the Scrubber's for some brain-erasin'. Kennex shows up to stop her, but she pushes him away. This must be the first woman in 2048 history who can withstand the Kennex charm.
The arms dealer doesn't care about Kira's memories. She just wants to prove her tracking software, and she doesn't want to waste time or mess around. That won't be happening with our dynamic duo, however. Dorian becomes a "bullet catcher," and takes out the arms dealer while Kennex takes out one of her customers.
Kennex and Dorian had found a safe deposit box belonging to Anton, which contained a blackmail video. The arms dealer was going to kill Kira if he had not given her the tracking software for the bullet. They also found a number on a torn piece of paper. It was Anton's phone number, written with an antiquated pen, and given to Kira. Kira had ripped up the paper, but he kept it as a memento until he won her over. Kira gives the sentimental pen to Kennex.
Earlier, Kennex had been awkward on the phone with Stahl when she said she had something for him. He thought it was a gift, but it was actually information about the case. To make up for it, Stahl later gives Kennex an actual gift: an energy chew. In return, Kennex gives her a note, written in pen. What was written on the note is a mystery we may never learn.
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Wednesday, January 15, 2014

'Grimm' GifTweetCap: Awkward Moments for Hank and Juliette!

"Grimm" makes things personal for Hank in the episode "Eyes of the Beholder," when Zuri (Sharon Leal), Hank's (Russell Hornsby) physical therapist and love interest, becomes involved in his newest case. Hank fans, rejoice, for there are plenty of awesome -- and highly awkward -- Hank moments!
A friendly kid named Jared (Dalpre Grayer) makes plans with Joy (Meredith Adelaide), his waitress girlfriend, as he draws a cute image of her at the diner where she works, and where he now sits.
On his way out, he witnesses a gruesome beating of a Jaguar Wesen (Yaguaraté). He attempts to intervene, only to realize that may not be such a good idea. He takes off just as someone else comes out of the diner, causing the criminals to run off.
Nick (David Giuntoli) and Hank go to the apartment of the owner of the car that was seen driving off just after the crime took place, but Zuri opens the door. Zuri is her middle name, and the car is in her name: Tyler Ellis. She lives with her brother Jared, who arrives home with groceries, and takes off running as soon as he sees the cops. Hank has to pull Zuri away as she attempts to prevent Nick from arresting Jared. Awkward!
Jared is too afraid to say anything, so Nick and Hank try another route: Mercedes (Jen Van Epps), the surviving girlfriend of the man who was beaten to death. When Nick spells out the gory details of what happened to her boyfriend, she goes into woge, then freaks when she sees that Nick is a Grimm. He threatens to come back as a Grimm, rather than a cop, and she spills and tells him the name of the gang that was involved: the Seventh Street Savages.
Rosalee (Bree Turner) straightens Nick and Hank out on the inner workings of Wesen gangs from the time she was a drug addict. Monroe (Silas Weir Mitchell) is a bit surprised, but he didn't used to be so great either!
After the gang breaks into Zuri's apartment while she's on the phone with Hank, Renard (Sasha Roiz) offers to place them in protective custody. Jared decides to go the stupid route when he sneaks a call to his girlfriend, then learns that the gang has kidnapped her. As soon as he shows up at her house, they drag him in. As the gang member known as Dread (Gino Anthony Pesi) is about to kill him, he turns into a jaguar and attacks. He's just a nice kid though, not a killer; he only knocks the guy out.
Jared saves his girlfriend, but the creep wakes up and tries to shoot him this time. Zuri shows up at the last second, woges into a jaguar, and rips the guy's throat out. When Hank and Nick interrupt her feeding frenzy, she sees that Nick is a Grimm, and Hank is not surprised by any of this. Hank pleads with Nick to not arrest her, since she was simply saving her brother the Wesen way. Nick agrees to say they found them that way.
Meanwhile, Nick tells Juliette (Bitsie Tulloch) that her friend Alicia (Alicia Lagano) is a Wesen, but tells her not to say anything, and to "act natural."
Of course, she becomes awkward, and eventually tells her that she knows. Alicia becomes very upset, and decides to leave.
Juliette decides to get some advice from Monroe and Rosalee on what to do, but in doing so, she interrupts a beautiful cello piece by Monroe. Rosalee is in swoon mode until the doorbell rings.
Rosalee explains that it's extremely difficult for Wesen to "come out." Many are highly embarrassed by the prospect. Juliette initially attempts to go slow with it, but becomes frustrated and decides to blow it wide open and tell Alicia that Nick is a Grimm.
As she tries to leave, Nick stops her to attempt an explanation. Just then, Alicia's Klaustreich Wesen (alley cat) nut job husband Joe (Tom Walton) walks up and decks Nick, knocking him out with a single punch. So much for those souped-up zombie-Grimm powers!
Joe knocks Alicia and Juliette around a bit, but Juliette fights through it all. At one point, she hits him with a frying pan. He goes into woge in order to frighten her, but she shows him she's not impressed and hits him again. Then she really gets her ninja on, eventually hitting him with enough objects to get him on the ground. Seeing Juliette turn the fight in her direction, Alicia finally feels powerful enough to join in until he's pretty well incapacitated.
Then Nick comes in while Joe is still in woge, and Joe freaks out, seeing that Nick is a Grimm. Nick finally arrests the bastard.
Alicia finally realizes that Nick and Juliette just want to help, and she goes full woge in front of Juliette to show her true Wesen self, in all its adorable glory. Juliette immediately goes in for the reassuring hug.
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Tuesday, January 14, 2014

'Elementary' GifTweetCap: Bell is Back!

"Elementary" brings back Bell for the episode "All in the Family." Many fans worried that Bell may be back simply to say goodbye, and we didn't find out whether he was back for good until the end. Bell is a well-loved, fan-favorite character, so the episode really built up a great deal of stress in fans until the end.
The episode opens with Sherlock and Watson all dressed up, confronting a suspect.

It's actually a mini-case, wherein the owner of an art exhibit believed there was about to be a theft at the opening.  Sherlock solves the heist by demanding to see the suspect's leg. The goods are hidden in a secret compartment within the leg. Sherlock's new police collaborator, Det. Nash, manages to take all the credit for himself without doing any of the work, frustrating Sherlock and Watson to no end.
Meanwhile, Bell is working his new job counterterrorism job with the Demographic unit, and is called out to check some mysterious barrels that have shown up out of nowhere. Bell quickly finds a headless torso in one of the barrels.
Sherlock and Watson are soon on the case. The victim, "Handsome Bobby Pardillo," had been in the mob. His father says they stayed out of sight lately, communicating through email that appeared to be insurance spam. He also seems especially upset that his son did not have a proper burial.
Sherlock offers to work half the time for Demographics, which infuriates Bell. He still hasn't forgiven Sherlock for indirectly causing his injury, and Sherlock just rubs it in, calling Bell a "number cruncher."
Sherlock deduces that the killer is left-handed, which lines up with what Watson had found. Using her knowledge of the mob from when she followed the mob families as if they were a soap opera back when she was a kid, she comes up with a possible killer: a left-handed man named Dante Scalice. Watson and Sherlock start their investigation into him by digging through his trash. Looks as if Sherlock takes the paper trash, while Watson takes the dirty trash.

Scalice catches them snooping, and asks them to leave. As they are leaving, he hops into his car and.... BOOM!

Turns out the NSA was pulling the emails and phone records between Handsome Bobby and his father using PRISM, and sending them off to Scalice so he could triangulate the son's location and kill him. The NSA guy who Sherlock knows to be responsible refuses to help on that score, so Sherlock offers to subscribe him to "plushie" newsletters. Either way, they have proof that Scalise killed Bobby. Scalise's cupboard contains Bobby's head, dissolved in battery acid in a bucket.
In order to find Scalise's killer, Sherlock tests out the explosive used in the car bomb... in his freezer, giving Watson a near heart-attack.
Unfortunately, working with explosives can make it difficult to reach for a ringing cell phone.
A NSA agent meets with Sherlock to inform him that DeSilva, Bell's boss at Demographics, was the person who requested the emails and documents that were later sent to Scalice. When he informs Bell that his boss may be dirty, Bell just about loses it. They have a huge argument in which Sherlock gives Bell some tough love, and tells him about his drug addiction.
Bell finally considers the idea that his boss may be crooked, and proves that he is with just a little snooping. It turns out that DeSilva set the whole thing up. He wanted a mob war because he had been helping the Pardillo family for many years. The construction union has as well, but a new union election would throw all of his dealings out in the open because the new union rep is a reformist. With a mob war (and possibly the death of the leader, papa Pardillo), those dealings would never surface.
Bell tricks his boss by telling him the car bomb has been tracked to Pardillo, and that Gregson will be bringing him in soon. Da Silva calls up Pardillo to meet, and is arrested when the cops catch him preparing to murder Pardillo.
At the end of the episode, Bell moves back to his desk, while the arrogant Det. Nash moves back to where he came from.
Capping it off, Bell gives a nod of approval when he spots Sherlock and Watson walking past. Ahh, everything is back to normal!
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