The Apothecary Diaries 1.03

The Unsettling Matter of the Spirit

Maomao diagnoses the case of Lady Fuyou, who was rejected by the emperor. Fuyou sleepwalks at night. Both Lady Gokuyou and Jinshi wonder what is wrong with her. The episode ends with Fuyou being sold to a military officer who was her childhood friend.

Jinshi continues to try to charm Maomao but she continues to find him repulsive. Gaoshun, one of Jinshi's assistants, warns her about making faces when she looks at Jinshi.

Thoughts

Maomao didn't actually interact with Fuyou. She only observed her from a distance. It might be inferred from the way this story unfolds that Lady Fuyou engineered her fate. It isn't clear that's the case but the thought did occur to me.

Doctor Who (1963) 13.01.03

Terror of the Zygons - Part Three

Harry gets free from grip that the Zygons have over him. He rushes into their control room and throws himself on the controls. His efforts disrupt their efforts to kill the Doctor using the Skarasen. The signaling device no longer works and the Zygons no longer have a visual on the Doctor. They assume that he must be dead.

Sergeant Benton and some of the other UNIT soldiers search the inn for hidden cameras or microphones. They don't find any but the Zygons catch on to what they are doing thanks to one of the devices in the main room of the inn. Angus, the inn keeper, after Benton and the others have left finds one of the devices but one of the Zygons finds him and kills him before he can tell anyone about it.

Crash Landing on You 1.09

Episode 9

Se-ri is forced to call Jeong-hyuk and tell him that she won't be returning. He tries to reason with her but the call is cut off. He goes home only to find that Cheol-gang and his men are searching the place. Jeong-hyuk attacks Cheol-gang and gets locked up. He calls Seo-dan to see what she had to do with his arrest. She tells him that their wedding is still on and that he will have to remain locked up until the day of the ceremony.

Jeong-hyuk tells his men, when they come to visit him in prison, to let word get out about the identity of his father. They do just that. It isn't long before word spreads to the man who runs the prison. He releases his Jeong-hyuk and gives him a car.

Star Trek (1966) 2.04

Mirror, Mirror

A landing party consisting of Captain Kirk, Lieutenant Commander Scott, Doctor McCoy, and Lieutenant Uhura returns to the Enterprise from the surface of the Halkan homeworld only to find themselves aboard a version of the Enterprise that they don't recognize. Their uniforms have changed. Spock has a beard. Corporal punishment is used to enforce discipline.

Kirk and the rest of the landing party play along until they can get their bearings. They are in a mirror version of the universe they know. Kirk receives orders to wipe out a Halkan city after they refuse to allow the Empire, the mirror version of the Federation, to mine dilithium on the Halkan homeworld. He decides to give the Halkans more time, 12 more hours, to change their minds. Spock and Sulu question the decision but Kirk insists that's how it will be.

Alfred Hitchcock Presents 1.21

Safe Conduct

starring Claire Trevor

written by Andrew Solt

directed by Justus Addiss

American journalist Mary Prescott (Claire Trevor) is returning by train from a country that is behind the Iron Curtain when she meets professional soccer player Jan Gubak. He convinces her to sneak a watch across the border for hum. His sister is in Munich and in need of an operation. The watch is a family heirloom that he hopes to sell once the train gets to Munich in the hopes that the sale will raise enough money to pay for the operation. 

Gubak pulls a fast one and calls her out for trying to smuggle the watch. They are both held by the authorities until it is determined that the watch isn't valuable. They are both released at that point and allowed to get back on the train. Jan stops by to see her again. This time with another item that he wants her to smuggle out. This time it is really something of value, the memoirs of the organizer of an anti-communist group who recently died in prison. 

The Good Place 1.10

Chidi's Choice

Tahani gives Jason a piece of her mind.

Michael tries to work with Chidi but Chidi is so indecisive that it drives Michael bonkers. Eleanor tells  Chidi that she loves him. Tahani, moments later, also tells Chidi that she loves him. Chidi runs away, back to Michael, who tries to help Chidi get over his indecisiveness.

Jason decides he's in love with Janet. The episode ends with them getting married.

Thoughts

There were some flashbacks to Chidi's past which helped to illustrate how indecisive he was when he was alive.

This was a fun one. I'm not sure how they are going to wrap up the season in the next three episodes but i am on board for that.

Amazing Stories 1.05

The Mission

starring Kevin Costner, Casey Siemaszko, Kiefer Sutherland

written by Menno Meyjes, Steven Spielberg

directed by Steven Spielberg

The crew of an American bomber flying a mission (from England during World War II) survives encounters with German airplanes but encounters some difficulty on was home. Jonathan (Casey Siemaszko), the belly gunner, gets trapped in the belly turret due to damage incurred during aerial combat. The landing gear was also damaged and the airplane is running out of fuel. They have enough to make it back to England but they don't have enough to try anything fancy.

The only chance is for the pilot (Kevin Costner) to land the airplane on its belly but while the rest of them should probably survive such a landing, Jonathan would be crushed. They try valiantly to get Jonathan out of the turret without success. In the end Jonathan comes with an unconventional and magical solution.

Adventure Time 5.23

One Last Job

Jake gets a ransom note from someone that is holding Jake Jr. hostage. They explain that if he doesn't get the gang back together and pull one last job, one last heist, then he will never see Jake Jr. again. Jake does what he has to and summons Gareth, the Flying Lettuce Brothers, and Tiffany Oiler. Together they rob the candy vault of the Baker's Shard but all is not as it seems.

Thoughts

Finn is in this episode briefly. Jake doesn't want Finn to know about what he is doing.

I love some of the dialogue. If you listen carefully there are a few lines that sound a bit like cursing.

Steven Universe 1.48

Story for Steven

Steven finds a picture of his Dad with someone he doesn't recognize. Greg tells his son about Marty, his manager, and about how he (Greg) met Rose Quartz, Steven's mother.

Thoughts

Greg had more hair at the time he met Rose.

More backstory. I like it.

Lady Gangster (1942)

Lady Gangster (1942)

starring Faye Emerson, Julie Bishop, Frank Wilcox

based on a play by Dorothy Mackaye

directed by Robert Florey

62 minutes

Unemployed actress Dorothy "Dot" Burton (Faye Emerson) helps a gang of three men to rob a bank.  Something goes wrong during the heist. The men get away but she gets nabbed by the police. They don't have anything concrete to prove that she was in on the job until she finally tells them part of the story. She gets locked up in prison but before she loses her freedom she manages to steal the stolen loot from the gang of three and hide it.

Un Village Français 6.08

Le Procès

or The Trial

Alban prevents Xavier from detonating the explosives in the basement of the school. The representatives of the various factions come together with Bériot presiding and deciding that a court martial must occur that very day to try the 14 members of the militia captured at the school. Bériot appoints Anselme, Antoine, and Suzanne to be the judges and Edmond (leader of the CDL) to be the prosecutor. Bériot convinces Doctor Larcher to be the attorney for the defense by promising him that he will go easy on Hortense.

Rita tries to find food for her son. Edmond says he might be able to find her some food if she joins the communist party. She turns down his offer. She runs into Ezechial Cohen while she is searching for food. He points her in the direction of the black market. She ultimately ends up prostituting herself for food for her son.

The Apothecary Diaries 1.02

Chilly Apothecary

Maomao moves into the household of Gyokuyō. She learns that one of her duties is to taste test all of the food brought to her mistress. Maomao used to test poisons on herself so she isn't terribly concerned about getting ill or dying from most poisons. She makes some suggestions about best practices.

Jinshi tries to keep Maomao in line by flirting with her only to discover that, unlike most women in the Rear Palace, she isn't attracted to him. 

One of her other duties is making drugs. They have her make some food laced with aphrodisiacs.

Doctor Who (1963) 13.01.02

Terror of the Zygons - Part Two

The Doctor rushes to the infirmary but Sarah and Harry have disappeared. The Doctor asks Sister Lamont, the nurse, but she didn't see them leave. The Doctor finds Sarah in a decompression chamber, passed out. Someone locks them both in the decompression chamber while he is trying to revive her. The Doctor puts Sarah in a deep trance to keep her from freaking out. He then places himself in a deep trance and stays like that until Sgt Benton finds them and frees them.

The Zygons take Harry to their base/space ship. They explain a little bit about why they are on Earth and what their plans are before they take him to the body print room and demonstrate how they can use body prints of humans to take on human appearance.

My Royal Nemesis 1.01

The Vixen and the Beast

Royal concubine Kang Dan-sim is sentenced to death. She is forced to drink poison and dies. Her soul leaves her body and travels forward in time 300 years into the body of actress Shin Seo-ri. Dan-sim returns to consciousness in the middle of a shoot of a tv show. The scene is very similar to the one she just experienced, that led to her death. She freaks out and fights back.

It takes her some time to realize that time has passed since she died. She wanders outside the historical section of Seoul, where the shoot is taking place, and finds herself in the 21st century. She has an encounter with Chaebol bad boy Cha Se-gye. His driver almost hit her when she wandered into the street. Cha Se-gye berates her for doing what she did. She attacks him. He fights back, both wielding bouquets of flowers that they have grabbed from a nearby truck. He realizes he is creating a scene and backs off. He gives her his business card, saying that he will pay for her medical bills and then leaves.

Four Star Playhouse 1.14

The Man Who Walked Out on Himself

starring Ronald Colman

written by Milton Merlin

directed by Robert Florey

Cameron (Ronald Colman) is getting ready to divorce his wife. He has met another woman. He spends a lot of time thinking about what he is doing. He notices that he no longer casts a reflection in the mirror. His reflection walked out on him while he had his back turned. He starts to have doubts and then ultimately decides to return home and not get a divorce.

The Good Place 1.09

...Someone Like Me as a Member

Trevor tries to talk Eleanor into leaving the Good Place. Michael tries to talk her into staying. The story behind how the mix up occurred is revealed. Chidi and the other Eleanor get along really well. Eleanor is ready to give in to Trevor but then Michael steps up and refuses to let Trevor take her.

The episode ends with Tahani revealing that she knows Jianyu isn't who he claims to be.

Thoughts

This was an okay episode. I loved the reveal at the ending but it felt like this episode didn't need to be as long as it was.

Star Trek (1966) 2.03

The Changeling

The Enterprise comes in contact with a probe that attacks the ship and almost destroys it. The probe isn't very big and after conversing with the probe it is beamed aboard the Enterprise. The probe calls itself Nomad. It sees humans as inferior and flawed with the exception of Kirk who it mistakes for its creator, Jackson Roykirk.

Nomad gets distracted while exploring Engineering by the sound of Lieutenant Uhura singing. It goes to the bridge and probes her mind. Chief Engineer Scott sees that it is harming Uhura and tries to get it to stop. It kills him. Provided with sufficient knowledge of human biology and Scotty's medical records, it restores him to life. Uhura's memories have been wiped. Nurse Chapel works to get Lieutenant Uhura back up to speed.

A New Leaf (1971)

A New Leaf (1971)

starring Walter Matthau, Elaine May

written and directed by Elaine May

Henry (Walter Matthau) has gone broke. Desperate for money he casts about for rich woman to marry. He winds up with Henrietta Lowell (Elaine May). He is attracted to her money and the fact that she looks like the perfect wife for him. She accepts his marriage proposal and they get married just in time for him to pay off all his debts. He plans to murder her but at the last minute he has a change of heart.

Thoughts

I think I caught the tail end of this movie once on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon in 1980s. I'm pretty sure that this was the first time I have watched it from beginning to end.

The Twilight Zone 1.18

The Last Flight

starring Kenneth Haigh, Alexander Scourby, Simon Scott

written by Richard Matheson

directed by William F. Claxton

Lieutenant William Terrance Decker (Kenneth Haigh) of the Royal Flying Corps passes through a cloud and finds himself transported from 1917 to 1959. He doesn't understand what happened, nor do the US Air Force officers who question him, Major Wilson (Simon Scott) and Brigadier General Harper (Alexander Scourby).

Decker doesn't admit it at first (in front of the general) but later he tells Major Wilson that he's a coward. Just before he arrived in 1959 in abandoned a comrade when they faced overwhelming odds in an aerial fight. Based on some information that Decker gets from Wilson about Mackaye, the comrade he abandoned in 1917, Decker decides that he must go back.

The Makani: Cooking for the Maiko House 1.07

Illness

Kiyo and Sumire stay in Kyoto during the New Year's holiday. Everyone else goes home. Slowly they return to the house. Kiyo makes some traditional New Year's dishes for the resident's of the house, Sumire comes down with a cold. Kiyo goes to extra lengths to make her best friend homemade udon noodle soup with the freshest ingredients. 

Thoughts

I assume that the New Year celebrated in this episode is the Lunar New Year.

This is another good episode. I know I haven't watched this show faithfully every week, which is probably the most that one could expect from me, but I am enjoying it.

Star Trek: The Next Generation 5.17

The Outcast

The crew of the Enterprise assists the J'Naii in locating a shuttlecraft that seems to have vanished. Commander Riker works closely with Soren a J'Naii scientist. The J'Naii are an androgynous, humanoid race. Soren has lots of questions for Riker about human sexuality, while they are working on locating the missing shuttlecraft. They discover that it is trapped within a null space. Together, in one of the Enterprise's shuttlecraft, Riker and Soren chart what can be perceived of the dimensions of the null space.

Stand by Me (1986)

Stand by Me (1986)

starring Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman, Jerry O'Connell, Kiefer Sutherland

directed by Rob Reiner

89 minutes

Four friends (all twelve years of age) go on a trip together to see if they can find the body of one of their classmates. Gordie (Wil Wheaton), Chris (River Phoenix), Teddy (Corey Feldman), and Vern (Jerry O'Connell) take off on a Friday afternoon and follow the railroad tracks from their hometown of Castle Rock, OR to the river where the body is supposed to be. It takes them a little over 24 hours to get there. They have a number of minor adventures along the way.

Steven Universe 1.47

Shirt Club

Stevn draws an image to advertise the fact that his father is giving guitar lassons. Buck, Mayor Dewey's son, gets a hold of the image and talks Steven into making t-shirts with the image on them. Steven thinks it's a great idea until after they distribute them. Everyone loves the t-shirts but they aren't interested in getting guitar lessons from his dad. Steven 

Thoughts

Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl are in this episode but they don't play an important role in it.

This was an okay episode but it didn't really do a lot for me.

Adventure Time 5.22

The Party's Over, Isla de Senorita

Ice King sneaks into Princess Bubblegum's bedroom. He tries kidnapping her but she wakes up and calls for her banana guards. Ice King gets the message, she doesn't appreciate him and leaves. He goes home but then he decides to leave there too. He gets in a row boat and takes off, gets caught in a storm, and washes up on the shore of a deserted island.

He hears a voice singing and discovers that the the island is a woman. She tells him about her boyfriend, Party God. Ice King confronts Party God, away from the island, and kind of helps her to break up with Party God. He then returns to see Princess Bubblegum and tells her that it is over between them.

Un Village Français 6.07

Une explosion

or An Explosion

01 Sep 1944

Anselme is ready to order an attack once everything is in place. Antoine objects. He thinks they should wait. Anselme pulls rank and says that he's in charge. Raoul Germain, Marie's son shows up with some other troops that are brought in to support the planned assault on the school. Anselme and Antoine tell him about what happened. 

Doctor Larcher finds out that Kurt has type O blood. Lucienne objects but Kurt agrees to providing a transfusion to help save De Kervern. The transfusion happens. Kurt has a heart attack but Doctor Larcher manages to revive him. 

The Apothecary Diaries 1.01

Maomao

A young apothecary, Maomao, is kidnapped and sold to the Rear Palace where she becomes one of the many serving girls in a structure populated only by women and eunuchs. She remains a lowly servant until she anonymously uses her knowledge to heal the newborn daughter of Gyokuyō, one of the high ranking concubines of the emperor. Jinshi, the manager of the Rear Palace, tricks Maomao into revealing that she knows how to read and write and then takes her to see Gyokuyō who elevates Maomao to be one of her personal servants.

Thoughts

I watched this episode in Japanese with the English subtitles. I wish that the subtitles were closed captioned. I also wish that they didn't flash by as quickly as they do at times. I watched on my computer because it is easier to pause and rewind than it is on my television.

The Outer Limits (1963) 1.17

Don't Open Until Doomsday

starring Miriam Hopkins, John Hoyt, Russell Collins

writer by Joseph Stefano

directed by Gerd Oswald

Gard Hayden and Vivia Balfour elope. They rush to the justice of the peace (Russell Collins). He marries them and then directs them to the home of Mrs. Kry (Miriam Hopkins). There are no hotels in town and it has a bridal suite. Mrs. Key is more than happy to set them up in the bridal suite. Her husband disappeared just after they god married, 35 years before. She tells them that but she doesn't warn them about the box with the blinking light with the alien inside it.

Solar Opposites 2.01

The Sacred Non-Repeating Number

Korvo has fixed the space ship. They try leaving but there is too much extra weight aboard the space ship so it crashes back on top of the roof of the house. Korvo discovers that there is another family of Shlorpians on Earth. Korvo and Terry find them hiding in the sewers of London. Kabronius Zelvod, Tivo, and Damasculon live in fear of the people of Earth. They only go out at night to scavenge for food. Korvo takes a liking to them. Terry and Jesse do not.

Yumyulak stays behind while the others go to London. He goes back to high school and thinks that the cool kids finally like him. They convince him that they want him to host a party.

Alfred Hitchcock Presents 1.20

And So Died Riabouchinska

starring Claude Rains

written by Ray Bradbury, Mel Dinelli

directed by Robert Stevenson

Police Detective Krovitch discovers something stranger than murder when he investigates the death of a man named Ockham whose body was found in the basement of a theater. Krovitch learns that Ockham was there to see John Fabian (Claude Rains), a ventriloquist. Alice, Fabian's wife, was having an affair with Mel Douglas, his manager. That wasn't why Ockham came to see Fabian or why Ockham was murdered. 

Star Trek (1966) 2.02

Who Mourns for Adonais?

written by Gilbert Ralston

directed by Marc Daniels

The Enterprise is approaching the planet Pollux IV when a huge hand reaches out and grabs the ship. The crew of the Enterprise unsuccessfully tries to break loose. A man's face appears on the view screen. He explains that he wants Captain Kirk to come down to the surface of the planet with some of his officers. Kirk doesn't like it but feeling as though they don't have a choice he complies with the orders.

Captain Kirk, Doctor McCoy, Chief Engineer Scott, Lieutenant Carolyn Palamas, and Ensign Chekov beam down to the surface of Pollux IV. There they are greeted by a man who calls himself Apollo and claims to be one of the Greek gods of old. 

Doctor Who (1963) 13.01.01

Terror of the Zygons - Part One

The Doctor, Sarah Jane Smith, and Harry Sullivan return to Earth. The TARDIS sets down in the wilderness in Scotland. They get a ride to the nearest town from the Duke of Forgill. There they meet up with the Brigadier who explains why he summoned the Doctor back to Earth. A couple North Sea oil rigs belonging to the Hibernia Oil Company have been recently been destroyed under mysterious circumstances.

The Duke of Forgill makes it very clear that he cares nothing for the oil company before leaving. Mr. Huckle, the local manager for the oil company, tells the Doctor, the Brigadier, Sarah, and Harry what he knows about the disasters. He's convinced that something weird is going on. 

Amazing Stories 1.04

Mummy Daddy

starring Tom Harrison

written by Earl Pomerantz, Steven Spielberg

directed by William Dear

Harold (Tom Harrison), an actor, rushes off the set of a movie, Mummy's Kiss, after learning that his wife is about to give birth. Harold doesn't have time to change and is still in full mummy makeup. He gets lost and spooks some of the locals. They come after him thinking that he is a real mummy. Harold bumps into Ra Amin Ka, a real mummy, While running from the mob that wants to kill him. Harold eventually makes it to the hospital about the same time that Ra Amin Ka arrives on set where nobody bats as eyelash at his appearance.

Wonder Woman (2011)

Pilot

Wonder Woman aka Diana Themyscira splits her time between fighting crime and running Themyscira Industries. She goes after businesswoman Veronica Cale after another teenage athlete almost dies after using performance enhancing drugs provided by Cale's company. Cale denies having anything to do with the problems the athletes have experienced. 

Wonder Woman takes a blood sample from a man whom she believes works for Cale. Lab results on the sample turn up negative but Wonder Woman later interrogates the man while he is in the hospital. She learns from him where Cale's lab can be found. he breaks into the lab and fights her way through about 20 men who are there to stop her. The lab gets shut down but Diana Themyscira finds herself under investigation by the Unites States Department of Justice. Leading the investigation in her ex, Steve Trevor who is now married.

Bataan (1943)

Bataan (1943)

starring Robert Taylor, George Murphy, Thomas Mitchell, Lloyd Nolan

directed by Tay Garnett

114 minutes

Sgt Bill Dane (Robert Taylor) leads a team of about a dozen men (two Filipino and the rest American) in early 1942 as they first blow up a bridge (in the Philippines) and then prevent the Japanese from building a new bridge to replace it. The officer in charge let's Dane take run the small unit shortly before he is shot and killed by a Japanese sniper. Dane and the others dig in and do their best to hold their position, as ordered. The superior numbers of the Japanese troops proves to be too much. One by one the men are killed directly or indirectly by the enemy troops. Dane contemplates having the unit pull out but deicides that orders and orders.

The Phil Silvers Show 4.34

The Bilko Boycott

Corporal Henshaw decides he's had enough of Bilko making money off the men in the platoon. Henshaw starts a gamblers anonymous group which is so successful that Bilko has to look elsewhere for victims. He turns to the women stationed at Camp Fremont. He sweet talks his past way past Major Allenby, the commanding officer of the WACs. He doesn't run into any trouble until he goes to collect from the women's barracks and gets trapped there when it is put under quarantine.

Thoughts

I really enjoyed this episode. I like the plot twists and the way the story evolved.

Adventure Time 5.21

The Suitor

Braco the suitor, tries to woo Princess Bubblegum but she is busy with scientific research. Braco is encouraged by Peppermint Butler to keep trying to the point that he gets horribly deformed in the quests he undertakes. Princess Bubblegum isn't interested so, sensing Braco's dogged approach to courting her, she creates a robo-duplicate of herself and sends it off with Braco, who seems satisfied with it.

Thoughts

Finn and Jake show up briefly in this episode.

This was fun and weird which isn't unusual for this show.

The Good Place 1.08

Most Improved Player

Michael evaluates Eleanor to try and determine if she is really there by mistake. He asks Janet to retrieve Eleanor's file but Janet is still in the process of rebooting. No matter what he asks for she brings him a cactus. Michael tries interviewing Eleanor but doesn't find it to be very helpful. He also talks to Tahani and Jianyu. Janet finally finds Eleanor's file.

Michael pulls Eleanor back into his office for another chat and learns about an awful thing she did. He calls the Bad Place and they send Trevor (on a train) for Eleanor. Eleanor is given a few minutes to say goodbye and then is put on the train. Chidi confesses to Michael that he was the one who killed Janet. He also tells Michael that he was helping Eleanor to improve. Michael decides that he needs to evaluate Eleanor again. He pulls her off the train just as it is about to leave the Good Place.

Un Village Français 6.06

Le Groupe

or The Group

Lucienne is very happy to have found Kurt. She does everything she can to keep him alive. She focuses on him to the point that she doesn't notice when the other German soldier, the one Doctor Larcher was brought in to save, dies. She takes Kurt to her bedroom and hides him there. She does her best to change his bandages. Her father finds out about it. He warns her that it won't be good for her if anyone finds out that Kurt is German. She has a plan for how to deal with that.

The Germans who are occupying the school depart very early the next morning. No one sees them leave. The Resistance walks into town, led by De Kervern, Antoine, and Anselme. They run into the militia who are there to get the trucks that Schneider promised them. A gun fight erupts. De Kervern is wounded and taken prisoner. The militia take him to the school which they claim for their own. Doctor Larcher was getting ready to leave but they make him stick around and bandage up De Kervern.