Forever, Season 1, Episode 22: The Last Death of Henry Morgan

I’m not loving this episode title. Not loving it at all. Don’t do this Forever.

In an archive, a woman is checking a delivery, an ancient Roman Gladius (the weapon that killed Adam?). She cuts herself on it… and then we cut to her dead body being found by Jo and Hanson

And Lucas desperately trying to fill Henry’s shoes. Badly. Henry isn’t there because he’s at Abigail’s funeral - something Jo didn’t know

To that deeply touching funeral and Henry doing his best not to fall apart and declaring vengeance against Adam. Eternal vengeance. Literally. We also launch this week’s flashbacks to 1945, Henry and Abigail all happy - and Henry learning that Abigail had an abusive past before meeting them

So to the case and Henry does his Sherlock thing and they identify Blair Dryden who worked in an antiquities museum. To the museum and Diane Clarke, the head curator. Of course Henry goes as well, do we even have to pretend to be surprised by this point?

Henry does his investigating thing and discovers an old roman knife is missing - and of course he thinks of Adam. Hopes for revenge raises its ugly head. Henry runs to see Abe while Adam watches from a distance looking all ominous

Abe hears Adam’s theory about the weapon that can kill them - and quickly locks up Henry’s antique gun which fired the bullet that killed him. He’s also not that happy that Henry decided to keep that gun around - realising that when he is dead there’s a good chance that Henry would also kill himself. Coupled with Henry saying Abigail saved him, Abe repeats what he’s said before - Henry needs someone.

Hanson is all kind of geeky about ancient weapons calling himself practically an expert - though Reece would prefer a real one. And the real one would be Henry, of course. So it’s off to see a Mr. Griffin, an expert in ancient weapons who Blair spoke to. Also played by John Noble so everything just got 56% more creepy and 24% more sinister.

He reveals the knife that Blair found was one of the daggers that killed Caesar. And that it’s supposed to be cursed. Next step is Blair’s fiance, Duane, who they just learn about. Interviewing him they learn about a fake mugging (well… actual mugging) that Duane’s friend Xander pulled on Blair to steal the dagger (in that he actually did steal from her with violence it really is an ACTUAL mugging. Oh Blair, this guy was not a keeper).

Forever, Season 1, Episode 21: The Night In Question

Henry is all introspective over a picture of Abigail and reflective of the fact that she left him and now Abe found where she went. He was amazed that she was “so close all these years” but the much more reality – and aging – Abe did point out that since Abigail was in her 70s when she left, she’s almost certainly dead and has been for a very long time.

They decide to go to her old address (and am I the only one who finds it ridiculously cute every time Abe call Henry “dad”?)

At the police station Jo tells Hanson that her trip to Paris – and her whole relationship with          has fallen through. So she’s not taking time off which is a shame because Hanson booked a family holiday to coincide with her days off. And when she goes to the morgue she hears from Lucas that Henry has also taken time off. Lucas babbles about and Jo, in another hint of the relationship tension between her and Henry, wonders if Henry took time off because of her. Lucas, never able to keep a secret, tells her about the research he did for Abe to find Abigail

Henry and Abe do find Abigail’s isolated home but the landlady there says that Abigail disappeared there as well. Memories raised lead to a flashback of Henry, Abigail and baby Abe first arriving in New York.

Less romantically and prettily, in the present Henry recognises a gravesite among the flower beds. He digs and finds a skull. They call the police and the sheriff isn’t entirely helpful but when Jo arrives he’s happy to let them have the old bones. In the grave they find Abigail’s keychain.

Henry is, of course, devastated but equally tries to hide it – he can’t let Jo or Lucas realise who Abigail was to him. Even as Lucas brutally describes how Abigail was probably murdered based on her remains – but he also finds that the victim was no older than 20. This isn’t Abigail’s body. He hurries home to tell Abe much to their mutual relief.

Still, the murder and burial in Abigail’s garden could easily be related to Abigail’s second disappearance.

So one victim ID later (Belinda) and proof she had a medical professional help with injuries (possibly Abigail’s involvement), Jo and Henry are on the case with some nice, sweet not-quite flirting. They confirm at the hospital where Belinda was treated that Abigail was the nurse who helped her.

They interview an old nurse there who remembers Abigail – who just disappeared. She also remembers Abigail treating Belinda the night before she left. Abigail noted Belinda was a victim of domestic violence and took her home with her. She also recognises the name of the man, Teddy Graves, who checked her in

He’s a judge. To his court room to question him just after court. I think he may object to the location. He explains he helped Belinda after she fell at a party (he was a college student at the time). Henry being Henry he accuses the judge of drunk driving and Belinda being injured in a car crash when he hit a motorcycle (a motorcyclist hurt in a hit and run was admitted the same night). Oh and the judge murdered Belinda to keep it quiet

The judge isn’t impressed by wild accusations without evidence.

Of course Reece is also not happy with her ridiculous antics – let alone a 30 year old cold case in a different jurisdiction. So no official investigation. Thankfully Hanson is going to that area and will ask some questions about the motorcyclist the judge ran over.

He learns that the medical file for the motorcyclist has disappeared (and we see Hanson’s kids!)

Lucas has also done some digging (I love Abe “we do not deal in stolen antiques!” followed by “what have you got?” in a whisper). Lucas has brought all the soil from Belinda’s grave to examine. So Henry introduces him to his lab in the basement.

Lucas “whoa you have your own lair.” Oh so perfect.

Forever, Season 1, Episode 20: Best Foot Forward

A ballet troupe gathers before a performance to commemorate a ballerina’s, Odessa’s, last performance. Despite the praise it’s clear she isn’t happy about this and is being forced into it by the director Dmitri who talks about the “pain in her movements” showing – suggesting she is ill or injured.

Eva, Dmitri’s “New princess”, as Odessa calls her goes missing during the performance – and her severed foot is found.

Over to henry who has managed a completely impossible job of restoring the gun that killed him – seriously he must have replaced most of those parts. While he thinks about the now working gun that may end his immortality, Abraham has gone back to trying to find Abigail. Both keep this a secret from each other. Both know it. Both don’t pry for fear of the other prying.

Alas, severed feet interrupts Jo’s date with Isaac and she and Henry go to the crime scene (with Henry all fuzzy and happy that Jo’s so happy because she’s been spending time with Isaac). Naturally Henry can tell a million things from the severed foot – including that the foot was removed while Eva was alive. They haven’t found the rest of her body

Back to the police station and Hanson remarks how odd it is for Eva to become a ballerina when she came from such an extremely poor slum in Cuba but Reece comments that it’s not odd, it’s impressive, with Jo noting that Eva was about to become the first Prima ballerina of Cuban descent (which isn’t entirely true).

In the morgue, Henry and Lucas examine the many injuries and conditions on Eva’s foot, reflecting the severe rigors of ballet training. With little other evidence than rug fibres, Jo decides to take Henry to interview Eva’s brother, of course she does.

He reveals that Eva had a stalker and information about Eva’s car – which they then find with no body but with a copious blood stain. And the possibility that Eva may still be alive.

To the ballet company where Dmitri reveals that Eva was replacing Odessa and that Odessa’s retirement wasn’t entirely voluntary but due to the accumulated injuries of being a ballerina. Hanson finds a threat on Eva’s mirror. They go see Odessa and find some menacing looking guys Jo and Hanson assume are Russian mob – one of which showing signs of having been pepper sprayed recently (Eva had a half empty can of pepper spray).

Interviews follow in which Odessa admits to having Sergei follow Eva – but only to distract her, never to touch her. Following the clues they give they find a note which in turn suggests Eva had a lover who she met at a hotel room. There they find more blood stains. They find Eva – still alive.

They get her to a hospital and ask her brother, Javier, about anyone Eva might have gone to meet. He doesn’t believe she would hide that from him.

So time to check out the ballet dancer she was dancing with – and there Henry finds a ballerina injecting an injured foot – he advises her to use ice and rest but she points out that none of them do what is healthy – they do what they must to be the best.

Forever, Season 1, Episode 19: Punk is Dead

Abraham and Henry eat dinner (their dinner scenes are always awesome) while discussing Jo’s dating Isaac including Abraham’s arch comment “At least she’s getting back out there.” Unlike, of course, Henry.

Jo’s date with Isaac involves going to The Track Bar, a punk bar which Jo is a huge fan of and duly impressed when Isaac reveals he owns it… at least until she realises he plans to tear it down and build a hotel. She speaks in defence – until she sees people taking drugs and Isaac has to stop her going all cop mode.

At least until they find a body in the wall. Now she can be a cop.

Back to the morgue for snark, science and Lucas – and getting a call from a man who wants to know who the body is – because he’s in prison for killing her.

Investigation time – the man in prison is called Eddie and Lt. Reece remembers the case as she was a beat cop at the time. She tells them that he was a violent man and that included attacking his girlfriend, Lucy. Despite that she wasn’t happy about the case, the police presented them as “worthless junkies” and didn’t exactly perform a thorough investigation – and the jury convicted. The DA would like the case done with quickly, Reece, because she’s awesome, wants them to take their time, be thorough – and bring in Henry.

Which is how Henry gets to go interview Eddie with Jo and Eddie is visibly upset even as Jo points out the evidence doesn’t exactly exonerate him.

More morguing (poor Lucas) and Jo arrives with some bad news – Eddie is signing a guilty plea with the DA to help get the whole thing swept under the rug. He gets let out on time served and the case stays out of the media. Of course Henry doesn’t stand for that and goers to tell Eddie – Eddie learns he will go free but if that happens the police will stop looking for who did it. He refuses to sign

More investigating (including finding a lot of drug money in Lucy’s jacket) and off to interview a photographer who covered the bar (now photographing kiddies). He goes point them to a guy named Farrell – who is up to his neck in a hundred serious cases and Reece makes it clear that they cannot possibly involve him for fear of jeopardising these cases. She expressly forbids any of her police from investigating him

Forever, Season 1, Episode 18: Dead Men Tell Long Tales

I don’t know what it is with Forever’s scheduling, it’s so random it could be on Fox. If it gets any worse it could be called Firefly (I’m not bitter)

Amusingly, a sailor tells his crew to be quiet about the treasure they’ve just found – conveniently expositioning that they’d found treasure. The guy gets stabbed, probably for being too gabby while telling everyone to keep shtum.

Time to catch up with Abe and Henry snaking over Henry’s many stories and how Abe can quote them back to him. Jo drops in to take him to the murder because apparently dead bodies aren’t urgent enough to warrant using the phone.

The dead man is Rick, he has been killed with a harpoon and everyone is delightfully snarky. The autopsy not only confirms that being impaled with a harpoon is deadly, but also that Rick has been diving lately and since his job is to salvage wrecks, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out what he was doing. They also find that he found gold which means Lucas now simply has to do a pirate impression. I can sympathise, so would I.

To his warehouse - and of course Henry goes with them, crime dramas never confine pathologists to the morgue or doing their job (it could be worse, he could be Nikki Alexander). They find the latest artefacts Rick has salvaged – it’s from the slave ship that Henry was on when he first died.

Henry goes back to Abe, shaken, in part because the ship was found far from where it should be. And after previously talking about all of the stories Henry has told, Abe pokes him about keeping this one, his first death, so quiet. Henry’s secrecy is because the ship was owned by his family. Flashback time, in which Henry tried to help the slaves escape and take over the ship.

He failed, of course, and this causes him considerable guilt weasels, especially since the ship went down and everyone on board died. He also considers himself cursed – despite his general disbelief in woo-woo, except his own immortality.

To Rick’s memorial at the bar where Henry’s genius identifies 2 guys who were on Rick’s ship and his bothering the bartender highlights her as suspicious as well. Time for arrest and questioning where they learn that only Rick knew where the gold was hidden. Henry is part of the questioning and he is far more focused in the condition of the ship and how it sunk than he is in learning about Rick’s murder. Lt. Reece quickly calls shenanigans and sidelines Henry.

Forbidden from the investigation, Henry and Abe break in to Rick’s warehouse. Of course they do. There they find the shot body of the slave Henry tried to rescue before someone else breaks in and starts causing a bit of havoc around the place. Of course Henry intervenes which is foolish because, naturally, Jo and Hanson are watching the warehouse. Everyone who broke into the warehouse is arrested

Including Henry and Abe. Or they would have been if Jo hadn’t covered for them – though she wants an explanation and she isn’t buying the fact his obsession is linked to the murder. His excuse is pretty flimsy and Jo gently pokes him to get his head back in the game and on the case.

They question the other guy who broke in, George,he’s an old friend of Rick’s who was cut out of finding the ship because he objected to trying after they lost a diver on their first attempt (the ship, the Empress of Africa, was too deep). They also learn that Rick had a rich investor – because without one he wouldn’t have been able to reach such a deep sunk ship.

Henry keeps investigating the dead slave when he and Lucas realise that he had been buried in a coffin – which wasn’t the fate of dead slaves on a slave ship.

Forever, Season 1, Episode 17: Social Engineering

Theme setting – lots of people using mobile phones before we move to a news interview of a man, Lawrence Creef who is both CEO of a major company and a candidate for undersecretary of defence which sounds absolutely awful. The interview is hacked by someone who agrees with me exposing some of his corruption

Henry brings up this theme of the week – new modes of communication and how lies, wars and murders still happen. Before breakfast with Abraham who basically explains the concept of the Faceless (basically, Anonymous) to Henry along with Hactivism. Henry snarks at the idea of crusaders for the truth wearing masks which is ridiculously naïve for a man of his age and we get hints of Abraham’s own activist past (and mocking Henry’s technological ineptitude)

Anyway, murder time – the victim is Eric Shaw, dead from asphyxiation (which Henry annoyedly points out to Lucas who missed it – harsh Henry, or high expectations Henry?), Henry smells gas – and when the man’s alarm comes on not only does it turn on every electronic in the flat, but also the gas.

Personally I think this would be a bad way to commit murder – you turn on the gas just as he wakes up in time to smell it and do something about it?

The thermostat can be activated remotely so it’s possible that was just hacked and it wasn’t the worst trap ever. They also find a Faceless mask. Lucas is terrified and tries to leave, rather not having all his secrets leaked to the world.

Back at the station, two police from cybercrimes division get involved (and call Faceless “cyberterrorists”) and they’re super condescending towards Jo and Hanson and want the two to leave the investigation to them.

Jo isn’t impressed. But when she goes to see Henry he doesn’t have much to add (beyond Eric’s last meal) but they decide to experiment with gas for fun and while waiting for that they discuss worst way to die. A subject that Henry is an expert in which is a little disturbing of course. Jo wants to know why Henry is so obsessed with death – and he gives the answer that he likes solving puzzles which is plausible. She asks if he wants to live forever.

They do find that there is no way that the gas would have killed him in the time frame discovered.

Back to the morgue where Henry shaves Eric – where it looks like someone held a hand over his mouth (marks hidden by the beard).

At the same time Hanson lurks around the computer experts find the computer that released the gas and arrest Lawrence Creef. Of course, being with a remote computer is actually an alibi since it proves he wasn’t on hand to suffocate Eric.

Forever, Season 1, Episode 16: Memories of Murder

We have a woman setting up to meet someone, putting in lots of effort – when her phone rings. She’s hidden it and quickly snatches it up and argues with the person on the other end who apparently keeps calling her. The door opens and she drops the phone and apologises to the person joining her

And we cut to a crime scene in a dump by the river and her murdered body. Jo and Hanson snark (her crime scenes are always in nice places, his always dumps). Jo notes the woman’s clothes and hair are very 70s. Hanson and Joe continue to snark – they should snark more often.

Over to Henry and Abraham and Abraham digging up a lot of sentimental stuff from his attic which he doesn’t value very much (like bronzed child booties) and, much more poignantly, Abigail’s cookbook; Abraham quickly pulls back his “junk” comments. This brings us to this week’s theme and Henry’s voice over – nostalgia, remembering or forgetting the past

To the morgue and examining 70s lady’s body and Henry gets all Henry-ish about her perfectly period she is – not only looking 70s but using genuine 70s products, some of which are discontinued or banned. He concludes, with the photographs, that she’s the object of someone’s obsessive fantasy

Jo fills in Reece so we can have a bit more snark (more snark!) and then Henry and Jo go off to interview the dead woman’s, Sarah, room mate. Jennifer mentions how Sarah had changed, becoming secretive and obsessed with one class, dropping the rest

To that course where there’s a lecture of sexual fantasies – led by Iona, Molly, professor Dawes; the dominatrix. Henry is full on I’m-going-to-be-professionaly-while-being-transparently-into-you.

They talk to her about Sarah and Molly tells them Sarah asked some advice about being in an unconventional roleplay relationship.

Lucas and Hanson examine the crime scene (and are actually kind of fun together) and get an address from some mail – so off Henry and Jo go and find a flat that’s a 70s time capsule. Complete with blood stain. There’s also an old polaroid, one actually from the 70s, of a woman who looks a lot like Sarah even wearing the same dress.

Time for some more Henry and Abraham moments – Abraham teasing Henry about his love life and a flashback to Henry and Abigail – but long after the war, when Abigail was no longer a young woman and Henry still looked young. Abigail was very self-conscious about what people would think seeing them together.

Back to the investigation and they find a video – an audition video – from Sarah to whoever was fantasising over her. Henry keeps pushing to have Molly involved which is kind of cute, especially with Jo being all knowing and indulgent over it. So consulting and flirting time and making the not particularly surprising conclusion that the fantasy is about recreating a memory – which has them analysing more details in the audition video and Henry’s mega-memory and experience suggesting a date and time.

The Use of Atrocities in Fantasy

© 2012 Tim Sheerman-Chase, Flickr | CC-BY | via Wylio

We live in a world that has been - and continues to be - blighted by horrific atrocities. From brutal, widescale violence, to vast natural disasters, to horrendous wars to unthinkable abuse and cruelty inflicted over and over again, our world and our history has some terrible scars.

It is only natural that some of those scars will be reflected in the media - indeed, many of our shows and books are set in worlds and settings ravaged by war, evil and atrocity on a grand scale. But there is a difference between depicting a generic, fictional atrocity - and depicting, drawing on or, all too often, appropriating an actual real life atrocity.

When drawing on an actual atrocity, our first question must be “why?” Why is this being depicted? And there are certainly good reasons - many people have lived through these devastating atrocities and it can be insulting and erasing to remove this from their history. Similarly, there are places and times when/where these events happens - to not include them is to disrespectfully edit history, often at the demands of nostalgia.

There are other reasons to depict these atrocities - because they shouldn’t be forgotten, they should be part of our social consciousness, they should be there for us to remember, be affected by, understand and, I naively hope, learn from.

So, yes, we can see, accept and even praise some depictions of these atrocities - and we have done so. Like on Forever we see how Abe, as a Holocaust survivor, has been shaped by that terrible atrocity and how that also touched on Henry and Abigail’s story - but without having to have Henry heroically tackle Goebbels or imply that secret immortals were behind events or anything equally ludicrous.

The Originals had Marcel fight in the First World War, both showing the horrors of war and, specifically, how racism exacerbated the plight of Black American soldiers who were sent over to be little more than cannon fodder. Again, there was no dismissing the importance, the horror or the wrongness of the events, nor any attempt to ascribe them all to supernatural cause. The atrocity was invoked respectfully and with reason.

Even True Blood, for all this genre’s love of romanticising the antebellum south and civil war, had Bill Crompton harshly describe the abject horrors of conflict to an audience of people who were invested in sugar coating the past.

But what singles these examples out for praise is how they have used the atrocities they referenced. They have a reason to be there, they are integral parts of the plot or characterisation and they are treated as respect. They’re not used for entertainment or shock value or dramatic influence or, perhaps most disrespectfully of all, one off references to be discarded at will. Nor is there any attempt to edit history to make woo-woo a driving force or major element of these atrocities. It doesn’t take woo-woo to make an atrocity, alas, quite mundane humanity is more than capable.

Alas, there are many shows that don’t have close to that level of respect

In episode nine, of this season’s Walking Dead, the genocide in Rwanda was invoked. We were told that no matter how ugly the news was, Tyreese never turned off because someone had to bear witness.  The following radio report was read by Andrew Lincoln:

“At least 68 citizens of the republic have been killed in four deadly attacks along the main coastal district. The group has continued their campaign of random violence, moving across the countryside unfettered with the republic’s military forces in disarray … There have been troubling reports of cannibalism having broken out in refugee camps along the republic’s transportation corridor. And despite the string of victories by rebel forces, there are disturbing reports of increasing the brutality of their tactics including the wholesale destruction of villages, burning down local prisons, targeting of civilians, and even the widespread mutilation of children and young mothers.”

Over a period of 4 months in 1994, 70% of the Tutsi population was killed in Rwanada.  Between 500,000–1,000,000 Rwandans were killed.  This world event had long lasting consequences, not only for Rwanda but for surrounding countries.  To be clear, The Walking Dead is pure fiction and while the story is at times horrifying as it portrays human depravity, desperation and death on a mass scale, it’s still fiction.  To invoke something as serious as the Rwandan genocide and then juxtapose that to a fake zombie apocalypse is the height of disrespect for this terrible time in human history.

On Constantine, a man possessed by a hunger demon is linked to a famine in Sudan, not some generic famine or mentioning that this demon caused starvation; but actually a specific atrocity (or series of devastating acts, sadly, since Sudan is still at risk of famine). The 1998 famine in Sudan, alone, caused the death of over 70,000 people and the displacement of many more. Yet this devastating loss of life is used as nothing more than a prologue for this week’s demon; worse, this human-exacerbated disaster is implied to be of supernatural origin.

Forever, Season 1, Episode 15: The King of Columbus Circle

There’s a busy line in an embassy (Ukesh? Urkesh? I’m fairly certain it’s a fictional country) with people applying for visas – all seems normal until, when asked his reason for visiting, one man (Armen Aronov – and they seem quite focused on his name) says he is there to die. Which is rather derailing. She runs to her boss stunned by who is applying for a travel visa.

Armen then goes to feed the pigeons and has a heart attack – so his travel plans are, we assume, curtailed.

And breakfast at Henry’s house (Henry and Abe breakfast with the excellent synchronicity of people who have eaten together thousands of times) and Abe is looking up people who share his newly discovered surname, looking for relatives. Abe is really excited about finding his family (which Henry respects) but takes a step back to assure Henry that there’s no doubt in his mind who his father is. this wonderful family moment is, if anything, ruined by Henry’s voice over about family trees.

Anyway, Henry is called in to Armen’s death but Hanson and Jo point out it’s not actually a murder and a rookie cop called it in by mistake – Armen had lung cancer. But Henry sees an odd operation scar and decides he wants analyse it anyway.

This lead to some flashbacks of Henry and his wife Abigail, going on a holiday by train back in the past after World War 2, briefly discussing having a baby (Henry is opposed) and a boy with appendicitis who Henry has to operate on in very amateurish conditions. The implication is the boy is a young Armen with ominous foreign agents threatening him with dire consequences if Armen doesn’t live because he is the son of the king and heir to the throne of Ukesh.

Back to the present and the morgue and a woman barging in claiming Armen as her husband and confirms that Armen is the king of Ukesh. Henry talks to her in Russian, of course (Jo says, very on point, that a person would have to live 10 lives to pick up what he has. Oh Forever don’t get cute about not telling Jo the big secret).

This talk of heirs and kings lead to Henry going back to the shop, sneaking out some objects and asking if Abe never wanted children or a legacy – Henry reflects but decides that being part of Henry’s immortal life ensures some level of legacy anyway. The ring Henry picked up is the Urkesh royal ring he wants to return. He goes to see Armen’s wife and, in the course of the conversation, he learns that Armen wasn’t been treated for cancer. Which is a lead because Henry recognised the signs of radiation exposure – and assumed radiation therapy – on the body.

Jo, Hanson and Lt Reece (I missed her!) exposition this fictional country – the king was deposed, his family slaughtered and he was living in exile. Reece would like to have the whole death be declared the natural causes it seems to be (and so definitely won’t be) and have it all settled before an international incident makes everything unpleasantly dramatic.

Which means no-one is thrilled when Henry dramatically calls the death an assassination.

Forever Season 1, Episode 14: Hitler on the Half-Shell

Abe is getting a medical for his life insurance – and the nice doctor offers Henry a deal as well. Henry is not really in the market for life insurance (Abe finds it immensely amusing). More poignantly, she asks about Henry’s family’s medical history and he tells her his parents died when he was born and she sees the numbers tattooed on his arm in the Nazi concentration camp. This leads to a classic Henry monologue, this about apologies and old wounds, some of which never heal.

Henry offers again to search to see if there are any records of Abe’s biological parents, but without a last name there’s little they can do.

Murder scene time! And Henry is captivated by art much to Hanson and Jo’s wry amusement. The murder victim is a Karl Hass, an art dealer who has had several paintings stolen as well. He was bludgeoned by a heavy object marked with a swastika. The same swastika as is on the bottom of the statue Henry was admiring – the murder weapon.  And it’s a genuine, precious piece of art stolen by the Nazis.

To the morgue and Lucas realises in horror, by means of a quip, that the brilliant Henry has never heard of Indiana Jones. Hanson and Jo find that Hass’s father was Otto Heidrich, a high ranking Nazi in charge of stealing art across Europe. Hence the art collection which Otto managed to flee Europe with.

They interview Karl’s son – who is apparently completely ignorant of his family history (and not very close to his dad, either). Which makes for an awkward revelation – and Karl’s desperate protest that his dad and granddad were good men.

Which segues into a flashback of Henry back in 1812 confronted in a very posh gentleman’s club about his family’s participant in the slave trade. Henry protests that his family would never do such a thing! But it’s clear that everyone there knows his family is involved.

Which moves onto the present where Henry says how hard it is to accept your family has profited from the death of millions of innocents.

They follow some clues to a jeweller who tells them that Karl gave him a painting – a Monet, Waterlillies. The priceless painting belonged to the jeweller, Spehr’s, family before the war and Karl, a complete stranger, gave him the painting for free. Karl wanted to return all of his father’s stolen art to the rightful owners. He recites a quote “a good man apologises for the mistakes of the past, a great man corrects them.”

Forever, Season 1, Episode 13: Diamonds are Forever

Opening scene with a thief clearing out a jewellery store before we head to Abraham’s antique shop for classic banter between him and Henry. From there we turn to a shadowy figure knocking at Jo’s door who is gone before she can answer it. This is relevant because Henry monologues about fate.

To the next day and a crime scene in Jo’s neighbourhood – an apparent hit and run. Henry is quick to say it’s not an accident and when they get back to the morgue he points out several injuries that are consistent with being repeatedly arrested and abused by the police (though no-one seems to think receiving repeated permanent injuries from the police is a questionable thing at all and instead thinks it’s indicative of what a bad man he is). Hanson does some digging and it’s revealed that the victim, Aaron, was prosecuted by Sean Moore, Jo’s dead husband.

Jo is a little shaken and Hanson tries to be comforting in an awkward fashion. They also learn that Aaron was suspected in the jewel robbery. They speak to his wife who insists that he’s a changed man from his criminal days – but Jo is completely resistant to the idea that he could possibly have changed. This leads to the first of Henry’s flashbacks to when he was in prison in the 19^th century with a Catholic priest who helps him escape by killing himself because God’s will.

Henry and Jo go to the theft crime scene which is being investigated by detective Hank, an old friend of Jo’s (and Henry noting Hank unconscious gestures denoting attraction to Jo). They enjoy Henry’s method in which he explains Aaron’s innocence of the theft. Having blowing up Hank’s case (Jo: “he does that, a lot”) we move on.

To the police station where Hanson is still trying to be awkwardly comforting and they watch old evidence from when Aaron was arrested including lots of video footage of dead-hubby Simon for some reason. Back to genius mode, Henry concludes the person who wore the mask had diabetes which leads to Diego, one of Aaron’s associates who Henry diagnoses from a photograph.

Jo, Hanson and suspicious-Hank (yes I’m calling it) go to arrest Diego and there’s a firefight in which Hanson is wounded – and Diego is dead from Hank’s bullet (definitely calling it). When they have Diego on the slab, Henry discovers Diego has swallowed a bag of diamonds.

Time to go to Abraham (because chain of evidence is for other people – and yes, he did lecture Henry about this last episode) to assay the stones who pronounces them to be “meh”. Which contradicts what the shop owner claimed which confuses Henry (apparently lying on an insurance claim is confusing to Henry). Henry is also confused that Diego stole “worthless” diamonds

Forever, Season 1, Episode 12: The Wolves of Deep Brooklyn

A rich CEO is having dinner and the waiter (and son of the restaurant owner) who wants a job with his company seems to think that a) CEOs are likely to make entry level hiring decisions in huge, powerful companies and b) that he wants to have impromptu interviews over dinner.

And it actually works (kids, don’t try this at home). 5 years later he’s not only hugely successful but the rich CEO is calling him “like a son” and giving him a fancy car as a gift in which he then has sex with a woman

The next day his waterlogged body is the centre of a crime scene. Cut to Lucas and Jo who are very bored and sad that the new medical examiner is not as insightful, interesting or kooky as Henry. He also actually does his job (examine bodies) rather than engage in amateur detective work.

Henry is being kookier than usual, dissecting rats. Abe tries to talk him into going back into work and not feeling guilty about killing someone in self-defence – but it’s not entirely guilt that has Henry hiding. Henry was manipulated into killing someone, Evil Immortal Guy Lewis, outsmarted him. Abe also gets news that one of his old friends has recently lost a son.

Back to the morgue where new-medical-examiner-who-does-his-job is being all stuffy and repressive and dismissing random litter as super-important evidence and being mean to Lucas which is kind of on par with kicking a puppy. Henry swoops in to save the day (the dead man, Jason, is that friend’s dead son) to point out all the evidence bad!pathologist missed and ask a whole lot more questions. Bad!pathologist gives Jo the choice between a quick, easy resolve or Henry’s random “insanity”. Jo chooses insanity

After a brief check in with Lt Reece who is wary about Henry coming back to work because of how killing someone can hurt you, they go out to investigate: first talking to Abe’s friend Marco, Jason’s father, who didn’t see as much of his son as he’d like and was upset that his ritzy, money-obsessed life consumed so much of Jason’s time.

Then to Jason’s girlfriend at his house (who went home while Jason drove around more) who tells them how much joy Jason had in the life he was living. Henry uses genius to find a stash of cash and a key (but his girlfriend, Abigail, points out that $100,000 stashed isn’t actually a huge amount with their assets).

To Jason’s employers, an investment company, where they find people who drink champagne at work and a man, Val, already hiring decorators for Jason’s office (yes, decorators) between disparaging references to Jason’s upbringing. They also find blood in the office. Followed by a big motivational speech by Oliver Klauston, the big boss who likes to make his employees chant “kill”. Interviewing him reveals lots of arrogance and a cocky sense of his own ruthlessness and generally not helpful

Forever, Season 1, Episode 11: Skinny Dipper

We pick up just before we left it last time – with Adam the sinister immortal murdering a taxi driver so he can use his taxi to kidnap Henry. He drives recklessly and accuses Henry of ignoring him (wait… has Henry even had a means to contact the man?) Adam decides to prove he’s immortal while killing himself while driving at high speed. He vanishes, as dead immortals do and the car careens out of control and ends up in the river.

Henry desperately struggles to escape but, inevitably, drowns. It’s been a while since he died. As he comes back to life in the river, Henry reflects that he fears death still but, clearly, Adam does not and that is worrisome (he calls Adam “insane”). As he swims to shore he is seen by the police, swimming naked

Which means the next day he is sat opposite Lt. Reece who has her excellent “you make no sense you frustrating man you” face on. Henry goes for “I’m a sleep walker who sleeps naked” which is actually a pretty good excuse. She gives him an ultimatum – his eccentricity is ok, but this can’t go on because it will challenge his credibility and undermine his work.

Of course, far more embarrassing for Henry is that the entire police department now knows he was brought in naked and of course he will be teased mercilessly. While everyone else thinks it’s hilarious, Jo is concerned. Henry, of course, deflects her.

He also has to autopsy the taxi driver that Adam stabbed; Henry quickly recognises him from the ID in the taxi and that he was stabbed by a sword. Lucas makes a Highlander reference which, hilariously, the immortal Henry doesn’t recognise.

Henry takes a brief break to go home and tell Abe what he’s doing and Abe says he can’t possibly go hunting for Adam alone he needs help – from someone with a badge; he wants Henry to tell Jo. Me too. Of course, this hits Henry’s sensitive sports because he did once trust Nora, his wife, with his secret and she had him committed to an asylum.

Back to the murder, Henry passes on his findings and the police fish out the taxi. In the taxi they find the sword hole and a bullet casing from where Adam shot himself. The gun was also antique, as recognised by Hanson. Throughout the investigation Henry is distracted and traumatised. Jo also finds Henry’s watch – but says Henry must have just dropped it.

Henry recruits Abe to help him investigate which also involves jumping into the river. Except the police are watching for him and Henry ends up explaining himself to a not-amused Lt Reece all over again. Henry has his explanation for finding evidence this time showing yet again that Henry really doesn’t understand evidence rules. He gets very excitable over the case then apologises to Reece when he realises he’s shouting.

Jo, again, tries to get him to open up to her or see a therapist. Henry agrees to see a therapist but is very very worried since his time in the asylum was torturous. They manage to find him a British doctor  - who outright calls Henry’s observations “Sherlockian” which means Forever isn’t even trying to be subtle. Actual therapy is a lot less stressful than Henry’s memories and, again, pushes him to trust Jo.

Forever, Season 1, Episode 10: The Man in the Killer Suit

So we have two very very rich people getting married, one of them a British Viscount Colin who is very uncomfortable about the over-the-top lavish engagement party his American wife (Emily)’s father is throwing. Nor does he particularly want to get married in his family’s castle.

Then poor Colin gets himself murdered so that solves the wedding arguments. Jo and Hanson arrive and though it’s Henry’s day off, Hanson thinks they have to call him given the dead noble in the middle of Central Park.

Over to Henry and Abe who knows just how to push Henry’s fussy buttons (he doesn’t like microwaves) and a Sunday breakfast of Henry (an antique dealer) combing through the obituaries like a vulture – and he finds the name of an old friend from a long time ago. All the domestic bliss is interrupted by Jo’s call.

Henry arrives on scene and explains the difference between nobility and royalty and examines the odd wounds. Jo finds it odd he was walking in Central Park in the middle of the night and that he was murdered but not robbed while Henry, pulling out an encyclopaedic knowledge of the nobility, is suspicious because there ISN’T a viscount Cavendish. Hanson confirms this after contacting the British Embassy.

On the slab they discover the dead man was a natural blonde but dyed his hair. He also finds several gravel-embedded scars, gold in his wound (yes gold) and through some (I suspect dubious) mouth analysis conclude the man was actually American. Helpfully his suit had super-duper rare stitching that could only come from one tailor. Henry’s.

This adds a little more to Jo’s information on Henry since the tailors should be beyond Henry’s price range. Through the tailor they learn about Colin’s engagement and fiancée while Henry decides to stare at a complete stranger’s legs (he has matching scars) and completely fail to explain why he is doing so. The scarring is from riding  a bike (a “chain scar”) and the bike messenger recognises Colin – or Dwight as his real name is.

Jo and Hanson discuss Dwight’s past with Lt. Reece and basically cover that Dwight is a very poor man and Emily, his fiancée, is a very wealthy lady. They call Emily in and it’s quickly clear she has no idea about Dwight’s hidden past. They do find a torn up cheque in Dwight’s pocket – for $1,000,000 from Emily’s father.

Henry (for some reason) and Jo go to see Emily’s father, Norman (and have a brief discussion in which Henry is, obviously, very sympathetic about Dwight’s desire to re-invent himself and points out the fact the cheque was torn up suggests a motive other than money). Norman slips and refers to Dwight as being from Oklahoma – which no-one told him. Henry does his Sherlock thing to describe, in detail, a fight between Norman and Dwight

Forever, Season 1, Episode 9: 6 A.M.

Pieces for this week’s a murder – a jazz club, a man who is down on his luck but expecting a pay day – a pay day which apparently involves exposing some other guy who isn’t his biggest fan as some kind of nefarious “business man”.

Or, in other words, this guy walks around with a great big “hey, murder me” sign over his head. In his car a guy with a garrotte is happy to oblige.

Cut to Abe and Henry with Henry complaining about the music you “young people” listen to today and moaning about Abe’s love of jazz. A murder saves Henry from the trauma of 20^th century music.

Turns out our down-and-out guy’s car was set on fire after the garrotting. Henry arrives to tell them he was murdered before burned (while Hanson and Jo snark)

Time for a gruesome autopsy and melodramatic voice over as is Forever’s wont. They find that he’s been garrotted with a piano wire and Jo has the victim’s ID – Isaiah. The accelerant used to burn him was cellulose – old film stock. Lucas babbles as Lucas does

They interview his sister, Ella, who alludes to her brother’s money troubles and him being a jazz musician and that he had spoken to their father who Isaiah claimed had given him something that would turn his luck around. So it’s off to see their dad, Pepper Evans, a skilled jazz musician playing saxophone in a train station.

Pepper tells them he gave Isaiah his old recordings (possible cellulose source). He also tells them the club Isaiah probably went to, before returning to busking.

Back to Abe and Henry only because they’re hilarious and Henry playing the grumpy dad to Abe is really well done (especially the dramatic “I failed as a father!” to his son’s taste in music). Abe has one of Pepper Evan’s records.

This calls for a flashback to Henry trying to teach Abe as a child how to play classical music (which he found boring then) and a musician neighbour needing medical attention after hurting his hand – (though his “argument with his old lady” suggests he hurt his hand hitting his wife); he introduces Abe to Jazz.

To the present and the club Isaiah visited where Henry grabs the case Pepper gave Isaiah as well as finding the guitar the murder weapon came from. So time to interrogate the bar tender, Rudy.

In the interrogation room Rudy reveals that Isaiah used to say a jazz legend called Lionel Hubbard stole the sing 6AM from his dad; Lt Reece points out to Henry how vital and legendary that song was. Time of death also clears Rudy. Lt Reece also knows a suspect – Al Rainey who owns a company that has the rights to 6AM – and is known for fleecing musicians (including Reece’s own nephew).

Poor Lucas babbles and is duly ignored.

Forever, Season 1, Episode 8: The Ecstasy of Agony

So this week we open with a dominatrix and her client.

From there to Henry who claims he’s up because he’s busy to Abe but looks more bored than busy. Abe staggers in after a night of fun partying with his ex-wife Maureen which Henry doesn’t approve because their relationships have always been so destructive. But, as Abe says, if he gets his heart broken at his age it shows it still works.

From there to a crime scene, the dominatrix’s client, Richard Gaines, has been murdered. Jo throws in some actual insights (wow, the Detective isn’t just relying on Henry?). When they get him to autopsy room they find he was asphyxiated, choked – and covered in superficial whip marks from the dominatrix. Henry and Lucas point out that the whip marks are probably consensual, pointing out older marks as well, much to the shock of Jo and Hanson. I call shenanigans, no way these two can be experienced detectives and be shocked by S&M. Henry objects to Hanson being all judgy, asking about various unsafe things he’s done as well.

They interview Mrs. Gaines and oh boy is that awkward. She claims that the BDSM activity was therapy – and he had a “domination therapist” called Iona Payne. He was a powerful man incapable of showing weakness to anyone – she says Iona saved their marriage. She also says Jo wouldn’t understand because she’s not married (ouch, she’s a widow).

To Iona’s office which Henry does note looks very therapist-y, while Jo is convinced she’s a prostitute. They talk and she explains her therapy but Jo notices a collar and pulley system which Henry confirms could certainly have caused the mark on the strangled Richard’s neck. Henry points out how strangling isn’t an exact science and they bring her in

Of course Henry gets to witness the interview (and continues to be understanding of Iona to Hanson’s judgement). Iona says, outright, that Henry is wrong – she has far more experience choking people and the multiple sessions had given Richard strong neck muscles, choking did not kill him. Iona says he was electrocuted – and Henry agrees. Henry was wrong!!!

In the aftermath of this shock, Hanson actually has an idea on where to find more evidence. Someone other than Henry has an idea! They find a cattle prod.

Lucas gives Henry a great pep talk on how getting one thing wrong doesn’t make you a fool and again, vainly, tries to invite Henry for a drink. Henry goes to visit Iona for some expert advice on electrocution. This leads to a “personal” demonstration which is so utterly unethical I don’t even know where to begin.

She realises that a past love has hurt him and we have a flashback – to shortly after Henry first discovered he was immortal and his wife shocked to see him back from the dead.

In the present she wants to help Henry deal with his pain. It’s then that she realises her electric cattleprod is missing just as Jo and Hanson knock on the door to arrest her. Awkward.

Forever, Season 1, Episode 7: New York Kids

We open with a big fancy award ceremony honouring a Dr. Tyler Forrester who seems surprisingly unhappy about the big speech being made by a close friend of his about what an amazing guy he is.

And the cops – including Henry, Hanson and Jo - find Tyler’s body later, in a flat in Harlem (way below what he could afford since his father is a billionaire) seeming to have been bludgeoned by his own little award statue. Henry seems very interested in the man’s ring. Jo snarks Henry’s rather pretentious language (more snark is needed!) and notices that the lock has been tampered with from the inside – it’s not a break in (and Jo got to notice something rather than following Henry around and being wowed!)

For more mystery, when they get the body on the slab they find he has Roman numerals tattooed on his chest and Jo’s research shows he was pretty much a loner devoted entirely to his work. When they interview his father (and, yes, Henry is in the interview, of course he is) they find that Tyler had pushed him and his ex-wife away – and that while Tyler’s dad is rolling in money, Tyler refused to accept any of it and any money he earned he tended to give away.

Time for an Abraham cameo (who just accepted a client’s story of their deceased father’s precious antiques despite recognising them as knock offs) when Henry arrives to talk sadly about how Tyler’s dedication to medicine caused him to neglect his family – which Abe runs with since he remembers his own medical parents (Henry and Abigail) being similarly obsessed and brings up a baseball game he missed when he was 10 because of it (I have the feeling this is an oft repeated complaint).

At the funeral, everyone is wearing the same ring – class rings for an extremely exclusive school (and Jo, from a very poor neighbourhood, snarks heavily). They pick out one man, Paul, who Henry declares is on cocaine (because of Henry powers), we meet Cassandra, a lawyer who snarls at them and Carter who was the man making the nice speech about Tyler at the award ceremony. He confirms that Tyler was pretty much out of touch with everyone. Henry sees a date on a photograph (depicting Tyler and the other three) – 10^th June 2005 and decides to ask Carter about it – he denies the date being special but looks awfully shifty while doing so. The date is the same date as Tyler’s tattoo – if viewed in a mirror. (Brief moment where it’s presented as ridiculous that Jo would have a mirror to help her apply make up – are we pretending she doesn’t wear make up? Really?)

Talking to Tyler’s mother, they learn that was the day Tyler and his friends graduated, went away from the summer – only Tyler returned early and a changed man. She describes him as sad and how he stopped accepting money from them

Back in the lab, Lucas (in between trying to crack Henry’s past) reveals the murder weapon was covered in diesel fuel used in boats and a teeny tiny human hair on the body.

In the police station, Joanne Reece (I’m going to keep calling her Reece since she and Jo have the same first name) talks to Jo about killing someone last episode; she shares her own experiences about how killing someone, even if you have to, can affect you.

Forever, Season 1, Episode 6: The Frustrating Thing About Psychopaths

Today’s murder, a woman having a “good night” and tipping the footman generously heads for a taxi and doesn’t make it, ending with a scream.

Over to Henry at the morgue doing his routine work and Lucas lamenting the lack of city destroying monsters to keep life interesting which is Jo’s cue to call – the police have received a package. And it’s bleeding. I’m sure there are several organisations you would call before and ME in that circumstance but Henry’s called in for everything including interviewing witnesses so I suppose this is at least somewhat close to his job description.

Inside the bleeding, gift wrapped box is a human heart. Time to examine it while Henry does a voice over about murderers including the worst kind being those who feel nothing. This also leads to henry happily expositioning to Detective Hanson about serial killers sending trophies to the police because they craved attention – just in case the audience was unaware of the fact. Henry tells Jo, Hanson and Reece that the dead person is a woman and had her heart removed while still alive.

They go through various missing women and Henry discounts them with ridiculously vague Sherlockian nonsense (I have dark circles under my eyes – it isn’t iron deficiency, it’s lack of appropriate levels of caffeine). They find Laurie Pettefor who has a record as a prostitute (and sparks Henry’s old memories about someone called Mary Kelly).

The go see the footman at the hotel where she often worked (the one she tipped well). Using Henry powers they track where the killed dragged Laurie. Henry looks around and sees Dorset street meat factory and realises the connection – the killer is a copycat

Yes, historians “Mary Kelly”, we’re having a Jack the Ripper flashback. Henry investigated the crimes in Whitechapel where he was super pathologist then as well

And back to the present where they find Laurie’s body sliced open in a similar brutal way to Mary Kelly. Examining the scene, Henry is impressed by how closely the crime resembles Jack the Ripper’s crime, pointing to very long study. And Henry gets a creepy phone call from the other self-proclaimed immortal, Adam, almost taunting him about the body. Hearing the siren on the phone and outside Henry realises he’s close and runs to try and catch him – only finding his phone left open.

Forever, Season 1, Episode 5: The Pugilist Break

We have a troubled boxer who is troubled

And 3 days later his horribly mangled body (with a needle in his arm) is found by people wanting to buy an apartment. That estate agent has a tough job ahead of her.

To the antique shop where Henry is duly outraged at Abe planning to sell an antique to someone who he considers unworthy (given her plans, I have to agree and think tarring and feathering may be required).

Jo shows up to grab Henry for a case (I’m sure there are other medical examiners in the city, Jo. Can she not solve murders without him?) and complain about his lack of mobile phone (Henry’s age is showing).

To the neighbourhood where Jo reflects on its improving crime statistic (the estate agent mentioned a lot of gentrification going on) and Henry indulges in a century old flashback and how some things don’t change or get better.

Examining the body, Henry takes exception to Hanson’s dismissal of the body as a “dead junkie”. After investigation and getting back to the lab, Henry confirms that the man was murdered and was injected after death (it’s also heavily implied that without Henry being assiduous, everything would have been ignored and the man would have been written off as a dead drug user).

Faced with frustrations over a delayed toxicology report (too much backlog) and general police disinterest, henry ignores Jo’s advice (that he can’t get personally invested and put too much into the job without burning out) and returns to the crime scene to investigate. Setting poor Lucas to catch rats, Henry has another flashback (to a time when immigrants dying were similarly dismissed and ignored) before finding a drug dealer who knew the dead man, Raul. The dealer insists Raul no longer takes drugs so Henry moves to the next plan – buying heroin for comparison

And is caught by a very inconvenient patrolling cop. Henry gets to explain what he was doing to LT Reece. She’s not impressed. And less so by Lucas bringing a cage of rats to the station. Still it seems to at least delay consequences so Henry and Jo can interview Raul’s fiancée and confirm that he wasn’t taking drugs and was mentoring kids to try and stop them taking drugs; and that he argued with someone on the phone

More investigation (and Lucas being attached to a rat) leads to finding Raul’s ring and that he recently punched someone before he died. To the Rec Centre where Raul volunteered to speak to Fabian who runs the place – he reveals that Raul was loved by everyone except a man called Tommy Deverell, the man with money who is trying to gentrify the area and tear down the Rec Centre. Henry notes that Fabian has a cut from a punch above his eye.

Henry has some more flashbacks about immigrant abuse after talking to one of the kids Raul mentored before heading out with Jo round the neighbourhood; learning she grew up somewhere very similar. Stopping at the local store, they find the bodega owner is pretty eager to sell up and considered Raul somewhat idealistic.

They go to the building site looking for Deverell and Henry does his observation thing to guess they’d found the location where Raul was when he died. They also find Raul’s phone – through rather unorthodox methods (tough phone). Calling a number on that phone makes Mr Deverell’s phone ring

Forever, Season 1, Episode 4: The Art of Murder

We have a very ritzy party and a rather formidable old woman, Gloria Carlyle, giving everyone the razor edge of her tongue. While one of the guests wishes it was her funeral, I have to admit I have a soft spot to savage old ladies who can gut you with a word. She wanders off alone while they make a speech about her generosity

And we cut to Gloria’s bettered body being examined by the police and Detective Jo and Hanson on the scene. And no Henry – just Lucas who is not an awesome substitute.

Henry is set to maximum moping because he once knew Gloria. When he has her on the slab, Jo asks why he didn’t attend and Henry says he never goes to that museum. He strokes back Gloria’s hair in a very familiar fashion (actually managing not to be creepy with it).

And Lucas spills that it’s murder to a journalist. Which has Henry needing lots of coffee (and chance for Abe to push to get an in on the antique estate sale) before going in. At work the Carlyle family is Not Amused by the press leak. Henry nobly tells a very penitent Lucas to go back to the lab and is willing to take the blame – he does – and he is pulled off the case because of it, Conrad Carlyle just has too much influence.

So Jo decides to invite Henry to accompany her everywhere (which is slightly hilarious because it’s what he would be doing anyway and still not what a medical examiner should be doing). Which means he has to go to the museum crime scene which is a major problem for him. Naturally Jo pokes him for an explanation which he continually dodges.

Flashback to Henry and his wife Abigail sneaking into a private party in the museum because Abigail is a very confident and daring woman (especially compared to the cautious Henry).

In the museum Henry uses his genius to retrace Gloria’s footsteps and concludes that she was pushed down stairs then tried to crawl afterwards. Hanson’s CCTV review also confirms there was someone else (Henry has a very restrained gloat)

They bring the man they saw, Lance (poor fiance of Gloria’s granddaughter), for questioning and Henry observes from the next room, Lt Reece decides to believe he was never there (something which Henry misunderstands and is actually amusing in doing so). Lance claims he asked Gloria’s blessing for the wedding because Conrad (Gloria’s son, this granddaughter’s dad) refused – and he didn’t steal Gloria’s ring, she gave him it to use in the engagement. She also said to “follow your heart” which, in the brief moment we saw of her, seems very unlike her. This isn’t very believable.