Tag Archives: Bellevue

Bellevue: The (hidden) “Truth” may bite you in the ass

Spoiler alert! Do not read until you’ve watched Episode 6 of Bellevue.

Welcome back Bellevue-ites! We meet again to go over what we learned in this week’s episode of Bellevue, “The Problem with the Truth.” The pace is picking up, so a lot of information is parsed during this episode, on many different fronts. And, as the title suggests, the truths uncovered may have unsavoury consequences.

We pick up where we left off, Eddie (Allan Leech) is staying the night at Annie’s (Anna Paquin) following his statement to Peter (Shawn Doyle). Annie is discussing her theories with Eddie and feels if she combines the information she has now gathered with the information that would be contained within her father’s old memo books she could solve Sandy Driver’s murder. Annie puts in the request, much to Peter’s objection. However, with Annie’s reminder that Peter burned down the shed at the New Horizon’s property, Peter reluctantly backs down and agrees to sign off on Clarence Ryder’s last notebook.

Annie revisits the witness statements in her father’s notes. First, Randy Olding (Kent McQuaid) who discovered Sandy’s body, and then Helen Spencer (Laura Mitchell), the pageant organizer. Upon questioning, it is Helen who reveals Sandy had always been unkempt and lacked friends. But for her brief moments as Mary, Sandy Driver never felt love. She also reveals Lily Mansfield (Janine Theriault) was not very “biblical.” Later, in a follow-up visit, Annie questions her directly. Helen reveals Lily “Mother” Mansfield had an abortion, and the father was rumoured to be an older man. But how much older, is the question!

Annie works through the notebook and discovers that the last page for March 23, 1995, is missing. It has been cut out. Using the all too reliable pencil shading technique, it reveals her father received a 911 call. Now, WHY would he rip that out?

Next, we turn to the audio tapes of the 911 calls of March 23 and discover it was none other than Lily Mansfield who made the emergency call. She knows there was an intruder in her home because he or she left fingernails. The 911 operator notifies Lily that an officer is on the way. Further investigation by Annie reveals the 911 call was never officially recorded. There is no file.

The trouble with cold cases is technology has evolved and the old interview videotapes are still on VHS instead of digital. And, it seems, the station’s VCR is not in good working order. Ever the problem solver, Annie calls Brady (Billy MacLellan) and invites herself over to watch Sandy Driver interview tapes. Included in the interviews was a statement by none other than Lily Mansfield in which she is clearly flirting with the officer questioning her, and the officer, from his tone, is totally “into it.”

Annie believes she has pieced it together: her father was somehow involved with Lily Mansfield and Peter did not want her to know about it. She approaches Peter and questions him, explaining her theory and he does not deny her hypotheses, letting her believe that not only did her father respond to the 911 call made by Lily Mansfield, but that her father was having an affair with a 16-year-old Lily.

Annie then travels to her father’s cabin where she discovers an active pager with the same numerical message her father had written on the outside of his notepad. This has to be another clue from The Riddler because that pager would not still be active after 20 years out in a hunting cabin. Not to mention, who would pay to keep the account active for that long? (and presumably her father’s pager, if he had one, would be collected as evidence at the time of his suicide). Turns out the number is a coded message, “Horizon,” referencing back to the old and now derelict New Horizons Psychiatric Hospital. Annie places a requisition for a patient list.

Going over her materials one more time Annie spots an inconsistency. It was Peter who mentioned the fingernails were found on Lily’s bed, not the 911 call. How did Peter know? OK, cue the “Don’t trust the guy with the fire in his eyes,” moment. It was Peter who took the 911 call out, and it was Peter who tore out the last page of her father’s notepad. Another stellar performance by Ms. Paquin, this time with Shawn Doyle. The two rip into each other, with accusations flying. When faced with the truth, Peter admits to some complicity but not yet everything, as we will find out shortly, and Annie is pissed. How dare Peter let her believe her father was having an affair or that he screwed up the case? He does not seem to understand how this affects her life. And what was all that nonsense about being there for her?

“HE’S DEAD! HE’S DEAD and I AM ALIVE! I MADE A JUDGMENT CALL BECAUSE I THOUGHT YOU NEEDED SOMEBODY!”

Essentially, Peter has been lying to Annie all of her life.

While all of this back and forth with Peter is going on, Virginia (Sharon Taylor) is running down Jackie Edmonds’ (Marianne Farley) alibi because of her presence at the Rave from the other night. Witnesses state she attends every week, so this has effectively ruined Coach Tom’s (Vincent Leclerc) alibi. Jackie’s claim that she was home with her husband the night Jesse died is a lie.

This week’s instalment on the Eddie-Annie relationship front takes place at the community family barbecue. Eddie is there with Daisy and Briana (Amber Goldfarb). Annie begs Eddie to come home, to be a family again. Eddie, however, is done with crazy. He has to say no for his own well-being. He needs calm and simple and no longer believes that “you have to feel pain to be with someone.” Annie is not ready to not be crazy, and she proves it by running to the arms of Brady. That leads to a brawl between Eddie and Brady. In the end, Annie leaves by herself, Daisy (Madison Ferguson) insists on leaving with her dad, and Brady is left with a bloody nose.

Peter pays a visit to Mother Mansfield demanding information about the fingernails, but she swears she does not know who planted them in her room so many years ago. And it appears that these two have a secret history. Lily thinks he is an adrenaline junkie but Peter claims it is self-punishment for Clarence Ryder’s death, “I deserve to feel this fuckin’ low.”

The closing moments return to the hunting cabin where we find Annie drinking. I think it is safe to say, she has hit bottom and loses it. Annie, in a maniacal fever pitched rage, heads out into the woods and a hooded stranger appears, stopping her from self harm! Is THIS The Riddler? Following a brief search she returns to the cabin and finds another clue.

“Adam 16”.

WHEW! So Tom has no alibi, and Peter and Mother Mansfield are keeping secrets. Who killed Sandy Driver? Who killed Jesse? We still don’t know what the connection is between these murders. Who do you suspect? Let me know in the comments below!

Bellevue airs Mondays at 9 p.m. on CBC.

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Link: Bellevue: Jane Maggs and Adrienne Mitchell talk “How Do I Remember”

From Victoria Nelli of The TV Junkies:

Link: Bellevue: Jane Maggs and Adrienne Mitchell talk “How Do I Remember”
“She understands that in order to further this relationship, this person needs to feel like they have a relationship and that she trusts him. So, part of it is playing that side of things and part of it is the moments that I think she does kind of get lost in the relationship and in the nostalgia of this person from her childhood being back.” Continue reading.

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Bellevue: “How Do I Remember?”

Spoiler alert! Do not read until you’ve watched Episode 5 of Bellevue.

“Paths can take you wildly away from anything you recognize and still bring you back to your door.” —The Riddler

And so we will follow the paths of remembering, and witness the pain that comes with discovery and growth as we gather more information and fit these pieces into the puzzle that is Bellevue this week.

We are now into the second half of the series and this episode, entitled “How Do I Remember?,” opens with Annie (Anna Paquin) reminiscing with The Riddler via her home surveillance system. She intimates that he made her life bearable after she lost her father.  Annie then questions The Riddler about Neil Driver (Andreas Aspergis) and Jed (Neil Napier) and their connection to the case. But I am beginning to wonder, is Annie still in control here? Is The Riddler needing a connection to Annie to reinforce his own sense of self worth and therefore manipulating Annie into this relationship? Or is he involved in the case(s) himself? Is he someone who knows Annie and wants to help? And is Annie falling back into the bad habits of her youth? A final cryptic message coupled with a request by The Riddler: “I dropped the stone but you are not seeing the ripples. Tomorrow at the funeral, wear the watch.”

The town attends Jesse’s (Sadie O’Neil) funeral to remember and celebrate Jesse’s life and it is the youth of Bellevue that are embracing the choices that she made. I was touched by the moment when Bethany (Emilia Hellman) stood up despite her mother’s (Janine Theriault) objections and brought a reluctant Danny (Cameron Roberts) back to the congregation. Unfortunately—or fortunately for the purposes of the investigation—Mr. Driver crashes the funeral and accuses Maggie (Victoria Sanchez) of ruining his daughter.

“You deserve this. The world needs a place to channel its evil, so God provides children to kill and he gives them to parents who deserve the pain. You know what you DID!” Alright already,  what did Maggie do?

Following the funeral, Daisy Ryder (Madison Ferguson) returns to the location where Jesse’s body was discovered and the other youth of Bellevue who were closest to Jesse are also there. It is here they celebrate Jesse’s courage and her life. I have now watched this episode twice and I couldn’t help it, I cried both times. Jane Maggs and her team created such an honest reaction, and completely captured the essence of youthful innocence as these teens cope with their loss. Their grief was palpable. This scene was perfect!

Now, on to the investigation. Annie first questions Jed about his MDMA, more specifically, how he and his employees package the drug. He believes there must be a new dealer in town working to compete with Jed. Further questioning of Danny’s father (Peter Miller) confirms Jed’s suspicions. There is indeed a new head that has sprouted to replace the old, and rumour has it if you have any unpaid debts, bad things will come your way. Doing some routine neighbourhood canvassing, Annie questions Maggie Sweetland’s neighbour Cali (Catherine Kidd).

“Sometimes you poke around, you might not like what you find,” and Cali queries Annie about Eddie’s (Allen Leech) well-being. Further conversations with The Riddler suggest Eddie is the connection between Sandy Driver and Jesse Sweetland’s deaths.

Meanwhile, just as Cali intimated, Eddie is in trouble. It appears his pill addiction and lack of employment have caught up with him and now he is indebted to the new dealer in town. To make good on his debt, Eddie is ordered to put the pressure on someone else who is not paying his dues. Annie’s curiosity is further piqued after chatting with Eddie’s latest “friend,” Briana (Amber Goldfarb), so she searches Eddie’s home, only to find Daisy’s dog frozen in a locked freezer. They need to talk! Annie accuses Eddie of planting the drugs in Jesse’s room, but no, Eddie admits that the drugs were stolen from him after Jesse was killed. And this is how you “get your shit together”? I guess The Riddler is right. Eddie is connected since somebody stole the drugs and planted them in Jesse’s room. But who? And, if The Riddler is correct, how is Eddie then connected to Sandy Driver?

FINALLY tonight we get to see Allen Leech’s talents. Up until now Eddie has been more of a supporting role. All of this time I have been waiting to see Leech let loose and tonight I was not disappointed. If you thought the chemistry was good in the parking lot scene two episodes ago, tonight these two ratchet it up a few notches! Eddie’s character is losing control under the pressure. He wants to change and his past keeps catching up to him. Annie convinces him not to play the enforcer and he speaks to Peter (Shawn Doyle). Eddie admits he owned the drugs. Eddie will testify as to his ownership of the drugs and swears this was a one time thing. Eddie returns to buy some time from Cali, letting her No. 2 beat the crap out of him. This is the dynamic moment for Leech’s character. Up until now, both Eddie and Annie have been stagnant within their complicated relationship. Each are so dependent on each other and yet they are not together. Eddie: “You love me too much the way I am. I don’t want to be the way I am anymore.” Eddie has effectively tossed down the gauntlet. If these two are to have a future together, Annie must change her ways too.

Once more Annie connects with The Riddler. She confesses that she felt his presence back at the burned shed. He confesses in kind, admitting that yes, he was there watching her. She pokes the bear, telling The Riddler that really he knows nothing, deliberately antagonizing him and he also admits he doesn’t know who killed Jesse. The Riddler is no longer a source. Annie wants him out of her life and orders a trace. Annie has been playing The Riddler for intel after all. She rules him no longer relevant to the case. The trace leads Annie to the cemetery where The Riddler has left his phone at the grave of Sandy Driver with the message, “You’re not crazy”.

Despite being in the minority, Annie is still convinced Jed is not guilty of killing Jesse, and returns to speak to Maggie one more time. “You are the only one who knows. My kid was killed because of me. Retribution for what I did to her. It all started with me. Sandy,” says Maggie. But Maggie has taken too many pills and collapses. Maggie is rushed to the hospital.

The episode closes with Annie trying to re-establish a connection with The Riddler: “I was wrong, you do know things.”

This was such a convoluted episode. So many twist and turns. Lots of new information, and new connections that fold back onto earlier events. So who do you think is The Riddler? Who do you think killed Jesse Sweetland? How is Jesse’s death connected to Sandy Driver? Let me know in the comments below!

Bellevue airs Mondays at 9 p.m. on CBC.

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Bellevue: Hello Little Light

Earlier episodes of Bellevue have had strong religious undercurrents. That trend does not continue tonight. Tonight focuses on connections. Connections within the cases, connections between the crimes.  Connection across time, and “connections.”

Two warnings underscore this episode. The first echoes from last week, “Don’t trust the guy with the fire in his eyes,” and the second is a memory Annie (Anna Paquin) recalls whilst she is reviewing her father’s psych report: “There is someone who THINKS he loves you …. He is dangerous, you wouldn’t know it to look at him. He might be watching right now.” With that in mind …

Peter (Shawn Doyle), is still Annie’s overprotective, overwrought superior and the protegé of her father, Clarence Ryder (Patrick Labbé). The Riddler warned her of a man with “fire in his eyes,” but is it Peter he is referring, or merely a coincidence? We see Peter get all up in the face of the perv who was the initial intermediary between Annie and The Riddler. He is put on notice: if he comes across The Riddler or any guy even sounding like The Riddler, he is to let Peter know. Clearly, Peter is not our creepy messenger, but is he connected in some other manner? We know Peter deliberately set the shed on fire, destroying evidence, but what of his garage? Or is it simply his duty to a mentor and “trust issues” when it comes to Peter and Annie?

Our suspect comes in the form of the renown drug-dealer Jed “Rainmaker” Martin (Neil Napier of Helix).  The police obtain a warrant to search Jed’s home for evidence after they discovered a large quantity of his trademark “Rainmaker” MDMA in Jesse’s room. Instead, they find Jesse’s boyfriend Danny (Cameron Roberts) crashing there. Police also find false eyelashes and size 13 boots they suspect belonged to Jesse. Is Jed engaging in inappropriate relations with minor boys from the reserve? Annie and Virginia (Sharon Taylor) track Jed down and question him while officers remain at his property continuing their search. They uncover a recently-buried tin containing the other pink Eiffel Tower earring and some sweetgrass. This significant find justifies bringing Jed in for questioning and he is later arrested for the death of Jesse. Despite being “low-lying fruit,” Jed believes he is being set up. A final questioning by Annie reveals Jed knew Jesse didn’t belong in the suit his family are planning to bury him in. The earring was who Jesse was. “She was a good kid.” Jed didn’t kill Jesse.

So how is Neil Driver (Andreas Apergis), father of Sandy Driver connected to everything going on? Suffering from schizoaffective disorder, he routinely confuses Annie for his daughter. Coincidentally, he has been back in hospital for 48 hours; the same period of time since Annie’s last message from The Riddler. Annie investigates his home and the entire house stopped at 12:13 on December 24, 1994. Newspapers from December 26, 1994 (the day after Sandy died), January 14, 1995 (the day of Sandy Driver’s funeral), and September 7, 1995 (when Annie’s father took his own life), are on the table with the words, “One day I will be free,” etched into the table top.

Seeing her name marked in the paper, Annie pays a visit to a forcibly-restrained Neil. Here in the hospital he gives Annie a watch that had been missing since the day Sandy was taken. Earlier that day a man approached him on the hospital grounds, gave him the watch, and then left via the woods. Now Neil is giving it to Annie. Neil is not The Riddler. Annie heads out onto the grounds, goes through the gate and discovers the only riddle of the night: “Time will tell if the bracelet fits.” Earlier, Daisy (Madison Ferguson) had given her mum grandpa’s old hospital band. Now, with this latest clue, Annie queries her daughter. Daisy found it not in the trash, as Annie had assumed, but rather on a pole waiting to be found. So what does this mean, “if the bracelet fit”? Was Clarence Ryder on the right track in his investigation?

Annie returns to the Driver home, and Neil has been released from hospital. He attempts to explain December 24, at 12:13. This is the time when life stopped for Neil Driver: he lost his temper with his daughter. He knew she has been up to something with her girlfriend Maggie (Victoria Sanchez). Is this the connection? “If she had just left us alone my Sandy would not have had to die.” Is the connection between Jesse and Sandy a form of retribution? And how did the person who had the watch know about 12:13?

Another interesting “connection”? The episode opened with Annie setting up some home surveillance and later someone taps into it, and begins to watch Annie.

“Hello little light.”

She disconnects the camera, but later reconnects it with the hope this will again strengthen the bond between she and The Riddler, and by extension may lead to the killer or killers.

A couple mentions: Bethany (Emilia Hellman) is the subject of cyber-bullying by her classmates. Eddie (Allen Leech) does not think the job he had been counting on is going to pan out and despite his feelings for Annie, he is spending a lot of time with Briana Holt (Amber Goldfarb) instead. Finally, did anyone else notice Annie making a connection with Brady Holt (Billy McLellan)? These two had a momentary truce followed by that awkward moment when both parties are asking, “What just happened here?”

Another episode absolutely stuffed, and it is difficult to get it all into one recap and keep it under 1,000 words, something which I oftentimes fail with miserably. This week I may have left out some details but I had to leave room.

FINALLY, I get to mention how beautifully the creators of Bellevue are seamlessly including the LGBTQ2 community within this storyline. Oftentimes, shows have a token gay or bi character and it feels forced; an afterthought, as though producers toss an under-represented character in in order to fill a quota. Bellevue has incorporated trans, gay, lesbian and those who are still questioning their sexual identity and/or preferences, and it feels utterly effortless. Those who are marginalized by society, are often the invisible ones never represented in television/media, or the characters embody only the ignorant stereotypes and are used to drive the storyline itself. Not here. These rich characters are merely a part of the landscape, included, and accepted by mainstream Bellevue. Some of the town may not understand it, but most are not judgmental. Here, it is those who are un-accepting that are the minority and even the suspects. People from the LGBTQ2 who are watching Bellevue are seeing themselves on primetime TV. It is about time.

Bellevue airs Mondays at 9 p.m. on CBC.

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Link: Bellevue Star Shawn Doyle on His Role and Telling Canadian Stories

From Melissa Girimonte of The Televixen:

Link: Bellevue Star Shawn Doyle on His Role and Telling Canadian Stories
“The reason I was interested in the show in the beginning was that it seems to be a unique amalgamation of this mystery/thriller with very human drama. It’s grounded and a real exploration of human relationships and the human reaction to this [missing] teen, their identity politics, and the town’s reaction to that.” Continue reading.

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