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Shut Eye

Season 1


Shut Eye Shut Eye [Season 1, Episode 1] Death (46 min)
Shown 7th December 2016

Charlie Haverford (Jeffrey Donovan - Blair Witch 2 ) is a con-man who earns a living by posing as a psychic. He works for a crime syndicate that is run by Fonso the mobster (Angus Sampson - Insidious ) and his mother, Rita Marks ( Isabella Rossellini ). The gangsters are not Italian-Americans, like the Mafia - they are Gypsies! Not impoverished Travellers like The Riches - they are wealthy, but also violent.

Charlie has other mobsters to worry about as well. One of his clients is Eduardo Bernal (David Zayas - Skyline ), who is probably involved in a Mexican drug cartel. Yes, this is almost a mainstream crime drama.

A hypnotist named Gina ( Emmanuelle Chriqui ) tries to persuade Charlie to hire her. His wife Linda Haverford ( Kadee Strickland ) is not happy at the idea, which begins their adversarial relationship.

Charlie gets a concussion, and ends up in hospital. He begins to suspect that he has genuine psychic powers. Is he halucinating, being fooled by Gina's hypnotism, or actually psychic?

Shut Eye Shut Eye [Season 1, Episode 2] The Hanged Man (43 min)
Shown 7th December 2016

Charlie Haverford (Jeffrey Donovan - Blair Witch 2 ) and his wife Linda Haverford ( Kadee Strickland ) visit the woman they intend to target for their next scam. Charlie is still having visions, but he does not know what they are warning him about.

Detective Kima from The Wire is investigating the drive-by shooting. Eduardo Bernal (David Zayas - Skyline ), the intended victim, has run his own investigation. Now he wants Charlie's co-operation in taking revenge.

Charlie manages to stay in the good books of Fonso the mobster (Angus Sampson - Insidious ). Unfortunately his mother, Rita Marks ( Isabella Rossellini ), is not so trusting. Is Fonso's increased scrutiny what the warnings are about?

Charlie visits a brain injury specialist, Dr. Nora White ( Susan Misner ), for more tests.

Shut Eye Shut Eye [Season 1, Episode 3] The Fool (45 min)
Shown 7th December 2016

Charlie Haverford (Jeffrey Donovan - Blair Witch 2 ) is having auditory halucinations. Dr. Nora White ( Susan Misner ) gives him a halucinogenic drug in the hope of improving his mental state.

Gina ( Emmanuelle Chriqui ) still has her claws into Linda Haverford ( Kadee Strickland ). They take advantage of Charlie's condition to sneak around.

Later, Charlie performs an impromptu fortune-telling for a waitress. He tells her some uncomfortable truths, which seems oddly sadistic.

Shut Eye Shut Eye [Season 1, Episode 4] The Tower - Reversed (44 min)
Shown 7th December 2016

Charlie Haverford (Jeffrey Donovan - Blair Witch 2 ) conducts his big tarot reading for the rich target. Unfortunately his intuition does not allow him to see what is going on under his own roof.

Gina ( Emmanuelle Chriqui ) gives Linda Haverford ( Kadee Strickland ) a taster sample of scopolmine, a form of truth serum that can be used to enhance hypnotism. Later, Linda's teenage son brings a girl round so he can sell her drugs. Well, his pharmaceutical-grade Adderol. What could possibly go wrong?

Shut Eye Shut Eye [Season 1, Episode 5] The Magician (43 min)
Shown 7th December 2016

Gina ( Emmanuelle Chriqui ) helps Linda Haverford ( Kadee Strickland ) bury a certain body in the woods. The death was partly Gina's fault, so she should be made to take responsibility. However, now she has far too much leverage on the Haverfords. She literally knows where one of the bodies is buried.

Charlie Haverford (Jeffrey Donovan - Blair Witch 2 ) may not have his own sister to worry about, but now he has Fonso's instead. Worse, Dr. Nora White ( Susan Misner ) is not answering her phone because she is coping with her dog's impending death.

Fonso Marks (Angus Sampson - Insidious ) has a face-to-face with his rival. They seem friendly, but the rival has begun to suspect Fonso of the bathroom incident. Even worse, Fonso is friends with the rival's wife.

Eduardo Bernal (David Zayas - Skyline ) has faith in Charlie's visions. He offers to help out. Something is bound to go wrong.

Shut Eye Shut Eye [Season 1, Episode 6] Judgment
Shown 7th December 2016

After the events of the previous episode, there is a Roma funeral. Charlie Haverford (Jeffrey Donovan - Blair Witch 2 ) and Linda Haverford ( Kadee Strickland ) go along to pay their respects.

Detective Kima from The Wire helps a police surveillance unit that attempts to target Rita Marks ( Isabella Rossellini ). She is an old pro, but her son Fonso the mobster (Angus Sampson - Insidious ) is dangerously out of control.

Shut Eye Shut Eye [Season 1, Episode 7] Two of Swords
Shown 7th December 2016

Charlie Haverford (Jeffrey Donovan - Blair Witch 2 ) has visions of drowning. He ignores them and continues the confidence game on Nadine. Will his conscience kick in?

Shut Eye Shut Eye [Season 1, Episode 8] Five of Cups
Shown 7th December 2016

Charlie Haverford (Jeffrey Donovan - Blair Witch 2 ) is overwhelmed by his new visions of blood and roses. He goes back to Dr. Nora White ( Susan Misner ), in an attempt to amplify and understand the visions.

Linda Haverford ( Kadee Strickland ) still wants to take the money from Denise. Gina ( Emmanuelle Chriqui ) helps - but can she be trusted?

The son is obsessed with his dead girlfriend. He goes to Rita Marks ( Isabella Rossellini ) for advice, and as always he talks too much. Fonso the mobster (Angus Sampson - Insidious ) already has suspicions about what the Haverfords are up to.

Shut Eye Shut Eye [Season 1, Episode 9] Wheel of Fortune
Shown 7th December 2016

Charlie Haverford (Jeffrey Donovan - Blair Witch 2 ) has to work out what to do with Gina ( Emmanuelle Chriqui ). He calls Eduardo Bernal (David Zayas - Skyline ) for help, although it is not a good idea to let a man like Eduardo have leverage on you. Anyhow, it turns out that Eduardo was double-crossed by some business associates and he blames Charlie for not seeing it coming.

Shut Eye Shut Eye [Season 1, Episode 10] Ace of Swords
Shown 7th December 2016

Charlie Haverford (Jeffrey Donovan - Blair Witch 2 ) is under a lot of heat. For example, Detective Kima from The Wire has begun to link several different crimes to his house. The obvious thing is to put all the blame on Gina ( Emmanuelle Chriqui ), since she is the one on the bank's CCTV footage.

White Tony, the Haverfords' new boss, pressurises them into financing his son's wedding. Meanwhile, Fonso the mobster (Angus Sampson - Insidious ) is less than happy that his daughter is being forced into an arranged marriage.

Eduardo Bernal (David Zayas - Skyline ) still wants Charlie to pay him for the alleged debt. Instead, Charlie cuts him in on another deal. A snatch-and-grab, with a very specific target.

There is a final twist that sets something up for the next Season. In fact, the next Season ended up ignoring this twist and re-doing the scene in a different setting and context.

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Shut Eye

Shut Eye Shut Eye [Season 2, Episode 1 ]
Shown th October 2018 [Wednesday]

Reviewed in our special supplement Shut Eye

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  • Shut Eye

    Season 2

    
    
    
    
    Shut Eye Shut Eye [Season 2, Episode 1] We're Not In Kansas Anymore
    Shown 6th December 2017
    Reviewed 4th December 2018 [Tuesday]

    This starts with a flashback. Charlie the con-man (Jeffrey Donovan - Blair Witch 2 ) meets a stripper in her workplace, and the two of them hit it off.

    The main story is a follow-up to the previous Season's climax. CharlieDonovan and the stripper are now living as man and wife. They pack their valuables, including the stripper's teenage son and a million dollars cash that they stole from Fonso the mobster (Angus Sampson - Insidious ).

    The mobster is a prime mover in a Romany crime syndicate. His mother ( Isabella Rossellini ) gets imprisoned on suspicion of murder.

    This is reminiscent of The Riches (2007), a TV series about a family of con artists who posed as a family of rich lawyers in order to escape their past with a tribe of Irish-American travellers.

    Shut Eye Shut Eye [Season 2, Episode 2] Shortchanged
    Shown 6th December 2017
    Reviewed 11th December 2018 [Tuesday]

    Charlie the con-man (Jeffrey Donovan - Blair Witch 2 ) still has psychic powers, but with the exception of a Lewton Bus at the start of the episode they really do not play a role in the story. With his voice-over about his problems, it could just be an incredibly boring episode of Burn Notice.

    Fonso the mobster (Angus Sampson - Insidious ) is now sleeping on the con-man's couch. His mother ( Isabella Rossellini ) is no longer imprisoned on suspicion of murder. She has gotten her grandaughter married off to the dead man's son and heir. The good news is that the arranged marriage is between people of the same age. The bad news is that they are teenagers, and the girl is violently opposed to the idea of having a career as matriarch of a massively profitable enterprise. She would rather fame than fortune, probably as an Internet social influencer.

    The con-man's sister takes his son, her nephew, under her wing. She teaches him a short-con trick, how to short-change a bartender. Of course, there are a couple of things that do not make sense about this. Firstly, the con works because she is a pretty girl who can flirt with the victim. Obviously this would not be a good technique for a teenage boy to use. Secondly, the con-woman has a unique facial tattoo that makes her very memorable and easy for the police or anyone else to visually identify. Talk about drawing attention to yourself!

    Shut Eye Shut Eye [Season 2, Episode 3] Guys And Dolls
    Shown 6th December 2017
    Reviewed 18th December 2018 [Tuesday]

    The ex-stripper is still obsessed with her dead lesbian lover. She has nightmares about her.

    Fonso the mobster (Angus Sampson - Insidious ) and the robber (David Zayas - Skyline ) go into business together. And since the con-man brought them together, albeit inadvertently, they are willing to bring him in as a junior partner.

    Shut Eye Shut Eye [Season 2, Episode 4] Are You Listening?
    Shown 6th December 2017

    Charlie the con-man (Jeffrey Donovan - Blair Witch 2 ) still has visions. This week they are of a raven - like in Game of Thrones . It is an ancient symbol of death, but in this show it just moves the plot along.

    Rita Marks ( Isabella Rossellini ) has to help her grand-daughter secretly keep her virginity on her wedding night.

    Shut Eye Shut Eye [Season 2, Episode 5] Charles the Magnificent
    Shown 6th December 2017

    The episode starts with a flashback to Charlie's childhood. He had to look after his younger sister, running street-magic shows for the paying public while their mother was off cheating to win money in card games. Young Charlie had a vision of the raven, and his mother may have been able to have visions as well. She is also the focus of Charlie's guilt.

    The main story focuses on Charlie the adult (Jeffrey Donovan - Blair Witch 2 ). He has joined his wife and Dr. Nora White ( Susan Misner ) at a psychic summer-camp. The boss-man has convinced the women that he is genuine, but Charlie wants to believe that the man is a fake. Well, Charlie is a fake with real powers so it is possible the boss-man is the same. But will Charlie let someone help him sort his life out?

    Shut Eye Shut Eye [Season 2, Episode 6] Crimes and Punishments
    Shown 6th December 2017

    The gangsters have problems while running their strip mall. Their new illegal phone bank has messed up the legitimate tenants' phone lines. The pawnbroker (Jim Beaver - Supernatural ) is particularly unhappy. Since he is a racist white man, and they are men of colour, it will not end well.

    Shut Eye Shut Eye [Season 2, Episode 7] Purple Hearts
    Shown 6th December 2017

    Charlie the con-man (Jeffrey Donovan - Blair Witch 2 ) is not having visions any more. However, he gets the opportunity to join a big con team.

    Fonso the mobster (Angus Sampson - Insidious ) wants to get back into the Romany crime syndicate. His mother ( Isabella Rossellini ) puts in a good word for him, but she has her own agenda.

    The mobster and his partner discover what the pawnbroker (Jim Beaver - Supernatural ) was up to. It involves crates of russian-made automatic weapons, and a Latino biker gang.

    Shut Eye Shut Eye [Season 2, Episode 8] Karma Chameleon
    Shown 6th December 2017

    Charlie the con-man (Jeffrey Donovan - Blair Witch 2 ) is not having visions any more. However, his wife has an unsettling dream that may indicate precognitive abilities.

    Charlie is now working the big leagues, with his own hotel conventions.

    Fonso the mobster (Angus Sampson - Insidious ) meets with the syndicate in order to get back into the loop. He and his partner have to finish their deal with the biker gang.

    Shut Eye Shut Eye [Season 2, Episode 9] Verite
    Shown 6th December 2017

    Charlie the con-man (Jeffrey Donovan - Blair Witch 2 ) is juggling his family life with his career in the big leagues, and spends a lot of time away at his own hotel conventions.

    Paz, the guy who thinks he has real psychic powers of his own, has a full-on breakdown. Just like Charlie, he is no longer seeing his so-called visions. Does this mean that Dr. Nora White ( Susan Misner ) has cured him? Or were the visions real, and he has been cursed? Also, will Charlie get his own powers back?

    Fonso the mobster (Angus Sampson - Insidious ) has his perfect family together again. However, it is only a matter of time before he discovers that he has been betrayed.

    Shut Eye Shut Eye [Season 2, Episode 10] There's No Place Like Home
    Shown 6th December 2017

    Charlie the con-man (Jeffrey Donovan - Blair Witch 2 ) has flashbacks to his childhood. He had a vision about being abducted, and later his jail-bird mother told him she had the same dream. Can he make peace with her ghost?

    Fonso the mobster (Angus Sampson - Insidious ) plans to sell out his rivals and save himself. However, his operational security is not as good as he thinks. Something is bound to go wrong, and innocent people may suffer.