This film is dominated by its ruleset which you will have to watch the film to understand ….as the rules are entirely dull and boring. Suffice to say their general theme is that one or both prisoners can testify against each other or neither can testify with different reward/consequences for each. It is a game show where both prisoners (Ariel and Lyen) are actually guilty, yet the audience (as a jury) has to decide whether they believe Lyen or Ariel is the guilty one.

There are three rounds; the punishments depend on whether Lyen or Ariel testifies against one another or not at all. Both Ladies are whipped in AOH position next to one another with newbie Mistress Artemis as their executioner.

The first round: consists of 30 lashes on the back for Lyen Parker as Ariel testified against her and she didn't testify against Ariel.

The second round: both ladies testify against each other and both receive 30 lashes on the back, Ariel receives 10 additional breast lashes for violating a rule. After Ariel receives her extra punishment, both ladies receive 10 lashes alternating until their 30 are up.

The third round: the audience votes for the one who they think is guilty. That prisoner is given an extra 30 lashes...almost totally on the back....yet..again, as both girls testified against one another; they both received 20 lashes on back to begin with.

The Third round is what really "makes" this film: both girls panicked breathing, especially Lyen even after her set of lashes was over. The anguish on her face as she knew what was coming to her as she was watching Ariel endure lashes first. She looked over at Ariel's face with horror and trepidation in her eyes......excellent! Ariel's eyes were rolling up in the back of her head as her first set of lashes were finished. The look in Lyen's eyes as Artemis says her name and she knows it her turn for pain……and then she's hyperventilating before even the third stroke landed….and then Artemis says her name again to begin her second set of lashes and Lyen nearly has a panic attack….

Final Note:

This film is simply a disappointment and could have been quite better.

Mood Pictures films are released but twice a year, as such they have a certain amount of hype, of expectation that they will be better or at least "more elegant" than EP films does exist……this film failed in that regard. Both Lyen Parker and Lady Ariel were addressed by their stage names and not some made-up name (they were not portraying fictional characters), which is because this film was not 100 % scripted, the game-show rules were the main aspect. However, I was angered to no end by this (having them addressed by their stage names), it "lowered" the film in my opinion, and made me feel like I was simply watching another EP film.

Mistress Artemis was indeed a rookie and that was only her second appearance in a film, so perhaps we can excuse her lopsided whipping of Ariel (not lashing her back so much in the second round) due to inexperience as there is surely no other explanation for such a debacle. But for the reasons just mentioned in the paragraph immediately above this one (higher expectations), in hindsight, it would have been a better idea for a more experienced domina to be used. Indeed, both Ariel's ass and Lyen's were barely lashed at all by the end of the film…..major mistake. Considering that nowhere in the film was it specified that all lashes must be on the back …..really bad move by mistress Artemis (Mood Pictures films are all about back AND ass whipping and usually we don't get to see any other body parts whipped, so again…..terribly disappointing).

A scene where each prisoners were interrogated (tortured) separately until they both agreed to "play the game" and testify against one another……if that format had been used this film would have been so much more entertaining. Would have made the rules seem more relevant and interesting.

The plus side about Mistress Artemis was that she is an ice-cold executioner, whose Resting Bitch Face (RBF) put Ariel's (in ML 3&4) to shame. Her facial expression did not change at all during the film...not once. No emotion at all, no enjoyment, no sorrow. Total indifference, a true professional (in that regard). If she is taught to hit harder and more consistently, she could become a force to be reckoned with.

The position used during the entire film was the classic AOH, considering that, it is indeed a pity the camera angles were not the best here. We never got to see both ladies from the front…directly; we only saw them on the front from a side angle. (The side angle view is not bad in of itself, it is just used too frequently in the film and becomes somewhat boring as a result).

Nonetheless, it was still a privilege to hear both ladies scream side by side for two out of the three rounds in this film. For those who are fans of such, the newly resurrected Painful Duel series released around two months after this film will be lovely for them.

Lyen Parker (the finest submissive currently with Pedro), her presence is what saves this film, with her outstanding A+ reactions to the whip. Lady Ariel played a good part here as well; both ladies were covered in saliva and sweat….some of the finest reactions to the whip ever seen in any of Pedro's films. Their reactions are why you should buy the film, not for the whipping, or the scenery, both submissive's reactions are truly outstanding!!

The film will appeal to those who enjoy whippings in front of live audiences, even though we could not see their reactions due to their faces being dimmed out by dark lighting as their facial expressions were not important to the film.

Final grade: C+