Written by John Edward BetancourtTHIS IS THE EMERGENCY SPOILER ALERT SYSTEM...YOU ARE ADVISED TO READ AT YOUR OWN RISK...It truly seems as though Doctor Who is trying to reinvent itself for Peter Capaldi's final year in the TARDIS. After all, we've seen a vastly different style of storytelling since series ten premiered a few weeks ago and when you take that new style and combine it with the fact that the first few episodes of this season have in essence been tightly tied together, one had to wonder what surprises would be in store for us in last night's tale, 'Thin Ice'. Because this seemed like a prime opportunity to give the Doctor and Bill another wild and unique adventure as they traveled to London in 1814 where a Frost Fair atop the frozen Thames harbored a darker side to the carnival atmosphere since people were disappearing into the ice, leading Bill and the Doctor to uncover the fact that a large being was living beneath the ice and eating the poor people above and while that seems like a pretty standard non-reinventive Who storyline, that was simply not the case. Because what made this episode so downright fascinating was the fact that this story turned out to be quite the hybrid by combining some of the monster magic of old along with series ten's new way of thinking. For example, let's take a closer look at the monster. Sure, it was massive. Sure it ate people, but there was quite the twist to its story, in that, this wasn't some voluntary decision on the creature's part where it settled into the Thames and realized London meat was a delicacy. This poor being was chained to the bottom of the river, forced to be fed and fed well in order to help out an energy magnate named Lord Sutcliffe, who used the creature's waste to provide London with a powerful fuel so that he could line his pockets with buckets upon buckets of money, and this twist in the tale is what made the show so interesting, because for the second week in a row now, the true villain of our story relates to humanity and Sutcliffe's decision to have zero compassion for any life at any level was our true monster of the week. If anything, a lack of compassion for life and our fellow man seemed to be quite the recurring theme this episode and if Sutcliffe served as the worst case scenario for it by letting people die without any concern, the Doctor served as his foil, with a catch of course because this was the episode where the all important moment between the Doctor and his new companion, where said companion discovers that the Doctor has done questionable things arrived, and it played out in vastly different fashion this go round. Sure Bill was appalled by the fact that the Doctor has taken lives and that he sometimes barely ponders on the ones he loses...but her ability to catch on quick this season helped plenty when it comes to making peace with that. She came to understand what horrors the Doctor has seen over his two thousand year run and that moving on from those painful moments is key and while he's not always flawless at leaving the hurt behind, he does find a way to go on and make wonders happen and it was equally impressive to be reminded how he honors the dead by making life better for others by reminding men like Sutcliffe that their way is the wrong way and let's be honest, it was pretty awesome to see him smack the man square in the face for pulling out the race card and disrespecting Bill as well. But perhaps the most beautiful moment of this tale wasn't in the fact that they saved the monster, countless lives and gave a group of underprivileged kids a new chance at life, it was that the Doctor gave credit for every ounce of their success to Bill and having that kind of wonder on her mind is clearly changing her for the better. Either way, I really enjoyed how this episode blended two eras of Who together and its fascinating exploration of the human condition and how the Doctor fits into it and I really hope the series continues to dig into such matters. I'm also thoroughly enjoying how Bill keeps pointing out the potential for trouble with the timeline when it comes to their actions, and how smoothly the show lets her concerns slide. However despite the uplifting nature of this one, there was one disturbing element to be found, the knocking coming from the Vault in the final few seconds of the story leaving all of us to wonder, who or what would be awful enough for the Doctor to lock up in a vault as complex as this one. Time will tell of course, but I know I'm not the only one who was wondering in the back of their head whether or not Missy is potentially waiting behind those doors...until next time.
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Written by John Edward BetancourtTHIS IS THE EMERGENCY SPOILER ALERT SYSTEM...YOU ARE ADVISED TO READ AT YOUR OWN RISK...As I settled in to watch the second episode of The Handmaid's Tale on Hulu, part of me wondered if by chance this episode was going to find a way to venture to places far darker than the series premiere managed to go before shaking off such thoughts. After all, the first episode merely set the tone, this was already a dark and disturbing world so there was no possible way the story could go to uglier places...right? Nope. I was wrong. Because 'Birth Day' not only managed to maintain the uncomfortable atmosphere established in the pilot, it completely and utterly found a way to make Gilead a more disgusting place and in the process, potentially give us an answer as to how a theocracy such as this could have risen to power and wouldn't you know it...fear seems to be the cause. If anything the flashbacks we experience through Offred/June's eyes are downright wonderful since they give us just enough insight to understand how the world changed and judging from the fact that June's daughter Hannah was nearly kidnapped shortly after she was born by someone who claimed baby Hannah as her own speaks volumes to the fact that the braintrust behind Gilead worked hard to prey upon fears that America was being punished by God and the only way to see mankind survive was to embrace Him and a new way of life. That became incredibly relevant to this particular tale as the Handmaids assembled at Janine's posting since the time had come at last for her to give birth to her Commander's baby and at first it seemed the story was going into more beautiful territory since there was a grand celebration surrounding the whole event and for the first time ever it seemed as though a Handmaid mattered since Janine was given all kinds of incredible support and care. But the simple joy that the story was building to was instantly wiped away the moment the baby was ready for delivery. For the wives made their way into the room as well, and the show they put on, where Janine's master wife pretended to be giving birth as well was a disgusting joke and it was in this moment that the story went to those uglier places because the instant the baby was born, Janine was all but forgotten by the wives and trainers, she was left to be comforted by her fellow Handmaids and the cold reality of their purpose and how little they mattered outside of that was uncomfortable...and tragic. However, not all was lost in this episode, just when it seemed it couldn't become any bleaker, a grand surprise dropped into June's lap since the Commander asked to see her in private and while at first she (and the audience) believes that the boss man may be ready to tell her awful news, it turns out he merely wanted companionship and took the time to play a game of Scrabble with June and well...that's about the most normal and comfortable thing we have seen on the show so far and the sense of familiarity sent June over the moon. She was smiling, she was giddy, she was confident and comfortable from this act because life suddenly felt like life again. She was more than a breeding vessel, she was a human being once again. But of course, in a world like this, such feelings have to be temporary because before she can celebrate the fact her Commander isn't a total monster with Ofglen, we come to find that Ofglen has been replaced and that cannot bode well for June's only friend... More than likely, Ofglen's ties to what appears to be some type of Resistance against Gilead have been uncovered, setting up quite the plot for the next episode and I have no doubt that's where the story is headed next, a visceral and frightening tale where we learn what happens to those that betray their country. But in the meantime, it was nice to at least enjoy a tiny sense of comfort in this episode, especially considering how we were witness to the bastardization of childbirth that Gilead has put forth. Either way, this series continues to fascinate me. It continues to be bold and brave and I hope it continues to make us uncomfortable and appalled so that it still serves as both an experience and a warning. But I think I do need to take a slight break and watch something fun or silly before diving into the next episode, because I have a bad feeling what comes next when it comes to Ofglen is going to be incredibly difficult to watch. Until next time. Written by John Edward BetancourtTHIS IS THE EMERGENCY SPOILER ALERT SYSTEM...YOU ARE ADVISED TO READ AT YOUR OWN RISK...Sometimes the big reveals that we all crave as fans when it comes to our favorite television shows, downright backfire. Sure we are blessed with the answers we have been dying to know, but when it comes to a solid thriller like Designated Survivor, learning about all the facts can prove dangerous to the characters we know and love and that's precisely the issue that came about from Hannah uncovering the details about the grand conspiracy in last week's episode. Because armed with the knowledge that Nestor Lozano survived the FBI raid, Hannah became obsessed with discovering how he managed to pull such a feat off and the result of her hunt, led to quite a few amazing things in last night's episode, making 'Lazarus' perhaps the most tense episode since the season premiere and it was a story that also managed for the first time ever to put President Kirkman on the back burner for a change. Granted there was still a story to follow for Tom, in that a smear campaign was coming together to bring down Speaker Hookstraten mere hours after the President made the personal choice to start moving her through the Vice President process. But while it was nifty to see Kirkman and Kimble maneuver through the quagmire created to end her career, Hannah's hunt and everything that came out of it was far more powerful. Case in point, by digging deep on who was actually killed in the raid, Hannah managed to uncover a brand new person of interest and uncover who the White House Mole is, in rapid succession. Sadly, she's not aware of the latter part of that just yet, but let's talk about that new POI first. As it turns out, the man that died in the raid that night was a former beneficiary of Browning Reed's charity in that the organization bought his mother a wonderful new home, leading Hannah to meet and speak with the former CEO of the company, a Mister Patrick Lloyd. Lloyd was of course dismissive of the questioning, but the fact that he more or less quoted, verbatim, verses from the Pax Americana manifesto that Hannah discovered last week, has her suspicious that Lloyd's ties to the whole mess go far deeper than he is leading on, and perhaps the most intriguing part of meeting Lloyd is the fact that he still feels slighted by the United States for ending the deal with Browning Reed and sending his company into bankruptcy, certainly making it feel as though this man has quite the motive to topple and reinvent the nation. As for how she inadvertently exposed the mole to the audience, it all goes back to her investigation since she asked an NSA agent that works the White House detail to assemble a video diary of Nestor Lozano's actions the day of the assassination attempt. While that may seem unimportant, and off the cuff, it turns out from a quick reveal in the final seconds of the episode, that this man is not only the one feeding Abe Leonard all kinds of juicy information for his story, but our mystery man is also aligned with Lozano's people and that should make things interesting going forward because he no doubt had access to information on Hannah's temporary residence allowing for Nestor to kidnap her and who knows what dangers await her and the nation from here on out. When all is said and done however, wow. The show is no longer messing around with the conspiracy. As the old saying goes, when it rains, it pours and the floodgates are clearly open. If anything it looks like the conspirators are working hard to keep on schedule for the next wave of attacks, which means Browning Reed has plenty of munitions elsewhere to accomplish this and that means it's imperative they find Hannah as soon as possible, since she's really the only one with complete knowledge and understanding of the matter and Kirkman may have to make some tough decisions to protect the nation if by chance she cannot be found in a timely manner. Either way, the clock is ticking, the tension is rising and I cannot wait to see what next week has in store for us. Until then. Written by John Edward BetancourtTHIS IS THE EMERGENCY SPOILER ALERT SYSTEM...YOU ARE ADVISED TO READ AT YOUR OWN RISK...Perhaps the true beauty of entertainment in any form or fashion is that often times a story is incredibly relevant and reflective of what's currently happening in our world. However sometimes, a powerful story that is able to do that is written or created well ahead of its time, where we understand its message but not its relevancy until the moment finally arrives when said story becomes prophetic, reflecting our everyday lives. Such is the case with Margaret Atwood's novel, The Handmaid's Tale. Written in 1985, this book takes us into a world where the United States of America we know today is replaced by a powerful theocracy that overthrew the government, renamed the country Gilead and returned the people of New England to more traditional religious values. But the story goes beyond a simple notion of an alternate America. It provides its readers with a terrifying vision of America where the rights of anyone who isn't a caucasian male are virtually nonexistent and considering the fact that fertility rates drop in this dystopian world and many religions preach the need to go forth and procreate, fertile women are placed into servitude as Handmaid's to become breeding vessels for the most powerful men in Gilead, and the story we follow involves a Handmaid named June, later re-named Offred to signify who she belongs to. It remains a powerful novel, one that envisions ignorance taking control of our world over common sense and while it was adapted in loose fashion for film in 1990, it wasn't until this year that a quality and relevant adaptation arrived by way of Hulu and let's get it out of the way right now...Hulu has brought forth an utter masterpiece of storytelling here, one that follows the plot of the book closely and gives it the justice it so deserves. The series premiere alone feels as though it has been given the care of a big budget motion picture and believe me when I say this adaptation holds nothing back. Indeed women are nothing more than indentured servants in this world, with no hope of escaping their awful lives and while much has been written leading up to the release of this series about how relevant it is to the times, and it most certainly is, that's not really what we are going to focus on today...because what makes the series premiere, 'Offred', so incredibly powerful and chilling is how it presents this awful world to us...and how it laments its own creation. Now I read the book back in the late 1990's at the recommendation of a friend and found the story to be downright stunning to say the least, but the narrative in the book more or less comes with a sense of detachment. In that June is telling us these things to free her mind of it to survive another day, and that's the first big difference you see from the book to the series since...we are instantly drawn into Gilead. This world, its beliefs and the lack of respect for anything outside of men is felt the instant we meet June/Offred and that allows for this world to be presented to the audience in raw and visceral fashion and it also means...that at no point are you comfortable watching any moment of this series. I squirmed in my seat. I cringed. Nothing about Gilead feels right, nothing about it feels normal and the uncomfortable nature it presents is compounded by the fact that the exterior of this world looks exactly like ours. But unsettling world-building aside, the series celebrates nothing when it comes to Gilead. Despite the fact that people go along with the changes that have come to America, partly because spies known as 'Eyes' are watching to quell any insurrection, no one seems happy about how things turned out. Sure, everyone is going through the motions and getting by to see another day, but the constant side sniping of Gilead when no one is listening, or the tears that flow behind closed doors gives us a sense that everyone involved in this story...is angry that they didn't do more to prevent this. They should have fought this evil. They should have risen up and said enough. But alas, they did not, and this is their fate and they must deal with it accordingly and to not glorify Gilead or even justify it is downright brilliant because you as a viewer, quickly grow to hate it as well. It's as though we are trapped in a waking nightmare with June, one that we may never escape. However the greatest moment in the series premiere comes in the waning seconds of the episode. Where it seems June has had enough of this world and is steeling herself not only for the sake of her child, but to resist Gilead in any way she can and well...when all is said and done, bravo to Hulu for putting this story on the small screen because The Handmaid's Tale is downright brilliant. It serves as a grand reminder that in order for what we fear to take over the world we only need to give in to ignorance and apathy and that the common man is where the world can truly change and to provide the audience with a message that uplifting in a story this bleak is quite the accomplishment and I am downright hooked to say the least. Because this series is powerful, poignant and utterly amazing and if you haven't had the chance to see it yet, make time to do so. You'll be glad you did, until next time. Written by John Edward BetancourtTHIS IS THE EMERGENCY SPOILER ALERT SYSTEM...YOU ARE ADVISED TO READ AT YOUR OWN RISK...While the Framework storyline that Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has been gracing us with over the past few weeks is downright fascinating and utterly engaging, I think we can all agree on the fact it equally dismal and dark and hopeless to the point where the audience is ready for the storyline to give us a break or give us something we can root for. After all, it's heartbreaking to watch Fitz maintain his evil status, and it was equally as tough to see Director Mace pass away last week and it seems as though the powers that be behind the scenes agree with the fact that the audience and our characters have been through enough because last night's episode, 'All the Madame's Men' was filled to the brim with moments that we were able to cheer for because at long last, our heroes embraced their real world identities, once more standing up against all that is wrong in the...digital...world. Granted we had hints that this might be coming seeing as to how May provided Daisy with a little taste of Terrigen at the end of last week's episode, and it was indeed awesome to see Quake give Aida/Ophelia the business. But truly, watching Coulson become a leader again this episode, and seeing everyone rally behind him and work together to get the message out to the world that Hydra was feeding everyone lies was a beautiful moment indeed and in a roundabout sort of way there was even a moment of redemption for Grant Ward who did his best to make peace with Daisy. But the show wasn't quite done with lifting our spirits up because we cannot forget that Daisy apparently knows the way out of the Framework and there was a solid focus on her making preparations to get her friends out of this awful world at last. But while it was cool to see our intrepid heroes chew bubblegum and kick butt (and they were all out of bubblegum), there was also quite the surprising twist when it comes to the Framework, in that Aida sees it as more than a living world where she can manipulate and please its human inhabitants. Instead, she sees it as a way out. Because as it turns out, Aida has been quietly observing Coulson and the gang to study human emotion and all its intricacies along with using the Framework as a research center for Darkhold projects so that she can at last be free of her artificial intelligence limitations and become a living and breathing human being. Which means it is going to be a race against time for the team to escape because with the help with the LMD version of the Superior, Aida now knows Jemma and Daisy's location and the Superior is also itching to return to human form as well to exact a little revenge upon Coulson... When all is said and done however, it was nice to finally find a little fun inside the Framework and it was an utter joy to see Daisy give Aida the business and really the best part of the episode had to be Coulson's final digital transformation from a mousey shell of a man, terrified of Hydra, to the leader that S.H.I.E.L.D. needs and while being a leader is nothing new for Coulson, we all enjoy watching him at his best. What I liked most about this episode however is the big reveal of Aida's plans. There's something classy about her grand vision for the Framework serving her own wants and needs on an intimate and selfish level and it was nice that her plans brought the Darkhold front and center once again because it wouldn't shock me if she has further ideas in mind for it once she finishes her transformation. Either way, the clock is ticking on both sides and I have a funny feeling next week's episode is going to be an intense one as the team works to escape. Until then. Written by John Edward BetancourtTHIS IS THE EMERGENCY SPOILER ALERT SYSTEM...YOU ARE ADVISED TO READ AT YOUR OWN RISK...If there's one thing I have truly enjoyed when it comes to season three of The Flash, is the fact that the show is forcing Barry Allen to truly earn his hero status. Sure we've seen him do some amazing feats through the years and suffer greatly considering all the hell Zoom put him through last year, but Barry has yet to truly embrace what it means to put that lightning bolt emblem upon his chest, nor does he fully understand what his identity as the Flash means to others. But last night's episode, 'The Once and Future Flash' was filled with some serious surprises when it comes to all of that. Because what seemed like standard Flash-fare suddenly became a tour de force episode that not only embraced the darkness that has permeated over season three, but it finally allowed for Barry to embrace those all important things I made mention of a moment ago. He finally acted like a true hero through and through and he now understands what kind of a symbol he is and all it took for Barry Allen to step into that role was a terrifying trip to the future in an attempt to learn Savitar's true identity where he discovered what the world would look like without The Flash. Because in 2024, there was no Flash. Just a barren and dystopia-esque Central City where villains reigned supreme and the reason for the speedster's exit from public life and public service was a simple one, the death of Iris. Yes, future Barry Allen, a dark and brooding version of the man we've come to know surrendered to the pain of losing his true love and disbanded the team, breaking every single promise he's made in the present and well...seeing what will become of a world without Barry was downright fascinating and heartbreaking since the vast majority of team Flash fell upon tough times without Mister Allen there to provide them with purpose or direction. Wally was relegated to home care for a major injury he suffered battling Savitar. Joe was distraught and shattered over being abandoned by Barry. Julian went off to care for and watch over Killer Frost in prison and poor Cisco lost his hands and his powers in a battle with the darker form of Caitlin and he was desperate to keep Barry in the future so that maybe...just maybe, he could have a shred of hope again in a world without it, and that's when Barry finally saw the light. He realized that everyone looked up to him for guidance and direction because he inspired others to be more, and be better and every time he put that suit on, he gave an entire city of people hope and by embracing these facts he was able to bring the team back together and he even managed to inspire his future self to do the right thing once again. It was a refreshing little twist and one that made you proud of Barry, and while he may not have learned Savitar's identity in 2024, he did at least uncover the name of the physicist who built the Speed Force trap and he brought her work back to the present where no doubt the hunt for Tracy Brand will get underway come next week but when all is said and done, I really loved this episode. It was simply wonderful to see Barry embrace his destiny at long last and inspire others and really, everything about this story worked perfectly. The acting was on point, the story was sublime and this might be the finest episode that season three has delivered to date. Either way, Barry could not have picked a better time to find his calling because he's going to need every ounce of that bravery and strength as we barrel toward an epic showdown with Savitar. Until next time. Written by John Edward BetancourtTHIS IS THE EMERGENCY SPOILER ALERT SYSTEM...YOU ARE ADVISED TO READ AT YOUR OWN RISK...It's been far too long since we enjoyed the adventures of Kara Zor-El, and the wait caused by Supergirl's spring hiatus was a touch more on the difficult side for fans of the show simply because it left us with quite the cliffhanger a month ago. After all, it truly seemed as though Kara and Queen Rhea were set to face off in epic fashion once the show returned which made the prospect of new episodes exciting to say the least. But as it turns out, the series delivered quite the surprise when it returned to the airwaves last night. Rather than dig right into the Supergirl vs. SuperMom storyline we were expecting, the show went to a quieter and more intimate place by allowing Kara to live up to the title of the episode, 'Ace Reporter', by letting us see exactly what Kara Danvers can truly do as an journalist and it made for quite the story. Because not only did it provide a grand mystery for Kara to unravel that didn't 100% require her to put on the 'S', but it also brought back a concept explored earlier this season as to whether or not some people are inherently evil or formed that way by bringing Lena Luthor back into the mix as well and putting her through the emotional ringer. If anything, we are going to talk little when it comes to the plot line today because Kara's adventures as a reporter and Lena's struggles are far more fascinating to look at, especially when one considers just how much Kara grew in this episode. I say that, because for weeks now, she's been struggling with the Kara Danvers side of her life, especially the fact that she was fired and well...her getting canned was apparently an eye opening moment for her since her outlook on being a responsible reporter changed completely. She was on point with her story and her sources, determined and brave to get the facts, and she also put her fears about potentially not being suited for the job behind her and the end result was a big time scoop for CatCo, Snapper's respect and...she got her old job back as well and it was simply refreshing to see her take control like this and live out a dream. Kara's story was balanced out nicely by Lena's, which certainly took a darker turn since she was more or less put through the emotional wringer this go round, forced to slowly learn that an old flame, one that truly brought out the best in her had been transformed into a nanobot riddled monster. To make matters worse, it fell to her to put him down to save the day and that's where that old theme about the formation of evil comes back into play. Because for quite some time now, Lena has struggled mightily to make the Luthor name reputable again by being an upstanding citizen, and now we are left to wonder, was it pure evil that drove Lillian and Lex to evil, or heartbreak and a rattled soul since Lena believes there is a risk she will walk down a darker path because of her pain and what may compound this possibility, is the arrival of Queen Rhea in Lena's office and the discussion of a potential deal... Either way, I have to admit that I was quite impressed with this episode. At times Supergirl has had its issues storytelling wise, but this tale was completely on point. It was fun, it brought the laughs, in fact Mon-El in his alter ego form of Mike is becoming quite the comic relief and it was equally as awesome that it featured strong female roles across the board, even including a surprise female villain by way of Jack Spheer's CFO and despite the lack of larger threats in this episode, I most certainly found myself engaged watching this one and it seems at last, the great showdown between Rhea and Supergirl is on its way and I am quite curious to know what deal the queen offered up to Lena, and I'm certain it won't be long before we find out. Until next time. Written by John Edward BetancourtTHIS IS THE EMERGENCY SPOILER ALERT SYSTEM...YOU ARE ADVISED TO READ AT YOUR OWN RISK...Better Call Saul has accomplished plenty when it comes to how it tells a story over the past three seasons. It has solidified itself as the finest character study on television right now. It's thrilled fans of Breaking Bad with constant throwbacks and most importantly, it is a powerful modern American tragedy as we slowly watch a decent man with a good heart transform into something far darker. However, there is one thing that the show had yet to do when it comes to its incredible style of storytelling...truly leave us with a cliffhanger. Don't get me wrong, we tune in every single week ready to see what will happen next, but despite the fact this story is indeed a grand and sweeping tale, it's done in unique fashion wherein a particular episode can more or less stand on its own. But I use the word 'had' in discussing such matters because all of that changed last week. The more I had time to think about that penultimate moment between Chuck and Jimmy at the end of the last episode, the more I realized that I was dying to know what would happen next, which means the show had accomplished another wonder...it finally delivered a cliffhanger and a darn good one at that. Because that titular moment hung on my mind for the entire week forcing me to settle in, ready to watch 'Sunk Costs' fifteen minutes before its air time. In part to watch that brotherly showdown one more time, but more so to see exactly how well these two episodes would link together and well, this week's tale certainly did not disappoint, because this was a story that finally tipped Chuck's hand and now we know his vengeful end game. If anything, that was perhaps the thematic focus of the episode, revenge; especially when one considers that it also featured a wonderful moment between a pair of future allies because at long last, Mike and Gus met face to face, following up as well from another scene that left us hanging last week. In fact, let's take a moment and talk about that before we get too deep into the Chuck and Jimmy dynamic because it was quite the treat to once again see Mike and Gus stand face to face to discuss business if you will and this scene was lovely not only for the sake of Breaking Bad nostalgia but because of the respect these two men showed one another. They know just how smart the other guy is and there was no posturing and machismo to be found here...just an understanding that they both have an issue with Hector Salamanca for their own specific reasons and that uniting behind their common cause would be far more beneficial than fighting one another and the chance for Mike to stick it to the man who threatened his family was just too damn good to pass up. Which means we were once again privy to the wonder of Mike in motion as he worked to help undermine the Salamanca drug empire and man, did he do it in style. He managed to take down Hector's new drivers in the subtlest of fashion, but what mattered most about Mike's journey in this episode, is the sheer joy that revenge brought to him. There was a spring in his step we haven't seen for some time and while we all know deep down that harboring a vendetta isn't necessarily a good thing...for some men, it's the only catharsis they will ever know. That applies to Mike, and it also brings us back to the whole mess with Chuck and Jimmy. Now, what was racing through my mind at the end of last week's episode, and what stayed on my mind until last night...was that I was desperate to know how Jimmy was going to handle his pending arrest and to my surprise, he handled it well. Sure you could see on his face that his brother's ultimate betrayal was ripping at his heart and soul, but Jimmy owned this mess, with complete and utter confidence, even choosing to represent himself before a judge when the time comes for this to go to trial and well, it was a noble way to handle it all. He apologized to Kim, he told her why it was important for him to deal with this on his own, if anything it was the most mature thing we've ever see him do on the series. But the confidence, well that came from the fact he knew everyone in the District Attorney's office and there was a fair chance an old friend would be handling the case which meant Slippin' Jimmy could sneak out of the charges with little to no fuss. But that would simply be too easy, and it seems as though Chuck already knew the law would take precedence over familiarity, since the D.A. appointed someone special to look after the case and that's when we finally learned what Chuck was up to all of this time. Because during his interview with the Prosecutor, it seemed for a moment that the elder McGill was about to send a little mercy his brother's way, but that was all a ruse to put the final nail in Jimmy's proverbial coffin, because the prosecutor, at Chuck's request, offered Jimmy a simple deal, known as Pre-Prosecution Diversion. Wherein Jimmy would provide a written confession outlining his crimes and spend a year on automatic probation. However, there was a caveat...the letter would also go to the New Mexico Bar Association, a place filled to the brim with Chuck's friends, and it would likely mean the end of Jimmy's legal career for good. So there you have it, the disdain that Chuck showed a while back when it comes to the notion of Jimmy practicing law has finally come around full circle and this is quite the dastardly plan. Not only does it preserve the 'sanctity of the law' that Chuck firmly believes the world needs, it robs his brother of his dream and gives ol' Chucky boy a sick sense of satisfaction as his little need for revenge finally comes to fruition. If anything, it truly demonstrates that the McGill brothers aren't that different after all and whether Jimmy likes it or not, he's now in for an incredible fight to save his burgeoning career and now I cannot help but wonder...if Jimmy is unsuccessful in said fight to practice law, does that force his hand into perhaps starting a new firm under a new yet familiar name? Time will tell but when all is said and done, this was simply another phenomenal episode and for the first time in a long time, it truly feels as though we are barreling toward the end of Jimmy McGill and the birth of Saul Goodman. Until next time. Written by John Edward BetancourtI've said it before and I will say it again, you simply cannot win them all...especially when it comes to television. No matter how good the show, or how incredible the writing, eventually, a so-so or dismal story will find its way to the screen and after sitting through some phenomenal episodes of Battlestar Galactica, we have finally come to one of the lowest points in the series, in 'Black Market'. This was an episode that reflected its title, wherein the Black Market was beginning to rear its ugly head within the fleet as supplies run low and after Commander Fisk is brutally murdered aboard the Battlestar Pegasus, Admiral Adama puts his son on the case to find the person responsible for Fisk's death, and also to put an end to the Black Market, an agenda that President Roslin intends to follow through upon and while that plot actually sounds like it could have turned out quite awesome since it offers intrigue and the darker side of the fleet, too many missteps end up making this episode incredibly weak when all is said and done. For starters, it plays out like a pulp noir crime story and while there's nothing wrong with that, it simply has no place being fused into a brilliant science fiction show such as this. It makes Lee look silly since in no way would we ever comfortably think of him as a hardboiled gumshoe determined to 'save the dame' so to speak and the crime in question, but that's exactly what this episode sets out to do and this plot completely undermines the struggle that Lee has been battling with internally over the past few episodes when it comes to his brush with death and that's a shame to be honest because that's a plot thread that truly needs some quality reconciliation. To make matters worse, the whole notion of Detective Adama and all the cheese that comes with it, truly overshadows moments that should shock or disgust us. But by the time those moments arrive, your mind has already moved on because of how forced and out of place everything seems, which means the guest appearance and quality performance from Bill Duke as the head of the Black Market is utterly forgettable as is the entire subplot involving a political showdown between President Roslin and Vice President Baltar, where Laura asks Gaius to resign, a move that seems to embolden and infuriate the skittish scientist. This is simply a bad episode, where every character seems to do things counterintuitive to what we've learned about them up to this point. Commander Fisk is another fine example of this, because while we know he likes to keep it loose aboard his ship, at no point did any of us ever see him as a crime kingpin because the man is simply not smart enough to make that kind of magic happen. But there is good news to be found, it really is just one bad episode in a sea of wonderful ones and while I was dreading watching this one, it's in the rearview mirror now and as I recall it, the next one...'Scar' is quite the treat. So without further ado, it's time to clear my pallet of this unpleasantness and get back to what made Battlestar Galactica so great. Until next time. Written by John Edward BetancourtTHIS IS THE EMERGENCY SPOILER ALERT SYSTEM...YOU ARE ADVISED TO READ AT YOUR OWN RISK...When it comes to science fiction, robots, often fueled by artificial intelligence have served as a solid go to villain for decades and there is a good reason for that. After all, these unfeeling beings see the dark side of mankind for what it is and firmly believe that the world or the universe would be a better place without our pettiness. They have served as an allegory for as to why we need to be better as a species and they have provided us with some incredibly iconic moments in cinema as well. But what if an A.I. based robot, wasn't entirely evil? What if its actions were based on a simple lack of understanding and a drive to serve their masters? Would that make them evil or merely misunderstood? These are all fine questions that have no doubt been explored and possibly overlooked since the evil A.I. bot is far more entertaining. So leave it to Doctor Who to dig into these questions and answer them in last night's fascinating episode, 'Smile'. Because this particular tale picked up immediately where the season/series premiere left off, with Bill and the Doctor standing in the TARDIS before skipping through time and space to the future where they came to one of the first human colonies some 20 light years from Earth, which just so happened to be vacant of humans. But it was filled to the brim with robots known as the Vardy, artificial Intelligence based beings that helped build this colony and unfortunately for the colonists; the Vardy figured out a way to monitor their emotions and remove any human being from the planet, who wasn't quite enjoying life as much as they should. Now while that sounds like a prototypical, 'freak of the week' monster style of storytelling it was anything but. These 'bots truly wished to help. They understood the suffering the colonists went through, and based off of the data available to them, firmly believed that happiness was the key to keeping a human being alive and well. Granted there is some credence to that, but a being without a firm understanding of the complexities of emotion will make whatever call it deems necessary, making the Vardy a misunderstood but sentient creature, and one that hopefully will maintain newfound peace with the human beings that now walk amongst them. But while it seems as though this was a Doctor Who story with less complex storytelling than last week's premiere, there was something more to offer up as well, since it's becoming quite clear that Series 10 is going to have a heavy focus on the Doctor getting his groove back and standing tall as the hero we know him to be, considering that there was a healthy spotlight on how much he's been hiding since losing River and Clara. Bill consistently pushed to get more information out of the man and while it's clear he struggled taking Bill into the future since it broke his vow to remain on Earth...the allure of saving lives and making the galaxy a better place is clearly too much for him to resist and it was nice to see him go from timid professor to kick-ass Time Lord/Savior of All of the Things as the episode progressed. Speaking of Bill, thus far she continues to impress. She's intelligent and strong and I am thoroughly enjoying the fact she knows how to call the Doctor on his bologna, and that she can do it without some giant monologue questioning the Doctor's morality or strategy. She goes along with the plan, and she gets it and if the Doctor is out of line, she lets him know and that makes her quite the refreshing companion to say the least. Either way, this was a simple but fun first adventure for the Doctor and Bill and it's clear the show is making good on its promise to make Doctor Who more accessible to the fans by giving us raw entertainment with a few cerebral moments to chew on. I do hope however the stories begin to get a touch more complex as the season rolls on so Twelve gets a juicy and proper farewell. Until next time. |
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