Written by John Edward BetancourtTHIS IS THE EMERGENCY SPOILER ALERT SYSTEM...YOU ARE ADVISED TO READ AT YOUR OWN RISK...I have to fully admit, that I was expecting the latest episode of Designated Survivor to be...a touch on the dry side. After all, it truly looked like 'Party Lines' was going to be an in depth story of how a bill comes to life, and well...I think we are all hard pressed to explain exactly how a television show about a man thrust into the most important job in the world, can make baseline politics fascinating and intriguing, but leave it to this show to find a way to make that happen. If anything I truly need to stop raising an eyebrow of concern when it comes to these particular types of episodes from this show because every single second of President Kirkman's first attempt to get an important yet, not entirely loved bill passed through the Senate was downright fascinating, but not for the reasons one might expect. Sure, there was our proverbial villain that needed to be defeated by way of Senator Jack Bowman, and deal making happening all over the place, which was entertaining in its own right. But what truly had me fascinated about this particular part of the storyline from last night, was the fact that it was in its own special way bleak...because it hit me as I watched the bill continue to flip flop in the Senate...nothing has really changed in Washington and that's unsettling. Because let's be honest; President Tom Kirkman and everything he stands for in many ways symbolizes a fresh start for this fictional version of the United States of America. He's free from party lines as a registered Independent and he's inspired others like him to run for office successfully as well. But more importantly, he's become a beacon of hope for the nation, he truly serves the people and has them believing that the status quo can finally fade away and America can move forward in a bold new direction. Yet...he still had to do the traditional song and dance to get people onto his side and his plans for the bill, and there were plenty who were more worried about their political careers or personal agendas over country and well...it's sad that they don't see the bigger picture or the golden opportunity to do some true good here and while the bill did pass, there's little to celebrate in my opinion since it's clear there's still quite a ways to go in Washington when it comes to these Senators and their inability to realize what matters more. However while we watched Congress do its thing, Hannah set out to uncover more about Brooke and the defunct company she seemed to be tied to in Browning Reed because for some odd reason, she was making frequent trips to some property owned by that company in North Dakota and Hannah needed to know why. So she brought Jason along for the ride, only to discover initially that well...nothing was there. But with a little digging, it turns out the location they were scouting was a former missile silo and once she and Jason got inside what they found was utterly chilling since there were rows and rows of cases, filled with the same explosive device that destroyed the Capitol building and it would seem now that Browning Reed is deeply involved in this whole mess, but alas the motivation for the attack continues to remain in the shadows. In the end however, I have to say I was thoroughly impressed with this episode. Once again the conspiracy is giving us just enough to work with and I'm digging the fact that Browning Reed went 'out of business' only to return in disturbing fashion and really, kudos to the show for not glamorizing the opportunity in front of Kirkman and Congress by reminding the characters and the audience for that matter that change is terrifying to many and it will still take some incredible work to change the minds and hearts of those who lead the nation. Either way, I'm impressed with the fact that this series keeps finding new ways to make the nit and grit of politics interesting and I cannot wait to see where Hannah's chilling discovery takes us from here. Until next time.
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Written by Scott EdwardsTHIS IS THE EMERGENCY SPOILER ALERT SYSTEM...YOU ARE ADVISED TO READ AT YOUR OWN RISK...Finally finishing the first season of Iron Fist, I must admit that I rather enjoyed the show, but was not blown away by it. As I chatted with a friend about it before the series was released, it would have some large footsteps to follow in, as Luke Cage was great and Jessica Jones was epic. With all of the negative reviews the show was getting before the air date, some of the complaints were warranted, but most of them seemed to be flat out wrong and were nothing more than an attempt to get clicks. So what did I think about the series? Let me tell you… Let me start with the only part of the show that made me long for something more, the fighting scenes. I have no idea what happened during the production of this show, but someone really dropped the ball with this as it does not even compare with an Indiana Jones straight up fist fight. It really seemed to upset a lot of people when a Kung Fu master returns home as the Iron Fist who has skill in the craft, but cannot dispatch his enemies in a timely manner. The fighting got a little bit better as the series progressed, yet it seemed like they were an afterthought as the story played on. Thank goodness that the story was pretty good, because if they dropped the ball on that as well, this would have been a disaster. One of the things that a lot of my writer friends posted throughout their viewing is that the pacing of the story was not consistent. This is a problem with them watching the other Marvel Series' before this one, as Danny is not consistent either. I think that the story played well to the way Danny Rand really was, trying to find answers and keeping his mind straight as he finds out truths and lies in each episode. When Danny went awry, so did the pacing, so it made sense to me, but might not sit well with perfectionists that loved how Luke Cage stayed on point throughout. The Danny Rand story was fun to follow and you did not get to see who he fought in the cave to earn the Iron Fist until the last seconds of the final episode. It was great to see it make the full circle as he finally understood his purpose in the moment and found his drive to finally learn more. Danny however is not without his issues as well and his trusting of people needs to be taken back a page or two since everyone he trusts is lying to him about one thing or another. I really understand how he wanted to be accepted back into his old life with the Meachum’s, but the crap that they put him through, I see some real trust issues coming up in future shows and if it is just Claire that is able to talk him into joining a super hero faction, I might have to call B.S. and step away, because that is not how it works. Claire was also a huge part in the show, just like in Luke Cage where she discovered more about herself. Now however, she is trying to make sure that she is able to take care of herself on the physical level. AND YOU GET TO SEE HER FIGHT!!! Beating the heck out of some cops, Claire has secured herself on another level and should be ready to take the fight to anyone that comes looking for trouble, and thank goodness, because she runs with some shady characters. The huge surprise of the series was Colleen Wing as she found more than she was looking for when meeting Danny Rand in the park on one fine day. I did not know what to expect out of her character, since I knew nothing about Iron Fist before going in, I just thought that she knew how to fight and take care of her class and that’s it. But there was so much more to her when she found that she loved beating the heck out of people for the feeling that it gave to her. Being able to tone that down with the fights she got into with Danny against the Hand, she found that being a warrior is much more than the external strength, but the internal strength that Danny always preached. Finding out that her Hand outfit was not what she thought it was, her eyes have been opened to the reality that not everyone is who they seem to be. The pair of Joy and Ward Meachum are the finest business minds that I have seen depicted in a television show in a while. I love how they are able to overcome every obstacle that is put in their way, especially when it comes to lifting each other up. Being brother and sister and hardly ever being apart, they know the right moves for themselves and each other. Watching as the strain starts to get to them both was just what I expected in the family sense, the trust went right out the window when the lies would not stop. While Ward only wanted to get out from under the thumb of his father, Joy started to feel that there was more to life outside of the boardroom and wanted to connect with her family on the personal level. I liked them both and hope to see them again, Joy with new found emotions and Ward with a killer instinct, literally. When seeing Harold Meachum on the screen for the first time and hearing that the world believed that he was dead, I was unsure how he was going to play into the story. He turned out to be a really good villain looking to get his life and power back. Using his art of manipulation, he was able to get his son to dispose of bodies, his daughter to help him after being gone for thirteen years and Danny to believe that he was part of the family. Then you find out that he was brought back to life by the Hand and their live forever potion and was under their control. Watching Harold’s rebirth on screen was something else, as the memories had to be sparked by a word or action, it left me speechless. Then seeing the rage that was reborn with him, well, let’s just say I will not be looking to be adopted by the Meachum’s anytime soon, because damn. Madame Gao was a strong character in this series as well, since in most of the other series, we only caught her for a minute in the shadows or dealing drugs. Only Daredevil really got to know the old woman, but young Danny Rand got to know her better than anyone. With knowledge from the ages, there are so many things that the woman knows and can find out on her own, she has her gifts and she uses them when the time is right. I must admit that a thunder punch from her would probably kill lesser men and now I know that there is much more to her, as she has seen the Iron Fists come and go over the years. If they are going to do a backstory on one of the Marvel baddies, they had better put Madame Gao on the top of the list, because she is able to surprise everyone with what she is able to bring to the table. Knowing nothing about the Iron Fist before watching this, I feel like the show did a good job giving some background and showing the kind of person Danny Rand really is. Knowing a little bit about his power and wanting to learn more, Danny may be able to get the two glowing hands to take out his enemies, but I guess we will have to wait and see if that happens anytime soon. As a whole, the show is very entertaining and if you can look past the fight scenes, you will find yourself enjoying it more than most of negative reviewers are saying. It’s a good story, with some really great characters and you might find yourself learning a thing or two about business ethics in the mix…at least what not to do. See ya when The Defenders come to town, I know I cannot wait. Written by John Edward BetancourtOne thing that I have always admired when it comes to Battlestar Galactica, is how the show always managed to find a way to surprise us when it came to how it told a story. I simply cannot count how many times I expected a particular tale to go in a particular direction, only to have it veer off on a completely different course and 'Resurrection Ship (Part 2)' is a fine example of this. Because the first part of this story set up a grand showdown between Adama and Cain, one that more or less spoke to the fact that mankind simply had to find a way to work together on common ground, otherwise our species would tear itself to shreds and I fully expected the buzz surrounding that showdown to build and end in explosive fashion...but that was simply not the case. No, instead this particular episode took us on a wild journey into a whole different world of concepts; the power of love and how some people use it to find redemption, and how some people are utterly okay with facing their death under the right set of circumstances. The latter of those two concepts was explored by way of Lee Adama who, when the attack on the Resurrection Ship began, saw the stealth ship he was flying take a hit that forced him to eject, leaving him in the void of space to watch the battle unfold in silence. Unfortunately for Lee however, there was a tiny tear in his suit, meaning that his oxygen was venting into space and well...he was completely and utterly okay with letting that air run out. While it was never directly explained why he was okay with suddenly letting his life go, if one had to guess, Lee has been under an incredible amount of stress and pressure this season. He's seen his father nearly die, he's been persona non grata for siding with the President and he's been demoted for his actions as well and considering what he had to deal with in season one with the Olympic Carrier...perhaps Lee simply realized how tough the road ahead is going to be and rather than suffer through it, he saw a simple way to be free of future pain... But while Lee's story and motivations are clouded in a bit of mystery, Gaius Baltar's story was clean cut and dry. Because over the past few episodes, his kindness and humanity have shown through at last when it comes to dealing with the Six that Admiral Cain has harbored and tortured in the Brig of the Pegasus, and the gentleness he has demonstrated toward this prisoner of war all comes from his love of Caprica Six and seeing that familiar face and observing the pain she's going through is too much for him to bear and he realizes he has a grand opportunity to care for this Six, and love her properly and make up for his mistakes, so he allows her to escape the Brig during the middle of the battle and well...there is an unexpected 'consequence' for gifting her with freedom; since Gina finds her way into Admiral Cain's quarters and murders her long after the battle has come to an end. It was quite the shocking end to the whole problem that is Admiral Cain, especially when one considers that both Adama and Cain stood down from their respective plans to execute the other, and on the plus side, it is wonderful that a potential war in the fleet has been quelled and that the fleet has a new Admiral in Adama...but when all is said and done, nothing about the conclusion of this story arc feels right. Lee is clearly in a dark, dark place, there's another Cylon on the loose in the fleet and well, while Cain was a pain in the rear, it would have been nice to have seen her story conclude in classier fashion, with just a hint of redemption. But much like everyday life, we don't always get exactly what we want ending wise and that's always been the beauty of this show; the fact that it doesn't always let us escape reality by reminding us of the harshness of the world with moments such as these. Either way, there's a new Battlestar around to help protect the fleet and perhaps now the last of mankind can come together and resume their quest to find a new home, as one. Until next time. Written by John Edward BetancourtTHIS IS THE EMERGENCY SPOILER ALERT SYSTEM...YOU ARE ADVISED TO READ AT YOUR OWN RISK...For as long as it has been on the air, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has truly the been the light and fluffy palette cleanser of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and that's not necessarily a bad thing. It's always been about the fun and the adventure, and in a world where sometimes superhero movies break our hearts (looking at you Civil War, you were friends Steve and Tony! FRIENDS!) it's always nice to turn to this show for some simple joy and outright entertainment. But I think we all knew it was only a matter of time before the darkness that permeates the MCU would find its way to this show and that's not a bad thing either. At times this series has needed a little bit of gravitas as well and while this season has peppered in some of the dark by way of some incredibly gritty episodes, last night's episode, 'Identity and Change' decided to take this kind of storytelling to a whole new level by unleashing some incredibly stunning and heartbreaking moments from our favorite characters as we learned something new about the Framework...it's an awful place that doesn't provide people with peace. It rules through fear to keep its inhabitants complacent and to make matters worse, it also brings out the worst in everyone. All of that was demonstrated through the storylines involving Mack and Fitz because Mack, who was able to live the dream of having his daughter at his side, did everything that he could to stay out of Hydra's way in this world, to no avail unfortunately since curiosity from Hope put him in front of Agent May where she demanded his help in outing Daisy as a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. But what made this storyline so fascinating was the fact that we've never seen Mack like this. He's always been a bold and headstrong character that fears nothing, but here...he's a shell of his former self, an utter coward who was unable to look his daughter in the eye over helping this evil organization and while it was nice to see him try and join the right cause at the end of the episode, his redemption was overshadowed by Fitz's descent into madness. Because Aida/Madame Hydra has discovered the darkest parts of Fitz's psyche and encouraged and nourished these traits and the end result of what Fitz has become in this world is downright heartbreaking, since the true focus of this episode was Jemma's hunt to find Radcliffe in order to figure out how to leave this ugly place and while they did find Radcliffe, and the consciousness of his love Agnes in Framework form...so did Hydra and we quickly learn that Aida has created this place in its current form as a way to get back at Radcliffe for making her feel like property instead of as an equal and she encourages Fitz to punish the good doctor for his transgressions and despite Radcliffe's best efforts to talk some sense into Fitz, the once noble and quirky doctor we've come to love guns down Agnes in cold blood, effectively ending her digital life, while demonstrating to everyone just how much he's embraced his darker psyche. But as if that wasn't shocking enough, the show took it one step further by making it known that Fitz tortured Radcliffe at Hydra HQ and it looks like Daisy is next on his list and while this is indeed a fantasy world, the real world implications are there. Because once (or if) they get out of this godforsaken place, everyone on the team will be armed with the knowledge of what darkness lies in the hearts of their friends and relationships will change and nothing may ever quite be the same. Either way, kudos to the show for throwing caution to the wind and taking full advantage of this fantasy world to explore things they simply couldn't in a regular story and I am truly invested in this new story arc and I'm dying to know how it ends and whether or not the fallen heroes we are now seeing on display in the Framework can ever be redeemed. Until next time. Written by John Edward BetancourtIt would seem that the prevailing theme of season two of Battlestar Galactica is finding common ground for the fleet to work with and rally behind. Because for the most part this season, we've seen grave divisions amongst the last remnant of mankind and only a hint of unity in recent episodes with the renewed quest to find Earth, but the arrival of the Battlestar Pegasus has completely and utterly shattered the fragile peace that the fleet was enjoying. After all, it's obvious that Admiral Cain is all about fighting the enemy and maintaining a sense of order through fear and when we last left the story, Pegasus and Galactica were ready to go to war over such views. But thankfully a secret run by Starbuck in the stealth ship resulted in giving the fleet the temporary common ground it needs by way of fighting the Cylons and dealing a devastating blow their way, but 'Resurrection Ship (Part 1)' went above and beyond becoming a story that only focused on making plans for war...it also became quite the character study in what can happen when stress and disaster completely and utterly shatter a human being's psyche, to the point where they potentially have no hope of functioning in society. That microscope was more or less focused on Admiral Cain who basically scoffed at the President when she sat both Cain and Adama down to discuss their little standoff and the lack in leadership that came with it and that was merely the beginning of Roslin and Adama's problems with Cain in this episode because Laura quickly recognized a particular streak of anger in the Admiral that made her nervous and she put the idea in Bill's mind that there was a fair chance that she was dangerous and needed to be removed from power by way of lethal force. It was a notion that surprised Adama at first but as the episode wore on and we learned more about Cain's legacy after the fall of the Colonies, what was discovered about her 'leadership' in a time of crisis was downright terrifying enough to help him understand the President's way of thinking. It turns out that at one point, Pegasus shared a common trait with the Galactica in that she too had a civilian fleet under her protection. But Cain's obsession with attacking the enemy led to a dismantling of said fleet, and outright carnage since the Admiral also forced anyone worth while into service aboard her ship through violence and murder and the fate of the poor people that weren't 'drafted'...was that they were left abandoned by Pegasus to fend for themselves and after learning this, Adama makes the tough call. After the operation to destroy the Resurrection Ship is completed, Starbuck is to head to the CIC aboard the Pegasus and put a bullet in Cain's skull and while it seems as though the Commander is finally a step ahead, Cain makes similar plans with her first officer, once again putting these two leaders on a collision course. Granted, looking at that plot in quick fashion, it does seem as though common ground is not much of a theme here, but it just so happens to be present in a more subtle fashion. For Adama, getting the Admiral and her totalitarian tendencies out of the way is in the best interest of the future of the fleet, so survival and keeping the quest for Earth alive is the common ground he's searching for and the only peace he can make with the Admiral is by way of their shared interest in destroying the Resurrection Ship, and that's sadly the only thing these two can agree upon. But when all is said and done, wow...this one was just as intense as 'Pegasus' and oddly enough, darker as well. Kara makes a point of the fact that they kill people for a living but an assassination like this is just out of left field. But, as a viewer, it does makes sense, which is chilling as well because sadly, Cain is lost. She is obsessed with revenge, obsessed with bloodshed and she will clearly sacrifice whomever and whatever is necessary to satisfy that vendetta and it should be interesting to see where these plans for assassination go in the next episode. Until next time. Written by Scott EdwardsTHIS IS THE EMERGENCY SPOILER ALERT SYSTEM...YOU ARE ADVISED TO READ AT YOUR OWN RISK...Understanding what the Hand is really doing has opened Colleen’s eyes and she will stand by her man, Danny Rand, in this fight against evil. But the two will have to go at it alone as Davos is tired of trying to protect his friend who does not want to assume his post at K’un Lun with his gift of the Iron Fist. With the passage being left unguarded, Davos returns home, just as Danny and Colleen find out that Bakuto may have come back from the dead just like Harold Meachum. But their attention is going to be forced to focus on saving their own skin for the time being since someone seems to have put a hit out on Danny and his woman for reasons unknown. Being able to escape the DEA officers at the dojo, Danny and Colleen find themselves on the run. Finding out that Danny is being hunted down for money laundering and drug distribution, the Iron Fist knows that he must do everything within his power to set the record straight. But that will be easier said than done, especially since he does not know who would want to come down on him so hard. Getting into the Hand compound with little issues, Danny and Colleen are surprised to see that Madame Gao has been left behind. With stories galore, Gao tells Danny the one thing that he refuses to see, that Harold Meachum is behind everything; the DEA being hot on their trail, the betrayal at Rand Enterprises, along with the murder of the Rand Family. Harold Meachum has a new outlook on life and is ready to take his place back in the Rand building to get things back on track. Walking in and seeing Jeri Hogarth in his office with his son, Harold is willing to offer Ward a spot by his side, along with his sister to take the company to the next level. Leaving Danny in the dust does not sit well with Ward since his childhood friend not only saved his life, his father’s life and Joy’s life, but because of Danny, Harold has his life back as well. Not understanding the end game that his father is gunning for, Ward needs to be able to convince his sister that whatever is running Harold is not their father and is looking to do more harm than good. Needing to find a way to get into the Rand building, Danny is having a hard time focusing his chi. Not being able to clear his mind as the betrayal of his father figure is burning hot in his soul, Danny is able to get Colleen and Claire in on the caper. Knowing that Harold has the Hand’s tablet that can clear his name with the police, the disposing of Harold is also high on his list of things to do and if he listens to Madame Gao’s advice, this will make him into a great Iron Fist, not what he is now. When getting word from Ward that the plan should not go on as scheduled, Danny makes up his own mind on what should be done and nobody will be able to stop him. On her recovery bed, Joy gets an unwelcome visit from her brother. Listening to Ward tell her how bad their father has become is not helping her cause, mainly because she has been lied to for over ten years about him being alive. As Ward tries to explain, he is shut down with the other secrets he has kept from her, but when showing her the lead story in the paper, Joy is starting to have doubts about what she is fighting for. Leaving the hospital early and visiting Harold, Joy wants to know where the story of the Danny being a drug dealer came from since she was able to view all of the Hand's files and there was nothing indicating her childhood friend was up to such activities. Seeing the lies coming out of her father’s body, Joy is starting to believe that what Ward has been telling her is correct and she needs some space from the entire situation. With the plan being put into motion after Ward receives a knock on his head from his father, Danny is ready to show what the Iron Fist is capable of when facing off against evil. Being able to make it up to Harold’s floor with little issue, Colleen is also ready for the battle of a lifetime. Being able to take out Harold’s armed guards is not much work, but when Danny sees his love staring down the barrel of the businessman’s gun, he must act fast. With the Iron Fist in full effect, Danny punches the floor and frees everyone of their footing. Knowing that he cannot defeat Danny where he stands, Harold takes the fight up to the roof of the building and prepares for the final showdown. Knowing that Danny is not bulletproof is his only advantage since he cannot compete with martial arts skills. Getting pinned against a post and being left for dead, Harold is able to free himself and take a final shot at the Iron Fist, but someone else is watching him and takes the shot that will change his life forever. Not a bad season finale to the first adventure for the Iron Fist. I must admit that I expected a little more out of the legal proceedings against Danny in the long run, but I guess when you have a powerful lawyer like Jeri Hogarth on your side, you can get away with most anything. The Meachum family has been broken up and possibly this time for good as Harold has been cremated, Ward is taking control back of Rand Enterprises and Joy is looking for a way to get her old life back. I was surprised to see that Danny wanted to return to K’un Lun after finding his life in New York and I am pretty sure Iron Fist or not, having Colleen with him will not stand well with the monks who saved his life. Claire is keeping up with her training from Colleen as well, which is awesome since she may be preparing for a battle like she has not seen before. And Danny’s best friend Davos is trying to get back to the top of the ladder that Danny took away from him so many years ago. How will this factor into The Defenders coming up in August? I don’t really know, but it seems like times are changing in New York City and they had better watch out as something evil always seems to be brewing. Written by John Edward BetancourtTHIS IS THE EMERGENCY SPOILER ALERT SYSTEM...YOU ARE ADVISED TO READ AT YOUR OWN RISK...There is one particular element of storytelling that every single one of us eat up heartily when it is presented to us; the fall from grace. We are always captivated by a tale wherein an everyday joe or good human being finds themselves in a position where their steady life is falling apart and we love to see what they do with their situation because it somehow allows us to live vicariously through then. Often times of course, they eventually get their lives together and move on in happy fashion...but the greatest stories in this vein, are the ones that turn out to be the sweeping tragedies. Where the everyday joe/good person never finds redemption or happiness and instead give into their pain and their struggle and embrace the darkest parts of their soul. It's the latter of those two journeys that, without a doubt, has led to the critical acclaim and continued success that AMC's Better Call Saul enjoys because from the get-go, we know how this story ends. We know that James McGill will eventually give up his quest for redemption and become Saul Goodman and well...it's the thrill of discovering what exactly broke this man and made him such a delightful and love-able scumbag that keeps us tuned in. Yet, there is one other element that makes this show so magical, in that it is totally unconventional in how it tells this story. At first glance it seemed as though seasons one and two were barreling toward the birth of Saul Goodman, before everything slowed down midway through season two, allowing for a slow burn to take place and that change in design was a big deal because it meant we were going to watch every single second of heartbreak unfold for Jimmy McGill and while it seemed as though the season two finale would lead to a huge paradigm shift toward the creation of Saul, last night's season three premiere, 'Mabel', once more demonstrated that the slow burn is here to stay...and it's a brilliant way to deliver Jimmy's downfall. Because, if anything, last night's episode dug deep to answer the question, what drives a man to embrace his darker side and oddly enough, much of that was explored without Jimmy being directly involved. Take for example Chuck. Who reveled in the fact he was finally able to get his brother to confess on tape, and despite having Howard point out the fact that what Chuck did was illegal, the elder McGill still found a way to make that confession useful by 'mistakenly' allowing for the one man who defended Jimmy late last season to hear it, Ernesto. Chuck is trying extremely hard to shatter any positive thoughts that anyone has when it comes to Jimmy and therein entered the first lesson of the night, that sometimes embracing our dark side arises out of revenge and a need to feel that a wrong must be righted, and it was stunning to see Chuck embrace his own inner Jimmy for the first time. But while that was fascinating to watch, Mike's journey on this show is one that also is important to discuss because in many ways...he serves as the warning for Jimmy. Mike too gave into revenge long ago when he gunned down the crooked cops responsible for killing his son and never looked back. Sure he works to redeem himself by taking care of Stacy and his granddaughter but let's be honest...he gave in the moment he pulled the trigger and he has embraced the shadows ever since. His dealings with Nacho and his hunt last night to discover exactly who planted tracking devices in the vehicles he was using speaks to the fact that sometimes the ugly journeys begin with a choice and by turning his back on the law he swore to defend, there is now a sense of freedom for Mike by getting his fingers into shady dealings and perhaps a thrill that comes with it. Which brings us back to Mister James McGill, who for the first time in the history of the show, opened up to both the audience and Kim in the most subtle of fashion, giving us further insight into his internal battle since a few key things were revealed about him. For starters, the man is simply lost at this point in time and for proof just look at how he acts around the office. Sure, we know for some time now he's wanted to be an honest man, a beacon of law, shining bright like his brother, but even when he is practicing honest law...we can see that it doesn't fulfill him. Sure his clients open up to him and love him dearly, but there is nothing there for him internally. He is simply going through the motions, being the good boy that others expect him to be despite the fact he's bored to tears and screaming for a thrill internally and that's what surprised me most about last night, the fact that the show was willing to reveal; that Jimmy is desperate to find acceptance. Because there were two key moments that demonstrated this fact, the first with Kim where he flat out told her it was nice that Chuck didn't hate him for ten minutes before taking a moment to essentially break down and break our hearts as he pondered on so many things when it came to his brother. It was clear the emotional pain he had just dealt his brother, combined with a lifetime of sour moments bubbled to the surface and kudos to Bob Odenkirk for nearly bringing this reviewer to tears with a simple look, but that moment, combined with the verbal sparring match with the Air Force Captain he swindled really spoke to the fact that Jimmy has always walked the fine line, and that in a roundabout sort of way, he's desperately waiting for someone, preferably his brother to finally tell him that he's not a bad man, that he's worthwhile and not a screw up. Which brings us to the last element storytelling wise from last night that was downright fascinating when it comes to Jimmy...the thrill that he gets from defending a wrong as a right. That altercation with the Captain demonstrated the joy that surges through him when he can snap back at someone who thinks ill of him and the fact he was able to resolve the matter with his ability to spin (albeit with a touch of guilt) was truly a new wrinkle to the fold. It's almost as if the decision to screw over Chuck was the genesis of Jimmy, the beginning of sticking up for the little guy who is always told they're never good enough and heck...it's clear his belief in making bad, good lasts far into the future since that cold open showed Saul pouring out of Gene with that little incident in the mall...but perhaps that's the key to it all, that Saul Goodman came to life, out of the fact that no one stood up for Slippin' Jimmy and told him he was worthwhile and that helped him make the choice to leave it all behind... But I fear, that would be the easy way out of the story and this tragedy is nothing more than a rotten onion and this episode merely peeled back another layer and well...I love it. I love the fact that this show is truly taking its time to show us Jimmy's fall from grace because despite the fact we are rooting for Jimmy, hoping he finally sees the folly of his ways, his fate is inescapable and this backstory will make the penultimate moment when Jimmy is left behind all the more heartbreaking. Either way this was a magnificent season premiere, one that I feel set the stage in low key fashion for all the themes and concepts that it is going to explore this year and it's best we do that set up now because I get the funny feeling that next week, it's time for a little fan service because thanks to incredible Mike's sleuthing skills, I don't think we will be waiting long for the return of another Breaking Bad legend in Gus Fring...until next time. Written by John Edward BetancourtWe've shared some incredible moments when it comes to Star Trek. We've looked at thought provoking episodes that managed to inspire our imagination and make us dream of a better world. But unfortunately, for every episode that blew us away, there were ones that came completely out of left field. Yes, despite the fact that Trek as a whole remains a beautiful piece of work, much like real life, it has its ups and downs and I thought it was high time to look at some of those episodes that left us scratching our heads. And first on our list, is the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Conspiracy". Now this particular episode saw Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the intrepid crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise return to earth to speak to Starfleet Command about a potential threat hiding within the Federation. But Picard and his crew quickly learn that the threat is real and a strange species that lives inside human hosts are spreading through the Federation and threatening to overtake it. So while that synopsis should represent a simple alien of the week episode of this show, it was the over the top nature that it was presented in that well...took all of us by surprise. This is an episode that featured the destruction of a starship, a whole lot of physical violence from an elderly Starfleet Admiral, who was of course enhanced by the parasite, and for the first and last time that I can remember...horror genre style gore. Yes, we learned what phasers, on the proper setting, do to human flesh and well...there was splatter on The Next Generation. Oddly enough this episode is watchable, simply because it is so anti-Trek, and that manages to suck you right in. We are used to seeing respect for life, and peace over violence and that is simply not present here. Instead well, this is an action packed, splatter-ific episode of Star Trek that leaves me stunned to this day, yet, I still watch it. I keep hoping to find something a little more in line with the show but never do, instead I find the horror fan in me satisfied while watching, but I know this episode was a turn off for many. But, its existence makes sense. This was of course an episode that premiered during the first year of the show and TNG was clearly trying to find its groove. So if anything, watch this one with an open mind and know that thankfully, this kind of episode was truly a one off since The Next Generation brought us so many incredible stories. Written by Scott EdwardsTHIS IS THE EMERGENCY SPOILER ALERT SYSTEM...YOU ARE ADVISED TO READ AT YOUR OWN RISK...As the battle switches from discovery to what is right in Danny’s mind, he is able to convince his friend Davos to allow him to stay in the city and destroy the Hand before returning to his post in K’un Lun. Not being too happy about this, Davos has always stayed by his friend's side when times got tough and is not about to leave him now, knowing that the Iron Fist must return home. With a plan to bring Bakuto out into the open and kill him with help from Harold and Joy, once the snake's head is chopped off, the snake will die, at least that is what they think. After seeing Colleen running out of the compound, fleeing for her life, Danny makes the decision to forget her former alliances, as he sees that she has become the next victim of the Hand and its practices that she has been immune to all of her life. Being stuck in the Birch Psychiatric Hospital, Ward is having a hard time getting over the synthetic heroin that he has been hooked on, but there is help on its way. As Bakuto comes in to visit his new friend, he only wants one thing in return for giving Ward the antidote, safe passage into Rand to get the Hand’s money back. Knowing that his sister is behind the halt of transactions, Ward will be able to help, but he has a condition of his own, to have Harold killed once and for all. Arriving at the penthouse and seeing that his sister is caught up with his 'dead' father, Ward tries to convince her to leave, but Joy has been without a father for over thirteen years and is not ready to give up on him just yet, especially after hearing the rantings of a drug user. With Colleen in tow, Danny knows that he will need to allow her to come over to his side. Seeing now that the Hand is not all nice like she previously believed, Colleen wants to be a part of the Iron Fist’s life, but Davos will have something to say about that. Wanting to end the Hand, like he has been trained to do, Danny is able to keep his old friend calm enough to talk things out, but it may be Danny that needs to be calmed. Getting a call from Bakuto who has found his way into Harold’s penthouse, he has a onetime offer for Danny to show up, or the only family that he knows will be killed. Even though Danny knows that this is a losing proposition, he cannot lose another family and is ready to face his new sworn enemy and the head of the Hand. With a promise to kill Harold, Bakuto knows that it will not be enough to pull the Iron Fist out of the woodwork, so he shoots Joy instead, but Bakuto is a man of his word and when Danny appears in the nick of time he lets the family go. Teasing his true intentions for needing the Iron Fist on the Hand’s side, Bakuto is shocked to see that Danny is not alone. As Danny is able to relax his chi long enough to get out of his cuffs, Davos and Colleen lie in wait to help their friend. Being able to defeat all of the Hand’s troops in the building, Bakuto takes his fight to the streets and is ready to face off one on one against his former student Colleen who is the only non-warrior in the group. Getting the better of her sensei, but not willing to take his life, Danny and Colleen are shocked to see Davos deliver the fatal blow as he is a member of K’un Lun and ready to fulfill his destiny to destroy the Hand once and for all. Getting his sister to the hospital, Ward is convinced that she will be fine, but there still is a problem as his father has come along for the ride. Knowing that they need to get away from Harold, the old man is happy to see a little bit of himself in his son finally. Knowing how to the kill the undying may prove to be useful for Ward, but that is not all that Harold is worried about as Danny calls in with news of the Iron Fist’s victory. Aware of the fact that Danny is still a key to the puzzle, Harold has his own little plan to ensure that his family will never be interfered with again, not by the Hand or by the Iron Fist. Just when you think you have seen it all, something new has to be thrown into the mix and Harold’s fatherly self is killing me on so many levels. Not wanting to lose his daughter and denouncing the birth of Ward, he is still able to sit and talk to his son in the emergency room like everything is fine, and even give him a compliment? I really want to know what evil is living inside of Harold that the Hand gave to him and what it means as there are glimmers of old Harold, but the killer inside of him cannot be contained around the ones that he loves. The joining of forces between Colleen, Danny and Davos was great in this episode, as each member has something to prove, Colleen needed to prove that she can stand on her own two feet without the Hand, Davos had to show that he should have been appointed the Iron Fist and Danny, needed to prove that he still is the Iron Fist. The battle between brothers Danny and Davos truly shows where their allegiance lies, Davos with K’un Lun and the Iron Fist with Danny Rand. With one episode left, who knows what is going to happen next since even with the loss of Bakuto, there are still those hunting for the Iron Fist. Written by Scott EdwardsTHIS IS THE EMERGENCY SPOILER ALERT SYSTEM...YOU ARE ADVISED TO READ AT YOUR OWN RISK...As Danny has found out the secret that Colleen and Bakuto have been keeping from him about being part of the Hand, an unlikely adversary has shown up to help him. Davos knows that Danny’s true place is guarding the entrance of K’un Lun and has to convince him to take his post back. Being torn between his friends in New York and his rightful place at the gates, Danny needs to come to a decision that neither faction will be happy with. The Hand has found out that Harold is still living and now with Gao in their custody, Bakuto is ready to gain more power than he has ever known by being part of Rand Enterprises. Being free on the streets once again, Colleen has left her post and is looking for Danny so she can explain herself, but there might not be anything she can say to convince the enemy of the Hand that he might also be in the wrong. Being able to escape the Hand’s compound, Danny and Davos need to come up with a plan of how to get the Iron Fist back to K’un Lun before he bleeds out. Admitting that he might be in the wrong, Danny is not ready to return to his new home until he has fulfilled his life’s purpose, destroying the Hand. Coming to an agreement, Davos is able to get his longtime friend to help as Claire is able to patch him up in her normal friendly ways. Not being able to clear his mind as to what has just happened, Danny tells Claire about the Hand and the lies that Colleen has told them both. Wanting to defend her sensei, Claire tries to stand up for her, but Danny knows what the endgame is for the Hand and needing to clear his mind, he heads up to the top of Claire’s building to regain his chi. Joy has been working day and night on the files that Harold downloaded from the Hand’s tablet, and not only does she have information on the organization's drug trafficking operation, but she also has detailed data on accounts controlled by the Hand, meaning that Joy now has control of her company back, completely. Coming up with his own plan to take out the Hand and get his life out from under their thumb, Harold needs Danny to come by and give his consent as to what needs to happen next. Meeting another resident of K’un Lun arriving with Danny, Harold now sees that he has two extreme fighters that are ready to dispatch of the Hand at any costs, but the Hand seems to be preparing for the worst, especially after one of its members has gone against its wishes. Searching the streets for Danny, Colleen returns home to find Bakuto waiting for her. Having to give her word to do what's expected of her when she finds the Iron Fist, she continues her hunt only to find herself holding a pizza outside of Claire’s apartment. Talking woman to woman, Claire is not able to guarantee anything when it comes to talking to Danny, but Colleen needs to do it to clear her conscience. Seeing her love and the hatred in his eyes, Colleen will do anything to win his trust back and with an infected wound, she can only think about trying to do something to help. Meeting with one of her old students at the hospital, Colleen tries to get some antibiotics, but when found out, she is forced to return to the compound of the Hand and speak with Bakuto one on one. Davos is having a difficult time trying to do what must be done for Danny as he sees that the Iron Fist is not ready to take his proper spot at the gates of K’un Lun until the battle with the Hand is finished. Promising to keep an eye on Claire while Danny meditates, the former nurse is learning more and more about the K’un Lun culture and even about Danny and his gifts. Not believing everything that Davos is telling her, Claire has heard more outlandish claims in the past couple of years, so she is not able to dismiss them as easily as she would like. Knowing that Danny will need to return to K’un Lun when he is finished, Davos is starting to see that the Iron Fist may have been given to the wrong individual, since Danny is trying his hardest to separate himself from the ancient city and there may be only one way to ensure that the passageway is patrolled once again, but he may not be willing to go that far. A pretty packed episode as Davos and Danny are not seeing eye to eye on what needs to be done for the future. It is apparent that Danny does not want the post that the Iron Fist is supposed to occupy, he wants to live part of the life that he lost fifteen years ago, but the Iron Fist life is what Davos wanted since he was born and knows what it implies. There are going to have to be more heart to heart discussions about this, but I am sure it will have to come to blows as the battle with the Hand may not be one that they can win. Harold and Joy have been able to take control back of Rand and with that, all of the secret accounts of the Hand. Coming up with a plan to bring Bakuto back out into the open, shutting the accounts down may be the best way to smoke him out of the compound. Colleen has her allegiance to the Hand called out by her old students, along by her sensei Bakuto and is ready to pay the price for disobedience for keeping the Iron Fist’s location a secret. Seeing that the Hand may not be what she was taught that it was is eye opening to her, and the target on her that she earned in the last episode, has grown, as she has not taken her medicine during this one. |
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