Written by John Edward Betancourt THIS IS THE EMERGENCY SPOILER ALERT SYSTEM. YOU ARE ADVISED TO READ AT YOUR OWN RISK.What comes next? Those are three words that tend to hang over anyone who finds themselves in a tough spot in life. Simply because, that’s all we can focus upon when we cannot stand the situation we are currently residing within. But when the time comes to answer that all-important question, we often find ourselves unsure of what the answer is going to be. For we fixated for so long on just getting there, that we never once thought about what our life is going to look like when we emerge from the storm. As it turns out, the answer to that particular question, is that sometimes what comes next are slivers of happiness, the kind that motivate us to take baby steps into the next phase of our lives, and that’s precisely what the Hernandez sisters discover in the season two finale of Vida. But before we dive too deeply into their respective discoveries, we need to take a moment and talk about Eddy’s journey in this particular tale. Because sometimes in life, we struggle to process the lies that the people we love pour all over us, and she was doing just that when it came to the unfortunate discoveries she made about Vidalia’s past. Which prompted her to do something bold and see if indeed the love of her life told her nothing but mentiras, and that led her to a nearby church where she saw Victor Villanueva in person, which is quite the harsh way to confirm the truth, but it will provide Eddy with some semblance of closure hopefully, and what she does with this information beyond this episode is anyone’s guess. However, while it is stunning that this tale didn’t resolve that just yet, it is understandable as to why. Because we needed to see how the Hernandez sisters were going to handle their awakening and well, the story didn’t disappoint when it comes to that in the slightest. Because the arrival of a surprise invoice from Baco, one that said Emma owed nothing, prompted her to snap out of her funk and set things right between the two of them at last. Which led to some beautiful moments wherein she treated him like a person for a change. Plus, with a little prompting from Nico, Emma was finally open about her feelings for Nico and that led to a long-awaited moment of romance between the two and the wonder of this tale didn’t end with Emma finally opening up to others. For Lyn also impressed in this tale. Because she was finally dedicated to the bar and nothing else and her focused energies led to an impressive night at the bar, one that saw the place packed to the brim for the forthcoming act and it was just wonderful to see her come into her own and deal with quite the powerful problem. Because unfortunately, behind the scenes, Los Vigilantes were preparing to protest the bar for gentrifying the neighborhood and well, once Lyn discovered this, she handled it with grace and class and bravery. For she put Mari in her place for taking part of it and not standing up for the family when they did so much for her, and she also went out there alone to face the protestors when the moment finally arrived. But truly what made this episode so wonderful and so special, is the sheer fact that this powerful moment brought together the family like never before. Because Yoli was infuriated over the fact that someone stood up to Los Vigilantes and tossed detergent into Lyn’s eyes in order to symbolize the act of washing away gentrification. But what she didn’t count on was Emma, who quickly came to her sister’s rescue by beating the crap out of Yoli and well, that act of anger is what finally brought these sisters together. For Emma cared for Lyn and she even took the time to pay her a compliment and thank her for all of her hard work and well, that’s where the leave the Hernandez sisters in season two; facing the future together. If anything, this was just a beautiful story when all is said and done, one that saw these sisters embrace the future and embrace a better way at last. And it was magnificent to see them enjoy a shred of happiness and peace for a change and all we can hope for, is that they continue to indulge in these healthy emotions and grow. Provided of course, Eddy’s discovery doesn’t derail them. But that likely won’t happen. For Emma and Lyn have proven how resilient they really are, and they now understand how to handle adversity. But what matters most, is that this finale was a phenomenal way to show us the genesis of what comes next. For the sisters really did take some brave first steps into tomorrow here, and it should be interesting to see this series explore that question in greater detail once season three gets underway. Until next time.
0 Comments
Written by John Edward Betancourt THIS IS THE EMERGENCY SPOILER ALERT SYSTEM. YOU ARE ADVISED TO READ AT YOUR OWN RISK.When we last settled in to discuss the wonder that is Line of Duty, the situation certainly looked grim. After all, DCI Tony Gates was now embroiled in an outright nightmare. For the drug dealers he was working to bring down, sucked him into their disturbing empire with promises of a murder rap if he didn’t do their bidding, and to complicate matters further, DS Steve Arnott’s conscience got the better of him. Prompting him to step away from the case, in the belief that he was no better than Gates since he firmly believed he had a hand in the death of an innocent man. Which really made it seem as though a crooked cop was going to get away with whatever he wanted, ending this story in sour but bold fashion. But it would seem that Arnott’s quest for justice in the world, had an impact upon others. Because when we catch up with Kate in this particular tale, she’s determined to see this case through to the end, simply because, what Gates has done isn’t right and she can’t let him off the hook. Which prompted her to turn up the heat on Tony, in creative and subtle fashion of course. For she worked the friend angle and tried to pull intel out of him, and while she did that, Superintendent Hastings paid a visit to Arnott, and found a way to remind him that he had unfinished business on the table. And that little chat was handled in beautiful fashion, since it more or less reminded Steve that following through with Gates, might pay back the debt Steve believes he owes and well, the conversation was effective for certain, since DS Arnott returned to the case. Which allowed for he and Kate to coordinate their efforts to bring Gates’ transgressions into the light and well, what they uncovered was quite powerful and damning to say the least. For they came to learn that Tony and Jackie were tied together financially, since she was kind enough to pay for his daughters’ education for a year. Plus, they were also able to discover that it was Tony who made the phone call to his team to leave the stakeout early, an act that broke all kinds of protocol this information, more or less sealed Tony’s fate. But never count a desperate man out. Because knowing that the walls were closing in, motivated DCI Gates to use the case that brought Arnott to AC-12 to his own advantage. And through some clever ‘translations’ of the books present in evidence from said case; Tony was able to deflect all concerns about his crimes by prompting the station head to hand him over incredible power to shut down an apparent terrorist plot. If anything, that little twist made it seem as though this cat and mouse game between Arnott and Gates was going to continue along indefinitely. But an unfortunate twist changed everything by the end of this episode. For Tony was hell-bent on getting out from under the thumb of this drug ring, to the point where he tracked down the place where the thugs were hiding Jackie’s body, so he could dispose of it and truly clear himself of any charges. But these guys were one step ahead and moved the body elsewhere and with no way out, he finally succumbed to a horrific demand. For the dealers wanted to know what Arnott knew in regard to their operations, and they expected Tony to bring him in. Which he was sadly did, completing his downward spiral, since he left Steve in their capable but twisted hands like a coward and who knows if Arnott will leave this encounter alive. But there is hope that such a miracle might happen. Because with Gates disappearing to handle this mess and Nigel going rogue by smacking Kate around, she was finally forced to blow her cover and order Tony’s computer to be unlocked by IT. And hopefully she can see where Tony took Steve, since that location was the last thing he looked at on his machine and well, that’s a heck of a way to end this episode. Because it doesn’t get more epic than a cliffhanger with a life on the line. Which means the next chapter in this story will likely be a race against time to save Steve and if they do, well then woe to DCI Gates. For the truth will finally come to the surface and he will likely be brought to justice at last. But that’s all dependent upon Kate finding Steve in time, and if she cannot… well then, the next chapter of this harrowing tale may bring us nothing more than devastating and unsettling moments. Until next time. Written by John Edward Betancourt THIS IS THE EMERGENCY SPOILER ALERT SYSTEM. YOU ARE ADVISED TO READ AT YOUR OWN RISK.When we last settled in to discuss the glorious series that is Vida, we talked a lot about the nature of change and how in order for it to happen for someone, they have to be ready to embrace it and all the work that will go into it. And if they cannot, well they will continue to reside within an existence that they lament and that is a scary prospect for the Hernandez sisters. For they are not exactly in healthy places right now and we’ve all been wondering as to what it is going to take to open their eyes so they can finally start toward a more positive path in life. And it just so happens that the next episode in this magnificent series, took the time to explore another fascinating aspect of change. Specifically, what it takes to finally motivate us to make it happen. Because when we catch up with the sisters here, the events of the party have had little impact upon them. For Emma is just doing her thing with Nico until Nico’s ex comes in to spoil the morning, something that once again prompts Emma to close off and be her usual salty self. And Lyn is just out and about with Johnny, once again enjoying a free ride food wise and expecting him to cater to her every whim, even though she makes it sound as though he’s in control. If anything, these two plot threads really did reinforce just how comfortable these women are with their current course in life and for a moment there it really seemed as though the series wasn’t going to show them growing in the slightest, and that’s when things became interesting for both of them. For Lyn’s romantic day with Johnny was abruptly cut short by the fact that his baby was on the way, and seeing Johnny immediately make his newborn a priority over anything else was the moment that Lyn recognized that something did indeed need to change in her life. Because she was constantly holding onto romantic notions and waiting for others to be her motivation to do more and be more in life, and realizing that, helped her to understand that the only person who is going to move her forward in life, is herself and this led to an incredible transformation. Because suddenly Lyn was bold and ready to take on the world, and she was done with Emma’s sour nature and decided it was high time for her to take charge and show everyone what she was capable of and this was just magnificent to see. But Lyn was not alone in having a proverbial moment of reckoning in this particular tale. Because Emma was imply on a power trip in this story, one where she was quick to disrespect Nico when she tried to explain her loca ex, and she once again exerted her domination tendencies on Baco when she brought him by to take a look at the graffiti that went up on the new mural and well, at long last the universe finally put a signal in her path that she needed to change her angry ways and surprisingly enough, it came from Baco. Because he was done with being disrespected and treated like a nobody at every turn and prompted him to say exactly what he thought of Emma and having someone be that open and bold about her ugly ways, outright stunned her. Because Baco was right about everything and hearing those words from a relative stranger was enough to reach her and allow for her to reflect upon her actions in life and that sent her into a depressive tailspin. One that has her down for the count for the moment but one that is necessary to the healing process. For eventually, she will come to understand she has to be better, that she has to change and well, all of these moments made for one satisfying episode. Because this has been long overdue for the Hernandez sisters and it is quite lovely to see them finally understand that their greatest obstacle in life has been the person, they see in the mirror every morning and it should be wonderful to see them truly grow at last. However, while it would be nice to close out this recap with a happy ending, we would be mistaken to not discuss Eddy’s journey in this tale and the revelations that came her way. Because we haven’t seen her all that much as of late, simply due to the fact she’s been at Rocky’s place, trying to figure out her next move. And unfortunately for Eddy, a suggestion to go the legal route in fighting for the bar and the building, brought about the revelations in question. For not only did she discover that her marriage and the Will were indeed a sham, but she also came to learn that Vidalia’s supposedly deceased husband is alive and well and that… is stunning to learn, and it will be fascinating to see what Eddy does with this new information and what she decides to do with her life; now that she knows everything she held dear was a lie. Until next time. Written by John Edward Betancourt THIS IS THE EMERGENCY SPOILER ALERT SYSTEM. YOU ARE ADVISED TO READ AT YOUR OWN RISK.Often times, when a character or characters in a particular story need to make some serious changes in their lives, a grand reckoning motivates them to do so. It could be a fight with a loved one, or a life changing event. But somewhere in the story, they seem to wake up from their funk and just move toward a better life. Which is inspiring to watch, but also, woefully incorrect. For the harsh reality of the matter is that change requires a lot of work and a lot of effort, since bad habits have to broken and it just so happens that the next episode of Vida takes the time to explore a critical component to this difficult process in a fascinating matter. Because let’s be honest, the Hernandez sisters need to make a change in regard to their destructive behaviors. Because Lyn consistently causes all kinds of trouble for herself and others by way of her selfish nature and Emma is no exception to this need, since she is the master of shutting people out and hurting their feelings by treating them as though they are incompetent and unnecessary. And if they can’t change their ways, that could in turn lead some to serious personal and professional disasters and when we catch up with them here, they’re at quite the crossroads. Because the confrontation they had in the last episode definitely left them in an awkward place, meaning that the only logical way forward would be to talk more and find common ground as a family. But instead of going that route, it’s more bad blood as Emma continues to punish Lyn emotionally for her transgressions and that led to another epic confrontation, in public no less. Because Lyn really did try and reason with her sister and try to get the two of them on the same page. But Emma wanted only to exert her fury and well, that ended in disaster. Because it motivated Lyn to once again be her more toxic self since she reached out to Johnny in her hour of need and prompted him to feed her and comfort her in a cutesy and manipulative manner and well, despite Johnny’s misgivings about coming to her rescue, his time with Lyn ended as it often does; with sex. And it was unfortunate to see Lyn just revert to her old self when placed under pressure. Yet we would be remiss to not talk about the fact that Nico took the time to do something in this tale that no one else has bothered to do, since she stood up to Emma. Because she can be quite overbearing and mean at times, and it was refreshing to see Nico call her to the carpet on such matters and make it clear that she needs to stop treating her family like crap and let people in. And sadly, it was equally as unfortunate to see Emma act as though she’s done nothing wrong. But at this point in the episode, you’ve probably noticed that there’s no real clean-cut commentary on change, outside of the fact that Emma wants Lyn to change and vice versa. And really, the anger in this story and people calling out one another constantly, means that what this story wanted to accomplish commentary wise was subtle. If anything, what this episode is getting at; is that people have to want to change. Which right now, isn’t something that Emma and Lyn are ready to do. For their negative behaviors are all they know, and all that they are comfortable with, and until Emma and Lyn decide they want more out of life than the sour place they currently reside in, they’ll be stuck in these destructive patterns and that’s a powerful and subtle message in embed within the framework of this tale. Because we’ve all done this, or will do it, and one has to wonder at this point, what it will take for these sisters to finally realize that they are indeed their own worst enemies, so that change can finally occur for them. Until next time. Written by John Edward Betancourt THIS IS THE EMERGENCY SPOILER ALERT SYSTEM. YOU ARE ADVISED TO READ AT YOUR OWN RISK.This incredible era of peak television is quite wonderful to say the least. Because anything you can think of plot wise is out there for the finding and there’s a never a moment where an audience is bored because our queues are now filled to the brim with show after show to watch. But while this is a wonderful time to be alive, if you’re all about that T.V. life, there is a slight downside to peak television that exists as well. In that, there are so many shows out there that sometimes you miss an outright gem that you should be watching, and from a personal standpoint, that recently happened to this writer. Because I was fully unaware of the fact that Avenue 5 was something I needed to be watching. But thanks to the recommendation of a friend and fellow writer here at NTG (I cannot thank you enough, Bri) this particular series was finally placed upon my radar and thank the stars that it was because this is actually quite the amazing comedy when all is said and done. For this is a tale that is set in the depths of space aboard a luxury liner that bears the namesake of the series. And what makes this particular series premiere, entitled ‘I Was Flying’, worth your while and hilarious at the same time; is the sheer fact that this space cruise is facing quite the conundrum shortly after we come aboard to meet the crew and its passengers. Because a tiny, bone breaking error involving an important gravity test, throws this massive space boat off course. To the point where it will take years to get back to Earth instead of the several weeks that were originally intended, and that’s where the comedy comes into play. Because every single person that the passengers should be able to rely upon for leadership and guidance, are freakin’ incompetent. For the Captain of this vessel, a man named Ryan Clark, is more or less a fraud. Because he hasn’t a clue how to command a starship. He just knows how to surround himself with people who know what they’re doing and sadly, the one man he trusted on this ship to guide him, died in the gravity accident. Plus, the owner of this cruise line, a hyper rich playboy named Herman Judd, is as dumb as they come. For he only knows how to come up with buzz words and hot takes and awful ideas that don’t help anyone. If anything, both of these characters and what they stand for is quite original for certain, since there is usually someone in leadership in these types of stories, that can take command and save the day. But in this case, it would seem that the only person competent enough to offer logic and salvation is an everyday engineer named Billie. But how exactly that will go down, is a mystery that will have to wait for another time. For this series premiere is all about getting to know the colorful cast of characters present aboard this ship. Which is quite frankly, a treat for certain. Because this vessel has its very own Karen, who is actually named Karen. Plus, it has the most insensitive concierge you’ve ever met and a former astronaut who may know a thing or two about space travel and romancing the ladies, and it should be interesting to see if this motley crew of fools can actually find a way to work together down the line. But in the here and the now, this is a premiere that is definitely worth celebrating. Because this is one funny comedy, one that is a perfect blend of Star Trek: Voyager meets Galaxy Quest meets The Office, with a little darkness and nihilism thrown in for good measure and truly, it is going to be a delight to join this ship on some wild voyages through the stars, as they desperately attempt to find a quick way home. Until next time. Written by John Edward Betancourt THIS IS THE EMERGENCY SPOILER ALERT SYSTEM. YOU ARE ADVISED TO READ AT YOUR OWN RISK.If there is one truth about life, that just about all of us can agree upon, it would have to be that there are both good and bad consequences for our actions. Because time and time again, we’ve seen cause and effect surprise us in just about every single way imaginable and where that can take us, is something that is explored in storytelling on a regular basis. But while most stories are quite direct in their exploration of consequences, because it makes for fine drama, the ones that know how to handle it in subtle fashion are the ones that truly help us to understand the gravity of causality and it just so happens that the next episode of Vida, took the time to explore the power of consequences in absolutely brilliant fashion. Because a great many things came to a head in this tale, things that have been hanging over our characters heads for a good long time. And unfortunately for the characters in question, that means they are looking at a tough road ahead, thanks to their respective indiscretions, and for proof, look no further than Mari’s journey in this tale. Because it seems like ages ago that her ‘sweet’ beau Tlaloc ‘accidentally’ released footage of their intimate moment together. But some romance on his part and some light pressing on her part, made this fade into the background. But not demanding that video be destroyed and not following through upon that, allowed for that unfortunate moment to come around in devastating fashion in this story. For the video made its way into Johnny’s hands, and his satisfying response was to beat the living hell out of Tlaloc for disrespecting his sister in that fashion. But Mari was still ready to defend him and a verbal argument in regard to Johnny’s actions allowed for that video to find her father’s eyes, which prompted him to kick her right out, and that’s a rough consequence to suffer for attempting to make a boy happy. But she wasn’t the only one feeling lost for trying to be kind. For while Eddy has pushed back against Emma as the season has rolled along, she has relented more often than not, and she paid the price for that in this tale. Because Emma is taking hard control of the bar and was quick to dismiss Eddy’s standing in the family and that is driving her into quite a dark place. But truly the one character that is way overdue in facing the consequences of their actions, is Lyn. But at long last, she finally paid the piper for her carefree ways and well, her and Emma’s confrontation went about as well as one might expect. Because Emma was quick to assert the fact that the gravy train was coming to an end, and that she now had work to do in making things right for the family. And really, the only question remaining is whether or not she’s going to take Emma’s words and expectations of her to heart. Because before that confrontation, she was still her old petty self, despite knowing she screwed up badly. And while it was nice of her to bring Nelson down a lot of pegs, revenge isn’t going to keep the bar open in the long term. In the end however, this was quite the intense tale for certain. For this one was filled to the brim with resentment and bad blood and all of that boiled over in impressive fashion. But while it was nice to see so many plot threads come to a head in this particular tale, what matters more, is how everyone responds to their proverbial reckoning. Because Mari has to figure out what her future is going to look like, now that’s she been kicked out. Eddy needs to decide what her role is going to be going forward and she needs to figure out how to work with Emma, and Lyn, genuinely needs to grow the hell up. And it should be fascinating to see if these lessons sink in quickly as we barrel toward the end of season two. Until next time. Written by John Edward Betancourt How ‘Circles’ Explores the Sacrifices We Make in Life ‘It’s me and Larry, against the world.’ At some point, every single young television series out there, gives its audience a solid idea of what kind of incredible storytelling it is truly capable of, and this is both a blessing and a curse. It’s a blessing simply because the longer said show is on the air, the more often we will see this brilliant brand of storytelling, to the point where we will straight up make time to watch this series live, because we know it is going to provide us with something supremely special. But the curse side of this equation is a difficult one to endure. Because if the series leaves the airwaves ahead of its time, we lament the fact that we never got to see the show in question, reach its full potential. Sadly, we are going to talk about that latter element today. For we have come to a crucial and poignant episode in our Lodge 49 Rewatch. For the time has come to enjoy ‘Circles’ once again, which is hands down the finest episode this short series ever offered up. For this is a tale that stepped away from the healing theme present in this series, to provide the audience with an episode that was so moving and so powerful with what it had to offer, that it definitely is a stinging reminder that Lodge 49 left the airwaves far too soon, and it would have told breathtaking stories had it enjoyed a few more seasons on the air. But alas, there’s nothing that will change the fact that this brilliant series is gone, and all we can do in the meantime is celebrate a story that quite frankly takes the time to explore how we make some incredible sacrifices in our lives. But not the big kind that immediately come to mind when we think of that word. No instead, this particular tale looks at the more intimate sacrifices we make in life to keep others happy, or to just flat out deal with the grind of daily life and those are honestly topics that are rarely covered in film and television. But this episode does a phenomenal job of exploring them here in subtle and brilliant fashion by way of Liz and Jackie Loomis. For in this particular tale we see Liz come to realize that the sacrifice she often makes, involves putting others before herself. And doing that on such a consistent basis is one of the big reasons that she now feels so lost. Because she’s never accomplished something that is truly her own. Granted yeah, she paid off all that debt in bold fashion, but it was never hers. It was a burden from her father. And of course, as Champ so eloquently points out, Janice has stolen her story and her experiences and Liz has been okay with all of that. But by the end of the episode, it seems she’s come to realize that such acts need to come to an end so that she can grow and feel fulfillment and her low-key arc here is just magnificent to watch. But of course, the true centerpiece of this tale is Jackie Loomis’ journey. Because she is a woman that made incredible self-sacrifices in order to get along in this world. For she pushed her intelligence below the surface to please her darling Wallace and later her boss at Orbis. And she constantly catered to the whims of these insignificant men in the hopes of finding some semblance of personal value. Which may seem cliché or dated, but it was a different world that Jackie lived in, and sadly there are people who made that sacrifice then, and still make this sacrifice now in the hopes of finding fulfillment. But the true wonder of her journey is that somewhere along the line she too finally said enough, and she found ways to fill the parts of her soul that she gave away and that makes her downright inspiring. If anything, this is a story that still moves one to tears. Because you can feel how lost both of these women are, and how desperate they are to find meaning in life and that’s something that all of us can share in, because we’ve likely experienced it. Which truly speaks volumes to the acting skills of both Sonya Cassidy and Cara Mantella, who play Liz and Jackie respectively. Because they sold every powerful moment, and endless emotions with a single glance and in the end, this really is my favorite episode of this short-lived masterpiece. Because this one genuinely captures the gravity of a dark aspect of the human condition, and what makes it so worthwhile, is that we never see Liz or Jackie give up on leaving that darkness behind and that leaves one feeling inspired and hopeful once the end credits of this unique story come to a close. Until next time. Written by John Edward Betancourt Legacy is a word that holds great meaning in modern society and understandably so. Because we all find the notion, that our contributions to this world will allow for our memory to live on and inspire others, to be quite intoxicating. And that’s why we all work hard to do something special in this life and why we work to celebrate its meaning as often as possible. But while it is nice to see this word mean so much to people everywhere, it is safe to say that sometimes we as a society focus upon the wrong type of legacy. Because while it is amazing to highlight the physical accomplishments of say, a sports star; focusing upon their legacy only helps to move our attention away from the people who have genuinely changed the world. Which is why it is so supremely important to have documentaries such as She Walks with Apes on the air. Because documentaries in this particular vein focus upon everyday heroes that truly have accomplished long lasting wonders. For these are the people that have actually managed to save lives with their contributions to the world, or their work changed our understanding of life as we know it, and they’ve managed to influence others to follow in their stead, and that’s why this documentary was so worth our while. Because it did a fine job of teaching us about the three dynamic and brilliant women, who upended our scientific understanding of the primate world not that long ago, by bringing forth incredible new data about these creatures. The kind that helped us to better understand our evolutionary history and our modern world. If anything, a grand and sweeping celebration of Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey and Biruté Galdikas is long overdue since they truly did so much for the scientific community and that’s why it was for wonderful for this documentary to take the time to highlight each and every one of their illustrious careers and the incredible sacrifices they made to teach the world properly about primates. Because each one of them faced ridicule and doubt from their peers before their tireless research was finally respected and it was sobering to be reminded that one of them, lost her life in an attempt to educate the world, since Dian Fossey met an unfortunate end for her rightfully aggressive efforts in saving Gorillas from poachers. But while it was powerful and wonderful to learn about the lives of these brilliant pioneers, the true highlight of this documentary was seeing the legacy they’ve created. Because we were also able to spend time with three unique women named Julia, Nadia and Ruth; who were inspired by the bravery of the three women who have come to be known as the Trimates. And that inspiration runs so deep that each one of them have opted to take up the cause put forth by their heroes and each one of them are now studying primates around the world, and are doing everything within their power to ensure that these genetic relatives have the chance to thrive. If anything, meeting these women and hearing their stories, and seeing the passion and dedication that they exude when it comes to carrying on the Trimates’ work, was both beautiful and inspiring. But while all of this was powerful in its own right, truly the highlight of this tale was Biruté’s journey. Simply because she is still in the thick of it after all these years and is still studying the orangutan in Borneo and doing everything, she can to help them thrive. Even going so far as to run shelters for orphan orangutan babies and she’s buying up land in order for these gentle creatures to have a safe space, and this is just breathtaking and inspiring as well. For it just goes to show what genuine dedication to a cause can accomplish, and all of these stories, make this a wonderful documentary for certain. One that serves to remind us that one person can in fact, make a difference when they are fearless in being the champion of a just cause, and hopefully this beautiful story inspires countless others to do just that, so we can truly work together to make the world a better place. One where mankind and the animal kingdom, can live together in harmony. Written by John Edward Betancourt THIS IS THE EMERGENCY SPOILER ALERT SYSTEM. YOU ARE ADVISED TO READ AT YOUR OWN RISK.One thing that’s starting to become a constant in season two of Vida, is that the thematic concepts presented here are extending over several episodes. Which is an interesting decision to say the least, since a great many dramatic shows tend to only examine one thematic notion at a time. But this is a series that is as unconventional as they come, and it is fully aware of the fact that keeping concepts on the board will allow for some powerful and meaningful explorations to come into play. Which is precisely why the next episode in this magnificent series, took the time to further examine the challenges we face on the road to recovery. But before we dive too deeply into that particular part of the story, we do need to take a moment and discuss the fascinating curveball that this episode threw our way. Because Lyn made quite the discovery by accident when she was heading upstairs, in that, Don Fully seemingly had a unique relationship with Vidalia. For his locket had her picture and her picture alone within its golden frame. And while Emma was a bit dismissive of it, this feels like something big. As though this may lead to a plot thread that explores how we sometimes learn a great deal about the people we love, only after they’ve passed on. But it is something that will definitely need to be explored later on, since Emma and Lyn ran into far bigger issues in this story. Because Emma was struggling to figure out how some of the kegs were coming up short, and unfortunately, we quickly came to learn that it was related to some shady affairs happening within the framework of the bar. For Nico discovered that Lisa, a bartender whose been with the Hernandez family just about every step of the way in this story, was skimming. Which prompted Nico to let Emma know the truth, which in turn forced Emma’s hand to fire Lisa. A decision that went about as well as one might expect since Lisa made a lovely scene on her way out of the door, and this was just another complication dropping into Emma’s lap. Because now she’s down a bartender, something that will only further slow the process of getting the bar back on its feet and more stress is really the last thing that Emma needs right now. Which is why a devastating moment involving her sister was so incredibly important. Because in the aftermath of Lisa’s firing, a tired and achy Emma went looking for painkillers in her sister’s purse, per Lyn’s suggestion. And sadly, she came to discover the bills for the credit cards that Lyn forged in her mother’s name and this led to a powerful confrontation between the two sisters. One where Lyn apologized to no avail. Because she owes fourteen-thousand dollars to creditors, and without any income outside of what Emma is floating, it only adds to the pressure surrounding her and well, what made this sequence of events so powerful, is that this damn near broke Emma. Because she has quite literally sacrificed everything to try and keep ‘Vida’ going and setbacks as big as these, definitely tear into one’s soul. If anything, this is Emma’s greatest mental and financial challenge to date. And her experience serves to remind us that sometimes the road to recovery is going to be incredibly difficult. Simply because the universe is chaotic and cruel, to the point where the roadblocks it puts in our way seem insurmountable. But as Emma learned in the prior episode, how we respond is paramount, and hopefully the helping hand she received at the end of this tale will help to calm her and focus her. And also, one can hope that Lyn will rise to the occasion since she created quite the mess and, in the end, this ended up being quite the moving tale. Simply because you could feel Emma’s pain, since we’ve all been in her shoes and been overwhelmed at a time where we need clarity and wins and it should be interesting to see where this tough moment takes the Hernandez sisters as they continue to try and find a way forward. Until next time. Written by John Edward Betancourt It’s been quite some time since we settled in to discuss the wonderous documentary series that is Seven Worlds, One Planet and there is a solid reason for that. For this magnificent series came to a beautiful and powerful conclusion not that long ago, making it seem as though it would only live on in our collective memories and by way of on demand rewatches; when we felt the need to explore the majesty of this series once again. But with today being Earth Day, BBC America thought this week served as the perfect time to revisit this powerful series and truly, putting the Best of Seven Worlds, One Planet on the air last night, was a wonderful decision for so many reasons. Because revisiting this series in a condensed format, allows for audiences everywhere to appreciate the wonder and the fragility of the tiny little rock that we call home, and of course, we would be remiss to not talk about the beauty present in our world and that’s really the best place to start with this special. For it really did do a fine job of taking us back through the parts of our world where gorgeous moments occur on a regular basis. Such as the fields of fireflies in North America that light up the night in the most unique way imaginable. Or the cute little hamsters in Europe that gorge themselves on the flowers and candles in the graveyards they live in, and it was just magnificent to see all this beauty on display once again. But while it is always wonderful to behold the breathtaking sights that planet Earth has to offer, it’s also nice to be reminded of its versatility. Which is why it was lovely to revisit parts of the world that are a touch more inhospitable and see how life in these tough places thrives. Because that is something that always takes one’s breath away and seeing the snake that knows how to lure in birds with its unique tail is a fine way to leave one in awe since that speaks to nature’s incredible ability to adapt. Plus, it was also spectacular to be reminded once more of how there are fish in the Amazon that have learned how to eat berries off of branches, an act that is truly breathtaking since we never think of aquatic wildlife as being able to do something that dynamic. However, while this wonderful trip down memory lane was heartfelt and joyful for certain. The intense message this documentary wanted to get across during its first run was still present and important to revisit. Because despite nature’s ability to be versatile, it is being threatened by mankind’s actions, by way of climate change. And it was quite sobering to see polar bears hunt for whales once again since their way of life is currently being threatened by warmer waters. And it was equally as powerful to see wildlife suffer as changing winds make it impossible for some young birds to thrive and to be reminded of the fact that there are only two Northern White Rhinoceros left in the world. And it is important to be reminded of this unfortunate state of affairs, simply because we need a call to action in order to help heal our planet before more gentle creatures find their numbers dwindled to impossibly low levels. If anything, getting a two-hour condensed version of this powerful series was a brilliant idea for certain. Because it brought back every beautiful memory of the eight weeks that this was on the air and it is wonderful that this special, reinforced the fact that we cannot lose sight of the work that needs to be done. Which is a poignant message to deliver on Earth Day, and it was also nice that this special made sure to celebrate the accomplishments we have already made by applying ourselves to conservation efforts. For there are some species that are beginning to thrive once again, and if we commit ourselves to the hard changes that have to be made, then perhaps we won’t need a single day to celebrate our planet, we can do that every day, when we take in the majesty of a world that we all helped to save |
Archives
May 2024
|