One of the things that made the first season of The Man in the High Castle so incredibly memorable was the fact that it was a season filled to the brim with jaw dropping moments that left us in complete and utter shock and oddly enough...the second season of this show has featured far less stunning moments. Just think about it for a second, we've had plenty of compelling storylines this year, but those scenes that force you to jump out of your chair in sheer surprise have been far and few between. 

It doesn't make the show any less impressive storytelling wise because this second season has been downright fascinating to watch, but it would seem that there has been a rhyme and reason for this decision all along...because as it turns out that the show was saving all of its breathtaking moments for the final three episodes of season two since 'Loose Lips' is an absolute tour de force of an episode, one that quite frankly left this reviewer sitting in silence over everything that happened in the story, because this is the episode that tied together the conspiracy plot line introduced late last year, while upping the stakes in deadly fashion and surprisingly a vast majority of this episode revolved around John Smith. 

Because with the Führer falling into a coma, Smith knew that trouble was brewing, prompting him to visit Juliana off the books to finally confront her about what he already knew; that she had met the Man in the High Castle and that she had seen the films, something she did indeed confirm with a few gentle pushes from John, and she even took the time to give him the exact details of what she saw in the most recent film. Yet, while this admission seemed like bad news for Juliana, Smith brought forth no punishments or threats, merely an appreciation for her candor, and that sly grin we've come to know and love because clearly, Smith had big plans for this newfound information, but what exactly...well we will get to that in just a moment, since Smith was not alone in experiencing a sense of panic when it came to Hitler's illness...there was fear growing in Germany as well.

In fact, concern over Hitler's health managed to interrupt a beautiful moment between father and son, since Joe and Martin were actually bonding for a change before Martin was summoned to speak with SS-Reichsführer Heinrich Himmler regarding the succession plan now in place...and as it turns out, Martin was the prime candidate to become the Acting Chancellor because his current role kept him far away from the usual politics of the Reich allowing for him to be free from an agenda. But Martin is fully aware of the fact that there are sharks in the water, looking for weakness, prompting him to send Joe home for his own safety, but his son was having none of that, instead opting to finally back a cause and stand at his father's side. 

As Heusmann  dealt with his newfound role, John Smith made use of the information he gathered from Juliana by staging an emergency at the prison holding former SS-Oberst-Gruppenführer Reinhard Heydrich. It was in this moment that Smith informed his Heydrich that he had received the order to extradite him to Berlin immediately due to the fact that the Reich was now at war with the Japanese Pacific States, following the death of Hitler and the installment of a new Führer. The only request that Smith had for Heydrich before sending him to Berlin, was that he show mercy on his family for doing his part in keeping the Reich safe when Hitler was in power. Heydrich was of course non committal, informing Smith that any notions of mercy would have to come from the new Führer...Heusmann; and now that he had the truth, Smith executed Heydrich, sour in the knowledge that the Acting Chancellor was a traitor and the brains behind the coup against Hitler all along.

Unfortunately, that revelation came at the worst possible time...because not long after that, Adolf Hitler passed away, making Martin Heusmann the new Führer, and war would follow with him and when all is said and done, this is another episode that flat out took my breath away because holy cow...everything fell to pieces just like that. We always knew that Hitler was ironically the last thread holding the Reich together in peaceful fashion...but to see that even keeled Martin, someone far removed from the day to day bull of the Reich has had machinations all along to become the top dog and no doubt return the Reich to its ethnic cleansing and war fueled ways is just terrifying. His motivations speak to the darkest parts of the Reich and of Hitler's vision and one has to wonder...if Hitler's illness was legitimate, or orchestrated by Heusmann all along. Either way, dark days are ahead for the Reich and the world and there seems to be few options on the table to save the planet from the World War III...

There are eight episodes of A Series of Unfortunate Events now streaming on Netflix.
 
If you are interested in reviews with happy endings, I would advise all of our readers to cease immediately. Perhaps a pleasant BuzzFeed listicle would better satisfy your needs. If you choose to continue reading, you should know that the rest of this article centers on a show so gloomy and downhearted, you may regret ever hearing about it. It is my sad duty to recap this series, but there is nothing stopping you from exiting this page now and moving on to something happy. The tales of this “alleged entertainment” are not for the faint of heart.
 
If you were a child in the late 90’s and early 2000’s, you likely enjoyed Lemony Snicket’s novels following the plight and tragedy of the Baudelaire orphans. It is my firm belief that you will also enjoy the Netflix series, even if that’s not how you felt about the 2004 film.
 
The show is prodigious. “Prodigious” is a word here meaning “remarkably or impressively great in degree”. It can also mean “great in extent or size”, which is also true of the series. The series outperforms the film, for one reason, because it is able to dedicate more time to each of the unique stories and characters introduced throughout the books. At least in the first season, Netflix is attempting to cover the books at a pace of two episodes per novel. With thirteen books to cover, multiple episodes do what one feature length movie cannot.

The Netflix series also introduces a phenomenal cast. Patrick Warburton was the perfect choice for the narrator, delivering humor and despair through his lines in such a Snicket-y manner that you’re unable to imagine anyone else in that role. Unlike Count Olaf, Neil Patrick Harris is a very good actor. NPH is legendary in the role as Count Olaf with his many alter egos, coming off as sinister and campy, just as Olaf would be, but he never takes his performance over the top.
 
We are also treated to fantastic characters by K. Todd Freeman as the oblivious Mr. Poe, and by Will Arnett and Cobie Smulders as Father and Mother. Joan Cusack, Alfre Woodard, and Aasif Mandvi leave behind memorable, albeit unluckily brief, performances as various Baudelaire caretakers. Other henchmen and antagonists are well-cast and enjoyably developed as characters too. Last but certainly not least, Malina Weissman, Louis Hynes, and Presley Smith are the stars of the show, and they shine bright as the Baudelaire kids, Violet, Klaus, and Sunny (despite some cheesy visual effects for baby Sunny).
 
The story itself will transport you back to a time of adventure. You may, unfortunately, find repressed memories of dreadful places and creatures returning to the top of your mind. From the Incredibly Deadly Viper to Lachrymose leeches, and from Curdled Cave to the Lucky Smells Lumbermill, the show succeeds in bringing page to life on screen. The tone, style, and setting of the books are captured perfectly. Netflix gives us a silly and macabre depiction that will meet all your nostalgia needs (or reel you in anew, if you’re unfamiliar with the books) and leave you counting down to season two. Even for the most avid readers of the series, the Netflix series provides something different, offering new twists and flourishes that keep things fresh.
 
Allow me to offer a piece of advice, even though I don’t know anything about you. Open up Netflix and add A Series of Unfortunate Events to your list. I must warn you, however, that if you decide to watch, you may end up binging the series. Binging is a word here which means sitting in your underwear and watching the entirety of this season while eating popcorn and wondering if you’ve gone outside yet today. Once you finish binging, you will lament the lack of additional episodes, ultimately finding yourself in a state of depression rivaled only by the Baudelaire children. There are no happy endings. Not here and not now. 

If you take a moment and ponder on some of the greatest heroes to ever grace the pop culture universe, you're instantly reminded of their greatest battle with their most powerful villain. Because a great hero is always balanced out by a quality villain, someone that we the audience love to hate because they constantly challenge our hero's core values and strength and when it comes to Beyond, it turns out that Holden has finally met his perfect foil on the show, the person who will accomplish all those things in The Man in the Yellow Jacket.

As it turns out, that titular mystery man was the focus of last night's episode of the show, even sharing the namesake of the episode in a story that gave us incredible insight into the Man and what makes him tick, all while once again feeding us just enough answers to advance the plot along, and everything we were able to learn about Yellow Jacket, came forth by way of an unexpected ally, Kevin's brother Jeff. Yes, that's right, despite the fact that he threatened Holden and dragged him away in terrifying fashion at the end of the last episode, he turned out to be a friend after all, one that wanted bygones to be bygones and he needed Holden's help to figure out what Yellow Jacket is all about, and what on earth the mystery man did with Kevin. 

But while Holden initially wanted no part in this investigation, Jeff was able to convince him by showing off some of his discoveries about the man, specifically that he has a house, only a few blocks away from Holden, registered under the name of Jack Churchill, piquing Holden's curiosity enough that eventually he and Jeff break into the place to see if there's anything they can learn about Kevin's whereabouts. But despite a thorough search, there is little to be found in Churchill's home, just the remains of a zip tie indicating that something, or in this case, someone, was tied up in the wine cellar, and they're able to swipe some files off of Jack's phone before he returns home to retrieve said phone, and plant some listening devices in his house,  in a thrilling sequence where Holden is almost caught by his nemesis.

Naturally though, Holden does get away and it seems like Jack is none the wiser, but of course Churchill had more surprises waiting up his sleeve. Fully aware of the fact that Holden stepped inside his home, he finds a way to get his hands on Diane's wallet and comes to the Matthews' home to return it, leading to quite the tense confrontation between Yellow Jacket and Holden and well...I guess we have to continue to call him Yellow Jacket since he identified himself as David Jones to Diane, wherein he politely made a deal with Holden to keep their families out of this mess and to find him when he was 'ready' before returning the bugs and heading out for the day, and while it seemed as though their business was concluded and these two men could go back to avoiding one another...the universe had other plans in mind.

Because Kevin's body finally turned up and Jeff was more than happy to implicate Yellow Jacket as the chief suspect, and despite the fact that the police brought him in for questioning, they had nothing of substance on him, and let the man go. It was a move that Holden couldn't stomach and in a stunning moment, Holden chases down the mystery man and loses his temper and beats the hell out of YJ, evoking his powers in the process in the hopes of getting the man to confess to what he's done. But Yellow Jacket does nothing, and takes his literal lumps from Holden because as he put it...'you're too important'. The outburst is enough to scare Holden off, and the episode ends by more or less confirming the fact that Hollow Sky and Willa's side both have plans for Holden, and are both working overtime to gain control of him...

On the plus side however, at least Holden now has a true ally in Jeff, and it just so happens that his investigation is starting to yield some decent results since he is now aware of Yellow Jacket's ties to Hollow Sky and that he's spoken with the mysterious Tess Shoemacher as well, but let's be honest here, I think we're all dying to know why Willa and Arthur, and for that matter Hollow Sky and Frost are working so hard to get their hands on Holden. What exactly is he capable of, and how exactly will he change the world? Time will tell of course, and it's that mystery that keeps us coming back for more, but while we have to wait for those answers, we can at least bask in the fact that Yellow Jacket is one kick ass villain, one that is smart, conniving and resourceful and I cannot wait to see him square off more with Holden as this season progresses. Until next time. 

The third season of The Librarians has been nothing short of breathtaking. Week in and week out, we have been treated to outright stunning stories that engage the audience and captivate our imagination. But while it's been an incredible ride, one that has dug deep into some philosophical territory, there is still a grand threat in Apep waiting out there, and it was only a matter of time before the more intimate stories gave way to that ultimate battle between good and evil that we've all been waiting for, and it would seem that last night's episode, 'And the Fatal Separation' signaled a return to that big time battle with a stunning story that set the stage for the season three finale...and dropped our jaws in the process.

If anything, perhaps the best way to describe this episode, is to use the word, 'sneaky', because at first it seemed like pretty standard Librarians fare. We were whisked away to the magical land of Shangri-La. We were treated to Stone's training coming to a close before an old enemy in Lam seized this mystical place, hoping to get his hands on this enchanted world and all of its treasures within...but that's about where the regular feel of the show came to an end. Because therein came bombshell after bombshell, ones that quite frankly changed the course of this show and overall mythos of this storied series forever and the biggest revelation of the night, came by way of Colonel Baird.

Because as it turns out, the assault on Shangri-La was orchestrated all along by DOSA. They provided the map to Lam, and allowed him to take control of it...all so that this foolish organization could get their hands on Eve, to allow for a little sit down chat between her and General Cynthia Rockwell, wherein the first real bombshell of the night came our way, because we learned that Eve Baird was hand selected to become a sleeper agent for DOSA, one who more or less accomplished her mission to infiltrate the Library and this revelation left Eve (and the rest of us) completely and utterly stunned. It was clear as this conversation progressed that Eve was left in utter shock and horror over being used in such a fashion, and despite her best efforts to convince the General that everything within the Library was safe from evil...the General was having none of it. She wants what is in the Library...and it's clear now she will stop at nothing to get it. 

Yet the stunning moments didn't end there. This story also followed up on Charlene and where she has been all this time and it turns out...she was in Lam's possession all along, and she joined his collection of magic goodies willingly, in the hopes of keeping the wool over Apep's eyes. After all, that would have been the last place the Egyptian God would have looked for the original Guardian...but her discovery came with a price and once Shangri-La was secured and safe once again, our second bombshell of the night arrived as Charlene followed through on a threat to sacrifice herself to save the Library, but not before a tearful farewell where we learned she was the one that Jenkins pledged his heart to. 

But we need to talk a little more about the revelation regarding Eve's 'purpose' at the Library, because at first glance...this makes her look like a threat to the safety of the Library and the Librarians, but while she may have agreed to this mission ages ago, the Library would have denied her access if she was a threat, so I don't think she's trouble or evil for that matter, but the one moment that continues to bother me about this episode and this discovery...is the fact that Ezekiel found Baird alone when he completed his 'rescue' of her, which begs the question...why did the General leave? She had the opportunity then and there to get her hands on the legendary Ezekiel Jones, and Cassandra too for that matter, yet she was nowhere to be found, and one has to wonder...did she and Eve have a different kind of conversation, one where the General was able to get some incredibly pertinent information out of Eve? After all, she did mention to Eve that it was time for her wake up call, and there's a chance her sleeper 'programming' required her to tell the General everything she wanted to know...

Either way it was brutal to learn this about Eve, and that DOSA sees the Library and the Librarians as terrorists and it's terrifying to know that DOSA more than likely knows the exact location of the Library now. Plus, we need to take a moment and discuss The Candle Room, that mysterious place where the lives of everyone the Library has ever touched is personified in the form of candles burning bright...until their time on earth has come to an end...and the fact that Flynn's candle, appears to be running out of wax. That makes for some ominous foreshadowing for Flynn...and as the minutes tick down to the season finale, I think we are left with two burning questions at this point...first what did Charlene say to Eve to make her reel back in shock and second...who will survive the final battle with Apep? Because while all signs point to Flynn, this episode was a fine reminder to expect the unexpected...until next time... 

After spending the last couple of episodes digging deep into what life is like in the Greater Nazi Reich and the Japanese Pacific States, and for that matter, life in 1962 in the United States of America we know and love, The Man in the High Castle pulled us back into the thick of things. After all, the Japanese are still planning to assemble a nuclear bomb, and Juliana still has a mission to complete in New York making 'Land O' Smiles' an ironic moniker for this episode, because this particular tale was fast paced, bleak, engaging, and one filled to the brim with some big time surprises.

Case in point, the Yakuza storyline. This is one that's been brewing for weeks, specifically the trouble that Childan and Frank might be in if they don't find a way to pay back the dangerous group of gangsters and well, the first surprise in this storyline is the fact that Ed stepped in to save the day. Not only did he do a fantastic job creating the replica without Frank's help, he also managed to find a way to sell it to a weary buyer. But the surprises didn't end there, because as it turns out...everyone is now off the hook when it comes to the Yakuza, because Inspector Kido was finally able to find the connection that proves the Yakuza are working with the Nazis...and he dealt with their traitorous activity in the most efficient manner possible...with the muzzle of a gun. 

But while there was a sense of relief to be found around the fact that the Yakuza won't be chasing after Frank, Childan or Ed anytime soon...there's still a greater threat brewing in the city of San Francisco. Because while Childan and Ed came to learn of their freedom, Frank was busy working a reconnaissance mission for the Resistance, wherein the Resistance had hoped to find the perfect place to plant a bomb made from the explosive material they recovered some time ago and potentially take out General Onada, who just so happens to show up at this particular place at the same time everyday. But upon spotting a strange radiation badge on a worker, Frank's curiosity got the better of him and while he blew his cover, he uncovered the sobering fact that this is where the Japanese are beginning the early stages of building an atomic bomb...and that discovery means everything will have to change for the resistance.

Meanwhile, on the East Coast, Juliana was continuing to acclimate to life in the Reich, this time finding herself invited to a funeral, one for Doctor Adler in fact and well...once more the show did what it does best, bring us a strange and familiar parallel that is so twisted from our own world that chills of discomfort are sent cascading down our spine and it accomplished that, by showing us how churches have changed under Nazi rule. Not a trace of modern religion can be found in these once holy places. There are no priests or crosses or Bibles or even the word of the Lord for that matter...just the Reich and imagery of its redeemer, the Führer himself, and whether or not you practice religion or attend church, these images were downright frightening and served as a solid reminder of just how deeply the evil of the Reich has entrenched itself into American life.  

But aside from this episode providing us with chills, there were some important complications that arose from the funeral. For starters, Adler's widow was fully prepared to have an autopsy performed on her husband's corpse, something that clearly unsettled John Smith when he heard her speak it aloud...and Thomas' condition is starting to worsen, since he experienced a seizure at the church, and Juliana was there to see it happen. It leads Helen to make a big request of Juliana, to keep her son's seizure a secret, and while Juliana was more than happy to comply, it's clear that this is something quite damning for the Smiths, and it is no doubt information that will find its way back to the Resistance. But the biggest shocker of the story came in its final moments, when John received one important phone call from another historical monster come to life in SS-Reichsführer Heinrich Himmler, who informs John that the Führer has collapsed, and the doctors have little hope he will recover...

So in a nutshell...wow, this episode was full of big time revelations and surprises, and truthfully the biggest one of all is the health of Hitler. Because the show has been focused for some time on the fact that he is the glue that holds the Reich together and ironically enough, keeps it civil, while his lieutenants/monsters are ready, willing and fully able to fire up the German War Machine once again and that's a scary thing. Because with the Japanese working to make their own atomic bomb, the window to save San Francisco just became all that much smaller and it will be a race against time from here on out to figure out how Dixon plays into all of this, and how on earth our characters will manage to save the day. Until next time.

When we last left Coulson and the gang on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. they had once again accomplished wonders, saving the world from the terrors of the Darkhold with a little help from the Ghost Rider and in the process, they were able to heal and reunite their team.  But despite that happy ending, danger was still around every corner. After all, Doctor Radcliffe's prized Android Aida was influenced greatly by the mysterious book, going so far as to kidnap Agent May and Senator Nadeer was still out there, filled with hate for the Inhumans, setting the stage for a wild couple of storylines, all waiting to be resolved once the winter break came to a close.

Well last night signaled the end to that break with 'Broken Promises' hitting the airwaves and holy cow ladies and gentlemen...this stellar season continued in style because this episode delivered on so many levels, dropping one incredible surprise twist after another our way. Case in point, Senator Nadeer's storyline, where we learned that the mystery man who spent seven months inside the Terragenesis cocoon was her brother Vijay and well...dear old Ellen couldn't live with the fact that her brother had become an Inhuman and arranged for his death in an out of the way location...by making use of the Watchdogs. Yes you read that right, it turns out that Senator Nadeer is the one funding and pulling the strings on this particular group, but she's not the mastermind of their machinations, that's reserved for someone known as The Superior and despite S.H.I.E.L.D.'s best efforts to save Vijay, he eventually died at his sister's hands, demonstrating just how far the Senator will go to be free of the Inhuman threat.

While all of that was going on, the bigger issue at hand, specifically getting rid of the Darkhold, was being dealt with back at Headquarters where Director Mace made a couple of important calls regarding the book. First and foremost, the book was to be delivered to an agent who could make the cursed thing disappear quickly and second...that Aida's hard drive was to be wiped clean to make sure that any and all knowledge of the Darkhold disappeared and well...that's when things got interesting. Because Aida had evolved beyond the control of Dr. Radcliffe and set out on her own to possess the book, making use of her own technical prowess to disable HQ and infiltrate it, wherein the Android May became her pawn, eventually revealing the location of the Darkhold to Aida. But thanks to a hacking backup plan put in place by Fitz and Simmons, Aida was unable to escape and after a brief moment of sentient lament from Aida, she was defeated at last by Mack and it seemed as though all was well. 

But clearly, the theme of the back half of season four, is that nothing is quite what it seems and as if it wasn't enough to introduce one new threat with the mysterious 'Superior', we were also treated to another wholly unexpected big bad...in Doctor Radcliffe. It turns out that the Aida we saw go rogue tonight was nothing more than a pawn as well, designed to try and get the book for Radcliffe, who was clearly briefed on what secrets the Darkhold actually holds and the fact that it could help make mankind immortal and well...Radcliffe wants that power and with a reconstructed Aida at his side, or the original one, the show was a touch vague on that, and an android spy in May, it's only a matter of time before he gets his hands on that book and undoubtedly unleashes hell since we already know its contents are nothing but trouble. 

Either way, what an absolutely fantastic way to kick off the second half of the season. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time and it's so wonderful to see this show finally find its stride and every single twist and turn last night was epic to say the least. I love the fact that Doctor Radcliffe never truly 'reformed' from his disturbingly curious ways and it's clear he will be one formidable villain as the season rolls on, and I'm dying to know more about The Superior as a whole. Sadly those discoveries will only come with time, but it will be worth the wait and on one last side note, I do hope we get more team ups with Mack and Yo-Yo, their entire Terminator/killer robots shtick was downright hilarious and necessary to lighten the mood and heck, kudos to the show for the Chopping Mall reference as well. Until next time.

We are now three episodes into Freeform's new series Beyond and the show outright continues to impress. Every standard storytelling device when it comes to a show like this, where someone discovers they are in possession of incredible powers, are being thrown out the window to give us a raw and visceral story and to top it all off, the show is wasting no time in advancing the plot as well because last night's episode, 'Ties That Bind' explored where Holden's mind went during his twelve year coma. 

But before we get to discussing that, let's talk about what finally drove him to explore his past, because up until this point, Holden was doing anything and everything to avoid learning about the truth and understanding his abilities and it took the discovery of one giant lie to make Holden realize that he's holding onto a concept and a life that simply no longer exists and what was it he learned that finally opened his eyes? The fact that his idyllic family life was anything but and his parents had been separated for quite some time now, and despite the fact they put on a show for Holden to provide continuity the fact that his parents lied to him completely and utterly broke him, allowing for him to finally turn to Willa.

After all, with the real world collapsing around him, it only made sense to return to the only stability he had known for the past twelve years and with Willa's help she introduced him to the place that his mind went to while he was unconscious, a place known as The Realm. It was within this world that Holden was privy to incredible sights that were reminiscent of the coolest dreams our brain can muster, but that was merely an illusion, this place features real danger and on several occasions, Willa had to pull him out of The Realm to keep him safe. What purpose this place serves, or why it's so important to Holden, Willa and Arthur we still don't quite know, but it was pretty awesome to see Holden explore such an important place this early on in the series.

However, while it was cool to see Holden return to this place and slowly uncover his lost memories, the show was quick to remind us that there are still some incredible threats out there waiting for Holden because this episode also featured what Yellow Jacket had to do to atone for his mistakes, he had to 'deal' with Kevin. That meant chasing poor Kevin down and outright kidnapping him in order to learn exactly what he knew about Holden and who he had potentially spoken to about that fateful night in the parking lot...and for a moment there, it seemed as though Yellow Jacket actually had some good left within him, because he softened his stance when Kevin pointed out he was going to be a father and YJ even took Kevin to see his family, and I'm certain we all thought that he was going to let Kevin go...but that was simply not the case and unfortunately, Kevin was 'dealt' with in the worst way imaginable. 

When all is said and done however, this was quite the fascinating little episode. Sure it didn't outright give us all the answers to the questions set up in the pilot a couple of weeks ago, but it gave us just enough to keep us hooked and it did just enough to keep the story moving in the right direction because let's be honest...I think we all want to know more about The Realm, and its purpose and why its so important for Holden to remember his time there, plus I fully appreciated the fact that the series added a new twist to the story, in that Arthur and Willa's conversation demonstrates that it seems everybody wants something from Holden and that's unfortunate because he's simply trying to put his life back together. Either way, it looks like the trouble is about to find Holden again since Kevin's brother Jeff has some questions about his brother's whereabouts, and it's only a matter of time before Yellow Jacket returns to complete his mission...until next time.

Every single television show out there, has a particular moment when it achieves outright perfection in regards to the story it is trying to tell. It may take a few seasons, or the entire run of the series, but at some point or another...everything the show set out to accomplish comes together in one magnificent episode, and that's precisely what happened this week on The Librarians, because 'And the Eternal Question' featured an absolutely incredible story last night, one that embodied everything we've come to love about the show. 

After all, this is a series that has always celebrated the wonder of life by giving us characters that are honest and good to their core, to the point where they have always put their lives on the line to save the innocent for no other reason outside of the fact that it is the right thing to do. They are selfless, they are strong and they find ways to work together...and while they've faced danger this year like never before and the possibility of losing their lives, there's a sense of security for these characters, that they'll find a way to keep one another safe, at least...until last night. Because in this episode, Cassandra Cillian faced down death and it seemed for a moment that there was no escaping the end. 

Sure, there was a fascinating plot to go along with this, one where vampires inadvertently discovered a cure for their little problem with daylight...but as far as I'm concerned, all of that took a back seat to Cassandra's story...one where she learned the day she feared the most had come at last. The Brain Grape had finally become a threat to her life and she was given a simple choice...undergo surgery and attempt to remove it, or face certain death. But with a mission on the line and the risk that the surgery may or may not be a success...she chose to power ahead and face the consequences.

But what made this episode so absolutely incredible was watching Cassandra face the end. She kept her decision from her friends to keep their minds on the mission at hand, and to keep them worry free...and she made a desperate grab to experience as many incredible memories as possible before she passed on to whatever waits for us on the other side, going as far as to declare her love for Jenkins in an effort to experience one last taste of romance...and perhaps garner a brief understanding of what immortality is like before time ran out and her quest to live life to the fullest didn't quite end there.

Cassandra even explored the notion of giving up everything she's ever known and loved to become a vampire and live forever...giving her the opportunity to never fear death again. In the end of course, Jenkins stepped in and got her to the doctor just in time, where her life was saved and newfound abilities were discovered but when all is said and done...what a powerful, powerful story. It truly served as a reminder that every single moment we have in life is precious, and to celebrate the gift we have been given and live it to the fullest and well, that's a message this show always tries to convey and in a season of darkness, this harrowing episode turned out to be a beacon of hope and it would seem that Cassandra is stronger for having gone through her brush with death. 

However, I made mention earlier that this episode was more or less a defining moment for the show, perfection if you will and I stand by that. This is hands down, the best episode of the show I've ever seen. This series has always been about the characters and the incredible people they are...and to see Cassandra face these kinds of odds, and overcome them...is downright inspiring and all of the credit for this episode needs to go to Lindy Booth. She gave us a tour de force performance last night, one that I honestly hope garners her some kind of award nomination because over the course of one hour, she was able to convey every emotion known to man and that takes some serious talent. In the end, this is an episode that didn't advance the Apep plot, and quite frankly...it didn't need to. This was a far more important story to tell, because if our characters aren't able to grow, and experience some of the challenges we face in life, we lose our connection to the story, and after this episode...and all the beauty it sent our way, it's safe to say that our connection with this lovely little show, is stronger than ever. Until next time.

It's always quite the special occasion when a television show goes above and beyond in its storytelling to completely and utterly surprise the audience and that's something that The Man in the High Castle managed to pull off with the sixth episode of season two because 'Kintsugi' is a story that didn't do much to advance this season's thrilling plot. Nor did it provide us with any stunning revelations, instead what made this episode so absolutely and utterly incredible is the fact that it gave us our most in depth look to date at life in the Reich and well, what we learned was downright fascinating and heartbreaking.

Case in point, the first cold lesson we learned about life in the Reich, is how important status is to some of its citizens and this discovery came by way of Juliana, who was given an ugly choice this episode. Either play nice with the Smiths, and cozy up to the Greater Nazi Reich's elite, or face the consequences for helping out Joe Blake. Naturally she chose the former of the two options and quickly befriended a woman named Lucy, whose husband was the top man when it came to television in the GNR. It was here that we and Juliana learned exactly what status means to the Reich's elite, because despite her chipper like demenaor, Lucy had a moment of weakness where she confessed to Juliana that the pressure of not being able to deliver a baby to her husband was wearing on their marriage and potentially their future because she could be viewed as a second class citizen down the line for not being able to procreate.

While Juliana learned about the darker side of life in the Reich, Joe Blake finally had an opportunity to experience what Berlin is really like when one removes themselves from the political side of it all by attending a party with Nicole and well...what an interesting contrast this party turned out to be. Thus far, everything we've seen about the Reich is clean and sanitized, with mere hints of insurrection from its citizens as they go about living the vision that the Führer has put forth, whereas this party...felt quite familiar. There was free thought in this place, plenty of drugs and free love as well, and this more or less resembled some of the movements we saw in America in the 1960's, and well...it was a genius stroke of storytelling to say the least.

Because by demonstrating that free thought and the desire for a better future exists in this bleak and alternate plane of existence, for the first time in a long time, the show delivered a true sense of hope within the story. But alas, who knows how long that will last because the end of Joe's storyline for this episode was troubling to say the least as he seemed to finally embrace life within the Reich and its grand/disturbing vision for the future and it was heavily implied that he came to realize it was time for him to pick a cause and commit to it one hundred percent so that his life will finally mean something and well...watching him carefully examine the swastika arm band provided with his suit made for one chilling moment.

However, not everything in this episode was pure gloom and doom. There was one other element explored about life in the Reich this go round, just how important family is to some of its citizens, or more specifically...John Smith. Because as it turns out John finally figured out a way to save his son from certain death in the Reich, by sending him away to South America on a Hitler Youth trip. It's something Helen doesn't agree with, until John informs her in private that once Thomas arrives down south...he will be 'kidnapped' and while John will personally lead a search to bring him home, he will fail in his endeavors, all so that he can provide his son a chance at life and well...this was beautiful in every sense of the word. To see a man as important as Smith use his far and sweeping power to save his son like this, demonstrates what kind of man he really is, and it's quite unfortunate he's stuck in a place where he cannot help more people in this fashion.

Either way, wow, what an episode. I've always thoroughly enjoyed it when this series goes deep into the inner workings of this disturbed world and the vast amount of detail it provided us with this go round kept me on the edge of my seat. But I did mention earlier that this particular tale did make some effort to push forth the plot and it did that by off handedly revealing what Smith and Kido talked about...the fact that the Yakuza are on the GNR's payroll and I also enjoyed the fact that Tagomi's time in our reality is starting to force his mind to open up to new ideas about his world and what it means to respect other cultures. In the end though, this was a nice little unexpected break from the powerhouse story brewing in the background and I'm sure it won't be long before we return to the race to save San Francisco. Until next time.

At some point or another, we've all taken a few moments to daydream about what our life might be like if we were gifted with some kind of superpower that allows for us to do the impossible and save the day before we return our minds to our daily routine because hey...it's fun to go there and imagine wonders. But despite how much fun it is to dream like that, deep down, we all know those kinds of abilities would come with some level of responsibility and the harsh realities of having super-human powers, is what the second episode of Beyond, 'Tempus Fugit', decided to explore in great detail.  

Because when we last left Holden Matthews, he was now fully aware of the fact that he can move objects with his mind and save lives in the process and this discovery is something that Holden wants no part of. He sees it as something that needs to remain hidden and well...there's logic to that. After all, with the Sheriff's office now sniffing around regarding his little incident at the bar, he's quick to learn that his abilities aren't something that he can turn on and off without people taking notice and that revelation drives Holden to shun everything he's learned in the past twenty four hours and do his best to get on with the second chance that he has been given and try and live a normal life. 

Truly that notion was a stroke of genius for this episode because while it was neat to see Holden try and fit in and do everyday things like go to church or party with his brother...it's clear he's meant for something more. He doesn't fit in when it comes to this kind of stuff. He's tuned into something more and despite his best efforts to ignore it, there's no running from his new abilities and his past and thankfully for Holden, he comes to realize this once he manages to accidentally burn down a house with his powers, forcing him to embrace Willa's efforts to help him out and while he may not be embracing his newfound powers just yet, he's at least open to learning more about them...and his mysterious past. 

While Holden dealt with his newfound powers, the show took a moment to delve into some fascinating territory by giving us insight into the mysterious organization after Holden. We know now that this group prefers to stay in the shadows when it comes to their actions and that they have a massive compound away from the world known as Hollow Sky, where they seem to be training groups of kids for heavens knows what, and we also learned that the mysterious man in the Yellow Jacket, is in a lot of trouble for making Holden use his powers in such brazen and public fashion. In fact, Yellow Jacket's story was just as compelling as Holden's since we learned that he is a man who isn't bold or strong in the slightest in his everyday life and he clearly takes incredible joy in being something more by working for this shadow organization. 

Either way, this was a wonderful direction for the show to take for its second episode. Rather than go all rah-rah with Holden's powers and go the traditional route of Holden discovering his destiny and serving a higher cause, the story keeps him grounded as a man surrounded by some incredible circumstances and that lends a level of honesty to this story that you don't often see and I love the fact that Holden has to make the choice to learn more about his powers and his past and it looks like the next episode will begin exploring what we've all been waiting for...what exactly happened to Holden while he was stuck in his coma, and I can't wait to find out what we learn. Until next time.