Thus far, our journey through the sixth and final season of CHiPs has brought forth a lot of sour moments and glaring mistakes. The kind that leaves this reviewer shaking his head at times, as we inch toward the end. Simply because everything that once made this series great and compelling is missing from these final 22 episodes (or 23 if you count the CHiPs '99 reunion TV movie) and that also makes this journey tough to slog through. Because it really does make one long for the good old days of this series. When the characters were king, and the stories were filled with meaning. But while this final season has offered up shocking contrast and tone, it hasn’t been a complete and total loss.

Because from time to time, season six of CHiPs has managed to offer up some decent and engrossing stories. The kind that feel reminiscent of the days when Ponch and Jon rode the highways together. But the next episode in this storied franchise, well it definitely takes the viewer by surprise, simply because this is the first episode in year six that actually FEELS as though it was an unused script from days gone by. Because ‘Fallout’ not only features everything we love about the series, but it also offers up some intimate and fascinating insight into the family life of one of the characters and it also features another storytelling standard for this show. But before we dig too deeply into that, let’s talk about the family related storyline. Since it provided us with fresh insight on the family dynamic of one Sergeant Joesph Getraer.

Which is something the series hasn’t explored since seasons four and five. When we were able to meet and spend time with his wife Betty and his son Timmy and as it turns out, this particular story was apt to ponder upon what family life is like when the daughter of a police sergeant doesn’t believe in what her father does. A plot twist that saw family man Joe, struggle to make peace with his estranged daughter, Ellen, and this really was quite the fascinating plot thread. One that offered up a fine reminder that sometimes, family can drift apart, when we let communication between one another fail and this is a story that also spoke to the divide that sometimes occurs between generations. Since Ellen and Joe had genuinely unique and polarizing views in regard to the world and how it should function. 

Granted, they eventually settle their differences because they are family, but it was nice to see a sense of realism be injected into this story and speaking of realism, let’s get into that other plot thread that was mentioned a moment ago. Because this episode’s Creep of the Week was a man named Hal, who was trying to make nice with a young man’s mother, in the hopes of marrying her. And the problem at hand, was that he straight up, beat this poor kid with a massive cane on a regular basis and well, that revelation made for some powerful storytelling. Largely because it motivated Ponch and Bobby to catch this jerk in a thrilling manner, but also because it offered up a frank presentation of abuse. And it was brave of the series to not shy away from such a polarizing real-world topic. One that we sadly have not solved all these years later and it was also genuinely surprising and refreshing, to see a classic element from the Ponch and Jon era, be resurrected here.

Plus, this episode also took the time to try and grow Harlan as a character as well, by giving us insight into why he works at the California Highway Patrol. And it turns out that he’s in the garage because he didn’t meet the physical requirements to be a CHP officer. Something that sadly came to back to haunt him here, since that also kept him from joining the Los Angeles Police Department and it was just downright fascinating to learn how much law enforcement and his position at the CHP means to Harlan. But more importantly, it was just wonderful to enjoy a classic CHiPs tale. One that offered depth at every turn and also provided us with some compelling storylines and hopefully this seeming ‘hot streak’ of quality episodes continues along. Because this really is a nice change of pace. Until next time.

As we continue our journey through the sixth and final season of the police serial, CHiPs, a certain pattern is starting to emerge. In that, the inconsistent nature of this final year of storytelling has provided us with a fascinating back and forth. One where a bad episode is often followed up by a solid one. Which is fascinating to say the least. Because it means that season six of this series wasn’t a total loss and that the bad was so incredibly bad that it genuinely motivated its fans to stop tuning in. Which is also a shame because the good episodes are delivering some classic CHiPs for certain and the only reason to bring this up today, is because this particular pattern is popping up once again. Since the next episode in this series is the polar opposite of the terrible 'Head Over Heels'.

For ‘Return to Death’s Door’ sees Ponch and Bobby deal with some hot-rod racers that keep toying with a dangerous part of the highways in the hills surrounding Los Angeles and being back in this part of the city, brought back all kinds of tough memories for Ponch. For in his rambunctious youth, he used to race these hills as well, and one day… his best friend in the whole wide world took a header off of a dangerous curve known as ‘Death’s Door’ and didn’t survive the resulting crash. And being forced to face those memories once again, and the little brother his friend left behind, allows for this particular tale to offer up some fascinating commentary about the past, and how it can consume some people if they let it.

Which is an exploration was handled by the younger brother in question, named Chris, who truly let his brother’s death control his life and his future. To the point where he believed that the only way, he could ever recover from the pain of losing him, was by following in his footsteps, and by making Ponch pay for being remotely involved in his death and this made for some powerful storytelling for certain. For we really did receive a solid understanding of how holding onto the worst parts of yesterday can consume a person in an unhealthy and terrifying manner since doing just that, basically sent Chris down a self-destructive path. One that required intervention on Ponch's behalf to save him from a horrible fate and speaking of Frank, it was his journey in this tale that served as the foil to this one.

Because rather than let that memory haunt him and drive him into darkness as well, Ponch saw that moment as a wake-up call. One that helped him to learn that a life of recklessness and wanton abandonment for the rules would only lead to strife and trouble. In fact, it was heavily implied that this moment, and his initial run-ins with Officer Jon Baker, were likely the two formative moments that motivated him to become a California Highway Patrolman. And what really allowed for this segment to stand out and change the tone of this episode, is that aforementioned intervention. Since Ponch was willing to put his own at life at risk to help Chris see the light. Which of course allowed for a happy ending to take place since his plan worked to an absolute tee. 

Yet while those elements were fascinating and powerful in their own right, this episode also offered up a solid Creep of the Week segment. One that involved a pair of southern lovebirds/car thieves and what made this segment of note was the sheer fact that one of the thieves was played by Bryan Cranston. And while his appearance here was brief, it was downright memorable, speaking volumes to his acting skills and really in the end, all of these elements made for one quality tale. Because this one featured everything that we love about the series, since it had action and adventure and depth and character development, and really all we can hope for at this point, is to see the series skip the back and forth and instead offer up a streak of quality tales. Because having the good stuff around, if only for a little while, would help to ease the pain of this show's ugly demise and the only way to find out if a hot streak of good episodes awaits us, is to continue the journey. Until next time.  

If there is one inherent truth about storytelling that everyone can agree upon, it would have to be that a vast majority of stories out there, are eager to provide their audience with a lesson of some sort. Simply because stories in any medium are the perfect place to teach us something about ourselves and our world and that’s why we recommend and share certain stories with our friends and family. Because they taught us a powerful lesson, the kind that clearly took root with us. But while it is wonderful to know that stories can teach us something about the society and life, it is important to note, that the lesson in question has to be handled in a subtle and intelligent manner. Otherwise the end result feels silly and forced and no one listens to it, and for proof that this is the case, then look no further than the next episode of CHiPs.

For ‘Head Over Heels’ is a story that was designed to teach the audience that drinking, and driving is a bad, bad idea. Which in and of itself is indeed a wonderful and wholesome message to send the audience’s way. For the impact that a drunk driver can have when they get behind the wheel is far reaching and devastating for certain and truly, embedding that message within a popular television show about a group of police officers that try to do good in the world is the perfect way to get that message out. But alas, this episode completely bungled the message by way of a manipulative tale, one that quite frankly used Frank Poncherello as a pawn to get said message across, and that led to one messy and silly episode, one that hasn’t aged well and one that outright disappoints.

Partly because, it isn’t an episode of CHiPs in the slightest. Instead, this feels akin to something Lifetime would air since it features a grandiose love story, one where Ponch falls in love with a woman named Vanessa, who also just so happens to work as an advocate for Mothers Against Drunk Driving. Which means we spend a great deal of this episode, enjoying soft and romantic music and montages as they fall for one another and begin to plan a life together as husband and wife and all of this… feels so out of place. Because this is a series about catching criminals and what drives criminals to commit said crimes, and trying to offer up a romance story is cringe inducing to say the least, as is the episode’s downright awful ending. 

Because in the blink of an eye, Vanessa is run down by a drunk driver and dies in Ponch’s arms before the show delivers a voiceover pointing out the horrors that accompany drunk driving. And while the show is correct in regard to the dangers of driving under the influence and the lives it can impact, how it gets there is eye-roll inducing to say the least. Because such a move is cheesy and obviously manipulative and to make matters worse, it gives Vanessa’s character zero value. Because she’s in and out in a single tale, and we’re not able to learn anything about her or what makes her tick. Which means her death has zero impact on the audience, and to make matters worse, the lack of value in her death is compounded by the fact that Frank Poncherello will be just fine in the next episode of this series. For 80s shows NEVER took the time to examine the fallout of major storylines such as this one and that’s a shame.

Because her death could have had a fundamental change on Frank and set the stage for the series finale of this saga. But it didn't, and that makes this episode a hollow pursuit for certain, one that could have been something powerful if it honestly had shifted the focus away from Frank and had a lesser character or a guest character go through this. Because then Frank and Bobby could have offered up some fine and objective commentary on the matter and seeing the character impacted by her death, disappear because of it, would have given the whole mess, meaning. But alas, what’s done is done and once again, we are left with one awful episode for certain, one that once again reminds us that the series was directionless at this point and grasping at straws to stay relevant and that’s unfortunate. Because it really missed a golden opportunity to do something quite special here. Until next time.   

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the series premiere of ‘The Watch’.
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Something that is truly fascinating about modern storytelling, is how certain concepts tend to stay within certain genres so that audiences are comfortable and familiar with what they are being presented. For example, social commentary and observations on modern society, tend to be a staple of the horror genre, since it has established itself as the perfect place to examine our world and our problems. Or for that matter, stories that ponder upon the power of trauma and the resultant PTSD that can come from it, are often exclusively tied to drama and comedies to a lesser extent. Just because those particular genres are all about moving us emotionally, which is a wonderful way to help us understand and potentially overcome such matters.
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But while that definitely helps audiences know exactly what they are getting themselves into from time to time, it’s always quite fascinating when an audience is able to enjoy a story that defies that particular norm. Because it means that we are in for something experimental and new and exciting if it is done correctly and it just so happens that the new BBC America series, The Watch, is a fantasy series that meets that particular criteria. For the two-hour series premiere of this fascinating new show, made it clear that not only was it going to introduce us to a rich and sprawling world where Goblins are eager to break free from their current roles and where crime is legalized, but that it would also take the time to examine elements that the fantasy genre doesn’t normally toy with. Such as the fallout that comes from traumatic experiences and how we find our way back from the dark places they can take us.

A feat that ‘A Near Vimes Experience’ and ‘Ook’ accomplished, by giving us a supremely in depth look at our lead character in this series, Captain Sam Vimes. For this premiere wasted no time in informing us that Vimes dealt with some powerful and traumatic and life changing moments in his youth. Such as being asked by his mentor, Carcer Dun, to infiltrate the crime fighting organization ‘The Watch’, in order to free criminals that Sam also called friends and sow a little chaos along the way. But after discovering that he could be more and make a difference while wearing a badge, Vimes had second thoughts about going that route. Which in turn led to the seeming death of Carcer after the two men had it out and the resulting fallout of that powerful moment, changed the course of Vimes’ life in quite the powerful manner. 

Because rather than pick a side, Captain Vimes instead opted to immerse himself within a status quo. All by transforming The Watch into nothing more than a group of mediators, the kind that quietly handle scuffles in a diplomatic manner so that both criminal and citizen can co-exist in relative peace. But the eventual return of Carcer Dun after twenty years, and his desire to cause all kinds of trouble for Vimes and the city of Ahnk-Morpork is what motivates Vimes and his supremely diverse and unique crew to make quite the decision. In that, they can either maintain the status quo as they always have, or they can truly step up and use their talents to do something wonderful and really, in the end, all of these storytelling elements make this quite the intriguing series for certain.
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Simply because, this reviewer is hard pressed to recall a fantasy story that features a journey of redemption grounded in such modern commentary. But it works here, and it adds depth and realism to a story that features dragons and magic and dwarves and everything in between and while this alone would have made this story quite compelling, there are other elements present here that outright suck you in. Such as the rest of the characters for instance, since the story makes it clear that Vimes has assembled a team that is as flawed and as eager for redemption as he is and that makes them oddly relatable as well, and as an added bonus, the grand mystery involving Carcer in this tale also helps to draw you into this story and this dynamic world.

For this premiere really does a wonderful job of revealing just enough when it comes to Carcer’s return and who exactly he’s working with and why he’s so eager to burn the city to the ground and that really does compel you to continue the journey. So that you can see how this mystery surrounding Carcer unfolds and whether or not The Watch will be successful in stopping him and the best part of all, is that this series is going to handle this showdown in a fun and dynamic manner. Because there’s a grand sense of adventure hanging over this show, and there’s also a wonderful balance of comedy and drama present here as well and that really does make this series quite the engrossing watch for certain. Since we simply haven’t a clue where this loose adaptation of Discworld is going to take us in the weeks to come. Until next time.

Caution: This article contains spoilers for this year’s edition of the ‘Doctor Who’ Holiday Special.
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One tough truth about life that each and every one of us are forced to learn as we grow older, is that some of the friendships that we genuinely cherish, and hope will last a lifetime; eventually dissolve for various reasons. For sometimes we come to learn that the friend we admired and thought had our best interests at heart, did not and we were nothing more than an end to a means, making it necessary to part ways. Or we come to learn they are not who we thought they were, giving both sides cause to say goodbye. Or we simply begin to grow apart because both parties have changed and want different things out of life and it just so happens, that last reason for the end of an incredible friendship, is supremely relevant to our discussion today. 
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Simply because that particular notion served as the focal point of last night’s episode of Doctor Who. For ‘Revolution of the Daleks’ saw some of the Fam part ways after traversing time and space for the past couple of years and what made this particular story fascinating and worth our while, is that it didn’t gloss over or rush to the reason as to why two members of Team TARDIS decided to walk away from a life full of adventure and danger. Instead, it took its sweet time in exploring how this works and how exactly it can happen, and how hard this particular end to a friendship can be on the parties involved. And it accomplished this particular feat, by providing the team with a life changing crisis to deal with, one that involved the Daleks. 

Because we came to discover in this tale, that the reconnaissance Dalek that was destroyed in the holiday special ‘Resolution’ had its shell re-purposed by Jack Robertson and the British Government to become a new brand of security drones, ones that were free of the monster within. But courtesy of one of Robertson’s lackeys, the DNA from that defeated Dalek was harvested and grown and of course… that allowed for a new Dalek army to be built behind the scenes, much to the chagrin of the team. For they were simply helpless to do anything without the Doctor and the TARDIS and being in such a listless place even prior to the arrival of this crisis, left a lot of the team pondering upon what their future was going to look like without the Doctor and whether or not it was time to look at another way of living, once this crisis passed of course.

But thankfully, they were eventually able to receive the help they needed from the alien they admire the most. For Captain Jack Harkness made a point to get himself captured by the Judoon in order to get close to the Doctor and spring her and well… once they were back in the TARDIS and back with the Fam, everyone could quickly get down to work and defeat the Daleks. And truly, the Doctor’s return could not have come at a better time, since the team was able to find out that the Recon Dalek had figured out how to merge its cloned brethren with all the drones that Robertson’s company built, which in turn led to quite the bloodbath in England. One that motivated the Doctor to try something supremely dangerous and wild in order to save the planet from enslavement. In that, she opted to inform other Daleks that an impure version of their species was present on Earth.

Which of course was a message the ‘pure’ Daleks were quick to respond to, since they’re downright mad when it comes to notions of purity and that allowed for the Doctor and the team to save the Earth in an epic manner. For Robertson’s inadvertent creations were defeated post haste and thanks to an assist from Jack and the TARDIS that the Doctor used to send everyone home in ‘The Timeless Children’, the everyday Daleks were wiped out as well. Making it seem as though everything was about to return to normal and the adventures would resume. But that’s when the episode took the time to dive deep into how friends grow apart and change enough to part ways. For it was revealed that Ryan was done with traversing time and space. Largely because he was starting to realize that was while he was doing amazing things with the team, he wasn’t forging his own path. Nor was he being the hero he could be at home, and he opted to bid farewell. As did Graham, since Ryan was the only family he had left. 
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A move that was heartbreaking and tear-jerking to say the least but one that truly did offer up a beautiful examination for certain. Because it really did serve to remind us that friendships that last a lifetime are supremely rare, since those only happen when we befriend a kindred spirit. And that most of the time, friends will indeed come and go, simply because that’s how life works. Since we are constantly evolving and changing in regard to what we want out of it and what we expect from it. But while this can indeed cause us pain and strife, it shouldn’t. For we take something away from every person that we meet, and we should cherish those lessons. Since they can teach us how to avoid the bad friends that aren’t who we think they are, and they can help us to feel pride over what someone else taught us… or unlocked within us. 

Which are lessons that made this quite the beautiful and endearing episode when all is said and done, one that featured a great deal more awesome moments outside of its life lessons. Because the return of Captain Jack Harkness was just an outright treat through and through and really, it’s quite impressive that John Barrowman didn’t miss a beat in returning to the role and that his presence in this tale felt so organic and natural. And speaking of the return of certain characters… this episode also deserves serious credit for bringing back Jack Robertson and the Recon Dalek. Because one thing that Doctor Who excels at, is building a wonderful universe for the current Doctor, and having those elements here allowed for that happen and it was simply delightful. For it means that Jodie Whittaker and Chris Chibnall are finding their stride with this series and that always benefits the fans.

If anything, this was definitely quite the solid holiday special. One that featured something for everyone. For if you wanted a story that paid tribute to the rich history of the franchise, you definitely were able to enjoy that here, thanks to some lovely cameos from past monsters and of course by way of the return of Jack. And if you wanted action and adventure, well that was definitely present here too and of course… if you wanted to feel some feels, you were able to do that as well. Because that ending definitely brought about some tears for certain and well… in the end, it should be interesting to see where the series takes us from here. Because things are always different and unique when companions step away and that definitely helps to build anticipation for Series 13. So that we can see how the new dynamic between The Doctor and Yaz and the recently announced new companion, Dan, plays out; when Doctor Who returns later this year. Until next time.