​One particular element that makes just about any mystery story great, is adding a sense of danger into the mix at some point or another. Because knowing our characters are in genuine trouble, and will likely find themselves in harm’s way, adds a whole different layer to the story, the kind where the stakes are suddenly higher and where the audience finds themselves invested further in the story since they’re dying to know if the hero or heroine and their friends will make it out of their investigation alive, and more importantly, whether or not they can overcome the incredible odds they now face, and it would seem, that all important element has finally arrived on TNT’s I Am the Night.
 
Because over the course of the past three weeks, Jay Singletary and Fauna Hodel have toyed and flirted with danger, since their investigation into the past has ruffled feathers and angered the powerful George. But thus far he’s only been willing to push the envelope enough to scare them in the hopes of throwing them off the trail. But last night’s episode, ‘Matador’, finally saw George cross the line and put both Jay and Fauna in genuine danger and well, I have to hand it to this series because this particular twist has indeed upped the ante in this tale, in spectacular fashion no less, since the attempt on Fauna’s life in this tale was downright terrifying and shocking.
 
That’s thanks in large part to the fact that said danger outright came out of the blue. Because a seemingly innocuous sequence at a strange art party, wherein Fauna and Jay showed up to speak to Corinna offered no clues or indications that danger was near. But Sepp knocking out Fauna changed things immediately and the story quickly dove into some dark places since we saw Sepp try and carve Fauna up like art and thanks to Jay’s quick thinking and soldier mentality, we saw Sepp die at Jay’s hands, which forced this duo to move without hesitation to dispose of the body and while this act should have left them terrified and ready to retreat, it instead had quite the opposite effect.
 
For now that Fauna knows what Jay is made of, and how far he’s willing to go to protect her and do the right thing, she opened up to him about some of the clues she’s uncovered, and she also offered to team up with him in order to find Tamar and well, that’s bad news for George. For this duo are beyond determined to uncover the truth and it would seem that putting down Sepp has only further emboldened them to press harder when it comes to this case since they exuded a confidence we’ve never seen from them before and well, while they are closer than ever to possibly uncovering the truth they so seek, the danger still remains real, since it’s becoming inherently clear now that George is a mad man, one that may have killed other women…all in the name of art and beauty and a bloodlust that cannot be satiated…
 
When all is said and done however, this ended up being a downright incredible episode through and through. In large part due to the fact that the danger present here outright sucked me in, but it also had more to offer than mere chills and thrills. Because Chris Pine’s performance in this story was the stuff of legend really, since he channeled some chilling savagery in this tale, giving us plenty to ponder upon when it comes to Jay’s addiction and his demons. But more importantly, the clues are coming together in rapid fire fashion now, and with Fauna and Jay working together, I would imagine the truth will begin to reveal itself faster now, especially if and when they find Tamar in Hawaii and well, I’m definitely hungry for more when it comes to this tale, for I too want to know the truth, but alas, I’ll have to wait until next Monday to learn more. Until then. 

​I’m always excited when a television series, begins to reveal its secrets. Because once that happens, there is no turning back for the show, and the facts begin to pour out in fast and furious fashion and that’s precisely why I was so eager to tune into last night’s episode of True Detective. Because last week’s episode brought forth our first real revelation in regard to the Purcell Case, meaning that ‘The Final Country’ would potentially fill in more of the blanks, and well, it most certainly did, in the most disturbing ways imaginable of course since this tale, held nothing back when it comes to the case, or the dark things that Wayne pushed himself to do in order to solve this grand mystery.
 
Now, the first thing this particular tale taught us, is that the Hoyt family is not to be trifled with, since in 1990, Roland and Wayne found Tom Purcell’s body high above the world near where his children died with a ‘self-inflicted’ gunshot wound to the head, a discovery that outright brought the case to a close since all the evidence pointed toward Tom at this point in time and that did not sit well with Wayne. Because he knew something stunk about this whole mess and that somehow the family was involved in this and that prompted him to dig deeper and deeper, eventually allowing for him to uncover the fact that Harris James made a trip to Vegas the day before Lucy died, and that she had been in contact with the Hoyt family prior to his arrival and that meant these two men were going to have a little showdown with Harris in order to get the truth.
 
But, before we dig into that, we need to talk about all the wild revelations that came forth about the Hoyt family in 2015. For in this time period we learned that the family never had any luck with children and keeping their line alive, implying heavily that they ‘acquired’ Julie in the hopes of creating a family for a daughter who lost everything. Which would mean that the Hoyt’s were in fact involved in child trafficking, a point hammered home by Elisa when she revealed her research on the matter to Wayne, a moment that in essence tied this season together with season one since Rust and Marty popped up in this one via an old newspaper article. But what matters more, is that this revelation and the reveal that the one-eyed man likely worked for the Hoyt family, seem to have put Roland and Wayne on the fast track to wrapping this up. 
 
However, the big reveal of the night, is that we came to learn that Wayne has some ugly secrets of his own when it comes to this case. For eventually, he and Roland caught up with Mister Harris James, and performed a little street justice out in the barn once again, with ugly results. For while Harris did imply that he knew more than he was leading on, he wouldn’t tip his hand and an errand of mercy from Wayne led to more confrontation and eventually Harris’ death, forcing Roland and Wayne to bury the evidence, meaning that they did indeed do something twisted and stupid when it comes to this case and there was indeed fallout from this act, since Edward Hoyt made a house call to speak with Wayne and well…no good can come from that.
 
Either way, I love the fact that the reveals are coming in fast and furious fashion now, and that we can finally confirm that Wayne and Roland pushed this thing too far in order to get answers, and while their hearts were in the right places, the end result speaks for itself and well…this is it ladies and gents. We now stand on the precipice when it comes to this story, for only one episode remains and the season three finale will likely reveal the truth about what happened in 1980. And considering how disturbing this case continues to be, and how many twisted moments came forth in this episode, I’m hopeful and anxious to learn everything there is to know about what happened back in ‘80, because deep down, I know the truth is going to leave me unsettled and uncomfortable. Until next time. 

​To me, the mark of a good documentary goes beyond a mere presentation of fact. Not that the facts aren’t important, because they are paramount to this style of show, but let’s be honest. Entertainment helps our minds to absorb what we learn, so having a powerful and engrossing story is equally as important as the material that’s presented to us and that’s precisely why I’m such a big fan of BBC America’s Dynasties. Because this particular series has taught us plenty about nature and how cruel it can be over the past few weeks, all while enthralling us with moving stories about animals fighting to survive to see another day and it would seem, that the network made sure to save the best for last when it comes to this series, since last night’s episode of the series, ‘Emperor’, was hands down the most powerful chapter in this magnificent story.
 
Because this particular tale, one that took us to Atka Bay in Antarctica, definitely provided us with one harrowing story. After all, the biting cold of Antarctica should keep just about any living thing away from it, but these penguins come here year after year to breed and rear their young and they face incredible odds in making that happen. For powerful blizzards ransack this part of the world, the kind that drop temperatures to -76 degrees below Fahrenheit, forcing these brave birds to huddle for warmth and shelter while they wait for their eggs to hatch and these blizzards sometimes force them to lose their way, even after their babies have hatched since some of these birds found themselves trapped in a deep ravine after a storm cleared, making escape so difficult that some penguins abandoned their young, or fought with all their might to escape with their babies.
 
Yet, while it was devastating to see the cold claim some of these birds, and see babies abandoned by their mothers, there was some serious beauty to be found in this story. For this particular tale, really took the time to dig into the mating rituals of the Emperor Penguin, and what we learned was incredibly fascinating. Because these birds go through quite the in-depth process to select a mate, and once they’ve found the right bird, they work together to ensure that their chick is as safe as can be. Which means that the male must help in rearing the child and keeping the egg safe, and it was just beautiful to see these couples work together in unison and trade off responsibilities. But while all that was magical in its own right, perhaps the true highlight of the night, is the sheer fact that this story had some happy endings to provide us with.
 
Case in point, the fact that the documentary team stepped in to help when these penguins were in dire need of an assist. Because the ones that were trapped in the ravine, were likely facing starvation and death, and rather than let that happen, the team took the time to build a few steps and a tiny ramp for the penguins to follow and they did just that, saving countless lives. But what matters most in this tale, is the sheer fact that the harsh and brutal winter in Antarctica, had a far less devastating impact on this colony than expected. For only one-third of the chicks didn’t survive the winter, and that’s a wonderful number to hear since it means this dynasty of Emperor Penguins will continue to thrive and that truly is the finest way this series could have come to a close.
 
For sadly, this story, does signal the end of our journey when it comes to Dynasties, since there are no other episodes to follow this one. Which means, all we have left when it comes to this documentary, are mere memories and that’s a good thing. Because this is a series that will stay with me for some time, due to the fact that it offered up such powerful and moving moments, and because I did learn quite a bit about nature and how hard it can be on the creatures that roam this Earth. But what matters most, is that this documentary series served to remind us, to appreciate every single moment we experience in this life, because just like that, tragedy and loss can strike and well…I cannot thank BBC America enough for providing all of us with another incredible documentary and I simply cannot wait to see what amazing stories about our world they will bring to the table in the future. Until next time. 

You know, I’m quickly starting to realize that season two Star Trek: Discovery is going to be a year that is filled to the brim with incredible surprise after incredible surprise. Because over the past couple of weeks, storylines are going in directions that I never expected them to, and the show is finding ways to integrate the best parts of Trek into its storylines in the most imaginative ways possible and for proof, look no further than last night’s episode, ‘Saints of Imperfection’. For this tale, which was initially pitched as a rescue mission for Tilly in the preview, ended up becoming so much more over the course of the hour. 
 
But before we dive too deeply into the fascinating surprises that this episode had to offer, let’s start this recap off by discussing just how Trek this episode turned out to be, because the rescue mission in question was quite the noble storyline to say the least. For the crew rallied behind Stamets’ plan to rescue Tilly and they truly put life and limb on the line to head into the Mycelial Network to save her and it was just inspiring to see the crew come together like this and Pike’s speech on Starfleet being a promise was simply the stuff of legend and well, this decision set the tone for the rest of the episode since everything that came after this grand setup was equally as noble.
 
Take for example what happened within the Mycelial Network. For while Tilly was angry about being transported to this place and wanted nothing more than to get home, she still offered to help May with whatever being was apparently causing all kinds of trouble inside this strange dimension, and once Burnham and Stamets arrived to rescue Tilly, we were treated to quite the reunion. Because the ‘monster’ that May believed was here to ruin her home, turned out to be a resurrected and confused Dr. Culber, who arrived here thanks to an unexpected side effect related to Paul’s ability to connect to the network and once again, it took teamwork and unity to convince May that Culber was no harm to her and her people, he was merely defending himself and it was best that everyone work together to make the impossible, possible, and bring Culber home.  

​Yet, while those two elements alone could have carried this episode over the course of the hour, this tale had more to offer us, since it brought a little parable revolving around having faith in other people to the table as well. For Section 31 ended up being involved in Discovery’s rescue mission, due to the fact that Spock has become a person of interest at just about every level imaginable in Starfleet, which meant that Burnham and Captain Pike were forced to deal with faces from their past since Captain Georgiou and Lieutenant Tyler found themselves aboard the Discovery once again, and we also learned that Leland is an old friend of Christopher’s, and well…this led to a lot of tension and a lot of distrust amongst everyone because all parties knew that both sides were working toward their own goals when it comes to Lieutenant Spock.
 
Those interactions were critical to the notion the story wanted to explore, because without trust and faith in each other, conflict and infighting took hold. But crisis is a fine place for people to try out new things and with the ship’s safety on the line, everyone finally put a little faith in one another and accomplished wonders, and while this segment of the story was a touch obvious in what it wanted it accomplish, it was nice to see the show speak to unity in every storyline since that’s what Star Trek is all about, and it’s equally awesome to know that we will get to learn and see more about Section 31 in the weeks to come, since Leland and his team are going to be around for a little bit longer…
 
If anything, this particular episode ended on quite the happy note. After all, Tyler has a place again on board the Discovery and that may allow for he and Burnham to reconcile their differences and their budding romance. And more importantly, Dr. Culber is alive and well, and hopefully Paul’s enduring love and belief in Hugh will help him heal and now that it seems the Mycelial story is out of the way, I get the funny feeling the search for Spock is about to resume and it should be fascinating to learn more about why he’s haunted by the Red Angel, and what the tachyon emissions surrounding this mysterious creature mean going forward. Until next time.

You know a television show is truly something special, when you outright miss it when it takes a tiny break from the airwaves and that’s precisely how I felt last week when it comes to The Orville. Because it was downright strange to not have it be a part of my Thursday night viewings. But thankfully, the series is back on the air and my goodness, did Seth MacFarlane and company plan something special for its Valentine’s Day return because ‘Deflectors’, ended up being another powerhouse tale, one that quite frankly broke all of our hearts with a story that once again took an uncomfortable and honest look at our world today.  
 
However, as this series is wont to do, it seemed like it was headed in a different direction early on, because at first glance it seemed as though this story was going to pick up from where ‘A Happy Refrain’ left off and explore the other side to love, the parts we simply don’t like, since the story opened up with Commander Grayson giving Cassius the news that their relationship was coming to an end since they both wanted different things out of life. And while it was fascinating to learn why the Commander chose duty over love, and hilarious to see how far a man will go to win a woman back, since the talking plant was impressive, all of that served to provide levity in this tale. For a story involving Lieutenant Talla Kiyali and a brilliant Moclan engineer named Locar is where this episode dug into far more powerful matters.
 
Yet, the story also handled the arrival of Locar in innocuous fashion early on, since his mission to upgrade the ship’s deflectors seemed like no big deal outside of the fact that he and Bortus were once a couple many years ago. But his arrival on the Orville ended up becoming quite the big deal. For as the story rolled on, we came to learn that Locar had eyes for the Lieutenant and eventually, he was happy to express his desire to date her, but his attraction to her was actually quite the conundrum for Locar. For on Moclus, it is only socially acceptable for men to be attracted to other men, so having feelings for the Lieutenant was a dangerous admission from Locar, the kind that could ruin his life and his family for all time and unfortunately for Locar, his desire for Talla was discovered by Klyden and it seemed as though the only acceptable Moclan way to handle this matter…was through murder. 

But, while the investigation into Locar’s murder eventually absolved Klyden of any wrongdoing, since Locar faked his own death, it’s what this storyline had to offer that continues to haunt me a day after watching it. Because let’s be honest, this story was through and through an allegory for how LBGTQ people are viewed by some segments of the population in America, and how sexual orientation engenders all kinds of prejudice and hate and well, this was a powerful place for this series to go since it went beyond mere commentary on such matters and placed us right smack dab in the middle of Locar’s jumbled life since this poor man was forced to do everything that felt natural to him in secret in order to maintain his status on Moclus. And it was equally as stunning to ponder upon the fact that he was so terrified of coming out of the closet to his family and friends that he was willing to do whatever was necessary in order to enjoy some semblance of peace and happiness in his life.
​
Yet, what truly impressed me about this episode, was the simplicity of its overall message when it comes to this matter in that, it really isn’t our place to judge others. People should be allowed to live their life and love whomever they love because in reality it doesn’t impact anyone else in the slightest, and it is ignorance and prejudice that truly causes harm for the LGBTQ community, and Klyden served as the allegory for that point. Because if he had kept his mouth shut, and left things alone, just as Bortus had done when he learned of Locar’s orientation years ago…everything would have turned out just fine, and Locar would never have had to stand before a judge because he loved differently than the rest of his kind and really, when all is said and done, this will likely go down as one of the finest episodes of The Orville to ever hit the airwaves.
 
Because David A. Goodman’s script not only offered up a powerful and poignant story, it offered an answer to this problem as a whole as well, in that…this kind of hate and this kind of ignorance will persist only for as long as we allow it to and really, I have to tip my cap to David and Seth and everyone involved with this show for making an honest and earnest attempt to show the rest of the world the kind of prejudice and fear that the LGBTQ community has to face every day. If anything, this just goes to show that The Orville is hands down one of the smartest television shows out there, and I’ll be honest, this is one of those stories that’s going to stay with me for quite a while. Because its depiction of prejudice was raw and powerful and this one, will leave me with plenty to chew upon since it did a fine job of reminding us of just how far we still need to go, when it comes to treating others with understanding and kindness. Until next time.  

​I have to admit, that I was supremely excited to settle in and watch the next episode of The Punisher, simply because I was dying to know what particular elements of revenge ‘One Bad Day’ was going to explore and let me tell you now, it didn’t disappoint me in the slightest when it comes to said exploration. Because revenge is a complex and powerful emotion/concept in its own right, and while we understand precisely why Frank is all about a sense of payback, something that is rarely explored when it comes to this notion, is what finally drives a person to be okay with vengeance and that’s precisely what this episode dug into, by way of Agent Madani.
 
After all, if anyone has a solid reason to give into their dark side a la Frank, it’s Madani. Because Billy did indeed do her wrong, and in essence, her encounter and relationship with him, cost her plenty, physically and emotionally and morally, and it was just fascinating to see her grapple with right and wrong during her recovery in the hospital, and also in present day, since we learned her moral compass has been challenged for some time, to the point where she is outright concerned that’s she losing her way. It’s why we saw her press Frank early on in this tale to not cross the line and put Billy down with impunity, but despite her best efforts to stay on the right side of the moral line, she still stepped into some ambiguous places, which brings us to the exploration of what drives someone to finally cross the line.
 
If anything, Madani learned that fear and anger are the two great engines in driving one into the darkness since she was working with Frank and Curtis out of the fear that Billy would hurt the three of them, or other people and well, we need not say more in regard to her anger because we fully understand the genesis of that. But what matters more is that she finally came to realize that giving into the fury and embracing it and justifying it is what allows for someone to become lost in its power, and that realization came about just by watching Frank do his thing to one of Billy’s new lackeys and that allowed for her to find her moral code once again and try to talk some sense into Frank, with little luck of course and this exploration and search for Billy led to the most stunning moment in this tale.
 
For Billy’s big plan in this episode was to conduct a robbery, an act that actually led to some welcome levity in this tale thanks to a brief showdown between Billy and a saucy manager who wasn’t having his crap. But I digress, because what is more important when it comes to this particular sequence, is that Frank finally revealed himself to Billy, complete with his Punisher garb and all, which instantly froze Billy and seemingly brought a flood of bad emotions and fragmented memories to the forefront of his mind and that was, quite the brilliant decision when all is said and done. Because by making himself known like this, the Punisher will become the sole focus for Billy, allowing for Frank to finally deal with his old friend and enemy as he sees fit.
 
In the end however, I was truly impressed with this episode since it brought about the perfect balance of action and character development and I really am digging the new direction this series is headed in since it really is offering up so many unique moments and concepts to explore and it really is giving these characters new life and incredible depth on the show and well, I definitely need more. Season two is simply sucking me in, and it really is starting to look like the final showdown between Billy Russo and The Punisher is going to be an emotional and powerful moment, the kind that outright shatters an audience since it will feature two broken brothers, settling the ugliest of scores. Until next time. 

​I’m quickly starting to realize that season two of Netflix’s The Punisher, is working hard to provide us with a different kind of story when it comes to this iconic character. After all, the prior episode took the time to explore the personal demons haunting Frank Castle and all of his friends and it turns out that such a move was merely a sampling of things to come. For the next episode in Frank’s angry and pained journey, ‘Nakazat’, took the time to ask an important series of questions when it comes to The Punisher, in that, is it possible for him to find a balance when it comes to his fury? Or will he forever be a slave to revenge and the power of murder?
 
This was all explored by way of Amy and Frank’s mission to deal with the Russian that Amy once worked for because in order to get close to the man known as Poloznev, they had to do some serious reconnaissance and that meant spending a lot of quality time together, the kind were Amy tried to get to know Frank, with mixed results. Because Amy sees life far differently than Frank, and she looks ahead toward just about everything, and tries to find the beauty in just about everything and well…what’s amazing about this segment of the story, is that she was able to get Frank to open up in his own special way, putting on display his pain and his hopes and his dreams for the family he lost and her efforts brought Frank to the brink of appreciating life as a whole.
 
Because there were several opportunities for Frank to do what he does best, but he held back and let people live for a change, including Poloznev, in the hopes of giving the man an opportunity to properly raise his daughter and it was just fascinating to see Frank exercise mercy and restraint and it was equally as fascinating to learn what we learned during his interrogation of the Russian as well. For we came to discover that the photos in question, are of David Schultz, the son of Anderson and Eliza Schultz, who hired the Pilgrim to seize the photos at any cost and the problem with said photographs are that they expose their son as a homosexual, which they firmly believe will hurt his chances at becoming a puppet President of the United States and while that seems out of place to hear and see in the far more liberal 21st Century, it speaks more to the vile nature of dear mother and father.
 
For they seem to be the only ones who clearly believe that there is something wrong with their son, since Frank aptly pointed out that no one will likely care about his sexual orientation, and the fact that they are willing to kill to keep his ‘secret’ a secret, just goes to show how ultra-right-wing they are and that makes them sad and tragic villains to say the least. But, despite learning all of this and seeing Frank evolve, there is still an ugly matter to deal with in this story…Billy. Because he’s starting to realize that he’s a man with nothing to lose, and he’s beginning to cause trouble and test his boundaries and that means danger for anyone that gets in his way and a final showdown with Billy is beginning to loom on the horizon, and that may test Frank’s newfound sense of benevolence.
 
If anything, I’m really digging this bold new direction that the show is heading in. Because this slow burn style of storytelling is doing a phenomenal job of building up an incredible showdown between the Pilgrim and Billy and the Punisher, and every single tidbit when it comes to character development is an utter delight because we really are seeing Frank Castle in a new light with the emotional elements he’s being presented with by way of Amy and I’m also a big fan of how the questions this episode posed, weren’t answered in the slightest, since it means there will be more time to explore this down the line. Either way, something big is brewing, and I am dying to know what Billy is going to do next now that he feels free and empowered and with that in mind, it’s time to settle in and see where this wild tale is headed next, so if you’ll excuse me, it’s Netflix time…

If there’s one thing I truly love when it comes to a limited television series event, it’s the sheer fact that the story wastes no time in getting down to business. That means there are no filler episodes, and no wasted moments, just a brisk and engrossing plot that chugs along and that’s precisely why I’m enjoying I Am the Night on TNT so much. Because this series is taking full advantage of every single second it’s on the air and last night’s episode of the show, ‘Dark Flower’, was no exception to that rule since it did a fine job of moving the story along in engrossing and fascinating fashion.
 
The fascinating aspect of this story, came from the fact that this particular tale really took the time to explore Jay Singletary and what makes him truly tick, and that matters because, while we understand that Jay is driven to clear his name and close out the story that’s haunted him…we’ve never fully understood why this is so important to him and really, it all boils down the fact that Jay thinks he is worthless at this point in time. He was somebody in the war, a hero and revered. But now that that the war is gone and his writing career is on the skids, he’s lost, lonely and desperate to feel as though he has anything to contribute to the world and this, and the brief exploration of his severe PTSD was simply fascinating to watch, and it added some magnificent depth to the character.
 
But, while I am a sucker for quality character growth, we of course have a grand mystery to explore revolving around Fauna and her mother, and Fauna felt the need to press a little further when it comes to the truth about her mother in this tale. Because she still firmly believed that Corinna was lying to her about everything really, and it turns out her suspicions when it comes to that were completely and utterly warranted. For an impromptu investigation of Corinna’s house revealed that Tamar is indeed alive and well since she discovered correspondence from her mother, lying in the trash, and as an added and unwelcome bonus, she came to discover that she is in genuine danger after all when it comes to her search for the truth since George’s lackey Sepp…was everywhere in this tale causing all kinds of disturbing trouble.
 
After all, he violently murdered Fauna’s aggressive suitor, Nero when he didn’t like what he had to say to Fauna, and of course, he tried to drag her into a bar, and he was looking for her inside the house and honestly, if it wasn’t for Jay, who knows what would have happened if he had dragged her into the car and really, it’s the danger that matters most in this particular episode. Because it was truly everywhere in this story, and I fully agree with Jay in that, he and Fauna are incredibly close to something since both the LAPD and Hodel’s lackey seem to be ratcheting up their game in order to push them off the trail and that is simply fascinating to say the least. Because clearly, George is scared about having something discovered and the question now is, is it the truth about the Black Dahlia case that has him jittery, or the sheer fact that Fauna and Jay may instead reveal the fact that he’s stark raving mad to the world…
 
Either way, I really enjoyed this episode through and through, and I love that every single moment in this tale was electric and lively and that the show continues to reveal just enough when it comes to Jay and Fauna’s investigation. For every little nugget of truth that comes our way is powerful and relevant, and it is a huge deal to discover that Tamar is alive, and that George is mentally ill, and it really is a matter of time now before the truth begins to pour out about everything, since Jay and Fauna are starting to unravel the tapestry of lies that George has created. And I really cannot wait to see what the next three episodes have in store for us as we barrel toward grand reveal after grand reveal. Until next time.

​There is a point in every single mystery story out there, where the clues that have remained buried for seemingly ages, can no longer hide in the shadows. They yearn to see the light, they’re dying to tell the world everything they know and well, it would seem that particular moment has finally arrived when it comes to season three of HBO’s True Detective. For last night’s episode of the show, ‘Hunters in the Dark’, blew the Purcell case wide open in ways we never thought possible, since it turns out that a grand conspiracy has indeed been brewing behind the scenes when it comes to this story.
 
But what made this episode and its stunning revelation so incredibly powerful, is the sheer fact that we never saw it coming. Because at first glance, it seemed as though it was going to be business as usual in this particular tale. For Tom was under investigation from the state for the strange phone call that came in from his daughter, and that meant that Wayne and Roland were force to dig deep into his affairs and they quickly discovered that Tom was hiding a great many secrets, the kind that quite frankly, didn’t need to be brought out into the light of day since they would embarrass him more than anything else, but that digging…helped to bring about the surprise in question.
 
For their investigation in 1990, prompted them to speak with Harris James once again, and his dodgy answers and odd persona were more than mere atmosphere, but more on that in a moment. Because the most important storyline of the night, revolved around Dan O’Brien, since he called Hays and Roland after seeing Dan’s plea on television, to offer up information, for a price of course, and it seemed for a brief moment that the boys were ready to pay to get the intel they so desperately needed. But Tom got wind of the plan to pay Dan by way of a little eavesdropping and that led to an ugly little showdown in an out of the way motel, wherein Dan revealed that he knew exactly who supported Lucy long after the case had initially come to a close and well, Tom was able to extract that name.
 
Which led him up the road a bit to deal with this mess once and for all and his travels found him at the Hoyt estate. Yes, that’s right, the family that runs the biggest plant in the state it seems, was paying off Lucy for mysterious reasons, and Tom’s attempt at a confrontation, brought about the stunning moment in question. For shortly after he snuck into the Hoyt mansion, Tom found himself behind a massive security door and inside a bright pink room, wherein it seems he discovered something about Julie, shortly before Harris James stepped into the room and there you have it. Something sinister has been brewing in this town for decades, and all the talk about Julie growing up in pink rooms was absolutely true and this revelation brings about all kinds of disturbing questions.
 
For example, why kidnap Julie? What was it that made her so special to Hoyt? Was she some kind of strange prize or toy that he eventually grew tired of and discarded? Or was her capture for far more nefarious purposes, as the young lady earlier in the episode eluded to? I would imagine those questions will be answered in time, but now, I’m suddenly wondering, exactly what did Roland and Wayne do back in 1990? Did they take justice into their own hands after all? Or stumble upon something so nefarious and so disturbing that they simply let the people in question devour themselves and keep it quiet? Either way, I’m intrigued, and this is big and what’s equally as impressive, is that all of this came our way at a mile a minute. There was no deeper meaning to be found in this one, just the facts, chilling as they may be and well, the season simply won’t be the same going forward. For now, we will be wondering who else is in on this heinous crime and more importantly, how these potential monsters will be brought to justice. Until next time.

​Over the course of the past few weeks, BBC America’s powerful documentary series, Dynasties, has provided its audience with some downright incredible moments. The kind that outright give said audience pause, simply due to the fact that this series holds nothing back. For this show features nature in the raw, and all the savagery of the world is on display here. But the series also deserves some credit for finding a way to uncover some of the majesty that nature is also known for since we have been treated to some wonderfully beautiful moments in this saga. However, there is only so far a story can go in restricting the unrelenting forces of nature and last night’s episode of the show, ‘Painted Wolf’, went to some supremely heartbreaking places as we watched the cruelty of nature shape a heartbreaking story.
 
Now, in this particular tale, we were transported to Mana Pools, Zimbabwe, near the banks of the Zambezi to meet a pair of painted wolves named Tait and Blacktip, who also happened to be mother and daughter respectively and well, while that has the makings of a cute and precious reunion story, it was anything but. For we came to learn quickly that these majestic canines are pack animals that need lots of room to spread out and hunt and Blacktip’s growing pack…was running out of room, and the only way she could properly care for all of them, was to move them into larger territory and that meant bad news for mom and her pack. Because in swift and devastating fashion, Blacktip and her pack drove her mother out of her comfortable and fruitful territory, and that stunning moment was merely the tip of the iceberg when it comes to this harrowing tale.
 
After all, that power play by Tait’s daughter happened within the first ten minutes of the show and Blacktip’s decision to make her pack’s well-being a priority over her mother’s, left Tait in quite the dangerous place. For now, she was in territory dominated by lion prides and her pack struggled mightily to survive and while it seemed for a moment that this was the way forward for both packs, Blacktip had other ideas in mind. For while Blacktip’s pack were well fed and thriving, she could not risk a counteroffensive by her mother and led her fellow painted wolves into that dangerous territory to drive her mother out of this area once and for all, and this turned out to be quite the costly mission. For the journey was long and arduous and competing predators waited at every turn, and were able to seize one of Blacktip’s pups, and while they seemingly overcame that painful loss, another member of the pack being devoured by crocodiles was more than they could bear, and they returned to their original home…
 
Yet while that seems like quite the bittersweet ending for Tait, since she and her pack would eventually be able to return home to their fruitful stomping grounds, there were still more tough moments to be found in this tale. Because while the pack did indeed return home later on, they did so without their leader. For age, and an unfortunate encounter with lions led to Tait and her alpha male’s demise and well, when all is said and done this really was the darkest episode of this series to date. Because the positive and redeeming moments we were privy to in earlier episodes, simply were not present here. There was no understanding between mother and daughter, no teamwork to be found. Just the fight for survival and a visual embodiment of survival of the fittest and that made this episode tough to watch at times since it really did feature some uncomfortable moments.
 
But alas, this is nature in its purest form, a place of chaos, where only the strongest see tomorrow and while that harsh reminder made this episode difficult to get through here and there, I applaud this series for taking the time to show us this. For that is what great documentaries do, they show us a moment in time without interference or clever editing and direction to make said moment palpable to an audience, and well…despite the heartbreak and devastation found in this tale, there was one bright spot to come out of all of it. For in the end we learned that Tait contributed plenty to the future survival of her species, since her genes are present in so many painted wolves out there, and that is beautiful in its own right since she in essence, lives on. But wow, what a story this turned out to be, for it was powerful and moving and I truly am impressed with everything Dynasties offers up and I cannot wait to see what the next and final episode of this majestic series has in store for us. Until next time.