​There are few things in this life, that carry more weight than a promise. Because when someone makes a promise to us, they’re asking us to trust them implicitly in regard to something that carries great meaning for us and when they deliver upon it, a bond is created that can rarely be broken. For now, we know this person has incredible integrity and is willing to go the extra mile in a time of need. Yet there is a flip side to this, in that… when a promise is broken or unfulfilled, we often find ourselves devastated. Because they straight up let us down and shattered every last ounce of hope in our souls and we can never look at that person the same ever again, and it just so happens that the power of the promise and the good and the bad that come with them, served as focal points in this week’s episode of Star Trek: Picard.
 
In fact, ‘Absolute Candor’ opened up with a grand exploration of the best parts of the promise. Since it took the time to show us how Admiral Picard’s guarantee to help the Romulan people inspired hope in so many of them. Because fourteen years ago, the planet Vashti, one of the key planets in the relocation of the Romulan people, was a world filled to the brim with vibrance as new Romulans arrived every day, thanks to Picard and a group of warriors known as Qowat Milat. And regular visits from the Admiral were accompanied by celebration since he was quickly becoming a hero amongst the Romulan people. If anything, it seemed as though Jean-Luc was truly going to be the bridge to a lasting peace between these two peoples, since he was even allowed to introduce Earth literature to Romulan youth, something that would have been unheard of during the Next Generation era. But while it was beautiful to see Picard working side by side with people once deemed an enemy all those years ago, we know how this particular story ends… and his exit from Vashti and Starfleet is where the promise in question was broken.
 
For Picard never returned to the planet after resigning his commission in Starfleet and well, now that he is in a reflective place, one where he is trying to atone for his sins, present day seemed like a perfect time to right more wrongs by returning to Vashti and seeing if by chance the Qowat Milat would help him in his current situation. It was an idea that Raffi thought was as dumb as they come since there was a fair chance that the Romulan people wouldn’t exactly be happy to see their ‘savior’ walk amongst them after stepping away, but Picard was as determined as ever to add one more member to his crew, one that could protect him in times of trouble and sadly, Raffi was right about everything when all is said and done. For Picard’s return to Vashti was met with silence and disdain and what was equally intriguing about his return, was the stark contrast of what this world had become.
 
Because the joy that was present fourteen years ago had faded, and the proud Romulans who once saw an opportunity to start anew despite losing their home world, were now listless and hopeless and the disgust on their faces when they saw Picard once again… spoke volumes to the dark side of the promise. For Jean-Luc was now the focus of their ire. Because he was the reason their lives had become a directionless nightmare since he had broken his promise to them and abandoned them when they needed him the most and this made for some powerful moments. Wherein Jean-Luc had to accept his mistake in raw and painful fashion, because those fiery eyes reminded him that they were right, he had made a grave mistake by walking away and he deserved every ounce of their fury.

​Yet there was a place that served as a safe space for the Admiral, and that was the temple of the Qowat Milat. For these ancient warriors welcomed him with open arms, and seemingly understood the tough choice that he had to make all those years ago. But while it was nice to see some measure of forgiveness, the heads of this ancient order weren’t who Picard needed to impress. For he had come here to meet with Elnor, a young man that he bonded with all those years ago and Elnor was another soul that he left behind during that dark day when Mars came under attack and of course, the now grown Elnor wanted nothing to do with Picard at first glance since his return dredged up the memory of more broken promises.
 
Which finally motivated Picard to attempt to heal some of the damage that he has done, and he started that particular process by trying to appeal to Elnor’s sense of honor by explaining that he was finally trying to do something noble after years of hiding. But Elnor saw no honor in the Admiral’s actions, merely desperation, and declined his offer to join his quest. Which in turn motivated Picard to try harder to heal the rift he created, by sitting with Romulans at a local café in the hopes of showing them that there is still a better way. But while it was nice to see Jean-Luc make an effort once again at being the bigger man, his pleas fell upon silence and ended in violence when a former Senator felt the need to settle the score. But thankfully, some good came out of all of this since Elnor did indeed defend the Admiral and join his quest, meaning that Jean-Luc said and did something right after all.
 
But while Picard’s journey back to a place filled with bad memories was important and powerful in its own right, we would be remiss to not discuss what Soji learned about the legend she is attached to. For some deep digging on her part revealed the fact that the legends about the Destroyer involve this being rising up and uniting something sinister before giving the order to end all life, which is quite the powerful revelation for certain, the kind that motivated Soji to try and get more information out of Narek. But instead, all he wanted to do was toy with her and make her doubt herself and her past as part of his long game and sadly, it seems to be working and at this point, Soji is running out of time. Because Narissa is ready to do something drastic if Maddox’s location cannot be drawn out of Soji’s memories. However, not all hope is lost for her.
 
For Picard now has the last member of his crew, and a bonus addition to it as well since Seven of Nine has now beamed aboard after aiding the La Sirena out in combat. Which means the mission to Freecloud is about to resume and hopefully the crew can find Maddox before the Zhat Vash does and really in the end, what an incredible episode this turned out to be. Because it was quite powerful to see Picard face the darkest part of his past and try and reconcile it to the best of his abilities. And while he still has a long way to go, it is good to know that he’s trying to make peace with it, all while trying to resurrect the optimistic and hopeful man that he buried so long ago. Also, it was just awesome to see Jeri Ryan return as Seven of Nine and well, it should be interesting to learn why she appeared at just the right time to help Jean-Luc, before this mission finally arrives at the mysterious Freecloud. Until next time.  

Over the course of the past four seasons, these Retro Recaps of CHiPs have covered some unique crime scenarios. We’ve seen people try and steal construction equipment, some have committed their crimes on skates, and there’s even been crooks who work to steal from children during the Holiday season. Which means that four years in, the show should be running out of ideas when it comes to how people are doing to do criminal things in this fair city. But this is a series that prides itself on making the impossible, possible, allowing for wild scenarios to continue to appear. But from time to time, this saga would indeed offer something up that felt incredibly real life, as was the case with the next episode in this saga.
 
For ‘Sharks’ finally brought Ponch and Jon face to face with a brand of criminal that we didn’t really see all that often on the series; drug dealers. Which makes sense, since the CHP’s job is to handle the highways and drug deals and all the nasty stuff in regard to them would have been handled by the LAPD. But this particular story found a way to bring drugs into the fold by having Ponch and Jon notice something suspicious while coming in from a scuba dive. Because while they got their gear off, they spotted a man signaling a boat, and said signals prompted the boat to move off, and before Ponch and Jon were able to question the mystery man, he drove off in one souped up car. Causing a hit and run along the way and that prompted the CHP to team up with the LAPD on what looked like a drug deal gone wrong since Ponch had a hunch the boat was bringing something in.
 
But he LAPD’s liaison, a Detective Sergeant Aikens, didn’t think the boys had all that much to go on. Which motivated the dynamic duo to go undercover and dig deeper into this dude’s dealings. And since the Creep of the Week in question, a man named Rodney Cameron III, didn’t hide his car in the slightest, the boys were able to get all kinds of information on his life and his habits and that allowed for one wild chase scene to take place, as they tried to catch him in the act. But while all of this sounds pretty by-the-numbers, as though you’d see it on any police themed series now, this particular show’s creativity came into play in the final act. Because Ponch and Jon were forced to go underwater to complete the bust since Cameron’s cohorts were tipped off to the fact that cops were near and sank the boat. Which meant we were treated to an epic underwater showdown between our dynamic duo, Cameron and sharks as our COTW tried to save his precious drugs.
 
Which sounds pretty silly, but this is CHiPs we are talking about here, a show that always knows how to balance the over the top with straightforward drama and honestly, this finale works and so does everything that comes before it. Because this was just a tightly woven story, one that oddly enough feels like an everyday police serial since we are treated to a quality back and forth between the LAPD and the CHP, and one element that helps that play out nicely on screen, is a guest appearance from acting legend Richard Roundtree. For Richard played the iconic private investigator John Shaft back in the 1970s (and beyond for that matter) and the no nonsense attitude that he brought to Shaft is present here, in a more formal fashion of course, and watching he and Ponch go at it, is a true delight.
 
Yet while we’ve talked about some heavy elements, and a goofy one, there were still plenty of lighthearted moments to be found in this one and most of those involved the pair of ladies that Ponch and Jon helped after Cameron hit their truck. For they were kale farmers, and while it’s a popular food now, it sure wasn’t back in the 1980s and that allowed for some funny moments to take place. In the end however this was just another wonderful episode from this magnificent series. Because it took a risk in toying with traditional police serial storytelling since it could have alienated the audience, but it pulled it off nicely, all while staying true to what makes this series great and once again, this is proof that season four is on fire right now and hopefully we can expect more of the same as year four rolls on. Until next time.

When we hear the phrase, ‘taking inventory’, a negative meaning slips into our minds. Because that particular phrase is often associated with our final days in life, wherein we should be reflecting upon how it all went before we pass into the great beyond. And our hope is that when the end draws near, we meet our maker with a smile upon our face since we lived a wonderful life that was full of joy and free of regrets. Granted, there are no promises or guarantees that our final moments will feature that perfect scenario, but it is something we all strive for and push for.
 
But the fact of the matter is, taking inventory of one’s life isn’t something that needs to be exclusive to our final days on this earth. In fact, it is something we should do on a fairly regular basis. Because when one takes the time to step back and reflect upon their lives, you can receive a clear picture of where you’ve been and where you are in the moment. Which can allow for one to appreciate the great things one has accomplished, or it can allow you to course correct, if by chance you’re on a path that doesn’t make you happy, and it just so happens that the next episode of Lodge 49 embraces this notion in powerful fashion.
 
Because we actually see a lot of characters take inventory in ‘The Mysteries’, and that leads to some healthy and beautiful moments as the story progresses along. Take Ernie for instance, since in this particular tale, he really does a fine job of taking a step back when it comes to his relationship with Connie so that he can view it in objective fashion and come to understand where their love affair is at and where it is going. And in doing so, he comes to realize that perhaps their relationship is a little unhealthy at the moment, prompting him to put things on hold. Which means that the lesson inherent here is that; taking inventory of our romantic pursuits allows for us to see clearly if we’re chasing ghosts or if we have something that really is fulfilling and once we know, we should act accordingly.

Yet what was truly impressive about this particular episode, is that it found a way to ease us into various levels of this exploration as the hour rolled along. Because Ernie’s journey gave way to Liz’s and her plight in this tale was equally as fascinating since she used an attempt to get her brother to wake up out of his funk, as the foundation for her own path of healing. Whether or not it’s the right path is debatable but seeing how others viewed her and realizing that she wasn’t really getting any better at the moment either, prompted her to call Corporate Guy and attempt to do something with her life. And this was a prime example how taking inventory can allow for us to course correct when we’re in a tough place and kudos to Liz for trying to find a path forward.
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But truly, the centerpiece of this story, was its twist on taking inventory in our final days. Because this episode served as Larry Loomis’ farewell, and it didn’t take a medical diagnosis for him to understand that his life was slipping away. Which prompted him to do the thing and reflect upon his life and spill his secrets to Ernie before his final breaths arrived. But the twist in question, stems from the fact that Larry’s attempts to reconcile his past came in frenetic fashion, serving to remind us in subtle fashion that we shouldn’t wait until the end to reconcile our demons or tell the people that matter to us how much we love them. We should instead, handle those things right away, so that every single moment in our lives will be as peaceful and as lovely as Larry’s last one.
 
If anything, this was quite the beautiful message to find within the framework of a tale about grieving, but that’s what makes Lodge 49 so special. Because it was always unafraid to tackle important topics and show us how there’s beauty in even our darkest moments and that made the second viewing of this particular tale a powerful and moving one indeed. Either way, this was another incredible episode of the series, one that put Dud on the back burner in brilliant fashion since only those who wanted to make a little bit of progress were highlighted here, and he’s not quite ready yet. And this was also a tale that features the first ‘official’ appearance of Cara Mantella as Jackie Loomis, a character that instantly stays with you because of her phenomenal performance, and it was nice to see Cara steal the show here once again. But all of that aside, wow, this rewatch continues to impress and seeing the show slide into more beautifully philosophical territory leaves one to wonder what other powerful elements of the human condition we will uncover as we continue along. Until next time.   

There really is no better moment in regard to television, than when a season finale, one that you think you’ve figured out; surprises you in ways you never thought possible. Because it simply means that the writer’s room and everyone involved in a particular series, really wanted to go the extra mile and deliver unto the audience an incredible story. And that’s why the season two finale of Lost in Space was such an enjoyable venture. Because ‘Ninety-Seven’ found ways to truly surprise and stun the audience and that is no small feat when one considers that this particular finale, made a point to manipulate the viewer in all the right ways.
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Because this tale opens up in a manner that reflected everything, we loved about season one of the show. For there was heroism present, since Ben Adler gave his life in the hopes of setting things right between, he and Scarecrow. And while that is stunning in its own right, as is the appearance of a boatload of angry robots, heroism and the greater good are key elements to this series, which is why all of this felt like the norm. As did Victor’s choice to go back and save Will at great cost, and the plan to stop the robot army was also fairly by the numbers since it went off without a hitch and positioned the Resolute to return to Alpha Centauri with minimal fuss.

But the aftermath of that brief battle with the Robot platoon is where this episode took quite the shocking turn. Because it wasn’t long before everyone came to discover that an armada of Robot ships were on their way and heading to Alpha Centauri wasn’t an option simply because these reinforcements would follow the ship into the rift. And with no chance of winning this fight once the enemy fleet arrived at their galactic doorstep, a tough choice had to be made, one that came forth via Judy. For she figured out a way for some of the family lines to live on, by loading a Jupiter with every last child aboard the Resolute. That way, they could safely travel to Alpha Centauri and live on, and while that sounds like a death sentence for everyone else, there was a risky option on the table to keep them alive. For they would abandon ship in the remaining Jupiter fleet and scatter to the solar winds and hope for the best.

It was a plan that was definitely of sound logic, but a few complications made it a tough one to execute. For the army already aboard the ship was able to break free of its constraints, prompting early launches and a desperate gambit from John and Maureen to destroy the Resolute in the hopes of stopping them and this was… where the final surprises came into play. Because Smith sacrificed herself in the hopes of saving lives, something no one thought she was capable of. And the majority of the colonists are indeed now lost in space since their host vessel is gone and, and of course, the final destination of the evacuation Jupiter brought about more questions than answers. For the old girl found the Fortuna, the ship that was captained by Judy’s father and thought to be lost, and well, the uncertain nature of this finale leaves one hungry for more.

Because one has to wonder how on earth the Robinson family will be reunited. After all, the evacuation ship is light years away from Alpha Centauri, which will make the hunt for said vessel an incredible undertaking. Plus, there’s the whole matter of the Jupiter fleet being able to survive the oncoming Robot assault and well, all of these loose ends, and the endless possibilities when it comes to discovery of the Fortuna are going to make the wait for season three a painful one. Because this series is finally finding its stride, and it’s also discovering how to find the balance between fluffy and gritty storytelling. So, hopefully Netflix finally gives a third season a green light because this series continues to deliver, and it would be a shame to leave a cliffhanger this delightful, unresolved. Until next season.

​Deep down, we all know that get rich quick schemes are a joke. Because as we get older and wiser, we come to learn that hard work and dedication are the foundations to creating the financial security we seek. But if we all know that these kinds of shenanigans don’t work and cause us trouble when we attempt them, why then do people continue to try to get rich quick, with minimal steps? Well, there’s no easy answer on that matter, but sometimes it can involve a moment of weakness and financial desperation, or fatigue in trying to make it to the top can come into play. Or as is the case in the next episode of CHiPs, maybe getting some fat cash in your pocket real quick, is a wonderful way to stick it to the man.
 
Because ‘Home Fires Burning’ introduced us to some slimy Creeps of the Week named Andy and Tom and these guys had quite the wonderful fraud related scheme going on. In essence, they would look for people who were selling their mobile homes and contact them with an interesting proposition, one that would involve the destruction of said motor home in a fiery fashion so that everyone would get a lovely payout from the insurance companies and people were getting in on this scam without giving it a second thought. Because these guys were good, and everything seemed to be going along without a hitch, that is until they offered the scam to a man named Ray Evans. Which shouldn’t have been a problem for them, since Ray was all-in on the plan.
 
But the actual complication in question arose from the fact that Mister Evans paid a security guard extra to keep a closer eye on his RV. So, when these guys made their attempt to burn Ray’s mobile home to the ground, they almost killed the guard while he was having a little nap within its walls. Which of course allowed for Jon and his cohorts to put a little squeeze on Evans since they responded to the call and saved the guard’s life, and they were able to reveal the scheme in question and use Ray as bait to finally bring these guys down. And while this wasn’t exactly the brainiest of plot points to work with, what made it so worthwhile and so fascinating, is the sheer fact that this entire trio of villains, really were excited at the prospect of ripping off insurance companies and teaching them a lesson and that really was a new place for this series to go.
 
However, while that was awesome and tense to watch in its own right, there were some lighthearted moments to be found in this one as well. After all, the couple that constantly battled over their camper brought about some hilarious and breathtaking moments and the entire piece involving Ponch’s desire to soup up his charity squad to win, allowed for some chuckles to happen as well. Because he put an incredible amount of effort into ensuring a win, only to discover that their opponents were a literal circus act from the now defunct Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus. If anything, all of these elements made this a pretty by-the-numbers episode of the series and there’s really nothing wrong with that.
 
Because this was an entertaining story, one that definitely keeps your attention, thanks to all the details it features and there’s really only one flaw when it comes to this particular tale in that, it was a little strange to see Ponch disappear from the forefront of the story. Because there was just no need for it and while it was nice to spend time with Jon for a change, this show really has a different feel when these two are split up, which speaks to the perfect casting and the performances of Larry Wilcox and Erik Estrada, since these two actors play off of one another so well. But while that was weird, the story and its quality stands on its own and for now the best thing we can do, is just back and enjoy this incredible ride. Because this series is cranking out great episode after great episode as season four rolls on. Until next time.

The finest stories out there, are the ones that offer up consequences for their characters actions. Because by adding cause and effect into a particular tale, there’s now depth and gravity present within said story and it also allows for the characters to grow since they are learning from their missteps. But while it is nice to see people learn from their mistakes, the real benefit of plopping this into a story, is the sheer fact that it allows for some juicy drama to take place as well. Because sometimes consequences come about when a plan filled with good intentions backfires, forcing the protagonists to react on the fly, or they come forth when a nasty villain is spurned, and it just so happens that the latter of those scenarios came into play in the next episode of Lost in Space.
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For ‘Shell Game’ featured an angry Mister Hastings, one who realized that once the ship returned to Alpha Centauri, his shady dealings would be put on full display by the Robinsons and that would likely be the end of his career. Which meant, extreme measures had to be taken to keep the narrative on his side and he opted to try and kill Maureen and John. But not in violent or psychotic fashion, because Hastings is a wuss when all is said and done. No instead, he opted to use the situation to his advantage, and while John was off to haul his wife back to the ship, since her repair pod was low on fuel, Hastings locked out John’s codes and ordered the Resolute into a faster orbit cycle so that the two of them would be left behind on this gas giant in an apparent ‘accident’.

Yet while Hastings actions were slimy in their own right, he wasn’t the only baddie that was salty from being spurned by the Robinson family. For Smith felt a desire to settle the score as well after John’s dressing down of her and she got her chance once Adler and Hastings went to work on solving a new problem; the whereabouts of Scarecrow and the Robot. Because clearly Will and his family were hiding the robotic duo and that motivated Smith to step in and help to try and outwit the family and garner a measure of revenge and this led to quite the cat and mouse game. One that quickly frankly, Smith was far more successful at playing since she was able to keep one step ahead of the family’s plans, seemingly ruining any chance of getting Scarecrow to a safe place where he could be potentially healed.

Which meant that the Robinson kids had to come up with some new plans, the kind that no one would expect in order to save their new robotic friend, because a trip to the planet below would save Scarecrow’s life, and the little shell game that was born out of this need worked like a charm. Because a wild ride in a Chariot, through the halls of the Resolute, did enough to keep security forces away from the Jupiter 2, which is where Will and Scarecrow and the Robot were headed. But Adler unfortunately figured out Will’s plan and was waiting for him inside the J2, and while he tried to go through with harming the Robot, seeing it stand up for its friend and recalling every kind act it’s done, motivated a change of heart within Adler. The kind that allowed for him to show kindness for a change and he launched the ship with Scarecrow aboard, in order to honor the Robot’s wishes.

Yet while that was a brave and bold act on Adler’s part, this episode ends with some seriously dark clouds hanging over the story. For the Robot is now Hastings’ prisoner, meaning it is going to suffer. Plus, John and Maureen are going to have to figure out their next moves in silence. Because while they’re back aboard the ship, Hastings has declared them dead and any reveal of their presence could lead to trouble and well, that’s a heck of a way to setup the season two finale. Because it’s going to be a race against time to get Will back on the board the ship with Hastings preparing to depart and of course, it may take an incredible miracle to save the Robot from a horrible fate and this really was a stellar episode for certain. Because it truly moved at a breakneck and thrilling pace and it was wonderful to see the kids play the hero and well, hopefully this new sense of resolve and unity from the Robinson family continues. Because Hastings is ready to stop at nothing to get what he wants, and it will take everything they’ve got to stop him. Until next time.

One important lesson that our parents work to instill in us when we are young, is that we should always exercise understanding over quick judgment, when it comes to the people we meet. But while this lesson is important and relevant for so many reasons, it’s something that we tend to forget about as adults. Which could be due to the fact that in the modern world, our time is seemingly limited, prompting us to make quick judgments and move on. But this is a lesson that will always find its way to forefront of our minds, simply because we share a special bond with our fellow humans and when we discover that someone is acting off because of powerful influences we are inclined to help and remember that next time, maybe we should take a moment and uncover the situation. And it just so happens that this is relevant to today’s discussion, simply because it served as the focal point of the next episode of CHiPs.
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For ’11-99: Officer Needs Help’ featured someone who was being judged harshly by CHP officers out in the field. Because Kathie Lark, a new dispatcher with the Highway Patrol, was struggling to do her job properly. For she was stuttering and stammering when making a call out to officers on the road and well, the show did a fine job of manipulating the audience into making it seem as though she was incompetent at being a dispatcher. Because she really was nervous behind the microphone, and the fury from Ponch and Jon and every officer on the road exhibited over her struggle to deliver complete and quick radio chatter, and her seeming inability to catch on, reinforced the possibility that maybe this wasn’t for her and that she might wash out on this gig, and once we were all comfortable with that; the show dropped the message right into our laps.

Because there was a reason as to why she was so incredibly jittery when at the microphone, for she had in fact, lost someone important to her while she was dispatching in the small town, she used to live in. Which meant that her taking a job with the CHP, was a grand attempt to restart her life and conquer her fear and her pain, but unfortunately… the instant an officer was in trouble, she stumbled in her endeavor and broke down. But thankfully, Ponch was actually there for her in healthy fashion every step of the way. And while his attempts to comfort her weren’t exactly smooth or suave in the slightest, he said exactly what needed to be said, and his blunt words got through to Kathie and she was able to return to form in the midst of an important case for the CHP.

Which brings us to the Creeps of the Week, since they helped to create the investigation in question. For this time around, we were introduced to a ring of small-time crooks who were using an inside man to try and get their hands on a small fortune of A/V Equipment. But thanks to the inside man’s incompetence, they also got their hands on a noxious chemical that was only safe when in its container. Which means, public safety was paramount, and that added a sense of urgency to this tale and some genuinely dangerous moments since we were able to see what this chemical could do when its container was breached and spoiler alert, it made people sick and blew cars up. But thankfully, with Kathie’s quick thinking and the always intrepid efforts of Ponch and Jon and their cohorts, and a kid who wanted to make his dad proud, they were finally able to bring this group to justice.

But while the story ends in the happiest of fashion, truly what made it so impressive is what it had to say about judging a book by its cover and the sheer fact that Kathie’s plight is a realistic one for certain. Because folks in her line of work are often privy to some horrible things while they’re on duty and it is important to remember that they are human too and need the same amount of care as the rest of us, if not more. If anything, this was really a stellar and thoughtful episode, and it was so nice to see the series dive back into some of the difficult things police officers and their cohorts have to deal with, and it would be just delightful if we get more of this as season four rolls along, because these are the kinds of stories that truly make this series worth our while. Until next time.

Over the course of its two-year run, Lost in Space has done a phenomenal job of examining the brighter side of the human condition. For it really has taken the time to explore the power of family, and how we need to be there for the people that matter in our lives and this uplifting exploration has extended far beyond those two elements as well. For this particular saga has also examined the importance of unity and working together in honest fashion in order to accomplish wonders. But while it’s been nice to enjoy some uplifting storytelling, it was only a matter of time before the darker side of the human condition reared its ugly head on this show and at long last, that came to fruition in the next episode of this fascinating series.
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For ‘Unknown’ finally took the time to allow for Mister Hastings to show his true colors and make his power play in unsettling fashion, but it sure didn’t seem like that was going to be the case at first. Because early on, this looked like it was going to be another uplifting tale. For Maureen and her small band of mutineers were able to take the bridge and key positions around the ship without firing a shot or hurting a person in the slightest. And despite making Captain Kamal as nervous as can be in regard to the plan to save the water and in turn the colonists, she eventually came around to flying into the heart of gas giant in order to collect enough ammonium to clean the water, once she saw that Maureen’s math was sound and that said plan was going to work.

Which brings us to the evil in question in this tale. Because a guy like Hastings, isn’t the kind of person who likes to be proven wrong or betrayed in the slightest when it comes to the carefully laid and outright stupid plans he’s put together. And knowing that Maureen was going to make him look like a moron for finding a better way to solve the problem at hand led him to John and Judy, wherein he revealed that Maureen fudged Will’s test scores to bring him on the mission. And the point of sharing this nugget, was to instill doubt in the mother of this proud family, and make it seem as though she makes poor choices based upon emotion. All in the hopes of getting John or Judy to call her and get her to stand down. But of course, there was no way either of them would buy what Hastings was selling and that’s when he went full psycho.

Because in exchange for a passing grade, Maureen gave Hastings the override codes to the Resolute, something that would and did allow for him to take control of the ship to try and shut down the plan, at the cost of lives of course. Which meant that Maureen had to spring into action to save Don and Ava from a horrible death, and while she was successful; the fact that Hastings was willing to put lives on the line to prove his prowess is terrifying to say the least. Because it means that everyone is expendable in his eyes, and given the opportunity, he’ll kill innocents in the event that it will save his hide. Which made the ending of this episode bittersweet for certain. Because while it is lovely that the plan worked, and that all of the colonists will now be able to travel to Alpha Centauri, they’re headed to paradise with a monster in their midst, one that is starting to toy with the possibility of unleashing his fury.

Yet while all of this made for a fascinating and intense story, there are still other possible problems brewing in the background as well. For Smith’s failure to do the right thing quickly has put her on the outs with John once again, and Smith in a rattled state is never a good thing and of course, it’s clear now that the Robot is having second thoughts about helping Will and humanity for that matter as well. For it stumbled across Scarecrow, as some human soldiers were torturing it, and the ‘bot discovered that its friend was near death. Prompting it to save its pal and shun young Will. If anything, this was one solid episode when all is said and done, and it set the stage for an explosive finale, one where the Robot will need to choose a side and one where the Robinsons and the 24th Colonist Group may have to fight hard against a madman and well, it should be interesting to see how all of this comes to a head as season two comes to a close. Until next time.

​Season four of CHiPs has been quite the wild ride thus far. For this year’s adventures have taken us all over the storytelling spectrum, complete with fluffy and silly adventures, and tales that quite frankly, go to some supremely dark places. But while we’ve been privy to some unique and powerful storylines along the way, something that this particular season has shied away from, are stories that take us into the everyday lives of CHP officers. Which is something that is paramount to a saga such as this since it helps us relate to the characters and it helps them grow. But thankfully this little oversight was remedied by the next episode of this series.
 
Because ‘Forty Tons of Trouble’ finally us immersed in the off-duty activities of the officers of Central and we came to learn in this story that a great many officers in that building, love cars and love diving into new adventures involving vehicles. And this time around, they were getting into a unique style of drag racing, wherein they had to build up old cars with parts they funded, and this was quite cool to watch. Because it got them out of their uniforms and allowed for them to work together as team. Plus, it brought forth some solid comic relief since Grossman wanted in on this venture but didn’t want to spend any money, making him the awkward outsider of this endeavor.
 
But while it is always nice to get to know these characters inside and out and enjoy their hobbies as well, the Creep of the Week is paramount to driving an episode and this time around, our intrepid officers faced off against two separate sets of them. Oddly enough, the first batch related to their hobby. Because a rival team was failing miserably at building their car to be a winner. So, they resorted to stealing parts from local stores to get their vehicle running, and in their desperation, they managed to swipe parts that Harlan had custom ordered for the CHP car. But thanks to Grossman’s desire to contribute, he put himself on the case and discovered what was going on, and that allowed for the team to bring these guys down in thrilling fashion.
 
As for the other set of Creeps, well they turned out to be some bold thieves, the kind that were looking for big scores and that motivated them to go after some unique prizes; construction equipment. Because they had a buyer that would give them top dollar for that kind of gear and unfortunately for them, a botched attempt to steal a loader from an independent construction company, put them on Ponch and Jon’s radar. And our dynamic duo hoped that they could work with the owner of said company to trap these guys. But alas, she didn’t want anything to do with their plan in the hopes of steering clear of any further trouble. Eventually though, these Creeps made another run at her gear but since Ponch and Jon were keeping a close watch on her work site, they were able to bring these guys in as well.
 
If anything, this really was quite the entertaining episode. Because not only did it manage to pack in a lot of plot into its 48-minute run time, it figured out how to bring each story arc to its logical and satisfying completion and that was impressive for certain. Plus, it was lovely to see some humanity on display from our favorite CHP officers once again and as an added bonus; this particular story features an early career appearance from a horror legend. For Robert Englund is a guest start in this tale, and he would go on to play the iconic Freddy Krueger in a few years after this episode aired, and it was just so awesome to see him here well before he became the man of our dreams. Sorry, couldn’t resist. But also, worth it. Either way, this goes to show that we are in the midst’s of season four’s finest stretch of storytelling and it should be quite interesting to see exactly how long the show can keep this hot streak rolling. Until next time.

Fear is perhaps the most powerful emotion out there. Because fear, makes us do some incredible things, both good and bad. On the negative side, it helps us to quickly hide from everyday life as we ponder upon horrible stuff that can happen to us. It also keeps us from pursuing our dreams since it leaves us shivering at the possibility of having to face outright failure, and it sometimes motivates us to shy away from our friends out of a strange worry that they may no longer wish to be near us when they are able to see us at our worst. Which are some pretty baseline scenarios, but people experience those fears often, and when they hit, it feels as though nothing else matters but the ugly thoughts swirling through their heads.
 
However, as mentioned a moment ago, there are good things that come from fear as well. Because sometimes, when we have nothing to lose and have reached a low point in our lives, the fear of staying stuck in our current situation is a fine motivator to snap out of it. And sometimes, taking a moment to realize that we might miss out on the opportunity of a lifetime if we listen to fear, helps us to ignore its usual lies so that we can finally take that bold risk, and see where it leads us. But perhaps the best thing that can happen when it comes to fear, is that once we face the ones that terrify us the most, we can grow like never before. If anything, fear and its overall power is relevant to today’s recap, simply because it served as the focal point of a fascinating episode of Doctor Who.
 
For ‘Can You Hear Me?’ focused heavily on this emotion since something was finding unique ways to haunt Team TARDIS and the people close to them. Which took them all by surprise, since everyone was on an impromptu break from traveling through time and space. But the constant appearance of an ominous man in black in the middle of the night, one who left Ryan’s best friend in a terrified place, started to make everyone who saw him, wonder what was going on. Plus, an ominous message from the stars left Graham curious as to whether or not something ugly was on the horizon and well, the fact that all of these things were happening at the same time the Doctor was meeting a frightened girl in Aleppo in 1380, meant this whole mess had to be tied together somehow.
 
Which led the team to a fascinating corner of the galaxy, where they discovered a vacant ship observing a halted celestial act. For a pair of planets that should have finished colliding with one another were stopped from doing so thanks to a strange device that was shoved between the two of them. And while the Doc dug deep into this strange occurrence, the team checked out the rest of the place and quickly learned that all of this was a grandiose trap, one that was assembled by a powerful being. In fact, Zellin claimed himself to be an ancient god, one that worked with his partner to sow discord on the very planets just beyond to keep the boredom that comes with immortality to a minimum. And now that the Doctor and her mates had freed his longtime partner, the time had come to swing by Earth and start trouble anew and stopping them was going to be a seemingly impossible task.

​Because part of the trap, involved incapacitating the team by locking them within their worst fears, and that led to some fascinating insight into the characters. Because we hadn’t a clue that Graham worried often about his cancer coming back, but that fear was on display here. And it was equally as incredible to learn that Ryan feared letting the people he cares about down and that he believes his absence will someday cause great harm, or that Yaz deeply feared returning to a darker part of her past. As for the Doctor, well the truth about the Timeless Child and her people is what leaves her trembling. But it didn’t take long for the Doc to snap out of the trance Zellin’s powers put her in and rescue her mates, so that they could band together and put a stop to these powerful beings before they sowed incredible chaos back home.
 
But the task at hand still seemed pretty impossible. After all, how does one bring down a creature as powerful as Zellin? Well as it turns out, the best way to stop a god, is to use its own power against it and that brought everyone back to ancient Aleppo. In part because this is where this madness started, but also because it was an unfamiliar to Zellin and his partner and taking a god out of their comfort zone allowed for the Doc to surprise them and use their device to send them back to that strange containment sphere. Oddly enough, it would seem that the only thing a god fears is becoming irrelevant, and it looks like these arrogant jerks are going to spend the rest of eternity facing their fears and their mistakes as they enjoy eternity encased in a custom space bubble.
 
Yet while this little conundrum wrapped up in happy and neat fashion. The story still had a little more to explore in regard to fear. Specifically, the fact that at some point down the line, we have to confront them, in some form or capacity and our companions did just that in unique and uplifting ways. Ryan for instance, finally figured out that sometimes showing people the way goes a lot farther than being their savior, and he convinced his mate to get the help he needs to cope with the darker thoughts swirling around in his head. As for Graham, well he came to understand that bottling up his fears and letting them fester is a horrible thing, since it helps them to grow, and that’s why he opened up to the Doc, to make his fear real and tangible and conquerable. But it was Yaz’s story that offered up the episode’s most powerful commentary when it comes to fear.
 
Because we came to learn in this tale that three years ago, she was at her lowest point, and a gesture of kindness brought her back from the brink and motivated her to serve and protect to potentially pay that favor forward. And being reminded of that memory allowed for her to reflect upon the incredible journey she’s undertaken after that dark day, and that she has nothing to be afraid of since she faced her fears head on and beat them, reinforcing the notion that standing up to what we are terrified of and working to conquer it will pay off in spades. If anything, this was quite the fascinating and delightful episode. Because it offered up some interesting food for thought and some colorful villains and really, the only real unresolved plot thread in this wild tale, is the Doctor’s fear of the Timeless Child. Something that will come to resolution, once we get done with next week’s story. Until next time.