Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode Six of ‘Single Drunk Female’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.
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In a genuinely perfect world, individuals that are in desperate need of healing from traumatic events or the ravages of addiction, would be allowed to disappear from everyday life to go and take care of themselves. Because that would indeed afford those individuals all the time, they needed to reconcile what damaged their soul or let their bodies and minds heal from addiction so they can forge a new path forward. But alas, our world isn’t perfect in the slightest and when we are hurting, we have to deal with everyday life and the struggles that come with it, all while juggling the healing process and that sometimes means that life is going to throw us curveballs along the way.
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More often than not, we expect those to be supremely sour in nature, since when it rains… it pours. But the fact of the matter is, those curveballs can be positive too, and scary in their own right. Because while they might afford us amazing opportunities to get our life back on track or provide us with a second chance, we might not be one hundred percent sure if we are ready or deserving or capable of that, depending on where we are in the healing process. If anything, that particular life twist is top of mind today, simply because it served as the central challenge for Sam to face in the next episode of Single Drunk Female. But it sure didn’t seem as though that was going to be the case early on. For when we catch up with Sam in ‘Look Me Up Sometime’, she’s just living her life and taking in a ballgame with the family.

But while she’s enjoying a hot dog and the vibe, her old boss walks by and in an effort to apologize to Nathaniel for her drunken moment of rage, he outright surprises her… by offering her a job opportunity in New York. One that would get her back into writing and this just, flips Sam’s world upside down. Because this is indeed the incredible surprise she’s been waiting for. A chance to get her life back on track and get back into professional writing and while that should bring her joy… it instead brings her panic. Largely because, she’s never written sober. Since she’d sit and her desk and churn out words while sipping on whatever confection caught her fancy that day and when she tries to write without a drop of alcohol in her system… she quickly finds herself stuck.

Which leads her to believe that perhaps the one part of her past life she truly enjoyed, might be not attainable ever again and that shakes Sam to her core and leaves her dejected and lost and that is the perfect way to explore how hard the road back to everyday life is and how the universe will sometimes put supremely difficult positive challenges in our way. The kind that truly confuse us and fill us with fear, because we aren’t sure we can reclaim what we’ve lost or if we deserve to ever have it again or if we can even do it for that matter. Which is why we need a champion in our corner to encourage us to go for it and see where such a surprise takes us and Sam actually had that in this tale, from the most unexpected of people.

Because when Sam was at her lowest regarding this twist, her mother stepped in and Carol… shocked all of us in the process. For this really was the first time we’ve ever seen her be truly supportive of Sam and her endeavors and the words she offered her daughter were both blunt and inspiring in a healthy way and that motivated Sam in her time of need and this… signaled major growth for Carol. Because that push and her conversation with Olivia in this tale, made it clear that she’s finally opening up to her daughter and willing to express that she cares and wants to have a healthy relationship with Sam, and it will be supremely interesting to see where this stunning and beautiful revelation will take us in the weeks to come.

But in the here and the now, Sam is on her way to New York with James no less, to take full advantage of a potential second chance and while we wait to see what comes of that, we can bask in another brilliant chapter in this tale. Because this really did hammer home the beautifully chaotic nature of life and how recovery isn’t a by the book process since we still have to juggle our life goals with healing and that just once again goes to show… that this really is one of the most brilliant and realistic shows out there and this episode, definitely leaves us eager for more. Because this interview is a huge deal, and we are of course rooting for Sam to be happy and at peace... and this could accomplish that for her, at last. Until next time.

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 409 of ‘Star Trek: Discovery’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.
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One particularly important lesson that we absolutely have to learn early on in life, is to remain objective in just about everything that we do, and we are asked to learn that lesson for one reason and one reason alone. Because emotion, tends to muck things up more often than not and by keeping that out of the equation we can function in important moments and complete critical goals in our day. But while that lesson is indeed important and we see its value often in life, it’s a tough one to follow sometimes. Because when the situation is right and emotions are high, being objective just seems like a waste of time since our heart believes it knows what is best in this situation.
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If anything, that particular conundrum is top of mind today, simply because it is the very one that Captain Michael Burnham faced in this week’s episode of Star Trek: Discovery. For when we catch up with her and the intrepid crew of the U.S.S. Discovery in ‘Rubicon’, they’re preparing for a tough mission. One that will involve Michael taking the ship to Book and Tarka’s location to stop them from destroying the DMA and potentially causing a war and while Burnham believes she is up to the task no problem, Admiral Vance and President Rillak have concerns about Michael’s objectivity and rightfully so. For nothing clouds judgment better than love and that in turn motivates Vance to enact a contingency plan aboard the ship.

One that involves Commander Nahn serving as a special attaché to the captain. Wherein she can relieve Burnham of command if her objectivity wavers and well… it doesn’t take long for that to be put to the test. Because thanks to Tarka’s new security system, the away team sent to retake Book’s ship almost dies horribly and once the ship caught up with them again, serious concerns about Burnham's objectivity came into play. All because Book and Burnham played a dangerous game of cat and mouse, one that involved exchanging low level fire and brought about constant maneuvering and that brought Nahn close to the edge of executing a rough plan. One where she would indeed assume command and hit Book’s ship with a torpedo at a weak point, that would immediately end this mess and Book and Tarka.

But Burnham was convinced she could reach her love and pressed for more time and thankfully got just enough… to present Book with a lovely plan to make everyone happy. For if he stood down now, for one week, which was long enough for the Federation to try make First Contact while the DMA harvested its share of Boronite… no trouble would befall he and Tarka and their plan would be given the green light if First Contact with Species 10-C failed and thankfully… Book agreed to that plan. Giving rise to a sense of peace and joy, all while making it clear that Burnham had no problem with objectivity. Since she did separate herself just enough… to outmaneuver Book and buy herself enough time to get the resolution she desperately needed.
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Which means that in the end, the only person with a genuine issue with objectivity here… was Tarka. Because he didn’t listen to a word that Burnham had to say and disobeyed Book’s orders when the deal was made and fired his nasty little weapon. Destroying the DMA controller and that led to quite the unfortunate surprise. In that, there was no power source to be found because the real controller was on the source side of the wormhole. Ergo, Tarka’s desire to get home at all costs, put emotion before logic and science and in doing so, allowed for him to neglect the possibility that 10-C had sole control from their end. Making his mission a dangerous and wasteful venture, one that might have some immediate repercussions.

Since we learned at the end of this tale, that 10-C sent the DMA through regardless of having the original controller destroyed, making it clear they want that Boronite and that they are aware now… that a strong force is in their way. So, in a strange offshoot way, First Contact has been made. But while wait to see if 10-C is willing to talk or if they’re going to be a bit more aggressive in getting what they need, we can bask in the majesty of another character centric tale. One that really showed us how close Michael and Book have become since they new each other’s tactics and maneuvers to a tee, and how to communicate properly with one another, and hopefully now… this failure and this ugliness will finally motivate Book to heal as Michael and the crew of the Discovery prepare for the next steps in dealing with Species 10-C. Until next time.

​Please enjoy a sneak peek of Episode Three of Power Book IV: Force, which will air on STARZ on February 20, 2022, at 8 p.m. EST.

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 205 of ‘Total Control’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.
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There are moments in this life that are so important and so powerful, that they stay with us for ages on end. Because there is a part of our minds that understands their significance through and through and we learned so much from them, we can never let them go. Which is why we hang onto our failures and situations that brought us joy that we had to step back from… because they provided us with some impactful lessons. But while most of us, use those lessons to guide us on how to conduct ourselves in the future, once in a while… some of us get a chance to revisit those moments by way of a second chance. Wherein perhaps we can do things differently a second time around and it just so happens… that Alex Irving was granted that amazing opportunity in this week’s episode of Total Control on Sundance Now.
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For when we catch up with her, here, she’s preparing to return to political life at last and make a difference. But before her second chance in politics got underway… there were some critical matters to handle at home. Because Eddie didn’t want to move to the capital and start his life over and Alex didn’t want to put any more undue stress upon him. Which meant that the two of them came to an agreement, so that Eddie didn’t have to uproot his life. In that, Alex would hand over guardianship of Eddie to a close family friend, a move that was difficult but necessary. For she knew that she would be working long hours and that the right thing to do was to let her son, be a kid in a comfortable environment, and after a short vacation together and a tearful and meaningful goodbye… Alex left home and made her way to the capital.

Wherein she and Rachel wasted little time in crafting their plans. For they both knew that it wouldn’t be long before the two major parties tried to sway independents to aid in their bidding and well… this is really where Alex took full advantage of her second chance. Because she knew full well that this was a grand opportunity to really stand up and make something magical happen and she seized control of the independents and motivated them to work together for a greater cause. All because she knew the importance of not wasting a moment in this office, especially when it comes to how quickly it could be taken away from her, and it was just inspiring and engaging to watch Alex grow into her own and work the room and make her second voyage to the government a worthwhile one.

But while it was amazing to watch Alex take full advantage of a second chance, there was one other important plot point of note in this episode. Because it turns out that after a little pressing, @Bait15’s real identity was revealed and, in the end, he was nothing more than a privileged, white, annoying little pissant brat that worked in the Prime Minister’s office, that also lived with his parents because he wasn’t even twenty-five years of age yet. And for some reason, he thought this kind of horrible talk was somehow just political in nature, allowing for some hard commentary on systemic racism to come into play. For when it is deemed to be a cultural norm, people see it as no big deal and the show deserves kudos for injecting that important commentary here and showing the impact of what those words do to a person, since it brought both Alex and Charlie to tears.

However, the only question that remains now, is what will come out of the confrontation between Alex and this punk. Since the political theater in the capital is strong and everyone is working to use any moment of weakness or humanity to bring trouble about for a competitor, and this could qualify as that. But while we wait to see if any kind of fallout comes from this… we can bask in one fascinating tale. One that subtly reminds us that if we are ever granted a chance to set things rights or obtain a second chance… to seize the day and never let go and now that we’ve reached the end of this particular tale, we sadly only have one more episode in Alex’s return to office to look forward to. For the season two finale awaits us next week and it will be interesting to see… what kind of challenges await Alex and her new allies when parliament convenes. Until then.

Please enjoy an exclusive sneak peek of the season finale of La Fortuna, and a brief synopsis of Episode 106. Which will air on AMC+ tomorrow, February 17, 2022.
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Synopsis: Although Alex is on the verge of recovering the treasure, Wild obstructs the delivery and shipment of the coins in every possible way: crossing the state of Georgia carrying 500 million dollars in gold heading for Spain will not be an easy task.

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 403 of ‘Agatha Raisin’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.
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One particular lesson we are taught when we enter the workplace, is to never mix business with emotions and it makes sense as to why. Because when we make everyday business personal and inject that bias that only emotion can bring to the table, we’ve done ourselves a great disservice. For now, we cannot properly look at the business side of things objectively, for everything is clouded by emotion. But what is truly fascinating about this lesson, is that despite being taught it, we really don’t abide by it, until we indulge in that very mistake. If anything, this particular lesson is top of mind today, simply because it is one that Agatha Raisin was forced to learn in her latest Acorn TV adventure, Agatha Raisin: A Spoonful of Poison.

Now, in this particular tale, the team and their newest addition, Harry… drop by a local Jam fest to see exactly whose delicious confection is going to win the day. Which seems like a fairly innocuous and fun event. That is until the judges suddenly come down with a case of the weird when it appears as though they’ve been drugged and well… it doesn’t take long for their wild behavior to end in a sour manner. Wherein a Doctor Stevens plummets from the roof of the community center to her death. Which of course puts Agatha and her team on the case and well… once they start to dive into whether or not Stevens’ death was accidental or intentional, is when the story begins to teach her and Charles that all important lesson about keeping business and emotion separate.

Because two of the suspects; a Mister George Selby and a Miss Gilda Brenson, catch the fancy of Agatha and Charles. In fact, those two fall hard for the suspects and it isn’t long before they are completely and utterly in puppy love with each of them and that uh, that leads to a lot of problems. Because it heavily clouds both of their judgments and motivates them to be quick to defend their potential long-term loves, which in turn, leads to infighting and the like and of course, keeps them away from the important clues before them. Which slows down the investigative process and emboldens the killer to finish their plans. Leaving all of us to wonder if Team Agatha would ever properly find focus again or would instead disband.

But when the truth is revealed about George and Gilda, specifically how they basically played everyone with their charm and wiles… Agatha and Charles learn their valuable lesson about keeping things professional and once they re-focus their efforts… the team comes to learn quite the surprise. In that, the local priest’s wife, a woman known as Patricia to most and Trixie to a select few… is the one behind all of this and was banking on chaos to exact revenge for a lost love, George’s late wife Chloe. But now that the chaos was out of reach, Agatha and her crackpot team of investigators are able to finally bring her, and everyone involved in an illegal act to justice. Bringing peace once again and a lesson that Agatha and Charles will never forget.

For now, they know, that mixing business and emotion is the worst idea possible since it brings nothing but trouble and strife and keeps people away from their goals and well, that made for one impactful episode. Since we can all take away from Agatha and Charles’ missteps in this tale and stick to business ourselves when the opportunity to pollute it with emotion presents itself. But while it was nice to walk away from this one with some fine advice… there was more wonder to be found in this tale. Since it was as charming and funny as the rest of the stories in this saga and of course, the case was utterly engaging. For we really didn’t have a clue who might be behind this one and it genuinely kept us guessing and it was filled with surprises galore and well, now that this wild and entertaining ride has come to an end… we can shift our focus to next week’s case, and all the wonderful moments it will undoubtedly send our way. Until next time.

Please enjoy a sneak peek of Episode 204 of Fast Foodies, which will air on truTV on February 17, 2022.

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode Two of ‘Power Book IV: Force’. To revisit the series premiere, click here.
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We like to believe, that a fresh start in life is a supremely simple act. One where we just pick up and move to another town and let the moment dictate what comes next. But the fact of the matter is, hitting the reset button is no small task. Because once we get where we are going, we need more than hope and moxie to be successful with our fresh start. For instance, we need a job, because living expenses simply don’t magically go away. Plus, we need to find a place to live and of course, we need to meet new people and make new friends because we are social creatures that require interaction, and new friends will give us just that, and can help us to learn the lay of this new land as well.

Which is a lot to get done for certain and can seem daunting at times. But when you’re genuinely ready for a fresh start, you make it all happen, and really, all of that is top of mind today… because it served as the focus of the next episode of Power Book IV: Force. For when we catch up with Tommy Egan in ‘King of the Goddamn Hill’, he comes to realize that he too needs to accomplish all of those goals and well… it is his brother, JP, that more or less motivates him to get the fresh start train rolling. Because JP has been the victim of a bevy of crimes as of late, the kind that might put his club in jeopardy with the amount of cash required to continue to repair it and the reality that family was in trouble… meant that Tommy had to take care of that checklist, post haste.

So to properly start the process, Tommy swung by the barber shop to give the Sampson brothers back their property. After all, a show of good faith and kindness, goes a long way in any career field and it definitely allowed for Tommy to make some new friends in the Windy City. Since Diamond lowered his guard and opted to talk with Tommy and learn about his goals and well… what truly made this particular move quite important in this tale, is that it allowed for every other goal that Tommy needed to accomplish here, to come to fruition. Courtesy of of a kidnapping at gunpoint that forced Tommy and Diamond into a car to be whisked away and tasked with quite the goal.

For a rival gang wanted Diamond to sling their drugs and get them their money as penance for beef in the past and Tommy was happy to help Diamond accomplish this mission… so he could properly get the lay of the land and see what the routes looked like and who works them and who is looking for a free agent, and of course... to get paid. But the scouting part was important, since it laid the foundation down for his future empire, and despite a few quirky moments with some of the clientele, especially the bakery/deli owner who firmly believed in chemically testing the product to ensure its purity, the day went off mostly without a hitch. In fact, the only real problem this dynamic duo ran into was a traffic stop. One ripped from the headlines since Diamond was racially profiled and threatened by an arrogant and racist cop. 

But thankfully, the situation was quickly deescalated, and Tommy got his payday and was able to accomplish more of his goals. Such as securing a place to live and once his busy day was done… we were also able to see the softer side of Tommy and explore his past. Since time with JP allowed for some old home movies of Tommy wandering about with his family to be put on display, and of course… he gently worked to build his relationship with Gloria Rogers and charm her… and we even came to see that he is indeed hurting over what happened in New York, and trying to reconcile it as best he can. But while it was amazing to really see this side of Tommy, make no mistake about it… there was still room in this tale for the hardcore gangster side of him, the one that takes care of business by any means necessary.

Because the punks that crossed, he and Diamond and threatened their lives, couldn’t go about their day without their threats going unanswered. Which motivated Tommy to go the extra mile to deal with them appropriately, by locking them in the trunk of a car to languish in fear before blowing them sky high. Plus, we’d be foolish to not talk about the blast from the past that Tommy dealt with in this tale as well. For it turns out that Liliana, the dealer that he and Ghost eventually decided to let go, fled to Chicago all those years ago, and thought Tommy had come to town to kill her and that led to an ugly reunion, one where she gets to live for now... since she had something that Tommy deemed was of value.

But while Tommy’s incredible journey in this story was engaging and powerful, the Flynn family also resurfaced in this tale… to inform the audience that they are not as strong as we were initially led to believe. For Walter is in fact, sick with an unknown ailment. One so advanced that he is starting to ponder upon the future of the family business without him at the helm, and that is bringing about a great deal of infighting between brother and sister. Since Claudia made it clear that the business needs a new direction, one where they move into new territory to stay viable. Suggestions that were quickly shot down by dear old dad, and well… there are clearly cracks in the foundation of this family and a power struggle appears to be brewing, and it could not have come at a worst time. For this is precisely the ‘in’ that Tommy needs to become the new King of Chicago.

However, while we wait to see how Tommy handles this weakness down the line, we can instead… celebrate one awesome episode. One that gave us a different kind of ‘starting over’ story since you don’t usually see men of Tommy’s questionable background go through such a process. Plus, it was just amazing to see the more human side of Mister Egan, since he worked hard here to make a connection with JP and the Sampson Brothers, and Gloria, and in the end… this series continues to impress, plain and simple. For this really is a refreshing and unique crime drama, one that is making sure the characters and their development matter above all else, and now that dear Tommy has settled into Chi-town, it will be interesting to see what moves he makes next... to make it his own. Until next time.  

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the series premiere of ‘Attenborough’s Global Adventure’.
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When it comes to the nature documentary business, there are only a handful of names involved with it that are outright recognizable. Simply because these stories focus on the world itself and the person talking about them tends to take a backseat in our minds. But the ones that do stand out, are the ones who truly teach us something special and present to us a dazzling story about our world that stays with us for ages on end. Plus, they tend to do a lot for conservation efforts as well, and one particular name that checks off all of those boxes, is David Attenborough. For he really is the father of the nature documentary and has done so much for nature, and when he was in his eighties, an age where he should have been retired, he surprised the world by working harder than ever.

Because he was laser focused on finding new ways to show us what mother nature is really like and how to make storytelling about our world fun and engaging and he was so eager to make this happen, that he spent a great deal of time shooting new footage to accompany his ideas… and he shot so much that BBC America has compiled that footage into a new three-part documentary entitled, Attenborough’s Global Adventure, which premiered on the network last night, and well, ‘Episode One – Global Adventure’ does not disappoint in providing us with a wonderful learning experience. One that holds your attention from beginning to end and takes us around the globe to unique and wonderful places.

Such as say… the waters of the Pacific Ocean. So, we could learn more about the Great Barrier Reef and see how the clownfish functions and lives in this part of the world… alongside the ultra-aggressive Mantis Shrimp no less. Since they too hang out in these waters and beat down anyone that gets near their territory, and when we weren’t enjoying the sheer majesty of the reef, we were spending time with David in the Galapagos Islands. To get an up close and personal look at the amazing tortoises that the islands are named after, and the wild lizards that have evolved over thousands of years to live in this isolated part of our world, to properly feed upon the seaweed that surrounds them. 

Speaking of evolution, that topic was so enthralling, that clearly it ignited something with David’s soul as well. Since the back half of this adventure, focused heavily on its role in how animals traverse the globe. Specifically, by way of flight. Since millennia of evolution allowed for so many different species to take to the skies and settle where the climate was comfortable and that in turn, led to an exploration on birds that we can no longer see due to extinction. Such as the Dodo, and what ancient birds might have looked like well before they took flight and that, combined with all the other elements we’ve talked about, and a cute segment involving the wondrous penguin, and a frog that can soar… made for one wonderful documentary.

One that truly reminded us just how much David loves nature and truly believes that our understanding of it is paramount to moving forward as a species and well… he’s right. Because we don’t appreciate anything in this life until we genuinely understand it through and through and his work here is helping to do that, in dynamic ways no less. For CGI is the perfect way to teach us about the world. Since such visuals ignite imaginations and motivate folks to seek out more knowledge about the incredible sights before them and what’s truly amazing… is that this is just the opening chapter of this stunning journey. And it will be quite amazing to see what other sights and lessons await us as we continue this voyage around the globe with the man that made this type of learning experience possible. Until next time.  

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 203 of ‘Fast Foodies’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.
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It is definitely safe to say, that the burrito is the perfect meal. Because it can contain all the major food groups, and it demands that one get creative in how one includes said groups within the interior of its amazing flour tortilla shell. Plus, it’s flippin’ delicious. Because you cannot go wrong with a handheld meal that combines delicious meats and veggies and is seasoned to perfection and the burrito has become such a staple of our everyday lives, that they’re readily available on just about every street corner and people often choose it as their go to comfort food, including certain celebrities. Such as comedian Natasha Leggero, and well, she and the burrito are of note today, because they both made an appearance on this week’s episode of Fast Foodies.

For Natasha dropped by the Kitchen to talk with Justin and Jeremy and Kristen about her love of burritos and how there is one in particular that truly brings her comfort on a consistent basis. For Chipotle is host to the Sofritas Burrito. A confection that includes all the usual accoutrements you’d find in a regular old burrito, but this one changes things up by putting Tofu in the mix to create a pork like southwestern feel and it was up to the talented chefs on this show to recreate the wonder of this burrito and one of them… had an edge in the matter. Because Justin used to work at Chipotle back in day and more or less knew how to make such a burrito from scratch. Prompting Kristen and Jeremy to work hard to try and beat him at his own game and well, mixed results came out of that.

Because while Kristen made a solid and delicious burrito, it just didn’t quite match what Natasha loved the most about this meal. And Jeremy… well he made another slight faux pas this week. Since he inadvertently went too far in providing a ‘warm’ meal. For all the internal ingredients in his burrito were piping hot, including the sour cream, and uh, let’s be honest… piping hot sour cream is something of an acquired taste, one that Natasha didn’t have in the slightest. Which meant it fell to Justin to impress and he most certainly did. For the newly nicknamed ‘Chipotle Whisperer’, provided Natasha with a perfect recreation of this burrito and won the day and with the first victory in the books, that meant the remix round awaited and once again, the chefs created wonders.

Jeremy for instance, put together a stunning Box Crab Risotto that featured some Crispy Shallots and Croutons to simulate the wonder of chips, and he ironically… wasn’t the only chef to put together a risotto for the final challenge. For Justin assembled a Smoked Crab Risotto with Uni Butter and Chips, complete with a chili oil and chili threads to bring a little heat and kick to the meal, and while that definitely went over well with Natasha… it was Kristen’s surprise dish that stole the show. For she made a Passionfruit Marshmallow ‘Fire Pit’, which basically was a southwestern themed dessert that was so inventive and original that Kristen was declared the Chompion outright.

Which afforded Kristen and Natasha the opportunity to punish the ‘Loseritos’ by making them into one giant human burrito. One complete with lettuce and tomato and tortilla blankets that everyone should totally have in their home, because… burrito life. But all of that aside, this really was another wonderful episode. Because not only did it feature a food that everyone loves because burritos are the best, but it once again made for a fun viewing experience thanks to Natasha’s comedy prowess and the amazing creations the chefs brought to life. Because they go hard in the remix round and well, now that we’ve reached the end of this culinary journey, it is back to patiently waiting for next week’s hunger inducing edition of this wonderful show. Until next time.