Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode Five of ‘Single Drunk Female’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.
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Something that is truly fascinating and unfortunate about our modern world, is how we simply gloss over the healing process. Because when we start the road to recovery from an important moment in our lives, we’re just… expected to feel better. As though somehow, we wake up one day and we feel better and our lives are better, and what makes that both fascinating and unfortunate is the sheer fact that such a mantra glosses over some important steps. The kind that can shock us when we encounter the realities and work that go into recovery. For instance, if it is a physical injury or major surgery, we’re in recovery for… there’s a lot of physical therapy and hard work involved in healing and that process can be daunting and stressful.
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From a psychological standpoint, there are a bevy of steps and surprises that come into healing our minds, especially for former addicts that are now in recovery. Because their minds and their bodies are hyper focused on the next fix or the next drink, so to be without that for an extended period of time, forces the person in recovery to really assess their needs and how they are going to function in life without those substances, and that can be quite the harrowing and unsettling experience since it is akin to re-learning parts of life that they thought they had down, and that difficult journey is top of mind today, because it served as the central exploration of this week’s episode of Single Drunk Female.

For when we catch up with Sam Fink in ‘Sober for the D and V’, she’s in the midst of dealing with quite the epiphany. Because now that she’s been sober for 180 days and her body and mind aren’t focused upon her next drink… she’s starting to drift toward other needs. Because she’s been in a dry spell for some time and her sexual appetite is growing and well… that brings about some problems for Sam. In that, she is also aware of the fact that 180 days ago, she could easily hook up with someone without giving it a second thought. For liquid courage was running through her veins and she could use its power to help her connect with someone.  

But without alcohol’s magic powers, she hadn’t a clue as to how to properly relate to people or really initiate contact or express her wants and needs romantically and sexually and that led to some awkward moments for certain. Because every attempt she made to be intimate with someone in this tale, ended in the most awkward way imaginable. After all, James slammed that door hard when she attempted to open it, leaving quite the sting upon her soul. Not to mention, her Tinder coffee date ended in a horrifically embarrassing manner when her beau to be… blasted a vodka filled belch her way, and well… all these setbacks left her wondering if by chance she’d ever rediscover the romantic mojo she once had when alcohol dominated her life.
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Which is where growth came into play for Sam once again. Because all of these ‘failures’ were humbling experiences for Sam and forced her to lower her guard and her belief that she had to be a certain type of person or put on a certain type of show to find romance and once she came to that point and was her authentic self, she managed to get what she needed in that moment and well… that capped quite the powerful exploration. Because all comedy and quirky moments aside, that really was a wonderful way to encapsulate the central theme to this story since it truly put on display how difficult it can be for a person to find their way back to the world from a recovery standpoint, when substances drove a person's day and behaviors, and it was equally as amazing to see Sam face such a roadblock to her recovery in a brave manner, since it also speaks to her growth as a character.

If anything, this is just another fine example of how revolutionary this show really is. Because as mentioned before, this is a process we simply don’t talk about and leave to therapists and other professionals when in fact, we should be discussing such matters more often so that people in need of guidance don't feel isolated or awkward about the tough steps that lie ahead in recovery. But what matters more, is that this series continues to make it clear that it is going to leave no stone unturned when it comes to what the road to recovery looks like for a recovering alcoholic and that really compels one to continue this journey, so we can learn some powerful lessons about an aspect of the human condition... that languishes in darkness far too often. Until next time.   

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 408 of ‘Star Trek: Discovery’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.
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When last we left Star Trek: Discovery, there were many things about to happen. A vote was cast to either stop the DMA or make First Contact with whom the DMA might belong to. The vote was to make First Contact and that was not a decision Booker and Tarka could stand by. The two, stole experimental equipment and left to destroy the DMA. This left Michael with a near impossible decision, to stop them or not. Sadly, the decision was made for her when President Rillak and Admiral Vance order her to not get involved. Let it be said, however, that Rillak isn’t the only one who can get Michael to bend the rules. Admiral Vance does the same and coerces the captain into finding Booker without directly looking for him. Of course, this leads to Michael tracking Booker down.

Tarka can’t just magically make the weapon that’ll destroy the DMA without isolynium, and in order to get that, he and Booker are going to have to go through some black-market channels. Thankfully, Book knows a guy. He’s not happy about it, but this is their only option. Turns out, last time Book worked with Haz, it didn’t go so well. Lucky for him that Haz is so forgiving. Not really, Haz needs help finding a cheat in his casino, and Tarka is willing to help. The price of isolynium is going up, however, and Haz is a businessman after all. This is where Michael tracks Booker to.
 
It’s sort of a happy coincidence since she needs some star maps that only the Orion’s would have. If we’re being honest here, Haz does like Michael more. Michael doesn’t run into Booker at first, Haz tips her off to him being there, but that’s about as far as he’s willing to go. Being the Captain of a Federation ship doesn’t exactly garner any respect in these parts, but Haz has a good sense of humor about it. The money they brought is enough for the star maps but not the isolynium. That they’ll have to earn the rest while at the casino.

​It’s not the best situation, Michael has been in worse, and oddly so has Owosekun, whom she brought with her. Owosekun decides that their best bet at tripling their money is to hop in the ring herself and put up a good fight. Whether this is something Joann needs to do for herself or a way to prove herself worthy to the captain, herself, or all of the above, is up for debate. In the end, Joann beats her opponent and Tarka catches the cheat. Haz isn’t about to just hand over the isolynium, not when he can make more money. It’s up to a poker game. Booker, Michael, and two very dangerous people, all fighting for the isolythium in a card game to the possible death. We all knew it was going to just come down to Booker and Michael. Michael lays it all out there. This isn’t going to end well for Booker or Tarka, and they all know it. Michael will put her duties before her heart. Booker just won’t see past his own grief and need for revenge to stop.

Booker wins and takes the isolythium. Michael reports back to Starfleet. While President Rillak is tearing into her over not stopping Booker, Michael reveals that she planted a tracking device on the isolythium. She knew she couldn’t beat Booker, yet it was an opportunity to place a long-range tracker on them and find them and get to them before they can harm the DMA. That’s when Stamets calls them in and reveals that the DMA is linked to an advanced species that the Federation has never made first contact with. In fact, their technological advances are beyond anything the Federation could dream up.
 
As for the DMA? It’s not a weapon. It’s a mining tool used to mine boron from space. Attacking it would be seen as an act of aggression, and if the DMA isn’t a weapon… they better stop Booker and Tarka quick… before they start a war that the known universe wouldn’t stand a chance against.

​Please enjoy a sneak peek of Episode Two of Power Book IV: Force, which will air on STARZ on February 13, 2022, at 8 p.m. EST.

​Please enjoy an exclusive sneak peek of ‘Pretzel and the Puppies’, which will make its debut on Apple TV+ tomorrow, February 11, 2022.

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the series finale of ‘New Gold Mountain’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.
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When we last settled in to discuss the wondrous and engaging Sundance Now series, New Gold Mountain, the situation was grim. Because Leung Wei Shing was in quite the difficult position. For despite his best efforts to solve the mystery of who killed Annie Thomas, he came to no answers, and that was going to result in serious trouble for his camp. Not to mention Li was ready to punish him badly for his illegal transgressions, making it seem as though this series was going to end on a brutal low note. One where hope would be robbed from the audience and bad things would come to this camp. But surprisingly, it turns out that the writers behind this series, figured out a way to bring us at the very least, a bittersweet conclusion. 

A feat that ‘Integrity’ accomplished by resolving several plot threads quickly. For instance, after being taught a lesson for lying, Shing was given a chance to continue to run his illegal mine and face no punishment for the death of the surveyor, if he gave the Brotherhood a better piece of the golden pie he was sitting upon and well, he was happy to take that deal in exchange for his life. And once that little conundrum was wrapped up, it was onto the mystery at hand. Specifically, who killed Annie Thomas. But that didn’t quite resolve itself in a manner as smooth as the matter with Li and the Brotherhood. In fact, despite learning from his brother exactly what happened on that night and how Sun was innocent, since he and Annie were separated, the answer to her death never made itself apparent, and to make matters worse, Gok was arrested in a racist attempt to get someone to answer for this crime.

But thanks to Ms. Roberts, the truth finally came to light. In that, Gok followed Sun on that fateful night and did indeed see he and Annie together when gunfire came into play, which created the split in question, and when he approached Annie to talk with her, an accident took place. For she fell awkwardly and landed poorly, to the point where she passed away from her injuries. Meaning that in the end, she wasn’t murdered and as it turned out… was only mutilated because she swallowed Sun’s gold at his request and he went to retrieve it, and being faced with these facts, put Shing in a tough place. Because he could either let an innocent man hang for a murder that no one committed, or he could try and set everything right… and thankfully… he chose the latter.

Which prompted him to put his baby brother on a wagon toward the coast with all of his gold in an effort to show Sun he cared and wanted better for him, before confessing that he committed the crime in question. A lie that should have ended his life, but he was quick to also put in a sweetener to protect his freedom. In that, he revealed to the British, the illegal operation that was taking place. Which made the Commissioner look like a hero for bringing a new rich vein to the city and to make good on this information related deal, Shing was set free in the middle of nowhere. Which is indeed a bittersweet and satisfying ending, one that quite frankly… brought home a bit of commentary that we haven’t discussed since our recap of the series premiere. Specifically, the power of greed.

Because it really seemed that this series was going to focus on that before the murder mystery came into play and well, this ending brings that back around full circle. For in many ways, Shing came to realize that greed is the root of a great many evils in our world, but it can serve a purpose, which in this instance… involved using it to one’s advantage. Because he was able to chart his own course while giving everyone what they wanted financially, and that is quite the subtle and powerful bit of commentary to send our way. One that reminds us of how far we haven’t come and well, that is a brilliant way to end an engaging and cerebral series that chronicled a chapter of the world’s history that was mired in chaos and violence over the chance to strike it rich. 

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 204 of ‘Total Control’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.
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The day we are close to potentially achieving our dreams, should be a proud day indeed. Because it signals the culmination of hours upon hours of hard work. The kind where we injected blood, sweat, and tears into something we want more than anything, and of course, once we get exactly what we want… well, there’s no better feeling in the world. But while that is the kind of day that most of us envision in our heads when it comes to the dreams we chase, it likely won’t be perfect like that in the slightest. Because the world chugs along and twists and turns could surprise us on that all-important day, especially if we surrendered the moment for thoughts of the future, and that particular problem is of note today, because it served as the focal theme of the next episode of Total Control on Sundance Now.
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For when we catch up with Alex Irving and her family, the big day has arrived. For it is Election Day in Australia, and while Alex and her team haven’t a clue if they’ve made enough strides to win the Freeman seat and get Alex back into politics, they are expecting to take part in a full day of events. One that includes visiting polling places around Freeman, complete with photo opportunities and chats with the locals and of course, gratitude for her campaign team. Which sounded like a glorious day for certain, since it would have afforded Alex a chance to really bask in the journey so far and the strides she made and bask in a potential victory… were it not for one teeny, tiny problem. In that, Eddie didn’t show for the photo shoot and that concerned Alex to no end.

In fact, those concerns turned to utter worry and panic, when @Bait15 started taunting her again and that motivated her to head home and discover a noose hanging in her yard and that Eddie was missing and well, that changed the course of her big day. Because now she was on the hunt for her son and turning over every stone and stalker related clue and this made for a powerful sequence for certain. One that genuinely showed us how great a of a mother, Alex really is, and how far she’ll go to make sure that her son is the priority, and this was also a scary sequence for certain. Since @Bait15 heavily implied that he was involved in all of this and that he had harmed Eddie by burying him at a sacred site and for a brief moment there, it really seemed as though a worst-case scenario was going to come into play.

But thankfully, the police found Eddie, who decided it was best to just get away at Steven’s old place for a bit and cool off. Because he was sick of playing second fiddle to his mom’s career and wanted to feel loved and cherished by her. Hammering home how focusing on the future at the sacrifice of the moment can come back to haunt us when we are chasing dreams, and it would seem that Alex understands what her son needs now, and she will need to figure out how to balance that… and her new job. Because in the closing moments of this tale, the results for the Freeman portion of the election finally came through and well, much to Alex’s surprise… it turned out that she beat Jack Ramsey handily and secured a seat in Parliament.

Which led to a tearful thank you to those who supported her and she poured out love for her son since she really does believe the good, she can do in the government can benefit him and hopefully… there is peace now between the two of them. Because there is work to be done and laws to be made and change to be impacted upon Australia. But before we see how Alex handles life as an independent, we can bask in the wonder of one incredible episode. Because this one not only hammered home its commentary, but it took us on an emotional rollercoaster. One that truly had us worried that the worst had come to Alex’s family. Plus, seeing her win the election, just sends one spirits soaring and it will be quite interesting to see how long the high of this episode is going to last, one Alex is sworn back in. Until next time.

One thing that fans of television can all agree upon, is that the release of Breaking Bad was a transformative moment for modern television. For not only did it provide audiences everywhere with a modern-day crime-family epic, one seemingly ripped from everyday headlines, and one filled with powerful moments and performances, but its spin-off provided the world with the quintessential American Tragedy. For the journey of James ‘Jimmy’ McGill, has been nothing short of devastating. Since we’ve slowly watched an intelligent and decent man at heart, give into his darker impulses and inch closer to letting Saul Goodman take over his moral center.

But while it has been amazing to see the more human side of Jimmy McGill, and meet the people that mattered the most to him back in the day, such as Kim Wexler, eventually we all knew that his journey would come to an end, likely in a manner that reveals what transforms him into the loveable slimeball we meet in season two of Breaking Bad and it just so happens… that the beginning of the end of our journey with Jimmy, is about to get underway. For earlier today, AMC announced the premiere dates for both halves of the sixth and final season of Better Call Saul, and well… here are all the details on season six of this incredible show, including the premiere dates in question… alongside some first-look images and other goodies, courtesy of AMC.

‘AMC announced today that the highly anticipated sixth and final season of its Emmy-nominated acclaimed drama Better Call Saul, produced by Sony Pictures Television, will premiere with two back-to-back-episodes on Monday, April 18 at 9:00pm ET/PT on AMC and AMC+.  Heralded as “a beautiful tragedy and gripping character drama” (IndieWire) and “one of the best dramas on television” (Vulture), Saul’s 13-episode final season will roll out in two parts with the first seven episodes beginning April 18 and culminating with the series’ final six episodes beginning July 11. Three new original short-form series connected to the world of Better Call Saul will also debut this spring, including the animated series Slippin’ Jimmy; Cooper’s Bar, starring Saul’s Rhea Seehorn; and new episodes of the Emmy-Award winning Better Call Saul Employee Training Video series.

Better Call Saul’s final season concludes the complicated journey and transformation of its compromised hero, Jimmy McGill (Bob Odenkirk), into criminal lawyer Saul Goodman. From the cartel to the courthouse, from Albuquerque to Omaha, season six tracks Jimmy, Saul and Gene as well as Jimmy’s complex relationship with Kim (Rhea Seehorn), who is in the midst of her own existential crisis. Meanwhile, Mike (Jonathan Banks), Gus (Giancarlo Esposito), Nacho (Michael Mando) and Lalo (Tony Dalton) are locked into a game of cat and mouse with mortal stakes.
 
“In my eyes, this is our most ambitious, surprising and, yes, heartbreaking season.  Even under incredibly challenging circumstances, the whole Saul team -- writers, cast, producers, directors and crew -- have outdone themselves. I couldn't be more excited to share what we've accomplished together,” said Showrunner and Executive Producer Peter Gould.
 
“Vince, Peter and Bob took the question, ‘Why would you ever try to follow one of the most celebrated and beloved shows in television history with a sequel’ and they answered it on every possible level, with truly extraordinary results,” said Dan McDermott, president of entertainment and AMC Studios for AMC Networks. “Saul Goodman has been a central character on AMC for more than a decade, and he really livens up the place. Profound appreciation and respect for Vince, Peter, Bob, Rhea, Jonathan, Giancarlo, Patrick, Michael and everyone else responsible for this remarkable series, which has earned its place alongside Breaking Bad in the hearts and minds of millions of fans and in the pantheon of great television. As we approach these final episodes, it truly is S’all good, man.”
 
Jeff Frost, President, Sony Pictures Television Studios, added: “While we are very sad to say goodbye to this complicated and fascinating character, we can’t wait for Saul’s full story to be revealed to audiences. Better Call Saul and Breaking Bad are woven into the DNA of Sony Pictures Television and we are in complete awe of what Peter and Vince have created. They have truly transformed television. And this season of Saul, bolstered by the incomparable performances of Bob, Rhea, Jonathan, Giancarlo and the rest of this brilliant cast, takes that legacy to even loftier heights.  We are so honored and grateful to have been on this journey with the entire Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul teams, as well as our partners at AMC in bringing this captivating world to life.”    
 
Slippin’ Jimmy, a six-part animated series from the world of Better Call Saul, follows the misadventures of a young Jimmy McGill and his childhood friends in Chicago, Illinois. Told in the style of classic 70s-era cartoons, each episode is an ode to a specific movie genre -- from spaghetti westerns and Buster Keaton to The Exorcist. Premiering on AMC’s digital platforms this spring, the series is produced by Rick and Morty animators Starburns and written by Better Call Saul writers Ariel Levine and Kathleen Williams-Foshee. Voice talent includes Chi McBride, Laraine Newman and Sean Giambrone, among others.

Cooper’s Bar, led by Better Call Saul’s Rhea Seehorn, is a six-episode digital series that follows the antics of character actor Cooper, played by Lou Mustillo (Mike & Molly) and the unique group of LA natives who frequent his neighborhood bar. Seehorn, who serves as an executive producer and directs on the series, stars as an awful Hollywood executive -- “the biggest dick in Hollywood” -- who’s a regular at Cooper’s makeshift watering hole.  Casey Washington, David Conolly and Kila Kitu also star in the series, which was created by Conolly, Hannah Davis-Law, Nick Morton, Mustillo and Seehorn. Evan Shapiro and Alfredo de Villa are executive producers. The series debuts on AMC’s digital platforms this spring.      

Better Call Saul’s Emmy Award-winning Employee Training Video series will also return this summer and will teach viewers how to make commercials the Better Call Saul way.  The videos will feature cameos from Better Call Saul characters and be penned by Better Call Saul writer Ariel Levine.
 
Better Call Saul garnered a 2018 Peabody Award, and, over five seasons, has earned 40 Emmy® Award nominations, four Golden Globe® Award nominations, six Writers Guild Awards, nine Critics’ Choice Awards, five Television Critics Association Awards and four AFI Awards for “TV Programs of the Year,” among many other Guild nominations. The series stars Bob Odenkirk, Jonathan Banks, Rhea Seehorn, Patrick Fabian, Michael Mando, Tony Dalton, and Giancarlo Esposito and is executive produced by Peter Gould, Vince Gilligan, Mark Johnson, Melissa Bernstein, Thomas Schnauz, Gordon Smith, Alison Tatlock, Diane Mercer, and Michael Morris.’ 

We are taught from a very early age, that the key to maintaining a healthy relationship, is attentiveness and effort. Because keeping the spark and the attraction going between one another, should in turn allow for joy and happiness and desire and longing to spread, and we stick to that lesson when we set out in the dating world, only to receive quite the rude awakening regarding it. Because the fact of the matter is, the key to a healthy relationship goes beyond date nights and melty moments and bringing home flowers. That’s merely part of the equation, and in reality, what keeps a love thriving… is communication and connection.

But there is a caveat to that. Because to do well at both means being vulnerable and genuinely open with the person you love the most and oddly enough, that is something that is tough for people to consider or commit to and that leads to trouble down the line, the kind that either ends a relationship or puts it on life support and when that happens, we are all left wondering, how we salvage a partnership that means the world to us. And this question is so burning and so without guidance in our modern world, since we don’t talk about what makes a happy relationship enough, that storytelling is working to provide us with the direction we desperately seek, and one such series that does a phenomenal job of exploring this topic is the SundanceTV series, State of the Union.

For this is a series that offers audiences a powerful look at a couple in crisis because of the fact that they are closed off to one another and it just so happens, that a brand-new season of this incredible show is right around the corner. For season two of this dynamic series is going to arrive on SundanceTV on February 14, 2022 and we here at Nerds That Geek had the opportunity to see season two in advance and thought it would be worthwhile to preview what’s to come in a spoiler-free manner of course, and well, the first real point of note when it comes to year two of this series, is that it has in a way… managed to reinvent itself. For gone is the pub setting where Louise and Tom spoke of their relationship woes before counseling. Instead, it, and those characters have been replaced by a coffee shop and a new couple named Scott and Ellen.

But those are really the only major differences that the show brings to the table in year two. Because once we get past those little surprises, what we love about this series is put on full display. Since Scott and Ellen are also eager to discuss the difficulties of their marriage before counseling and the moments, they share are powerful to say the least. Since they do indeed speak to how difficult it can be to put in the effort that comes with proper communication, and how hard it is to really open ourselves up in an effort to create a genuine and lasting connection. And having that play out over a ten-minute run time really does allow for maximum impact to take place and it will definitely leave the viewer with plenty to chew upon once the vignette in question has come to its end. 

Plus, it also doesn’t hurt that a pair of acting heavyweights play the roles of Scott and Ellen since Brendan Gleeson and Patricia Clarkson sell every moment with gravity and gusto and realism. Drawing you into their troubled world in a manner where you are dying to continue the journey and the good news is… you won’t have to wait weeks on end to see where their quest is going. Since SundanceTV will be airing all ten episodes over a ten-day period, and we here at Nerds That Geek certainly hope you give this dynamic new season of this inventive television show a look. Because it really is unlike anything else out there right now, courtesy of the fact that it remains fresh and original, and poignant and important as well.

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the season finale of ‘The Book of Boba Fett’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.
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Throughout this series there has been uncertainty as to whose series it was. The charm and competence of The Mandalorian series and it’s echoes through this spin off cannot be denied and as it has neared its conclusion, I found myself saddened that this might be The Book of Boba Fett in name only. This finale. This arrival point erases all doubt that this is Boba Fett’s F-@#$ing book, and confirms that Boba is every bit as cool as we thought he could be. 
 
The stage is set for a final showdown between Daimyo Boba Fett, his ragtag collection of loyalists and the merciless Pyke Syndicate over the territory of Tatooine and its position as an illegal spice trade superhighway. Boba Fett, on the advice of the leader of the Mod Cyborg Gang, decides to make his stand bolstered by the promise of Freetown citizen foot soldiers on the site of the Pyke bombing in downtown Mos Espa. Cad Bane, who looks incredible in this episode, meets with the former Mayor of Mos Espa and the leader of the Pyke Syndicate assuring them that no support would be coming to aid the would-be kingpin Fett. The Pyke leader reveals to Bane that the Pykes were responsible for the murders of Fett’s Tusken Raider tribe which Bane in turn reveals to Boba Fett when they finally meet helmet to face. Boba, begrudgingly heeding the advice of Fennec Shand, bristles but resists drawing on his former mentor turned rival and now enemy and retreats to prepare with the knowledge that no one from Freetown will be coming. 
 
Betrayed by the families of Mos Espa, who take this opportunity to ambush Fett’s surveillance squads around the city, Fett’s allies must take cover from the Pykes, Trandoshans, and the newly introduced Scorpenek droids (two-story tall destroyer droids with massive blaster cannons and ray shields to boot!). 
 
Outnumbered and isolated Boba Fett and the Mandalorian defend their makeshift fort in a jetpack-ed, knee-blaster, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid sequence that pays off every western seed planted in these Disney Plus series to spectacular effect. Then as the newly returned Grogu reunites with Din Djarin in a rickshaw chase sequence, a surprise garrison from Freetown arrives, motivated by the brutal attack on their sheriff and their belief in Boba Fett’s plea for peace.  

Stumped by the Scorpenek droids, Boba tasks Mando with keeping them occupied and disappears to get help. When he returns, the music cue, the angle of the shots, and the final reveal of him astride his pet Rancor evoke their clear Godzilla origins and I. Lost. My. MIND! Just watch it. Go right now and watch it. If you hated every other episode of the series, if you wondered why they spent so much time leading up so slowly, this is it. This is the pay-off. And brothers and sisters does it pay-off! Boba Rides a Rancor Into Battle! That’s it. That should be the review.

How do you react rationally to Boba Fett riding a rancor into battle against giant destroyer droids? How do you speak coherently when said rancor becomes naptime buddies with Grogu after Grogu soothes him to sleep with the Force? How do you continue to function when Cad Bane, after outdrawing Boba Fett one-on-one, (a toxic surrogate father figure btw) dies impaled by a Gaffi stick symbolizing the communal, even familial bond Boba Fett found for the first time among the Tusken Raiders of the Dune Sea? 
 
What do I write readers? This is my most sacred playground. The Tatooine sandbox is where I spent all of my imagination as a kid. Favreau and Rodriguez have dumped their toy box into that sandbox and I have loved watching them play. 
 
I don’t want to spoil anymore of the plot, or the post-credits reveal, so I’ll end my plot summary by reiterating that Fennec Shand is the baddest woman in the galaxy. I can’t call this a perfect show, but it made this Star Wars kid really happy. I got to see things rendered with startling realism that I’ve been playing out in my head for as long as I can remember. And they were so Wizard!
 
The fact that stuff like this existed made growing up as a nerd bearable. At the same time, it was one of the reasons I got made fun of and dismissed. Seeing what it’s become now, and how many people get to see it for how cool it all was to me back then, it really helps. It validates that part of who I was and who I am that I really needed to share. It seems that this chapter of the Book of Boba Fett is over, and I can’t wait to see what’s next for my favorite man behind the Mandalorian mask.

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode Three of ‘New Gold Mountain’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.
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We are taught from an extremely early age that going after the truth is a noble quest of sorts. One that keeps our moral core centered and reminds us to always take the high road and well, when we embark upon our first search for knowledge, we are treated to a rude awakening. In that, this quest isn't always as noble as we were led to believe. Because in reality, the search for truth is messy and painful and it will often than not, break our hearts and sometimes… it will go nowhere. But we go after it regardless because we need to know, and it just so happens that the ugliness of the quest was on full display in the next episode of New Gold Mountain on Sundance Now.

For when we catch up with Leung Wei Shing in ‘Shame’, he’s going all out to uncover the truth about who killed Annie, to the point where he puts the pressure on his little brother hard, and rightfully so. Because if by chance Sun was the one responsible for this, it falls to Shing to handle such matters and he would much rather come to know that his baby brother wasn’t involved in harming another human being, so he can deal with this matter differently and thankfully… he finally gets a confession out of Sun that reveals… he’s innocent. Sure, he and Annie were in love and planning to run away together, but in no way did Sun ever feel a need to harm her. A truth that allowed for Shing to finally focus his attention on who the real killer might be and shockingly, he had a little help with that.

Because Ms. Roberts was also eager to make a splash with her new paper by revealing the truth and well, when clues revealed that a man from Shing’s camp might have been involved in the murder, he was quick to team up with her to sadly get… no answers, and well, this roadblock hammered home the theme of this tale, to a tee. Because this was an ugly and unnerving quest for the truth, one that motivated Shing to search hard and look at unpleasant realities, in order to lift the dark cloud hanging over his camp and its future, and it was also a quest that honestly… went nowhere in the end. Leaving all of us to wonder exactly who decided to harm Annie and it would seem that secret is going to be revealed in the series finale, along with the fate Leung Wei Shing. 

For while he was searching for a killer to clear his family name and save the camp from strife, Li was on a quest of her own. One that would finally reveal to her exactly what was going on in this mining operation and what happened to her surveyor and well, she got answers… and that brought about a different kind of exploration regarding the ugly the truth can reveal. Because when someone is looking to use facts against us and finds the ones they want, because we hid them from the party in question… no good can come out of it. And because she found her surveyor, after a push against the right party, and uncovered the truth about the secondary mine, Leung Wei Shing is in a heap of dangerous trouble.

But while we wait to see how he handles having his lies thrown in face and what will become of Li since she’s disobeying orders from her father, we can revel in the wonder of one engaging and realistic tale. Because the frustration of the search of truth was put on full display here in a supremely relatable fashion since we’ve all dealt with roadblocks and blowback in our quests for it. Plus, it once again put some of the parallels of racism on display through moments that felt eerily and painfully familiar, and now that this uncomfortable leg of the journey has come to a close, the time has come to zero in on the end of this story. And it will be quite interesting to see how this fascinating series is going to end and what ugly truths it is going to reveal in the process of wrapping up this fascinating journey into the past. Until next time.