With their fate at Rand Enterprises coming to an end for the time being, Joy will not go down without a fight and has just the right thing to get herself and her brother back in their offices with no questions asked. But Ward is not too hot on the idea and is now trying to come clean about everything that has been happening behind his sister’s back for several years now. Danny on the other hand has no secrets and has been able to put some more pieces together concerning Gao and his father when seeing the poison track marks being left on her bodyguards and comparing them to what he saw on the pilot's skin after his family’s plane crashed. Now with one of the most valuable leaders of the Hand in his custody, Danny might finally be able to get some questions answered about what happened in his family’s darkened past.

With Madame Gao in their custody, Danny, Claire and Colleen are trying to see if the old woman will talk. Not wanting to resort to torture, the women want to take a less evasive route and convince Danny to pick up some sodium pentothal to use as a truth serum, but they have little idea what Gao has in store for them when they are alone. Talking to her first guard Claire, Gao knows her secrets about her being around the heroes of the city and while Claire is able to escape the mind games, Colleen is up next. With talk of her grandfather and his teachings to the young girl, she is not willing to admit that the old woman is right, but Gao knows all. 

Awakening out of the swamp he was thrown into, Harold Meachum is back in the world of the living and has some discovering to do again. Walking through the park and smelling food for the first time since his death, he finds himself outside of Rand Enterprises and is able to get inside with his old passcode. Checking on his children’s offices, Harold is shocked to see that nothing is the same anymore and needs help getting home and is able to contact his assistant Kyle for a ride. Talking with his right hand man, Harold is ready to start his now third chance at life and he will do anything to reconnect with his children, even Ward who left him for dead.

Being able to secure the drugs that he needs, Danny watches as Madame Gao goes into a trance and starts spewing lies about his family. Seeing Colleen starting to succumb to the poison in her system, it is only a matter of time before she cannot be saved and Gao is offering the group a way out. Not believing anything that the old woman is telling them, the group prepares for battle and are able to defeat the first wave of troops that come through, but Colleen needs help soon or she will surely die. Calling her Sensei and leaving a message, Danny and Claire are not able to do anything else that they know of to help Colleen, so as they sit and wait for a savior to come knocking on the door, and while they wait, they are forced to listen to Gao tell them about what will happen to them unless they agree to free her.

Arriving at the penthouse and seeing his father alive, Ward is beside himself. With no hatred towards him for killing his father, Ward is welcomed back home with open arms and must promise to do anything that is asked of him. Not knowing what to do, Ward comes clean with his father about not wanting to be a part of the business and be released from under his shadow. While Harold agrees with what his son has said, he will need someone close to him to help free him from the hold that the Hand has over him and it must be family. With promise of bringing Joy into the mix, Harold has his plan in place, but Ward does not want any harm to come to her and is forced to turn to the Hatchet Men for advice on how to rid himself of his un-killable father.

Really just an episode of discovery for everybody, especially Harold, at least in my eyes. Coming back to life and taking in everything for what seems to be the first time, Harold quickly grows into his new role and only wants to be forgiven for his failures, but he cannot do that until he gets the family back together. Meanwhile the living are having their own revelations; Claire always being involved with the hero's downfall, Danny's healing powers, Colleen's love for her training, Ward being faced with an unspeakable decision to make and Joy seeing her father for the first time in thirteen years. I liked Madame Gao in this episode a little too much as she seems to be talking to try and protect herself, but everything that she is saying comes true, that is until Bakuto makes his way into the dojo, then she has a little bit of fear that I have never seen in her before. Now we have a new character to add into the mix that understands a little something about the Iron Fist, which may be pretty cool for the story and help Danny develop a little bit more, but it could be a wolf in sheep's clothing and provide nothing but despair for everyone involved. We shall see.

This show deals with many issues and themes but one that is at the very center of it all is the idea of balance. It is personified in the existence of the Avatar, a person whose entire existence depends on balance of the elements and whose purpose is to create and maintain balance in the world. It is symbolized in the physical manifestations of the moon and ocean spirits Tui and La (more commonly known as Yin and Yang). It is a core belief for numerous practices including the Air nomad’s path to enlightenment and the fire bender’s use of lightning. Throughout the series, the audience is constantly reminded that balance is the ideal, it is the pinnacle of achievement and the natural desire of all things. Balance is the ultimate good and those who seek to disrupt it are evil. And ATLA as a show embodies this ideal, not just in its repetition of this theme, but also in the balance of the show itself.

That last statement might seem a little out there so let me explain what I mean when I say that Avatar: The Last Airbender is a 'balanced' show. While many shows ride the waves of comedy and drama and everything in between, few ever hit that sweet spot of being balanced between the two. Sure, comedies have been known to tug at heart strings and take breaks from the laugh track to unpack some deeper, darker themes. And dramas have often cracked the occasional joke and given audiences a reason to smile despite the death, destruction, etc. And I certainly don’t believe that there is anything wrong with staying faithful to a genre. But ATLA manages to do justice to both without it feeling contrived or needless. Since it is a cartoon that aired on Nickelodeon, it is obviously going to feature some light hearted and, at times, 'childish' humor. But when the plot of the story covers everything from war crimes to racism to genocide, sometimes the comedy must inevitably give way into drama. And ATLA does this seamlessly.

In a single episode, ATLA can include bad puns (courtesy of Sokka) and jokes about bodily functions (use your imaginations) before heading straight into an in depth look at a refugee crisis or life for prisoners of war at an internment camp. And neither one feels out of place! Hell, in the episode 'The Headband' (2.2) they manage to draw parallels between the Fire nation and Nazi Germany (exploring the dangers of intense nationalism and imperialistic colonization) before throwing a literal dance party! Complete with awkward, hormonal teenagers. The comedic relief in this show never detracts from or overshadows the darker themes it deals with and vice versa the moments that make you want to cry don’t make it harder to laugh when the jokes come back around. There is a perfect blend and balance of both light and dark that isn’t often seen, let alone in a show that was primarily intended for children. Much like life, this show provides a complex look at the good and bad in everything and the way in which life never stops for either. And while I’ll state again that ATLA is certainly not the first show to find a balance, I must admit that it is the show that does it best.

In my last post I described the way in which this show excelled at world building and I believe this balance is just another facet of that. Our world and our lives are a mix of the good and the bad and so often that mix is disproportionate, leaning one way or another. And while in an ideal world the good would always outweigh the bad, that simply isn’t the reality. ATLA is at once relatable and idealistic in its balance, showing us that struggle and pain may be inevitable but so too is the joy and opportunity that comes from living. Good and bad, light and dark, yin and yang; one cannot exist without the other and both are felt more deeply because of the disparity between them. Strange that it is a cartoon fantasy for children that so perfectly embodies this need for balance but, to quote Uncle Iroh, 'It is important to draw wisdom from different places. If you take it from only one place it becomes rigid and stale. Understanding others, the other elements, the other nations, will help you become whole.'

What's truly amazing is that often times we simply don't take the time to understand the plight of others. We rarely know what other people are truly going through or what's on their mind because unfortunately...it's difficult and scary to reach out and try and discover those things and sadly that can lead to conflict with our fellow human begins.

Because by not fully comprehending their struggles in life, assumptions are made, and poor communication often follows that and therein lies the conflict. Which means the only way to truly understand and find common ground is to take the time to see where another person is coming from and that exact idea was explored on quite a grander scale in Battlestar Galactica by way of the episode, 'Final Cut', wherein the entire crew of this storied ship was placed under the microscope of the media to understand what life looks like aboard the Galactica, and sadly...the need for such a measure came about thanks to Colonel Tigh.

Because that whole mess about the Gideon, where four civilians lost their lives, happened on Tigh's watch and in order to suppress a scathing news report on the matter from reporter D'Anna Biers, the Commander and the President open the Galactica's corridors to D'Anna's cameras so that she can tell the true story of what it means to serve on the last ship in the Colonial Fleet and while at the time this episode was considered so-so, even by myself, this time around, I found myself enjoying this episode quite a bit mainly because of what D'Anna discovered about this intrepid crew; in that..they are bold men and women, people who have literally dedicated their lives now to the future of humanity. As Kat put it and I paraphrase, there's no relief coming for this crew, no shore leave. They're on their own, and it's fight the Cylons with their last breath or see mankind come to an end.

If anything it was a refreshing type of story to see on the show considering how much conflict had been brewing within the fleet over the whole Martial Law fiasco and it was equally as refreshing to see that this story also featured a message of redemption and forgiveness by way of the subplot involving revenge upon Tigh, since Palladino, the pilot who oversaw the whole Gideon fiasco threatened the XO to find internal peace and oddly enough, Tigh used the scariest moment of the episode as a teaching one to help the young man move on. But, while this was in many ways an uplifting and philosophical episode, it wouldn't be any fun for BSG to not up the stakes and keep the danger rolling and it found a way to do that. Because there was the matter of Caprica-Sharon having issues with her baby, and D'Anna getting footage of Sharon getting treatment in Medical, something the Commander simply wouldn't allow...but that didn't stop the intrepid reporter for keeping said footage safe...

That matters, because the Cylons on Caprica were able to view the documentary in question...and the footage of Sharon alive and well before hearing the news that her baby is safe...because as it turns out, D'Anna Biers is another one of the twelve mystery Cylon models, upping the ante for the story since she's now had full access to the Galactica, and who knows what horrors might come of this. Either way, what a nice little low key episode, one filled with positive and uplifting messages and it was wonderful to see the plight of the crew of Galactica come to light and to truly get an idea of how dedicated and noble this fine crew is deep down and how they will truly stop at nothing to keep the fleet safe. Until next time.

With the Hand knowing everything about his associates now, Danny has been able to give them another blow where it hurts by taking out their manufacturing plant, but he finds out that Madame Gao is in sole possession of the heroin formula that will take the drug to the next level. Not knowing what is happening in his company, only that they have buried his father’s name and records along with him, the surprises will come in bunches when his key card no longer works. Facing the members of the board while Ward is heading for treatment, Joy is surprised to hear that herself, Danny and Ward have been removed, never to return to Rand Enterprises again. This may be little to nothing for Ward to care about as he has been pushed to the limit of his service to his father and is ready to take matters into his own hands, just like his father taught him.

Knowing that trouble is coming for his friends, Danny rushes to see Harold to warn him of what Gao’s plan is for them. Finding a blood stained floor and running into Ward, Danny knows that Harold has been killed by the Hand and it is his fault. With his little secret, Ward is happy to place the blame on his childhood friend and blame Danny for everything bad that has happened during the past couple of days. Sending the Iron Fist on his way, Ward begins the cleanup of his mess, but little does he know that the blood will never fully come off of his hands.

After seeing members of the Hand coming for her, Claire is beyond freaked, but is ready to fight if that is what needs to be done. Colleen is feeling the same way and with a destination being set by Danny, the group is ready to travel to China and find Gao. While in the plane however, Danny still tenses up every moment that they hit turbulence, but Claire has a plan to keep his mind clear during these moments. By keeping her new friend talking, Danny re-lives the crash that cost him his family fifteen years ago, but is somehow remaining calm. With the help from his friends, Danny will be able to keep his rage in check, but how long can that last when he finally comes face to face with Gao again?

At the severance meeting for Joy and Ward Meachum, the two are at odds as to what is the right decision to make to benefit them the most. After killing his father, Ward is finally ready to step away from Rand and start living his life without the massive shadow being cast over him. Joy on the other hand is not ready to give up on what she worked her whole life to achieve. Agreeing to think the proposal over, Ward tries to sign his severance package on his own for a discounted price, but Joy beat him to the punch by calling it off altogether. Talking in the park, Ward sees that his sister has a plan for what comes next for them and while he does not want back in on his old life, he is preparing for a long ride. 

Arriving in the city of Anhzou, Danny, Colleen and Claire are waiting to catch the first sight of Madame Gao at her factory, but the surveillance is going nowhere fast. Being able to get information from a  beggar, Danny has a plan to burn the heroin factory to the ground to at least get the kingpin's attention.  But while inside the factory, Gao makes an unexpected visit and the group breaks up while Danny makes the decision to capture her once and for all. Little does he know that there will be more opposition in his way as he is stalled by a drunken master who is much better than expected. Arriving before Gao, Danny sees that he will be faced with a life or death situation once again, but this time for his friends that he will do anything to protect.

Oh my goodness, this episode has my favorite fight scene of the entire series, it is just too bad it had to come at the hands of a drunken master, I just like saying that, drunken master. Anyway, emotions are running all over the place in this episode as Claire has gotten a letter from a past love, Joy is trying to do what is right in her mind for herself and brother, Ward is trying to get out of the shadow of his father and Danny is debating whether to kill Gao or not. Just wow, I can see things changing in an instant for the Meachum siblings as Joy uses her best know how to get back on the board with no questions asked, well maybe a couple when all of the pictures come to light. But this episode really focused on Ward overall and his father’s blood following wherever he tries to go. Not being able to wash away what he has done to himself, much less what he has done to his family, I cannot wait to see what Joy has to say about her dead father being killed again.

Putting together a massive plot thread that is designed to cover and reach the entire season of a television show, can be a risky gambit. If the series tips its hand on the resolution of the plot thread too quickly...what point is there in watching any further? But if the series takes its sweet time in getting to the point, it runs the risk of alienating the audience and boring them to tears and right now, Designated Survivor is struggling to find the right balance when it comes to the massive plot thread that drives the premise of the show, the grand conspiracy going on behind the scenes in Washington.

I say that simply because for a few weeks there, it truly seemed as though the conspiracy plot line was about to be busted wide open, but the perfect storm of murder and intrigue have continued to keep this big reveal at bay and well, I truly had my hopes up for answers when it came to last night's episode, 'Commander-in-Chief' and unfortunately, my hopes were dashed in this particular story, because there were no major answers to be found, just more bread crumbs when it comes to the people responsible for their heinous crimes and well...this episode was simply downright frustrating because this was a golden opportunity to give us something to work with, but that opportunity was squandered away.

Because this episode finally brought former Chief of Staff Charles Langdon into the spotlight when he brokered a deal with the White House for his own safety and it truly seemed like this was the big moment. Hannah was going to get him into a room and he was going to spill his guts and blow our minds in the process, and while Langdon did indeed talk, he basically...knew nothing. The only major revelations to come out of his interrogation is that the mystery woman we have been seeing around, the one who Hannah photographed with Jason, is named Claudine Poyet and she used Charles to get her hands on the threat assessment on the Capitol building. We also learned that it was his job to call Kirkman and name him the Designated Survivor and his refusal to do so, nearly cost him his life and it was Mister Langdon's opinion that Kirkman was chosen because he was the least qualified to be the President, which would help further whatever agenda they had planned.

But let's be honest here, the audience already knew that. The Peter MacLeish storyline already established this, in subtle and intelligent fashion and this just spoon fed us what we already knew and well, I expected better from a show that has delivered on so many levels. However, while it seems like the tone of this article is about to become a declaration of my intent to no longer watch it, that's simply not the case. While dragging out the conspiracy is frustrating, this is still a damn good character drama about a man thrust into an extraordinary circumstance and that took the center stage in this particular episode since the visit from President Moss was a crash course in leadership for President Kirkman. The former Commander-in-Chief had plenty of fascinating tidbits to offer up for Tom and when all was said and done, it's clear having a former leader guide Tom paid off in spades.

Tom Kirkman seems like a man transformed now, with a newfound confidence and a new ally on his staff in Moss and despite this episode's shortcomings, watching Kirkman become more Presidential, even going so far as to give Hannah special privileges to bring Claudine and her cohorts to justice was simply magical and extremely satisfying and I'm also curious to see what comes next for Aaron, now that he has resigned as Kirkman's Chief of Staff. But when all is said and done, I really do hope the show starts to move this conspiracy storyline forward. It doesn't have to come forth all at once, just give us something to work with and to sweeten the pot, let's see these people make some bigger moves, let's see them challenge Kirkman like never before because clearly he's up to it and clearly he's ready to take them on. Until next time. 

It's been quite the interesting season when it comes to The Flash. Not only have we seen some of the darkest and most powerful storylines that the series has offered up to date by bringing Flashpoint to life, but we've also been forced to question exactly what kind of hero Barry Allen truly is when it comes to this story.

After all, Barry has made some wild decisions this year, starting with the selfish move that was Flashpoint, and while he's tried to slowly set things right in this new universe, he's continued to alienate those he loves and he's debated whether or not to commit the cardinal sin of murder to solve his problems. But despite the ups and the downs, slowly but surely Barry has started to find his calling as a hero and last night's episode, 'Abra Kadabra', finally gave us a heroic vision of The Flash in what turned out to be one harrowing and dark story. 

Because in this episode, Barry was faced with quite the conundrum. A villain from the 64th Century, known as Abra Kadabra, had arrived in Barry's timeline on the hunt for powerful technology in the hopes of returning home to his own century, and he made it known that he was armed with knowledge of the future; specifically in that he knew Savitar's true identity and that he could help Barry defeat him and save Iris in the process...all the Flash had to do is let him continue with his thievery. That's where the problem arose for Barry.  Let Abra go, and yes he saves Iris and changes the future, but countless people will die and more trouble will arise since Gypsy also returned to Earth-1 in the hopes of bringing Abra back to her world to face charges for similar crimes.

Thankfully, Barry finally answered the call of heroism, opting instead to capture Abra and let Gypsy take him back to Earth-19 to stand trial and likely be executed since making sure he answered for his crimes was the right thing to do. But in no way did that decision stop Barry from begging Mister Kadabra to tell him the information he needs to save Iris, to no avail, but to finally see Barry own the future and the uncertainty that comes with it was a big step for his character, as was the fact he was finally unselfish for a change and willing to look to new ideas to solve his problem, and now for the first time ever this season, Barry is looking forward and making plans to run to the future to get the answers he so desperately needs...

But while it seems as though this was quite the happy go lucky episode with an ending like that, I did make mention of dark overtones in this tale and well, much of that came from Barry and Joe's struggle to do the right thing since hey...this is Iris' life we are talking about. But the darkest part of this story came by way of Caitlin, who was horribly injured by Abra to the point where she had to undergo emergency surgery at S.T.A.R. Labs and despite initial success...an unforeseen complication put her life in jeopardy, forcing Julian to remove her necklace so her meta powers would heal her and alas...Killer Frost awakened in her stead. She symbolizes another thread of future continuity that could lead to the death of Iris and well, it's a shame that there was no other option to save her. Either way, Savitar's secrets and fate of Caitlin Snow will remain unresolved for a time since the show is on hiatus until April 25th and it should be interesting to see what we learn then when Barry travels to the future...until next time...

The history of our society is rich with all kinds of powerful mythology. We have legends that have lasted and persisted throughout the entire existence of mankind and while we pour over the origins of these myths and legends, we can never quite agree on one particular thing...are any of them truly grounded in reality? After all, no one has ever captured a Bigfoot, or found the Loch Ness Monster, and the list of unproven legends simply goes on and on and whether you believe in such things or not, the lack of proof is what keeps these myths alive in our minds.

But...what would happen if the seemingly impossible came to fruition? What if we actually discovered that these pieces of lore were rooted in fact or truly existed? Such a discovery could change the course of mankind forever, depending on the strength of said discovery and what that might look like, is something that Battlestar Galactica decided to explore in 'Home (Part 2)', because the conclusion to this particular story, gave the series something that few of us expected, a path to Earth and peace in the fleet at last, and of course...it made sure to accomplish this in tough and harrowing fashion. 

Because a majority of this episode took place on the harsh world that is Kobol and well, it's clear that Roslin's group is rattled from losing Elosha, allowing for Tom Zarek and his buddy Meier to plot behind the scenes. They want a direct line to the President for their own agenda and having Lee Adama out of the way would help that greatly, but unfortunately for Zarek, Commander Adama arrives to make peace with Roslin and does so...which poses a new problem for Tom...a united front between the Commander and the President all but ruins his agenda, and he forges an alliance through Meier with Caprica-Boomer to put the old man and his son down...something she has reason to do since her first meeting with the Commander resulted in him damn near choking the life out of her.  But in the end, when they all arrive at the tomb, this Boomer proves her loyalty by protecting father and son from Meier's treachery and since it was just Meier and Boomer talking behind the scenes, Zarek's machinations for power remain a secret.

But, the centerpiece of this episode, was mysticism come to life, because eventually some of the group makes their way into the Tomb of Athena and what they find...is extraordinary. As it turns out, the Arrow of Apollo does indeed have a little magic to it, because those within the tomb are 'transported' to a planet far away, where they discover the original symbols of the Twelve Colonies, reflected in the sky by their respective constellations. It leaves everyone confused since it doesn't provide an exact map to Earth and that's when Starbuck realizes they're standing on Earth and Apollo discovers that this strange planetarium provides them with a landmark, a nebula, off in the distance and undoubtedly that's a clue as to where to find the home of the Thirteenth Tribe and with this discovery in hand, the fleet is reunited at last and back on track to their new home.

However, the show wasn't quite done with bringing mysticism to life. A long standing question was answered as well in that, Baltar is not crazy, he is indeed speaking to an astral being of some sort and that being's predictions are slowly coming true, which means the ominous line that she is here to oversee the 'end of the human race' holds plenty of weight. But when all is said and done, this was simply a magnificent episode. It was so cool to see a path to Earth laid out at last and give the fleet and its people a sense of purpose and direction and it's equally as amazing for them to all know that the myths they grew up believing in are all coming true...at least we hope they are. Either way, the Galactica and the last remnant of mankind are on their way to the Lagoon Nebula (or Astral Body M8, as the Commander called it) and it should be interesting to find out what surprises await them along the way...until next time...

One particular element of storytelling that always turns out to be fascinating and downright enthralling, is the origin of a villain. After all, there's something extremely compelling about discovering the reasons as to why a particular person let the darker parts of their soul take over completely to the point where nothing will stop them from getting exactly what they want in this life and last night on Supergirl, we were privy to that exact journey because 'Distant Sun' is a story that gave birth to a brand new villain for the Girl of Steel to face off against. 

However, rather than do this in strict classic fashion, where say the villain has an encounter with the hero and feels slighted or betrayed before becoming evil and dedicating their future to making life hell for the hero, this time around the show found a way to honor that vintage style of creating a monster but added a new wrinkle to the fold, in that...our new baddie was a touch evil to begin with, this particular tale merely unleashed their long term potential and it made for quite the enthralling storyline because Kara is going to be in for one heck of a challenge in taking on the new villain in question...Queen Rhea of Daxam. 

Yes, as it turns out, Mon-El's mom is about as evil as it gets and I guess we should have seen this coming from the get go when it comes to this episode, because early on, things were certainly out of place when Kara found herself duking it out with a random alien who at first appeared to have come to National City to cause all kinds of trouble for no reason at all. But Kara was his target all along because someone, her majesty specifically, put out a lucrative bounty on Supergirl's head to get her away from Mon-El and despite the fact that Mommy vehemently denied being tied to the bounty, eventually one of the hunters that came to Earth to collect was more than happy to reveal the truth to Mon-El and Kara. 

It led to a confrontation where Supergirl hoped to talk some sense into dear old mom, but rather than chat and find a way to resolve the issue peacefully, Rhea broke out her Kryptonite blades and went after Kara, forcing Mon-El to finally acquiesce to her demands and offer to go back to Daxam to spare Kara's life. But Supergirl wasn't content to let her newfound love simply fade away into the night and in one incredible final battle, Mon-El was finally granted his freedom by his father. But...not quite content to let her son walk away, Rhea shocked us all by stabbing her husband for betraying her before declaring that she wasn't done with Earth just yet, and just like that...our new villain has been born and she will clearly stop at nothing to exact her revenge on Kara's new home...

When all is said and done however, this was truly an awesome origin story and credit is due to Director Kevin Smith for making this story work so well, but what really impressed me about this tale, is just how evil Rhea turned out to be. I mean come on, she put a hit out on her son's girlfriend, and had the guts to stab her husband for not honoring her wishes. It's clear that her life of privilege has warped her mind and with Daxam in tatters she truly sees no point in diplomacy or royalty anymore, she just wants what she wants and that makes her extremely dangerous since now...she has nothing to lose and who knows what kind of fury she is about to unleash upon the world, and sadly we will have to wait a little longer to see what evil plans she's drawing up because Supergirl is headed into its spring hiatus so mark your calendars for April 24th, because that's when the Wrath of Rhea, gets underway. Until next time.