Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 306 of ‘Hightown’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.
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It is definitely safe to say, that the third and final season of the brilliant and hit STARZ series, Hightown, has been nothing short of a masterclass examination regarding the human condition. Specifically, how causality is something that none of us can escape from, and how the consequences of our actions put us at quite the crossroads. Wherein we must decide to either change course and be free of the ugliness we’ve created or sit within the hellscape we’ve created and find peace there and well… what’s amazing is that it still has more to explore and say regarding this, as evidenced by this week’s brilliant episode of the show.

For ‘Chekov’s Gun’ did something that not every show does when it holds up a mirror to who we are. In that, it took the time to look at the benefits of our decision if there are of course any, and what choosing that hellscape path can transform us into. Which made for some powerful television, the kind that took us on an emotional rollercoaster. For instance, Osito’s storylines brought thrills and benefits galore. Since he and Charmaine’s teaming up allowed for them to carefully maneuver their way back into the game. Giving Osito the second chance he’s craved at being the sole owner of the Cape when it comes to the drug trade, because he didn’t give up. Granted, his goal is awful in nature, but there is something to glean from his determination.

Which is a storyline that was deeply contrasted by Ray and Renee’s journey. Because their choice to hold to one another and their toxic traits brought some ugly changes come to bear. All of which came to fruition by a series of downers for this couple. Largely thanks to the work of one Sergeant Alan Saintille. Because he was hellbent on solving Jorge’s case, to the point where even Frankie was basically offering to help out on the matter, and while Frankie played Private Investigator, the heat was turned up on Renee. For Alan dropped by her work to look for physical evidence, rattling her and leaving her worried about what was to come next, and even Ray found himself pushed to the limit in this particular tale.

Because not only did he have to break it off with Sarah and endure embarrassment over her having the same aloof attitude toward sex as he, but she nearly lost her life when an attempt to bring in Owen went sideways during a traffic stop. Because Owen sniffed out that she was a cop, and plugged her and plugged the other officer, who did die in the line of duty. And while Owen was handled by his uncle Shane, the damage was done. Ray tasted failure again and then came to learn that Alan found the cleaner through Frankie’s intense investigative work. Leaving he and Renee in a dark place, one of their own creation… and one… that prompted a deeper journey into darkness. Since Ray crossed the ultimate line and agreed to side with the bad guys in the name of love and toxicity, helping us to understand that life ahead when we choose the hellscape, is downright awful.
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However, not all the storylines about what comes next when we choose were grounded in dubious and dark truths. For once again, Jackie Quiñones demonstrated what good can come from choosing the right path. Because this whole episode, she was sharp and on point and almost brought in Owen with her quick thinking and great skills, and once that handled itself, she was able to dig back into Petey’s case and the other murders and that brought her to quite the surprise. In that, she needed more help from Detective Dolan down Fall Brook way to piece more of this together and while in his home, she came to realize… this detective had also made some poor choices and embraced the darkness, since he had the bayonet that Petey took as payment, giving rise to some worry about Jackie’s safety.

After all, clearly the detective is guilty for a lot of crimes, and showed no eagerness at being discovered. But nobody messes with Jackie Quiñones and gets away with it, and more importantly, her choice to be sober, and be better… helped her to possibly find quite the monster. A lesson that very easily speaks for itself via an episode that was indeed as brilliant as advertised. Because it explored a lot about who we become when it comes to causality and now… the stage is set for the finale. Where Ray and Renee will likely have one last chance to find redemption and where Jackie can lean into being a hero and with Alan at her side… might finally be able to bring some peace and harmony to the Cape, and it will be interesting to see how all of this comes together when Hightown conducts its curtain call… come next week. Until then.

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the Season One Finale of ‘In the Know’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.
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It really is quite fascinating how Thanksgiving is currently viewed in society. For there are folks that now lament it, due to the fact that it has become less about giving thanks and more about fueling up to beat the crap out of someone over a doorbuster sale on Black Friday. And they also find disdain for the holiday because of the fact that it does have some respect issues when it comes to the Indigenous Americans that suffered around the time of the first Thanksgiving. Giving rise to an interesting crossroads for the holiday. One that has us wondering what its long-term fate will be since those concerns loom large in America.

But regardless of those perspectives, there is still merit to this holiday. Because at its core, it is supposed to be about unity, togetherness and being grateful for what we have in this life, and we can still find that and embrace it, provided we take part in a simple act during the holiday. One that was put on display in the season one finale of In the Know on Peacock. For ‘Thinksgiving’ took place on that all-important day. Wherein Lauren, and his son Eric, dropped by the office to say hello to everyone before Lauren’s turkey day agenda kicked into overdrive, and well… after a tiny window viewing of the Macy’s parade, Lauren’s plans went awry. Simply because Eric didn’t really want to follow Lauren’s agenda, he wanted… to get to know the team.

A reality that shocked Lauren to no end. For this was his special time with his son, and Eric’s actions just did not make sense to him. But it made sense to everyone else, simply because Lauren didn’t understand the meaning of the holiday, of what it could do, and he doubled down on his understanding of Thanksgiving. All by having Eric sit in with Carl while Lauren conducted a favor interview with the one, the only, Hugh Laurie. Which was rough to say the least, but that too… didn’t impress Eric in the slightest. Because he wanted what everyone else wanted, a holiday full of sharing and unity and care for one another instead of ideas and disdain and well… it took the most surprising person to point that out to our intrepid host.

Because while Lauren was trying to impress his son instead of relating to him, Fabian was going through her own difficult day. Because we came to learn here that Fabian, whose actual name was Ashley, harbored a persona that was nothing more than a ruse. One that she hoped would bring about closeness and awe and instead… brought about distance and walls, and we also learned… she was big on Thanksgiving and the joy it brought her and her family. But she too, rejected the core of the holiday, of what it can do for us and realizing that… prompted her to express to Lauren what they were both doing wrong, and how perhaps, for today at least… they should forget the nonsense and just embrace unity. 

Which gave rise to a moment of bonding between father and son, and bonding between the team. Because it was Thanksgiving, and by accepting the core element of this holiday, everyone enjoyed a wonderful time and perhaps… set down the foundation for the future in the office. One where there’s a little less edge and little more comfort and camaraderie, and hopefully, Peacock grants this unique and lovely, and very funny series a second season. So, we can see that growth and laugh some more and enjoy a series that really is refreshing and engaging, because television can always use more of that. But while we wait, we can revel in one delightful finale, one that had a lot of heart, a lot of laughs and a fine reminder of what matters most in our lives. Until next time.  

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode Eight of ‘The Irrational’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.
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If there one particular truth we want to know about ourselves, it would have to be… how we are doing when we are healing, emotionally. Because unlike our physical wounds, there is no clear way to know how we are mending, since there are no stitches for the soul, nor are there any bandages to change. We just chug along, do the work as best we can and hope we have indeed done enough to find peace and move forward in this life. But while there is no perfect path or clear-cut way to know if we are indeed being put back together, there are some ways to gauge our healing journey.

Specifically, sometimes it helps to straight up face that which wounded us, to see our response. Because that will indeed help us to gauge the pain and well, that particular watermark for healing is top of mind today, simply because it showed up in the next episode of The Irrational on NBC. A feat that ‘Scorched Earth’ accomplished by having Alec drop by the burn ward at the nearby hospital, the one that helped nurse him back to health, to speak with a young woman that recently suffered through a fire in an empty house, in the hopes of giving her faith that tomorrow will indeed be better. But instead, the chat that she and Alec had, flagged an outright crime, one bad enough to be Federal and sadly, the ensuing investigation brought about some tragedy.

Because the deeper Marisa and Alec dug into the case, the more it became clear that a broken family member who was hoping for a big insurance payout from her deceased father’s estate, was disappointed when she learned the family was going to get a small one, and of course… her siblings intended to fight over those scraps. So, she felt that no one deserved a dime and burned it all down, quite literally. With that poor soul inside her father’s house, and to cover her tracks… she went ten steps further. By working with a local unhoused man that had a love of fire, to set more before taking him down for good. But alas, she wasn’t prepared for Alec’s observational skills and outright wit, and that forced her to try and burn him to death as well when he got too close, and that… brought forth the lesson in question.

For Alec has not faced that kind of terror since the day that bomb went off next to him. He’s been healing all this time, both emotionally and physically, and he really did not have a gauge on the latter, until there were flames surrounding him, and then did he learn… he had made progress. He had indeed faced some of the darkness and found some healing but needed to do a little more. Which really was the only positive to come out of that crime spree, one that ended after Alec escaped, and truly… it was fascinating to see this play out. In large part because of what it taught Alec about his healing journey. But also because, it reminded us that… we always believe we will never face our worst traumas again, when in fact, we likely will. For the universe tests us, brings moments full circle and those aren’t punishments, but true gauges and now that Alec has his, he knows what to do next.

Which could not have come at a better time. Because thanks to more fine work from Jace while Marisa was handling this nasty little case, Mathias was confirmed as the solo brains behind the bombing that wounded Alec in the first place. And well, that revelation and everything that came before it, made for one amazing tale. Simply because it was brilliant to have Alec face his past, in the most non-traditional sense possible. For so many other stories do that to either force growth in an unhealthy manner or via irony and/or Deus ex machina. But here, it was all about healthy aspects of facing that which haunts us, and that’s what we need more of on television and well, it will be interesting to see… how Alec handles full immersion into an event he’s only partially healed from emotionally, as the hunt for Mathias gets underway. Until next time.

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode Seven of ‘Masters of the Air’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.
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We have been taught through popular media, that in war, suffering ebbs and flows. As though there is an honor to combat, one that the enemy and the good guys adhere to, and there is of course… historical precedence to back that. The peace on earth moment that everyone in the First World War shared for example. Where bigger moments prevailed if only for a small slice of time in the midst of the chaos. But sadly, those thoughts and that particular presentation are not necessarily true in matters of war. Because after all, this is war, a fight to be superior and make one’s ideology the top of all things… and more often than not, the suffering simply continued.

A truth that was put on display in the next episode of Masters of the Air on Apple TV+. For the seventh chapter in this saga put more constant suffering on display, courtesy of two fascinating storylines, one of which involved Majors Egan and Cleven. For they were settled into POW life in their Luftwaffe run Stalag and while at first it seemed they were getting better treatment than most Prisoners of War, since their commandant was sympathetic to the pilot’s cause, life wasn’t easy. In fact, it was full of suffering. Just because, their diet was consistent of nothing more than potatoes and turnips, and that prompted the men to restore to some interesting choices to make their meals a little heartier than the usual fare and of course… there were dangers to be found here.

After all, this was the heart of Germany, a place where that hideous flag was everywhere to be found and since the enemy was in the midst of ‘home’, accidents happened often. The kind that saw tingles of cruelty and tingles of fury. Giving rise to talk about escape and attempts to feel something more than malaise and worry. Through hidden radios and devices to keep an ear on the war front, and well… it was only a matter of time before the tension in this place boiled over and it most certainly did. Courtesy of a massive escape that was orchestrated by members of the Royal Air Force, for it put the Stalag on the map and prompted a regime change and a terrifying threat. In that, the USAF had to hand over its Jewish members, or come under the rule of the SS and the Gestapo. Adding real worry to the future of the men in this place, while offering up a fine reminder of why we fought this war.  

Yet, while that was terrifying enough, there was still more suffering and sorrow to be found in this story. Because the string of success back in England, prompted the brass to order mission after mission for the 100th and all bombing wings, period. In fact, the successes were so broad and so sweeping… the 100th was finding its way over Berlin and dropping bombs on lil’ Dolphy’s doorstep. But this came at great cost. For planes were falling from the skies, and crews were still disappearing in the process and the new guys were all but an afterthought. Giving rise to real fear and real frustration at base. The kind where the men did everything and anything to find peace in their souls, if only for a little while. A move that left us wondering, when would the pain stop? When would the tide turn?
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Well as it turned out, that all related to Rosie. For he and his team were finally at their 25th, and had the chance to go home, and thanks to a smooth bombing run over Berlin, one that finally saw real help in the skies thanks to the new P-51 Mustangs that were in service, 25 took place and Rosie… could go home a hero. But hearing that the tour number was being upped mid battle and seeing how hard these missions were on the other men, prompted Rosie to re-up his time in the Air Force. To be the leader the men needed and to see this through, and well… his return to the 100th and his promotion revealed that the hope his heroism brought to the table would come with a slight price. In that, the bombing runs would only get harder and would continue to go deep into Germany. Because the bombers and the P-51 wings would work together… to draw out the Luftwaffe and end it, no matter the price. For with the German Air Force in tatters… the invasion of Europe could begin.

Which means… we are close now to the Day of Days. That grand moment when America and the Allies landed at the beaches of Normandy on June 6, 1944, and turned the tide of the war. Giving rise to a strange crossover ahead since Easy Company was in the air at the same time as the 100th no doubt. But while we wait to learn about how the 100th was involved in that all-important campaign, we can celebrate another powerful tale. One that continued to speak to the dark days that preceded the moments we champion and focus upon, and that it took real guts to keep doing what these men did. To wake up and resist in those camps, and to fly those missions non-stop and hopefully now… these men start seeing the fruits of the labor in the days ahead. Now that the Allies are about to set foot upon Fortress Europe. Until next time.