​I’ve used the word ‘unconventional’ when it comes to Black Lightning over and over again when it comes to describing this show, simply because, it’s the only appropriate word to apply to this unique and magnificent series. It truly is unlike anything else out there superhero wise and as I settled in to watch the season one finale of this show, ‘Shadow of Death: The Book of War’, I couldn’t help but sit back and wonder what surprises storytelling wise were awaiting me in this one, and wouldn’t you know it? The season ended, as it started, by turning the superhero genre upside down once again.
 
Because season finales on superhero shows often times mean one thing, an action packed, rip roaring final hour of the year, wherein our hero and his arch nemesis face off in epic fashion before the hero emerges victorious and we move on a to a new plot and new villain in the season to follow. And while we did get plenty of action in this one, much of the norm was nowhere to be found here, take for example the fact that the first leg of the journey in this one, was a somber and reflective affair where Jefferson was still fighting for his life from the toxin that Khalil injected him with, to the point where he more or less made peace with his past for the time being before returning to the land of the living. 
 
Yet even then, the action was further delayed while Proctor and Tobias quietly planned out their own respective end games, giving the story time to flesh out the fact that Mister Whale brought Lala back from the dead for his own machinations, specifically to use him as a weapon against the ASA, and we also learned during this sequence of events that Proctor’s plan is to build an army of Meta Humans for who knows what, making him quite frankly, the bigger threat in this tale and thankfully, that threat was dealt with. Because when Proctor finally made his move on Gambi’s ranch, the action and adventure we crave came to light, but…the show still had a few more unconventional surprises up its sleeve.
 
Because for a brief moment, it seemed as though Tobias and his buddies were headed to the ranch as well, meaning that all important showdown was about to go down. But instead, such a thing never quite came to pass. Instead, Jefferson and the family defeated the ASA forces that tried to bring them in, and Tobias…well he did a solid for a change, by attacking the ASA’s black site facility, taking out all of Proctor’s men and putting the boss man on the run, allowing for Jefferson and his family, including Gambi, to deal with the man where it was revealed that Proctor’s push for a Meta Human army is a rogue operation, and despite his best efforts to make a deal, Martin Proctor’s pleas fell upon deaf ears and in shocking fashion, Peter is the one who ended this nightmare, by putting a pair of bullets into his former employer’s chest.
 
While that kind of resolution sounds pretty by the numbers at first, one must bear in mind that all the death of Proctor does, is resolve the ASA plot line. Because Tobias Whale is still out there, and in full possession of whatever Meta Human intel that Proctor had at his fingertips and that’s what I loved about this episode, the fact that Jefferson’s true nemesis is still waiting in the wings and come next year, there will be no distractions getting in the way. It will likely be Black Lightning going up against the man who killed his father and I’m certain the stories that come out of that, will be as unique and as powerful as this season’s turned out to be, and I’ll be there front and center to watch the second season of what is hands down, the finest superhero show on television right now. Until next year.      

​Murder is something that has always managed to fascinate mankind as a whole, simply because, it’s difficult for us to understand why we kill one another. It’s why there are so many fictional stories that examine murder, so that perhaps we can eventually come to figure out why people are willing to harm one another in such disgusting fashion, and oddly enough, what makes a killer tick and what drives them to end the lives of other human beings was explored in great detail in the second episode of Killing Eve, ‘I’ll Deal With Him Later’.
 
Because in this episode, we spent a lot of time getting to know Villanelle and what we learned about her, was downright chilling. For starters, we came to discover that she’s growing more confident by the day, to the point where she basically murders a man in plain sight, and the only reason she gets away with it this time, is courtesy of the apathy of others. But her overconfidence does get her in trouble with her employers to the point where she is subjected to a psych evaluation, something that was an unexpected surprise to say the least, since hey…who would have thought that hired serial killers need therapy? But I digress, because this little sequence helped to provide us with all kinds of insight into her mind.
 
Like the fact that death means nothing to her. It’s merely an act or a progression to everyday life and disturbing images also don’t phase her, and her apathy makes it clear she’s perfect for this kind of job. But if that doesn’t seem all that chilling, you would be correct. That’s merely the foundation for what’s going on in her mind, the scary stuff came after her boss man suspended her once he discovered that someone from her past named Anna still haunts her. Because once she was on her own and debating whether or not to sneak in another job despite her boss’ objections, she struggled with everyday life and we quickly came to discover that the only joy she can find in this world, is when she’s taking a life. 
 
That was never more evident than when she opted to execute the person her boss wanted to keep her from since she was suddenly alive and vibrant the instant she was able to watch her victim die slowly and well, learning all of this makes me nervous for Eve. Because her journey in this story consisted of her settling in at MI-6, off the books of course, to hunt down Villanelle and its obvious now that she is up against one formidable opponent and the odds may be against her, considering that someone is leaking intel, since her foe knows her name and I loved that this episode closed with both of these ladies becoming fully aware of the fact that they’ve come face to face with one another. 
 
If anything, I was thoroughly impressed with how the story truly dug into Villanelle’s psyche, to show us that in this case, pain, a desire to matter and exert power, and possibly partake in revenge, are what drives this young woman to kill since it’s different for so many and it really was a stroke of genius to take the time to explore what makes our villain tick and I love how complex she is and I also love that the story found ways to continue to pepper in its unique brand of black humor. Either way, this is just another brilliant entry in an already brilliant show and I’m expecting more fascinating storylines in the weeks to come, especially now that both sides have put a face to their respective foe. Until next time. 

​Normally, television shows with a pretty standard formula, only take the time to mix things up late in the season to spice up their storyline or to snag ratings on their way to the season finale. But not Timeless. No, this is a series that tells its story as it sees fit, and it will make any changes necessary in order for that to happen, and for proof, look no further than last night’s episode, ‘The Kennedy Curse’, since this particular tale managed to surprise all of us by addressing a few lingering storylines that have been hanging around all season long, and by telling us a story that defied the norms of this already unique series.
 
Of course, it didn’t seem that way at first. Because by opening up in 1934, wherein we were introduced to a young John Fitzgerald Kennedy at school shortly before trouble with Rittenhouse came to pass, it looked like business as usual for this show, but once the Lifeboat returned home, with future-President Kennedy in tow, it became obvious this one was going to be quite the special tale and my goodness it was through and through. Because I cannot think of any time travel story where a future leader of the free world played the role of a fish out of water, but this one featured such an idea since young John decided he wanted out of the bunker and found his way into our everyday world.
 
That concept made for some fascinating storytelling, since it forced one of the finest presidents this nation has ever known to survive in a world that was far more advanced than his own technologically and that…led to quite the complication when John finally had some downtime. Because thanks to a new friend, he was able to learn about his family’s storied history, and his own for that matter, and for a brief moment there, it seemed as though his future presidency was in jeopardy when he was confronted with losing his life. But, thankfully the team was able to inspire John to follow through with his destiny and Rufus even offered up a little information on how best for him to avoid his own assassination.
 
Unfortunately, that act still occurred, once again raising the question as to whether or not there are fixed moments in time that cannot be avoided, which could make Jiya’s visions far more terrifying as time goes on. And while the show only briefly touched on that lingering plot thread, it went full bore on the whole matter with Wyatt and Jessica, since she tagged along for this mission, and figured out that her husband has feelings for Lucy as well and despite giving them the opportunity to explore a future together, Lucy stepped in and saved Wyatt and Jess’ marriage, by pointing out how much the man had done to save his wife and well, this was a noble and heartbreaking twist to say the least. Because now we know just how much Lucy cares for Wyatt, and how far she will go to see him happy.
 
In the end however, this really was a damn good episode. I love the fact that the storyline took place in present day for a change. It really allowed for the show to stay dynamic and free of formula and I wonder if we will ever get the story of exactly how Flynn brought down the Rittenhouse operatives back in ’34 and speaking of those evil suckers…I have to admit that I’m curious as to what Carol’s end game is that this point. She could have killed Agent Christopher to send a message but the fact that she let her live and that she’s working so hard to keep Lucy safe makes one wonder exactly how evil she is at this point and I’m now curious as to whether or not she’s finally seeing the error of her ways. Or, she’s just selfish and wants her daughter around to go with all the perks that Rittenhouse has to offer. Time will tell I suppose…

​Last week, I lamented over the one great flaw that Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has continued to exhibit over the course of its five-year run, in that…it tends to suffer from inconsistency storytelling wise by tossing in a filler episode in the middle of a powerhouse run before resuming that amazing arc, and I make mention of that, simply because this pattern proved itself to be true once again. Because last night, ‘The Honeymoon’, brought us a magnificent episode, filled to the brim with quality moments, and a few surprises thrown into the mix for good measure as well.
 
Case in point, the long-awaited showdown between Daisy and Ruby. It’s something that last week’s teaser promised would be a big part of this episode, but really, it served as our first surprise of the night due to the fact that it was a brief but epic affair. If anything, that little face off wrapped up quickly so that far more important moments could take place. Like having Coulson and May exchange some words over his recklessness and carefree attitude toward death since there are others that care about Phil deeply, and he needs to take their feelings into consideration, and it was quite the stunner to hear May flat out tell Coulson that she loved him.
 
But there were other twists and turns waiting for us in this tale, like the fact that Fitz seems to be resigning himself to the whims of fate, and he may take others down with him with this kind of thinking. Because despite finding the machine that Hale has been waiting for Strucker to figure out, and making moves to disable it, by the end of the episode, the survival of
‘The Untouchables’ and the arrival of Ruby and Strucker truly has him believing that there is no hope to save the future, that all of this is playing out as it should and well, it was simply heartbreaking to see Fitz resign himself to a future that may not be set in stone.
 
As to how exactly Ruby and Strucker showed up at the device’s location, well that relates to the final surprise element of the night; the fact that this episode featured some devastating double crosses. After all, up until this point Ruby has been a resistant but obedient daughter but thanks to a little push from Strucker, she finally turned on her mom so that she can fulfill her destiny as Hydra’s ‘Chosen One’, and while that seems pretty by the numbers for Hydra, the devastation comes from the fact that Ruby may indeed become the horrible weapon that destroys the Earth after all and that was compounded by the other big double cross of the night, wherein we learned that Hale didn’t just keep General Talbot around solely for information, but also as an insurance policy.
 
Because Hale brainwashed and trained the man to do her bidding as a double agent, and as Talbot called his family to check in, he was activated…putting the Lighthouse and the team in danger. So, just like that, the series is back on track with its juicer plot to save the world and while it was full of ‘holy cow’ moments, I also appreciated the tender ones as well, including Daisy’s act of kindness toward Talbot in the hopes of helping him heal. Either way, the danger is growing minute by minute and at this point, I’m dying to know exactly how the heck the group is going to get out of this one, because the odds are starting to look insurmountable. Until next time. 

To say that war is hell, would be an understatement, but not for the obvious reasons. After all, everyone knows that lives are lost when two factions enter into that kind of conflict, but there are other complications that arise from such an act. There’s resistance from those who wish to see peace prevail and really, men and women of honor, who make the call to send soldiers into battle when they feel there is no other alternative, cannot sleep well at night knowing that they are sending human beings into harm’s way and it is this tougher and more cerebral side to war that was explored in depth in last night’s episode of Designated Survivor.
 
Because ‘Overkill’ picked up immediately where we left off last week, wherein Tom Kirkman had just ordered a massive military response against the Kunami regime for attacking the United States and wouldn’t you know it? What should have been a simple assault, quickly turned into a prolonged conflict. One that was supported by the American people, but one that began to concern Kirkman’s inner circle. Because without an end in sight to this war, the Administration’s goals would continue to take a back burner to the conflict and that was in fact a valid concern since the Emir of Kunami, dug in and refused to surrender without a golden parachute in hand. 
 
But while it was fascinating for the show to take into consideration how war can in essence, make a government stagnant, as always, it’s the character development that makes this series shine and once we got past the political implications, we got down to business as to how war can grind on the minds of those involved, and that was accomplished by way of Hannah and the President. In Hannah’s case, she saw this conflict as a chance to avenge John’s death, going so far as to put a gun in Greg Bowen’s face when she learned he was involved in this whole mess and that fury only grew more dangerous once she arrived in Kunami to work on finding a worthy successor to run to the country since she was free to take her rage out on any enemy solider that pointed a gun her way. 
 
As for Tom, well, it didn’t take long for the war effort to wear him down mentally. After all, he is a good man, one that believes in peace and compromise, so this definitely took him out of sorts, to the point where he questioned his own motives in ordering the strike, despite being told that his decision made sense and thankfully, trusting his gut eventually paid off in spades when it was discovered that the Kunami Ambassador was the true brains behind the attack and that the Emir, had chemical weapons ready for deployment in his country, meaning that Tom had done the world a great service and it was just lovely to once again see the gentler side to Tom pop back up in this episode, because it is something the series has sorely missed.
 
However, while it seems as though this episode was wrapped up in tidy fashion, once again the hacks have brought forth all kinds of trouble. Because our mysterious hacker tapped into the computer belonging to the president’s therapist, and leaked the doctor’s notes onto the web, which will likely raise all kinds of questions about Tom next week when it comes to his mental fitness. But what’s more disturbing, is that these hacks truly seem to be targeting Tom since they are either directed at him, or at places near him, indicating some form of revenge. But alas, it will be some time before we discover who is behind this and why they’re targeting Tom and it should be interesting to see how President Kirkman will deal with having his dirty psychological laundry aired out for all the nation to see. Until next time.

Regardless of what career field we choose in life, there is always going to be downtime, and ruts that we get into while on the clock. What matters more when those slow moments arrive, is how we handle them mentally. The wise thing to do is to find new ways to make our work day interesting. But some are simply content to let the mundane wash over them, and dream of a day when something new and exciting happens at the workplace and oddly enough, both of these elements are explored in fascinating fashion in the Pilot episode of the brand-new series on BBC America, Killing Eve.
 
It accomplished that, by introducing us to a woman named Eve Polastri who is quite frankly, bored to tears with her job. There’s simply nothing interesting happening in her workplace, which is ironic when one considers that she works for MI-5, a division of British Intelligence, but she goes about her day and lives her life like the rest of us, until a surprise drops into her lap. There’s been a violent murder in Vienna, one that is filled with suspicious circumstances and a phantom murderer and well, this ugly crime piques Eve’s curiosity in ways she never knew imaginable, and it prompts an incredible change in her personality.
 
Because suddenly, Eve can think of nothing but the case, to the point where she breaks protocol and starts her own independent investigation to prove that she’s right in her theory that the killer in question is a previously unknown female assassin and what she isn’t aware of yet, is that she’s one hundred percent right, and that this attempt to add a little excitement into her daily life is going to change her life forever and well…I’ll say it now, this series is downright brilliant. In part due to the fact that it’s a wonderfully fresh take on the spy genre since it’s filled to the brim with quirky and laugh out loud comedic moments, something you simply don’t find that often in stories such as these. But more importantly, what truly separates this tale from the rest of the spy pack, are the incredibly dynamic characters that inhabit this world.
 
For starters, I love that this story is filled with two strong female leads, and that they truly have their own identities. Eve really is a strong woman searching for something more in her career field, and she knows she’s capable of doing more for MI-5, and her boredom and desire are beautifully contrasted in this story by our killer, Villanelle, who knows she is the best at what she does, and finds new ways to keep her dream job as interesting and fun as possible and it’s just incredible to see both a hero and a villain with such depth in a genre that traditionally keeps things as two dimensional as possible.
 
But what matters most here, is that Killing Eve puts great care into its storytelling. Because it made use of every single minute of the hour it was on the air to tell its tale and that allowed for everything to be fleshed out to the fullest and Eve will eventually find out if this push for excitement will be filled with wonder or regret, because she is now up against a formidable opponent, one that knows how to blend in with ease and well, I’m hooked. I have to know how this story ends and I’ll be tuning in to enjoy a unique game of cat mouse that will likely continue to surprise the audience week in and week out. Until next time.

​If there is one superhero trope that no story from that particular genre can escape, it’s the hero’s darkest hour. You know what I’m talking about, that ugly moment where evil forces surround them, and everything seemingly begins to fall apart and honestly, it’s a trope that I’m glad sticks around. Because this is when we discover just what our hero is made of and thankfully, this is a traditional concept that Black Lightning completely and utterly embraced in last night’s episode; ‘The Resurrection and the Light: The Book of Pain’.
 
Because this particular tale just so happened to be a tense and enthralling affair, where we did indeed see evil do its best to close in on Black Lighting in incredible fashion since we learned in this tale, that Tobias Whale is associated with the ASA, and he’s been getting quality health care from them during all this time and the price he has to pay for his accelerated healing is to bring Jefferson to Martin Proctor alive so that they can study him to allow for more meta humans to exist so the ASA can use them as they see fit, and Proctor being the ‘fine gentleman’ that he is, offered Tobias a little help by way of a transformed Khalil. 
 
In fact, the ASA gave Khalil the use of his legs back with some revolutionary technology and it didn’t take long for the young man to make waves in Freeland, taunting Jefferson when the two crossed paths on the street and Khalil even went so far as to contact Jennifer and send anger her way as well once she started asking questions about his recovery and in all honestly, this segment of the story was downright fascinating since it demonstrated just how much Khalil has embraced the darkness that Tobias encouraged in him and also because, this is the first time we’ve seen Jefferson truly rattled by external forces because he did not have a clue how to process this young man’s fall from grace.
 
But, the centerpiece of the night was when Jefferson’s world came crumbling down. Because all the posturing from Khalil was merely a harbinger of things to come and in order to capture Black Lightning per their orders, Tobias and Khalil went after one of the things that Jefferson holds most dear…Garfield High, and in a stunning sequence of events, Khalil attacked the school and its students, trashing the place and luring Jefferson into action where he and Tobias and Khalil enjoyed a little hand to hand combat wherein for a brief moment…our hero died. But thanks to Jennifer’s incredible powers she was able to resuscitate her father, so that he can fight another day…
 
However, despite the relief of knowing that Jefferson is okay, the damage in this episode is done. Garfield High is no longer a safe place, our hero is hurt, and evil forces are still waiting in the wings to capture him and a day after this episode, I’m still working to catch my breath over how intense this tale turned out to be. It was simply breathtaking, and it works thanks to the quality performances on display and it served as a wonderful setup for the season one finale, because the only way Jefferson and his family can enjoy peace and safety is if the ASA and Tobias Whale are defeated and there’s no doubt in my mind that a final showdown is what awaits us during the finale. Until next time. 

​While I may be new to the Timeless universe and fandom, I’m quickly learning one important thing about the series, in that it doesn’t shy away from telling a bold story. It will challenge its audience, and wow it every chance that it gets and for proof, look no further than the ending of the last episode. Because it shattered the joy we experienced over Wyatt and Lucy finally becoming a thing with the revelation that Jessica is alive and well, and to top it off, Flynn, a man they can barely trust, is now the Time Trio’s roommate.
 
All those surprises left me wondering what other jaw dropping treats would be in store for this week, and as it turns out, ‘The Salem Witch Hunt’ once again challenged us by not only kind of/sort of addressing the matters I just made mention of, but by also dropping a few new surprises into our laps. Like the fact that this season might be focused heavily on a temporal paradox, which will be explored by way of Jiya’s premonitions. Because in this tale, she told Rufus about her visions, and how one of them involved him putting down someone in colonial garb and while Rufus laughed that off at first, the warning siren eventually gave him pause.
 
Because the Mothership traveled back to 1692, in the midst of the Salem Witch Trials, which is of course colonial America and that made Rufus wonder if by chance Jiya was on to something. But before he could ponder further on that, he was forced to deal with a tough decision made by Lucy, in that, they were taking Flynn with them to this era since Wyatt was dealing with the whole Jessica mess and while it was awesome to see this time frame play out on screen, it was more chilling to see that despite having knowledge of his own future, Rufus was unable to ensure that the safety of the man he was supposed to kill, leaving me to wonder what kind of crazy temporal causality loop the group has somehow set in motion.
 
In fact, this episode hinted heavily that the timeline changes that both sides are taking part in are causing all kinds of trouble. But, before I let my mind wander too much on that, there is the matter of Lucy and Wyatt and Jessica, because Jess’ return more or less shattered the blossoming relationship we’ve all been waiting for and in all honesty, I’m wondering exactly why Jessica was spared from death by Rittenhouse. It’s something my buddy Matt and I were talking about via text watching this one because he posed the possibility that she might be an agent for them, and I’m pondering on the possibility that her sheer presence in this timeline…is to rattle Wyatt enough to split up the group, and I guess time will tell when it comes to this matter.
 
But what I enjoyed most about this episode, is its subtlety. Because the more I ponder on this tale, the more I come to realize that all of the twists and turns we discussed today are part of a grand set up for plot lines that will likely be filled with consequences and harrowing moments, and I’m dying to know how they will manage to play out in the weeks to come. Either way, this was just another magnificent episode, and I love that Nicholas Keynes is getting more wicked by the day and at this point, the only redeeming value this man has is that he enjoys Tacos, but the fact that he’s ready to murder his great granddaughter without an inkling of thought, overshadows even that. Until next time. 

Over the course of its illustrious five-year run, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. really has grown when it comes to storytelling, and that’s largely due in part to the fact that it has slowly separated itself from becoming a tie-in series for what’s happening in the overall MCU to tell its own unique stories and we’ve enjoyed some incredible seasons and moments because of this. However, while there is a lot to like about this series, inconsistency continues to find its way into the overall story from time to time and that’s unfortunate to say the least.
 
Because those ‘off’ moments take you out of the story briefly, and unfortunately, last night’s episode, ‘Inside Voices’, qualifies as one of those inconsistent stories. Because, after weeks of tense tales, ones that managed to move the audience and wow us with incredible and stunning moments, we were more or less treated to fluff last night and well, I don’t want to turn this recap into an angry fanboy diatribe about how the show HAS to do better, because I get it. Twenty-two episodes is a boatload of scripts to write, direct and produce and it’s certainly impossible to make every single one of those tales flawless in their own right.
 
But this tale, well it frustrated me simply because it was in essence the combo breaker to one hell of a hot streak. We’ve been deeply moved by this series as of late thanks to some powerful moments and revelations, so to see filler come about definitely gave me pause. But, while it may not have vaulted the plot forward by any leaps and bounds, it did feature some cool moments, like the prison break from the Hydra facility for instance, since that sequence of events allowed for Carl Creel to shine as a hero for a change and it allowed for Ruby to showcase just how wicked she can be and let’s be honest, the fight between Creel and Ruby was pretty badass.
 
Plus, the entire dynamic between Robin and May was pretty interesting, since Robin has apparently seen her own death, and has already accepted May as her mother and it was fascinating to see the young prophet’s biological mother be so accepting of the fact that she may die in the weeks to come and be so at peace with it, and I definitely appreciated the boldness that the ‘Invincible Three’ exhibited this week as well. In fact, Jemma’s plan to break Fitz out of his cell was about as bold as it gets and thanks to her, they’re now on the trail to find the superweapon that Hydra is desperate to deploy.
 
In the end however, that’s really all there is there to discuss about this episode. There were no major developments when it comes to the plot, just some action and adventure and some setup for next week since clearly, we’re going to spend a lot of time in the frozen tundra with Talbot and Coulson as they work to find their way to safety. I just hope that next week gets the story back on track and that more wonderful moments await us, because this series has proven, time and time again that it can be one of the finest comic book/superhero shows out there. Until next time.

Over the past ten years or so, I’ve taken notice of the fact that season finales on television try to be as epic as possible. They want to wow us with incredible moments and juicy cliffhangers and I honestly attribute this surge in big time finales to Battlestar Galactica. Because every season finale of this show featured those two key elements and one of the biggest and sweeping finales that the series ever brought to the table happened at the end of season three in ‘Crossroads (Part 2)’.
 
I say that, simply because every single second of this particular finale found a way to not only captivate us, but outright shock us and the first big moment of this tale, came about by way of Baltar’s trial, since the defense, despite notching up a couple of solid victories in the last episode, came to realize that their case was doomed regardless, thanks to the bias present in the courtroom toward Gaius Baltar. And that harsh reality was hammered home when Lieutenant Gaeta straight up lied on the stand in order to keep Baltar in hot water by claiming that there was zero resistance from the former president when the time came to deal with that ugly execution order.
 
This led to a bold move from Lampkin, who asked for a Mistrial as Lee suggested, on the grounds of that very bias, and that allowed for Lee to take the stand to discuss what his dad said about Baltar and that’s when the real surprise arrived. Because Lee spoke from the heart while on the stand and pointed out the hypocrisy in the fleet in that, it’s okay to forgive others for their mistakes since this group is all that is left of mankind, but not Baltar. No, because he’s not brave enough or strong enough, he has to be punished and well, it’s a speech that stunned the fleet and had an impact on the judges as well. 

​For when the time came to read the verdict, the judges shocked everyone and acquitted Gaius of any wrongdoing and while he soaked up the wonder of being set free, the joy only lasted for a short while. Because Baltar quickly learned that being found ‘not guilty’ doesn’t keep others from changing their opinion about you, and now he’s in hiding with a mysterious group that seems to worship him since others flat out want him dead. But with the case out of the way, the time came at last for the fleet to jump to the Ionian Nebula and that moment yielded our second big surprise of the story, since it was here that Tyrol, Tigh, Anders and Tory came to realize that the song they have been hearing is a signal to remind them, that they are in fact, four of the Final Five Cylon models and well, this moment was still stunning after all these years.
 
Because regardless of the wonders we have seen them accomplish through the years, this revelation made them unpredictable and untrustworthy when this episode originally aired and I love that they had little time to process this shocker since the fleet also came under attack from the Cylons, forcing everyone to step into their standard roles despite this discovery and that attack led to the final surprise in this story, in that…Starbuck is apparently alive and well, and she knows the road to Earth, and that beautiful shot where we traverse the galaxy with a vastly different iteration of ‘All Along the Watchtower’ playing, before we finally see Earth at last, sent chills down my spine…
 
If anything, I needed a moment after this episode to process the emotional rollercoaster this episode was able to take me on once again and really, I thoroughly enjoyed how this tale built the tension from the get go, allowing for every twist and turn to build to a crescendo in those final minutes and well, that’s how you end a season ladies and gents. But what matters more, is the sheer fact that this finale reminded me that the end of the journey is drawing near because only one season remains of this incredible show, and while I cannot wait to dive into season four, I think it’s time for a slight break to prepare myself for what I remember to be a magnificent and powerful final season for one of the finest science fiction shows to ever grace the small screen. Until next time.