When we last left the Kirkman Administration on Designated Survivor, the situation was grim. Because despite being able to broker an incredible peace treaty between a pair of shattered nations, intelligence pointed toward a Dirty Bomb hiding somewhere on U.S. soil, which meant that this week’s episode, ‘Fallout’, was most certainly going to focus on the hunt for that bomb and while we were indeed treated to a frenzied search for this troublesome device, this episode had far more to offer than a mere game of cat and mouse, it produced what could be considered as Tom Kirkman’s boldest move to date as President of the United States.
 
However, before we get to that part of the story, let’s take a moment and discuss just how intense this particular tale turned out to be. Because the hunt for the Dirty Bomb was a breathtaking affair, with every single agency doing their best to find it quickly, and that meant bending the rules a bit by using some seriously smart technology to figure out who is behind this mess and where the bomb might be and well, this part of the story actually managed to toy with us for a little bit because in all honesty, while breathtaking it felt rather by the numbers and quite frankly, there was a reason for that…to lull us into a false sense of security.
 
Because eventually it seemed as though the FBI diffused the situation, and life could return to normal in D.C., allowing for the President to happily travel about town, make peace with Director Forestell and there were even lulls in the hunt that allowed for the story to examine Emily’s desire to bring charges against President Moss for his actions, and how tough that will be since she obtained the information about the leak illegally, and just when it seemed as though everything was safe in D.C. once again, the big surprise arrived. The Dirty Bomb was still out there, hidden inside the Subway and despite Forestell’s best efforts to get his agents clear of the potential blast zone, the bomb went off, killing the Director of the FBI in the blast as well. 
 
This was, a stunning development to say the least, because it was the first major act of terror to happen under Kirkman’s watch and while it seemed at first that Chairman Kim had to be responsible, a little digging brought a familiar country’s name to the table; Kunami, the same nation that Kirkman squared off with earlier this season when the U.S.S. Verona was disabled off the coast of that nation. And their name came up, because they were responsible for everything revolving around this particular attack and Tom’s response to the matter was simple; hit them back and hit them hard, and without any warning to members of Congress or our allies, President Kirkman took the nation to war…
 
So, yeah. The only word to describe this episode is, wow, because it ended up being filled to the brim with some seriously shocking moments. I mean come on, the bomb went off after all, and Kirkman opened fire on Kunami and that’s really about as epic as it can get for an episode of this show. Especially when one considers that Tom has always tried the peaceful solution, but clearly an attack such as this, crosses the line for the president and puts an end to any goodwill within his heart. Either way, this was one wild episode, and it’s strange to know that next week we are a nation at war and regardless of how the conflict ends, there are other issues waiting in the wings to be resolved, like Emily’s leak to the press and well, I’ll be counting down the minutes until next week’s episode to see how these ugly issues play out. Until next time.  

​If there is one thing I’ve always appreciated about Battlestar Galactica, it’s the sheer fact that the series always took the time to bring just about every single storyline and idea that it posed to an epic and satisfying conclusion every single season it was on the air. From the double agent storyline in season one, to the discovery of the Battlestar Pegasus, the series found new ways to drop our jaws in surprise and season three was definitely no exception to that rule. Because the first half of the season three finale, ‘Crossroads (Part 1)’ started to resolve something that’s been hanging over this season for some time now, the trial of Gaius Baltar.
 
Yes, after weeks of discussions and buildup, the moment finally arrived where the former president would face the music for everything awful that happened on New Caprica and in classic BSG fashion, nothing went by the book in the slightest. Because a trial that should have felt satisfying through and through, turned out to be a morality tale, one that dragged the audience into the muck as well as Romo Lampkin posed some important questions about his client. Specifically, what choice did Baltar have with mankind’s greatest enemy pointing a gun at his head and more importantly, how on earth will he receive a fair trial with the fleet hating this man to no end.
 
It’s a point that the defense was able to hammer home by way of Colonel Tigh’s disastrous testimony since Tigh was drunk and confrontational and everything he said about his time and actions on New Caprica related to Baltar being his target and to top it off, he flat out admitted to the fact that he would say and do anything to see Baltar burn. And to make matters worse, Lee jumped in to help the cause after his father dressed him down once again and his keen eye helped to discredit President Roslin’s testimony when he forced her to admit that she was using Chamalla once again since her cancer had returned and well, any way you slice it, the trial has been a disaster for the prosecution thus far and I hate it to say it, Lampkin is right. Baltar may not be the nicest guy in the galaxy, but what choice did he have?
 
However, this episode wasn’t content to just focus upon courtroom drama, since this tale also brought the Cylons back into the fold since we found out they are indeed following the fleet at a great distance and it resurrected the whole plot thread involving the Final Five Cylons. Because the president is dreaming of the mysterious Opera House and Boomer is present in those dreams as well, and it’s an odd coincidence that as these dreams present themselves to Laura, that Anders, Tigh and Tory are the only people that are starting to hear strange music playing and while I know what all of this means, this strange little twist still manages to build some incredible anticipation years after I watched this episode the first time around. 
 
But that’s simply due to the fact that this is a magnificent setup for the second part of the season three finale. Because this episode was gripping, and every single moment in the courtroom was thrilling, and this strange music and the plan to lure the Cylons away from the Ionian Nebula only builds the tension further and the fact that this one ended on one hell of a cliffhanger, well it just motivates me further to go ahead and hit play on my remote, so I can enjoy the wild and stunning ride that is ‘Crossroads (Part 2)’…until next time. 

When it comes to superhero stories, in print or on television, taking down a superhero often involves a pretty standard plan. You merely need someone nefarious to figure out their weakness or their secret identity and exploit that to the fullest and when that happens in the story, we are often treated to a heartbreaking affair where we watch the hero’s world collapse around them because at long last, the bad guys can claim victory. Unless of course the story in question is Black Lightning, since this particular saga, has no qualms about telling a superhero tale that is outside the norm.
 
Take for example, last night’s episode, ‘Black Jesus: The Book of Crucifixion’, which at first glance appeared to be a by the numbers episode for taking down a superhero. Because it was in this tale, that the ASA finally made their move on Jefferson Pierce, utilizing the dirty cops in the Freeland Police Department and a B.S. search warrant to plant evidence in Jefferson’s desk and car so they could haul him in for questioning and I have to admit, this was a tough part of the show to watch. In part because it was infuriating to watch Jefferson go through such indignity, but also because, this just seemed like it was an easy way out for the series.
 
Because we have come to expect the unexpected with this series, so to see a formulaic plan to bring down Jefferson start to play out was quite disappointing at first, until the show did what it does best and changed things up, and there were actually some incredible positives to come out of this harrowing moment, since no one was letting Jefferson or Black Lightning go out in easy fashion. Gambi for example, found a way to confuse the ASA and make them doubt that they had Black Lightning in custody, by creating a hologram that placed him in a public place, so that the news cameras could see visual evidence that Freeland’s hero was still doing his thing around the city, and while that was awesome and inventive, what mattered more in this episode, is that a new hero finally stepped into the light.
 
After all, for some time now we’ve been wondering when exactly Inspector Henderson will step up and do something about the corruption that runs rampant in his department and well, it turns out that last night was his time to shine. Because seeing Jefferson be taken down on stupid charges was more than he could bear and he finally pulled the trigger on dealing with the dirty cops that helped bring Jefferson in and his efforts paid off in spades, since he was able to get both of them off of the force and for his efforts, Henderson received a promotion to Deputy Chief, giving him a solid opportunity to do some good in both the community and within the police force, and most important of all, he helped set Jefferson free.
 
You really can’t ask for a happier ending than that when all is said and done, and it was only further enhanced by the fact that Jefferson and Gambi have made peace for the time being and while it was nice to bask in a little joy after such a dark beginning to this tale, I think we all know that the good times simply won’t last. The ASA is still out there, Miss Fowdy is still a traitor and of course, Lala and Tobias are still waiting in the wings. Either way, this was just another great episode, and I love the fact that our ‘takedown’ moment was true to the spirit of the series and that they got it out of the way now, since I’m fairly certain some big-time showdowns await us since there are only two episodes left in the first season of this magnificent show. Until next time.  

​When it comes to losing someone in our lives, it’s important to note that people grieve in their own respective ways. Some people confront their pain head on in the hopes of moving on quickly, while others bury themselves in work or a hobby to sort through their pain, and some people, simply wear their heart upon their sleeves and struggle as the pain shatters them to their core. That matters because, none of those methods are wrong in the slightest, yet, people sometimes feel compelled to offer their two cents on how others should recover and that quite frankly, is rude…and risky.
 
Because it can make someone feel like a failure when they are told they need to ‘suck it up and deal’ with their respective pain, and if someone close to them has the nerve to say something that bold, it can damage a relationship or push people away and it just so happens that all of this was explored in the next episode of Battlestar Galactica, because ‘The Son Also Rises’ put grief front and center in this tale since everyone aboard the ship was dealing with the loss of Starbuck. And, oddly enough, two of the examples I made mention of a moment ago were featured in this story as well. Because while the Admiral let his duty as the fleet’s commander help heal his heart, his son was struggling mightily with the loss of dear Kara.
 
In fact, it came to the point where Lee outright called Racetrack, Starbuck, in the middle of a briefing and Lee’s struggle to cope, combined with the assassination of Baltar’s lawyer, prompted the Admiral to reassign Lee to the new attorney’s security detail, all in the hopes of focusing Lee by way of a simpler task and well, that gambit did not pay off. Because the new lawyer, a man named Romo Lampkin, kept Lee on his toes, something he simply wasn’t ready for and because of this, another assassination attempt was nearly successful, once again putting Lee in the crosshairs of his father, and dear old dad continued to challenge his son’s mental fitness and push for him to get his act together and that turned out to be a poor choice on the Admiral’s part.
 
Because Kara’s death more or less left Lee questioning everything about his life, leaving him listless and confused and without purpose, and unfortunately for the Admiral, spending time with Lampkin gave Lee the opportunity to explore and embrace law, something he had always flirted with as a boy, and when given the choice to return to the flight deck as Galactica’s CAG, he chose to stick with the law, much to his father’s disdain. But the key here, is that Lee was in essence, mocked and pushed when it came to his grief, since his dad more or less decided how best for Lee to cope with his pain and he ended up pushing his son away once again in the process and well, all of this was downright brilliant.
 
Because often times in television land, when a character is faced with grief and loss, they work through it quickly and we’re off to the next story. So, to see both of those hardships presented in realistic fashion was refreshing to say the least and I appreciate the fact that it didn’t pull any punches in showing just how much this stuff can impact our day to day lives. Plus, it’s clear now that the Admiral’s attempt to have his son deal with such matters the same way he does will have an adverse effect on their relationship going forward. But in the here and the now, we’ve arrived at the end of season three, and with it comes the trial of the century, and a big surprise, so if you’ll excuse me…it’s time to hit play on the remote and indulge in the next episode. Until next time.