The more time I’ve had to think about season two of Star Trek: Discovery, the more I’ve come to realize that it has been quite the complex and challenging season for the crew of this intrepid vessel. For they have faced off against impossible odds since Control made its intentions clear and that’s led to a few unique storytelling moments for this particular entry in this proud franchise. Because normally, there’s always a way out for a Starfleet crew when presented with insurmountable challenges, but here, everything has been a massive Kobayashi Maru test for the crew, and at every turn a terrible fate awaits the galaxy and those dark clouds and thoughts of uncertainty are important to make mention of, since they permeated the fabric of the season two finale, ‘Such Sweet Sorrow, Part 2’.
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For this particular tale saw the crews of both Enterprise and Discovery square off against Leland and his nightmarish fleet one last time and well, this ended up being quite the unique episode for both the series and the franchise when all is said done. Because it offered up so many intriguing moments and it delivered unto us one heck of an ending and I suppose the best place to start when it comes to this powerhouse story is to praise the fact that it managed to take my breath away with its incredible action sequences. After all, the battle for the galaxy dominated a vast majority of the hour, and my goodness did they pull out all of the stops for it since these two ships gave it their all when it comes to the fight against Control and some of these sequences truly did leave my jaw upon the floor.

Yet, while the battles here were quite impressive in their own right, there is a danger that comes with them in that…sometimes characters will lose their lives as the damage mounts, and this showdown was no exception to that rule, since we were forced to bid farewell to Admiral Katrina Cornwell, who said her farewells to this show in the noblest of fashion. For a giant torpedo lodged in Enterprise’s hull, prompted her to stay behind and seal a blast door before its timed detonation could destroy the ship and her death, served as the gateway for more sacrifice. For the darkness of this tale and the worry were finally lifted when an assist from the Klingon Empire and the Kelpiens allowed for the crew of the Discovery to complete their mission to neutralize Control and keep the Sphere data safe, since Burnham was able to guide the vessel through time some 940 years into the future, prompting questions from Starfleet in the wake of this conflict, the kind that engendered silent unity from the crew of the NCC-1701 when it comes to the facts of what happened at this bloody battle, to the point where Spock demanded that Starfleet seal the vessel’s records and never have the universe speak of her again. 

If anything, that ending is where we need to spend most of our time today, because it’s kind of a big deal. Because it means that season three of the series will be taking place in the 33rd Century, which is a place that Star Trek has never gone before, and this decision is a bold one to say the least. Because this is a series that was pitched and marketed as a prequel to The Original Series, one that was supposed to fill in all kinds of blanks for the franchise since prior to this it was basically Enterprise and then TOS and well, I don’t think any of us were expecting this story to venture this far into the future when all is said and done. But, while that’s a bold move storytelling wise, it’s also a risky gambit with the fans as well, and already I’ve seen a fairly ‘split decision’, if you will, on social media. For there are some fans praising this move and others that aren’t happy with it in the slightest and me…well, I’m honestly okay with it for several reasons.
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Because, look, while prequels are neat and it’s cool to have moments where our characters interact with the NCC-1701 or Spock and Pike, this is a franchise that has always been about the future. Star Trek is about where we are going, and how we better ourselves while getting there, so it’s wonderful to see that this series will no longer look to the past for inspiration and that it will embody the spirit of the saga by heading to a bold new future where endless possibilities exist. In fact, I kind of dig how the ship’s crew are going to be the proverbial fish out of water so to speak, since their views and way of life will not be in line with the 33rd Century in the slightest, and the personal journeys they will go on, as they deal with a new timeline and their emotions from leaving everything behind should lay the foundation for a fascinating season for certain.

But what matters most to me, is that this grand change can in fact, reinvigorate something that the franchise has been lacking since Voyager went off the air, and that’s a sense of, pardon the pun, discovery, and I am definitely looking forward to seeing what the galaxy looks like nearly a thousand years from the 2250s and what has changed in a universe we know and love. But, in the meantime, at least there is this fascinating finale to celebrate and re-watch. Because man, it was cool to see Pike command the Big-E into battle, and see Spock become Spock and see Discovery make its brave sacrifice and I’ll definitely be counting down the days to season three of this series when we explore a strange new future with evolved life and civilizations with this bold and brave crew and it’s going to be so cool to finally see this franchise return to undiscovered country. Until next year.

At some point or another in our lives, we’ve all wondered, or will wonder, what it would be like to go back in time and impart a little knowledge upon our younger selves. Because we firmly believe that being able to accomplish such a feat, would do wonders for us as a human being. For we could offer up all kinds of tips to past us, the kind that will help us grow when we encounter roadblocks we were unable to figure out the first time around. Plus, we could warn our former selves what kinds of ugly moments await us so that we could avoid those problems or handle them better and we think about stuff like that because everyone out there would love to have a second chance with some of the moments we’ve dealt with in our lives and also because, it’s helpful to ponder upon what other options could have been available to us in a particular situation.
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Yet while we know such a voyage into the past is impossible, that doesn’t stop fiction stories from exploring them as well, and it just so happens that The Orville took the opportunity to dig into this notion during last night’s episode. For ‘Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow’ saw Commander Kelly Grayson face her former self with some fascinating results. And all of this was made possible thanks to a side experiment that Isaac was working on, one that would make time travel a reality by way of the device introduced by Dr. Aronov in the series premiere of the show. But a gravitational wave pushed the results of this device to a whole new level, when it was able to pull Kelly from seven years prior into present day and that’s when an exploration on facing our younger selves, came into play. But of course, it would be too easy for present day Kelly to just meet and impart wisdom upon a younger Kelly, meaning this series took the time to explore all of this on a deeper level.

Case and point, the fact that younger Kelly and older Kelly simply didn’t mesh. Which is fascinating, since one would think that meeting one’s self would involve some level of adoration, but not for these two. For our Commander Grayson saw the arrival of her former self as a harsh reminder of her more carefree past, where she loved to spend her nights drinking and partying away and she wanted nothing more than to impart her wisdom upon her younger self, and ironically, the younger Lieutenant Grayson saw her older self as quite the disappointment. For a Kelly from seven years prior was stunned at the fact that her older self didn’t accomplish any of the goals she set for herself since at this point in her life she expected to be in love, and be the Captain of a starship, one that was extremely close and chummy with her crew, and being immersed in the opposite of all of that, completely and utterly left younger Kelly rattled and uncomfortable.

If anything it was fascinating to have the show remind us that we are different people as the years roll on and while it was a tad jarring to see both Kelly’s have different agendas and ideas of what they want out of life, their mutual respect for one another, or…themselves, is what made this storyline worthwhile and it also helped to set up another notion that goes along with a story such as this; the opportunity for a second chance. Because Lieutenant Kelly still had a burning passion for Ed, and it is no secret that the Captain would do anything for another shot at a relationship with Kelly and well, he took this opportunity to try and do things right this time with mixed results. Because this move harkened back to the fact that we grow and change, and that kept the two of them from clicking, prompting Ed to back down. But, at least this part of the show did deliver some of the finest laughs of the night since we learned that Moclans love to dance. I mean, they really freakin’ love to bust a move.

But, outside of the laughs, this story served to remind us that second chances are rare, and often times don’t exist because everything happens exactly as it is supposed to, and challenging events also happen to help us grow and become more in life. Because if Kelly and Ed hadn’t gone down their respective paths, they wouldn’t be the people they are today and eventually, everyone involved in this wacky mess came to realize that and settled into their respective fates, or so it seemed. Because a happy ending would be too easy for this series and after John and Isaac finally figured out how to get Lieutenant Kelly back to her time, complete with memory wipe, this series dropped quite the bomb on us in that, younger Kelly remembered everything and when given the opportunity to walk the path she saw outlined, she refused, pushing Ed aside, leaving Kelly with an uncertain future…

So, yeah, I didn’t see that particular twist coming in the slightest and this decision lends credence to the dangers of being able to tell our former selves what we know because then, our lives would turn out differently and well, I’m quite curious to see what this means for the crew come next week. Will it change the relationship between Ed and Kelly since they were never married? And also, what of the Kaylon and their hunt for the U.S.S. Orville? Will they continue to pursue the ship since they seem to be aware of the Aronov device? It’s tune in next week to get those answers but before the season two finale arrives, we can bask in the wonder of this beautiful character study. One that really did offer some wonderful insight into what makes Kelly tick, and might I add, what a performance from Adrianne Palicki, since she was able to switch between a younger and older Kelly on a moment’s notice and well, this really was quite the unique little episode, one that calls back to The Next Generation episode, ‘Second Chances’ and one that reminds me of the fact that T.V. won’t quite be the same once season two of this series, comes to an end. Until next time.  

The more I watch CBS/Jordan Peele’s new iteration of The Twilight Zone, the more I am coming to realize that it is more than just a mere science fiction/thriller/horror series that has something to say about our world and our species. No, instead, this particular series is quickly becoming a referendum on American life in 2019 and for proof, look no further than the episodes we’ve seen laid out for us so far. After all, this saga has explored our obsession and desire for fame in ‘The Comedian’, our need to pretend that we are the expert in ‘Nightmare at 30,000 Feet’, and modern-day race relations were explored in harrowing fashion in last week’s tale, ‘Replay’.
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Which means I was supremely curious to see where on earth (or America, rather) the series was going to go when it comes to examining our modern-day U.S. society since those ideas are fairly relevant and thorough. But the writer’s room of this series is looking at every last one of our flaws and opportunities and once again, they managed to uncover something that continues to have power over us on a regular basis; fear. Yet what was truly impressive about how ‘A Traveler’ examined this, is the sheer fact that I didn’t see it coming in this story in the slightest, and at first glance this particular tale seemed to be working toward something far more sinister. For in this story, we were transported to the remote town of Iglaak, Alaska, on Christmas Eve no less, wherein we met the lovely tight knit community of this town as they celebrated another blessed holiday at the State Trooper Station. But on this night, their usual traditions will be upended when a stranger appears in their holding cells with an agenda that will change all of their lives, forever.

Which, all of that sounds like the setup for a horror story, right? One that looks at the evils of man. I mean, the trailer and the first half of this story seemed to be moving us toward a parable about the secrets we all carry, and how some people want those secrets to remain buried at just about any cost. And in fact, A. Traveler’s machinations in the middle of the tale, where he spilled said secrets seemed to reaffirm that. But it didn’t take long for a different vibe to come over the story since we quickly came to learn that our stranger, didn’t know crap. But his ability to project his lies with incredible confidence and conviction allowed for everyone he encountered to believe them, save for Yuka, our main character, who discovered far too late that his ‘truth bombs’ were designed to distract and divide everyone in the town in order to accomplish his ultimate goal of paving a way for an invasion fleet from beyond the stars.

But all awesome twist endings aside, his lies are the key to the story because, this is what our society deals with on a regular basis right now. For there are hundreds if not thousands of websites, Facebook accounts and Twitter handles that claim to be legitimate news sites who have ‘breaking news’ that you simply must know about, when it fact, it’s all B.S. and yet, people eat it up and treat it as gospel and that, is sometimes more dangerous than the false information being spread. Because these kinds of lies are no different than our Traveler’s lies, for they engender fear, to the point where people spread the lie in the firm belief they’re doing good and that in turn leads to fights that divide us and that brings us to the moral of the tale in that…eventually this infighting and division will make us pay dearly, and there is evidence to back that up since misinformation has caused a resurgence of measles since one side believes that vaccines cause Autism. Granted, that may not be a perfect comparison since the other side of that argument is the right one since vaccines don’t cause Autism.

But, if you need more examples, just take five minutes to glance at your Facebook feed to see who is sharing the ‘gospel’ of ‘Democratic Democrats for America’ and/or ‘Right Wingers Making America Great Again’ (neither of those sites exist, but you know what I mean) to be reminded of this exhausting back and forth. Yet what was equally as impressive, is that the episode did offer up a pseudo-answer to our problem in that perhaps a dose of common sense would help, since that is what snapped Yuka out of her respective misinformation trance, but even then, that’s easier said than done and if anything, this bleak tale and its devastating ending definitely gave me pause. In part because of its brilliance, but also because it hit close to home, since I know I’m not the only one whose taken the time to share a little something from snopes.com to prove a ridiculously misinformed post, wrong, and that just lends credence to the fact that this new iteration of the show is as smart as they come and unsettling or not, I’m ready for more. Until next time. 

When a brand-new villain is introduced in a superhero story, a certain set of expectations for this new baddie, or baddies, immediately move to the forefront of our minds. For example, we expect to learn at some point, what exactly made them turn their back upon humanity, helping us to understand their plight and their particular brand of evil. And speaking of that evil, it’s also an expectation for them to commit to the darkness within their soul so that we don’t feel a sense of pity of them, providing us with a sense of safety and comfort as we root for the hero to take them down, and this is a series of tropes that have been with the superhero genre for as long as I can remember.

Which is why I’m always so pleasantly surprised by Freedom/Marvel’s Cloak & Dagger, because this particular series always finds a way to shatter the tropes and the norms that come with this particular genre and while the change ups have mostly applied to our dynamic heroes, it just so happens, that this unique style of storytelling, is going to extend to villains as well. Because the next episode in this magnificent series, ‘Shadow Selves’, took the time to not only explain how Detective Brigid O’Reilly’s doppelganger Mayhem came into existence, but it also turned the notion of what motivates a villain upside down since Mayhem, is not quite what we expect her to be in the slightest. But before we dive too deeply into what makes Mayhem tick, it’s important we take a moment to discuss how she came into existence, and that was handled by way of our favorite Roxxon scientist, Mina.

Because she was desperate to understand how the leak of evil that dominated the season one finale, managed to turn people into raving and violent lunatics so quickly, and as she dug into the matter, she stumbled upon something incredible, in that…in some rare instances and under the right circumstances, those exposed to the darkness would manage to spawn a double, with disastrous results. Because the duplicate felt the need to be the only one in existence, possibly due to a deeper understanding of the fact that only one of them should exist, and you know what that means. But those perfect set of circumstances are also what allowed for Brigid to split, thus creating Mayhem and well, the end result of this split is what turned out to be the centerpiece of this episode.

Because Mayhem initially went along with the expected results that Mina uncovered since she planned to kill Brigid and assume her life and identity, but the discovery of Connors and his crimes changed her agenda and that’s where everything took a left turn, in an intriguing way. Because Mayhem was suddenly obsessed with putting Connors down, and that in turn led to a quest to find purpose and to fulfill the satisfaction she found in dealing with bad people in extreme fashion, which eventually led to her desire to solve this little mystery involving the missing girls and well, that’s what makes her so unique in that, she’s not a traditional villain in the slightest. Yes, she takes lives, and she doesn’t worry about moral implications in the slightest, but she’s more vigilante than villain at this point in the story, operating in that grey area where she subscribes to bad and good and that’s just fascinating to say the least.

If anything, this is a brilliant twist, since Mayhem’s official arrival accomplishes so many things. For one, it ensures that the Roxxon storyline from season one doesn’t fade away and that lasting implications come forth from something that important, but it also challenges our heroes since Tandy and Tyrone will be forced to ponder upon what it truly means to be a hero, and what a genuine heroic act looks like and most importantly, it hooks the audience in new and exciting ways. Because we don’t understand Mayhem in the slightest, and the mystery surrounding her and why she isn’t committing to evil one-hundred percent will likely be a focus in the weeks to come and I’m so good with that. Because getting to know a new villain, one unlike any other in comic book shows, is supremely worth my while and I’m excited to go on this journey in what is hands down, the smartest superhero show on the air right now. Until next time.   

I always love it when a television series finds new ways to surprise me, and sometimes, it doesn’t require a unique plot twist or some epic storytelling to make that happen. Sometimes, a story simply needs to keep me guessing in order to stun me and that kind of unique anticipation is precisely what I was experiencing when I settled in to watch the next episode of CHiPs. Because the prior two episodes went to some supremely dark places, at least, for this series, leaving me to wonder exactly what I was going to find in this particular tale and well, once again, this show found a way take me completely off guard since the dark clouds were lifted in ‘Surf’s Up’, allowing for the series to return to its uplifting roots in impressive fashion.
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For this particular tale almost seemingly acknowledged the fact that the audience and Ponch and Jon have been through some tough times over the past couple of stories, since our dynamic duo found themselves exhausted with their current day to day duties and they were ready for a break. So much in fact, that they asked the Sarge for a temporary transfer off the highways to clear their heads and well, they actually got that opportunity. Because a pair of officers from the Malibu Division were sick with the flu, allowing for Ponch and Jon to fill in and well, this was a welcome change for them. Because now they were surrounded by sunshine, and smiles and they even got to involve themselves in some creative heroism since they used a decoy roadblock to help save a baby that was accidentally kidnapped when a random dude felt the need to steal a car before checking if anyone was still inside of it.

But what truly impressed me about this particular tale, is the sheer fact that it took the time to finally work on a little character development/exploration for Ponch. Because up until now, he’s been the hot shot playboy with a heart of gold and the only thing we’ve learned about him is that he had a bit of a troubled past growing up and one single incident helped open the floodgates when it comes to what makes Frank tick. Because while he and Jon were on patrol, he saw the opportunity to question a young Hispanic boy who appeared as though he may have committed a crime by the looks of some of the stuff in his hands. But when Ponch found out the kid was innocent, he came to realize that he was no better than the police officers that hassled him when he was growing up, something he wanted to never become and to atone for his mistake, he went the extra mile to apologize to this kid, even going so far as to offer up a trip to Disneyland (with the kid’s siblings no less) in order to show him that not all cops are bad and well, I loved this segment. It really spoke to how honest a man Frank really is, and how much he wants to do some good in the world and make it a better place.

However, despite the sunshine and fun to be found here, including a lovely wraparound moment involving jet skis and mistakes made upon them, there were some Creeps of the Week to be dealt with as well. And this time around, a group of thieves who basically stripped a car to the frame were our highlighted bad guys, and what made them so interesting, is that one of them, knew a few of the folks in Malibu, and heck, he even ripped one of his friends off. But as is always the case, they were eventually brought down when the Air Patrol unit caught them in the middle of the act, and while this chase wasn’t quite as exciting as some of the ones that have preceded it, the disdain that our crook received from his friends when they learned of his ugly betrayal, made up for the lack of sirens and speed and it is always nice to see the COTW get their just desserts on this show.

If anything, this really was a welcome change of pace for the series, it broke up the malaise nicely and really, I was all about the storyline involving Ponch. He’s been long overdue for a story that focuses on him and what drives him as both a police officer and a man and it was nice to see the series remove the sometimes-bumbling sidekick stereotype, he’s been falling into in season one, if only for a moment. But what matters more, is that this episode put an end to the dark streak, and while I don’t mind darker stories in the slightest, let’s be honest, they really don’t work with this particular series. CHiPs was always about Ponch and Jon doing the right thing and helping people regardless of the odds all while staying true to their great morals and virtues. But the series does get serious credit for being able to switch between lighter and darker storylines seamlessly and if a future episode dictates the need for a bleaker tale so be it. Because that kind of change up keeps the audience on its toes and reinforces the fact that telling a damn good story is the priority for this series, over anything else. Until next time. 

Shortly after I settled in to watch another episode of the magnificent police serial CHiPs, a particular phrase popped up in my mind; ‘when it rains it pours’. And that saying was at the forefront of my mind, simply due to the fact, that the series allowed for the dark clouds that arrived in the prior episode, to continue to unleash their proverbial fury upon this universe. Because ‘Rustling’ turned out to be quite the bleak story, one that saw Ponch and Jon dealing with one ugly event after another and I have to admit that I was quite taken aback by this. For this series often kept its stories in lighthearted places, and I truly thought the darkness present in ‘One Two Many’ was nothing more than a one off. But sometimes a series wants to see how far it can the push the proverbial envelope and well, this particular tale definitely saw the paper start to tear.

In fact, this one was ugly from the get-go, thanks to a remorseless creep named Ambrose, who took our dynamic duo on a high speed chase through a garage, endangering lives in the process and despite the fact that Ponch and Jon arrested him after he slammed into a parked car, this guy wasn’t done making trouble. For he called for an emergency trial in order to clear his name and he was granted it, and the whole point of having this debacle take place, was to discredit Ponch and Jon’s work, and make it seem as though a mechanical error was to blame for all the trouble Ambrose caused. But thankfully Frank thought ahead and found a way to prove that this guy was as irresponsible as they come and while this plot thread ended happy, with the dude going to jail for a few days, the fact that he was determined to beat the system and discredit two fine police officers definitely set the tone.

Which brings me to the next dismal moment in this story, when the rain clouds burst, so to speak. For shortly after the guys dealt with Mister Ambrose, they found themselves squaring off with a dangerous drunk driver, one who sent a car flying with his reckless driving, and while Ponch continued the pursuit, Jon went to check on the occupant in the car and that’s where this plot line took quite the downward turn. Because not only did Jon and the victim (a young lady named Stacy Wyatt) barely escape from her exploding car, Stacy came to realize that something was genuinely wrong with her body since the pain she initially felt in her legs continued to fade, to the point where she couldn’t feel them or move them, and although Jon did a fine job of keeping her calm and comfortable while they waited for Ponch to arrest the drunk and for the paramedics to arrive, she went into that ambulance facing an uncertain future…

Yet, while that alone would have been plenty for the audience to chew upon, the story still had more challenges for Ponch and Jon to handle. After all, the Creeps of the Week were still lurking about in this story and this time around, our intrepid heroes were on the hunt for a group of shady cattle rustlers. For these dudes figured out how to make some serious money in their industry, by stealing their own cows. That way, they could collect on the insurance money and double up their earnings by selling the herd like normal and well, while this seems to be the tamest storyline yet when it comes to this episode, the COTW’s proclivity for violence is what makes this part of the episode just as dark as anything else since these guys were happy to crack Bear in the skull with their car door, and it took the might of a fire hose to bring these bandits down.

However, all darkness aside, this episode does get credit for at least trying to balance out the bad with a touch of lightheartedness since Ponch does work to put together a surprise birthday party for Jon, something that falls to pieces when it is hilariously revealed that Frank got the date wrong, and there was a lovely little plot thread involving a magician and thankfully, Stacy did regain full use of her legs. But sadly, a lot of these moments came too little, too late, and the sour vibe of this episode hangs heavy over the cheeky finale and well, while it seems as though I’m coming down upon this episode, I should make mention of the fact that I really enjoyed the hell out of this one. Because it was a bold choice to keep the darkness flowing, and it was handled in enthralling fashion and it just goes to show that this series can accomplish anything storytelling wise, and now I’m more curious as to how long this particular ugly streak is going to run on this series and I suppose the only way to find out, is to hit play and see where Ponch and Jon’s adventures take me. Until next time.

I’m honestly quite amazed at how American Gods keeps finding new ways to outright surprise me. Because the instant I feel comfortable as to where the show is going or what it stands for, it finds new ways to shift gears and for proof, look no further than the overall themes and concepts it’s taken the time to explore over the past two years. For season one was all about introducing us to a magical world filled with powerful Gods that roam among us and that served as the setup for a grand exploration on the nature and the power of faith and our need to believe in something in this world. Yet, it didn’t take long for the series to change things up in season two, since the series chose to dive into the nature of humanity and how our follies and our beauty reflect the Gods our minds helped to create, and really, I thought that’s where the rest of this season was going to stay, deep within the recesses of the human condition.
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But this is a show that is never content with the status quo, and the notion of surprise is on my mind today simply because of the fact that last night’s episode, ‘Donar the Great’, took me completely off guard by dusting off a storytelling style that’s barely been used this season; the character study. Yet, what made this so stunning, is that rather than focus once again on the demons and memories and pain that Shadow or Laura or a Leprechaun like Sweeney carry in their souls and their hearts, the show felt the need to instead focus on a true man of mystery; Mr. Wednesday. Which is a fascinating decision to say the least because a God as old as him has so much history to explore, that STARZ could likely greenlight an entire series about his past and have it run for a decade. But, I digress, because he was indeed the focus of this tale and what kept me enthralled is that this story showed us the beginning of the darkest era in Wednesday’s storied life since we now know that Grimnir is basically at a point where making deals and taking what he can get worship wise to get by, is all that a once glorious God has left.

Which is a sobering thought when one considers his power, but the proof was in the pudding in this tale since he and Shadow made their way to a decrepit mall where not even the sight of his staff was enough to excite the ancient dwarves that worked there. They instead demanded their own tribute to get the old weapon ready for war and this is where the story found a way to truly entertain us to no end since it turns out the Dwarves wanted a jacket worn by Lou Reed to get the job done, prompting Wednesday and Shadow to pull one of hell of a creative long con involving counterfeit bills and I won’t lie, this made for some hilarious moments to say the least. Because seeing Wednesday wearing a bishop’s outfit is the stuff that humor is made of, and Shadow dressing up like a Secret Service Agent in order to bring down Wednesday was equally as magical. But all of this served as mere setup since all the down time in this scam is where we learned the details as to when exactly Wednesday was reduced to the role of grifter. 

As it turns out, pre-World War II America is when this happened since Odin adopted the name of Al Grimnir in Chicago and he recruited all of his friends to help him run a club in the city, wherein men and women of every race and orientation would come down ogle Gods in the midst of a burlesque show and Big Al even got in on the act by playing the role of the manager/host and the point of this scheme was to garner worship on stage and Grimnir would get his cut of the power, as would Nancy and others and this was just…well sad to see. Because a God of Wednesday’s caliber should engender better forms of worship, but here he was, pandering to a super young Technical Boy (who as it turns out wasn’t born in that flashback a few weeks ago, he came about when technology started to evolve and he merely helped our tech guru innovate), and he even found himself striking deals with sleazy Nazis to give his son the nutritious worship he so desperately needed and little did Wednesday know that his son, would never come to understand the power he could generate from having millions believe in him.
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In fact, Grimnir’s son more or less turned his back on his father’s lifestyle. He wanted little to do with adoration and the wonder that comes with it, and the more he showed up in the papers, and the more that people adored him for his feats of strength, the more he rejected it all. Which led to quite the confrontation between father and son, since dear old dad demanded his baby boy hang tight to this method of survival. But in the end, Donar abandoned his father and his brethren, leaving him starved and destitute to the point where he committed the ultimate sin and ended his own life, something no God can ever come back from. If anything, this entire story served as a grand tragedy, one that removed the specter of Wednesday and brought him down to the same level of an everyday man who is down on his luck and will do whatever it takes to earn a quick buck, and while that should engender pity, it only made me nervous because it makes Odin one dangerous God.

Because he’s creating his own war now, one amongst his own people to gain their adoration and worship and that continues to make me wonder if Shadow is the true savior we’ve all been waiting for when it comes to this story. Because he seems to recognize the danger and the B.S. that his boss spews, and when he finally comes to understand what’s at stake, then perhaps he can do what Wednesday’s real son could not, and stand up to a God and show him a better way, so that lives are spared and other Gods can continue a peaceful existence. But all speculation aside, this was a brilliant episode through and through, because it put a broken God on display, one whose heart is filled with ache and regret and who is desperate need of a win in order to feel relevant and perhaps that’s the biggest surprise of all, in that, by showing us all of this, perhaps this episode stayed in tune with the rest of the season after all, since there are so many everyday people who are just as shattered as Wednesday. Until next time.  

I have to admit, that when I settled in to watch last night’s episode of Killing Eve, a grave concern washed over me. For something in the back of my mind had me thinking that the events that transpired in the season two premiere of this series, was a harbinger of things to come and for the first time ever, this story was about to do the impossible; and go to some supremely predictable and normal places storytelling wise. After all, Eve was back on the job, Villanelle was on her way to England and that seemed like quite the setup for a boring and routine cat and mouse story between the spy and the assassin.
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But as it turns out, my fears were unfounded, and it’s obvious now that this was all part of the plan. For ‘Nice and Neat’ ended up being a story that was filled to the brim without incredible surprises and twists that I flat out didn’t see coming, like the fact that Villanelle finally enjoyed a little taste of karma when it comes to her scheming. Because while she did indeed make it to England with little fuss, she was in a new and unfamiliar place without a dime to her name or a place to say and she worked her mojo to pull the wool over a seemingly innocent chap’s eyes, named Julian, who was happy to take her in, only for Villanelle to discover that this man was quite the twisted psychopath. For he did little to help her ailing and infected wounds, and he kept her under lock and key alongside his invalid mother and was happy to yell and intimidate her when necessary and for the first time ever, it seemed that our intrepid assassin was stuck in a no-win scenario.

Yet seeing Villanelle meet a pseudo equal was merely the gateway to the treats and surprises present in this tale. For while our favorite assassin dealt with the twisted Samaritan, Eve was back at work at MI6 and working hard to educate the new task force on female assassins and while she dug into the latest murder, and whether or not her target/obsession survived that impromptu stabbing, she came to uncover something quite stunning in that, Villanelle was not responsible for the most recent murder befuddling her department. No, instead this assassination was the work of someone new, a quiet and cunning killer who wants to blend in and hide at every single turn so her work remains unnoticed. But now it would seem, she’s about to be thrust into the spotlight with Eve on the case and while that twist was also quite satisfying, the ending of this tale is what truly blew my mind. 

Because Villanelle finally had enough of her new host, and after trying to contact her old employers (to seemingly no avail), she called Eve and then took matters into her own hands by putting down Julian before escaping, or rather…kind of escaping. For Villanelle found herself back in the hands of her former employers after all, much to her chagrin, and with the Twelve back in the possession of their favorite assassin, she was whisked away, mere inches from Eve in fact, to a fate unknown. And mere moments after Eve missed spotting her, she finally demanded more answers from Carolyn, because silence was going to get more people killed and rather than outright answer everything then and there, they made a trip back to Carolyn’s house, wherein we came to discover that Eve’s boss has been keeping quite the important secret in that, Konstantin is alive and well after and he’s staying with Carolyn for the time being.
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So, with all of that in mind, let’s take a moment and unpack some of the more incredible moments from this episode because this one really did leave us with quite a bit to chew on. First and foremost, I have to admit that I was quite taken aback by Villanelle’s storyline in this one simply because, we’ve never seen her this vulnerable or weak and it was really was a sight to behold since there was little she could do with her injury and it was just a fascinating story decision to make someone so strong, so normal and fragile and we also need to take a moment praise Jodie Comer’s performance as well since her ‘damsel in distress’ routine this time around allowed for her to slide between British and Russian accents and personalities seamlessly and that just added to the awkwardness and hilarity and horror of her brief stay at Julian’s home.

But, outside of that, this world is now expanded in new and fascinating ways because a new assassin is a game changer to say the least. Which also means that Eve and MI6 are working against the Twelve once again, and it’s quite stunning to see this secret organization move this quickly after having one of their assassin’s and one of their handlers compromised and really, these brilliant surprises leave me with more questions than answers, which is a good thing. Because now I absolutely need to tune in, in order to learn more about the Twelve’s plans and who this new assassin is, and how Konstantin survived and most important of all, what will become of the injured Villanelle. Which means I’m back to watching the clock and counting down the days so I can continue to enjoy one of the finest television shows out there right now. Until next time. 

The Star Trek franchise as a whole, is good at a great many things, storytelling wise. For this is a saga that knows how to pull at our heartstrings when necessary, it knows how to lift our spirits up by way of heroic moments and breathtaking space combat and of course, these shows tend to be in tune with the modern world since they have all offered up powerful commentary in regard to current events. But, if there’s one thing this saga excels at on a regular basis, it’s building tension and drawing an audience into it, and that particular element is on my mind today, because it’s precisely what this week’s episode of Star Trek: Discovery managed to do.

For ‘Such Sweet Sorrow’ found the crew of this intrepid vessel in quite the conflicted place. Because in the early moments of this episode, everyone was being forced to say goodbye to their home in hurried fashion since last week’s tale saw Captain Christopher Pike make the decision to scuttle the ship to keep the Sphere data’s out of Leland’s hands and while that setup doesn’t quite scream tension, it was Commander Burnham’s second thoughts when it comes to a course of action she initially recommended that helped to create the tension in question. Because Burnham was motivated out of fear and curiosity to touch the time crystal before leaving the ship to board Enterprise and well, what she saw was a disaster in the making.

Because the plan to scuttle the ship wasn’t going to work. The Sphere data would protect itself once again, by raising the shields and disabling the self-destruct sequence and shortly after that, Leland’s fleet would arrive and win the day after destroying Enterprise and critically damaging Discovery, prompting Burnham to ponder as to whether or not there was a better way to handle this crisis, and the appearance of the fifth signal, prompted everyone to wonder the same before coming to quite the bold set of decisions. Because Burnham firmly believed that moving the ship into the future was the key to saving every life in the galaxy, but the only way to move it now, was to build another Time Suit and assume the role of the Red Angel and guide the ship into the future and it was a plan that would require an assist. 

Which means the crew needed to make a pit stop to confer with an old friend that Tilly made during Short Treks, which sent the ship to Po’s home world, wherein she was recruited to help build a new suit and a new way to charge and power the time crystal and that’s where the episode went to some surprisingly emotional places. Because the crew seemed to realize that the end was near for Discovery and an uncertain future for the crew prompted them all to band together as they worked to prepare for one grand final battle, to the point where several members of the crew agreed to stay behind and help Burnham get the ship through the forthcoming portal and man, this made for some supremely proud and uplifting moments to arise.
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But I made mention of a tense tale, something that quite frankly really hasn’t been expressed in this recap yet and well, that’s because I saved any detailed discussion of that for now. Because I have to be honest in saying, that this particular tale, left me nervous. For Leland’s fleet of nano-fied ships were out there, closing in, and it didn’t matter what Discovery did, or where she went, they were coming, leaving Enterprise as the crew’s only hope for help and that added a new layer of terror to this episode, as did the closing moments, wherein two Captains, Pike and Saru, were staring down a flotilla of ships, filled with violent cybernetic beings, meaning that next week, will bring forth an explosive conclusion as everyone fights for the future of the galaxy…

If anything, this was one entertaining episode, and I really do love the fact that Short Treks keeps slipping into the fabric of this season and clearly, ‘Calypso’, hints at success when it comes to getting the ship to the future. But what isn’t guaranteed at this point, is the survival of either crew, and that leaves me nervous and anxious to watch the finale. However, all ominous moments aside, this was another story filled to the brim with magnificent fan service, since we were finally able to step aboard the NCC-1701 and see that iconic bridge and her historic halls and I won’t lie, I definitely sat up tall in my seat whenever she popped up on screen. Either way, this is it, the end of season two is upon us, and it all comes down to one final battle, just as it should. Until next time. 

I suppose I only have one major complaint when it comes to a vast majority of science fiction shows, in that, few of them ever finish what they started. Because on multiple occasions, we’ve seen a sci-fi series introduce a powerful storyline, the kind that should have lasting repercussions on the characters that drive the story and the universe they inhabit, only to see everything back to normal a week later, and well…that’s just silly. Because the finest stories out there find a way to introduce the consequences and the fallout that come from epic events and that’s why I’m such a fan of The Orville, since this is a series that embraces what comes next in regard to life-changing moments for the crew and last night’s triumphant return of the show, reminded us all of that fact.

For ‘Sanctuary’ was a story that called us back to the ever powerful first season episode ‘About a Girl’, since it showed us more fallout when it comes to the close-minded nature of the Moclan culture all while providing us with a few epic surprises along the way. For a pair of Moclan guests aboard the ship were mysteriously using more energy than they should have during their stay, and when Bortus was asked to discover why they felt need to secretly syphon a little extra juice from the engines, he stumbled upon one heck of a shocker. Because it turns out that these guests were actually parents of a baby girl and they were transporting her in secret in the hopes of making it to another world where they would be granted asylum and be given the opportunity to raise their child free from the barbaric views of Moclan culture and well, this twist set up the next stunner of the night.

Because once the Captain came to discover that Bortus kept this quiet, he had the crew set an intercept course to make sure the parents’ story checked out, only to find that their ship snuck into the heart of a nebula and toward a planet, where thousands of female Moclans lived in secrecy, and they were led by the greatest writer to ever live on Moclus; Heveena. Yes, the woman who once hoped to change the course of Topa’s life was once again working to make the universe a better place for Moclan women and this discovery put Ed and the Union in quite the precarious place. For an attempt to grant this world sovereign rights led to conflict with Moclan leadership, to the point where Moclus almost left the Union, and while all of this was truly captivating, as was the use of Dolly Parton as a rallying cry, Bortus’ journey in this tale is what continues to haunt me, in a good way, a day after this episode. 

I say that, simply due to the fact that we saw the Commander in new light in this tale. Because while he has played along with some Moclan customs in the past in order to prevent any more trouble for he and his family, it would seem he’s finally had enough of his world and what it stands for, something that was evidenced by every single action he performed in this tale. After all, he fought against Klyden’s narrow-minded teachings to Topa in regard to how females should be treated, and he made the conscious choice to keep the female infant that was smuggled aboard a secret and the wonder of his growth in this tale didn’t end there. Because what truly impressed me, was how he called Klyden to the carpet in front of Commander Grayson, pointing out the lack of respect he had for women in general, and the fact that he was willing to face his own kind in combat to keep those women safe and really, this episode put Bortus in quite the heroic and enlightened place when all is said and done.
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However, while that would have been enough to make this episode worth everyone’s while, Bortus wasn’t the only character dedicated to equality and unity. Because while the crew of the Orville risked life and limb to keep the sanctuary planet safe, Ed fought an equally important battle back home on Earth, as he stood alongside Heveena to help fight for her planet’s sovereign rights and he pulled out all of the stops to make that happen. Because he was quick to point out the Union’s hypocrisy in turning a blind eye to this kind of ugly discrimination so that Admiralty could continue to heavily arm the fleet in response to the Kaylon threat, and that was downright refreshing to say the least, as was his ability to slice through the song and dance the Moclan delegates put on display while their forces pushed to bring the female colony back home, and while this one didn’t end in the happiest of fashion, it sure did leave me satisfied.

For a stalemate is better than the alternative and while this episode may have pushed through some familiar territory, that’s not a bad thing if you ask me. Because seeing our characters represent the best parts of what the Union and this series stands for is always a treat and it was equally as awesome to see the consequences of the mess involving Topa continue to be explored. Yet, while all of this was fascinating to watch in its own right, we do need to take a moment and talk about the incredible fan service present in this tale. Because not only did Ted Danson and Victor Garber return for this one, we were also treated to a bevy of Star Trek related cameos. I mean come on, Marina Sirtis, Tony Todd and F. Murray Abraham in one episode? That’s just nerdy heaven and speaking of Mister Abraham, I couldn’t help but wonder if his appearance here and the battle for the sanctuary planet served as an homage to Star Trek: Insurrection. Either way, this was a fine way to kick off the home stretch for season two of The Orville and I cannot wait to see what wonders lie ahead as we close in on the season finale. Until next time.