Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode Four of ‘The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’.
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​In case anyone missed the memo, this show is my whole life now. I literally just live here. Am I hoping it leads to more? 100% yes. Am I hoping that there's a season two? Also, yes. But I would probably settle for a few movies, because I could watch a solid two-and-a-half-hour movie of Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan just chatting and I’d be thrilled. It’s not a problem... I’ve only sent John a gif of Zemo dancing twice... in the last hour.

Spoiler warning!

Alright, I really want to hammer home that this show is tackling racism, trauma, and socio-economic disparities, and really doing it well. We have the constant duality between Bucky and Sam that balances each other out while also showcasing the different worlds they clearly live in. Hell, in the last episode, Zemo even commented on how the ‘Trouble Man’ album was a commentary on the African American Experience, and he’s supposed to be an untrustworthy bad guy. Well, this episode has a lot to say about how much more in touch Zemo is, than either of them. We left with Ayo showing up at the end of the last episode, well she’s not the only Dora Milaje here, but she’s willing to let Bucky keep Zemo, for now. She warns him before leaving. Bucky surprisingly shares that information with Zemo and Sam, and I really don’t think that was a good idea.

Either way, they do go and check out the camp, Karli supposedly was in, and while our heroes don’t find anything, Zemo does. Listen, it’s really important to never take candy from a stranger. Especially one in a large fur trimmed coat. It’s literally a terrible idea. In this case, Zemo managed to find out when the funeral of Karli’s idol is happening and where, by giving candy to kids and talking to them. Which is legit a good way to get information. Kids know things. But don’t take candy from strangers. Like please, just don’t. It works out well, but the darling little sociopath that he is, Zemo doesn’t share what he found out. He’s got leverage, you gotta respect that he’s going to use it. Of course, Walker and Hoskins show up. It’s funny, I really don’t mind Hoskins’ character. But being Walker’s super macho friend when they're together... just bugs me. But Walker’s arrogance is enough to spill over into anyone around him, and it speaks to how well his character is written. They do agree to go with Bucky and Sam to find Karli, and even wait while Sam talks to her. He actually makes really good headway, but that’s the thing with Sam, he’s a great person and really able to connect with people. We’ve seen him throughout the series so far, slowly bond with Bucky and get him to even open up out of his shell.
 
He starts getting through to Karli, just a bit, because who better to understand the socio-economical disparities between the capitalist wealth and average people, than a Black superhero who can’t even get a loan to save his family's business? Sam is also a former soldier. Sam literally understands what she’s feeling, he agrees with her and what she’s doing. He just doesn’t agree with how she’s going about it. It almost looks like they’re going to come to an understanding, until Walker storms in and literally ruins everything. Karli of course runs, but she doesn’t make it far before Zemo finds her. I can’t tell if I should like his character or not. But I do. I adore him. He shoots Karli several times, she drops the extra vials of super soldier serum, and he breaks them. All but one. One single vial that rolled just out of sight. Zemo would have killed her had he not been knocked out by the shield.

​When it’s all said and done, Karli is gone, and they retreat back to Zemo’s. The Dora Milaje showing up at the same time? This might actually be my favorite scene ever. Walker and Hoskins really don’t fight well against the Dora Milaje, although I’m not sure anyone really does since these women are fierce, well trained, and loyal. They’re here to collect Zemo, and they’re not leaving without him. Bucky and Sam eventually join the fight, but not before Bucky taunts Walker a bit. I’m also not convinced with Bucky’s attempt to stop them is genuine since it seems way phoned in. The betrayal both feel is real, however, when one of them hits something on his shoulder and it detaches his vibranium arm from his body. By then, it’s all over. Zemo has escaped and the Dora Milaje leave. It’s sad, because Bucky is close with Ayo. Before the Blip she’s the one who helped him test the trigger words to make sure they were really gone. It’s complicated, though, and Zemo killed king T’Chaka, they want him to pay, but Bucky and Sam need Zemo to help them find Karli. Now? It’s all for naught, since he vanished.

This scene does push Walker over the edge. That missing vial of serum? Walker took it. Literally and actually, took it. The question is asked throughout the episode, if given the chance, would you take it? Zemo asks Sam, and he says no immediately. Walker asks Hoskins and he says yes right away. Both have good reasons for their answers, but the serum also enhances more than just the body.

Karli calling Sam’s sister and threatening her, and the kids is really just a low blow, but it’s effective. Sam and Bucky show up to meet her and it seems to be going in ‘not the murdering’ kind of direction, until Walker and Hoskins show up. Then it’s definitely a fight for life kind of thing. Walker is doing a lot better now that he took the serum, Hoskins isn’t. Even Sam is holding his own. It’s truly sad, the end of this episode. Hoskins was fighting the good fight and then he was dead. There is a theme with Captain America always losing his best friend. When Steve lost Bucky on the train, he continued to fight but he didn’t let his rage take over or blind him. Walker on the other hand uses the shield to beat a Flag Smasher to death in front of a crowd of people.

This story helps to remind us, that the shield is a symbol of many things, it’s just a matter of which angle you’re looking at.

Sadly, we now only have two episodes left... I don’t want it to end!

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 202 of ‘Keeping Faith’.
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It has often been said, that stepping out of our comfort zone, is quite the healthy move. For it teaches us what we are made of, since such acts often require us to adapt quickly. And it can also teach us, if we are really suited to handle whatever unique situation we are stepping into. For if the moment at hand is far too overwhelming and uncomfortable, instead of thrilling and alluring… then we finally know that whatever it is we thought we wanted, isn’t for us in the slightest. But if we do indeed find ourselves thriving in that moment, well it means that we might have stepped into a new and exciting chapter in our lives and this is something that Faith Howells goes through, in the next episode of Keeping Faith.

For when we catch up with her in this particular tale, she’s being told left and right to not take on the murder case involving Madlen, out of the fear that she will lose and embarrass the firm and ruin its chances of ever recovering from the disrepair that Evan left it in. But something about this case simply doesn’t add up, specifically when it comes to Madlen. For she suffers from multiple sclerosis and she simply doesn’t seem to have a killing bone within her body and that motivates Faith to simply plunge in and take this case head on, much to the chagrin of Tom. But this was indeed Faith stepping out of her comfort zone and trying something quite dangerous and new and well, as it turns out… it is a wonderful thing that she opted to try something risky for a change.

Because she is quite good at defending a client in a big case. For when the trial begins, she is relentless when it comes to the prosecution’s witnesses and evidence and she is able to poke holes and create reasonable doubt. To the point where it seems that she might actually get Madlen off. But even then, there are still some roadblocks for her to overcome before that can happen. Simply because Faith came to learn that Madlen discovered her husband was having an affair the day he died. Something that the jury would undoubtedly view as a motive and of course, the police are eager to see a guilty verdict and considering how the cops are in this town, and the suspicious behavior of DI Breeze in this episode, one has to wonder if Faith is going to lose by way of a fixed trial, or if she’s even going to finish the trial in the first place.

For Breeze spent a lot of his spare time in this episode, investigating Faith and her dealings with the Reardon family, and when he wasn’t doing that, he was talking with Evan in the hopes of getting him to offer up some tips on bringing Gael down. But when he didn’t get the fast response that he wanted, he took matters into his own hands and followed Faith during a break in the trial… while she did some money laundering for Gael, and promptly approached the store owner that she worked with and sweated him. To the point where he was able to get his hands on the product she used as cover, so that he could confront her at her home about what was going on and well, that’s where this episode leaves us. With Faith once again facing a little trouble with the law, but this time for the right reasons since she is indeed working with a dirty criminal.

But while we wait to see if Breeze is an honest cop, or one that is going to try and use this to his financial advantage, we can bask in one satisfying tale. One that really did see Faith simply plunge, headfirst, into something she knew nothing about… and utterly stick the landing. Because she really was the best lawyer in the room when she was speaking and cross-examining, and it was really was quite refreshing and quite wonderful to see her in charge and hopefully she gets to see this through, since she is winning. Either way, series two continues to impress, for it is doing a wonderful job of offering up new storytelling elements, while slowly bringing everything that was left unresolved from season one to a close and hopefully Faith and Breeze will work together to bring down Gael, so that another dark chapter in Faith’s past can come to a close. Until next time.  

Series 1 and 2 of ‘Keeping Faith’ are available to stream right now on AcornTV. Series 3 premieres on April 12, 2021.

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the Series 2 Premiere of ‘Keeping Faith’.

When we are in the midst of a major crisis in our lives, we only think of the end of it. Because all we want, is to be free of the long nights and feelings of anxiety, especially the kind that come forth when we think upon how our lives might be like this forever. Which is why it is easy to overlook the day after our crisis comes to an end, since our minds are so preoccupied with panic and strife. But tomorrow, and brighter days, are often right around the corner and once the crisis ends and the next chapter begins… we have to quickly think about what comes next for us and what this disaster taught us and that is no easy task. But it is one we have to bravely tackle if we ever expect to find the peace we seek and really, this is relevant to our discussion today, simply because this is precisely what Faith Howells is dealing with in the series two premiere of Keeping Faith.
 
But it sure doesn’t seem like that’s going to be the case at first. For we pick up eighteen months after the events of the series one finale and well, this premiere surprises us by informing us, that Faith is actually doing quite well. For she’s back at work and taking on cases that have meaning this time around. Plus, she’s also raising her little ones just fine, and she even has managed to redeem Arthur Davis by employing him as her nanny, giving him stability at last. If anything, it really seems that Faith’s happily ever after has come to fruition and that we’ve actually missed out on the rebuilding segment since she is so at peace here and enjoying the incredible vindication that has come about for those who wronged her. Since Evan is in jail for his sloppy crimes and the sneaky DI Williams has been knocked down to street duty for letting her ego and her hunger for money get in the way of being a police officer.
 
But let’s be honest, sticking with that kind of happy ending would be an easy way out for this show, and an insult to the audience. Since we are here for the journey and the growth that we know Faith is capable of and thankfully, it doesn’t take long for this premiere to establish that while Faith is on the road to bliss and mental paradise, she still has some things to work on to understand what her future is going to look like, and the show informs us of what those tasks are going to be, by way two key plot elements. First and foremost, by pointing out the fact that she is going to have to overcome the pain she’s still carrying, thanks to Evan’s actions. Something she plans to accomplish, by facing her past and all the trauma that fateful week sent her way. Which is why we see her visit Evan in this tale, as part of her desire to find closure and to understand whether or not she’s even going to bother with him going forward.
 
As for the other element that will help to establish her future, well that came about by way of an unfortunate surprise. For a former client of the firm ends up dead in this tale and Faith is eager to defend the deceased’s wife, Madlen, when she is arrested for the murder of her husband. In part because she sees the parallels to her own situation and keeping her out of jail might heal Faith’s soul. But also because, this is her chance to take on a major case, the kind that will allow for her to really understand how good of a lawyer she really is, and if she has a shot at making the firm something more than what it once was, and it will be quite interesting to see how Faith handles this case in the weeks to come, and watch her heal and make peace with her soul and of course… resolve the last loose end from a year and a half ago.
 
For sadly, Gael Reardon is still around, and she still expects Faith to do her all the damn favors in order to be free from her debts to the Reardon family. Which is unfortunately, an agreement that appears to be inescapable at the moment and well, really, in the end, this premiere is nothing more than a grand set up tale. One that really does a wonderful job of re-establishing who is who in this fascinating universe, whilst taking the time to set up the events of the forthcoming season in an organic and smooth manner and well, either way… this reviewer is still hooked. Because these characters are rich and dynamic and seeing someone grow out of their pain and their past is always a compelling watch and now that we’ve established what series two is going to be about, the time has come to properly dig in and see what comes next, for Mrs. Faith Howells. Until next time.
 
Series 1 and 2 of ‘Keeping Faith’ are available to stream right now on AcornTV. Series 3 premieres on April 12, 2021.

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 208 of ‘For All Mankind’.
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There are a great many reasons, as to why we find ourselves attracted to a particular television series. For some, it’s all about the cast, since the show in question features their favorite actor or actors and they won’t miss out on seeing another quality performance from the actor(s) they enjoy the most. For others, it’s about the plot or the setting, that kind that ignites something special within them, which motivates them to make time to watch, so their imagination can feast. But while our reasons for tuning in, vary from person to person, there is one particular constant in our favorite television shows that genuinely hooks us and motivates us to watch more… the characters.

Because without dynamic and fascinating characters, the kind that grow as the seasons roll along, there’s no depth and zero challenges for the characters to overcome and that means there is little for us to stick around for. Which is why the AppleTV+ series, For All Mankind, is so worth the audience’s while. Because this particular series makes the characters its focus at all times and we see them grow and struggle right before our eyes and their experiences are something that was once again front and center in this magnificent series. Because ‘And Here’s to You’, featured all kinds of poignant and important moments of growth for some of the people that populate a world where space travel is the norm. 

For example, this is a story that allowed for Aleida to finally grow and confront her sorted past. Something that was made possible by the fact that she basically pissed off Bill Strausser to the point, where he was ready to leave this incredible job. Prompting Margo to inform Aleida that she had to convince him to come back, or she was leaving NASA. And the fear of not living her dream, motivated her to seek Bill out and explain her actions and her anger and apologize accordingly. An act that quite frankly showed incredible growth on her part. Because up until this point, she’s refused to be open with anyone or show that she cares about her career, making this quite the wonderful moment for certain, and it wasn’t the only sliver of positive growth to be found in this tale. Since Gordo overcame his fears and arrived on the moon with swagger in hand. So much in fact, that he made his intentions known to Tracy, and really it was wonderful to see Gordo stand tall in this tale and regain his mojo.

But what would an episode of this series be, without a little strife for its characters to deal with, and that was definitely present here too. Because Karen finally decided that since she is on a carefree kick, why not take it to the limit? And that motivated her to cross a line with Danny. An act that immediately brought about a little worry, since Danny truly believes he is in love with her and that kind of undying passion, can only bring about trouble in the weeks to come. Plus, Kelly made the bold decision to see her father, a move that hurt her for certain and will haunt her for a bit and of course… we got some poor news about Molly. For her eyesight is beginning to fade thanks to the radiation she received on the moon and now she will have to deal with an incredible change in her life, and likely the end of her career at NASA. 

Yet while those moments of hardship were fascinating for certain, they paled in comparison to the incredible challenge that everyone is about to face in this story. For a misunderstanding on the moon, led to the death of a Russian Cosmonaut, and the wounding of another, at the hands of United States Marines no less. Which means that tensions are only going to grow in the next couple of weeks, and it will be interesting and terrifying to see what kind of fallout comes out of this little incident. But while we wait for that reveal, we can revel in one quality tale. One that really did let us just… experience a slice of life with a bevy of fascinating human beings that are trying to carve out their own niche of happiness in this universe, and well, it is good that we got to enjoy this little bit of levity now. For it truly seems that darkness is coming to this universe and that is going make the wait for next week’s episode a difficult one, since we are eager to know, if peace will prevail in this fragile universe. Until next time.  

‘For All Mankind’ is streaming now on AppleTV+.

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the Series One Finale of ‘Keeping Faith’.
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The other day when we settled in to discuss the AcornTV series, Keeping Faith, we talked a little bit about how overwhelming bad times can be, and how they truly seem as though they are going to settle in and become our new normal going forward. And we also talked about how standing tall and doing what we can to change our situation can help us to cope. But what we didn’t talk about in that particular recap in regard to bad times, is the sheer fact… that they never last. For eventually, issues come to a head and the work we put in to improve our situation pays off and well, that aspect of tough times is relevant to our discussion today, simply because the end of challenging days served as the focus of the series one finale of Keeping Faith.

Because after an outright week of hell, Faith Howells finally saw all the darkness surrounding her be lifted and the beginning of the end of her trying times came about by getting her children back in an extremely incredible manner. Because for a better part of that trial, it really seemed as though Child Protective Services had her dead to rights and that her babies would never be near her again. But thanks to Cerys and Tom, the court finally came to realize that Faith was indeed a good mother, one that was fully capable of taking care of her children in a quality manner and at long last, they were going to come home, and while Faith was waiting for them to arrive… she was able to close the book on another nagging problem, specifically, the whole mess with DI Williams. 

For the crooked Detective Inspector took the time to swing by the Howells residence, to have a little chat and see if by chance she could get her hands on the laundered money that Faith had Lisa transfer into her account for safekeeping. And this allowed for quite the powerful showdown to take place, one where Faith finally made it clear that she was done being harassed in this manner and that if Williams wanted to continue her career in law enforcement, the time had come to back the hell off and leave Faith be, otherwise the video footage would indeed be tied to Williams and she’d spend the rest of her days in jail. Terms that Williams was quick to agree to, allowing for that harassment to come to a close, which in turn gave Faith more hope that at long last her life would return to normal. But alas, there was one last chapter to close before Faith could finally see the bad times come to an end.

One that revolved around the fact, that Williams wasn’t the only corrupt cop on the force. For it was revealed that DCI Parry and DS Morgan were crooked too, and it was their blackmail scheme against Evan that finally motivated him to run. And they also saw the moment of calm that Faith was going through, as the perfect opportunity to shake down Faith for the money they thought was owed to them, and they even kidnapped Alys as collateral to make their payday happen. But thanks to Arthur’s quick thinking, since he came along for the  exchange, and a wonderful deal orchestrated by Gael and Faith, Mrs. Howells was able to walk away with all that money scot free, and her daughter. And as an added bonus, Steve stepped in and made things right with the Glynns, bringing an end to Faith's hard times at last, and this also gave her the green light to potentially explore a future with Mister Baldini… if only for a moment.

Because in the final seconds of this tale, her ‘beloved’ husband returned at last, giving her a new challenge to face. But while we wait to see how Faith handles the return of Evan after everything, he put her through, we can revel in the wonder of one satisfying finale. One that genuinely brought together every loose end and plot thread in a magnificent manner. And it really was quite wonderful to watch Faith grow over the course of this first series and become a fierce warrior, the kind that doesn’t take guff from anyone and will truly do anything for her family and it really will be quite interesting to see where this newfound strength is going to take Faith, as she undoubtedly works to put the pieces of her life back together in series two. Until next time.

Series 1 and 2 of ‘Keeping Faith’ are available to stream right now on AcornTV. Series 3 premieres on April 12, 2021.

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode Six of ‘Clarice.’
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It is definitely safe to say, that there are a bevy of stereotypes and stigmas that surround mental health issues in our modern world. Simply because there is an engrained belief in our society, that health problems of the mind aren’t real, or that they symbolize some form of weakness and well, that’s just dumb. Because our mental health is indeed as important as our physical health and the sooner, we as a society acknowledge that, the sooner we can properly address some long-standing problems in our world. But how exactly we get to that point, is something of a mystery, since ridding the world of generations of stigma is no easy task.
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However, one way to potentially help with that, is by showing the world, exactly how badly people who are struggling with their mental health are treated in the everyday world and television is something that can help to accomplish that. In fact, the next episode of Clarice does exactly that and that made ‘How Does It Feel to Be So Beautiful’ quite the poignant tale, one that quite frankly… surprised the audience with this particular analysis. Because early on in this tale, it really seemed as though the story was going to focus heavily on Clarice’s return to administrative leave. For she was genuinely upset over the fact that she was going to spend two weeks away from this case when some semblance of progress was finally being made and well, that motivated her to try something bold.

Such as say, asking the Attorney General of the United States to override protocol and return her to active duty. Something that AG Martin was open to discussing, provided of course that Clarice did a little quid pro quo. In that, she wanted nothing more than for Clarice to come to dinner, in order to spend a little time with Catherine and see if that might inspire her to face her fears and her trauma. And of course, Clarice agreed to the terms of this little arrangement, since it appeared to serve the needs of everyone involved in a positive manner and well, her arrival at the Martin apartment is what allowed for this episode to expose how we currently view mental illness in modern America in an ugly and devastating manner.

Because Ruth berated her daughter for not simply ‘getting over’ her experiences in Buffalo Bill’s basement, and that made for an uncomfortable sequence. One that genuinely pointed out that we see mental health issues in America as nothing more than an inconvenience. The kind that people should able to shake off and move away from with a little elbow grease and can-do attitude, and it was brilliant to have the series point this out and to have Clarice subtlety point out that such views are wrong and that we heal at our own pace and that being honest about our feelings is important, and also that seeking out professional help isn’t a shameful thing to do, if it gets one back on track. Something she embodied at the end of this particular tale, partly to remember the face of the man who slammed a phone receiver into her head when she tried to escape Marilyn’s clutches.

Speaking of that, the case revolving around the conspiracy was in fact, the B plot in this tale and it offered up some fascinating moments for certain. For Ardelia came to realize that the DNA samples that were taken from Starling’s nails, since she did grab and scrape at her mystery attacker, were viable and matchable… provided that someone didn’t tie them to Starling. Because when the first sampling was linked to Clarice, it came back as inconclusive. But Ardelia was able to get a match when she coded the sample to a random name from a cold case and that revelation motivated Clarke to inform the team that the time had come for ViCAP to clamp up when it comes to discussing this case. Because clearly, forces were working behind the scenes to stop them from making discoveries, but if they weren’t privy to what ViCAP knew… they would have no way to stop them and well, that idea, combined with the fact that Clarice remembers the face of her attacker… might help them finally bring these bad people to justice.

Provided of course… they can wrest their villain away from someone close to them, since the monster in question is Krendler’s new divorce lawyer. But while we wait to see how that plays out, we can bask in the majesty of another quality tale. One that did a fine job of advancing the plot, so the conspiracy plot line doesn’t become stale, and also did an amazing job of offering up some incredible commentary on mental health and the stigma that surrounds it currently. And hopefully the show continues to revisit this concept as season one continues along. In part so that the characters can grow and heal and so that Clarice can become the tough-as-nails agent we meet in Hannibal. But also because only a handful of shows are taking the time to talk about this important matter right now, and the more we see it normalized and de-stigmatized on television, the faster we will embrace and understand the importance of caring for our minds and the minds of others. Until next time.

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode Seven of ‘Keeping Faith’.

When we are trapped in the midst of a life changing crisis, it truly seems as though… we are going to be trapped within it, forever. Because often times when this personal hurricane arrives, the hits keep coming and our spirts outright sink and that definitely brings about a genuine loss of hope and the expectation that this is our life, going forward. But there comes a moment, where we are done with the negative feelings a crisis sends our way, to the point where we are ready to start enacting whatever changes are needed so we don’t feel this way any longer, and it just so happens that Faith Howells reaches that particular point mentally; in the next episode of Keeping Faith.
 
For when we catch up with her, here, she’s once again trying to figure out her next move after Arthur basically screwed everything up with the ever crooked, and now deceased, Doctor Alday, and well… thanks to Faith’s fury in the moment and Arthur’s ability to cave, she gets her hands on a quality Chess piece. The kind that inspires her to say ‘enough’ and go on the offensive and change her fortunes. Because video footage of DI Williams’ presence at the crash scene is on the phone, she swipes from Arthur, and that helps her to stand up to Williams when she once again tries to sweat Faith into a false confession, and it also motivates her to teach this intrepid and slimy detective a little lesson. Because eventually, Terry gets an anonymous email with the video in question, attached, allowing for him to begin an investigation.
 
But that’s not the only bold action that Faith begins to take in regard to her situation. For she is also hours away from having to defend her standing with her children in this tale, and in order to bring her babies home, she is going to need allies. Which leads to a more relaxed segment of this tale, one where Faith is able to finally understand where she stands with the people that are closest to her by having frank conversations with them about their support and/or lack of it and that brings about some powerful moments for certain. The kind that eventually reveal that Faith is in fact, done with her marriage and ready to move on. For this was, a completely unforgivable betrayal. If anything, all of these conversations set the stage for the finale, since it would seem that eventually these conversations are going to come around full circle and determine where Faith is headed next in life.
 
Which means that in many ways, this episode is more or less a cliffhanger of sorts. One that does indeed leave us hanging thanks to the final surprises in this tale. Because Evan’s Last Will and Testament are finally unlocked near the end of this story, out of the belief that he is indeed dead, and well… what Cerys finds in there is pretty stunning. For it features a full confession and an intricate apology and a way out. Since it has all the bank information relating to the money that Evan laundered, and a warning in regard to crooked cops. And it is those dirty cops that might impede Faith from finding some semblance of peace since Williams made another unsuccessful attempt to arrest Faith before going to jail herself. But, if by chance she and her friends can get that information to the right people… well she might finally know peace and be able to forge her own path toward tomorrow.
 
But alas, we will have to wait to find out if they can pull such a feat off, since this one ends with Faith taking her seat for the hearing that will determine the future of her fate as a mother, and well… before we dive in and discuss how that trial goes and how this first series ends, it is best we take a moment and revel in the wonder of one magnificent story. Because at long last, Faith finally was able to hit back and sting some of her antagonizers, and that allowed for a great many satisfying moments to take place. The kind that finally showed us what Faith is capable of when she’s finally had enough of life’s little games and this magnificent shift in her personality could not have come at a better time. Because everything is about to come to a head, and she will need this newfound strength to face the onslaught of final challenges that now await her. Until next time.

Series 1 and 2 of ‘Keeping Faith’ are available to stream right now on AcornTV. Series 3 premieres on April 12, 2021.

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode Six of ‘Losing Alice’.
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Thus far, our journey through the world of Losing Alice on AppleTV, has taught us a great deal about the nature of obsession. For we’ve come to learn that sometimes we latch onto people because they represent a lifestyle that we yearn for, and the draw to that life is so powerful and so intoxicating that we will do whatever it takes to live vicariously through the object of our obsession. To the point where we will let that person abuse us emotionally or worse to get our fix. But while that has provided us with some powerful storytelling, the kind that has allowed for us to watch helplessly as Alice continues to slide deeper into her obsession with Sophie, what this show hasn’t quite explored just yet, is how exactly obsession can become unhealthy and potentially dangerous for us.

Because the whole reason we step away from someone we once latched onto, it due to the fact that our inability to disconnect from them was beginning to harm our everyday life and well… it just so happens that the next episode in this series, finally took the time to dive into that. For ‘The Bad Reader’ put that negativity on display in a sneaky and sublime manner. For initially, when we catch up with Alice here, she’s still concerned about Sophie’s past and whether or not she killed her best friend from back in the day. To the point where she’s starting to wonder if some of the scenes from her script are ripped from real life, since the late Naomi's mother spoke to moments that are in fact present in the script. Which of course made Alice quite terrified of Sophie, and in order to garner some peace of mind in regard to her… she decided a special visit to Ami was in order.

All so that she could hear from a trusted source, what Sophie is really like and whether or not she was as twisted as Alice believed and well, that’s when the show surprised us. Because just like that, the story was no longer focused upon the investigation at hand. No instead, being face to face with Ami and his charisma and suave nature, motivated Alice to attempt to see how the other half lives, by briefly indulging in fantasy and surrendering herself to Ami and his touch. An act that crosses quite the line, since she was, up until this point, a faithful wife. One that would leave this type of tryst on the page or on the screen. But she simply felt compelled to try the lifestyle that ignited something within her and this decision brought forth, slightly disastrous results. For Sophie came by and saw them together and of course, let Alice rightfully have it for her actions. 

Which re-centered Alice and allowed for her to make nice with Sophie and finally spend time with her and talk to her about the whole incident with Tamir, to get her side of the story. With a caveat of course. In that, Sophie was to say nothing about Alice’s moment of indulgence to anyone, since it would cause more harm than good. Something that Sophie agreed to, making it seem as though for a brief moment, that perhaps this story might take on a more hopeful and lighthearted turn. But shortly after this reconciliation between the two, Alice made another horrifying discovery. For she was able to get ahold of Naomi’s directing project from film school, and it just so happened to be the dinner scene in Room 209, to a tee. Meaning that Sophie’s brilliant script is plagiarized and that puts another dark cloud over her, since one can infer that perhaps Naomi died for this story. 

But the true shocker of this revelation, is that Alice didn’t alert anyone to what she discovered. She instead tossed the digital evidence and forged ahead with pre-production, helping to reinforce the fact that this strange and twisted world that Sophie has created on the page and in real-life has taken hold of Alice, and she is beyond eager to be a part of it and by finally indulging in her powerful obsession, she's genuinely putting herself on a collision course with disaster. But while we wait to see how her decision to do so will backfire, we can revel in one fascinating tale. One that did a fine job of confirming the fact that Sophie has a lot of dark skeletons in her closet and truly helped us to understand how obsession infects our minds and motivates us to make fantasy a reality, regardless of the risk. Until next time.

‘Losing Alice’ is available to stream now, on AppleTV+.

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode Six of ‘Keeping Faith’.

When we last settled in to discuss the magnificent AcornTV series, Keeping Faith; we made mention of the possibility that Faith Howells was about to deal with some incredibly dark times. After all, DI Williams was trying to figure out how to pin a murder charge on Faith, and of course, external pressures were growing behind the scenes thanks to the Reardon and Glynn crime families. Leaving all of us to wonder just how long before Faith’s world came crashing down around her, burying her in more strife and trouble and heartache and well, it turns out that we didn’t have to wait all that long to get that particular answer.
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For the next episode of this tale, sees everything begin to crumble around her, primarily thanks to DI Williams. Because at long last, Evan’s car was found by the docks, and it was of course abandoned and broken and well, the lack of any emotion on Faith’s part in regard to this discovery, and the fact that Evan was still missing, motivated Williams to try something drastic. Because she was convinced that Faith killed her husband and figured perhaps a little old school pressure might get her to confess to said murder. Which means that poor Faith spent a little time in the slammer, as Williams tried her best to sweat her. But alas, there was no confession to pull out of Faith’s soul, since she did nothing wrong, allowing for her to return home to a devastating surprise.

Because while Faith was in jail, Williams made a phone call to Child Protective Services, so that they could properly care for the kids since she made it seem as though the kids were living in the home of a twisted criminal mastermind. And this is an act that damn near broke Faith, since we all know how much she loves her kids. But rather than let Williams win, she acted quick and did everything within her power to get her little ones back home… and sadly, she failed in her mission. Because CPS was made aware of her friendship with Steve Baldini, and to complicate matters further… Arthur poking about and likely spying on the behalf of the Reardon family, only emboldened CPS to keep the children at a secure location and well, that motivated Faith to go to the extreme in order to find her husband.

Because his return would make it clear that she was no murderer and that led her back to Doctor Alpay. For only she seemed to know where Evan snuck off to and that gave Faith quite the idea to get the truth out of her. In that, perhaps the time had come to play the good doctor’s game and use a little deception to get ahead in this mess and after a few hours of work in the office… Faith was able to ‘produce’ the money that Alpay wanted off of her printer. And by meeting her under the cover of night to hand off the fake cash, Alpay would be clueless about the deception and give Faith the details, and what’s amazing is that this plan almost worked. But thanks to Arthur’s bumbling attempts to photograph the doc, Faith was unable to uncover Evan’s whereabouts and courtesy of DI Williams… she’ll never get that information from Doctor Alpay.

Because DI Williams followed Faith into the night and when Alpay was rushing back home, out of the worry her cover had been blown… she ran into the detective, or rather, the detective’s car; and crashed and died in a subsequent explosion. But not all hope was lost in that moment, since Faith was able to observe that Williams was hovering about the accident site and well, if she can use the outcome of that to her advantage, since the detective wasn’t doing much to help; she might be able to get the police to back off. But while we wait to see if Faith can pull that off, we can bask in the wonder of one intense tale. Because this one just kept sending big moments our way, and when it wasn’t putting the viewer on the edge of their seats, it was breaking their hearts. Since so many good people basically turned their backs on Faith in this tale, leaving her with only a handful to trust and that hurts because for a time there, it seemed as though everyone was rallying around her. But in the end, it will be those chosen few that lift her up and help her along as she undoubtedly prepares for her biggest fight to date, one that will revolve around bringing her babies, home. Until next time.  

Series 1 and 2 of ‘Keeping Faith’ are available to stream right now on AcornTV. Series 3 premieres on April 12, 2021.

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 702 of ‘The Brokenwood Mysteries’.
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There are some interesting stigmas that surround crime. In that, people tend to collectively believe that crimes are only committed against people that are mixed up in rougher aspects of lives. Or they are victims of an illegal act, because they are in the wrong place at the wrong time thanks to the stigma that surrounds location and socio-economic standing. But the fact of the matter is, crime can strike anyone at any time, and there isn’t some specific type of person that commits them, nor is there a particular type of victim out there. But we believe otherwise since it offers us a sense of safety, and that is why it is always refreshing to run into crime shows… that defy those outright stereotypes and show us the sad reality that comes with crime in order to remove those stigmas, and one series that does a phenomenal job of this is The Brokenwood Mysteries.

For this particular show brings forth quirky and unique crimes to hammer home this lesson and for proof, then look no further than this week’s tale. Because ‘The Witches of Brokenwood’ puts quite the incredible murder on display, one that definitely makes it clear that crime can happen at any place at any time… and that the people that commit it, do it for incredibly unique and random reasons and all of this was made possible, by seeing the sanctity of a place designed to nurture health, be violated by death. For one fine morning, patrons of The Brokenwood Health Retreat, stumble upon the dead body of a woman named Joy, in the sauna, and this horrible discovery brings Mike Shepherd and his whip-smart team of investigators to the retreat, in order to figure who committed this heinous crime and well, what their investigation uncovers, is quite fascinating to say the least. 

Because the deeper they dig, the more they come to discover that this unfortunate end isn’t grounded in any of the stereotypes we relate to crime. Instead, this was a murder built upon years of jealousy and pettiness and money. One that came together by way of several unfortunate actions, such as the one involving the deceased’s husband. In fact, he more or less laid the foundation down for Joy’s death, since he consistently fed her bad medication. The kind that messed with her blood pressure and an underlying heart condition. And that contributing factor to her death came about because he wanted to be in control of her fortune, motivating him to push the bad meds to potentially get her to cede control of the cash flow to him. But while he wasn’t the cause of her death, the fact that he helped to bring it about because of his petty nature, speaks volumes to the episode’s overreaching themes and well… the truth about who killed Joy is what brought it all home.

For it turns out, a family member put poor Joy down for the silliest of reasons. Because Joy was in possession of an unimportant ring that one of her three sisters believed should be in their possession. To the point where these four sisters hadn’t spoken as a unit for years because of the bad blood that came about from that ring. And well, eventually, in the heat of the moment, Joy found herself locked in the sauna by her sister, April, and left for dead and well… we know how that story ends. But what matters more, is that this was a brilliant story through and through, one that featured the perfect balance of comedy and poignant moments and of course, commentary on the realities of murder and crime. Since you walk away from this one with a flawless understanding of how crime really works in the real world, and that the time has come to see how they are committed in a brand new light.

Yet while that was a wonderful and subtle way to offer some depth to this particular tale, this episode also features a sobering end for a character. Since Breen is moving onto sunnier pastures after this case, and it will be quite interesting to see if the team’s dynamic will remain without him, and if the coffee will get worse in his absence as well. But what matters more, is that once again, this series delivered a phenomenal case for Shepherd and the gang to solve. One that offered up some fascinating misdirection, since it truly seemed as though there were several people that could have harmed Joy in such a brutal manner. But in the end, it was once again the person you’d least suspect. Since family is sacred and normally not motivated to commit crimes that relate to the heat of the moment. But alas, that’s the tragedy that played out here and now that this case has come to a close, it will be quite interesting to see what other intelligent and dynamic mysteries await us, as series seven rolls along. Until next time.  

'The Brokenwood Mysteries' is streaming now on AcornTV.