As always, I wish to remind you before you read any further that I will spoil only things which have occurred in the book or the show up to this point, but I will not mention things in the book which have not yet been seen in the show.

In Episode 5, we see the effects of the show’s re-ordering inversion of events more than ever here: while Shadow was detained in the book, and Laura breaks him out, here we see Wednesday and Shadow detained together and released by Mr. World. Mr. World steps into the light, both figuratively and literally, much sooner than in the book where Shadow is simply detained by other 'Mr.' people, the 'Black Hats' who represent the shadowy intelligence side of the Gods and eventually turn out to be Mr. World’s agents, specifically (Mr. Stone and Mr. Wood are the names of Shadow’s first two acquaintances). It’s interesting that Mr. Wednesday comes along for the ride here unlike in the book, because it makes him vulnerable before Shadow. His Spider-Friend’s handcuff tricks seem paltry before Mr. World’s Grand Entrance, and we get to really see the disparity between the Old Gods and the New, which was something we took much longer to have directly shown in the book. Having this parlay between the head honchos of both sides was a nice touch, and one we didn’t really get to see in the same way in the book either.

As far as Mr. World's offer, which Wednesday seems in no hurry to take, first let me say that the re-imagining of Odin as a war satellite raining deadly thunder is a brilliant re-imagining and modernization of the legend. We also get to see that The Technical Boy doesn’t really know his place. He has this sense of superiority but is missing the Big Picture. Although that becomes evident in the book, it, like many things about this episode, was shown to us a bit sooner. Mr. World’s respect towards Mr. Wednesday, whether it’s genuine, a product of fear, a precaution, or a trick, shows that The Technical Boy is really just a useful tool to him. Speaking of Mr. World’s attitude, I have to wonder if this peace offering is motivated by a genuine worry that they might lose the war, or a simple wish to avoid the trouble and casualties from a war they feel certain they will win. A similar offer is made later on in the book, and although I never questioned that the New Gods felt their victory was assured while I was reading, I look upon that offer now with a different, less certain mind. Maybe the New Gods were worried in the book, too? With regard to Mr. Wednesday seeming to not even consider the offer: Is it because he actually cares about the other Old Gods? Because he knows he’s attached intrinsically to them and can never truly re-make himself? Or is there some bigger picture at hand? In the book the New Gods’ offer is immediately followed up by some…rather pressing events which demand immediate action and so we don’t really get to explore Wednesday’s thoughts about the offer. It’s nice to see some of that here.

I also need to address the revelation of Mr. World, and specifically of what he looks like. I can’t talk about this too much here without spoiling book events which have yet to pass in the show, but let me just say that keeping Mr. World’s face in the dark helped build up to an important moment in the book, and I’m interested to see how they’ll pull that moment off in the show, assuming of course that they still intend to.

Laura and Shadow’s conversation, while more detailed than on the page, essentially summed up what we got in the book: Laura wants to be properly alive again and Shadow…well he seems a bit more committed here to leaving her behind than he did in the book where he agrees to help her. Funnily enough, Shadow’s wish to bring Laura back to life in the book feels natural and understandable, (he later eventually sets her aside as he’s done here in the show), but his refusal to help her in the show feels just as relatable. The two different sequences of events and presentations make both paths feel appropriate. In fact, it almost feels like simply delaying the conversation the way they did means it’s still the same Shadow, just speaking at a different point in his development. She will no doubt continue to follow him, and be dogged by Sweeney along the way. This is a rather nice way to keep Sweeney on screen, without drastically changing his plot. Although I do see the opportunity for some character development, I would be quite satisfied if all that happens is Sweeney simply tags along before coming to the events of his second appearance in the book.

It was nice to see Wednesday’s little 'spider friend,' who I’m presuming is Mr. Nancy: the god on the slave ship who has yet to actually properly appear in the present day. He has a trend in the book of keeping his eyes open for Wednesday and showing up to help when needed, and this little extra moment of that was nicely done and smoothly inserted. Did Mr. World know Nancy was present, I wonder?

I feel a need to address the…uh…suspicious plant behaviors going on in the police station, chasing Shadow as he departed. I can’t recall offhand something like that, except for possibly a particularly important thing which happens to Shadow towards the end of the book, and some of his other dreams. I think about these because of the connection to when he was hung in episode 1, and because of the moving tree branches in his dream in the same episode. So far, skimming through the relevant sections in my book doesn’t seem to indicate to me any moving tree branches. Perhaps I need to look closer. For the moment, I don’t have any more concrete clues about what that might mean or where it might be headed, but it’s certainly ominous and I’ll be keeping my eyes open for more suspicious branches.

Last, I want to mention the intro animation, which is another 'Coming to America' segment, albeit one in which the God at hand does not survive. It’s a great illustration of just how America is a 'bad place for gods' and has been for a long time, and a great presentation of how the Gods live and die. There’s only one major change from the book I actually want to discuss here: when Atsula dies, a buffalo creature which looks suspiciously similar to the one Shadow has dreamt about kills her. In the book, there is no mention of the buffalo during her death in the 'Coming to America' section. Here’s the line: 'Atsula died at the foot of the cliffs when the spring sun was at its zenith. She did not live to see the New World, and the tribe walked into those lands with no holy woman.' That’s it. No buffalo. There have long been thoughts amongst some fans that Atsula is connected to a present-day character who hasn’t yet appeared, but I’ve been uncertain myself. The only real connection was Atsula’s line about gods being great but the heart being greater (this line was given to our narrator in the show) and how that belief connects to some themes surrounding the present-day character. However, said present-day character does dream of the buffalo, much like Shadow does, and connecting the buffalo to Atsula would seem to more firmly connect that character to Atsula. Since this as-yet-unseen character is one of my favorites, I take heart in these hints at their later inclusion.

Since the series premiere, American Gods has managed to captivate us by being an entirely different kind of television show. It's haunting, majestic and most importantly, it bucks the traditional route of adaptation by not condensing down the source material from Neil Gaiman's novel and the end result of taking this 'extended' approach has been nothing short of spectacular.

By taking its time to tell the story, this series has been able to do some incredible work with its characters. We've been able to explore what makes them tick and what they fear and want in life and while that may seem like a bit much to some, there's a rhyme and a reason for everything that happens on this show. Because by diving deep into the characters at every single level, we are invested, we are pulling for them and as we enter the back half of season one, that investment is paying off since Sunday's episode, 'Lemon Scented You', brought all of that character building front and center, using everything we've learned to help propel the plot light years ahead and allow for our characters to react accordingly and at the same time, deliver unto the audience some supremely satisfying moments as well.

Take for example, the reunion between Shadow and his wife. We've learned over the past four weeks that Shadow Moon is a man who hasn't had much to believe in outside of the love his wife shared with him, something that was robbed away by the revelation that his darling spouse died in the midst of a torrid affair, robbing him of what little hope he had left for the world until Wednesday came along and gave him something extraordinary to believe in. We've also learned that Laura Moon had no purpose in life, or faith in it for that matter and her lack of humanity came back to bite her when the afterlife came calling, and despite being gifted a second chance to do things right again, the bitterness within, and the familiarity of it was on full display as she slipped into old habits and worked to seduce and control Shadow once again at the start of this episode and wouldn't you know it, Shadow resisted, taking everything he learned about her and the world in her absence to realize that getting back together with her, would be a major step backwards.

However, there was little time to bask in this wonderful payoff. Because unfortunately for Wednesday and Shadow, it turns out they have been played all along because Technical Boy and the powerful God he works for turned over evidence of the bank heist to the local police, who put the duo in cuffs and in a precarious position and the whole point of getting Shadow and Wednesday in an isolated place such as a police interrogation room was for the big man in question, Mr. World, to attempt a different approach with Wednesday and appeal to his ego in an effort to avoid this forthcoming war by striking a deal and well, this was our reward for spending all this time learning about the Gods. 

We know now that being forgotten means they die like humans and we know that they fear death as much as we do and what made this part of the story so magnificent is that Mister World, despite his incredible power and knowledge, respects Wednesday immensely and fears war with him. Because that war could end in major bloodshed for the New Gods and to see World put together a presentation from Media and offer up an apology from Technical Boy spoke to just how far he was willing to go to strike a deal and avoid conflict since he more or less offered Wednesday the world; a glorious war and a seat at the table with the New Gods and that's where another reward arrived because just as Shadow resisted temptation when it came to his wife, Wednesday rejected this deal, also knowing full well it would be a step back for him and there was something incredibly satisfying and joyful about seeing Wednesday say 'no' to World and his lackeys, preferring instead to earn his respect and power the hard way and reward mankind for worshipping him. 

Unfortunately, despite Wednesday's noble decision, there will be consequences to go with it since World had Media slaughter every officer at the police station and they will no doubt try to pin it on Wednesday and Shadow meaning they're on the run as they try to assemble their new army. To make matters worse, it also looks like Laura isn't quite ready to give up on her puppy either. Either way, wow, what a wild episode. There was no deeper meaning to be found here or to pour over. Just the beautiful culmination of four weeks of character work, where every decision by the people of this magnificent world made total sense and I'm so glad the show went this slow burn route to bring us to this point because it allowed for everything in this episode to work perfectly. We fully understand why World wants Wednesday in the fold since he could put an end to several if not all of the New Gods and we understand why Wednesday is so hell bent on keeping at his quest...he refuses to be forgotten. Regardless, the war continues to brew and the task ahead for Shadow and Wednesday will be difficult and I cannot wait to see where this bold series takes us next week. Until then. 

For weeks now, Doctor Who has been quite the fascinating character study when it comes to the Twelfth Doctor. Series Ten has demonstrated the good within his soul by way of his decision to spare Missy's life and by allowing us to watch him do what he does best, save lives and entire worlds. Yet at the same time the show has not let us forget that the Doctor has a dark side and if necessary he will throw down and do what must be done when lives are at stake and while it's been nice to revisit these important attributes that are central to the character, the one thing that Series Ten has continued to explore that manages to fascinate me every single time that I tune in, is the fact that the Doctor has limitations. 

Yes the man that can travel through all of space and time and save the universe with a snap of his fingers has finally discovered that he can only do so much in one sitting, and that there is a price for his humility and decency, in a bittersweet and beautiful way of course, and these revelations came about in stunning fashion during last night's episode, 'The Pyramid at the End of the World', which brought the mysterious Monks to Earth at last, and they were a decidedly different kind of villain since they caused no trouble, and threatened no lives, they simply sat back and waited for mankind to come to them and beg them for salvation because a horrible and devastating threat was about to be unleashed upon our world and without their help, our species would surely perish in horrible fashion.

What that threat was exactly, was the Doctor's first challenge and the first example of how his limitations have come to fruition. Because by focusing on answering the call of the galaxy and saving Missy's sour soul, the Doctor has lost sight of many of the little details and clues the universe sends his way to prevent these disasters well in advance and because of his distraction, a dangerous and powerful bacteria was created in a lab underneath his nose, and while he and the United Nations were trying to figure out how to deal with the Monks, it was unleashed, forcing him to head to the lab in question to rectify the problem and while he was able to do just that and save the day, the second challenge of the night dropped into his lap, in regards to the price for his humility and his decency, because in order to survive his solution to saving mankind, the matter with his sight had to be resolved and thanks to Bill, he has his sight back, but at an incredible cost. 

Because in order to get it back, Bill made a deal with the Monks. Give the Doctor his vision, they get Planet Earth and they were more than happy to make that trade and well...it was simply incredible to see in that moment how much the Doctor has inspired and changed Bill for the better. She has finally come to understand the notion of sacrifice for the greater good just as he does, and while it seems at first that her gift to the Doctor is selfish and silly, let's ponder on it a little further for the moment, because her decision is based upon the fact that she saw a no win scenario in front of her if she let the Doctor die. 

After all, if the Doctor was gone, it would be all that much easier for the Monks to be able to come up with a new plan to get mankind to acquiesce to their wishes. So Bill's sacrifice truly makes sense. Sure, the planet will now be under the thumb of a malevolent species, but the Doctor lives and he can figure out a plan to save them all. But while seeing Bill put that kind of faith in the Doctor and his abilities was downright beautiful, when one considers how this season has gone for the man, she may have just inadvertantly forced the Doctor to finally face and resolve his internal issues. Because whether we like it or not, Series Ten has featured a broken Doctor, one that has wallowed within the mistakes of his past while trying desperately to make them right and his focus on all of that has brought forth a painful price, the loss of the planet he loves, and now in order to redeem himself he must pull it together and make internal peace with his mistakes so he can save the planet he calls home. 

In the end however, this turned out to be quite the amazing episode to say the least. Once again, Peter Capaldi turned in another incredible performance, one where the audience was able to feel The Doctor's pain as he struggled to keep it together during this crisis since his lack of knowledge terrified him to the core, but he full well knew he had to project an air of confidence to keep the whole situation from falling to pieces. I also loved the fact that the show found a simple and endearing way for the Doctor to face his pain so he can get back to being his old self, and the series could not have set up a bigger challenge for him to deal with, because now he has to figure out how exactly to get mankind to resist, when they willingly handed over their world to the Monks, and it should be interesting to see how the Doctor pulls this particular miracle off come next week. Until then. 

I am always appreciative of when a television show takes risks when it comes to storytelling and if there's one show that does that on a regular basis, it's The Handmaid's Tale. Week in and week out, this series finds new ways to shock us or stun us, or in the case of last night's episode, 'The Other Side', it finds a way to tell the story in surprising new fashion. 

I say that because last night's episode completely and utterly broke away from the standard structure of the show. Whereas we spent the first six episodes of the series in the heart of Gilead with June because this is her journey, this particular tale decided to expand on the revelation that arrived last week, in that June's husband Luke is alive and well, which meant it was high time to figure out how on earth he survived the gunfire we heard in the pilot episode and also learn where exactly he is living in this shattered new world. 

As it turns out, the gunfire exchange that Luke entered into with the Guardians of Gilead only left him wounded, and a touch of fate helped him escape their grasp when a careless driver crashed the ambulance Luke was riding in, putting him back on the road and that's really where we spent a good majority of this episode; in the cold north with Luke, and a few new friends he meets along the way as they all try to escape the horrors of Gilead and make their way into Canada. Plus, this episode also threw in some flashbacks as to how Luke, June and Hannah found themselves in the predicament we witnessed in the first episode and well, all of this served as a nice little twist to the overall story in that, we rarely see that outside perspective when it comes to Gilead and this tale allowed for us to confirm that pretty much no one is happy living in this awful place, they're just getting by to survive.

But the part of this story that I found to be incredibly captivating, is what life looks like in Canada, away from the prying eyes of Gilead and well, it's unfortunate that the episode didn't spend more time on this because this would have added an incredible wrinkle to the fold, especially when one considers how fascinating everything up north turned out to be. After all, there's a 'Little America' in Toronto and the remnant of the U.S. Government even has an office up there and to explore that in depth would have been downright amazing. However, I fully understand the need to show Luke's plight, and the gratitude he exhibits for being granted a chance to see another day, and the fact that he has a newfound purpose in life; getting his wife and other Handmaids away from their terrible and twisted life of servitude.  

However as interesting as this episode was to watch, there's really only one moment that stands out in my mind, the fact that this story once again ended on a powerfully hopeful note. Because Luke did receive the note from his wife, and the knowledge that she was alive and well sent him over the moon and well, it's safe to say we all shared in that joy and when you combine that, with the fact that the U.S. Government, albeit badly depleted, is actively looking for Handmaid training centers means that few are giving up on the fight to see Gilead fall and I'm certainly hoping that this episode serves as the grand setup for a big battle to come. Either way, despite the joy that this particular episode sent our way, I have no doubt that it's back to the horrors of Gilead after this, and June's incredible struggle to survive the madness surrounding her. Until next time.

When we last left Barry Allen on ​The Flash, he was facing a dark and disturbing future. After all, the love of his life was lying dead in his arms, murdered in cold blood by Savitar and that act meant the the future that Barry was hoping to avoid, where he loses himself in sorrow and darkness was coming to fruition and it's safe to say that all of us were wondering exactly how the season three finale was going to play out with Iris now dead. 

Because such a twist implied that we were going to be treated to a low key finale, one that would serve as a powerhouse character study revolving around maintaining the good in one's heart to avoid evil and as it turns out, 'Finish Line' ended up being a season finale filled to the brim with incredible surprises and incredible heartbreak. Yes, it delivered upon the character study in question because Barry did have to make some fascinating choices when it comes to walking that fine line between good and evil, but the twists and the turns that came with this episode are what made it worthwhile, and it wasted no time in delivering those our way since we discovered in the opening moments of this particular tale...that Iris West was alive and well.

Following the mistake he made last week in telling Savitar where Iris was hiding, and the subsequent guilt that followed with said mistake, H.R. used his face changing technology to take her place, and sacrificed himself in the process to change the future and save dear Barry from a fate worse than death and holy cow, was this quite the heartbreaking twist. Especially when one considers that H.R. has struggled with his role on the team all season long, and to see him finally figure out how to be heroic, and find inspiration from Cisco to pull off such an act, was beautiful and tragic and it's a shame that his moment in the sun also cost him his life. But, his sacrifice was certainly not in vain. By changing the future, Savitar's days were numbered and H.R.'s bold decision along with Snart's advice, inspired Barry to try something new with the Speed God, and 'kill him with kindness.'

That notion guided Barry to meet his future self in an attempt to reach the good still within him, even going so far as to bring him back to S.T.A.R. Labs in an effort to find a way to save him from the temporal paradox that was going to wipe him out, but alas, all of this effort was for naught. Savitar had his own plans in motion to save his life and promptly destroyed the lab in the hopes of killing Barry and his friends in the process, leading to a final showdown where Jay was released from the Speed Force Prison to help in the fight to bring down the Speed God and after plenty of bumps and bruises, it finally came down to Barry and Savitar, and Barry had the chance to finally put the Speed God down in fiery fashion, giving in to the darkest part of his soul in doing so, but Barry chose the high road and oddly enough in doing that, he gave Iris the chance to save his life for a change since she ended Savitar's reign of terror, and it seemed that at long last, Barry and his friends were going to enjoy a little peace and happiness for a change. 

But that, was simply not the case. Because without a prisoner in the Speed Force Prison, the Speed Force itself became unbalanced and it unleashed its fury upon the world which meant only one man could set this mess right...Barry, and in a stunning and tear jerking moment, he opted to be the one to bring balance to the Speed Force by joining it and just like that, Barry disappeared into the great unknown, handing over his title to Wally West and well...wow, what a way to end Season Three. Just when we thought Barry would finally get the touch of happiness he's been searching for, he leaves it all behind...but for the right reasons. This act served as his ascenion to becoming a true hero. He's finally able to make the big sacrifices for the greater good, and he fully understands that this is his penance for messing with the timeline in the first place and well, who knows where we go from here, but it should be interesting to see how Barry's absence shapes Season Four when the show returns this fall and I know I'll be watching to see how this experience changes Mister Allen, and the people he left behind. Until then.

Spoiler reminder: while I will freely discuss anything in the book or show that has happened so far, I will not spoil things in the book which have not yet occurred in the show.

Wow, okay. Well, almost nothing from this episode was in the book at all, so I’m left without very much to compare. In fact, Laura’s return in the book is only that: her return. Their life before the book’s beginning isn’t explored as thoroughly as it is here, but it’s important nonetheless.
​
Laura’s return means a lot to Shadow: it represents the last remnant of Shadow’s old life still clinging to him, and in much the same way Laura is clinging to her old life and to life itself, her presence in Shadow’s life is unnatural and unexpected. More than that, it brings with it a massive amount of baggage and weight: Shadow is putting his old life to bed and leaving it behind. More than that, he has begun to willingly step into this new life in a world of Gods. Laura’s return is more than just an anchor: it brings with it emotion, grief, memory, heartbreak, love, and so many other things which will now weigh on Shadow and follow him around much the same way Laura is, like a lost puppy. In the book these feelings of his are more obscure, shown to us in glimpses through body language, or word choice, or even the occasional brief conversation with another character, and we are allowed to see only the effect it has on him. This is because, in the book, we are on Shadow’s path but we are separate from him, watching him walk it. For the show the decision has been to bring us into Shadow’s shoes and have us experience things as he does: to that end we have to understand just what Laura means to him, and to do that we have to see and know all the memories just as well as Shadow and Laura do. For that purpose, we get this episode of backstory. This will certainly help us not just see but feel what it means to Shadow that his dead wife is returned to him despite being still dead.

In the meantime, we got some more allusions and references: Egyptian Gods were a big theme here even before Anubis arrives to take Laura away, and we finally get to meet Jacquel and Ibis properly in their funeral home. I hope their (much longer and later) time from the book is still to come, but I am certainly glad to see them finally appearing formally here. Bringing Audrey back into the fold is interesting because she does appear again in the book, briefly and much later, and I find myself wondering if that appearance will happen in the show and how her actions then might change because of her interactions with Laura in this episode. Additionally, the idea that Shadow stands out in her new vision as something or someone she is drawn to is thematically consistent with the book, and I appreciated the touch of having him shine out with light. That may be because the coin he gave her is either the sun’s protection or ‘the sun itself’, as Zorya Polunochnaya (the one on the rooftop) told us earlier. It is a particularly special coin that Sweeney gave to Shadow by mistake and apparently has special properties, and since Shadows gave it to her it would make sense that he is now her sun, or her portal with which to see the light and the world. On the other hand, it may be referencing something from much later in the novel, which I will refrain from mentioning. Regardless, it’s a nice visual touch either way.

We also see some neat interplay between our characters and the Gods, even from this time before their proper introduction: Laura keeps a cat, like that old woman in the ‘Somewhere in America’ segment, and is also approached by Anubis. Is it coincidence, then, that Jacquel and Ibis also have a cat in their funeral home? She leaves the TV on, (thinking of Media, anyone?) but only when she’s not home. Did the cat watch it in Laura’s absence? If cats are really connected to the Old Gods, then was this an intersection of them and Media? Also, Shadow has already run afoul of Technology, apparently, as we see when Laura points out all the cameras in her casino. Was the Technical Boy watching him for longer than he or we know? I also greatly appreciated the silhouettes of the two ravens flying above Laura and Robbie’s car before their deaths, calling back to the bird we saw above Shadow and Wednesday’s car on their way to Chicago, and seeming to reference Odin’s birds Hugin and Munin. This would appear to be how Wednesday knew about Laura’s death, but does it also mean he had a hand in it? Since her death and the events leading up to it are less detailed in the book, I can only ponder.
​
In the end, episode 4 adds some wonderful emotional weight to our story and chains a strange anchor to Shadow’s leg. Although I’m a bit concerned at how long this episode ran – and wondering how they’ll fit the rest of the plot into only four more episodes – the changes or alterations I’ve seen before have ended up circling back around to enrich and deepen the core experience. I’m hopeful these will do the same.

When we last left Kara Zor-El and the good people of National City, the situation was grim. While the people were rising up and fighting the Daxamites, thanks to a little inspiration from Cat Grant, the attempt to destroy Queen Rhea's ship failed miserably thanks to an evil assist from an altered Superman leaving us with quite the cliffhanger on Supergirl.

Thankfully, the show wasted no time in getting down to business this week and that 'get to it' mentality made for one amazing season two finale, because 'Nevertheless, She Persisted' finally delivered on something every fan of this show out there has been waiting for. But before we dig too deep into that, let's take a moment and discuss the powerhouse action scenes that popped up in this episode because holy cow, those were some absolutely amazing super fights. Superman vs. Supergirl, Supergirl vs. Rhea, it was nerd heaven seeing thunderous blows be delivered and dare I say it (I do), some of these fights were better than what we've seen in some big budget superhero films. But all of that aside, lets get down to discussing the best part of this episode; Kara's journey. 

Now, I think it's safe to say that for the past couple of years, we've truly been waiting to see Kara finally come into her own as Supergirl. Yes, she's done some incredible things and saved the earth in amazing ways, but to date, there's always been a need for someone to step in and help the Woman of Tomorrow, or guide her toward all the right answers. She's never made all the tough calls on her own or truly put everything on her back, until last night. Because last night, Supergirl became super. Not only was she able to handle those epic battles without any assistance from her friends (although they did find important ways to contribute), she became a true beacon of hope, and a leader as well since everyone followed her lead when it came to the battle plan to defeat Rhea.

Not to mention, she was forced to make an incredibly tough decision in this tale. Because if she failed to beat Rhea in Daxxum Ur, the Daxam equivalent to a duel, with fists instead of guns, a backup plan needed to be ready to go and that little device that Lillian Luthor picked up in Lex's vault a while back would serve as that plan since it was modified by Winn and Lena to emit a blast of Lead dense enough to make earth uninhabitable to all Daxamites while keeping the human population safe. That would of course mean that Mon-El would have to leave if she detonated the device and well, when it came down to it, Kara was forced to choose between having it all, or saving seven billion lives and she chose the latter of the two and said goodbye to her love in order to protect the only home she has ever known.

When all is said and done however, wow...what a finale. This was truly the moment I've been waiting for. Supergirl was finally allowed to handle everything and anything that came her way on her own, and there was no doubting or questioning of her abilities, she was able to do her thing and it was...glorious. Not to mention, there was plenty of heartbreak and pain to come with this newfound role of Champion of Earth and she met that pain head on and man, what a wonderful message to send to all the younger fans out there: be bold, be the hero and the person that everyone looks up to because there's nothing that you can't handle. I really could not be happier to see Kara Zor-El finally come into her own and I cannot wait to see how she grows and inspires all of us even more when Season Three arrives in the fall. Until then. 

Suffering is a huge part of character development at any level of storytelling, because in order for a character to learn something and grow, they have to go through some level of personal pain, and find a way to overcome it. But there is a tight rope to walk when it comes to suffering. If you put the character or characters through far too little of it, they never quite earn what's coming next in their fictional lives, and if you do too much of it, there's a sense of cruelty that is lended to the story and it seems as though you're punishing the audience over anything else.

Or...if you're the writer's room of Better Call Saul, you take suffering to a whole new level, wherein the story seems to be given a life of its own and loses a touch of control, reminding people of their own tough struggles in life and how sometimes...they can snap us under the right circumstances. Because that's exactly what was on display last night in 'Expenses', suffering and lots of it as every single character dealt with the fallout from their recent actions in the toughest of fashion and this was a wonderful way to tell this tale simply because their pain was relatable to all of us, even the shadier stuff, as was evidenced by Mike's journey in this episode.

After all, he's been struggling with willfully causing harm to others to fulfill his sense of revenge for some time now and despite trying to stay away from such affairs, and working instead to help others, the darkness he's dabbled in keeps calling to him and he steps in to help Pryce out in executing Nacho's plot to bring down Hector Salamanca and it was simply fascinating to watch Mike go back and forth all night between good deeds and bad ones and since he is the strongest character on the show, perhaps he suffered the least in this story since it seems he's going to work to offset every bad deed with a good one going forward and maintain a little balance in the universe. 

While Mike seemingly accepted where his life is heading in his later years, Kim was dealing with a suffering of her own, by way of a guilty conscience. Despite displaying her incredible skills as a defense attorney in front of the Bar Association, there's a cloud hanging over what she helped do to Charles McGill, one that looms large and one that exploded into a storm of its own when she went to Mesa Verde for a routine meeting with Paige. It was during this meeting that Paige ranted and raved about the brilliant defense she and Jimmy put together against ol' Chuck since she read the transcripts of the case and well, for the first time ever we saw Kim straight up snap at someone since she was nasty and mean with Paige regarding some of the details of their forthcoming deals in Utah, and it was ugly enough that she took a moment to apologize to Paige for her actions and outright admit that she felt awful about what happened in court and that all she accomplished was to help embarrass a sick man. While Kim is also a strong character, it's clear what's happened over the past few weeks is starting to break her down just a little bit, but she'll likely be able to soldier on.

But despite the strength that Kim and Mike displayed during their personal crises, there's one man on this show we truly need to worry about...and that's Jimmy McGill because holy cow...is he taking quite the beating right now. A few weeks ago he had everything he could ever want. He was starting out with his own practice. He had the support of his lovely girlfriend, but all of that is gone now. In part because of Chuck, in part because of his own transgressions, but the weight of everything that has happened is putting him in a tough place and last night he truly, truly suffered, despite the fact he seems to be able to handle some of the tough stuff being thrown his way. After all, while community service is a bear and unenjoyable for Jimmy he is making do with it, and finding a way to film commercials around the four hours he spends cleaning garbage off the highway, but the rest of it...well the rest of it seems to be breaking him down. 

After all, his commercial business isn't going well. It's a few ads here and there but the revenue simply isn't there, and the work is bleeding him dry, and the uncertainty that goes with such quick work is forcing him to even give airtime away and the realization that Saul Goodman Productions is a rousing failure through and through is eating at him big time, to the point where it was heartbreaking to see him sitting alone in a parking lot staring off into the distance. To make matters worse, his car is finally giving out and it just seems as though poor Jimmy can't get a break. Heck, he even empties his bank account to pay the rent and keep the illusion going that everything is just fine. But while those merely seem like tough times and it does seem like Jimmy is getting by as best he can, it's what is happening inside his soul that should be of grave concern. Because he is burying all the pain and all the resentment and anger that is coming with this suffering and there's trouble to be found in that. 

Because the darkness that comes with all that has a place to hide and grow inside James McGill now, and it is growing at a healthy pace. Our first warning sign when it comes to this was evidenced when he and Kim went out for drinks and they played a little game where they figured out how they could scam someone and get away with it. But one man in particular caught Jimmy's eye because he reminded him of Chuck and that's when the darkness came out as Jimmy outlined how he would destroy this man with a sense of twisted glee and while Kim was able to talk him down from that, he still found a home for this anger and rage when he visited the insurance company that handled his malpractice insurance in the hopes of getting a refund on it and after being told no, he finally broke down in tears and while some of the sorrow that poured out of him was legitimate, that fury took over again and he let it slip that Chuck is mentally ill, and had a breakdown at the hearing, effectively putting an end to Chuck's malpractice insurance as well and it was an act, that Jimmy clearly found joy in. 

In the end, what made Jimmy's story this week so incredibly fascinating and heartbreaking is that, this was all another stepping stone toward the Saul Goodman we know and love. The grey area that Jimmy used to operate in is becoming far more black and the only joy he's finding these days is through anger and revenge and by going after Chuck yet again, and finding comfort in such an act is a slippery slope to go down. One bad act will lead to another, the guilt over such things will fade and eventually, Saul will take shape and charge and do whatever he wants, whenever he wants. If anything this was a heartbreaker of an episode to watch, and sadly, I'm sure Jimmy's actions will only have further repercussions with his brother because Chuck does love dishing out a slice of revenge. Either way, bravo to the show for going to such dark places in this particular episode and for helping to continue to shape and mold the man that Saul Goodman will eventually become. Until next time.

When we last left the good people of the fleet and the fine crew of the Battlestar Galactica, the situation was quite grim. The fleet was more or less falling to pieces over the prospect of a new planet to the point where they were ready to hand over complete control of their destines to an incompetent man, while at the same time, the rescue mission on Caprica was apparently going south, leaving us with a sense of dread as we barreled toward the second season finale.

As it turns out, that dread was justified because everything went from bad to worse in 'Lay Down Your Burdens (Part 2)' an episode that more or less set up countless plot lines for seasons to come by way of a stunning twist and this is also a tale that saw what happens when power is given to the foolish and in doing so it also neatly wrapped up the dangers of ignoring the themes presented to us this season. But before we get too deeply into that, let's take a moment and discuss the other shocking and surprising twist that this episode dropped into our lap, the fact that the Cylons are suddenly looking for peace after spending the last nine months in the show's timeline, hunting down humanity with extreme prejudice. 

Yes, you read that right. Peace with mankind is now a top priority for the Cylons and as a gesture of goodwill in the matter, they cease their attack on Starbuck's Search and Rescue team and send back another Cavil to Galactica wherein he and his clone speak to the fact that the Cylons have seen the error of their ways in trying to murder mankind and have decided to end their pursuit of genocide and head off on their own path. Their words however fall upon deaf ears since the President decides to throw both of them out of an airlock, and it should come as no surprise that this plot thread wraps up in such quick and clean fashion (or so it seems) because there's an election to be had within the fleet, one that has the President worried to her core that Gaius Baltar will win.

Just how worried is Roslin? Enough to try and throw the election her way on election night when it appears that Baltar has the lead. It's an act that Adama rectifies for morality's sake, but it also results in Gaius Baltar being elected as the President of the Colonies, and a horrific attack that destroys Cloud Nine when the Cylon he freed from ​Pegasus detonates the bomb he gave her and that ladies and gentlemen all happens in just the first half of the show...which brings us to the big surprise of this episode, the fact that following that attack, we jump ahead in time a full year to see what life on New Caprica looks like, and holy cow...what a terrible life that turns out to be.

Because the colonization of New Caprica truly saps the people of the fleet of purpose. They merely exist now. On the planet's surface it's a cold and miserable life where the President does nothing but drink and romance in his office all day instead of govern and in the stars above the Galactica and the ​Pegasus have empty hallways since most of their crews have gone down to the planet, leaving the Adamas without a war to fight or a reason to go on and well, this whole sequence was tough to watch because these people are better than this and this is the culmination of those thematic concepts because without purpose they are a lost society. But one fateful day changes all of that because out of the blue, the Cylons find New Caprica, and with a depleted crew the remaining fleet jumps away, leaving the planet undefended and occupied by an enemy that may preach 'peace' but they clearly have nefarious intentions since they have invaded this world and that's where we leave the last of humanity in season two, staring down the barrel of a gun once again, and under the thumb of their mortal enemy.

When all is said and done, this episode was downright brilliant for so many reasons. For starters, the time jump is a bold and powerful move to say the least, especially from a storytelling perspective since there are holes and gaps when it comes to important events that likely helped grow and shape the people of the fleet over the course of that missing year. Plus, I truly loved the whole twist that the Cylons are at first content with leaving humanity be before tracking them down once again, and there's something to be said about Karma since once again, it's Baltar's fault that the Cylons have mankind in their grasp. Either way, this was one hell of a cliffhanger, one that clearly will teach the people of the fleet quite a lesson and one that sets up what seems to be a no-win scenario when it comes to escaping the cold metallic grasp of the Cylons. Guess that means it's time to get in gear and start season three as soon as possible, to see how the heck the last vestiges of mankind escape this mess. Until next time.

One big reason that so many of us turn to our favorite shows and stories is because they're a fine escape from reality. They help us unwind from a bad day, they help whisk us away to places we never thought we could go; so more often than not, the mundane stuff in our day to day lives are left out to keep things entertaining. But once in a great while, a show will dare to venture into that boring territory all in the hopes of telling an authentic and powerful tale, as was the case with last night's episode of American Gods. 

Which to be quite honest, is an unexpected venture for a show that has featured powerful visuals and enthralling and fast paced tales, but none the less that's where 'Git Gone' went last night because the focus of this particular tale was the life of Laura Moon, and despite the fact that the most boring parts of our existence were on display through Laura, this show found a way to make it all incredibly interesting and by stripping away the larger plot for an entire episode, the show was able to focus on what has become an important new theme over the past few weeks, the need to believe in something. But before it reached that point, this particular tale was truly a grand American tragedy, the kind where it seemed for a moment that Laura was a true villain in this story because of her incredibly boring life and the incredible consequences that come with such apathy. 

Of course, one might think I might be exaggerating and that what went on could not have been that boring because this is a television show after all, but make no mistake about it, Laura Moon's life was filled with nothing, we are truly talking about a hollow and empty existence here. Sure, she does all the things we do in life, go to work, feed her pets and all that jazz, but that's it. There's no coming home to hobbies, or going out with friends. Just work, and silence and solitude and the only thrill she seems to get in life comes from huffing copious amounts of bug spray while sitting in her hot tub with the cover on, because she believes in nothing, heck she even admits it at one point, meaning that the all important moment when she finally meets Shadow should be the turning point in her life...but it's not. She's still unhappy, she's still bored and looking for a purpose or direction in life and it leads her to finally go along with an idea Shadow came up with on the night they met, in that they should work together and rob the casino she works for. 

This is of course what leads to Shadow's incarceration, once again putting her in that silent and lonely place, leading to the affair with Robbie, and we know how that story ends, and oddly enough, her death was equally as hollow and empty as the life she led. But, something magical happens following her passing, Laura Moon finally wakes up from her life long trance. She fights Anubis at every turn to be granted a second chance and if it wasn't for Shadow and the coin...she never would have received that opportunity and upon her return to the land of the living, the changes in her personality continue.

Suddenly she is vigilant and heroic, since we learn she is the one who saved Shadow from Technical Boy's thugs and to top it off...she is now penitent as well, and that was evidenced during perhaps the most hilarious and awkward apology sequence I have ever seen on a television show. But what matters most, is that she now understands the value of life. She genuinely regrets her actions and the boneheaded way she lived her life, allowing for her to now believe in something, and that seems to be Shadow and the love he once showed her and she will stop at nothing to have that all once again and when all is said and done, what a beautiful story of redemption this episode turned out to be, one that truly took the audience on a wild emotional ride. Because at first...we pity Laura, we hope that something gives her a purpose and once Shadow arrives, we come to despise her for squandering something so beautiful before finally settling in on rooting for her for finding something worth fighting for at last. 

However, a day after watching this particular episode, one thought continues to permeate through my mind...how does this story fit in with the bigger picture? After all, American Gods is not the kind of show to have a throw away episode, everything in this series serves a purpose and already, we get a hint of that since it was Laura who saved Shadow from the attack, so it should be interesting to see how she fits into everything going forward. Either way, the more I think about this episode, the more I love it. It was simple, beautiful, macabre and fascinating, and I was captivated by every single second of it. Because while everyone loves a good redemption story, it's more important to see why a character needs to be redeemed and it's quite satisfying to know that regardless of her current condition, Laura Moon has learned her lesson, and finally has something and someone to believe in. Until next time.