Perhaps the true beauty of a final season when it comes to a television show is that the powers that be can throw caution to the wind and try anything and everything they ever wanted to storytelling wise because hey...there's no tomorrow. We've seen it happen on shows before as they come to a close and while this is not the final season of Doctor Who, it is certainly the curtain call for Steven Moffat and Peter Capaldi and clearly, Steven seized the opportunity to try something incredibly new as the end draws near with last night's episode, 'Extremis'.

I say that simply because...this was a Who story unlike any other. It was dark, brooding and unique as it allowed for a troubling scenario to play out before our eyes wherein the Doctor and Bill and Nardole were summoned by the Pope himself to help with the translation of an ancient document known as the 'Veritas', a document which also managed to drive anyone mad who read it and as it turns out, this little quest led to quite the stunning set of revelations. In that, the Veritas was a manifesto revealing a digital simulation of our world, one controlled by a mysterious group of mummy-like creatures that were looking to figure out how to conquer Earth in the simplest way possible, including adding the Doctor to this simulation to properly learn how to defeat him as well.

Now, seeing an alien species interested in taking over the earth is nothing new to the Who-niverse, but how the Doctor discovered their existence and their plan, is what made this story so incredibly special. Because we've never seen a species study us in grand detail on the show before launching their invasion plans and the fact that they were able to do this in silence and secrecy was quite the stroke of genius and equally as amazing is the whole simulation aspect of the story. Up until Nardole stuck his hand in the darkness and 'derezzed' for lack of a better term (thanks to ​Tron for the assist, though) we hadn't a clue as to what was going on outside of the usual fare. It made for quite the pleasant twist to the story and it's good to know that any iteration of the Doctor, be it digital or real, is still a good man any way you slice it since he alerted his real world self to the threat, and speaking of the Doctor...the focus on the good in his heart was central to this story as well, because this episode finally revealed exactly who is residing in the Vault.

As it turns out long after the Doctor and River parted ways, the Doctor decided it was high time to get a few loose ends in order around the universe and one such lingering issue just so happened to be Missy. So, in order to put an end to the chaos she has caused over the past few years he had Missy placed into custody and brought to a special world where its citizens specialized in executing aliens of the universe and the time had come for Missy to meet her maker. It was a dark moment to say the least, seeing as to how the Doctor is not known to put people down in this kind of cold and calculated fashion and despite the pleas from Missy and Nardole, it seemed the Doctor was going to go through with it. 

Thankfully however, he merely stunned Missy, because he never intended to outright murder her, he just wants to keep her out of the universe's way and after getting a healthy shock to the system she was placed in a quantum flow chamber which just so happens...to be the vault he's guarding and well, this part of the story was just so wonderful and so beautiful. Because it once again spoke to the strange relationship between the Doctor and Missy and the fact that Twelve seemingly cannot give up on her just yet. He firmly believes that there is good within her, that his childhood friend can be rescued from the darkness in her soul and that perhaps, by placing her in this vault for a thousand years, she will eventually see the error in her ways. But the real twist to this storyline, is the fact the the Doctor is starting to think about letting her out early and he may do just that, because with this new threat on the horizon, he is going to need all the help that he can get...

Now, was this the finest that Series Ten has to offer? No, because at times it did feel like familiar territory, and it was nowhere near as cerebral as the stories that came before it, but this episode gets a pass for two key reasons, the first being it's unique way in introducing us to a bold new threat, because truly, I've never seen a bad guy make their entrance quite like this on the show and because of the wonderful side story involving the Doctor and Missy. It's a sub plot that's been ignored for far too long and rather than just lay out their complicated relationship and intentions in 'paint-by-numbers' fashion, I truly appreciated the fact that both actors let their prowess on screen and their actions do the talking and if anything the dynamic between these two resembles that of the Joker and Batman, where they just so happen to need one another because one compliments the other in perfect fashion. Either way, the stage is set for a showdown with these mummified monsters and it looks like next week, the battle for Earth gets underway. Until then.

One of the many things that I adore about Battlestar Galactica, and this point I'm realizing that list is so long that I could do a year's worth of blogs upon that alone...is that the show can set the mood or the tone for an episode, in a matter of seconds, and for proof, look no further than the first half of the season two finale, 'Lay Down Your Burdens (Part 1)'. Because this particular tale was able to tell in a simple matter of moments that things were about to get extremely dark for this story and for the characters and the fact that a show can set the tone in such quick and powerful fashion speaks volumes to the brilliance that came about in the writing room.

Speaking of that brilliance, it also went above and beyond merely setting a mood in this particular episode, because this two part finale more or less finds a way to tie up the three themes its been playing with all season long by introducing a new concept into the fold...purpose and the need for having one period in life. Granted it's a touch more subtle in the first half of the finale, but it's clear that the fleet has lost a sense of purpose in general and is beginning to crack under the weight of that, and the desperate grab to find one is what makes this episode so dark and so perfect for what awaits us in part two and for proof that people are starting to reach their breaking point...look no further than the Chief's story this go round.  

Because in essence, the man snaps. He attacks Cally without provocation and the fallout from that attack lets us know that the Chief feels lost in life now, in fact he's even questioning his humanity and whether or not he's a Cylon for that matter, and a recurring dream where he sees himself committing suicide has put him in a real funk. Thankfully, a new character, the ship's priest Father Cavill, reassures the Chief that he's not evil or a Cylon and that he can handle his duties just fine, but what made this story so fascinating is the sheer fact that the Chief, a guy who always finds a way to make peace with anything happening around him is going a little stir crazy at the moment and his story would set up the grander scale for this episode, in that...he's not alone.

Fleet wide there is a sense of claustrophobia and frustration in this episode and it stems from one simple reason; everyone is cooped up and tired of living inside a ship and that only gets worse when the big plan to rescue the remaining rebels on Caprica gets underway. Because after a problem with the jump, Racetrack and Skulls find themselves lost in a Nebula and stumble upon a massive planet that can support human life within its thick clouds, and those clouds are equally as important, because they create enough DRADIS interference that there's a fair chance the Cylons would not be able to spot the fleet if they were anywhere near this planet. 

This of course leads to instant joy in the fleet, despite the scientific evidence that indicates this place won't support human life forever, but that doesn't stop Baltar from seizing the moment and using the planet as the centerpiece of his run at the Presidency, because at this point Baltar is desperate to move ahead in the polls and he quickly paints Laura Roslin as a fear monger and that this new world and the potential colonization of it will be the answer to all their problems and when all is said and done let's be honest, this is Gaius Baltar pushing the fleet past its breaking point. They're already antsy to find a place to settle down and live upon, and the promise of a safe place is forcing them to lose sight of everything because Gaius suddenly surges in the polls and this is quite the slippery slope to head down because suddenly the people of the fleet are not working together or in level headed fashion. They aren't thinking about the mortal consequences that could come with the rash decision to land and live in a place they don't understand enough about and well...they're forgetting about their greater purpose...to keep humanity going and no good can come of this.

But the good news is the episode wasn't 100% darkness, just 95%, because Kara's plan to return to Caprica does work out in the end and she is reunited with her love at last, but the joy of that reunion is quickly dashed once the Cylons begin to attack and that's where this episode leaves us, with a cliffhanger and so much hanging in the balance and well, I truly forgot how much I love this episode. It sets up everything in the smoothest of fashion and what it leaves the audience with is a true sense of anxiety since the possibility is real now that the people of the fleet may choose a quick out over finishing their goals and that's a wonderful thing to explore and I honestly cannot wait to revisit the rest of the season two finale with a fresh perspective, which means it is time for me to hit play on the ol' Blu Ray player and see this season through to its epic end. Until next time.

This time around when I settled in to watch the next episode of The Handmaid's Tale, I noticed a surprising first...the fact that I wasn't filled with dread over returning to the nightmare that is Gilead and much of the credit for that goes to last week's episode for finally disarming my senses. But the good times and good feelings that story provided simply weren't meant to last and it didn't take long for this week's story to draw us back into the darkness.

Because 'A Woman's Place' managed to establish in stunning fashion, the state of the world beyond the borders of Gilead and unfortunately, it's bad news elsewhere too, to the point where mankind appears to be losing its mind as a collective whole. But before we get too deep into that part of the story, we need to take a moment and discuss the surprising sub story that permeated throughout this particular episode, the backstory of Serena Joy Waterford, because holy cow was her story downright fascinating simply because...well, how does one put this gently; everything she wanted when it comes to a brave new world, blew up in her face.

We learned last night that years ago, Fred and Serena Joy (sadly no one has spoken her first name on the series yet, and if they have, I have certainly missed it) were a passionate and happy couple, and also a couple that believed the world was a sick place, full of suffering and pain and they intended to help make it better. In fact we were treated to a chilling moment where Fred's cohorts alerted him to the attacks on Congress, the White House and the Courts before it all went down, giving he and Serena hope for a better world, but once the nation was thrown into chaos, Serena's desires to be part of building a new life and a new way of thinking for the world were quickly dashed once the 'good men' of Gilead decided what a woman's role should be in life. 

Yet, despite being silenced by the society she helped bring to life, Serena found new ways to make herself relevant again, which brings us back to the awfulness of present day. Because the Waterford's were hosting important people, delegates from Mexico, in the hopes of closing the deal on the trade negotiations that the Commander informed June about a few weeks ago and that also meant that the household's darling Handmaid had to be on her best behavior and not reveal the horror's of the world she lived in and well, that almost broke June. She wanted nothing more than to tell the truth to the Mexican representatives, but knew an act like that would cost her, her life.

Instead she sat back and watched the circus act that Waterford and his cronies prepared for the delegation and that's when Serena found her moment to shine, wherein she took control and put on a beautiful show for Gilead's international visitors and as the celebration continued, another Handmaid pointed out something terrifying to June...that more than likely it was Handmaids that were going to be the 'product' that Gilead would trade to Mexico. However, rather than continue to sit on the sideline and let this world push her around, a grand opportunity fell into June's lap where she was able to speak with the Mexican Ambassador without the eyes of Gilead watching her and she explained exactly how horrible her life was in this awful place...sadly to no avail. Because the same fertility problems that plague Gilead, plague Mexico and the prospect of using fertile women to grow their population is too much to pass up.

However, as this show is wont to do, it always finds a way to give us that tiny sliver of hope, and the man traveling with the Ambassador revealed to June that he not only wants to help her...he can get a message to her husband, who he claims is still alive and if that's not a stunning way to end an episode, I don't know what is and once again, this show delivered an incredible experience. Because it's bad enough to know that depleted birth rates would drive mankind to do awful things such as this, and it's even worse to see a country like Mexico use another country's 'breeding stock' and encourage a place like Gilead. It's just another fine example of how mad this world has become because of whatever cataclysmic event came about, but when all is said and done, it was quite amazing to see Serena get her own episode for a change and learn that she was quite the writer back in the day and hopefully at some point soon, the allure of Gilead goes away for someone of importance so we can see this awful place fade into memory. Until next time.

Admittedly, I was extremely harsh on Designated Survivor last week for one simple reason, I think we all expect the best when it comes to this show. It’s established itself as a fine drama, one that can adapt as necessary to its unique storyline to deliver either a pure thriller, a family drama or a fascinating political tale. So to see it take a step back in the manner that it did by giving us a 'by the numbers' story was disappointing to say the least. But I also held out hope that perhaps this was nothing more than an aberration and that the season finale would be nothing short of spectacular and well ladies and gentlemen, as it turns out, my hope was well placed.
 
Because ‘Brace for Impact’ turned out to be exactly that, a spectacular season finale, one that left me on the edge of my seat, one that resolved as many plot threads as it could and heck, one that left you cheering and crying out in both panic and joy because this episode was an experience and it also made sure to pick up exactly where we left off last week, with Hannah staring down the barrels of several guns, with high explosives to her back and the show wasted no time in resolving that little cliffhanger by having Hannah save the day and get right back down to the mission at hand…bringing Patrick Lloyd to justice.
 
But of course, that is easier said than done because despite the fact that the President gave the order to bring the man in he found a way to escape his captors, leaving us no closer to dealing with his treachery. But the story wasn’t going to leave the audience completely empty handed because Nestor Lozano had another mission at hand, one that required him to infiltrate the Pentagon, and while it seemed for a moment there he would get away with another covert run, a chance encounter with Hannah finally gave the audience everything we’ve been waiting for when it comes to Catalan…justice. Because he and Hannah squared off in fierce fashion, with Hannah coming out as the victor at last, and she wasn’t done setting wrongs right just yet, considering what was waiting for her in her office at the White House.
 
In her email was Jason’s final gift to her, and the world for that matter, because as it turns out, in his final moments a few weeks ago, when he worked the keyboard of the laptop he brought with him to spy on Patrick Lloyd and Jay Whitaker, he wasn’t merely encrypting the files, he sent everything to Hannah…and at long last, Whitaker was brought into custody and for the moment the crisis was finally over. In fact Whitaker’s incarceration and Hannah’s fine work led to the capture of countless terror cells across the nation and Tom Kirkman was finally able to address the nation and reveal the conspiracy that nearly brought down the United States of America in a rousing and powerful speech and just like that…even with Lloyd on the run, it seemed as though all was well. 
 
But alas, it turns out that Patrick Lloyd has one last trick up his sleeve when it comes to his plan to bring down America, because in the final moments of the episode we learned that Lozano stole the blueprints to all of America’s defenses and sent it to his boss, leaving the country vulnerable and at Lloyd’s mercy and as to how he plans to use that information…well we will just have to wait until next year to find out but in the end…wow, what a wonderful season finale. The hour simply flew by and every second and every performance were downright electric and despite its stumbles here and there, this was hands down one of the best new shows on television this year and I cannot wait to see this series grow and see what surprises they have in store for us come season two. Until next time.

​When it comes to our favorite television shows, there are season finales and then there are season finales, and it is pertinent to point out such a difference because last night Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. delivered on the latter of the two, bringing together an explosive and powerful story that seamlessly blended together every single element season four introduced and a day after watching this one, I’m still reeling over how incredible ‘World’s End’ turned out to be.
 
Now what made this particular season finale so darn amazing, is the fact that it took the audience on quite the journey. At times there was genuine danger for the characters, followed by plenty of jaw dropping moments and heartbreaking ones as well for that matter and perhaps the best place to start with today’s recap, is to discuss the danger that everyone faced because this finale finally revealed Aida’s big and evil plan, one that the Superior helped bring to life in order to please his new master.
 
As it turns out, that plan was to bring about the same kind of world that Aida built in the Framework and in order to begin that process her minions made use of an LMD of Daisy to attack General Talbot in the hopes of delegitimizing S.H.I.E.L.D. and spreading fear. But Thankfully, Coulson and the gang, with Robbie tagging along, were able to minimize the damage and save Talbot’s life. But in order to defeat Aida, who could only be wounded by the power of the Ghost Rider, the team returned to what remained of S.H.I.E.L.D. H.Q. with the Darkhold in hand in order to bait Aida, who of course took said bait, and after a series of stunning, heart stopping moments, Coulson, fueled by the power of the spirit of the Rider, was able to put an end to Aida and her madness once and for all.
 
As for the heartbreak that this episode delivered, well that all came from the Framework, which was quite the terrifying place now that Aida was shutting it down and saving Mack became a race against time in both the real world and the digital one as Daisy worked to get a back door ready to go for Yo-Yo and Mack while Yo-Yo tried her best to convince Mack to return home with Radcliffe’s help, to no avail. The allure of staying with Hope until the end was too much for Mack to pass up and once again he decided to stay, as did Yo-Yo, because a life without Mack was too much for her to bear. In the end though, losing his daughter again was enough to finally bring Mack back to our world and as for Radcliffe, well by guiding Yo-Yo through the madness, he redeemed himself at last and was able to make internal peace with his life and his decisions before disappearing into the void…
 
If anything, it was the humanity and the beauty present in this episode that made it so magnificent because this season finale, featured a true unity when it comes to the team. One where they all understood the stakes and were willing to sacrifice themselves if necessary to save the world from this unnecessary evil and while it was a noble and powerhouse episode, it was also incredibly somber and thoughtful for those exact same reasons. This story truly served as a high point for character growth when it comes to these intrepid agents, and it also set up some awesome questions for Season Five. After all, we know the Rider likes there to be a darkness and pain in those he joins with, so what is Coulson’s? Plus, those final moments with the mystery men, and the whole Coulson in space thing…well it means we should be in for quite a treat come this fall and hopefully Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. continues with the newfound tradition it started this season in delivering top notch and engrossing stories that keep us coming back for more. Until next time. 

Often times, television shows truly save the biggest stories, the ones filled to the brim with twists and turns and jaw dropping moments for the season finale and there’s good reason for that. After all, it’s the end of the year, why not let it all hang out? It’s a practice that has served fans well over the years but last night, The Flash decided to go against the norm by delivering an episode that felt like a season finale…a week before the season finale.
 
I say that because ‘Infantino Street’ was filled to the brim with stunning action sequences and closure points, the kind that felt like the season was coming to a close, and heck it even ended on a powerful, powerful cliffhanger. Which means that the actual season finale may be quite the sight to behold because little will be the same after this episode, one that instantly dropped us right into the thick of things, exactly twelve hours before Iris West is expected to die.
 
With her untimely fate looming large over Team Flash, Cisco did everything in his power to find a power source to get the Speed Force Bazooka up and running and wouldn’t you know it, scans of A.R.G.U.S. showed a power signature that met their needs. This gave Barry and Cisco an inkling of hope that was quickly dashed when Lyla let Barry know that there was no way he was ever getting near that power source, leading Barry to make the wild decision to steal it with a little help from Leonard Snart, and while the heist didn’t quite go as planned, Barry eventually got his hands on said power source and well…that’s when things fell apart.
 
Now in order to keep Iris safe, Barry had her sent away to an undisclosed location (Earth-2) so that Savitar would have no knowledge of her location. But a little deception from the Speed God, and a lack of thought from H.R., revealed Iris’ location, allowing for Savitar to kidnap her with minimal effort, setting in motion the showdown we’ve all been waiting for and while it seemed as though the Speed Force Bazooka was going to be the game changer Barry needed, Savitar was ready for that as well. The Philosopher’s Stone as it turns out, protected the God of Speed from returning to his prison in the Speed Force and that’s when Barry’s worst nightmare came to fruition, since Savitar killed Iris and left Barry Allen to weep over his fallen love…and suffer…
 
So...just like that…all of Barry’s effort this season to change the future and save the love of his life turned out to be all for naught. Iris died exactly as she was supposed to, a dark and disgusting future awaits Barry Allen and I really did not expect season three’s penultimate episode to turn out this dark and this powerful and really at this point one has to wonder where we go from here. The biggest moment of the season has arrived and it’s obvious Barry will be emotionally shattered for the season finale and well…with Iris gone what does Barry Allen do now? Try and find a way to go on? Let the darkness we know he’s capable of take over and seek revenge? Guess we’ll find out next week in what should be a somber season three finale. Until next time.

Weekly reminder: I will discuss events in both the show and the book only if they have been portrayed in the show thus far. Things that have happened in the book but not appeared onscreen will go unmentioned, and spoilers are treated as if you have watched the show up to this point, but have not read the book.

Where Episode 2 deviated from the book in several ways, and added its own bits and pieces, Episode 3 was almost perfectly true to the book. It may seem strange then, when I tell you that the opening 'Somewhere in America' sequence with Anubis and the old woman, was entirely original. However, this segment serves not only to show us another form of the Old Gods in America, but also takes 'show don’t tell' to heart as we watch this woman go through a process which is explained, later, to Shadow in words: 'You lined up when you died, and you’d answer for your evil deeds and your good deeds, and if your evil deeds outweighed a feather, we’d feed your soul and your heart to Ammet, the Eater of Souls.' Seeing this brought to life while also giving us another look at the ways traditions and cultures are assimilated into America was simply fantastic.
​
The other 'Somewhere in America' sequence, featuring the Jinn and Salim, was an almost perfect reproduction of the events in the book; the only changes were made for the sake of time, as must always happen with any adaptation. I was utterly delighted by every frame of this segment, and it even gave some credence to the Jinn’s appearance in Episode 2.

We also get to see Shadow’s second checkers game, where he beats Czernobog thus locking him into helping Mr. Wednesday. Leaving Episode 2 off after only the first game felt uncomfortably paced, but I will admit using it here helped this episode’s pacing feel more natural. We also get to see Shadow interact with Zorya Polunochnaya. Here we find the only change that really bothered me: Zorya Polunochnaya’s kiss. In the book, when he asks what he has to do for her help, she specifies: ‘You do not even have to kiss me. Just take the moon from me.’ I must admit, I don’t really see the point: why change this specific, incidental moment? I suppose the purpose of the kiss, if there is one, will be revealed later. However, that change, although irksome, is nowhere close to damaging.

Much like his conversation with Laura overnight in the Motel America, Shadow has what seems to be another dream. Here he wakes yet again, and finds no fire escape outside the window, and it would all seem to be no more than a dream if it were not for the coin which now rests in his pocket. This and the revelation with Laura at the end of the episode finally free me to mention that Shadow’s overnight talk with Laura at the motel in Episode 2 was, in the book, also not a dream (I did not want to mention that until they confirmed that Laura was truly out of her grave, which is why I did not mention that change last week). Although he does wake up to find no fire escape after his talk with Zorya Polunochnaya, his only evidence a coin, he always knew (or at least suspected) that his conversation with Laura was real.

And speaking of Laura, Mad Sweeney makes an early return, not only to the screen but into Shadow’s life, to ask about his coin, his special and lucky coin, which Shadow gave to Laura. It all finally comes together to deliver what was revealed much earlier in the book: Laura is back. Whether she’s alive or a zombie, or a ghost, or something else entirely will have to wait until the next episode, it seems, but weaving Sweeney back into the narrative to help with the reveal actually felt rather comfortable, especially since it alludes to his failing luck and how much he needs his coin, which was something we had to wait a bit to see in the book. I will say that I missed Zorya Polunochnaya’s comment to Shadow, when he tells her about Laura talking to him in the motel despite being dead, that the wisest thing to ask the dead is what they want. I suppose Shadow will either come up with the question on his own, or get that advice from somewhere else.

Also, we get to hear Zorya Vechernyaya give Wednesday a fortune, and he tells her that it is only his fortune 'for today.' Does that mean the fortunes aren’t as important as the Zorya sisters believe? Or does Wednesday simply know something we don’t? Regardless, his line about 'knowledge over all things' was a nice touch, as the myths about Odin include him sacrificing an eye to gain knowledge.

Although there weren’t any serious changes, I do want to take a moment to say that the bank robbery was just as wonderful as I’d been hoping for. It’s a part of the book I look upon with particular fondness and seeing it come to life was simply riveting. I also appreciate the little added touch about the cameras: is the Technical Boy watching their every move? Also, I mentioned last week the hidden items on Shadow’s shopping list which I suspected were to appear later, and these were the earmuffs I suspected Wednesday would be using for his security guard costume.

One last note: I want to mention the moment when Shadow nearly hits the wolf, which was not in the book. I have absolutely no idea whether it’s an allusion to something, or simply used to punctuate their conversation, but since almost everything we’ve seen so far has had some sort of symbolism or importance, I’d bet we’ll be reminded of this moment later.

If Episode 2 left me glancing sidelong at the show as it led me by the hand off the familiar road, Episode 3 showed me a beautiful hidden waterfall before bringing me back to the car. The changes or additions made thus far have all come together to bring us to right where we should be, having experienced a few pleasant surprises on the way. It was reassuring enough that any more changes will leave me less skeptical and more trusting; instead of pondering if we’ve lost our way I’ll be wondering just how many new flavors and surprising delights I’ll be left with when we finally come home again. It’s given me more faith than ever in the showrunners and the show itself and left me impatient for more. May 21st can’t come soon enough.

It doesn't take long for the world to fall apart...does it? Out of the blue, disaster will strike and strike hard and the next thing you know you're left trying to get by as you pick up the pieces and that unfortunate scenario is exactly what Kara Zor-El found herself in the middle of on Supergirl last night...only on a grander scale.

Because Supergirl was forced to deal with something we really haven't seen on a superhero television show before...an all out alien invasion of earth, and the pseudo collapse of her personal life at the same time since her best friend and boyfriend were kidnapped by Rhea, and that formula made 'Resist' one incredible episode to watch, because not only was it filled to the brim with amazing thrills and epic action, it also served as a 'best of' reel for this series since every positive theme the show has ever explored came into play, with a heavy focus on how we are all stronger together, since every abled bodied character on the show found a way to band together to fight Queen Rhea.

That included the President of the United States of America, who ventured toward National City in an attempt to broker peace between Rhea and the people of earth, with Cat Grant's help...to no avail, leading to an attack on Air Force One and the big reveal (to the characters) that the Commander-In-Chief is also an Alien-In-Chief and thankfully, the question as to whether or not she is friend or foe was answered in this episode and it turns out she's definitely a friend, a refugee from a lost world in fact and she has no bones about fighting back in fierce fashion to ensure that the people of earth do not suffer the same fate as her people. Which means the President gives the order for Alex to sneak into the now Daxam-conrolled DEO and fire a cannon hidden inside the building to put an end to Queen Rhea, but there's just one problem with this plan; Lena Luthor and Mon-El are still aboard her ship and in order to save them, Supergirl is going to have to play nice with her biggest enemy, Lillian Luthor. 

Because Lillian had the knowledge and the technology, by way of her pet Cyborg, to get aboard Rhea's ship to rescue her daughter and Mon-El and if you're thinking that Kara making friends with the enemy is a bad idea...you're right, seeing as to how Lillian makes sure to double cross Supergirl the first chance she gets once Lena is safe and sound. But of course, Kara makes sure to stay one step ahead of this particular Luthor, by placing a transmitter on the Cyborg Superman to get Mon-El home safely as well, before facing off with Rhea once again, and discovering that the evil Queen has one last trick up her sleeve...she's found a way to control Kara's cousin and when all is said done, wow...what an episode. The action was top notch, in fact this hour simply flew by as one amazing moment followed another, but truly the characters are what brought this story to the next level.

Despite the fact that the world was more or less collapsing around them, everyone stayed strong and focused and knew what sacrifices had to be made to stop Rhea and while Alex may have stumbled in the final moments of the show, she still gets a pass for nearly doing the impossible...firing on her sister. Plus, the return of Cat Grant was downright magical since Calista Flockheart delivered a performance for the ages, taking Cat's journey on the series to the next level by stepping up to the plate while Supergirl was busy and inspiring National City to rise up against their newfound captors. Either way, this was one hell of  a setup. Because with Superman under the influence of evil, and the earth on the brink of destruction, this definitely looks like a job for Supergirl and I cannot wait to see how she saves the day in next week's season two finale. Until next time. 

More often than not, the big moments in our lives, the kind that fundamentally change who we are and where we are going...arrive with little pomp and circumstance. Instead, they're often accompanied with  a simple decision, one made out of necessity or on a whim and it is only years later when we reflect upon said moment that we realize the power of it, and how everything changed because of it and a moment just like that was featured on ​Better Call Saul last night.

Because in this episode, 'Off Brand', Saul Goodman was born at last, and while he wasn't quite what we expected him to be, the important thing is that his creation came to fruition and there wasn't some grand reveal or some powerful build up to bring him to life. It was a simple decision, and a simple moment that allowed for Saul to exist, one that was made out of pure necessity, because James McGill is at a crossroads in his life, and he's not alone when it comes to such a situation. It seems that a vast majority of our beloved characters are questioning quite a few things on this show and before we get into that titular moment with Jimmy, let's take a moment and explore more of the junctures that others faced as well.

Take for example Nacho. While his loyalties to Hector Salamanca have always been questionable at best, last night his story took quite the turn. Because his semi-idyllic life as an employee of Hector's cartel was upended thanks to the feud with Gus Fring, and the gun pointed at his face when he snuck a little extra product for his boss, left him questioning just what the heck he's doing getting mixed up in messes such as this and it only got worse once Hector asked Nacho to do something he clearly has no desire to do; ask his father to help the Salamanca drug empire, and use his shop to serve as a front for Hector's shipments. Unfortunately for Nacho, he found no easy answers when it comes to his predicament, but for now, he has the pleasure of knowing his boss is missing one pill from his all important medication and it's only a matter of time before he figures out how to make his life better.

While Nacho struggled with how to improve his situation however, Charles McGill appears to have discovered his own path when it comes to seeing a better tomorrow. Because after being humiliated in court, and ignoring his ex-wife's attempts to make him feel better, a visit from Howard served as the springboard he needed since Howard was kind enough to point out that Chuck is at a crossroads and that this could serve as a new beginning for Chuck, and he had the opportunity to do something wonderful now that this mess with his brother was behind him. Those kind words inspired him to try something bold...and address his mental health, leading to a stunning set of scenes where we saw Charles grab hold of a battery to try and combat his 'electromagnetic allergy', and he even stepped out into the world to make a trip on foot into the city to make a phone call to Doctor Cruz, signaling the possibility that he is ready to receive treatment at last...

Truly though, the centerpiece of the night was Jimmy's story. Because despite the stunning display of legal skill he exhibited in his own hearing, and Kim's wonderful plea to the Bar, he still found himself under a one year suspension from practicing law and while at seemed as though Jimmy was going to get by with this setback in his legal career, it tore at him in ways we never thought imaginable. For starters, he's clearly turned his back on Chuck, refusing to help him when Rebecca asks for his assistance, and his journey down the rabbit hole continued once he took the time to call each and every one of his clients to let them know they were now without counsel, and every single one of those phone calls shattered another piece of his soul.

If anything, it would seem that particular process is what finally allowed for the reality of the situation to sink in for Jimmy, and despite his continued optimism that he would find a way to pay the bills and keep his practice open, without clients and the steady income they provide, the amount of money that Jimmy spent on his upcoming commercials suddenly became of grave concern. After all, his contract with the station was iron clad, and there was no backing out of it or the four grand he spent on air time, leading Jimmy to do what he does best...and improvise. He gets the grand idea to film commercials for local businesses, giving them the air time for free while he recoups his primary cost and while this goes poorly at first, a moment of inspiration leads to the big moment in question.

Knowing full well filming a commercial with his face would lead to confusion, Jimmy 'creates' a new character to sell his airtime and commercial making skills; a producer known as Saul Goodman and well...this was a moment that absolutely left my jaw dropped. Because...this was it. This was the moment that this incredible man was brought to life and while it may seem like no big deal because this iteration of Saul is not a lawyer or indulging Jimmy's dark side...he's the true beginning and harbinger of things to come. By being created out of necessity for survival, and by being someone who flat out isn't Jimmy, Saul will allow James McGill to let loose, to be someone else and live a different life and that kind of freedom will clearly evolve as time goes on, and well...we know how this story ends, but it was truly magical to finally see Saul Goodman's birthday. 

However, in the here and the now, Saul is purely harmless, just another way for Jimmy to make a quick buck and keep the lights on, so there is still the matter of what turns him into the kind of man we met in Breaking Bad, and truthfully, part of me still firmly believes that Chuck will have a big hand in helping shape the Saul we know and love. Because if the elder McGill is working to get his illness under control, that means eventually he will have full control of his mental facilities again...and we all know that despite Howard's plea to leave Jimmy in the past...once Chuck is healthy, he is going to settle the score and considering that the two of them facing off in court was in many ways the genesis of Saul Goodman, Chuck's vendetta will only make matters worse and push his baby brother deeper into a world of sleaze and darkness. Either way, the big moment finally arrived, and I couldn't be happier because from here on out, it's clear this show is going to be about the evolution of Saul Goodman. Until next time.

We've seen a plethora of philosophical themes when it comes to season two of Battlestar Galactica, since the show has focused on the need to put differences aside to accomplish wonders and it's also analyzed death and how we deal with it and recently, the show has started to explore the wonder and importance of life, and I pondered in our last retro recap on the notion that perhaps the show was going to find a way to combine all of these three themes as the season comes to a close.

As it turns out, that appears to be exactly the direction the show is headed in because 'Downloaded' did indeed jell all those themes together, but it managed to do it in the most unique way possible, by focusing on the Cylons. Yes, you read that right, this was a true Cylon-centric episode, where we saw Sharon give birth to baby Hera after some medical complications, and we returned to Cylon Occupied Caprica to catch up with the Six we met in the pilot episode, and the Sharon Valerii that served aboard Galactica before her untimely demise, all as part of a larger and more nefarious plan. But before we get too deep into that, let's take a moment and discuss the birth of Hera because that alone was loaded with enough intriguing ideas to warrant an episode of its own.

Because the birth of this Cylon/Human hybrid brought about great fear in the fleet, simply because...the unknown weighed heavy upon the President and the Admiral. After all, there remain Cylon agents in the fleet, who could use the baby to their advantage, leading Adama and Roslin to make a tough call; fake Hera's death and have her moved into a safe place within the fleet where she can grow without anyone knowing her true identity or true biological composition and well, what made this storyline so powerful, was Sharon's reaction to her baby 'passing on.' Because when she discovered that Hera was gone, her reaction was far more human than machine. She went into incoherent territory, nearly killing the doctor and while at first glance this doesn't seem like it lines up with the 'three concepts' mentioned earlier, it absolutely does. It speaks to the importance of life since Roslin and Adama choose to keep Hera alive rather than terminate her existence and their work to get her into the fleet speaks to working together and Sharon's response...says everything it needs to about death.

But the true centerpiece of this episode was the time we spent on Caprica because the Cylons were downright fascinating, since we learned in this part of the story that death and resurrection for a Cylon can be quite the difficult venture, especially when it comes to their memories and a D'Anna Biers model (Number 3, according to this episode) enlists the aid of Caprica Six to help Galactica-Sharon, re-integrate into Cylon society since she's hanging onto her time aboard the ship in unhealthy fashion. Their time together (with the help of a Gaius Baltar specter similar to the Six the real Baltar deals with) reveals a sinister plot to have both models boxed to hide their emotions about humans and the truth about the fallout of the genocide committed against mankind, and thanks to a little additional help from Sam Anders, the two models work out a plan to confront the genocide in question and see if by chance there is a better way to handle the conflict with their creators and the combination of these two working together, believing that mankind should survive and the fact that death gave them a second chance made for a seamless and beautiful blend of the three big themes this season.

So as you can see, this was hands down the most cerebral episode season two has offered to date, and as an added bonus we were treated to the uncommon storytelling device of seeing things from the villain's perspective since we were surrounded by Cylons, watching them try desperately to reclaim the glory of a world they basically burned to the ground, and to top it off, the idea that there are pockets of this society, questioning murder and genocide is equally as fascinating since this race has been hell bent on the extinction of mankind from the start of the series. So it should be interesting to see if Caprica Six and Galactica-Sharon will be able to change the hearts and minds of a society dedicated on hunting down their creators. Either way, I really enjoyed this one and how intelligent it turned out to be and I'm hoping this is a harbinger that the two part season finale will be just as incredible. Until next time.