​Good stories, will always the take the time to allow for the audience (or reader) to learn as much as humanly possible about the characters they’re going on an adventure with, simply because, getting to know these fine fictional people invests you in the story and allows for you to root for them every single step of the way. But, great stories, well they also take the time to allow for you to learn as much as you can about the villains that inhabit this world. Because by knowing their motivations and why they do the bad things they do, it adds a real sense of danger to the story, one where you’re unsure as to whether or not the heroes in question will survive the tale unharmed and wouldn’t you know it, Lost in Space indeed spared some time in its third episode, ‘Infestation’, to explore the psyche and motivations of one ‘Doctor’ June Smith. 
 
If anything, there really couldn’t be a more perfect time to reflect upon this show’s villain simply because, this tale started off with a lot of downtime as the Robinson’s and their two new shipmates waited out the storm that raged above them, and as the family retired to their quarters for some rest, June took the time to reflect upon her former life on Earth and well, it turns out June has dome some incredibly questionable things to get her to this point. Like the fact that she was totally fine with drugging her sister, Jessica, in order to get her hands on the chip embedded in her sister’s arm so that she could board the Resolute to enjoy a fresh start on another world and while that may not seem that evil at first. Let’s not forget that the Earth is dying, and by leaving her sister behind, she sentenced her own flesh and blood to death and really, it seems that June, whose real last name is Harris, leaves a wake of corpses behind just about everywhere she goes.
 
After all, we cannot forget that she also abandoned the two people she met after crashing in the last episode and to make matters worse, she also took a life aboard the Resolute in order to keep her identity a secret, all in the name of preserving that fresh start and all of this is relevant, simply because June is a survivor. She will do whatever it takes to see another day and that’s downright scary and downright dangerous for the Robinson family because who knows what she will do to them during a crisis and as fate would have it, we got a potential answer to that question in this tale because a problem presented itself aboard the Jupiter 2, in that, an alien species of eel found its way into the fuel tanks because something in said fuel, was more or less a delicacy to them, putting the ship incredible risk since these begins were consuming it all at an alarming rate. 
 
Because without any fuel, the family would never escape the glacier, which was starting to collapse atop them, nor would they ever leave the planet’s surface for that matter as well. Which meant it was a race against time to clear the engines of debris left over from the diamond storm and really, in the midst of this crisis, June had quite the decision to make. She could in fact, abandon ship and eject through the ice, dooming the family to death but ensuring that she would see another day, or…she could do the right thing for a change. Oddly enough, she chose to help and the Jupiter 2 was able to shatter through the ice and find a better place to land, wherein we discovered that there are indeed other survivors out there and that the Resolute survived the Robot’s assault and is working to finish repairs to come and rescue said survivors but despite that happy-ish ending…a real threat remains in June, because going back to civilization means going to jail, and she is clearly not ready to surrender her freedom, and that likely means, her survival instincts will kick in to prevent that from happening… 
 
When all is said and done however, this really was quite the wonderful episode. It moved at a breakneck pace and featured nothing but fascinating and compelling moments and some fine humor as well. But truly, the centerpiece of this tale was June’s story and the fact that by the end of the episode, we simply don’t know what her endgame is, and I love that. Because it’s obvious she can do some good, but one has to wonder as to whether or not her motivation to help in this episode is grounded in her desire to survive since it’s clear this family can help her do that, or if she’s finally moving toward redemption. Only time will tell of course, but in the here and the now, this was a great way to properly introduce our villain and get to know all the grey areas that she operates within and well, this show simply continues to impress with its amazing character development and ability to thrill us all. Until next time. 

​If there’s one thing I’ve always found fascinating about the second episode of a brand-new television series, it’s how vastly different that particular story turns out to be, when compared to the pilot episode. Because that titular first tale is often times made well before the series goes to a full season order, meaning there is a slight disconnect when it comes to tone and thematic concepts going forward and a change in both of those elements is precisely what I expected to see as I settled in for the next episode of Lost in Space, ‘Diamonds In The Sky’.
 
But, instead of finding a significant difference in how the story was told, I came to discover that Netflix clearly made it a focus to keep this series consistent as this first season rolls on and that meant the thematic concepts we enjoyed in the first episode, wherein the story focused heavily on a family trying to come together, while dealing with the dangers of a brand new world were still front and center in this tale and what was added to that mix, made for one fascinating episode. Because in this one, we came to learn more about the family dynamic that now exists for the Robinson’s with John having been gone for so long and well…his desire to desperately reunite with his family has brought forth some serious awkwardness.
 
In many ways he’s almost an afterthought in this one, as his wife leads the charge and ignores what he has to say simply because…it’s been up to her to be the solo leader of the family for some time now and well, being pushed to the side ends up being a good thing for John. It reminds him that the only way he’s going to be a part of this family is to be present and an active participant for a change and communicate with his wife and children and I appreciate the fact that the series is forcing this family to work out their issues while they’re stranded on this planet. Plus, as an added bonus in this tale, Maureen’s leadership and curiosity end up paying off in spades when she and John are present in the Robot’s ship and learn (shortly after the Robot touches a part of the vessel) that they are nowhere near their destination, in fact it seems as though they are in a different galaxy altogether.
 
But while all of this was fascinating to watch, I made mention of the fact that series also has no qualms in providing our characters with a crisis, and boy did it deliver a doozy in this one, by bringing forth a powerful storm, and kudos to the show for not giving us a traditional and familiar storm front because this massive system…brought with it buckets of diamond filled rain, making this storm painfully dangerous and thankfully, Judy stepped up while her sister sat this one out, thanks to a touch of PTSD from being trapped in the ice, and saved the family. But really, the biggest threat in this story came about from the fact that the family rescued ‘Doctor Smith’ from the storm, and well, I think we all know she’s going to bring trouble to the Jupiter 2, since she was willing to abandon the man she crash landed on this planet with, and the person they rescued, in order to save her own hide.
 
In the end however, this was quite the fascinating episode through and through. It gave us just enough when it comes to every single plot thread to keep us invested and I appreciate the fact that this series is going to take its time in telling its story because that means great care went into the overall plot. If anything, it should be interesting to see where the story goes from here with the snarky Smith now aboard, and I’m also quite curious as to how the family will handle the fact that the Robot was the one responsible for attacking the Resolute, because you know Will won’t be able to keep that a secret forever. Either way, I’m truly intrigued by this series, and dying to know where it is headed next, which means it’s high time to hit ‘Next Episode’ and see what other obstacles await the Robinson family. Until next time. 

You know, I really am impressed with the fact that NBC’s Timeless always finds news ways to surprise its audience week in and week out, which I’m sure is no easy feat, but this series is always up to the challenge and this week’s episode, ‘The Day Reagan Was Shot’, was no exception to that rule. Because what looked to be their biggest mission to date this season, one where they would have to ensure President Ronald Reagan was indeed shot by John Hinckley Jr., ended up being quite the beautiful character study as the Time Team worked to save something equally as important as the future; their own existence.
 
Because as it turns out, Hinckley and Reagan were afterthoughts on March 30, 1981, the real Rittenhouse target was a young Washington D.C. police officer named Denise Christopher, and thanks to Wyatt’s quick thinking, he was able to prevent her from being shot, but there was more work to be done in order to keep the future Agent Christopher safe and that where’s our fascinating character study began. For shortly after Denise went into the hospital to have her wounds treated, Lucy and Jiya went to try and recruit her to help in finding the shooter, and we all got an inside look at young Denise’s life, and how tradition in her family mattered above all else, and with her life threated in the life of duty, her mother pushed and pushed hard to have Denise enter into an arranged marriage, and surprisingly, she agreed to it.
 
This of course, meant doom for the Time Team. Because if Officer Christopher got married now, she’d likely the leave the force and never join the FBI and Homeland Security, and never bring everyone together and more importantly, she would likely spend her life in misery since she would remain in the closet in a loveless marriage. And despite helping Denise with the case, it seemed the marriage was on, forcing Lucy to pull out the big guns…and reveal the future to Denise and in a beautiful sequence, wherein Denise learned what kind of happy and incredible life she was going to live if she didn’t acquiesce to her mother’s wishes, called off the marriage and stepped into uncertainty, at least in her mind and it was just beautiful to see how much living her life, her way, mattered to Denise, and it was wonderful to see that not only did she walk the path that Lucy showed her was possible, but that her life received a few positive enhancements along the way once the team had time to catch up when they returned to 2018.  
 
However, it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows in this tale, because the whole Rittenhouse mess took quite the fascinating turn in this one, thanks to the fact that Wyatt and Rufus managed to capture the sleeper agent alive, and he was willing to spill his guts about anything they wanted to know. This allowed for us to learn that Rittenhouse finds people in crisis, and helps them in any way necessary to gain their loyalty, and that matters, because in the closing moments of this episode, we came to learn that Jessica’s family received help when her brother was near death as a boy, and let’s be honest…despite her admission that she’s now pregnant, because I firmly believe that was a distraction, the fact that Rittenhouse helped her family raises all kinds of questions and it looks more and more that she may in fact be a sleeper agent after all since her family now fits the profile of how these monsters suck you in…
 
When all is said and done however, this episode was simply top notch. I loved the fact that it focused on the importance of family because that’s an element that’s rare to see in stories such as these, and it made for some genuinely touching moments, including when Flynn did Agent Christopher a solid and convinced her to go home to spend time with her wife and kids, just in case the worst-case scenario came to fruition. But despite all the fun and joy found in this one, I really am concerned when it comes to Jessica now, because none of this looks good and it should be interesting to learn what exactly she’s been up to all of this time. Either way, I loved this episode, and how beautiful it turned out to be, and I cannot wait to have all of our questions answered during next week’s two-hour season finale fiesta. Until then. 

The last time we sat down to discuss the wonder of Battlestar Galactica, I made note of the fact that the series packed in the prior episode with a ton of storylines that allowed for the hour to simply fly by, which was awesome to see for certain. But what I had forgotten about, having not seen much of season four since the series went off the air, was the sheer fact that ‘Six of One’ was merely the preamble to more episodes that were to be packed with the gills with incredible storylines since ‘The Ties That Bind’ also gave us plenty to chew upon, and a stunner of a moment to process as well.
 
But before we get to that big moment, let’s take a little time and catch up with the other storylines this episode provided us with. Like the fact that Lee is going to fit in with the Quorum of Twelve just fine since he was able to stand up to the President with no problem when it came to her policies and the story even took the time to take us aboard the Demetrius to see how things are going with Kara’s mission to find Earth and as it turns out, it’s going pretty poorly. She simply cannot decide on a proper course through the stars and it’s straining her credibility and her crew and at this point, it seems as though there is little hope that this mission will be successful if Starbuck doesn’t find a lead and quick.
 
Now while Lee and Kara dealt with their respective situations, the nasty matter of the Cylon Civil War was taken to a whole new level thanks to the fact that Cavil was unsure of how to deal with this incredible double cross and the demands from the dissenters since they wanted Cavil to also unbox D’Anna’s line in the hopes of bringing unity to the Cylon once again. If anything, this entire crisis left Cavil stewing and he decided the best course of action to handle this mess, was to enact a touch of revenge and he drew the Sixes and all of her allies out of Resurrection range so that he could slaughter them with impunity and this whole conflict is simply stunning to watch because we’ve never seen the Cylons act this…human. 
 
But the centerpiece of this tale, came about from the fact that Chief Tryol’s life is in essence falling to pieces following the discovery that he’s actually a Cylon. Because he’s barely been home, and it’s ripping his marriage apart to the point where Cally believes her husband is cheating on her. And with her mental state already in a fragile place, the paranoia she’s experiencing leads her to follow Galen to one of his secret Cylon meetings (also kudos to the show for the Star Trek: The Next Generation reference with Weapons Locker 1701D) where she learns the truth about her husband and well…it breaks her. She takes her son to the airlock to do heaven knows what and is thankfully stopped by Tory, seemingly putting her on the right track again. But surprise, surprise, the new and improved Tory will not let the truth come out about her and her friends…and she blasts Cally out into space, making it look like a suicide.
 
If anything, I truly did not see this death coming in the slightest and my goodness, this one sticks with you because Cally was always one of the good ones on this show, a hard-working deck hand that tried to find a slice of happiness and well, what a tragic way to exit the show. But while it’s a shame to see her go, her death serves as a fine reminder that all bets are off this season, and anything can and will happen. And after re-watching this one, I have to admit that I am thoroughly impressed with how much stuff is being packed into these episodes, and I’m honestly still good with it. Because this is the end, and there’s a lot that needs to get wrapped up and if having a metric ton of storylines thrown our way will accomplish that, so be it. Either way, things are clearly heating up and I have no doubt that the story is only going to get more intense as we close in on the grand finale. Until next time. 

It’s rare for a television show to infect my mind to the point where I’m consistently thinking about what comes next, well before the next episode airs, but that’s precisely what happened when it comes to Killing Eve. Because last week’s intense tale and epic cliffhanger had my mind racing, meaning that I was damn near pacing in front of my T.V. set right before this week’s episode kicked off, simply because I had feeling in my gut that the cliffhanger in question, wherein Eve and her friends were staring down the barrel of Villanelle’s pistol, was going to be resolved in epic fashion and while ‘I Have a Thing About Bathrooms’ did deliver when it comes to said resolution, it had so many more incredible moments to offer.
 
Case in point, how the escape in question was resolved. Because this tale had the opportunity to simply end this mess with a quick chase where the group escaped by the skin of their teeth. But rather than give us something by the numbers, the show surprised us all by having Eve stop the car and step out of it to talk to Villanelle face to face and attempt to get her to stand down and this made for one intense moment since who knew what our favorite assassin was going to do with her nemesis standing in front of her. In fact, I’d venture to say the move confused her thoroughly, which may have helped influence her decision to sneak off into the shadows, meaning that Eve’s mission to save Frank was a success, and now…we could finally learn more about Villanelle’s employers.
 
This is where the trademark black humor of the series shined, since I did not have a clue that a cuddle session would end up being the key to getting Frank to talk and I’m glad there were some chuckles to be had early on, because things went from giggly to deadly serious in a matter of minutes when Frank finally provided us with all kinds of incredible answers about the mysterious group behind all of these assassinations. They’re called ‘The Twelve’ and this group of individuals are apparently looking to destabilize the world by slowly gutting as many governments as possible of key officials and well…let’s be honest that’s downright chilling and as Eve dug deeper on all of this, she also uncovered Villanelle’s true identity.
 
It turns out her real name is Oksana Astankova, and the Twelve faked her death to get her to work for them and well, while it seemed as though all of these revelations were taking us somewhere important and fast, this was nothing more than the show giving us just enough because something far more fascinating was waiting in the wings for us; the most unique face-off between spy and villain that I have ever seen in the history of this genre. Because normally when those two characters meet, it’s in epic fashion, nearly at the end of their journey and it’s filled with monologuing and posturing before a violent and satisfying end. But instead of getting that, we got to enjoy dinner between Eve and Villanelle/Oksana shortly after the latter broke into Eve’s home. 

​Yes, that’s right. Dinner. Where Sheppard’s Pie was served, and what should have been a dangerous and violent sequence ended up being a brilliantly wicked cat and mouse game as both of these women sized one another up and what really impressed me about this scene, is that any posturing or scheming here was in essence a waste for both of them, because these women see one another for who they are, and that made this whole sequence riveting and powerful and tense and sadly, it ended with Villanelle getting the upper hand so that she could complete her mission and put down Frank in brutal fashion and just like that, it seems as though British Intelligence is right back where it started, with more questions than answers.
 
So, when all is said and done, I absolutely loved this episode. I didn’t think it was possible for this series to continue to top itself week after week, but this is another fine example of how it accomplishes that and really, what I’m really digging about the series right now, is the shift in Killing Eve’s storytelling style. I say that, simply because the first wave of episodes were incredible character studies, filled with depth and slower moments and now all of a sudden, this series has kicked into overdrive and well, it’s brilliant. Because by giving us so much down time with these colorful characters, we are fully invested in them, and that made the danger in this episode palpable, and the tense moments thrilling, and it adds more depth to an already fascinating storyline because we truly want to see Eve succeed now that the bad guys have tried to back her into a corner.
 
If anything, raising the stakes in this tale helps us to root for her because if she doesn’t stop Villanelle and the Twelve, real trouble will sneak its way into the everyday world and honestly, she’s likely the only one who can defeat such a nefarious organization. Because if Eve can stand toe to toe with a cold-blooded killer and still soldier on, taking on a group of twelve monsters should be a breeze. But, while it was great to learn so much in this episode, it still leaves us with some burning questions, mainly…is it possible for Eve to bring Villanelle back from the darkness?
 
Because it does seem that she’s a touch curious as to who she works for, now that she listened to Frank’s interrogation tape. Either way, my mind is still reeling over how brilliant this episode turned out to be. They really had the opportunity to delve into some traditional tropes for this genre but found a way to give us something new every single step of the way and if this episode was this good, well I cannot wait to see what the next chapter in this powerful tale is going to send our way. Until next time. 

When it comes to last night’s episode of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., I have to fully admit that there was a sense of dread in my heart when I settled in to watch it. After all, I think we all knew deep down that General Glenn Talbot’s transformation into a being that can harness the power of Gravitonium was going to end in heartbreak, wherein that kind of power would corrupt his soul and well, that’s a shame. I actually like Talbot. Sure, he’s brash and full of machismo, but he always tries to do the right thing and that’s really how the best villains are born, out of fear for the safety of others, and because they truly believe they’re making the world a better place.
 
If anything, my dread was justified because yes, Talbot indeed slipped to some ugly places in last night’s tale, ‘The One Who Will Save Us All’, but before we get too deep into discussing Glenn’s fall from grace, let’s take a moment and talk about the fact that this particular story, also took the time to show us that the team is in essence splitting apart at the worst possible moment. Because Daisy and Yo-Yo came to blows over their respective views of one another’s bad decisions and Mack even took the opportunity to lecture Fitz for his actions as well and in all honesty, I’m not sure what it’s going to take to unify the team, but they need to figure their crap out and fast because…Talbot is quickly becoming one hell of a threat. 
 
Because this entire hour featured an incredible downward spiral for this once proud American hero, one where you could trace every single change in his personality and his trek down this slippery slope began once he and Coulson boarded the Remorath ship, since the reception of this duo, wasn’t exactly warm and despite Phil’s best efforts to handle this whole mess in cool and peaceful fashion…Talbot saw the opportunity to exert force and used his powers to crush another alien, which to his credit…did get everyone’s attention. But the fact that he wields such power with a flick of his rest, made Talbot drunk with it and he immediately demanded a meeting with the rest of the Confederacy to negotiate the terms of a better deal for Earth than Hale did.
 
This unfortunately led to more opportunities for Glenn to flex his newfound muscles, even going so far as to absorb a member of the Confederacy and for his efforts, he found himself inadvertently manipulated by an alien with the surname…Kasius. Because this predecessor to the jerk we met in the future, suggested that Glenn harness the untapped veins of Gravitonium buried beneath the surface of the Earth to make him invincible and it’s an idea that Glenn thought delightful and the potential of becoming that powerful, is what finally put him over the edge. Because he killed Hale when she tried to use his Hydra programming on him, and he nearly killed Phil and knocked Daisy out without giving it a second thought and well, it’s obvious now that General Talbot is going to do whatever he deems necessary to save the world, and sadly…this decision may doom the entire planet.
 
If anything, it was just devastating to watch Glenn fall from grace like this, and equally as chilling to see chunks and segments of the Prophecy coming to life before our eyes and it just seems like moment by moment, the end of the world draws near, and I haven’t a clue how the team is going to alter the future’s course, especially with all the infighting going on. Either way, this was a solid episode through and through, an edge of your seat affair if you will, and kudos to the Writer’s Room for the solid and subtle tie in to Infinity War in this one, but all fan service aside, the situation really is grim and it’s going to be fascinating to see how this incredible storyline comes to its end, since we are only a couple of episodes away from the season five finale. Until next time.  

It doesn’t take much to motivate me to watch The Handmaid’s Tale on Hulu. After all, it’s filled to the brim with quality writing and performances and a story that completely and utterly sucks you in. But when it comes to season two, I have to admit that I’m a touch more eager to settle in and see where this story is heading simply because it’s taking us to bold and exciting new places, especially when one considers that June is finally free of her Handmaid duties and the horrors that Gilead provides to its citizens.
 
The possibilities are simply endless at this point, which gave the next episode in this series, ‘Baggage’, a strong sense of hope because…after spending two months in the former headquarters of the Boston Globe, June received some wonderful news from Nick. He had made contact with Mayday, and the time had come to move her to a safe house and shortly after that she would find herself smuggled out of the country and this was just wonderful to hear. Because she could finally be truly free of this horrible, horrible place and the prospect of genuine freedom…gave June pause and rightfully so. 
 
Because leaving Gilead meant leaving Hannah behind, and that allowed for June to reflect upon her strained relationship with her own mother and how in essence, June’s life has come about full circle. For years ago her mother was displeased with the fact that June ‘settled’ and didn’t spend her life fighting, yet…here she is now, doing just that and she had plenty of time to ponder on such matters simply because, there was a lot of waiting for June in this episode as she traveled about the countryside and spent time with other social classes and a delay in getting June to an airfield, where a plane would whisk her away to safety, left her worried and forced her to escape on her own.
 
Thankfully, she knew where she was going, she simply had to get there, and along the way she mentally bid farewell to Hannah as well and after coming to terms with the fact that perhaps someday her daughter would forgive her as she forgave her own mother, she made her way to the airfield and boarded the plane and that’s when the story pulled its cruelest trick upon the audience to date. Because mere moments before escaping to Canada, and freedom, the Guardians opened fire on the plane and stopped it from taking off before removing June forcibly from the aircraft, and I have no doubt that June will be returned to the training center post haste and while she won’t be harmed because she’s with child…it’s just heartbreaking to know she was that close to finally being free from this disgusting place.
 
So, just like that, we are in a way, back where we started, with June once more in captivity in a world that sees her as nothing more than a breeding vessel and it’s infuriating to say the least. Because after spending a solid hour holding in our breath and hoping to high heaven that she would manage to escape, that ending happens and well…it’s a bold twist to say the least and it should be interesting to see how a newly emboldened June will handle being returned to a B.S. life of servitude. In the end however, this was another solid episode. It was intense, and I did appreciate the world building and character development that went into this one, and I guess, if there’s any positive to be found in this tale, it’s the implication that war is coming to Gilead, since we learned that military exercises are happening on the Canadian border, and well, I don’t think any of us will be sad if other nations do their best to rid the world, of this awful, awful place…

​As I settled in to watch last night’s episode of Designated Survivor, I must admit that a wave of curiosity washed over me. Because it dawned on me that as season two winds down, there’s no grand conspiracy to build toward, no incredible crisis on the President’s desk. Just a hacker that loves to toy with the nation, who may or may not be Andrea Frost. Which meant that I really had no clue as to what last night’s episode was going to entail and well, I’m glad I came into this one in clueless fashion because ‘Bad Reception’ ended up being filled to the brim with some pleasant and unexpected surprises.
 
The first one being a bit of a return to the format that made the show famous, wherein President Kirkman creatively finds ways to diffuse an international problem and the one that fell into his lap in this tale, involved a 17-year-old boy who was arrested for painting a smiley face on public property in a foreign country, and the country in question wanted to use the young man as leverage to get drilling rights to oil in a protected part of the world. And with the unexpected help of Ethan West, Tom was able to eventually turn the tide in his favor and rescue the kid from a terrible fate in prison and it was just so lovely to see this lighthearted brand of storytelling find its way back into the series.
 
Yet, while that was wonderful in its own right to watch, simply because Michael J. Fox once again stole the show as Ethan West, the real surprise of the night came by way of Hannah. Because in this tale, we learned that she wasn’t done with the Hacking investigation in the slightest, and she did not let her lack of a badge slow her down and she took the time to meet with Kirkman’s close friend Dax Minter in the hopes that he would help her in exposing Andrea as the hacker that nearly crippled the nation. And surprisingly, he agreed to assist in this off the books investigation, allowing for Hannah to break into Andrea’s house and find the evidence she’s been desperately searching for. 
 
However, I won’t lie. This part of the story felt like a by the numbers affair, stuff we’ve honestly seen before, which is something that’s simply not a staple of this show and wouldn’t you know it? The reason this segment felt like that was because all of this was a ruse, one designed to shock the audience. Because in the middle of a meeting with Dax at the White House, we came to learn that the Oval Office had been bugged by Dax, allowing for him to listen in and use those conversations against Tom and as it turns out…the house that Hannah broke into was in fact Dax’s, and this was all part of a drawn out legal investigation, one where Hannah’s firing was faked since Dax was listening, and with the evidence now in hand, Dax was taken into custody for crimes against his country and just like that…the great mystery as to who was behind this hacking mess was resolved.
 
Which quite frankly, is equally as fascinating because with two episodes left, what other troubles await Kirkman? Because a series such as this thrives on crisis and well, they have seemingly all dried up. There’s no lingering threat from the Pax Americana movement. No hacker left to undermine the nation, and Hannah’s decision is a non-issue since she resigned. Which means that more than likely, this season’s final crisis will end up being quite the surprise, and I have no doubt that Kirkman will be up to the challenge because judging from this episode, the sly and clever President Kirkman is back, and he’s done having unsavory people, test his mettle to further their own agenda. Until next time.  

​Growing up, there were really three key science fiction franchises that I was introduced to that helped make me into the happy and proud nerd that I am today. Two of them just so happened to be the iconic Star Wars and Star Trek, but the other one that also managed to catch my eye was the fascinating Lost in Space. Granted, I didn’t dive into that series as deeply as I did the first two that I mentioned, but it was a series that my father watched when he was a kid and since he is man I greatly admire, I definitely gave it a watch whenever a re-run popped up here and there, and I definitely enjoyed the lighthearted tone that it had to offer and needless to say, when the 1998 motion picture iteration of this series hit theaters, my family and I made a point to check that out as well just to see how the franchise had evolved. 
 
That little trip down memory lane matters when it comes to this storied saga simply because, Netflix has taken the opportunity to revitalize a franchise that quite frankly…has not withstood the test of time all that well. While the original series is beloved, it shows its age and its super cheery plot lines don’t quite resonate like they used to and well, the movie remake was polarizing because at times it was far too dark for its own good. Which meant that Netflix had quite the task in front of them when it comes to this series, because how does one make a show about being lost in space that pleases the audiences of today? As it turns out the answer to that question is simple, by loading up the pilot episode, ‘Impact’, with something for everyone.
 
For those of us who enjoy a touch of darkness and grit when it comes to our science fiction, there’s plenty of that to be found in this opening episode, and it is handled in brilliant fashion. Because from the get go, we are right in the thick of things with the Robinson family as they crash land on an alien world after escaping epic disaster aboard a ship known as the Resolute and well, their plight leads to some incredibly intense moments that hold your attention over the course the hour and all of the pitfalls help you to care about this family through and through as they try their best to survive what appears to be one hell of a hostile environment and it just so happens, that the family unit in and of itself, is what helps lift this story into brighter territory when things seem incredibly bleak.
 
Because it’s clear in this iteration of the franchise, that the Robinson family is a shattered clan, complete with a father who is often vacant from their lives due to work and this trip to the stars to escape a dying Earth, is designed to unify the family and it would seem that their harrowing adventures going forward may indeed do just that since they are willing to do anything and everything to survive, together, and that is quite the beautiful theme to see to say the least and it makes for some touching moments indeed as the hour rolls on. But, outside of merely giving us two key elements that everyone can enjoy when it comes to this series, it’s clearly building up a bigger plot in slow and methodical fashion behind the scenes as well, because the mystery of what happened aboard the Resolute hangs over this episode like a dark cloud.
 
After all, the robot that befriends Will in this story appears to be the one responsible for the destruction of the Resolute, and despite the wonderful things it does for the Robinson family in this tale, one has to wonder…is this robot friend or foe? Plus, there is the whole the matter of the mysterious ‘Doctor Smith’ and whatever it is she’s up to since she was happy to steal her identity to survive. Either way, I have to admit that I’m impressed, this series has plenty of offer its audience and I’m definitely intrigued by everything I’ve seen, and I love that this latest iteration of the saga does its best to pay tribute to everything that came before it, while forging a new direction for the story and I’m ready to see where else the Robinson family is going to take us storytelling wise, as this inaugural season rolls on. Until next time. 

If there’s one element in storytelling that the spy drama tends to avoid on a regular basis, it’s the gravity of death. Because the loss of a character in any story is often times a big deal, one that has consequences for the characters in every way imaginable. But in the spy drama, it’s business as usual, and the spy or hero in question simply has to deal with loss and move on because hey, that’s the name of the game. Unless of course we are talking about Killing Eve, since it has now become the only spy drama I’ve ever watched that actually took the time to deal with death and everything that comes with it.
 
Because this week’s episode, ‘Sorry Baby’, saw Eve and her friends lay Bill to rest, and well…his passing more or less rattled on Eve on a whole new level. For a fair chunk of this episode, she simply could not deal with his loss, and found herself dejected and distant from the rest of the world and quite frankly, this was a true stroke of genius storytelling wise. To find this kind of humanity in a genre that is usually devoid of it is refreshing to say the least, and seeing Eve mourn like this adds incredible depth to her character and while it was sad to know that Bill is gone and left behind a baby, the monster responsible for this is still out there and she just so happened to piss off Eve rather than frighten her as intended.
 
I mean come on, most people would run and hide in the shadows if they received their missing suitcase back at their home address, filled with new clothes and a note from the person that brutally killed their friend, but Eve Polastri is made of sterner stuff and decided it was high time to finish the mission and that’s when this episode kicked into overdrive. Because shortly after going back to work, Eve came to learn that Frank was the mole all along, thanks to Kenny’s breakdown of the jump drive Eve received in Berlin, and her fine memory and that meant she and Elena were off to the small town where Frank was hanging about, and wouldn’t you know it? Eve’s arch nemesis was headed that way too. 
 
If anything, we shouldn’t be shocked that Villanelle and Eve’s paths were going to cross again, it just didn’t seem as though it would happen this quickly. But Frank was a marked man by the people Villanelle works for and thanks to her indiscretion in the last episode, she was forced to work with a pair of partners in this one, and one of her fellow assassins on this mission just so happened to be an ex-lover named Nadia and well, now we understand why Villanelle likes working alone because their attempt to kill Frank ended in disaster, with his escape and their deaths once our star assassin felt the need to remove them from the equation and well, at this point, I cannot say with confidence as to whether or not Eve was successful in rescuing Frank, since this tale ended with a muzzle flash, resulting in quite the cliffhanger…
 
So, needless to say, I loved this episode, so freaking much. I mean come on, there was depth and meaning to be found in Bill’s death and in roundabout and wild fashion, his passing actually inspired Eve to become quite the badass, and you can’t ask for much more than that when it comes to character growth. And as an added bonus, we got to enjoy some of the most intense spy moments the series has provided us with to date thanks to the extended chase of Frank and well…everything worked in this one, plain and simple and I’m now dying to know if Eve and Elise and Frank escaped Villanelle’s clutches after all. Either way, this was an incredible story through and through, and once again, I will be counting down the minutes until next week’s tale, to see if everyone made it out of this one okay. Until next time.