There are, a great many reasons to love BBC America’s Killing Eve. For this is a series that is filled to the brim with incredible and dynamic characters that we simply must know more about, and they draw us into the story by way of their unique quirks and personalities. But what’s more impressive is that this is also a series that can change gears on a moment’s notice and shift from tense drama to black comedy and really, that’s honestly what I love the most about this series, the fact that it can be anything at any given moment. It can be a powerful drama, it can be a spy show and it can also be exactly what it was last night, a powerful character study.
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For ‘I Hope You Like Missionary!’ truly took the time to dig into a great many things that have been upon both Villanelle and Eve’s minds over the course of season two, and I suppose over the course of the entire run of the series and really, this time for reflection came about from the fact that both of them were being forced to work together once again. Because Carolyn saw the inherent danger of going right after Aaron Peel since the man was wired into just about everything, which meant she was going to back him into a corner the long way round, and that’s where our dynamic duo came into play since Villanelle needed to go undercover in order to get close to Peel through his sister, and Eve was going to run point on this operation, and all the downtime that came with this investigation, is what allowed for the both of them to look inward.

Eve’s journey in this tale, however, is probably the easier one to examine because dealing with Villanelle on a daily basis, especially after she told Niko everything, had her wondering exactly what she wants out of life and to a lesser extent her career. Because Villanelle’s outright thirst for blood and wanton chaos more or less made her realize that her flirtation with such matters is to get a thrill in life since she felt sheltered and hidden from the world before all of this came to pass, and seeing what her marriage had become, and seeing Villanelle in action only seemed to reinforce the fact that Eve wants balance. She wants to be a responsible agent, one that can work wonders with various cases, but at the same time, she wants to enjoy the thrill of the hunt and feel a sense of safety when all is said and done and it was nice to see the series begin to address Eve’s core and what she needs to thrive and flourish.

If anything, her journey was counterbalanced nicely by Villanelle’s in this story, because in order to properly blend into the AA meetings that Aaron’s sister was going to, she had to open up like never before, and for the first time ever, I honestly think we saw the real Oksana. For the woman that was crying and speaking of boredom in that meeting, had a genuine feel to her, and everything she had to say about where her life was at and what she felt, made sense and this strange journey that Oksana took us upon, was only further compounded in the final act of this episode. Because despite doing a fairly solid job poking around the Peel homestead and cracking that little weasel right in the mouth, Villanelle didn’t quite get the clear direction that Eve did, instead, she found herself supremely confused by being on the right side for a change, and well, while the ending is ominous and ambiguous, it was fascinating to see a master assassin deal with such matters as morals and teamwork and I’m quite curious to see what effect all of this will have on her in the weeks to come.   
Yet while it seems as though there was a lot of brooding to be found in this tale, the trademark black humor present in this show was still a big factor in the story and it helped to break up the heavier moments and let’s be honest, who didn’t enjoy seeing Eve confront Niko and Gemma in hilarious and awkward fashion? But I digress because what also made this episode so incredibly unique, is that in essence, the plot wasn’t advanced in the slightest, and this tale was still fascinating and engrossing. Which speaks to the power of Killing Eve’s wonderful characters and everything they have to offer. But despite the wonder present here, with only two episodes left in this season, I have a feeling the overall story is about to get moving because there are still a great many questions on our minds since we still don’t know what the long game is for Carolyn and Konstantin and of course, The Twelve is still lurking out there, and at some point the story has to get back to that and it should be interesting to see how everything comes together in the next couple of weeks as season two draws to a close. Until next time. 

Make no mistake about it, last spring was a brutal one for some of our favorite televisions shows. Everywhere you looked on social media there was a ‘#Save(insert show)’ campaign rolling about and sadly, several shows that fans hoped to save, didn’t quite make the cut when all is said and done. But there were a few that managed to survive the great network purge of 2018, and one of them was Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. For this magnificent series finally found its footing as a series over the past couple of years and provided its fan base with some compelling stories in seasons four and five, so its renewal was a true blessing last year, but it also just so happened to pose quite the challenge for the writer’s room going forward.
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After all, last year’s epic showdown with Graviton was in essence written to be a series finale in the event ABC chose to not renew the show and well, the decision to give May and Phil Coulson time at last to fall in love in Tahiti before Phil passed into the great beyond is what posed the challenge in question. Because what would a series about S.H.I.E.L.D. look like without Clark Gregg as Coulson? And for that matter, what kind of team would our intrepid agents become without Phil’s wisdom and leadership? Well, as it turns out, last night’s season six premiere of the series, ‘Missing Pieces’, was happy to answer all of those questions, starting with the latter one, and that meant we were immediately reintroduced to a team that was in essence broken, in just about every sense of the word.

There was the literal sense, since some of the team was out and about in deep space since Daisy and Simmons and a small team were searching for Fitz in the depths of the void and well, their search was not going well. For everywhere they turned, there were only minor clues and breadcrumbs to find and when we join them here, they have finally stumbled upon Fitz’s cryo pod, only to learn that it is empty and well, that’s was our first taste of the philosophical sense of being broken, because Simmons is clearly at her breaking point and understandably so. After all, she’s spent a year in deep space, and she has nothing to show for her efforts and at this point, it’s either find Fitz or shatter completely and honestly, it makes her decision at the end of this episode, to jump the team to where she believes her love is currently residing, heartbreaking and frustrating all at once and it will be interesting to see how her teammates handle her betrayal when they were all set to return home.

However, back on Earth, we were introduced to a very formal S.H.I.E.L.D. with Mack at the helm as director, and it was quite cool to see this organization start to rebuild its ranks and see just how seriously Mack takes the job since he was willing to isolate himself from just about everyone to keep this outfit going, meaning that his love affair with Yo-Yo has come to an end. And while the Earth-bound unit is a little more stable than our intrepid voyagers in space, they still have some serious problems to deal with. For a strange energy surge, the kind that produces random people with big ol’ guns was popping up at random intervals in Indiana and the folks that came through these portals, were hellbent on clearing a path for a man known as the Sarge and well, they got their way and stunned the audience in the process. Because Sarge, is a dead ringer for Phil Coulson, but the former director’s appearance is apparently the only thing these two men share since Sarge, doesn’t value life in the slightest and has some kind of violent agenda on his mind…

So, yeah, they packed a ton into this one and with good reason, because season six is only going to feature thirteen episodes instead of the usual twenty-ish we get and that means, the story has to cook, and I truly was impressed with this premiere. For not only did we establish where everyone is at in quick and dynamic fashion, this episode set up so much for the weeks to come with the whole hunt for Fitz and the introduction of Sarge and really, this new pacing and this new direction really allows for Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. to feel like a brand new show and well, it definitely did its job and sucked me right back in. Because I have to know what Sarge is all about, and why exactly he looks like Phil, and I have to know if the team is going to find Fitz and reunite, which means, once again, I’ll be on my couch and ready to go on Friday night, to see where this already fascinating season is going to take us. Until next time. 

The last time we settled in to discuss the wondrous show that is Top Gear, I made mention of a grave mistake on my part, in that, I tempered my expectations when it came to the last episode of the series. Because ‘Episode 2’ featured some supremely cool moments with the tiny car known as the Tuk-Tuk and because of that I vowed to never undercut this show again and embrace everything it had to offer and well I’m glad I stuck to that little promise to myself. Because ‘Episode 3’ of this series managed to top the prior week by delivering a tour de force of car related moments from the get-go, since I found myself entranced by the lovely Bentley that Chris and Matt introduced us to first thing.

For the Bentley GT really was quite the marvel in engineering from this company, in just about every way imaginable. For not only was the vehicle gorgeous inside and out, and filled with lovely toys, what it had under the hood mattered most since this sucker could handle up to 200 miles an hour, and its ability to fly and its handling and aesthetics prompted Matt to declare it as the finest Bentley ever made, something that Chris wanted to put to the test in the best way possible, by way of a race. So, Chris pulled a Le Mans winning Bentley out of mothballs to see what the new GT could do and well, the GT handled that race car with little effort and man, it was just cool to see a ride this advanced perform so well under pressure.

In fact, the show had more cars to put to the test since we also got to spend a little time with Chris and the wondrous Porsche 911 GT2 RS, a car that quite frankly, is about as top of the line as it gets. Because this beast was souped up in every single way imaginable, with an engine that is outright top of the line, and every bit of its frame was designed with speed and power in mind and well, without its support systems being activated, this little car can become quite the thrill to drive, so much in fact that Chris was able to measure his terror and while seeing the raw potential of this vehicle was awesome in its own right, what made this car so damn impressive, is how it managed to earn the best time possible on the Top Gear Track with the Stig at the helm.

But the show still had more awesome moments to offer up our way since Rory was able to educate us about the wonder of the hot hatch, which was fascinating for me at least. Because I hadn’t a clue that these tiny cars were so popular but Renault has clearly satisfied a need for years with their respective line of them and Rory took the time to introduce us to their latest model, the Megane RS, which turned out to be the proverbial minivan of the Renault line since it offered up all kinds of wondrous technology that made the ride as smooth as possible, but offered none of the thrill of its other hot hatches. And it was simply fascinating to know that the fun is definitely a factor that needs to remain for some lines and some drivers and while it didn’t resonate with Rory on a personal level, he did make some solid points on why this car is a blast to drive.

Plus, the celebrity segment was equally as fun this go round since singer Gregory Porter was like a kid in a candy store by being on the track and hanging with the guys and his infectious personality made watching him take on the track to be an utter delight and well, I really loved this episode when all is said and done. Because I feel as though this one really schooled me when it comes to my floundering knowledge of cars, in fact the whole series is helping with that since I knew some of what the guys were talking about this go round, but I digress. Because what matters the most is that this one was just good old fashioned fun, and it’s just cool to see the see what these guys are able to do with a car and well, I’m definitely ready for next week’s episode and I’m excited to see what beautiful vehicles we get to take out in vicarious fashion. Until then.  

I have to admit, that as I settled in to enjoy another episode of Jordan Peele’s iteration of The Twilight Zone, I was clueless as to what direction the show was going to go in this week. For last week’s episode and its traditional Zone-style of storytelling threw me for a loop, in a good way, since it was quite the surprise to see the series step away from the brilliant social commentary it has focused upon in its first year. But it didn’t take long for me to realize that last night’s tale, aptly titled, ‘Not All Men’, was going to return the series to its grand exploration of the darker parts of the human condition, since this particular tale took the time to tackle toxic masculinity, and it accomplished that by providing us with one wild tale, involving a meteor shower that brings out violent tendencies in only men. But let’s be honest, the plot is merely there to carry the story’s examination of the toxic behavior men exhibit and it handles its exploration in harrowing fashion.
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Because this is an episode that made me uncomfortable, since it plunges us into a world where the worst parts of masculinity are on display and well, being uncomfortable is the point. For this episode is quick to point out that a lot of things that men do, aren’t healthy in the slightest and using the meteors as a plot device to amplify that behavior and demonstrate the ridiculousness of all of it was a genius stroke storytelling wise. Because you simply look at this kind of stuff as it plays out and shake your head, while at the same time, what you see gives you pause, due to the fact that you’ve seen it in the real world on a fairly consistent basis and while that alone could have carried this episode, this story had more unsettling things to say upon the matter, since it also took the time to address rape culture in America as well.

Because in the first ten minutes of this story, our main character, Annie, is assaulted by a meteor enhanced man named Dylan and how she is forced to handle this nightmare the day after it happens, is perhaps the most powerful part of this story since it brings together everything we’ve come to learn about how sexual assault is handled in our society today. For Annie knows that if she says anything about Dylan, no one will listen, because he’s a dynamo at his job, and regarded as a stand-up guy and the audience is never spoon fed the penalties that she will face for speaking up about what Dylan has done, you simply feel it when other characters speak of him and seeing Annie cringe whenever his name is brought up or when she knows she has to keep silent because speaking the truth will cause harm for her is infuriating to watch because you know Annie is in the right, and deserves justice and the sense of hopelessness that surrounds her as a result of this, in turn, surrounds you.

Yet, the series still had more to say, because it also looked hard at how we let toxic masculinity propagate by being so dismissive of it. For instance, saying ‘boys will be boys’ when we see that kind of behavior happen, rather than call it out for what it is, is part of the problem and that shows up in this episode on several occasions in order to hammer the point home, and all of these lessons truly come together in the ending of this tale. For when we learn that the meteor may not have done anything at all, is chilling to say the least because it just goes to show that all of the men in this town saw the meteors as an opportunity to let loose and unleash the rage they’ve been carrying within, because there’s zero chance they have to pay the price for their crimes since hey, it was the meteors’ fault, and the power of that was not lost upon me since it spoke volumes to how so many men unleash their fury via social media because of the anonymity it provides.

Yet, as this series is wont to do, it tried to look at a potential solution for all of this and it made it clear that this is a fundamental problem that has to be addressed with young men as they are growing up and we have to teach them about how to deal with their emotions and how their actions impact others and provide them with a solid understanding of right and wrong. But that is of course, easier said than done, and until a concerted effort is made to instill that into young minds, we will remain in our own Twilight Zone where men choose to unleash their rage in ways that make the six o’clock news and that’s perhaps what made the closing shots of this story with the Narrator so sobering, since the shooting the news highlighted on a laptop is almost commonplace now. Heck, I live in Colorado and had to hear about another school shooting that a young man committed just the other day and well…it’s always a tad frightening when fiction mirrors reality and that’s why this one stays with you, because despite its Dawn of the Dead-esque vibe at times, it echoes everyday life and that just speaks to why it is so important to have this series back on the air, because it is helping us to reflect upon where we are, and how we can be better. Until next time. 

I have to admit, that I was a touch nervous before I started watching the season one finale of CHiPs. Because the title of the episode, ‘Flashback!’, and the plot summary featured on the episode guide present in the DVD case, made it seem as though I was about to watch a story that embodied one of the things I truly despise when it comes to television, the flashback episode. For stories that just recycle footage from earlier in the season to tell a story, feel like an outright copout, as though everyone in the writer’s room was clueless as to how to wrap up the year in question and I’ve seen several wonderful shows use these cheesy tales to close out a season before. But thankfully, the aforementioned title and description in question were misleading in every way imaginable, because this tale ended up being a proper and satisfying way to end the first season of this magnificent series.
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Because in this particular episode, Frank Ponchorello saw his journey come around full circle and well, that’s character growth and I love that through and through and how the story accomplished that was to remind Frank of how far he’s come this season. For when we first met Ponch, was a true rookie, and mistakes stuck to him like flies to a garbage can on a hot summer day, and of course, he lived up to the hot shot reputation that Sergeant Getrear bestowed upon him and what finally showed us his growth and progress into a refined California Highway Patrolman, was the arrival of a different breed of hot shot named Brent Delaney and well, this guy’s bravado honestly put Ponch’s to shame. Because he was the son of a state senator and his ego backed up his silver spoon status and this guy was so bold and brash that he actually had the nerve to throw a little shade at the Sarge, but it didn’t take long for us to realize that he had a lot to learn about becoming a CHP officer.

For mistakes were quickly made while he was on duty, the kind that put others at risk, and he also embarrassed the department, since he lost his bike to a gang of bikers who were scooping up police motorcycles all over the Los Angeles area and well, his ego quickly isolated him from his co-workers and it really did look like he was going to turn his badge in disgrace. But one man stood by him at every turn and that was Frank, and his decision to help show Brent the ropes, and encourage him to do better and be more, is when we finally saw the rookie become the consummate professional and it really was awesome to see Ponch play the role of mentor for a change and be a stand up officer that actually cited rules and regulations for once and all of this was motivated by the fact that he was in Delaney’s shoes not that long ago, and for his efforts, Brent ended up demonstrating his worth to the department after all when he helped to bring down this bike theft ring.

Yet while all of that was impressive in its own right, what really blew me away when it comes to this episode, is the sheer fact that it explored exactly how Ponch and Jon are like brothers, and they forged that particular bond by having quite a few run ins around L.A. before Ponch joined the force and it was just wild to see Ponch rolling with his old crew without a care in the world, and see he and Jon form their bond and belief in one another. And these memories helped to provide magnificent context as to why Baker is always trying to lift Ponch up and support him at every turn because he really does see something special in Frank and clearly, his faith in Ponch has been rewarded because his actions in this episode and the past few for that matter really have shown us the good he’s capable of and how much talent and instinct he has as a police officer and as an added bonus, Ponch’s backstory here also features a ‘blink and you’ll miss it’ cameo from acting legend Edward James Olmos, who plays one of Frank’s buddies from the old days.

When all is said and done however, you really cannot ask for much more from a season finale. Because bringing everything around full circle is no easy task in a show this grand and sweeping, but the Writer’s Room handled it here with ease and truly, this finale does indeed close an important chapter in this story. For Frank Ponchorello has finally grown into his own, and now that he’s matured as a man and an officer, new challenges can come his way and that’s what I’m looking forward to in the days to come, as we dive into season two of this wonderful show. But before I dig into that, I’m going to take a little bit and properly appreciate this titular first season, because this one really did accomplish quite a lot storytelling wise, and it took some incredible risks, but more importantly it set the stage for the future and it’s going to be blast to see where this series and its characters go, in season two and beyond. Until next time. 

One thing I’ve noticed when it comes to comic book stories that are adapted for television, is how little they resemble the medium they come from visually. For a great deal of the unique aspects of the page are abandoned in favor of creating a more cinematic journey for the hero or heroes in question and while there’s great merit in making this happen, since it does provide the audience with an appealing aesthetic, one does miss the uniqueness of what you find in print and this is on my mind today simply because once again, Cloak & Dagger once again managed to defy convention by delivering unto us a story that quite frankly, made it feel as though the audience had picked up a good old fashioned comic book.
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For ‘B Sides’ took us on a journey through Tandy’s mind while she was under stress and duress from Lia, her captor and well, the only way to properly do that was to bring the format of a comic book to life, meaning that the quick jumps that happen in between panels in print was on display in this particular tale, and that element, alongside some magnificent ‘what if’ moments made for quite the entertaining episode because this story also ended up being quite the mystery. Because it quickly allowed for the audience to wonder, exactly why it was so important for Lia to keep Tandy unconscious and locked in a fantasy world where her biggest dreams and worst nightmares played out in vivid and realistic fashion and as it turns out, that’s because Lia and an unknown tormentor had a plan for Tandy.

The plan was in essence, to break Tandy’s spirit, so that she would know nothing but despair, and that was due to the fact that the unknown tormentor, who turned out to be Andre, the man who runs the woman’s shelter; needed despair to heal his body and his mind. For we came to learn that Andre was transformed during the Roxxon explosion as well, giving him the ability to reach into people’s minds and draw that despair out and in essence, this revealed that he and Lia have been gathering up the missing girls and sucking the despair out of them to feed Andre’s twisted needs and unfortunately for Andre, he had discovered his greatest challenge yet in Tandy, because breaking her was no easy task and really, the journey through her mind revealed so many complex layers and emotions when it comes to this dynamic character.

For example, we learned that there is a part of Tandy that dreams of a life where nothing bad happened to her family, or Tyrone’s for that matter as well, and her fantasy about Tyrone becoming a member of the New Orleans Police Department reflects that since she was a ballerina in that tale where she was adored by her family, but thankfully, the show didn’t remain in totally fantasy land since some of these vignettes allowed for us to explore Tandy’s psyche, showing us the best parts and worst parts of her soul. Because her Roxxon Engineer fantasy allowed for us to see how much she believes in herself and her abilities which was wonderful to say the least, and we also saw the shame that hovers over her when it comes to her past life. But what matters most, is that we learned that was truly drives her these days and what she truly cares about is Tyrone and unfortunately for her, revealing that, was her greatest mistake.

Because in this dream world, Andre was able to ‘murder’ Tyrone, robbing Tandy of the one thing she held near and dear, breaking her at last and giving Andre the strange sustenance he needs and that sadly is where this episode ends, on a sour note with Tandy still in grave trouble and facing an uncertain future and well, all of these twists and turns make this one brilliant episode when all is said and done. Because in essence, this was a transitional episode, and normally, those can be dry and boring. But by changing things up with the comic book style of storytelling and offering up a good look at Tandy’s psyche, this episode was able to drop quite the stunner in our lap with the reveal of Andre being the real brains behind this outfit, and it helped us to understand just how badly Tandy wants the world to be a better place for everyone. But either way, Tandy is in some serious trouble now, and it’s going to take some serious work on Tyrone’s part to find her and I hope he does quickly because who knows how long Tandy has, before hope fades from her mind completely. Until next time. 

We watch television for one reason and one reason alone, to escape. We just want to get lost within a story and let it carry us away to imaginary places after a long hard day. But while it is nice to disappear into fantasy land for a little while, I honestly respect television shows that take the time to inject a little reality into their stories from time to time simply because, it’s never a bad thing to remind us about the world’s problems in a fictional setting. Because when it is done right, it settles into the back of our minds allowing for us to chew and ponder upon such matters in subtle fashion and well, who knows where that seed can go. Sure, it might be forgotten, but the best-case scenario is that it suddenly makes one aware of a particular issue that’s important in our world, and paying attention to something important you never did before, has its merits, and this injection of realism is on my mind today, due to the fact that a slice of the real world showed up in the next episode of CHiPs.
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Because ‘Crack-Up’ served to remind us of the fact that some people, straight up despise the police, and it doesn’t matter what you tell them, there’s no changing their mind. For once they think the system is corrupt and against them, there’s no going back and well, I have to admit that this particular examination outright caught me by surprise. Because at first, it seemed as though this story was going to explore the physical hazards that come with being a police officer, since Ponch and Jon found themselves in pursuit of a couple of racers early on in the episode, and in the midst of their chase, one of the hot dogs, a guy named Niles, put his car in a compromising position as he tried to outwit Jon, and unfortunately, bad timing led to a collision between Jon and Niles’ car, which sent Jon flying and Niles feeling and the end result of this little mix up, was a trip to the hospital for Officer Baker.

But once things settled down and the department came to learn that Jon was going to be just fine with a little care, that’s when things took a turn for the dark. Because Niles saw this whole mess as some kind of kind of awful luck, as though the police were constantly targeting him and making his life hell, which meant he felt it was time for a little bit of payback and he actually started targeting highway patrolmen when the opportunity arose, even going so far as to take Grossie out with his tow truck and well, that was the wrong choice on his part. Because that motivated Sergeant Getrear to focus his team on finding this guy and of course, you know Ponch and Jon had extra motivation to bring him and of course, once Jon was released from the hospital, he was the one that got the collar and that made for one satisfying ending, and what’s great is that the wonder of this episode, didn’t end with this plot line.

After all, there were plenty of laughs to be found by having Ponch partner up with the Sarge since they were never quite on the same page, and of course it was equally as entertaining to see Phyllis Diller fire off some jokes in her own special style, because she’s a true legend and an absolute gem. But, all those topical gags aside, we also need to talk about the adventures of Frank and Joe since that actually allowed for some important character development to happen. Because the Sarge has been on Ponch’s case a plenty this season and I feel as though seeing Frank in action, despite the fact he bended the rules here and there, gave Joe some perspective on Frank and how much he truly loves his job and it really seemed as though a little respect was sent Ponch’s way when all is said and done and I really appreciated the fact that the series didn’t let the constant gag of Frank being a goof-up persist for the entire season because let’s be honest, that was getting a little old.

If anything, this was an episode that in my opinion, offered up everything that makes the series great. It was grounded in a touch of prophetic reality with the whole ‘I don’t like cops’ storyline, it featured thrilling stunts and action and adventure, and character development and most importantly, the human element was on display here. Because the guys had each other’s backs in this story, regardless of rank or the situation and heck, Jon even went the extra mile for Diller’s character, Wanda, and this really was a perfect blend storytelling wise and I have to be honest, I was a little displeased when this one ended. Because I outright wanted more and this episode made me realize, that the series is just getting started when it comes to stories such as this since five more seasons await and that has me supremely excited to continue to dive into this show in the weeks to come. Until next time.         

If there’s one thing I truly enjoy when it comes to watching the first season of a television series, it’s seeing stories that basically throw caution to the wind when it comes to the show’s established structure. Because year one often features a lot of experiments and tests with the plot lines and the settings, just to see if something different might work and that makes for entertaining tales that captivate and surprise and one particular series that I’m noticing did this a plenty in year one is CHiPs. Because the Creep of Week has come and gone over the course of this first year, replaced by day in the life stories that help us to get to know Ponch and Jon better, or in more recent episodes, they’ve been replaced by characters that are full of depth and in need of help, and as we close in on the season one finale, it’s clear the series is outright going for broke since the next episode, ‘Rainy Day’, felt the need to mess with the formula further by taking our dynamic heroes, off of their bikes.
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Which at first glance seems like a cardinal sin because, that’s why we tune in, to watch Ponch and Jon hop on their bikes and chase bad guys down. But the title should serve as an indicator as to why they’re off their motorcycles for this particular tale since the sky lets loose in this story, forcing our heroes to spend their day in a patrol car and well, they don’t like it in the slightest but that sure doesn’t stop them from stopping crime, since the dynamic duo is eventually able to corner a group of thieves that work in pairs to steal cars and surprisingly, despite being stuck in a cruiser, the chase scene to bring these scumbags down was pretty exciting to say the least. Because it included a run through the Los Angeles drainage system, something we’ve seen featured before in other chase scenes in other stories, but I digress, because the show was just getting started when it comes to making things interesting in this story.

Because while Ponch and Jon cruised about town in the rain, something sneaky was happening on the highway. As it turns out, a couple of gents were running an illegal gambling operation aboard an RV, so that no one was the wiser, and while it seemed as though this operation would go off without a hitch, one fussy customer made the day more interesting for our crooks. For a Mr. Sanders was losing, and when he loses he gets grumpy, and for his troubles and complaints, he got a refund and a knuckle sandwich and a concussion and of course, he ran into Ponch and Jon when the moving casino dropped him off ‘gently’, meaning they were on the case and that’s where the character development that’s suddenly permeating this season came into play. Because Sanders, and his addiction to gambling, allowed for us to see what kind of impact that kind of life has on a family, in up close and personal fashion.

For Ponch and Jon took the time to visit Sanders’ wife, Juliet, to deliver the bad news and hopefully get some kind of lead on who hurt him and while she was as helpful as she could be, hearing about her husband’s condition and basically coming to terms with the fact that yet again her hubby let her down and screwed them over financially, prompted her to finally leave him behind and it was just fascinating to see this kind of fallout on display and surprisingly enough, the show wasn’t quite done with exploring the impact this kind of lifestyle can have on people and the next phase of this twist involved Sanders himself since he was now desperate and broke and alone, and all of that pushed him over the edge and he went to the extreme by grabbing his shotgun to deal with the guys that ripped him off, which of course, led to a high speed chase wherein Ponch and Jon busted everyone with Bear’s help.

If anything, I have to admit I was quite impressed with the twists this story had to offer, and really, this was compelling stuff to watch because the gambling problem that Sanders had really did screw his life up in every way imaginable and while the episode offered no easy answers on his mistakes, it was refreshing to see this show present the dangers of addiction and raw anger for that matter. Yet, all of this makes it sound as though this episode was devoid of humor but there was plenty of that be found as well by way of a plot line involving a teacher that Ponch saved since she brought her class tour to the station during a busy time and the whole running gag involving Ponch and Jon keeping their cruiser dent free paid off in spades thanks to Grossie, and well, this is just another great episode from a magnificent series and I really did enjoy this one through and through and well, I’m ready for more. So, if you’ll excuse me, it’s time to hit play and see what amazing adventures on the highway await me. Until next time. 

While I am a huge fan of police serials as a whole, I do happen to have one chief complaint when it comes to them, in that, the bad guy or bad gal in their respective stories, tend to be a little too over the top at times. Think about it for a moment. Here and there, the murderer on some of these shows is slick and cool like Dexter Morgan, or happen to be a master thief that is happy to rob a bank simply because they’re a bored genius or looking to stick it to the system and well, all of that just gets a little silly after a while. Because when that happens, it’s obvious that the folks behind the scenes are just looking to entertain without substance, and that’s why I tend to gravitate toward police shows that feature criminals grounded in reality, the kind who break the law for reasons that give us pause, such as hopelessness or desperation or mental illness for that matter.
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Because those kinds of stories remind us that not everyone has it as easy as the rest of us and that’s precisely why I’ve been so appreciative of CHiPs, simply because it’s been making an effort to stay in that particular realm. After all, ‘Cry Wolf’ gave us a ‘villain’ who was suffering from mental illness due to the trauma he experienced as a child and it just so happens that the series wasn’t done exploring how an imbalance upstairs can sometimes push people to break the law since ‘Crash Diet’ once again featured a character who was wreaking havoc on the highways for reasons far deeper than a mere desire for mayhem. For this go round, a gentlemen dressed in his Army jacket was screaming at cars on the highway and throwing dirt at them, prompting Poncherello to take a different approach when it comes to this man.

For rather than send in the SWAT team or surround the area this man was operating out of with Chippies, Frank begged the Sarge for a little leeway and enlisted Baker’s help in an off-duty operation that allowed for the two men to come face to face with the man in question and well, it became inherently clear that he was definitely suffering from a form of mental illness and after their initial encounter went south, they were able to dig a little deeper and discover this dirt yielding stranger was named Leonard. And as it turns out, poor Leonard was a former Vietnam Veteran who lost his wife in a car accident and now believed he needed to damage or destroy every vehicle out there to set things right and sadly, despite our dynamic duo getting a little help from Leonard’s Doctor at the V.A., Leonard still refused to back down and eventually Ponch and Jon were forced to chase him on foot, through traffic in order to get him the help he desperately needed and this, made for one powerful episode.

After all, PTSD and its impact weren’t widely understood in 1978, yet it is portrayed here in stunningly accurate fashion and well, what makes this story so incredible, is the humanity that Ponch and Jon display toward Leonard. There’s no malice here, no insults or judgment, they just want to help the man get the care he needs and that was just refreshing to see, and a fine reminder of why this show is so vastly different than any police serial out there, years before they were a popular thing, and I really do appreciate the fact that the ‘bad guy’ here isn’t bad at all, just a person who has lost their way and if anything, this particular brand of humanity and realism is something that is desperately needed in police serials in this day and age, and I do hope that someone out there writing the next great one sees this episode and takes a page from it.

However, while all of this was fascinating to watch in its own right, the fun is always important when it comes to this show and that’s present here too by way of a delightful subplot involving weight loss, since the Sarge needed his squad to lose a thousand pounds to be a healthier unit and that led to some fine humor involving Officer Grossman. Because Artie was always a little heavier set as an officer and while he doesn’t reach his target weight here, it’s the journey and the prank at the end that make one smile. Plus, there’s a silly subplot involving some clothing optional volleyball and some big-time heroics on Jon’s part when a truck carrying dynamite catches on fire to entertain here as well. But really, it’s Leonard and his harrowing story that’s the true centerpiece of this story since it made for compelling and thoughtful drama, and I really am impressed with the depth present in this episode and it’s clear that this one really helped to build the foundation of the wonder and the magic that this series produced for five more years. Until next time. 

Obsession is a word that carries with it some supremely negative connotations, and there’s good reason for that. For more often than not, an obsession is unhealthy in nature and people that suffer from it cannot let whatever it is that is infecting their mind, go, in the slightest. Instead, they pour over the notion or the concept or the person, night and day, to the point where we worry about their mental health, especially when their fixation begins to change their attitude and outlook on life and it just so happens that the negativity that comes with obsession, served as the focus for last night’s episode of Killing Eve, since Eve Polastri’s inability to let Villanelle go, brought about all kinds of fascinating moments and potential trouble.
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Which is a fascinating twist when all is said and done, since the last time we saw Eve, she was seemingly leaving the idea of Villanelle behind to focus upon the successful hunt for the Ghost. But it didn’t take long for her mind to drift back to the master assassin thanks to the actions of the Ghost, and everything was set into motion in ‘Smell Ya Later’, the instant we learned that this mysterious assassin wasn’t talking. It didn’t matter who worked to interrogate her, she simply stared at them with a stoic visage that never seemed to break, that is until Eve mentioned Villanelle’s name, since that brought forth a panicked reaction from the Ghost (whose named we learned is Jin), and that motivated Eve to come up with one wild plan. Because if Oksana engendered that kind of fear, she could likely get Jin to talk, and in order to draw her to London and get the information MI6 so desperately needed from this new assassin, Eve put a price on her own head, knowing full well Konstantin would hire Villanelle to handle the matter.

Yet, that odd decision on her part merely served as the gateway to our concerns when it comes to Eve and her inability to let Villanelle go, and as she waited for our favorite assassin to arrive back in London, we saw her obsession progress to a whole new level. For in essence, Villanelle and everything she stands for consumed Eve, to the point where she moved Kenny off of the team so that she didn’t have to put up with his protests when it comes to a plan that Carolyn loosely signed off upon. And she seemingly wanted to fully understand why this killer does what she does, to the point where she pondered upon committing murder if only for a moment, and it was just stunning to see Eve bathe in the darkness and what’s equally as terrifying, is that her quest to remain in the shadows continued along when that all-important reunion came to fruition.

Because when presented with the possibility that Villanelle would do nothing to help MI6 unless Eve was in distress, she pushed their meeting to the limit by downing what appeared to be arsenic and that act, alongside the admission from Villanelle that it wasn’t poison she ingested, started to bring Eve out of her funk. But what finally made her realize that perhaps getting this close was quite the mistake, was Villanelle’s handiwork when it comes to Jin. Because despite the fact that MI6 got the info it needed (it was the son, who killed dear old dad after all), Jin was left in emotional tatters and even called Eve a monster and that, had quite the adverse effect on her, to the point where she finally seemed to distance herself from Villanelle, but that may have come too late. For darling Oksana took the time to meet with Nico while he was chaperoning at Oxford, and she spilled the beans in regard to what Eve hasn’t told her hubby, and her revelations brought out the worst in Nico too, and while no blood was shed, plenty of damage was done here since Niko will no doubt confront Eve about the truth in the days to come…

Yet, while this was a fascinating character study in its own right, one that doesn’t guarantee that the obsession has come to its end, one single shot made this episode fascinating in ways I never imagined, and that was when we saw Carolyn and Konstantin sitting in a car together, as Eve and Villanelle headed off to meet with Jin and that’s eating at me simply because, what the hell are these two, up to? I mean, we’ve known for some time now that Carolyn has been manipulating and directing Eve, but this now confirms that she and Konstantin are up to something greater, and damnit, I’m dying to know what their endgame is. Is this an attempt to bring down the Twelve? Do they have their own agenda? Either way, I don’t like Eve and Villanelle being played as pawns and really, the only way we will discover what’s going here is to exercise patience since this series will reveal everything in due time, but that doesn’t make the wait for next week’s episode any easier, because I really am dying to know the answers to these burning questions, now.