It never ceases to amaze me, the things you uncover when you watch a television series the second time around. Sometimes you catch a plot point you never noticed before, or you suddenly uncover a hidden easter egg you never expected to find. Or, you come to realize that an episode you didn't like originally, is actually far better than you gave it credit, which is precisely what happened to me when I settled into re-watch the Battlestar Galactica episode, 'Hero'.

Because truly, the first time I watched this episode, I utterly despised it. Nothing about it felt right and it's one that I wrote off immediately because of that feeling. But round two...well round two helped me realize that this is actually a solid episode in the BSG saga, and my disdain for it simply comes about for other reasons which we will get to in a moment. Now this particular tale introduces us to a surprise moment in the fleet, when a Cylon Raider, under chase and fire from its own kind, broadcasts a distress signal featuring a human voice. Unsure of exactly how to proceed, the Admiral allows the ship aboard only to discover it is carrying a blast from his past, Lieutenant Daniel 'Bulldog' Novacek; a pilot Adama lost when he was the Commander of the Battlestar Valkyrie. Yet despite the fact that finding another survivor in this fashion should be cause for celebration, dark clouds surround Bulldog's arrival on Galactica; for his presence is a firm reminder of the Admiral's most embarrassing moment career wise, and Bulldog...is also an unknowing pawn when it comes to a larger Cylon plan...

So if that sounds like an engrossing plot...you're right, it is. This is actually quite the fantastic character study about duty and honor and how sometimes the men and women that serve are forced to carry out orders that are extremely grey in nature, and how the tough calls they sometimes make can haunt them for years, as was the case with Adama. His decision to shoot down Daniel to preserve the integrity of the mission, combined the fact that he firmly believes he is responsible for the Cylon attack on the Twelve Colonies is an utterly brilliant storyline and it evokes a powerful performance from Edward James Olmos as a leader who loses faith in himself for mistakes in his past and the pain that Daniel goes through when he discovers friendly fire put him in the hands of the Cylons is equally as enthralling.

Why then did this episode rub me the wrong way all those years ago? Because this should have happened earlier on in the series. At this point, there's no denying what kind of bold leader Admiral William Adama has become. He can handle and make all the tough calls and little rattles him, and when one considers the execution of his plan on New Caprica, it's clear he's the fleet's biggest hero and is fearless in facing the Cylons, which means this moment of weakness now, makes no sense. It's just so out of place to see Adama suddenly lose all of his confidence and attempt to resign his commission. Had this episode happened say in season one, or early on in season two, it would have been perfect, it would have helped the character grow and even solidified his actions as Admiral because then he's making his wrongs, right.

Which means that when all is said and done...this episode is in essence a beautiful story that is wasted in the overall arc for season three. It simply doesn't fit the narrative at this point and that's a downright shame and it's awkwardness removes the gravity of the performances and even the power of Saul Tigh's heroic moment as well. But while it is awkwardly placed in the overall grand scheme of things, make no mistake about it...this is a powerful character study, and seeing a man as honorable as Adama face his past transgressions is utterly incredible and I'm glad that I have newfound respect for this episode and what it stands for. Either way, it looks like the notion of facing the past in this episode, inspired the writer's room to continue to explore that notion since putting yesterday to bed just so happens to be the focus of the next episode, and that's where we will pick up next time. Until then.

One of the many, many things that has made Broadchurch an absolute must watch, is the fact that it holds nothing back. Over the past two years on the show, we have been there for powerful moment after powerful moment, the kind that break our hearts right in two and just when we think this show is ready to pull back and give us a moment to catch our breath, it snaps us right back into the fray, allowing for us to once more look at some of the darkest parts of the human soul, and the injustices that the world sometimes sends our way.

But to date, the series has been light on providing us with a truly immersive emotional experience and that's not necessarily a bad thing. I'm not sure that many of us could have properly handled the emotional burden that would have come with Danny's death, and the revelation that Joe killed him and the subsequent trial and acquittal that was to follow. With that storyline in the books however, and with Broadchurch entering its final season, it's clear that Showrunner Chris Chibnall decided it was high time to truly take the audience on a ride and immerse us at last within the true horrors of violent crime, because last night's season three premiere was downright shocking, and downright haunting. 

Last night, we were introduced to a woman named Trish Winterman and when we first meet Trish, she's in bad shape. She's been sexually assaulted and has contacted the police and well...this is where things instantly get rough for the audience, and even tougher for Trish. Because once DI's Hardy and Miller arrive on scene to deal with the matter we are thrust into the delicate balancing act the two detectives must play as they try to uncover details about Trish's attack, and comfort a hurting human. But where the show truly unsettled this reviewer, is when it took us behind the scenes of processing a different kind of crime scene, a live human being. There was nothing shied away from as Ellie and Alec processed the evidence present on, in and around Trish and goodness. This segment not only brought me to tears, but every single second of it became all that much more difficult to watch.

Simply because you could see Trish reliving every single horrifying second of her assault while the evidence was processed and all you could do was feel for her, plain and simple, and it's rare to see any show hold nothing back when it comes to sexual assault and I do applaud Broadchurch for this bold and powerful set of scenes. Yet despite feeling sorrow for Trish, there is still a mystery to be solved and the show did a wonderful job setting up everything to come. However, there is sadly, an air of deceit hanging in the air when it comes to what happened to Trish at her friend's party and already there's suspicious characters being thrown into the mix and clearly...whomever did this does not want to be caught judging from the closing seconds of this first episode.

In the end however, outside of an emotional rollercoaster the show really didn't advance the plot that much and honestly, that's okay. This series has proven time and time again that the slow burn is what it does best. All will be revealed in good time, and everything it sends our way will be nothing short of top notch storytelling. However, before we go, kudos to the show for finding a way to also integrate the Latmiers into the story as well, and I have to say...it should come as no surprise that their relationship completely fell to pieces. Either way, this was a powerful, powerful start to Broadchurch's final season and I fully believe that the story is only going to far more brutal and visceral from here on out, meaning this series is going to exit the airwaves in the most stunning fashion possible. Until next time. 

Perhaps the true wonder when it comes to watching Dimension 404, is the fact that the show simply keeps the audience guessing. You could be in for a high quality and fun science fiction tale when you tune in, or a dive deep into social commentary or hey...the show could just outright make you cry. The bottom line, is that there's always a wonderful surprise in the proverbial box when it comes to this series.

Which means, there was a certain sense of wonder permeating the back of my brain when it came to the season one finale of Dimension 404 as to what exactly the show would have in store for us. Would it try and top the powerful pair of episodes that preceded this one? Would it attempt to surprise us with something new? Well as it turns out, the series decided to bring together a 'best of' reel if you will, giving us the finest moments that season one has to offer, with a little apocalypse thrown in for good measure in the thoughtful episode, 'Impulse'. Now in this story, we are introduced to Val Hernandez, an everyday gal who aspires to be more. To her father, she's nothing more than a slacker in his eyes, but she has quite the future in mind, since she plans to become one of the top gamers on the planet under the moniker 'Speedrun', and unfortunately, in order to be the best, Val will do whatever it takes to win and the consequences that await her for such a choice...will change her life and the world, forever.

Now what I loved most about this particular tale, is the fact that it threw an incredible amount of curve balls our way, and every single of them worked. On one level, it's a parable about honesty and integrity. On another level, it's a coming of age tale in post apocalyptic America...but most of all, it's about fun. This is an episode that really doesn't take itself too seriously and that's not a bad thing. Because there are laughs to be had all over this episode, and much of the credit for the comic relief in this one goes to actor Kenneth Choi, who plays Kojima. Because no matter how dire the situation, or how serious a particular decision could turn out to be, Kojima is there, with food in hand to make us all smile and that's a welcome change of pace from the horrors that come about from the introduction of Impulse to the world.  

Which brings us back to Val's story, which is wonderful and engrossing because she goes on quite the journey. One minute, she's a rebellious and head strong teenager who will do anything and everything to get her way, and the next minute...she's a mother of three and a sheriff, and a survivor of the end of world and it's beautiful that this story took the time to remind us that sometimes...life finds a way to force us to grow up and do the right thing when necessary and while Val's story doesn't exactly end in the happiest of fashion, at least she finally figures out her place in the world and handles things like a true hero and I love that the show saw a grand opportunity to pepper in just a touch of social commentary when it comes to her story, all while giving us a fulfilling and fun story where you find yourself rooting for Val when all is said and done.

Sadly however, we have come to the end of the line for season one of this show and I won't lie, I'm a little melancholy over the fact that there's only six episode of this show to enjoy. It's been downright refreshing to not only see an anthology series return to the airwaves...but to see one as smart and and as relevant as this one, is downright magical. So, here's to hoping that Hulu gives this series a green lights for season two, with a bigger episode order for that matter as well, so we can all venture into the world of Dimension 404 once again and enjoy more dazzling stories, thoughtful concepts and downright fun at every turn. Until next time. 

Anytime one is treated to a stellar season premiere, one is often left wondering if the rest of the season will even remotely hold a flame to that titular first episode and with good reason. After all, it's television and rarely do shows have a perfect season from beginning to end since there's so many stories that need to be told during the course of a year and truthfully, I was definitely concerned about a dip in quality when it came to last night's episode of Preacher.

Simply because of the fact that the season premiere was completely and utterly sublime and seeing this show continue its new 'throw caution to the wind' mantra would be an incredible treat. As it turns out, 'Mumbai Sky Tower' was not only just as good as the season two premiere, it actually managed to surpass it in quality, thanks in large part to the trio of gentlemen who brought this show to the small screen in the first place; Sam Catlin, Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, who continued their hands on approach to the start of the season with Sam once again writing the script and with Seth and Evan stepping behind the camera to direct. This particular tale in essence picked up right where we left off Sunday, with the Cowboy in hot pursuit of the gang and after surviving a slaughter at the hotel, they head off to talk to the one man that might be able to help them, Fiore. 

If you recall, Fiore and DeBlanc were the pair of Angels that tried desperately to reclaim Genesis from Jesse last season and when they were unsuccessful in their venture, they trotted off to Hell to ask the Cowboy to kill Genesis and Jesse, with the promise of seeing his family again as a reward and after the Saint of Killers violently murdered DeBlanc, Fiore all but disappeared. As it turns out however, he was The Amazing Ganesh being advertised all over the season premiere and he fell into stardom, by way of desolation. Because following the death of his friend he drifted to the Mumbai Sky Tower Hotel and Casino and tried his best to find some purpose there, but instead...only found himself wishing for death and a fateful attempt at suicide-turned-resurrection in front a crowd, thrust him into a brand new role and despite Jesse's pleas...he had zero interest in helping him or his friends.

If anything, this storyline alone is what made this episode so damn entertaining, since let's be honest...we didn't spend enough time with this Angelic duo last year, so to finally see how human these Angels can really be, and how important it is for them to be happy and fulfilled added a new layer to this story and it gave Fiore a depth I certainly never expected to see. Which made his exit from the show all the more tragic. Because not only does he lie to Jesse and send the Saint of Killers Jesse's way when he finally agrees to help, he also asks for the sweet release of death to find peace at last as Jesse commands, and the Cowboy is happy to oblige and just wow...that was quite the route to take with this character and it while it wraps up Fiore's story, it's truly a shame we won't be seeing more of him going forward.

Yet the show wasn't done keeping our attention locked with just that story. There's the matter in regards to Tulip's past since she ran into an old friend named Gary who is quite displeased she hasn't spoken to the 'boss man' and her past is clearly going to intercede with Jesse's current plans since the gang is headed to a logical place for God to hold up, New Orleans, and that town also appears to be the home to this mystery boss man named Viktor and when all is said and done, it was just a joy to see this show continue to stick to its new mantra. Once again the laughs kept coming, the gore was just right and the story continues to draw us in and if this pace can be maintained, holy cow...this is going to be an incredible season through and through. Either way, it's off to New Orleans next and I cannot wait to see what awesome surprises await us in The Big Easy. Until next time.

AMC's Preacher debuted last summer on the network and quickly established itself as an outright breath of fresh air on television. It was funny, it was quirky. It mixed together elements of horror and comedy and outright fantasy and it also provided us with a unique and fresh story for the small screen, one adapted from the comic book of the same name. Yet, as I reflected upon season one, right before season two kicked off last night, I came to realize that this series had yet to reach its maximum potential.

Now, that's by no means meant to be an insult toward the show, because I do enjoy it, and its colorful characters and world dearly. But truthfully, at times it felt like the show was holding back last year. For every wild and crazy moment, like say...Angels ripping each other to shreds in a hotel room, or having an Angel Phone conversation with an Angel that's pretending to be God, there was a balancing moment to bring the quirky back down from eleven. In fact it wasn't until the second half of the season one finale that the show seemed to embrace its wild nature, giving me hope that season two would finally kick into Ludicrous Speed and boy...did it ever, because last night's premiere, 'On the Road' was the stuff of pure magic.

Just take the opening of the show for example. Every joke worked to a tee, and every little wild moment, like the subtle cut to make the car chase scene seem like a classic 1970's flick, turned out to be completely and utterly amazing. Not to mention, the show wasted no time in upping the gore quotient as well, because the shootout with the Cowboy was nothing short of spectacular. In fact, I've seen big budget action flicks whose gunfights don't even hold a flame to this one and the blood and guts that came with that led to one of the wildest moments in the short history of the series. You know which one I'm talking about, it's the one that taught us that Yoo-Hoo and hot sauce get the taste of blood out of your mouth in proper fashion. 

But in addition to basically 'letting loose', Preacher also managed to change up how it tells its story as well. Last year if you recall was something of a super slow burn as Jesse gradually learned how to use his powers and such. This time around however, the show is wasting no time at all when it comes to the plot. They're on the trail to find God, they're getting clues along the way and even though Mike claimed to know nothing about the supposed map that leads to God's whereabouts should he decide to walk the Earth, something tells me he was possibly lying about that and that plot point may come up again later on. But until then we should be treated to plenty of incredible moments as they search for the Supreme Deity, and hopefully those moments are just as entertaining as the ones we experienced with the gang at the strip club, and really it's just refreshing to see the plot move at such a brisk pace and leave you hungry for more. 

If anything, it really feels as though this show has finally found its comfort zone and is ready to throw caution to the wind and have as much fun as possible with this outlandish story and that...means the fans of this show are in for quite a treat, and I love everything that last night's season premiere set up for us. After all, Jesse and the gang are hot on the trail of God, the Cowboy is with them every single step of the way and judging from the trailer at the end of the episode, they're in for plenty of wild adventures that feature familiar faces from last year...and a few new threats along the way. Either way, bravo to Preacher for finding its voice and delivering the goods. So strap in everyone, because we are going to be in for one hell of a fun ride. Until next time.

When it comes to Doctor Who, one of the most bittersweet moments that Whovians will ever go through...is the Regeneration of a Doctor. After all, we've come to know and love that particular Doctor, so having to see them exit the show is completely and utterly heartbreaking and truly the only solace that we can find in their untimely demise, is the fact that when the time comes at last, the Doctor always goes out like a champ. His end also means a glorious finale, one where he demonstrates his heroism on levels we never expected, where he fights until his final breath and when the dust is settled, the tears have dried and the new Doctor stands before us...we can only feel pride because his final act, saved countless lives. 

Sadly, that time is upon us once again, for last night's episode, 'World Enough and Time' kicked off the beginning of the end for the Twelfth Doctor in the most stunning of fashion, by not only giving us a sneak peek of the Regeneration to come, but by also putting the Doctor's hearts and our own through the wringer all thanks to the machinations of an old and evil friend and rather than spend any time revisiting the plot with our traditional summary, it's best we dig right into the meatier parts of this episode head on because this was more than a story, this was a powerful experience...one that unfortunately saw the Doctor's (and our own) worst fears come to fruition in a tale that finally brought together the overreaching story arc of Series Ten...the Doctor's juggling act between saving Missy, and the universe. 

If anything, this particular tale allowed for that delicate juggling act to come crashing to the ground in a matter of minutes since let's be honest, every last one of us gasped in utter shock the instant we saw that hole in Bill's chest and really...this was an hour filled to the brim with heartbreak and horror. Because the 'hospital' that Bill was taken to was truly the stuff of nightmares with its cavalcade of faceless monsters and truly, it was difficult to watch poor Bill make peace with the fact that her heart was now artificial because you could see it in her eyes...she thought it would be no big deal because the Doctor was coming to save her and he'd make everything right again and watching her, watching him and waiting for rescue only made the night worse because this episode had a cloud hanging over it, we knew bad was coming...but I don't think anyone was ready for how devastating the final moments of this episode turned out to be.

Because while it was quite the treat to see John Simm return as the Master and come to learn that this iteration of this titular villain is in essence the father of the Cybermen as a whole...nothing can top those final moments, when we learn that Bill did indeed wait for the Doctor, and the price for her patience was full conversion into a Mondasian Cyberman and I'm not sure I will ever forget the look on the Doctor's face as Missy, the Master and his friend stood there before him, representing everything he's ever stood against. If anything, we all knew that eventually the Doctor would pay the piper for constantly trying to do everything at once but this...well this was just cruel. It's one thing for the universe to teach you a lesson, but this kind of pain and suffering could and should break a person at their core.

I'm certain of course that's what the Master wants, to shatter the Doctor once and for all, but I think we all know that while Twelve is a caring man with a giant pair of hearts...he's not above settling in for a fight and unleashing the hidden fury within which means, the Master is going to pay, and the Cybermen are in for one hell of a fight. But perhaps the toughest thing when it comes to this episode, is what crosses your mind long after its ended. This is it. Twelve's time is coming to an end and while I was chatting up this episode with my pal Kerri, we came to the same conclusion that next week's episode will be tear jerking and brutal, because it's Twelve's final outing and the incredible work that Peter Capaldi put into the role comes to an end and that hurts because, well, it's best I quote Kerri on this one, 'he IS the Doctor' and she's right. He's simply perfect in the role and seeing him go may be the toughest Regeneration the fans have had to endure to date.

Aside from the heartbreak this episode brought forth however, we do need to take a moment and discuss the wonder of John Simm as an actor. I never once suspected he was Mister Razor in disguise all along and that reveal made me gasp just as loudly as I did when Bill took that energy bullet to the chest, but wow...he's tremendously talented to be able to fool us like that and considering that Peter Capaldi, Michelle Gomez and John Simm will all be on screen together next week, it looks like we are in for an acting clinic with that much talent in one place. Either way, this is it. The end has come at last for the Twelfth Doctor, and it looks like he's going out with a bang, and I am not ready for this in the slightest. Until next time. 

Despite the many wonderful things that mankind has accomplished throughout history, and the strides we've made toward building a better world, there's one ugly part of our society that we have been unable to shake...war. We still march to fight, we still find reasons to fight and while this recap could turn into a diatribe about how awful war is, that's a discussion to best be settled on a different website, or in science fiction, the always comfortable place to examine the worst parts of our kind, and as it turns out, war and the possible repercussions for taking it too far were explored in great detail in the Battlestar Galactica episode, 'A Measure of Salvation'.

In fact BSG accomplished this analysis by challenging the crew in incredible fashion by picking up where last week left off, with a Raptor team from Galactica, boarding the infected Cylon Basestar. Unfortunately for the away team, they are completely unaware of the infection present aboard the ship and upon discovering this unsettling pathogen, head back to the fleet with five sickly Cylon prisoners in tow, all in the hopes of finding out as to whether or not the team is sick and if this illness can harm human beings and thankfully, the crew is fine and they are indeed immune...but it does give Lee quite the idea. If by chance, the Galactica can draw out the Cylon fleet and the Resurrection Ship with it, executing the sick prisoners would force them to download...and take the infection with them, and that move could mean the end of the war and the Cylon race altogether. 

So the more I think about this plot, the more I realize just how brilliant it turned out to be, because holy cow...this show actually bothered to take an in depth look at genocide and ponder upon a practical execution of it and the dangers of crossing that line, and it did so in a 'no holds barred' style of storytelling. On one hand, we get the President's and Lee's perspective, wherein the Cylons are indeed the biggest threat to the fleet's safety, and the Cylons had no issue committing genocide when they attacked the Twelve Colonies, nor do they seem to have any issue with relentlessly pursuing the last vestiges of mankind through space, so a pre-emptive strike made sense to Roslin, but it was a plan that was met with some resistance from Helo, for obvious reasons...and there was also protest from an unlikely source as well, the Admiral himself.

Both men fully agreed with the fact that an eye for an eye is not always the way in life, and by taking this bold step to remove their enemy from the face of the galaxy...mankind would never be the same. There would no longer be any boundaries when it comes to right versus wrong and while the Admiral followed his orders from the President to carry out the plan, Helo was having none of it. He took matters into his own hands, and found a way to anonymously put down the prisoners, foiling the plan and when all is said and done...wow what a plot to bring to the table. It's rare to see a show challenge such a notion as genocide, much less in a scenario such as this, where humanity did indeed have a shot at winning the war and ending the Cylon threat for good. In the end though, I'm quite glad that someone took the high road and didn't let mankind slide down that particularly slippery slope. 

Yet the episode wasn't quite done blowing our minds with just that plot line alone. It also took the time to confirm that the beacon that made the Cylons sick was indeed one left behind as a marker by the Thirteenth Tribe. Meaning that the fleet is on the right path after all, and more and more, it truly does seem that Earth is out there. If anything, I guess my only complaint when it comes to this episode is the Baltar storyline. He really didn't have much to do outside of endure torture and it seems as though with him out of the fleet and away from science, he doesn't have much to do here. So here's to hoping they find a way to involve him in bigger plot lines sooner rather than later. Otherwise, we've reached another pseudo crossroads, where I'm not looking forward to watching the next episode. Because 'Hero' is another weak one, but one worth enduring to get to the other great stuff that season three has to offer. Until next time.

As a preteen in the late ‘90s and early ‘00s, I was a die-hard professional wrestling fan. I’d tune in to watch (then) WWF shows Raw and Smackdown every week. I collected wrestling action figures, I wore the t-shirts, I slammed around my equally riled up friends and cousins as we all tried to embody our favorite superstars. With talent like Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock, Triple H, The Undertaker, and so many more, it was hard not to be sucked in to the mystifying, adrenaline-filled world of pro wrestling at its peak in the ‘Attitude Era’.
 
And, as a pubescent male, I had an even greater affinity for the beautiful WWF/WWE Divas. When WWE brought the Vengeance pay-per-view to the Pepsi Center in Denver, I waited in line for a few hours for tickets and a chance to meet my Diva crush, Torrie Wilson. Athletic and stunning, the women of pro wrestling sent my heart aflutter through my pre-teen and teenage years.
 
This summer, Netflix is looking to kickstart my heart and tickle my funny bone with their new comedy series GLOW (Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling). Created by the team behind Orange is the New Black, GLOW creates a fictional story around the real wrestling promotion of the same name from the ‘80s. The real G.L.O.W. was quintessentially ‘80s, extremely over-the-top, and full of unique characters (all evidenced in this opening theme rap). The new series looks to follow the success of a 2012 documentary on the promotion. 

​GLOW stars the always amazing and ever-talented Alison Brie as a down-on-her-luck actress who auditions for a role seeking ‘unconventional women’, which ultimately ends up being an audition to act as a wrestler in a wacky wrestling promotion. Brie looks to be an absolutely perfect fit as the series’ main character, Ruth Wilder – and she definitely rocks her ‘80s hair well too! From the trailers alone, it’s obvious that Brie will bring humor, intensity, emotion, and likeability to the role. Brie is joined by Marc Maron, who portrays Sam Sylvia, a has-been director who assembles the promotion and looks to take it to stardom.
 
The series boasts a star-studded, all-female crew of creators and executive producers, consisting of Liz Flahive (Nurse Jackie, Homeland), Jenji Kohan (Weeds, Orange is the New Black), and Carly Mensch (Nurse Jackie, Orange is the New Black). Add in a cast of over a dozen diverse female cast members, along with the show’s fourth executive producer Tara Herrmann (Destination Truth, Orange is the New Black), and the crew seems to have created a great show with an exceptional story and a balance of laughs and feelings. The group of ‘unconventional women’, many of whom have been labeled as ‘different’ or who have reached a tipping point in their lives, find a home in the wrestling ring.
 
What is sure to be a summer binge blockbuster, GLOW is packing a punch and bringing a strong, female-powered story to the small screen. Make sure you get your ringside seats and watch the action on Netflix, starting tomorrow, June 23rd! 

Sometimes in order to advance a story leaps and bounds, television shows will occasionally take a short cut. Often times that involves glossing over events that should fundamentally change the characters to their core, and unfortunately that's a move that tends to remove the power and gravity that came with that particular episode or storyline. Thankfully however, that's something that Battlestar Galactica works hard to avoid and just how far this incredible saga will go to keep lasting effects going from important events was demonstrated in impressive fashion in 'Torn'.

Because when you think about it, 'Collaborators' could have served as the conclusion to the New Caprica Storyline and the fleet could have moved on with everyone happy and unified. But that would have been a true betrayal to what this show stands for, and this particular tale decided to dig right back in to the fallout of humanity's temporary stay, taking the time to demonstrate how some people struggle with letting issues go, trauma to be specific, and how that decision can be justified and of course, what would become of Gaius Baltar. In fact, let's take a moment to talk about the former President of the Colonies first, because his storyline continued to make Baltar a tragic character. 

Granted, I don't think anyone will disagree that he deserves this kind of beat down seeing as to how, you know, he helped bring down all of mankind, but holy cow...at every turn this guy keeps getting stomped on and it's at the point now where you're starting to feel a pang of pity for him since he simply cannot get out of his own way. Because while he's found safety aboard a Basestar, the Cylons are simply smarter than he will ever be, and they're immune to his charm, so he's truly on an island unto himself and every waking moment of his life now is about earning his keep with machines that expect him to keep up with their pace and he does get big time credit for helping the Toasters out with the infection they find aboard another Basestar that jumped to a location that could serve as a marker to the way to Earth. But once again, he lies, he puts his foot in his mouth and if by chance he could ever stop with the self serving crap, than maybe, just maybe...Gaius can be someone worthwhile. But this particular episode demonstrated once again that he sticks to what he knows and his life is truly in danger at this point for lying once again.

As for the more philosophical notions of trauma and how we deal with it, that was explored in great detail by way of Starbuck and Colonel Tigh. Because they simply could not escape the events that transpired during their time on New Caprica and the nicest way to say it...is that what was on their minds, was poisoning their souls. For Starbuck, her anger and fury pushed Lee to pull her off of the active flight roster and it sent her to the same place as Colonel Tigh, into the Officer's Mess where they drank all day and spoke ill of their comrades and that forced the Admiral's hand to have a powerful confrontation with the two of them, where he called them out on their crap and that's where we saw how some people rise to the occasion when it comes to trauma, since Starbuck took the Admiral's words to heart and cleaned up her act but Saul...well he justified his decision to remain in the darkness, he wanted the pain and sorrow in his heart from putting Ellen down and made known his intentions to disappear and drink his days away.

If anything, it was truly pleasing to see that Baltar is finally having to face up to the fact that he can't talk his way or charm his way out of every single situation, and I truly appreciated the care that went into the trauma storyline and how sometimes anger and regret and hurt can transform into something poisonous and it was beautiful to see the Admiral confront it head on and reach at least one of them and while those two plot lines alone would have made the episode perfect, this story found the opportunity to give us quite the surprise. Because that mystery illness aboard the Cylon Basestar is something special...and the fact that a marker/beacon/probe from the Thirteenth Tribe is the reason for it, is quite the intriguing little twist and it would seem that this mystery is where we pick up next time since this little gem ends with...'to be continued...'

Social commentary has been and will forever be a staple of science fiction and that's really not a bad thing. After all, Sci-Fi has examined plenty when it comes to mankind and the human condition as a whole, and to expect that to stop could in turn ruin the genre. But if there is one thing we can agree upon when it comes to a potential pitfall for social commentary is that more often than not, it focuses on the negative. Commentary in this particular genre tends to look at the worst parts of us unfortunately, and while that has its benefits in that it recognizes a problem with our society and forces us to face it through a quality narrative, it's rare to find a story that features observations that celebrate the better parts of our society.

So imagine my surprise when I settled in to watch the next episode of ​Dimension 404 only to discover a rare treat; a science fiction tale that managed to look at the beauty we are truly capable of in 'Bob'. Now the beauty of this story is that it manipulates the audience in the right kind of way, and in this episode, we are introduced to Army Captain Jane Lee, a brilliant psychologist who firmly believes in leaving no soldier behind and because of her edict, she often sacrifices family time with her wife and child to ensure that the men and women in the field are mentally sound. But this Christmas, she is planning on finally taking time for herself and her family, that is until a grave threat pulls her away from leave and she will be faced with helping out her toughest patient yet, a mysterious NSA employee named Bob...

Now, when I say that this episode manipulates you, I'm not joking. This looks and feels like pretty standard Science Fiction fare, especially when you consider that Bob is a massive brain designed to spy on everyone and everything around the world, and that this super computer/sentient hulk of grey matter is about to square off against an 'inferior' psychologist, and that's all part of the long con of this episode. You quickly become comfortable with the standard twists and turns, where the brain learns from humanity and vice versa and it seems at every turn that this story is primed and charged to unleash all kinds of social commentary and observations about the current state of affairs when it comes to privacy in our world and the NSA/Government's role in culturing the vast amounts of data out there, and that's when this sucker takes quite the left turn...and surprises you in ways you'd never expect.

Because this bleak episode suddenly becomes a thing of beauty, as we come to realize it's not about the technology or the morality of the situation...it's about the fact that this giant brain, sees our darkest and deepest moments. It sees the pain and suffering and lack of hope that can permeate the lives of so many on this planet and Bob wants nothing more...than to see a little joy injected into the world, if only for a day. The commentary here isn't designed to scold us and give us pause, it's designed to make us think and wonder what the world would be like, if we were just good to another, for the sake of being good to one another, and it does that in tear jerking and uplifting fashion and when all is said and done, I'm still smiling thanks to this episode.

For once, a powerful super computer didn't see the need to turn evil and against mankind and bring us to our knees for our mistakes. Instead it chose to find a way to make the world a better place and remind us how easy such a feat can be and that kind of unexpected and positive direction in a show such as this speaks to the desire from the folks behind the scenes at Dimension 404 to make it an anthology series unlike any other, and it also demonstrates just how intelligent this show continues to be. Also, special thanks and credit needs to go to the writer of this episode, Will Campos, for crafting such a majestic tapestry of emotion because the wonder and beauty of Bob's decision to 'save the world' is one that brought myself, and Bri for that matter, to tears. Either way, this one continues to give me pause because of how refreshing it turned out to be and it makes me hesitant to watch the season one finale of this show, not because I expect it to be a disappointment, but because it means that this wild and intelligent journey is going to come to a brief end. Until next time.