Legacy is a word that means a great deal to us, simply because we want to be remembered in a positive fashion after we depart from this plane of existence. Which is why we do our best to lead a good life, filled with wonderful memories, so that people keep us in their hearts when the time comes to say our goodbyes. But with the advent of technology, it would seem that it is becoming easier and easier to preserve the memory of the dearly departed, since social media accounts honoring the dead now exist and well, that leaves one to wonder how technology and the cloud will help to keep the thought of us alive in the future, as it all continues to become more sophisticated. 
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Thankfully, science fiction is there to help us explore those possibilities and it just so happens that the next episode of Star Trek dives into this the long way around, courtesy of a grand mystery. For ‘That Which Survives’ sees the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise stumble upon a world that simply should not exist in the slightest. For it defies all laws of physics and once Kirk and his landing party go to explore the wonder of this strange new world, the mystery surrounding this world deepens. For the NCC-1701 is hurtled a thousand light years away, seemingly by the planet, leaving the away team on their own to figure out how to survive on a world that appears to be unable to support life outside of its atmosphere, and finding food and water isn’t the only problem they’re facing.

For a mysterious woman continues to pop up to touch members of the away team, something that immediately injures or kills the victim and this carnage extends to the Enterprise as well. Because she also keeps appearing aboard the ship to touch devices or crewmen, ending more lives while causing great damage to the ship. The kind that forces Scotty to risk life and limb in order to fix the old girl. But while this makes for some thrilling moments and some delightful interactions from the cast, it doesn’t quite lead into any examination of what legacy looks like far in the future with advanced technology at our fingertips, at least… not until Captain Kirk and the survivors of this mystery woman’s latest attack begin to discover that she is far more than a bloodthirsty phantom.

Because it turns out that this world is quite the twisted monument. For long ago it was created with the intent of becoming a military base, and unfortunately, its creation brought about the end of an entire race of species. And the woman that is stalking the crew and the ship was once known as Commander Lorisa, the last CO of this ghostly place and the last message she left behind is in essence, her legacy. Something that takes a little bit of extra work on the away team’s behalf to uncover, because the defense systems of this world, created a violent version of her in order to protect the base. But eventually Kirk and his friends are able to see that there is a good humanoid buried beneath the digital bloodlust and restoring her legacy oddly provides the audience with a fine lesson on how legacy could be tainted digitally.

Since this story just goes to show that it is the programming of the device that holds one’s memory, that will determine whether or not we are remembered in a positive or negative light in years to come. But in the end however, this was just a mediocre episode for certain. One that tried to dive into some philosophical concepts but failed in its endeavor by making the mystery a priority over anything else and that’s pretty much par for the course for season three. But while it may have failed in being a smarter than average tale, it is still an entertaining ride. One that truly does feature some incredible banter between Spock and Scotty when the Enterprise is in trouble and one that does keep your attention as the mystery unfolds. But alas, its storytelling struggles serve to remind us that this series was indeed running on fumes thanks to the pressures it was facing and all we can hope for at this point, are some last gasps of brilliance before the five-year mission comes to its early end. Until next time.

Whenever a television series tips its proverbial hand and offers up a big-time surprise early on in the season, the show in question finds itself at quite the crossroads. For it can either take its time in breaking down exactly what that reveal means or what it is all about, in order to build excitement for the season finale, wherein everything will come together, or it can be bold and answer all of your questions immediately. Which is a risky gambit that may leave the audience wondering if the show has anything left in the tank after that grand reveal, and it just so happens that the next episode of Homecoming decided to be quite bold, and go the latter route in regard to the bombshell it dropped in the last episode, in that, Jackie is actually the mysterious Alex.
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For ‘Previously’ took the time to provide us with everything we ever wanted to know about Alex, by taking us back in time. Because when we catch up with Alex here, her memory and her career as a crisis manager are completely intact and what’s fascinating about this journey through memory lane is that Alex is the complete opposite of the curious and trusting individual, we met in the series premiere. Instead she is fierce here, and willing to use dubious methods in order to get her clients what they want. Even going so far as to make use of fake IDs and stories and pictures in order to convince the person causing trouble to do whatever is easiest on the company, and she is quite good at what she does. And it’s also important to note that she has a healthy and loving relationship with Audrey Temple, who is having a crisis at work at this particular point in time.

For a Federal investigation is about to get underway at the Geist Corporation, one that is a direct result of Colin’s blowout with Thomas Carrasco at the Homecoming facility and that leaves Audrey in a terrified place because she doesn’t know what to do. But Alex sure does, and it turns out that she helped Audrey orchestrate the power play against Colin that happened in the season one finale, and she also helped motivate Audrey to take charge and get herself the cushy new leadership position that we recently discovered she is currently enjoying, and this was quite the fascinating sequence of events for certain. Because it really does fill in a vast majority of the missing gaps we needed in regard to what happened at Geist, shortly after the truth about the Homecoming program came out into the open, and we finally have a solid understanding of who Alex is and what she stands for.

Which really only leaves one unanswered question in regard to where the story is right now, specifically… what was Alex doing in Walter Cruz’s proximity? And thankfully, this episode takes the time to address some of that as well. For it also reveals the fact that large doses of the drug, don’t quite wipe everything away as easily as Colin had hoped. Because shortly after Walter’s encounter with Heidi in the season one finale, some odd echoes of the past were returning to his mind, to the point where he nearly hit another car whilst on the road, and the resulting medical exam to check on his scattered state, revealed some horrifying facts. In that, his medical history was a lie, motivating him to ponder heavily upon what’s going on, and what other nuggets of personal information might be a fabrication.

If anything, diving into Alex’s past now, was a brilliant storytelling decision, simply because it informs the audience that Alex and her lost memories are merely a piece of a bigger puzzle. What that is exactly, has yet to be revealed. But it simply cannot be coincidence that we came to learn that Alex is a fixer, and that Walter is regaining his memory, since that likely means Walter eventually figures out what happened at Homecoming and that makes him the kind of liability a fixer would need to take care of, in order to save her girlfriend’s career. But that is of course, nothing more than speculation and the only way to be certain that is indeed the case, is to dive back in and continue this wild journey. Until next time.  

Pride is a word that is often regarded in a negative light and understandably so. After all, so many abuse what pride stands for and use it instead to pad their ego in an obnoxious fashion. But what’s truly fascinating about the negative connotation that comes with this particular word, is that its sour essence extends far beyond that annoying guy you meet at conventions that claims to be God’s nerdy gift to whatever they’re ranting about, for it is a concept that can outright harm people when they’re unwilling to drop it and ask for help. And it just so happens that the next episode of Star Trek takes the time to explore the dangers that come with pride, by introducing us to a world where its abundance is indeed harming its people.
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Yet as this series is wont to do in season three, it masks that fact by taking us on a uniquely different ride early on, and at first glance it seemed as though ‘The Mark of Gideon’ was going to be a story about how other cultures and their people are sometimes slow to letting others in out of fear. Something evidenced by how the planet Gideon was adverse to allowing strangers to beam down to their world, making it quite the miracle that Captain Kirk was going to be allowed to speak to the leaders of this world face to face, in order to facilitate their application for admission into the Federation. And that’s when this subtle exploration into pride got underway, in the most unique and fascinating manner imaginable.

For Captain Kirk never left the Enterprise. He instead rematerialized on an empty version of his ship, and while he tried to figure out what the heck happened to his crew, it was revealed to the audience that someone built a replica of the ship. Why exactly, was unknown at this point in the story. But seeing as to how Spock and the crew were stonewalled at every turn by Ambassador Hodin to execute a rescue plan, it seemed as though the Gideons were either keeping Kirk for nefarious purposes or there was a rival faction present on the planet below, one that wanted to sow discord and chaos with this peace plan. But the arrival of a beautiful woman named Odana, aboard Kirk’s alternate NCC-1701, helped to reveal the subtext surrounding the dangers of pride. 

Because she was the daughter of the Ambassador and her job was to get close to Kirk so she could contract a rare disease he had ages ago. All in the hopes of killing her and others because Gideon’s big secret was that the planet was grossly overpopulated, since death did not come easy to these people. And since the Federation would likely never help them in a plan to control their populace, and because they were too prideful to ask for any kind of help or solutions, they decided upon a shadier way to execute their plan. Which is, a supremely grandiose and over the top way to hammer home the fact that we need to put our pride aside when there is a crisis hanging over our heads, but it is an effective way to get the message across. 

If anything, it’s obvious that this is another episode that quite frankly, needed a little more time in the creative oven. Because this is a good story, one that definitely offers up some fine ideas and concepts. But the rushed nature of the script does the story a grand disservice, and it leaves a lot on the table since everything the Gideons did here, should spark some intergalactic fallout. After all, replicating a Starfleet vessel is a big intelligence problem, not to mention the issues surrounding the fact Odana plans to infect and kill her people. But alas, those topics are left to the imagination for resolution and we are left with a decent but inconsistent tale. But on the plus side, this was a compelling story, one that rewarded you for sticking with the mystery and that’s not a bad thing by any means. Because you can’t go wrong with a story that gives you its best effort. Until next time.  

The true beauty of this era of peak television, is that anything you could possibly want to see on the small screen, is available to you at any time that you like. Which is a wonderful thing if you’re in the mood to binge a crime drama or experience sheer terror by way of a horror tale. And if by chance you’re a fan of animated television, well then there’s more good news to be had, since an endless number of cartoons await you on every streaming service and network. But while it’s wonderful to know you can revisit animated adventures from your youth or experience something brand new, there’s a wonderful caveat that comes with this surge of digital or hand drawn worlds, in that, their stories are getting better and better.

Simply because these tales are no longer being marketed to only young children, they truly are designed to cater to all ages or adults in some cases as well. Which means the same care that standard shows receive is going into animated shows and that is giving life to some supremely incredible stories and universes and for proof, then look no further than the AppleTV+ series, Central Park. For this particular tale not only provides the audience with a new world to explore, since there are few shows out there actually set in this iconic Manhattan location, but the writing of this particular series is simply top notch and that’s really where we are going to spend a lot of our time today in regard to this recap, because these well-crafted scripts deserve to be celebrated.

In fact, let’s start by examining what makes ‘Episode One’ so engrossing and enchanting. Because this particular pilot episode does a phenomenal job of establishing the world that we are going to be immersing ourselves within. For we spend a lot of time learning about the Tillerman family and what makes them tick. And it doesn’t take long for us to understand that they are a good and honest family, and it’s quite wonderful to see Cole and Molly, the parents in this family, enjoy careers that feed their passions and provide them with mental peace, and it’s equally as wonderful to see that they’ve raised a pair of normal kids that are trying to figure out their place in the world. Because it makes this family oddly relatable, which is something you rarely see in animated shows these days. For so many feel that quirky characters are the only way to stand out. 

But the world-building doesn’t end with the family in this particular tale. For our introduction to Bitsy Brandenham helps us to understand immediately that the park is in serious trouble thanks to her vision of what it should become, and having her dog be lost and retrieved by Owen Tillerman is a lovely way to bring hero and villain face to face in unexpected fashion and this pilot episode really does do a stellar job of setting up the overall plot and ‘Skater's Circle’ does an even better job of building upon it. Because  this is the story that sees Bitsy make her move to secure Central Park as private property, which leaves the audience wondering exactly how she has such power and influence over the city council, and her power play sets the stage nicely for a grandiose struggle between good, hard-working people and a rich and slightly batty Bitsy.
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Which in a way, adds a little subtext and commentary that’s relevant to modern times, a rarity in animation these days, and the depth in this second episode doesn’t end there. Because this story really does take the time to show the audience, just how important a place like Central Park is in a metropolis as large as New York City, and it’s a nice touch to see Cole work to rebuild broken relationships with people that use the park on a regular basis so that it feels like home and can continue to thrive. And really, all of these elements allow for the audience to become vested in this family’s journey, and you truly want to see this good man succeed and save the park from Bitsy’s dastardly and sneaky plan to turn it into a tourist mecca. Yet while everything we’ve discussed thus far, makes it seem as though Central Park is an animated family drama, make no mistake about it, this series finds a way to lay on the comedy in between the brainer stuff.   

Because the jokes come fast and furious in this show, and are sometimes delivered in a perfect deadpan manner, and they’re further enhanced by Birdie’s unique sing-song narration and quite frankly, some lovely musical numbers. Which is perhaps the greatest accomplishment of this series, since musicals and serial television tend to be a disaster together. But here, the songs work, and they’re toe tapping-ly good and they oddly have their own relatable ties to the audience as well from time to time, as evidenced by Molly’s musical number, ‘Weirdos Make Great Superheroes’ and really, when all is said and done, this is just feel-good television. Because it constantly finds a way to put a smile on your face, the jokes simply work and it does indeed offer more than just gags and goofy moments and that likely means we are in for more wonderful storytelling and hilarious moments as season one rolls on and truly, it should be interesting to watch this series grow in the weeks to come as the Tillerman family works to save the park that means everything to them. Until next time.

Mankind’s history is unfortunately filled with some horrible moments caused by horrible people. The kind that have seen millions of lives disappear from planet Earth, and the end result of those costly wars and outright genocide have prompted people to ponder upon a fascinating question. In that, if one was given the opportunity to travel through time and meet those real-life villains before they became an outright monster, would one be able to put them down and save millions in the process? It’s a fascinating question for certain, one that truly forces one to ponder upon some heavy concepts and it is one that is so powerful and poignant that it pops in fiction, often.  
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Because there’s no safer place to explore what the repercussions could be from taking someone like Hitler out before they can rise to power, and it just so happens that this particular idea found its way into last night’s episode of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. as well. Because ‘Know Your Onions’ saw the team debate the fate of Wilfred Malick. Because this really was a grand opportunity to put down someone who would eventually become an incredible monster, and if S.H.I.E.L.D. acted now, they could spare thousands of lives from strife and sorrow when their loved ones died at Hydra’s hands. But as Coulson was quick to point out, such a move would completely and utterly shatter the timeline, depositing everyone into a future that was unknown to them.

Which meant that Malick had to survive and deliver the serum that would eventually give birth to the Red Skull, and for a time it seemed as though the majority of the team was ready to let history play out on its original path. But the thought of letting innocents perish when something could be done to prevent their deaths, was more than Daisy could bear and that motivated her to order Deke to end Malick whenever the opportunity presented itself. Something he was willing to do in the name of the greater good, but his one window to make this happen closed quickly when the Chronicoms arrived and in the midst of a giant firefight between S.H.I.E.L.D. and their new foes, Malick was able to accomplish his mission and meet with Hydra, preserving history after all, making the mission a success but at a great cost.

For unfortunately, Enoch was left behind in this time period, and his vast knowledge of well, everything, is something that will put the team at quite a disadvantage as they continue their journey through time. Plus, the team has a new problem on their hands as well, Agent May. Because we were able to learn in this tale, that while she is alive and well, she’s not herself in the slightest. There are massive gaps in her memory, and the mission now takes more presence in her mind than ever before. To the point where she will fight her own team in the name of completing it, and to top it all off, she is emotionless and detached and it is going to take some serious effort on the team’s part to figure out how to work alongside an old friend that simply isn’t there. 

Either way, this really was quite the entertaining and wild episode for certain. Because not only did it feature a poignant moral dilemma for the team to face, it was also chock full of MCU references and it did a fine job of cementing the Koenig family’s legacy within this storied organization. Plus, this one sets up quite the internal conflict at S.H.I.E.L.D. as well, one that doesn’t involve May. Because Mack did raise a good point, in that, he’s the one in charge. Which means that he and Daisy will likely clash over the fact that she decided to make the call on assassinating Malick and that’s just another headache the team doesn’t need right now. But it’s one that they will have to face none the less, while they try to figure out what they will have to do next, in order to save the future. Until next time.

It’s always a wonderful thing, when you have the opportunity to watch an episode from a classic television series, that just so happens to be relevant to important topics today. For it means that the series in question truly understands the human condition and some of the problems plaguing our modern society. Which in turn allows for timeless tales to be discovered at just the right time and this is relevant to today’s discussion, simply because the next episode of Star Trek features a story that is in many ways ripped from the headlines that are happening right now, since it tackles racism and prejudice and how our hate and disdain for our differences can lead to horrible and catastrophic results.
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But what is quite impressive about ‘Let That Be Your Last Battlefield’ is that none of that appears to be present within the framework of this story early on. Because in the opening segment of this tale, the crew of the Enterprise is dealing with a fascinating and unique thief, named Lokai. Who clearly hails from a unique world since his skin is unlike anything we’ve seen on the series to date, since it features a perfect split of black and white. And why this was so misleading was related to the sheer fact that Kirk and company were spending a great deal of time trying to understand his respective plight. Because any man that is willing to break into a Starbase and steal a shuttlecraft is clearly dealing with some powerful trouble in this life.

Which made it seem as though this particular tale was going to spend a lot of time just exploring his home world of Cheron and the strife his people were experiencing. But the arrival of a lawman from Cheron, named Bele, is what brought about the commentary in question. For Bele, who had the opposite skin pattern of Lokai, came to the NCC-1701 to retrieve this rattled man to stand trial back home for treasonous exploits. Because Lokai and the people with his pattern of skin, were treated as second class citizens and wanted equality for their own kind. Something that he led the fight for and that’s also why Lokai ventured out into the universe, to find weaponry that could give people with his skin-tone an edge in this ongoing fight.

Which Is something that Kirk and his crew could not stand for, and they nearly had to destroy the ship to get these two to listen to reason and even then, those words fell upon deaf ears. For both sides believed they were the right side, and their hate for one another could not be cooled. And that led to quite the ending, where the ship arrived at Cheron only to discover that it lay in ruin, the result of a war grounded in prejudice, and now the only inhabitants of this barren world would be Lokai and Bele and their eternal hate and that is some powerful to stuff to find within the framework of Trek right now. Because we’re watching our own battles in regard to racial equality play out on the nightly news. And while this was a tale that exaggerated some parts by making both sides a guilty party to their species’ destruction, the message within is still clear.

In that, everyone is created equal, and we all have the same blood running through our veins. And the hate that we currently impart upon others because of the color of their skin isn’t right and needs to stop. Otherwise that hate will continue to harm lives and well, that’s something we definitely need to hear right now, and it speaks to how this show understood that mankind has a long way to go in regard to equality. But if we show understanding to one another, and accept others as equals, then perhaps a 23rd Century like the one seen here awaits us all and truly, this might be the finest episode that season three has offered up to date. Because this is what this series is all about, and this is an episode that will stay with you long after it has come to an end, since people are standing up for equality in the streets, right now. Until next time.

At some point or another, each and every one of us are going to deal with an incredibly important, life-changing moment. The kind that more or less makes it clear that our current path is unsustainable and unhealthy to us in some or fashion, and how we respond to this, is supremely fascinating. For some people immediately embrace what the universe is saying and make some tough alterations to their lifestyle in order to find some semblance of peace. While others, sees this as the perfect opportunity to hit the reset button on their lives and start over fresh for a change. Interestingly enough, neither path is incorrect in regard to how one responds to that stunning moment, but it should be noted, that the latter of those choices, tends to leave a little unfinished business on the table.
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Because often times, starting over is handled in a hurried and frenetic fashion, where people sometimes get left behind and where the root cause of this change remains unresolved and this secondary choice has served as the foundation for the WGN America series Almost Paradise. For Alex Walker saw the betrayal of his partner and his issues with his health, as the perfect opportunity to start over fresh in the quickest way imaginable, by leaving his former life behind for a new one in Cebu. But while there is a lot of benefit to just hitting the reset button, as evidenced by the positive impact Alex has had upon the island, there is one inherent flaw to this particular plan. In that, eventually we have to face the people and the past we left behind in order to properly heal and it just so happens that Alex finally had to deal with both of these elements in the season one finale of this magnificent series.

For ‘Something Walking This Way Comes’ saw Evelyn Walker come to the island in order to finally speak her mind in regard to her broken past with her father, something that quite frankly rattled Alex like never before. Because he saw this impromptu reunion as a chance to bury the hatchet and potentially start over, but Evelyn only wanted to express her pain and make it known how hard it was to grow up with an absentee father. Something that put undue stress on Alex’s heart, which in turn, put him in the hospital and that allowed for Evelyn to see her father in a new light. Because she was finally able to see that her father was filled with good, since so many people visited him in the hospital and offered up praise about his time on Cebu, and that helped her to realize that maybe she had things wrong in regard to her dad and that maybe the time had come to make peace and try to heal their fractured relationship after all.

But before they could start that process, another part of Alex’s past reared its ugly head. For Todd Carpenter, the agent that betrayed Alex and engineered that life-changing moment, arrived on the island as well to see if he could motivate Alex to join him on an illegal job by kidnapping his daughter and well, how Alex responded to this was downright incredible. Because at long last, he was able to show Evelyn just how much he loves her and cares about her, since he risked everything to ensure her safety. Plus, it also allowed for him to finally face the biggest demon in his past by facing off against Carpenter and well, their final battle and everything that came out of it was supremely satisfying. Because it showed us just how much Alex has grown over the course of season one, and how much he wants to heal and for his efforts, he not only put this jackass away, but he finally will get a second chance with his daughter.

For Evelyn made it clear at the end of this tale that the time had come for them to stay in contact with one another and start to forge a path forward and that is just a phenomenal way to end what is quite frankly a perfect season finale. Because it offered up everything you could possibly want in a finale. For not only did it provide us with quality action and adventure and high stakes, but it brought Alex’s journey in this phenomenal first season to a proper and satisfying close. One that saw him grow into a new man right before our eyes as he figured out how to finally balance heroism and fatherhood, and now that his first year of adventures have come to a close in a satisfying manner, all we can hope for at this point is for WGN America to renew this series for a second season. Because this show really is the perfect escape for these trying times and we simply need more of what this series has to offer. Until next time.  

Over the course of the past three years, we’ve talked a lot about how the BBC America series Killing Eve does a phenomenal job of shattering the tropes of the spy genre. And it’s a topic that comes up often, simply because this series keeps finding new ways to challenge and break them as this story rolls on. Which is quite the feat for certain, and it just so happens that we are going to discuss its ability to pull this off once again. Because the season three finale of this brilliant series, took the time to turn the spy genre upside down by providing the audience with a vastly different ending than we are used to in regard to these time-tested stories.
 
Because everything about season three of this series, has made it seem as though our heroes were on a collision course with the Twelve, the kind that would result in an epic battle royale where our heroes would either rise to the occasion and defeat these evil monsters, or at least stick it to them well enough to force them to back off for a while. But as it turns out, none of those things happened in the slightest. Instead, ‘Are You Leading or Am I?’ took the story in a surprisingly realistic direction, one that showed us how the long game can wear a spy out and change their perspective on what they are fighting for, something that both Villanelle and Konstantin put on display, early on in this episode.
 
For this episode finally saw the pair of them reach their outright breaking point with their current living situation, and their frustrations with the Twelve, and that motivated them to do some bold things in order to change things up. Konstantin for example, risked life and limb by checking himself out of the hospital, something that wasn’t a smart idea since he found his chest giving him pain more often than not, as he fought with Eve over his money. As for Villanelle, well not only did she stick it to the bosses by whacking their sassy new assassin, she also took the time to ask Carolyn for a job, something that truly seemed out of place for her, but it speaks volumes to how tired Villanelle and Konstantin are of constantly fighting and killing and it was quite refreshing to see this injected into a season finale.
 
Speaking of Carolyn, she too expressed her fatigue of fighting the good fight as well, but she handled hers in a far more incredible manner. Because she received a little news from the staff at Bitter Pill, in that, they seemed to have visual information on Kenny’s killer and it just so happens, that Konstantin was there the day Kenny died. Which motivated Carolyn to kick her daughter out and bring everyone together at Paul’s place to finally air out some grievances and put Paul’s standing with the Twelve out into the open. Because she was done with cat and mouse games, she wanted answers and resolution and for her efforts, she taught Konstantin a valuable lesson in honesty, one he might not have fully understood and she put down Paul before declaring that she’d had enough of fighting the Twelve and that  the time may have come to just leave them be.

If anything, the only person in this tale who didn’t seem keen on walking away from the fight, was Eve. Because she worked hard to bring Villanelle into the fold as an ally, despite Carolyn’s rebuffing of her and she also tried to rally the troops to continue the good fight, to no avail. Which led to a crossroads point, wherein she realized that this entire experience had in fact, brought out the worst in her and she pondered with Villanelle as to what it might take to actually follow Carolyn’s advice and walk away from this whole mess without giving it a second thought. Something that Villanelle offered up a cure for, and it is one that neither of them might be able to follow through with, since it would mean the draw, they have for another might be severed.
 
In the end, this was simply a bold way to end a season. Because we really were expecting hardcore action and adventure, and instead we were treated to a brilliant character study, one where our heroes and our villains pondered upon the nature of their lives and their futures and that was just refreshing to see in a spy drama. Because normally in these tales, the hero is always focused on the mission and stopping the evil organization they’re facing at any cost. But everyone here put their humanity on display and was honest about how all of this murder and mayhem and worry is starting to break down their spirits and what’s equally impressive about this finale, is what it means for season four.
 
Because in many ways, if Eve wants to continue the fight against the Twelve and make them pay for everything, they’ve done to her and her husband, she may be in it alone. For a killer without their killer instinct will do her no good, and a boss and an ally that no longer have the stomach for the game also are of no use to her. Meaning that season four is going to take us into uncharted territory for this genre, and that’s a supremely exciting prospect for certain. But alas, we will have to wait to see what comes next. So, in the meantime, it’s best we simply bask in the wonder of one unique finale, one that leaves you hungry for more by offering up one low-key affair. Until next year.

Each and every one of us out there, are working toward some important goals in our lives. Some of us are trying to land our dream job, while others are simply trying to put their lives back together after a crisis. And some, are simply looking forward to seeing another day with a smile on their faces because life is so difficult for them at the moment. But regardless of what goal you’re striving toward, we have quite the expectation swirling about in our minds as to what should happen, when we finally cross the finish line and achieve everything we’ve been working toward, in that, it should be quite the momentous occasion when all is said and done. One that features some kind of grandiose pomp and circumstance that signals the fact that we finally made it.
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Which may come about by way of a phone call to our parents to tell them we finally did the thing, or that we’re going to wake up one day and realize that we’ve survived through the worst of our problems and that every day going forward, is going to be filled with wonder and joy. But the fact of the matter is, life doesn’t work that way, and often times big changes or moments that provide us with exactly what we are looking for, simply happen and we appreciate the gravity of said moment later on down the line. Because sadly, fireworks and title cards that announce the next chapter in our lives are reserved for fantasies and all of this is relevant to today’s discussion, simply because the realism of how we achieve our goals is precisely how Vida brought about the end of its three-year journey. For everyone in this story, finally achieved the goals and dreams that they’ve been working toward and that brought about one beautiful and satisfying and surprisingly inspirational series finale.

The inspirational portion of this tale, well that came about by way of Mari’s journey. Because for some time now, she’s wanted nothing more than to get her word out to the masses and do some good in the world and she finally was able to have that opportunity. Because her ICE video caught the eye of a media company, one that wanted fresh voices telling the story of the world and they offered Mari a job. One that she was happy to accept, and it was quite wonderful to see her finally achieve her dream of becoming a voice for the people and find some peace and satisfaction with where her life is going and Mari’s ending in this tale also helps to remind the audience to stick with our passions and our dreams, because you never know when our moment will arrive. And it was also supremely realistic see her big moment just drop into her lap without any buildup, since the day we finally sign the contract for our dream job is a day just like any other, it’s just one that comes with one hell of a bonus.

But while Mari settled into her new life as a content creator, Eddy was back at the bar, finding her own special brand of peace. Because Monica was making it known that she found Eddy quite attractive, and that she was going to waste zero time in stealing Eddy’s heart by bringing her food and planning future dates. Acts that definitely brought a smile to Eddy’s face and also prompted her to realize that she needed to do something she’s been putting off for a long time, and that’s take care of herself for a change. Because Eddy really has gone the extra mile to make sure everyone else is doing okay or is happy, but she took the time here to be honest about her feelings for Vidalia, and how they haven’t faded just yet and that she needs to let her heart heal before she moves forward in life. And it was wonderful to see Eddy acknowledge that and realize that someday she will find happiness and love once again. Which is a lovely way to see her journey come to a close in this story and it too reminded the audience of how sometimes we find ourselves exactly where we want to be without any fireworks or parades to tell us that we are finally in a better place. 
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However, while it was wonderful to see Mari and Eddy find their peace and own respective happily ever after, it is the Hernandez sisters that have driven this story from day one and their journeys are the ones we’ve followed the closest and believe it or not, they too found their happily ever after in this tale, which was no easy task. Because their darling father decided that it was indeed high time to go after the bar after all, simply because he didn’t like what he saw the night he dropped off Lyn and also because… he truly believed it belonged to him and no one else at this point, and that brought about all kinds of tension for Emma and Lyn, because it put them at quite the crossroads. For if they didn’t just sell the joint outright, they’d be caught up in a nasty court battle with their father, one that could go on for ages and well that revelation and the urgency that comes with it, is what finally motivated these dynamic women to face their demons and push toward their happiness in the most unique way imaginable.

Because this twist with their father, more or less prompted both women to revert to their bad habits once again. For Emma retreated into her shell once more, going so far as to have Nelson prepare another offer for the building that she expected Lyn to sign, because she really thought it was time to walk away and start over fresh. And of course, Lyn was quick to retreat to Johnny’s arms and ponder upon what her life was going to look like going forward and their collective selfishness really made it seem as though this story was going to end on quite the sour note, with both of them going their separate ways to a future unknown. But Lyn was growing and changing right before our eyes in this story, for she already shoved Rudy aside since he once again expected her to be his little puppet, and she was quick to not sleep with Johnny in order to find comfort and peace, meaning that she was already in a better place than she initially believed and a quick talk with Doña Lupe, one that revealed a powerful secret about the past, motivated her to do something she’s never done before; and fight for what she wants in life. 

Which brought about a powerful and moving confrontation with Emma, one where she revealed to her sister that her mother never sent her away because she was disgusted by her and her sexual orientation. No, instead she was sent away to be kept safe from her father. Because he wanted to cause her harm and Vidalia took a horrific beating for standing up for her daughter and that rattled Emma like never before. For it changed her outlook of the past, and it made all of her disdain for her mother a lie and when presented with the fact that she confronted the right monster after all, and that her sister was pleading with her for unity and togetherness and a chance to start over as a family, these sisters finally reached their respective goals. Because all Lyn ever wanted, was to prove to the world that she was more than a pretty face and that she was bold and strong, and she did that by putting together a bar that made money and by standing up for herself and Emma, well she finally found out that someone genuinely loved her, and that she had a family after all, since Lyn’s pleas were honest and genuine. 
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Which means that Vida will live on, since Emma opened herself up to her sister and accepted her offer, and that really is a perfect way to end this brilliant saga. Because not only does it hammer home the overall theme of how big moments often happen in the simplest of fashion, it offers up quite the lesson to the audience. In that, sometimes we will reach big milestones and moments in our lives, when we are not at our best, or when we are not ready to necessarily handle them and that is okay. Because sometimes we are a work in progress and as long as we are indeed putting in the work, things will likely turn out okay because we are striving for more. Which is precisely where we leave Emma and Lyn in this tale, since they are still working toward inner peace, but are making great progress in finding that, and that really does make this particular finale quite the happy one for certain. Because all you have is hope for the Hernandez sisters as they finally forge ahead as a family.

But while it is nice to celebrate Emma and Lyn’s true awakening at the end of this tale, let’s be honest, this finale is bittersweet for the fans. Simply because, this is it, this is the end of a magnificent story about the complexities of life. One that provided us with so many beautiful and relatable and poignant moments, and this is a story that did so much for television as well. Because it provided us with two dynamic and complex female leads, and it did a wonderful job of showcasing LGBTQ individuals and it also provided us with some much-needed Latin representation on television as well. For there are few shows out there taking us into that world right now and well, outside of offering thanks to Tanya Saracho and Mishel Prada, Melissa Barrera, Chelsea Rendon, Carlos Miranda, Ser Anzoategui and all of the cast and crew of this series for their incredible work in front of and behind the camera, there’s nothing left to say about this magnificent series. For the bar is now closed and la vida continua.