For the most part, Star Trek: The Next Generation is a series that worked hard to keep things pretty family friendly. After all, this was a story about mankind’s future amongst the stars, and how we had become noble creatures that worked to better ourselves through exploration and discovery over anything else. But from time to time, the chance to go dark on this series presented itself, and if dipping into the shadows meant that a quality and powerful story could be told, the writers’ room wasted no time in diving into more complex and ugly matters and for proof, well then look no further than the next chapter in this storied tale. 

For ‘Conspiracy’ is quite the twisted story, one that offered up serious trouble for the Federation by way of an incredible threat. One that the crew of the Enterprise doesn’t fully uncover until they arrive at Earth, to further investigate the surprise destruction of the U.S.S. Horatio and the strange orders that Starfleet Command is sending out to their subordinates. And as it turns out, their investigation yields some horrifying results when they discover a chitinous and scorpion-like parasite has entered the bodies of Starfleet’s Admiralty and these creatures have plans for the future of the Federation, the kind that the crew has to end violently and that’s really all we’re going to discuss today in regard to the overall plot. Because some key elements present in this story, deserve greater attention. 

For example, the fact that this is the first real ‘sequel’ story present within the framework of TNG. Because Admiral Quinn made mention to Captain Picard of some concerns he had about a growing force in Starfleet in ‘Coming of Age’ and well, this is quite the way to follow up on the admiral’s worries. Because it turns out that he was right and that there was indeed something sinister growing behind the scenes in Starfleet and having Quinn return here and have everything he warned about, come to fruition, simply adds depth to this particular series. Because now this universe is more than stand-alone stories, and this is something that is critical to the foundation of the future, since arc-based storytelling would become huge for Star Trek as a whole, and it is just quite amazing to see it begin to come together here in seamless and satisfying fashion. 

But while it is wonderful to see a formative moment take place, what matters more about this particular tale is the darkness that it exudes. Because the whole fight to save Starfleet and the Federation is unsettling for certain, since good and honest Starfleet officers die both on screen and off and this is an episode that surprisingly features some serious gore as well, by way of a shocking moment in the final act of this tale. Wherein Lieutenant Commander Remmick is physically dismantled by phaser fire and the Alien Queen (for lack of a better term, since we never learn the actual name of this species). A sequence that holds nothing back and it is straight up something out of a horror movie. Making this perhaps Trek’s first successful Sci-Fi/Horror hybrid story, something that TOS failed at miserably back in the day. 

Which is a bold thing to inject here, but it works, in fact the whole episode is quite compelling. Because you simply don’t see any of the surprises coming, and the bravery doesn’t end with those concepts, because you don’t ever expect to see a phaser fight at Starfleet HQ, but that happens here. And you never see Admirals die like Red shirts -- er -- gold shirts but that happens here too and of course, the whole thought of the Federation and Starfleet being threatened by something as simple as a parasite is quite powerful and fascinating. If anything, it is quite a shame that this episode never received the sequel episode it deserved since we never see or hear from these creatures in canon again, save for a mission in Star Trek Online and well, this episode simply gets credit for going for it and trying something new and now that this brave little tale has come its close, we can turn our attention to the season one finale. An episode that features the return of an iconic villain, one that would be a huge part of the franchise going forward and that is where we will pick up, next time. Until then.  

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the series premiere of ‘For All Mankind’.
​
When one takes the time to think about everything, we’ve accomplished in regard to space travel, one’s mind immediately gravitates to America’s contribution in the matter. For while other nations such as Russia and China have played their part in getting mankind into the cosmos, it is the United States that made some seriously significant breakthroughs. After all, the USA was the first nation to land upon the Moon during the ‘Space Race’ and it also worked to create a reusable fleet of space vehicles by way of the Space Shuttle and the technological discoveries made during this period of time led to all kinds of incredible benefits for the people of planet Earth. But while the Space Race helped America climb into the role of superpower, one does wonder from to time to time, what the world might have looked like if the United States had failed in its endeavors to get a man on the moon, first.
​
Because such a misstep would have shifted the balance of power on the planet, since the first one there would have been looked to as a genuine leader, one that was paving the way for the future and it just so happens that Writer Ronald D. Moore and AppleTV+ decided that it might be quite intriguing to explore a world where such a thing happened by way of the series For All Mankind and well, what they came up makes for one fascinating experience. For the series premiere of this show, ‘Red Moon’, takes us back to 1969, June to be exact, and during this summer month, something quite extraordinary happens. In that, mankind lands on the Moon, captivating the world in stunning fashion. Especially because, it wasn’t Neil Armstrong that stepped out of the Lunar Lander to place a flag on the Lunar surface and utter those majestic words. Instead, it is the USSR that reaches Luna first and it is Soviet Cosmonaut Alexei Leonov that earns the distinct honor of being the first man to walk on the Moon and well, being dealt that severe a blow leaves NASA besides themselves. 

For they are stunned over the fact that they failed to beat the Russians in the Space Race and the immediate fallout of this surprise, leads to some powerful moments for certain. The kind that allow for the audience to feel the sheer disappointed that comes with losing something this big and of course, when something that bad happens… people are quick to point fingers and place blame, something that Astronaut Ed Baldwin does early on in this tale. For when a reporter from Newsweek is poking around and asking questions as to what the heck went wrong, so America can make sense of this, Ed takes the time to make an astonishing statement. One that speaks to how NASA has lost its way and its guts and that’s why the United States lost the race. Words that of course come back to haunt him and quickly, but that kind of admission is paramount to this episode, because it forces NASA and everyone involved with this proud program to press ahead with Apollo 11 and do whatever it takes to get to the Moon and counterpunch the Russians. 

Which in turn leads to disaster for certain. Because there is a sense of urgency surrounding this launch, and a lack of confidence prompts an alternate Neil Armstrong to crash the Eagle and put everyone in a panic over whether or not the crew survived this rough landing. Which thankfully they do, saving some grace to a program that’s already on thin ice with the Federal Government. But while these elements alone do a fine job of establishing this universe, it is the little things that this series premiere does that make it worth your while. Because it features a lot of rich characters, and we get to spend a fair amount of time with each of them in this opening chapter, helping one to understand what makes them tick and why they are dedicated to space travel. Which is a wonderful way to open up this tale, since it helps to establish that this isn’t going to be some gimmicky series full of big moments that show off a juicy production budget, one that spent all of its money on special effects.

No instead, it’s obvious from this series premiere that For All Mankind is going to focus heavily on its characters and their thoughts/beliefs on space travel. Because every last one of them see space travel in a light that few of us do anymore. For they view it as a noble and powerful act, one that reminds us that we are capable of anything once we put our minds to it, and it is quite refreshing to see that particular thought appear in a series that opens up on quite the sour note. If anything, all of these elements make this quite the fascinating series, one that definitely piques your interest with its unique take on a world where America sees its fortunes take quite the turn and where space travel is the focus on everyone’s mind once again. And it should be interesting to see where this incredible loss and the intriguing ideas presented here in regard to mankind’s place among the stars, will take us in the days to come. Until next time.

Each and every one of us out there, have a love that has outright escaped us. The kind that took us by storm in our youth, and left our minds filled with thoughts the future as we planned a life with a person that sent our spirits soaring the instant the thought of them snuck into our minds. But alas, it is a love that was never meant to be and somewhere along the line, we lost touch with that lover for whatever reason. And while both of our lives moved along, and we found new people to love, we never quite forgot the one that got away, and there is always a part of our mind that wonders how they fared in life after our paths diverged in vastly different directions. 
​
Which is a concept that seems quite out of place to discuss in a Retro Recap of Star Trek: The Next Generation, but it is quite relevant to the next episode in this storied franchise. For ‘We’ll Always Have Paris’ sees Captain Picard reunite with a long-lost love from his youth, in quite the unique manner. Because while the crew is en route to a vacation world for some much-needed shore leave, a strange temporal distortion garners the ship’s attention. For this sector-wide problem needs to be investigated and addressed and that brings the U.S.S. Enterprise to a remote world, where a brilliant scientist named Dr. Paul Manheim has been toying with notions of the multiverse, and he just so happens to be married to a woman named Jenice, whom Picard once loved dearly. 

A reunion that makes this episode a bit of a melodrama, one where we see Captain Picard wrestling with the rambunctiousness of his youth since he must face the woman, he abandoned at a café all those years ago and this actually does make for some fascinating moments for certain. Because they once again, give us insight into what makes Jean-Luc Picard tick, and seeing him face the past and the one that got away, makes it clear just how dedicated he is to Starfleet and how much space travel and exploration means to him. But what matters most about this reunion, is that rather than take the plot down the jealousy route, Picard and Jenice are both respectful of the paths they’ve taken, despite their obvious chemistry. And they look fondly upon the past as a learning experience, which is a beautiful way to handle this. 

Yet while it is quite nice to learn more about Picard and his past, fans of this series are here for some delicious science fiction and Manheim’s machinations and experiments handle that part of the story just fine. Because he really did discover a gateway to the multiverse, and it is quite incredible to hear him break down his experiments and the endless possibilities they represent. Plus, to top it off, the episode does a phenomenal job of exploring the wonder of the multiverse, specifically by way of Lieutenant Commander Data. Since it is up to him to close the rift and set the multiverse right and that leads to quite the unique finale. One that serves to remind us that this wouldn’t be the last time that notions of parallel dimensions and the multiverse would pop up within the framework of this particular series, or the franchise for that matter as well.

In the end however, this is simply a serviceable TNG story. One that clearly was an attempt to widen viewership, because romantic notions always bring in a more diverse crowd and while it does a fine job handling that in classy fashion, the love story here is easily forgettable. Simply because it is nothing more than a quick character moment that we are able to move on from with ease, which is a bit of a shame. Because something with a little more depth could have made for something quite special. But make no mistake about it, this is a decent episode. One that balances everything quite nicely and one that features some earnest performances and there really is nothing wrong with a middle of the road Star Trek tale. For this one serves as a fine palate cleanser for the nightmare that awaits, for a sequel story is about to play out, one that would shock audiences with its bleak and gory (yes, gory) content. Until next time.

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 109 of ‘Central Park’.
​
Often times when we think about a hero and the villain fighting it out in any respective story, some baseline images come into our mind. The kind that involve those two offering up some epic speeches to one another before finally throwing down and duking it out in the hopes of getting what they want out of life. Which makes sense because often times in storytelling, that is precisely how it goes down, especially in television and cinema, where that kind of showdown can be further enhanced by brilliant visuals and musical stings. But while that does make for fine dramatic moments, battles between ‘good’ and ‘evil’ don’t always have to be that grandiose in nature. Sometimes just a solid back and forth from afar, the kind where the hero and the villain are able to trade different kinds of blows can be just as entertaining and engaging, and for proof, look no further than the next episode of Central Park.

Because ‘Live It Up Tonight’ saw Bitsy Brandenham and Owen Tillerman go to war and exchange some heavy blows, without ever standing in front of one another, and this grand showdown came to fruition by way of another intricate plan on Bitsy’s part. One where she had her beloved Mayor send the toughest auditor imaginable to the Park, in the hopes of uncovering some form of corruption within its lush environment, all so the Mayor could make that problem public at a fake awards ceremony. Wherein Bitsy could continue to pitch why she should be in charge of Central Park and its outright future. Which is a pretty solid plan since it would catch Owen and Elwood off guard and while Bitsy found herself locked in her own storeroom, because that’s just the kind of thing that Bitsy makes happen, Owen worked to offer up a proverbial counterpunch to this dastardly plan.

For unfortunately, Anita (an auditor affectionately referred to as the ‘Praudtior’), found a single discrepancy in the Park’s recording keeping. Specifically, that a receipt for $850 worth of worms was missing and sadly that was Elwood’s fault. For he needed the receipt to provide a safe transport for his own special pet worm (named Dianne). Which meant that in order to show that there was no corruption or mishandling of money within the park, Owen had to procure a receipt within a single hour. Something that motivated he and Paige to cancel their romantic dinner plans so they could make it to the Worm Store in Brooklyn and back to the Park on time. A feat that was seemingly impossible. But thanks to a huge assist from Paige, the kind that will fill the Tillerman house with candles for a good long time, and Elwood’s natural dancing skills; once again the Park is safe since Anita could find no wrongdoing.

Yet while it was quite cool to see a different kind of battle royale between the hero and the villain, this show would be nothing without something quirky and fun happening within the framework of the plot as well and thankfully, that came forth by way of Molly and Cole’s journey in this tale. Because they decided to go on a supremely special night tour in the park, one that highlighted some of the filming locations from Home Alone 2: Lost in New York and this was just, a delightful sequence for certain. For not only were we treated to Home Alone themed musical numbers and delicious puns to go with them, we also got to watch Molly be a (mostly) responsible sister by guiding and helping her brother when things got scary. And the use of the world mostly pops up here, simply because, well… when you get the opportunity to scare the crap out of your sibling with a vampire hiss, you take it.

But all of that aside, this really was another delightful episode. One that once again handled some bigger storytelling ideas in quite the dynamic manner. However, there is one particular flaw with this tale that needs to be addressed. Specifically, we needed more of the movie tour. Because the terror Cole experienced at seeing bats, ended the tour before we could see how it ends. So hopefully we can finish the tour with Zoom someday and who knows, maybe we can see the family go on the Ghostbusters II tour as well. But all joking aside, the only problem here, is that we are coming to the end of season one of this magnificent show. Which is a shame, because this saga has been nothing but refreshing from beginning to end and while it will be tough to see this season come to a close next week, at least we can bask in another fun and hilarious tale, one that hopefully set the stage for another unique showdown between Bitsy and Owen. Until next time.  

What’s fascinating about evil and its portrayal in print, and on the silver and small screen, is the sheer fact that it is in essence, redeemable. For the monsters that lurk in fiction have a catalyst behind their machinations, the kind that can often be conquered and solved with logic and reasoning and appeals to one’s humanity. Something that exists in storytelling, in order to help the audience, feel safe and comfortable with what they are watching, or reading, since evil is defeated often in fiction. But the fact of the matter is, genuine evil and beings that truly embody it, are not redeemable in the slightest. For they have turned their back upon all that is just and good and that allows for them to perform utterly unspeakable and heartbreaking acts.
​
If anything, that particularly nihilistic aspect of evil is relevant to today’s discussion of Star Trek: The Next Generation, simply because pure evil is what the crew of the Enterprise encounter in ‘Skin of Evil’. Which is a bold tale that still stands tall after all these years, for pushing the envelope like never before when it comes to this proud franchise. All because it opted to do something quite brave and kill off a major character in stunning and unexpected fashion. Because no one saw the death of Lieutenant Tasha Yar coming in this particular tale, and even though it is decades after this story aired on television, watching her be brought down by the twisted and maniacal Armus, is still shocking after all this time. Simply because it was so sudden and so brutal.

Yet while that alone does offer up some serious understanding of evil, since Armus clearly doesn’t care about life in the slightest, the episode wasn’t quite done with its exploration on evil and how far it is willing to go to satisfy its bloodlust. For Armus does spend quite a bit of time hurting the Away Team both physically and mentally, since it toys with Geordi’s sight, attempts to get Data to commit murder and outright swallows Commander Riker in order to torture him. And to top it all off, it seemingly enjoys screwing with Deanna’s mind when given the opportunity and this just made for one savage tale. One where you simply don’t have a clue if someone else is going to die or come out of this in bad physical shape because Armus truly cares about nothing but itself, which definitely leaves the viewer feeling rattled and hopeless when all is said and done.

But what truly makes this particular story so impressive and quite frankly redeemable, is how Captain Picard handles this nasty skin of evil. Because rather than throw down with this monstrosity or try and outwit it, he simply lets evil be. For he understands that there is no reasoning with it, nor is it ever going to yield to his demands or pleas for kindness, so it is best to let it think it has the upper hand and every ounce of fear it craves. For that puts evil in a comfortable place, one where Jean-Luc can properly aggravate it, and it is supremely satisfying to watch the always clever captain, find a way to irritate Armus without incurring its wrath so that he can save the shuttle crew and leave this awful place. Which in turn, allows for crew of the Enterprise to properly mourn the loss of one of their own, in a beautiful and respectful fashion.

If anything, it’s quite impressive how impactful and devastating this episode is after all these years and what truly gives it so much weight, is the sheer fact that Tasha outright dies. Because in this franchise, either the doctors work their magic, or there is some kind of cure waiting around the bend that can resurrect a series lead from the jaws of death. But not this time. No instead this really was it for Lieutenant Tasha Yar, a move that drew the ire of the fans and understandably so. Because she was woefully underutilized in season one and Tasha’s true potential wasn’t realized until the season three episode ‘Yesterday’s Enterprise’, and what’s wild, is that this was not the first or last time that TNG would pull out all the stops in order to tell a harrowing tale. But before we focus on that, it’s best we give this one the credit it deserves, because it really did show us what this series could accomplish when it held nothing back. Until next time.

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the season two finale of ‘The Twilight Zone’.

One thing that television fans love in regard to their favorite shows, is outright consistency. Because knowing what you are going to get from said show on a regular basis, offers comfort to one’s mind and it just so happens that the newest iteration of The Twilight Zone worked to make that happen in season two. For this year’s tales offered up a consistent balance of either the fantastical or the cerebral, or if the opportunity presented itself, a lovely combination of both elements. But while it is nice to know what we can expect from this series going forward, what’s truly surprising about this series, is the sheer fact that it apparently has plans for a specific type of tradition in regard to its season finales.  

For if you recall from last year, ‘Blurryman’ was a finale that was supremely meta in nature. For not only did it work hard to break the fourth wall, it also featured a lot of in-franchise Easter Eggs and references before ending with the return of Rod Serling in digital fashion. Which was quite the unique way to wrap up the season, and offering up a story that is meta and/or unique and off the wall, and pays tribute to the show’s past, is apparently what is going to become the new tradition for finales from this franchise. Because ‘You May Also Like’ is a season finale that features an homage to the past, and is about as quirky as they come. And it accomplishes those respective feats by introducing us to a woman named Mrs. Janet Warren, who is desperately waiting for her life to change by way of a heavily advertised product known as ‘The EGG’.

However, while the advertisements for this product tout all kinds of wonders, Janet is clueless as to what The EGG actually does. And despite her best efforts to uncover its secrets, she can learn nothing about why this product is important and why exactly she needs it. But there is a specific reason as to why there is such mystery surrounding this product. Because it turns out that interstellar beings are behind its invention and that kind of knowledge could cause trouble, as would the discovery of this product's true purpose. For it is meant to end all of mankind in violent fashion, and the grand reveal of which species of alien is behind this intricate plan to end us all, is what allows for this episode to pay tribute to the show’s rich history. Because the Kanamits, who popped up in the original series episode ‘To Serve Man’, have created this horrible device, for one unsettling reason.

For they firmly believe that mankind has gone from a delicious side dish, to the scourge of the galaxy and eliminating us by appealing to our desire to own everything is the best way to make that happen. Something that these brainy aliens called correctly since everyone and their mother is desperate to have an EGG in their home, and oddly enough, that means there is a little bit of commentary present in this tale. The kind that digs deep into modern consumerism and our belief in how we need to have the latest and greatest thing, regardless of what it does, and it was nice to see the show find a way to sneak a little commentary into the story. But let’s be honest, it was way cooler to see the return of the Kanamits and enjoy their supremely goofy nature and it was equally as slick to learn that George Takei voiced one of these unique creatures. 

But there was mention of this episode being quirky as well, and that was handled by way of the visual aesthetics in this story and its overall structure. Because  ‘chapter breaks’ are definitely something you don’t see in this franchise all that often, and they managed to create a jarring experience, one akin to a nightmare. A notion/element that is reinforced by the sanitized nature of how this world looks in this episode and really, this is just a fun tale when all is said and done. One that just lets loose and embraces the strange and it’s obvious now that going forward, we should expect the weird from this series when we reach the end of the season, and one has to wonder how on earth, the season three finale of this series is going to top the quirkiness of this particular story. Until next year.

Something that is supremely fascinating about re-watching one’s favorite shows, is how you stumble upon episodes from time to time, that were clearly trying to say something about a trendy movement or a particularly notable campaign that is only applicable and relevant to the era in which said show was released. And these catch our eye, simply because what they are trying to speak to, is now supremely dated and awkward upon a second viewing. But while these episodes are cringe-y and serve as a fine reminder to shows to stick to bigger concepts, in order to remain relevant, these episodes do have their own respective purpose. In that, they do encourage conversation about the moment in time they represent and that can be quite useful from a learning standpoint.

If anything, this is something that is relevant to today’s discussion of Star Trek: The Next Generation, simply because the next episode of this storied franchise features a tale that reflects that particular anachronism. Because ‘Symbiosis’ is a story grounded in notions of the devastating impact that drug problems can have upon communities. Which was a huge deal in the 1980s. Because President Reagan was big on keeping drugs off of our streets. So much in fact that he kicked off an extensive drug war, and his wife Nancy helped to craft an outreach program known as D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) and what’s utterly wild about this episode, is that there is an actual segment of this episode that more or feels like a D.A.R.E. training video, when Wesley takes the time to ponder upon why people use drugs.

Which is a cheesy sequence for certain since Tasha is quick to ‘educate’ him on why people turn to drugs, in a manner that is akin to the talking points you’d find in an educational video. Something that is oddly hammered home further by Wesley taking a moment to speak to how he just doesn’t understand how people could ever turn to drugs. Which truly reflects the attitude and beliefs of the times in regard to drugs and the stereotypical thinking surrounding this doesn’t end with that moment. For the two species involved in the drug related mess in this tale, resemble the quintessential drug dealer and user of the time. Since the arrogant Brekkians resemble an intergalactic Tony Montana, complete with flashy clothes and snotty attitude. And the unfortunate Ornarans resemble the poor and impoverished, who were believed to be the sole abusers of substances back in the day.

All of which, are elements that make this story seem as though it is a failure through and through. But that’s simply not the case. Because once you get past the fluff, you’re presented with a fascinating tale that asks an important question, what would it take to break the cycle of addiction? Because these two worlds are indeed akin to our own, where one side supplies and one side consumes, allowing for a genuinely unhealthy symbiosis to indeed exist. Which is why it is quite refreshing to see Picard’s thoughts to the matter. Because he more or less presents an approach where the root cause of the addiction would need to be addressed in order to solve the matter. Which is something that ironically, is being discussed in modern times since the war on drugs has proven that attacking and restricting has done nothing. Which makes this episode ahead of its time and far more engrossing than one might initially see and that’s a shame.

Because this one would have been an instant classic, were it not for the heavy handed 80s stuff, but that’s okay. For the good stuff is there, and what it has to say about addiction is powerful for certain and perhaps handling this subject matter the right way is something Picard can accomplish since a character on that series suffers from substance abuse addiction. But in the here and the now, all we can do is celebrate the best parts of a flawed but well-meaning episode, one that features some fine acting from some Star Trek legends as well. Since Merritt Butrick and Judson Scott, who played David Marcus and Joachim in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan pop up here to do their thing in dynamic fashion and really, in the end, this is quite the watchable episode for certain. One that doesn’t stick the landing, but absolutely gets an A for effort. Until next time.

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 209 of ‘The Twilight Zone’.

There is a prevailing and chilling belief about modern society in that, our carefully crafted world and all of the creature comforts that it offers us; are what keeps mankind from becoming outright monsters. Which is a fascinating thought for certain. For it would mean that mankind only abides by notions of good because of the rules that have been laid out by society, and to remove those rules would in turn remove the shackles on our non-existent conscience, allowing for lawlessness to ensue. But while that notion has merit, since there are people out there who play by the rules so they don’t get in trouble, it does leave one to wonder if conformity is indeed what makes people inherently good, or whether or not it is something we can embody, regardless of the situation.

If anything, this is relevant and quite important to today’s discussion, simply because the next episode of The Twilight Zone dives full bore into this conundrum, in the sneakiest way possible. For ‘Try, Try’ resembles a vastly different kind of story early on, in fact, it outright resembles something we never see in regard to this franchise; a love story. Because it doesn’t take long for a woman named Claudia King and a man named Marc Wheeler (Marc with a ‘C’, which is important) to realize that they share an incredible connection. Because they’ve just met, and they are able to finish one another’s sentences, and they share the same interests and beliefs and well, that kind of flawless compatibility speaks to the wonder of love, and their budding chemistry only reinforces the possibility that the surprise twist is going to be something supremely mushy. 

But thankfully, the series doesn’t betray its fundamentals and try to shock us by giving us an everyday love story. Instead, once Marc is pressed harder about his odd ability to seemingly know what is about to happen, we come to learn that he’s stuck in a time loop. One where he lives the same day out over and over again and because he’s been in this time loop for ages on end, he’s come to believe that he’s being punished by forces unknown. And the only way he will ever be free of this nightmare is by finding something of value on this specific day and his love for Claudia is what he believes will break the curse. Yet while that sounds noble and beautiful and meaningful for certain, there is just one problem with Marc’s plan in that… Claudia has only just met him, and she can in no way reciprocate that kind of emotion since they’ve only spent hours together and that, is when this grand exploration of what drives us to be good people gets underway.

Because it turns out that Mark (he lied about the ‘C’) is filled with ill intentions in regard to Claudia. For he comes to realize at some point during the loop, that he can do whatever he wants to achieve his respective goal, and if that means practicing the perfect moments that we see here, in order to manipulate Claudia into giving him what he wants, then so be it. And this particular revelation and the horrifying moments that follow it, help the audience to understand that being good isn’t something we abide by because it is pushed upon us. Nor is it something that would immediately fade away if the rules no longer applied. Because good people embrace righteousness, and they will do their best to spread its wonder to anyone that will listen, regardless of the situation. The problem at hand are the people who don’t like the rules, who want the world to conform to their line of thinking. For these are the folks, when given the chance, that will let loose and do whatever the hell they want with impunity, as evidenced by Mark’s confession and actions.

Which means that people like Mark, need help in understanding that not getting what they want isn’t a sign that the planet is against them and that they have to manipulate in order to get ahead in life. They simply need to understand that the world is a rough place, one that you cannot control in the slightest and that being a good person and doing the right thing and being kind to others, is the key to unlocking its secrets and that is quite the powerful message to inject into this particular tale. One that is quite frankly timely and fitting when we consider how the world is currently operating. In the end however, this really was quite the fascinating and engrossing tale for certain. Because it once again offers fans of cerebral stories and fans of the twist ending, everything either side could ask for and more, and now that the series is genuinely settling into this hybrid model of storytelling, where the best of both worlds exist, one has to wonder what kinds of surprises are going to await us, when we settle in to enjoy the season two finale. Until next time.

Caution: This article contains spoilers for last night’s episode of ‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D’.  
​
It doesn’t take long for us to learn, that life can be filled with difficult and painful moments. The kind that stay with us long after they’ve come to an end, thanks to the trauma they produce and the regret they sometimes engender in our hearts. Which is why we tend to bury the memory of those moments deep into the recesses of our brains, so that we can function and keep going. A choice that doesn’t make us bad people, nor does it make weak for doing so, it’s simply a way that many of us cope with the painful parts of our past. But while this particular move helps us to get by in life, whether we like it or not, there will come a point in our lives where we will be forced to revisit these painful memories for one reason and one reason alone. Because they are in fact, holding us back from achieving the internal peace we all crave and from being the person that we want to be, and we simply must face the past in order to move forward in life.
​
But even then, going back and looking at yesterday and trying to understand our feelings in that moment and why we carry them today is no easy task, and it takes a level of bravery and determination that we aren’t sure we are capable of. If anything, these are indeed some odd musings to find within the framework of a recap of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. but all of these ponderances are paramount to our discussion today, simply because facing one’s past and resolving the pain from it, served as the focal point of last night’s episode. Something that came about in ‘After, Before’ by way of the fact that the Time Drive was malfunctioning and bouncing these intrepid agents across the time stream, and unless a key component was removed from this device, eventually time would collapse in upon itself and kill everyone aboard Zephyr-1. And really, the only person qualified to save the day was Yo-Yo. Because she was fast enough to sneak through the pulses of time surrounding this device, provided of course she could regain her powers, which motivated the team to execute a bold plan to make that happen. 

After all, there was a leading expert on Inhuman physiology present in this segment of time. Which means that May and Yo-Yo decided it was best to visit Jiaying at Afterlife and let her work her magic, and this led to a fascinating voyage of self-discovery for Yo-Yo, one that did indeed involve facing one’s past. Because eventually Jiaying was able to ascertain that Yo-Yo didn’t have any lingering physical effects from her battle with the Shrike. Instead, her issues with her powers were psychological in nature, which means she had to overcome whatever pain was residing within her heart and her mind in order to gain her powers back. And with May’s help, she was able to find the root cause memory that haunted her and come to understand how its lack of resolution has managed to hamper her over time, and thanks to May’s help, Yo-Yo finally figured out how to unleash her powers once again and in the process, save the Zephyr and her friends from a horrible fate. 

But while it was nice to enjoy some incredible character development and some feel good and thoughtful moments, there was still trouble to be found in this particular tale. For this story also revealed that Sibyl and Nathaniel Malick’s partnership is all part of a new plan for the Chronicoms, one that involves building a massive Inhuman army to do their bidding. Which is why Mister Malick dropped by Afterlife, so that he could get his hands on Inhumans that might not agree with Jiaying’s respective teachings about their people and this was… disastrous to say the least. Because not only was Afterlife exposed and compromised, to the point where Jiaying and Gordon are now in hiding in the hopes of keeping Daisy’s future birth safe; Mister Malick has some new and powerful allies and who knows what kind of havoc they are going to wreak upon the world. Plus, to make matters worse, something is still seriously wrong with the Time Drive. What exactly, we don’t quite know just yet, but another challenge is about to present itself to the team, one that seems quite ominous for certain. 

In the end however, this episode really was quite the unexpected surprise. Because for the most part, comic book movies and shows tend to steer clear of psychological topics. Sure, they’ll tackle stuff like this from time to time, but usually it is designed as a plot point to return a particular character to glory, as was the case in Iron Man 3 when Tony Stark had to deal with a little bit of PTSD. But to go this deep and really explore the power of the past and how we let it control us, well that’s just unheard of, but welcome as well. Because it just goes to show that stories in this vein can indeed handle bigger and more cerebral topics and hopefully seeing this series be bold in this manner storytelling wise, motivates other superhero shows and movies to try and dig into more powerful and relatable topics down the line. But in the here and the now, this was a solid episode. One that really did offer up some incredible character development and some powerful moments for certain and it is a good thing that our intrepid agents are finding direction and purpose once again, because big challenges clearly lie ahead. The kind that will need them at their absolute best. Until next time.    

Thus far, season one of Star Trek: The Next Generation has done a phenomenal job of helping us to get to know the brave and intrepid crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-D. A feat that the show has accomplished, by offering up episodes and moments that allow for us to really get to learn what makes these characters tick and what makes them worthy of serving aboard a ship named Enterprise. But while it has been supremely satisfying and delightful to get to know a crew that we would spend seven years with, to date, season one has been remiss in informing the audience as to whether or not this crew can handle themselves in downright intense combat. Something that is supremely important in Starfleet, especially when one serves aboard the Big E, since crews that serve aboard a ship with that namesake, are going to face incredible odds and equally incredible enemies. 

As it turns out however, the writers’ room was keenly aware of the fact that Picard’s team had yet to be properly tested in combat, which allowed for an episode to come forth that put them to the outright test in a supremely creative manner. For ‘The Arsenal of Freedom’ sees the crew arrive at the planet Minos, to see if they can discover the fate of the U.S.S. Drake. For it was conducting a historical survey of this world, mainly because Minos was once the centerpiece of a great war. In fact, the people of Minos, were once rich beyond their wildest dreams because they offered endless armaments to both sides in said war and what’s odd, is that this planet is now devoid of life for reasons unknown and once the Away Team beams down to investigate the planet and the fate of the Drake further, well that’s when things get interesting. Because the defenses on this world are simply incredible and they push Riker and Yar and Data to their limit.

In fact, the devices down here are so sophisticated that Captain Picard believes he must get involved personally, so he can properly strategize with his crew and that’s what leads to the challenges in question. Because these powerful weapons are adapting to the crew’s battle techniques, and their sustained attacks put Picard and Crusher in quite the precarious place; a cavern where Beverly is badly wounded. Which means that the captain must figure out, not only how to keep the Doctor conscious and stable, but also how to use a computer he discovers inside this this cavern to stop these weapons from putting down his crew. Which leads to a little lightheartedness in this tale, since the digital salesman on this world, played brilliantly by the late and great Vincent Schiavelli, is the key to shutting everything down, since he is only eager to do so when he learns he has finally made a ‘sale.’

But what matters more, is that everyone did well under fire on the planet. For Tasha and Riker showed how cool they are under pressure and we learned what an asset Data is in combat situations, and Picard did just fine keeping Beverly safe while solving the mystery. But to top it all off, the crew on the ship did the captain equally as proud. Because it was up to Lieutenant Geordi LaForge to deal with one of these devices in space and he went above and beyond in making that happen. Because not only was he able to fend off a hyper aggressive and ambitious Chief Engineer who thought he knew how to handle this mess better, and a powerful hidden enemy, he also came up with one hell of a plan to save the day. Wherein he separated the ship to keep civilians and non-essential personnel safe and used the Stardrive section as atmospheric bait to reveal his foe and destroy it. Leading to quite the happy and satisfying ending when all is said and done.

In the end, this episode was just a blast to watch. Because we finally got to see the crew break out the hand phasers and mess up some mean-ass robots. Plus, we got to see the Enterprise really let loose with phasers and photo torpedoes and it was just cool to see a little action and adventure come into play and see the story find a way to get everyone involved in the fight. But while there were plenty of explosions to enjoy and lots of tense moments present in this tale, it never lost sight of the wonderful humanity present in this show. Something that was handled by way of a beautiful scene where Counselor Troi helped to guide Geordi as a leader and that just added some magnificent depth to this tale. If anything, this back half of the season has been pretty solid so far, since it’s been filled to the brim with engrossing stories and big moments and this reviewer cannot wait to see what other treats await us as we continue our journey with this intrepid crew. Until next time.