Caution: This article contains spoilers for the series premiere of ‘The North Water’.
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Sometimes, when our lives are in quite the quagmire, and we see no future in regard to our current situation… we quickly find ourselves motivated to do something quite drastic. Specifically, we’re inclined to the hit reset button and abandon our lives current lives and do what we must to start anew. Because the thought of a fresh start and a second chance is quite appealing since it would indeed free us of our current burdens. But more often than not, we brush off such thoughts since they are fleeting at best and we do what we can to fix our current problems so we can instead enjoy peace and growth and a sense of accomplishment, that we finally overcame adversity and hopefully we can pay that forward and guide others toward a better tomorrow with our story.

But for some, the draw of the second chance/fresh start is too powerful to ignore, and they are apt to partake in its benefits through and through and for a time… it will feel as though they made the proper choice, and they are finally free. But eventually they will come to learn that simply packing up and starting anew comes with quite the catch. In that, one’s problems are never just abandoned or left behind, they follow a person into their new lives, and they will eventually cause harm since they haven’t been dealt with and that darker side to the fresh start is top of mind today… simply because it is going to serve as the focus for a new AMC+ series, The North Water, and the series premiere of this new show, ‘Behold the Man’, sets up this examination by taking the time to introduce us to a man with quite the past.

For Patrick Sumner is a former British Army Medic that failed miserably at being a solider during a campaign in India and after leaving the service… he’s been eager to leave his embarrassing past behind and his quest to do so, has led him down quite the fascinating path. For he’s decided to take a position aboard a whaling vessel as the ship’s surgeon, a move that should indeed afford him a blank slate and a fresh start. For the high seas know little of the past and a crew he’s never met and has zero ties to, can help him in his quest to reinvent himself. But it doesn’t take long for Sumner to learn that trying to escape one’s past without reconciling it in the slightest is a woeful mistake. Because the memories of what happened in India haunt his dreams aboard the vessel and his standing in the army has the crew quite curious. Meaning it will only be a matter of time before Sumner's past takes the center stage and causes great harm. 

But to complicate matters further, his desire to leap before he looked has put him aboard a doomed voyage to the arctic. For the skipper of this ship, Captain Brownlee, received orders before the crew set out, to scuttle the vessel. Under the pretense that he would get a cut of a fat insurance check when the matter was settled on that end, and that kind of danger in the arctic can never bring about any good. Plus, what's worse, is that the vessel is also host to a dangerous monster. For a man named Henry Drax is part of this crew, and while he is a talented whaler and seal hunter… his skill set stems from his disregard for life and the rules that the rest of us live by, and when one considers that Drax has no problem with killing a man over a drink… it quickly becomes clear that Sumner is in more trouble than he will ever know and it is only a matter of time before he is put to the test in ways he never thought possible.

Which is quite the interesting twist to inject into the opening chapter of this story. Since it truly leaves the viewer wondering as to whether or not they’re going to be treated to a redemption story, wherein Sumner uses the wakeup call his situation with soon provide him with, to get his life together. Or if we are about to be privy to a grand tragedy, one that will see Sumner pay for his shortsightedness and arrogance. But while we wait to see which direction this story will take; we can bask in one solid premiere. For this one really does a fine job of immersing us into the 1800s and the acting is simply top notch. With a special shout out to Colin Farrell, since he basically loses himself in the role of Drax and becomes unrecognizable in the process and well, now that we’ve reached the end of the beginning… the time has come where all must wait with bated breath for next Thursday, when the next episode of The North Water makes its debut on AMC+.  

I literally spent all of yesterday trying to formulate how I was going to write this blog. I’m not really in shock, per se, I just didn’t expect any of that to happen the way that it did. Like, guys, just wow.

Before I get started, quick shout out to the guy who did my tarot reading at the Colorado Renaissance this past weekend and told me I had “Loki energy.” Really, that’s a big compliment considering the ending of this series.

Spoilers ahead!

Alright, first things first, uh, seriously, Owen Wilson… I’m disappointed. Like he had one job. All he had to do was say “WOW” just once, just once! That’s really all I wanted from this entire show! Gah! That being said, this was a pretty solid finale that set up so much for the MCU. Most of which is What If…? which comes out next month. Hopefully after that we get the long-awaited Hawkeye series. And seriously, guys, I need this to be more comic based. Everyone can hate me for this opinion, but they genuinely screwed over Clint’s character in the MCU. I know that’s an unpopular opinion, but I hate what they did with his character. Clint is funny, sarcastic, deaf, and did I mention sarcastic? In many iterations of the famed archer, he’s a well-rounded character with a great story. So, for now, I’m going to drop this rant because this is about Loki, not Clint and his weird MCU forced family.

Okay, back to Loki, I swear I can focus.

When it comes to how this show ended, I was genuinely surprised with how it went. After WandaVision and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, I wasn’t really expecting them to give us the ending we got. I expected more misdirects and then a rushed ending. That is not what we got here. They actually gave us the ending they built up to. I really did not see that one coming. I was expecting Loki – God of Stories, not to actually get Kang the Conqueror. This still might lead to a Loki – God of Stories plot, though, I’m not giving up on that pipe dream. Still, Kang is officially here, and he is the reason for the TVA, the Time Keepers, and so much more. Beyond that though, I just want to talk about how much Miss Minutes kind of got creepy towards the end of this show. That being said, Tara Strong did an amazing job, as always.

​We have gotten hints throughout the show that Kang might be the big baddie behind the curtain this whole time, and yet Marvel has often given a misdirect with their shows. WandaVision didn’t really have a physical villain. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier faked us out with who their big baddie was, several times. So, Loki shouldn’t be any different, right? Only it was. This whole time we theorized it was Kang, and well, for once we were all right. Now, they never call him Kang. Miss Minutes actually refers to him as the He Who Remains. But… we all knew who he was. He taunts Sylvie and Loki, only to lay it all out on the table. Turns out, multiple Kang’s broke through their timelines to meet up and share technologies and so on. And then a few of them wanted total universal domination. I mean, if I can’t get “Supreme Emperor of the Universe” on my business cards, neither should Kang! The Kang we met agrees, and that’s why he created the Sacred Timeline and the TVA and so on. All to prevent the Multiverse Kangs from taking over.

Why let Loki and Sylvie behind the curtain? Turns out Kang wants to retire. Keeping the Sacred Timeline intact is an exhausting endeavor, and he no longer wants to do it. So, they either take his place and rule it together or kill him and face the consequences of the Multiverse being unleashed. Loki thinks they need more time to really figure this all out. Sylvie just wants to kill Kang… and uhm, they need to work on their communication, really, they do. The fight is both beautiful and sad at the same time. It’s great to see Sylvie use a bit more magic. They’re evenly matched and it’s not going to go anywhere, so Loki throws himself in front of Kang and drops his own blade to plead with Sylvie. If I’m honest, I wasn’t sure how I felt about the Sylvie/Loki love thing… but it kind of works in a weird way. We get the kiss between them that I certainly thought we would be denied, and then Sylvie does the unthinkable. While Loki is in love with her and just wants her to be happy, she is too focused on her revenge against Kang. She opens a portal and shoves Loki back into the TVA, all so she can kill Kang herself.

Which she does.

With Kang dead the Sacred Timeline is destroyed and there are now millions of branches spreading about. Sylvie broke reality and unleashed the Multiverse. Which ties right into Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and What If…? and potentially so much more! And Loki? He goes to find Mobius and tell him all about what happened—except this isn’t the TVA he knew and that isn’t his friend Mobius… and everything is all wrong. Oh, and Rovanna? Don’t worry, she went off on her own to probably find a version of Kang and hook up with him. I’m pretty sure that Sylvie regrets breaking reality right about now.

While the show has ended there is good news, it will return for a second season! When? Only Marvel knows. For now, we sit and wait and wonder about Alligator Loki and how he’s handling the existence of the Multiverse. Come to think of it, he is the Superior Loki after all. Maybe we’ll get more of him in season two!

What’s fascinating about every television franchise/genre out there, is how each and every one of them have certain storytelling concepts that they cling to. For instance, a great deal of crime shows love to use serial killers to create grand and compelling arcs for their detectives and horror shows have no qualms with using homages or commentary to tell their story and science fiction shows… well they love to take one fascinating idea and find new ways to make it interesting over and over again and for proof… then look no further than the Star Trek Universe. For this storied saga loves to find new perspective on how the transporter can bring about harm and that’s led to an interesting mix of stories.

The kind that has ranged from downright ridiculous, such as the supremely dubious Voyager episode, ‘Tuvix’, to downright engrossing… as is the case with today’s Retro Recap. For the next episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, features a transporter flub and that allowed for ‘The Next Phase’ to ponder upon some fascinating concepts. Such as how we face the end, oddly enough, something that was handled by Ensign Ro. For it was she and Geordi that found themselves in a strange place after their respective transporter accident. Because they were conscious and aware and aboard the Enterprise, but no one could see them or interact with them, and they could walk through walls. Which prompted Ro to believe that she and Geordi were dead, and this was a form of purgatory.

One where she and Geordi needed to make peace with any unfinished business before they parted this plane of existence and that was quite the philosophical notion to plop into this tale. Since it really does ask the viewer to ponder upon how we would handle saying goodbye if given the extended chance and what’s amazing… is that this episode had more to explore in regard to death and how we face it. For there was also a subplot revolving around Data’s planning of a memorial service for his ‘fallen’ comrades and that too, takes the viewer to task. Because we don’t think about how we want to be remembered in that moment, but perhaps we should… so the celebration of our life is handled in the right manner. If anything, all of these elements made this perhaps the most philosophical transporter accident episode to ever grace the franchise.

But while it is fascinating to be challenged in that manner and be left with some interesting concepts to chew upon… make no mistake about it, there’s a lot of science fiction stuff and plot to chew on here. Since it turns out, that the Romulans caused this conundrum by way of the development of a secret phase drive and rather than have that truth exposed to the Federation, they planed to destroy the 1701-D and make it look like an accident. Which meant it was up to Ro and Geordi to shed their cloaked phasing to save the crew from an ugly fate and that brought about a bevy of action sequences and of course… a happy ending. Because this is Star Trek and leads rarely die in this particular universe and well… that’s not a bad thing since Geordi La Forge and Ro Laren are pretty darn awesome.

In the end, this is quite the solid episode for certain. Simply because it offers up a fascinating one-off episode. One that is filled to the brim with juicy concepts that are timeless in nature, and it lets a guest star and a different lead play the hero for a change. Plus, you can’t go wrong with the unique take on the age old ‘transporter malfunction’ trope that this episode offers up and well, that’s really all there is to say about this story. Because this kind of self-contained story, leaves the deeper analysis to the viewer, which means it is time we turn our attention to the next mission in this crew’s seven-year journey and well, this is one to definitely get excited about. Because what comes next is a beautiful story about the wonder and the meaning of life and it would turn out to be, one of the finest episodes in the history of the franchise. Until next time.

What’s truly fascinating about war, is how humanity views it in such a simplistic fashion. Because we only see two sides to conflict, us vs. them if you will and there is no middle ground or understanding when war breaks out, just a grand push to bring about the elimination of the enemy, no matter the cost and that’s led to some stunning moments in our history. For that kind of mentality has seen scorched earth and shock and awe come to fruition, and the invention of the atom bomb as well because of how far one side was willing to go to eliminate the other. If anything, the cold and black and white nature of war speaks volumes to the fact that humanity has a long way to go when it comes to planetary peace and even then, one has to wonder… can we leave that kind of savagery behind?

Which is of course a question that the Star Trek franchise has worked to answer since its inception. Since every captain we’ve ever met within the framework of the saga has grappled with our darkest impulses versus what the Federation stands for and heck… Captain Benjamin Sisko was forced to lead the charge of war when the Dominion captured Deep Space Nine. But what matters most, is that regardless of conflict or combat, the saga refuses to stop asking what will end conflict and move us toward true peace and it just so happens that the next episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, dives deep into this particular concept in a stunning manner. All by bringing an ancient and powerful enemy back into the fold. Specifically… The Borg. 

For ‘I Borg’ sees the crew of the Enterprise discover that the fiercest race they’ve ever encountered made it to a planet Starfleet wished to survey, first, and that their mission was a failure. Because the vast majority of the crew of a Borg scout ship was dead, save for one drone and at first it seemed its rescue was designed to be humanitarian in nature. But instead, Captain Picard knew that this was a powerful opportunity to study a deadly enemy and perhaps finally find a weakness and one made itself apparent. For the crew uncovered how a geometric image/puzzle could potentially confuse the Borg to the point of collapse if it was introduced into the collective. Giving the Federation the ultimate victory in their fight with an enemy that wiped away tens of thousands of officers in the blink of an eye. 

But there was one big problem with this plan, in that… Third of Five, the recused drone, became self-aware after being freed from the collective and began to exhibit compassion and humanity and that in turn, motivated Picard to change the plan. In that, rather than commit genocide and give into that darker side of war, the newly coined ‘Hugh’ would return and introduce individuality to the collective and that decision… is a powerful one to say the least. Because it speaks to using concepts and ideals to fight wars and kindness and understanding to win over an enemy and that is truly an amazing collection of notions that we are simply not ready for. Which is unfortunate, but boy is that a plot twist that offers so much hope for humanity. Because it postulates the theory that yes, we could move past our more savage elements and achieve wonders in doing so… if we as a people, commit to the high road above all things.

Which makes this episode, hands down, one of the most philosophical and moving episodes in the history of the franchise. One that is brave and bold in its message and in its challenge to the audience and it is also important to note, that this is another one of those keystone episodes. For Hugh’s journey was just beginning and would be revisited in both The Next Generation and Picard and speaking of the titular captain, his actions here would in part, lay down some of the groundwork for First Contact. For the lessons he learned here would eventually serve him well after a brief reminder from a gentle soul named Lily. If anything, this really is one of the finest episodes in the history of the series and what’s wild… is that we are one solid episode away from another iconic one. Until next time.  

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the season three premiere of ‘Jack Irish’.
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The crime drama has become such a staple of television and film, that anyone that tunes into a new one knows exactly what they are getting into. In that, they’ll meet an intrepid investigator of sorts, one that has a solid motivation for bringing down criminals and they’ll be challenged on a consistent basis by the worst human beings that the world has to offer, before finally bringing them to justice in the most epic and moving way imaginable and well, this standard formula of sorts exists… simply because it works. For it really does offer up powerful drama through and through and it absolutely engrosses a viewer and it likely isn’t going anywhere, anytime soon.

But what’s nice is that from time to time, creative minds will work to create a crime drama that is eager to buck that model in order to try something new, and the ones that succeed in doing so, outright deserve our praise. For that’s the crime drama that truly picked up on something fresh and original and Jack Irish is a series that meets that particular qualification. For instance, its protagonist, the iconic Jack Irish, is a different breed of hero. For he is a former criminal lawyer that opted to change careers to a private investigator/debt collector after his wife Isabella died at the hands of a broken client. Which in turn has allowed for far more unique investigations and battles with evil to take place and it would seem that this show’s commitment to different types of storytelling is showing no signs of letting up in the saga’s final season… as evidenced by the season three premiere.

For this particular tale revealed that at long last, Jack is going to be able to deal with that death and what motivated his client to pull the trigger… but it sure didn’t seem as though that was going to be the case early on. Simply because this episode opened up in a supremely normal manner. With Jack going about his life and his day, working to put food on the table while good ol’ Barry took the time to investigate another heinous and seemingly random crime. But it didn’t take long for this ‘random’ murder to turn into a hideous blast from the past, one that rattled Barry to his core and motivated him to hire Jack to keep an eye on some former colleagues, before the stress of this whole mess, placed him in the hospital with a massive heart attack. 

Which in turn… led Jack to the beginning of the truth about his wife’s fate. Because while Barry was drugged out of his gourd on morphine, he let it slip… that he was sorry about everything, including Isabella and that of course… sent Jack’s mind reeling. For it indicated that there was more to her death than he ever expected, and it also motivated him to dig deeper than he ever had before in regard to her passing and well, what Jack found chilled him to the bone. Because the man he was sent to watch, was involved with the arrest of his client, the very collar that upset said client to the point of committing murder and that, and the untimely end of Barry under incredibly suspicious circumstances has Jack wondering exactly what led to the death of his love and he will undoubtedly stop at nothing to learn the real truth about her fate.

Which is… a magnificent way to set up the final season of this titular show. For it would give Jack his biggest and most emotional challenge to date and his quest for the truth will undoubtedly be wrought with difficulties untold as he tries to navigate what appears to be a grand conspiracy involving the police and well, it doesn’t get more unique and engrossing than that. Because that really is quite the fascinating plot, one that leaves the viewer hungry for answers and that definitely means that each and every one of us, will be counting down the days until next Monday’s new episode. All so we can see what unsettling truth Jack Irish will uncover as he begins to peel back the curtain on a dark and disturbing play. Until next time.

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 207 of ‘Ms. Fisher’s Modern Murder Mysteries’.
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While our modern justice system has a lot of upside, since it does indeed do a fine job of putting the right people behind bars, it is not without its flaws. Because sometimes… something goes awry and a horrific criminal is able to walk free because of a technicality or an incredible defensive strategy that fools and confuses a jury and well, that’s unfortunate to say the least. Because it leaves those that were eager and hungry to see justice served and to find closure in their lives, with a hollow and devastating feeling. One where their biggest wish has been robbed from them and once, they emerge from what they correctly see to be an injustice, they work to recover and move on.

Because alas, there is little they can do when the system has failed them. But for some folks, that is simply not good enough in the slightest and they demand and crave justice… to the point where they take it into their own hands and make the offender pay. A move that is often met with outcry from both sides since some see this as a need for reforms while others believe the vigilante should have let sleeping dogs lie. But regardless of which side you agree with, this can and will happen from time to time and perhaps the best way to make both sides happy… is to better understand why someone would cross that line and that is why the next episode of Ms. Fisher’s Modern Murder Mysteries is of note. Because ‘Reel Murder’ is a story that takes the time to explore the genesis and reasoning behind a vigilante murder.

But as is often the case with this dynamic series it sure didn’t seem as though that was going to be the case early on. For when Peregrine and Samuel discover the body of man named Morris Dunnet floating down the river, it appears at first glance to be nothing more than a run of the mill murder. One where perhaps Mister Dunnet ran afoul of some unsavory folks and met his end because of it. But once Peregrine and James start digging deeper in regard to his death, some strange facts begin to emerge. Such as the fact that Dunnet was in fact, a criminal that walked away scot free after being charged with the murder of his wife, only because her body never showed up and to complicate matters further… everyone that was at the river that day… has odd alibis, and some kind of tie to Morris. 

But even then, the evidence simply didn’t tie one individual to this untimely death and that’s when it hit Peregrine. In that, perhaps the reason that there was no one suspect, was because they were all suspects and with a little digging, she was able to prove that everyone on the shores that day… was indeed involved in putting down Dunnet, not out of revenge… but out of that need for justice. For they were horrified over the fact that the system failed a person they all cared for, Morris’ late wife, Irene. And they were so broken and distraught over the fact that Morris walked when the evidence against him was so strong, that they felt no other recourse than to come together in this manner and serve up justice as they saw fit and that was quite the powerful surprise twist in the end.
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In part because death by committee isn’t a common theme in crime shows, but more so because… it really did help the viewer to understand why vigilante justice is a thing and how the system has to be better. Because it really is the last hope for so many and to see it fail can clearly alter one’s perception of what’s right and what’s wrong and while the housekeeper took the fall for this one since she knew her time on earth was limited, adding a sense of finality to this ending… the act of murder is something that her accomplices will have to carry with them always. Which is something that no one should ever have to carry with them and well, in the end, all of these elements made this nothing short of a fascinating episode to say the least.

Because it doesn’t speak to whether these actions are right or wrong, it merely presents them in the raw and asks the viewer to make their own call. However, while that is indeed some heavy material to ponder upon, there were still some lighthearted moments to be found in this story. After all, Peregrine and James are starting to feel their magnetic attraction taking hold once again, and it is most certainly impacting James more than any of us expected. As evidenced by the fact that he left Sally’s new gift for him at Peregrine’s, and well… it should be interesting to see what will come out of the subtle fact that these two are still madly in love with one another, when the season two finale of this magnificent and intelligent and downright amazing series arrives on Acorn TV, next Monday. Until then.

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode Five of ‘The Real Manhunter’.
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There are a great many reasons that people are eager to tune into true crime shows. Such as the fact that they offer us grand insight into the cruelty that mankind is capable of since every awful detail of the crime in question is put on display, allowing for us to gain unsettling perspective on the act in question. But while that is a solid reason to tune in, since it satisfies our morbid curiosity, what we don’t talk about enough… is that another good reason to watch true crime stories… is to enjoy a taste of hope. Which might sound out there but think about it for a moment. Because a vast majority of these stories, also feature the detectives and investigators that brought the monster in question to justice and learning about what they did to put the offender behind bars is quite poetic and beautiful.

Since it speaks to the wonder of justice, and it also reminds us, that for every person out there eager to indulge in evil, there are others willing to fight that evil and pour over every difficult detail to figure out how to bring that person to justice. And that sense of hope and that level of attention to detail is paramount to our discussion today, simply because both elements popped up in the next episode of The Real Manhunter, and that’s a good thing. Because ‘The Murder of Christopher Donovan’ was quite the harrowing case, one that put mankind’s cruelty on full display since the aforementioned Mister Donovan fell prey to a group of hooligans one fine night, the kind that were drugged up and drunk and eager to start a fight and their desire to do so… resulted in a horrible beatdown for Christopher, one that took his life.

But thankfully Detective Chief Inspector Colin Sutton and his team were assigned to the case, and they wasted no time in injecting hope into the matter. Because this is a crime that could have gone unsolved. Thanks to the fact that it happened at night and involved a group of assaulters, which should have allowed for sloppy evidence and hearsay to come into play. But Colin and his team quickly took control and were able to get the public’s help in getting an idea of who might have been involved in this mess and once they had suspects, they were able to dig deeper via questioning and narrow down who specifically might have been involved in Christopher’s death. And to close out the case and bring together a guilty verdict, all they had to do was put together some solid evidence that proved the parties in question were indeed at the scene and involved.

A feat that Colin and his team accomplished in a stunning manner. Because without outright confessions, they needed to visually prove to a jury that their suspects were there, to correlate eyewitness testimony and that motivated the team to use mannequins and seized clothing to recreate the steps the gang of hooligans took that night and when images of that recreation were compared to CCTV footage and eyewitness accounts, it was inherently obvious that the parties involved were guilty of committing a heinous crime. And for that act, they were sentenced to jail for a few years and taught a valuable lesson about crossing the line and the sanctity of life and well, while Christopher might not be with us anymore, that really was quite the uplifting way to end this episode. 

Because this case helped to remind us that there are indeed detective and investigators out there with fine moral centers, the kind that will do whatever it takes to bring heinous criminals to justice, as evidenced by the extra mile that Colin and his team went in this case. And there really is hope to be found in that, and such a push sends a signal to others thinking about crossing the line, that it is best they don’t, since they will be found. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that Christopher’s parents also came to realize that good can come out of tragedy if we work at it, since they set up a nonprofit in their son’s name to educate others on the impact of violent crime and that’s powerful and brave and truly allows for the viewer to walk away from this case, feeling a little lighter on their feet. For good came out of tragedy and justice was served and hope springs anew and it will be interesting to see if there are other happy endings awaiting us in this series as we close in on the finale. Until next time.

Something adults tend to forget about… is how hard it is to be a child. Because while kids do indeed get something akin to a free ride, since it is the job of the parents to feed and clothe and care for them, they still have a lot of struggles to work through. For the world is a scary place they don’t understand in the slightest and it confuses them often. Plus, people prefer they be seen and not heard. For so many adults believe that kids don’t have all that much to offer observation wise, and that they’re annoying. Because they believe they don’t know jack and they enjoy causing mischief well, that’s behavior and a perception we have to change as adults. Because their observations can be powerful and sometimes their ‘annoying’ nature is related to our indifference toward them.

If anything, this is relevant to our discussion today, simply because how we view kids and how we can be better with them, served as the focal theme of the next episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation. For ‘Imaginary Friend’ introduces us to a young girl named Clara Sutton, who has just come aboard the Enterprise with her father and well… he’s seeing some odd behavior out of her that concerns him. For she is obsessed with an imaginary friend named Isabelle and is isolated because of their ‘friendship’ and while Counselor Troi is quick to point out that this is normal behavior for a child that is desperate for attachment and stability, there is some legitimate cause for concern in regard to Isabella. Simply because… she’s actually real, thanks to a scientific surprise.

Because while the 1701-D is on a survey mission of a mysterious nebula, a being composed of energy sneaks aboard the ship and uses Clara’s image of Isabella to take form as the imaginary girl, all in the hopes of understanding what this ship and its crew is all about. But while that seems innocent enough, Isabella is actually quite the impatient creature, and when she doesn’t get her way, she’s quick to cause trouble and lay on a guilt trip and sadly… she is eager to send trouble the crew’s way courtesy of the rest of her people. Whom she has sent signal to, to help her reckon with a ship full of beings that she has deemed to be unsavory and cruel and that is when this story begins to properly explore the struggles of being a child and how we can be better toward them.

For Isabella reveals to Captain Picard that her concerns stem from Clara's perspective. Wherein Clara is constantly told to shoo and not to bother adults or come into restricted areas. Phrases that come up, to protect her of course, but Isabella doesn’t know that, nor do a lot of kids. Because we simply give them what for and expect their obedience, and that twist really is designed to point out to all of us, that it might behoove us to explain our decisions and expectations to children to better help them understand and learn and of course, this segment also reminds us to listen carefully when they have concerns. For had Clara's worries been taken seriously a little sooner, then perhaps the danger might not have surprised the crew at the last possible second.

If anything, is a pretty solid episode when all is said and done. Simply because it does a fine job of exploring its topic in a manner that both children and adults can enjoy, and it features a cool little mystery for the crew to unfurl and it also is host to some beautiful visuals. For the nebula and its dense strands of matter are quite the sight to behold. But outside of that, there is little else to discuss when it comes to this tale and that’s not a bad thing. Because there is nothing wrong with being entertained by a simple one-off episode, one that has a little something to say and features a solid adventure through space and now that this mission has ended, we can turn our attention to one juicy and powerful tale. One that features the return of a terrifying and relentless villain that believes, resistance is futile. Until next time.   

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode Five of ‘Kevin Can F**k Himself’.
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Ask anyone you know what they think about change, and you’ll get one of two answers. In that, they will either lament change and speak to how it consistently frustrates them, or they’ll grow incredibly excited and speak to the wonder of the universe’s ability to shake things up, and it makes sense as to why people seem to embrace one side or the other when it comes to change. Because some folks, simply love the idea of new opportunities and embracing whatever life sends their way since it makes them feel alive and energized. While others simply hate the idea of getting out of a routine since where they are now is comfortable and safe and secure and well, our polarizing approach to change is relevant to our discussion today, simply because it served as the focal theme of last night’s episode of Kevin Can F**k Himself.
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For ‘New Patty’ saw both Allison and Patty deal with the nature and the potential of change and that immediately put them on a path that expressed how view it. In Allison’s case, the reality that Kevin was soon going to die at her hands put her in supremely happy place. Because it wasn’t going to be long now before she was finally free of Kevin and the rut he had helped to create in regard to her life and well… that motivated her to continue to the seize the day and no longer take crap from anyone. Because she simply felt alive now and knew that change was a wonderful and empowering concept and well, that motivated her to take action in ways she normally does not in everyday life. Such as say, ripping off the local beauty store where she is constantly judged and insulted, just to make a point that they need to treat her better and the tiny act of stealing lipstick, led to far bigger carpe diem moments for her.

Because it also motivated Allison to finally stand up for herself at work when it comes to the rude jerks that frequent the liquor store. For she expected to be treated with a little more common decency and respect than she was used to receiving in this place and when that didn’t seem possible… she straight up quit out of the belief that she deserved better and that in turn, led her to make her biggest life-changing decision of the night. Wherein she not only signed up to be a waitress at Sam’s diner… but she was also quick to act on her emotions for him and consummate them post haste and well, in the end, it was simply magnificent to see Allison embrace change and enact it wherever possible in her life. Because not only did her actions remind us of the positive nature of change when we choose to embrace it… but we finally got to see Allison enjoy a taste of happiness for a change and that was just downright refreshing.

As for how people view change in a negative light, well that was handled by Patty’s journey in this tale. Because her life was turned upside down by the universe once she settled back in from the road trip. For Kevin opted to ‘ex-communicate’ her from the group. All because she didn’t make any efforts to bring him back a burger, and Kurt broke things off with her since she didn’t put any urgency behind his proposal and to top it all off, the lack of Oxy in her shop motivated a local scumbag to threaten her to provide him with more drugs, or else. And well… Patty herself even outright said that she hated change and loved patterns and having it come pouring down upon her here, put her in a sour mindset and understandably so. For change can be hard to deal with and it can upend everything that keeps us happy or steady and well… when we are unhappy with change, we can either try and fight it and see where that takes us or try and learn what the universe is trying to tell us when it sends change our way.
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Thankfully Patty went with the latter option and realized this was a wakeup call. For her relationship with Kurt was hollow and unfulfilling and she did need to stop with dealing drugs and of course… Kevin's actions helped to remind her, that he is a piece of human trash that treats everyone equally bad. Because it takes a special kind of jerk to try and replace a life-long friend with a real-life Travis Bickle, also named Patty. Which brought her to make quite the deal with Allison. In that… she was able to talk her neighbor and only friend into avoiding the plan to use drugs to kill Kevin… since there was a chance the plan wouldn’t work. For Kevin is damn near invincible when it comes to abusing substances. But her bigger hope in going this route, was so that she could get her hands on the Oxy and save her hide, and buy her time to execute a new plan. One that would eventually make it appear as though Kevin McRoberts was the one involved in the city’s drug trade and going that route… should in fact allow for Kevin to either disappear behind bars for years on end or end his life without any involvement from Allison and Patty.

Which was quite the unexpected and satisfying twist to see pop up in this tale, since Allison seemed hellbent on doing this herself. But knowing that she wasn’t able to do so, speaks volumes to how great of a person she is and how she understands that there are certain lines you don’t cross and well, while we wait to see how this new plan to bring down Kevin is going to work, we can bask in the wonder of one fascinating tale. Because this one, once again, just presented its observations in the raw and didn’t really demand anything of the viewer. It simply pointed out that you either love or hate change and it is up to us to decide how to perceive it and view it and ultimately whether or not we want to embrace it and that really is a unique way to present and examine change and it will be quite interesting to see what other unique topics come forth for analysis as Allison and Patty begin to enact their plan to be free of Kevin McRoberts and his special brand of stupid. Until next time.

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode Six of ‘Meerkat Manor: Rise of the Dynasty’.
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It is definitely safe to say that fans of Meerkat Manor: Rise of the Dynasty, were eagerly awaiting last night’s episode of this incredible show for one reason and one reason alone, Sencha. For this innocent little meerkat found herself on the receiving end of Flint’s protective fury during last week’s episode and that put her in quite the precarious place. For she was more or less banished from the family and facing an uncertain future and all of us were eager to learn as to whether or not she would ever have a chance at being welcomed back into the clan… or if she was about to spend the rest of her days fighting for survival and thankfully the midseason finale of this dynamic series, took the time to answer those questions and it was also quick to show us how she was doing on her own.
 
As it turns out, she was simply getting by, and that made the opening moments of ‘Episode 6: The Outcast”, a tad heartbreaking. Because it was obvious that Sencha was outright devastated by being cast out from her family and she was so distraught and uncomfortable with sleeping on her own and hunting on her own, that she outright hung near the pack in the hopes of potentially seeing a signal that she might be welcomed home, and this was hard to watch. Simply because we often see meerkat families function as one close knit unit and we are fully aware of how much they depend upon one another for survival. But despite being left to her own devices for far longer than she would have liked, there was in fact a bright spot to come out of her exile.
 
Because eventually a suitor made himself known and since Lilac didn’t have to fight with other males or keep his distance, romance was quick to bloom. And that definitely lifted Sencha’s spirits since she was near a meerkat that cared and that motivated her to do something quite bold, and attempt to reintegrate with the Hakuna Matata clan, since she felt enough time had passed and she wanted more of that sense of belonging. But alas that was a poor miscalculation on her part. For Flint was still on the warpath and in one last final push… she and the family did everything within their power to keep Sencha and her new beau as far away from the family as possible. To the point where she and Lilac were forced to run across the highway to what remains… an unknown future. For while there was a chance to mate, Sencha still has zero clue what comes next for her since Lilac might not stay and that is definitely a powerful way to end her tale, for now. 
 
But while it was indeed heartbreaking and rough to watch Sencha try and forge a path forward on her own… there were parts of this tale that offered up more uplifting moments. For instance, Swift came to realize that hanging out in a cattle field was eventually going to be a poor choice for the clan. Because the little ones were becoming curious about the world beyond the burrow, and despite having a solid babysitter around them… they started to venture into the world and while nothing happened to them during this little journey, the risk of them being trampled or harmed was far too great. Which motivated Swift to tell everyone to pack their tiny meerkat bags and bid the farm farewell in search of a safer environment and well… after a tense run in with an eagle, eventually they returned to an old burrow and quickly repaired it, in preparation for the next chapter in their journey.
 
If anything, this was simply a top-notch midseason finale when all is said and done. Because it featured a powerful cliffhanger involving Sencha since her harrowing saga has yet to reach resolution and of course, it had plenty of tension in regard to the Whiskers family because those little rascals running around and getting near trouble pretty much takes your breath away. But most important of all, it was supremely educational in nature. Because we received an inside look at how versatile a meerkat can be when they are isolated from the family they know and love since Sencha did find a way to survive. and Swift’s decisions here reinforced how cognizant a matriarch is of danger and the need to provide her family her with safety, and that was just incredible to learn for certain. But sadly, the time has now come to hurry up and wait for more episodes of this delightful series. But thankfully, we won’t have to wait all that long for more amazing adventures with these incredible cuties, for Meerkat Manor: Rise of the Dynasty will return to BBC America on September 4, 2021, and it will be quite interesting to see what kind of drama awaits us when we return to the Kalahari in a couple of months. Until next time.