I’ve always found it fascinating how grief and loss are portrayed in television and film because often times those two mediums tend to get it all wrong. Losing a loved one in any capacity is a life changing experience to say the least, the kind that opens your eyes as to how precious and fleeting life really is and for some, well it can devastate the soul in ways one never thought was possible, to the point where the pain never quite goes away. But often times, when a character loses someone close to them on a movie or a show, well it’s honestly no big deal.
 
If anything, it’s treated like the common cold, wherein the characters in question just need to get some rest, drink plenty of fluids to replenish the tears they’ve lost, and they’ll be fine by the next episode. Which is why I think I’m coming to truly appreciate the fourth season of Better Call Saul, because it’s not pulling any punches when it comes to grief or loss, it’s showing us every single nuance of the grieving process and last night’s episode of the show, ‘Talk’, took the time to explore how other grief-stricken characters are dealing with the loss of Charles McGill and oddly enough, others that have passed on, as was the case with Mike.
 
Because Mike, went to some supremely dark places emotionally on the show, something that was motivated by the fact that his daughter was open at group therapy, about how she had a moment of progress in moving on from her husband’s death and the thought of his son’s memory becoming fleeting in the slightest was more than he could bear, and we saw the rage, and the guilt over his son’s death on full display in Mike since he shook with it. And rather than talk to Stacey about what he’s feeling or how what she just said hurt him, he lashed out at a man who has been lying about his pain and his grief to the others in order to get a high and it was incredible to see how people sometimes lash out from the ache they carry in their hearts portrayed on the small screen. 

​But this journey through grief didn’t end there, since this episode took the time to properly catch up with Kim and let us see how she’s dealing with this whole situation. After all, Chuck was an important part of her life as well, and she’s in essence tied to ground zero through Jimmy and seeing what Howard has become as a lawyer, and going through this horrible loss with Jimmy has in essence, drained any passion she currently has for the law, to the point where she’s now sitting in a public courtroom to see if she can re-ignite that passion and well, it’s fascinating that the judge in this episode called her to the carpet when it comes to what she’s trying to do and once again, this is something that some people do when the pain of loss and grief have hit them, they do their best to find some level of meaning in life when they realize how little time we have on tiny planet we call home.
 
Yet, while those two storylines made for some compelling television to say the least, this is still Jimmy McGill’s story and he is the one everyone is concerned about the most and really, in this episode he revealed that he is doing everything and anything he can to not deal with or face the fact that his brother is gone. Because he was simply manic in this episode, which granted, isn’t a change from what we’ve seen prior to this, but to see the concern on his face over having downtime at his new gig as a Supervisor in a cell phone store, says volumes about needing to keep his mind active, but it is nice to see him trying to get back out into the world and make Kim proud. But let’s be honest, I think we all know it’s only a matter of time before something rattles him at this new gig and those painful emotions return to the forefront of his mind, forcing him to unleash his dark side once again…
 
Of course, Nacho’s downward spiral into Gus Fring’s universe was also harrowing to watch in this tale and scary in its own right. But the examination of loss and grief in this story grossly overshadowed his plight and it really is looking more and more like pain is what drives Jimmy, and Mike for that matter as well, to become the men we met in Breaking Bad because they’re embracing the anger and the fury that comes with their respective pain and I’m starting to wonder now if that’s what season four is going to give us; a character study that shows us what happens when good men don’t deal with the most devastating moment in their lives and if that’s what we are exploring this year, we are in for some powerful television indeed, the kind that compels us to watch, despite the fact that it will break our hearts, every step of the way. Until next time.  

As the years roll on, I’ve come to realize that perfection is something that simply cannot be achieved, but there’s no harm in striving for it, especially when it comes to storytelling. Because pushing toward such a thing, means that everyone involved in such an attempt brings their A game to the table and well, it’s clear that a push for perfection is precisely what the cast and crew of Preacher had in mind for this year’s season three finale because not only did ‘The Light Above’ deliver the finest episode to date when it comes to this incredible season, it offered up some stunning moments alongside a thoughtful story concept in a tale that managed to bring together every single plot thread introduced this year.
 
In fact, it’s that story concept that I mentioned that continues to stay at the top of my mind a day after watching this one, because something that this series has never done, is offer up some deep philosophical notions and that’s not a bad thing by any means, it just means the opportunity to do so didn’t arrive until this moment and well, it was worth the wait to say the least since this finale more or less served as a cautionary tale when it comes to revenge. Because plenty of characters on this series have been seeking that kind of fulfillment all year long and well, they finally received their opportunity to obtain it, and there were some ugly consequences to follow from achieving their angry goals.  
 
Take for example, the Saint of Killers, someone who has in essence lived a life dedicated to revenge and has seen some consequences for his actions with the whole, going to Hell thing. But in this particular episode, his fury went to a whole new level when the Angel of Death teased him about the cruelty that his daughter endured in death, and that inspired him to ask some questions when he finally returned to Hell, specifically, if Satan had a hand in planning that kind of indignity and well, he did and the Saint turned on the Dark Lord and put a bullet in his brain, giving the Saint some satisfaction. But his vendetta may have caused more harm than good, since Hitler saw an opportunity to seize power and it would seem the new Prince of Darkness is now one of history’s greatest monsters. 

But the Saint wasn’t the only one to see their quest for revenge blow up in their faces. For Jesse Custer’s vindictive fury is leaving a wake of problems in its own right, despite the fact that he found some supreme satisfaction in exacting revenge in this tale. Because this story did see him finally stand up to Jody and beat him for the first time ever, and he finally got to fulfill his dark wish when it comes to Gran’Ma as well since he was able to put fear into her heart before finally living out his dream of draining her of her soul before settling all of Angelville ablaze and while it would seem that no bad could come from that, the deal that Gran’Ma made with the Devil has in essence damned Jesse Custer to Hell, something that he deems to be worthwhile at the moment and the consequences of his revenge fueled spree didn’t end there.
 
After all, Jesse did do a fine job of pissing off Herr Starr and The Grail as a whole by releasing their Messiah onto the streets of New Orleans and well, hell hath no fury like an Herr Starr scorned and he is going to make Jesse pay for the humiliation he’s brought upon the Grail and Starr and his special plan for vengeance kicked off with the Grail kidnapping Jesse’s best friend shortly after Cassidy dealt with Eccarius in proper and unique fashion and well, that’s where season three leaves us, with Starr standing watch over the Army of the Grail, waiting patiently for Jesse to come rescue his biffle, so that he can finally have the upper hand over Jesse for a change and truly, what a brilliant way to end the best season of this series to date.
 
Because it can’t be easy to tie together as many plot threads as this season introduced, but this finale managed to pull that off in stellar fashion and I love that many an issue that’s been hanging over our character’s heads have been lifted since Jesse finally dealt with his past and Tulip appears to be free of the O’Hare curse. Which means that now our characters can move forward in life and I can’t wait until season four to see how the two unresolved matters in this episode are dealt with. After all, it will be no easy task to save Cassidy from the clutches of the Grail and of course, I’m now dying to know what God’s plan is, since he took the time to save Tulip and asked her nicely to help steer Jesse away from his search for the Almighty. Either way, what a great season, what a great finale, and I’ll be counting down the minutes, until next year.

​It’s rare that a particular event on television is as good as advertised, but BBC America’s ‘One Amazing Summer’ is something that has completely and utterly lived up to the hype since it’s delivered one incredible series after another chronicling something special and incredible about our world and quite frankly, this nonstop learning fest has made me realize, that there is plenty more to discover about our magnificent world and the life that thrives upon it and last night, this proud and newfound tradition of knowledge and examination of planet earth continued with a decidedly different kind of series, Mission Galapagos.
 
I say different, simply because the first episode of this fascinating new series, ‘Cauldron of Life’, tells a story about this unique chain of islands in a way that no other Earth-centric series has managed to this summer. While One Amazing Day and South Pacific gave us broad and sweeping views of the planet and the region that the Galapagos Islands inhabits, this series, is clearly narrowing its focus to truly give us an inside look at the islands in question and, it’s also changing up the style of storytelling as well. Whereas, the last two documentaries featured an observer’s view for the audience, accompanied by magnificent narration, this time around we are pulled into the trenches to meet the crew of the research vessel Alucia, to see first-hand the work this team is performing to learn more about this magnificent place.
 
If anything, this change in the design of the show (which is accompanied by narration to keep things familiar) makes for some unique storytelling, and for this pilot episode, we joined the various teams aboard this vessel as they searched for the ultra-rare Pink Iguana, a species that just so happens to live on the slopes of an active volcano, all in the hopes of seeing how this species is thriving and if can be saved from the brink of extinction and it was incredible to meet these rare creatures and also venture a thousand meters beneath the sea to look for undiscovered species living in the deep. But, while it was supremely awesome to make these discoveries alongside this intrepid team, there is a specific rhyme and a reason as to why so much effort is being poured into learning more about the diverse species that live here.
 
Because our world is changing, specifically the climate, and scientists are extremely curious to know exactly how these native creatures are going to or are already adapting to the incredible challenges they now face and will continue to face and well, some of the wildlife here seems to be doing just fine. After all the giant tortoises in this place, continue to breed and thrive despite the drought that some of them are facing and the marine iguana, a fascinating breed of lizard that has learned how to take to the ocean to feed off of the algae that thrives under the sea, is figuring out how to adapt in record time. Because their food supply is slowly disappearing with every cycle of the El Niño phenomenon and to combat this lack of food, these lizards are physically shrinking in order to use less energy and in turn, consume less food.
 
Yet, what’s truly remarkable about this documentary, is how much science and knowledge the folks behind the scenes were able to pack into a single hour, because this series premiere really was quite the learning experience and it kept my attention from the get go and I have to admit, I felt a little sad seeing this story come to an end because I was hungry to learn more. But, the good news is, we’ve barely scratched the surface when it comes to the wonders of the Galapagos Islands and with two more episodes to go in this series, I’ve no doubt we have plenty more incredible discoveries to enjoy alongside the crew of the Alucia and I for one, cannot wait to tune in next week to see what stunning creatures and discoveries await us in this unique and beautiful place, because it truly is breathtaking. Until next time. 

It’s quite the exciting time to be a Doctor Who fan right now. After all, we’re not too far from the premiere of Series 11, wherein we will be treated to incredible adventures with the Thirteenth Doctor (played by Jodie Whittaker) and her new companions, and while it’s already incredible to know that we are going to see the first female Doctor lead the charge in making the universe a better place, the anticipation surrounding this show is at an all-time high thanks to the mystery surrounding this new Doctor and her upcoming adventures since BBC America is rightfully keeping everything under wraps to enhance the surprise.
 
But, bit by bit, we are getting some idea of what to expect from Series 11 and thanks to a recent announcement from BBC America, we know now that the Writers and Directors of this fresh new take on the franchise, are going to be quite the diverse group and they were described by Showrunner Chris Chibnall as: ‘Hailing from a range of backgrounds, tastes and styles, here’s what unites them: they are awesome people as well as brilliant at their job. (It matters!) They love Doctor Who. And they’ve all worked above and beyond the call of duty in an effort to bring audiences something special, later this year.’

So, who are these new creative minds working behind the scenes to bring a new Time Lord’s adventures to life? And what makes them so diverse? Well look no further than their resumes. Take Malorie Blackman for instance, who has authored over 60 books aimed at children and young adults and her novel Pig-Heart Boy was adapted into a BAFTA-winning, six-part serial series on T.V. She’s joined by BAFTA nominated playwright and screenwriter Vinay Patel, seasoned television veteran Pete McTighe and this wonderful staff is rounded out by Joy Wilkinson, who worked on The Life and Adventures of Nick Nickleby.

As for the directors that will bring the incredible stories these writers assemble, to life, Sallie Aprahamian will bring her twenty years of directing experience to the Thirteenth Doctor’s adventures and she is joined by Jennifer Perrott and Mark Tonderai who both have experience directing serialized television shows and surprisingly, we’ve actually had a small taste of what we might expect in Series 11 thanks to the last director joining the show, Jamie Childs. Because Jamie was the one behind the camera for Jodie’s entrance in Peter Capaldi’s final episode and after looking at this list and seeing their resumés, my excitement for the premiere is only growing.

Because this is a fine mix of creative minds that each bring something special to the table for the Doctor, and I am supremely intrigued by this mix since it blends together all kinds of unique backgrounds and ideas, meaning that we are likely in for the most creative and spectacular series of the show to date, and thanks to this announcement, I’ll be counting down the days and minutes until the new season arrives so that I can see how these wonderful minds come together to usher in a new era for our favorite Time Lord…

Normally, when I hear the cast and crew of a particular television series declare their upcoming season to be the ‘darkest’ to date, I’m naturally quite skeptical of that claim. Because darkness and television really don’t mix that well since it’s a slippery slope to go down, one that can alienate an audience if it goes to places far bleaker than expected and often times a ‘dark’ season just means a few of the characters on a particular series deal with some tough times before things get back to normal. But when the cast and crew of Better Call Saul made that particular claim earlier this year, I definitely felt a chill going down my spine. Because this is a show that doesn’t mess around, and it isn’t afraid in the slightest to venture to ugly places that most shows avoid.
 
Yet, while the first two episodes have been bleak in their own right as we've watched Jimmy McGill struggle with the death of his brother, I’ve honestly been surprised that we have yet to see a true downward spiral come to fruition storytelling wise and well, as the old saying goes, be careful what you wish for, because last night’s episode of the series, ‘Something Beautiful’, finally allowed for that to happen, and I will admit that I was completely and utterly unprepared for the proverbial storm that this particular tale unleashed upon all of us. Because this story, was filled to the brim with nervous breakdowns and challenging, life threatening moments the likes of which we’ve never seen on this series and really, I suppose the best place to start today, would be to look at Nacho’s harrowing journey in this tale.
 
Because this episode more or less picked up immediately after the events of ‘Breathe’, wherein we found Nacho in another precarious place, on cleanup duty with Fring’s men in order to make it seem as though an interested party or rival cartel had made a move against the Salamancas and well, Nacho had to go through hell to sell this grand and sweeping lie, to the point where he took a pair of bullets and suffered greatly after that. For he had to spend who knows how long aching in the desert and he was forced to endure some sub-par medical care, all in the name of forwarding Gus’ plan to eventually corner the drug market in Albuquerque and well, this ugly part of the story was sobering to say the least, and it truly set the tone for how this episode was going to go and really, it was all downhill from there. 

​Which brings us to Jimmy’s journey in this tale, which may not have been as disturbing as Nacho’s journey, but it was still tough to watch none the less simply because, Jimmy is continuing to break down and others are taking notice. After all, Mike was quick to show genuine surprise over Jimmy’s push to pull off the heist at Neff Copiers and did his best to console the man, but Mike’s concern is warranted because Jimmy is hell bent on getting the unwholesome fix that he needs, and he eventually managed to get the heist to come to fruition, with mixed results. If anything, the heist sequence itself was really the only comic relief we received in this tale, and it was neat to see the reintroduction/introduction of Ira (and Gale as well) into this whole universe but really, Jimmy’s obsession with doing something bad to feel good is of serious concern, as was the final breakfast scene.
 
For in that moment, Kim finally decided it was high time for Jimmy to deal with the final matters concerning his brother, and she gave him the five-thousand-dollar buyout for the Will and the letter that she was concerned would shatter his psyche and well, that letter ended up breaking her in surprising fashion. Because Jimmy was actually happy to read the letter and did so in the coldest of fashion and well, that brought Kim to tears, implying that she believes that Jimmy is falling to pieces and burying his pain and while she’s right, the concern that I have when it comes to this scene is that, Jimmy isn’t giving her the full story. After all, she doesn’t know about that devastating final conversation between these two brothers, the one that ended their relationship and well, Jimmy’s lack of communication with someone that loves him is disconcerting to say the least and likely damaging during this precarious time since he is in essence pushing away someone that cares for him deeply and well, all storylines aside, the complexity and subtlety of this scene was downright brilliant and downright heartbreaking.  
 
If anything, it’s tough to watch Jimmy’s downward slide continue and well, when all is said and done, this episode was a mess, and I mean that as a compliment. Because everything in this tale was a powerful yet compelling disaster, making the title ironic and the darkness of this tale definitely gave me pause because this one was tough to watch and tough to write about and well, I tip my cap to the Writer’s Room and the cast for delivering the darkness they promised and, in all honesty, I’m nervous yet curious to see what comes next. Because this show isn’t messing around in the slightest and it’s not offering any easy path forward for the characters and things are likely only going to get bleaker from here on out, which is going to make season three all the more incredible, and all the more painful to watch. Until next time.  

​The more time I’ve had to think about the last few episodes of Preacher, the more I find myself impressed with what the show is accomplishing right now. Because this series is packing in storyline after storyline week after week, something that I’m certain is no easy task, but here we are and once again, this show continued along with this new tradition because last night’s episode, ‘Schwanzkopf’, was once again filled to the brim with three concurrent storylines that found our intrepid heroes in some tough positions from which it seemed (for some) there was no escape. 
 
Take Cassidy’s storyline for instance, because now that he was armed with the knowledge that Eccarius is a cold-blooded killer, he tried his best to stand up to him and quite frankly, failed at every single turn. Because Cass simply doesn’t have the physical and meta-physical skill set to stand up to his now former friend, nor does he have the ability to snap the Children of Blood out of their firm belief in Eccarius and well, his titanic failure to convince anyone that they’re dealing with a monster has him in quite the precarious situation now, since the cult was more than happy to follow their leader’s direction and crucify Cassidy onto the pool table, so that he can eventually burn in the sunlight and how he will escape from this one is anyone’s guess since there’s no guarantees his last minute gambit with Mrs. Rosen worked in the slightest.
 
Yet while Cassidy’s tale was pretty grim, Tulip at least fared better in her respective struggle. Because thanks to Eugene, the Angel of Death got her hands on the right target, and brought Tulip aboard the express bus to Hell, wherein she went to work on figuring out a plan to escape said bus…with mixed results. Because until she took the time to antagonize the Saint of Killers, her ideas were more or less a waste of time and even then, it took sheer frustration from Hitler to make anything worthwhile happen and oddly enough, while it would seem that Tulip is going to be okay for the moment, one has to wonder how long her safety will last, since Hitler’s new shock troops helped to rescue the trio and nothing good can ever come from salvation at the hands of Nazis.
 
If anything, the only person who fared well in this episode was Jesse. Because he was able to use deception in order to free himself from his harness and surprise the Allfather with an explosive taste of Genesis, defeating the Big Boy and eventually he got his soul back after a supremely gross, yet hilarious battle royale with Starr set amongst the gooey remains of the Allfather. And with his soul firmly back in place, Genesis is at his command once again, and to exact his revenge upon the Grail for constantly screwing with him and his friends, he found a way to dismantle this group by hitting them where it hurts, by denying them a Messiah. And in order to properly put an end to their apocalyptic plans, Jesse unleashed Humperdoo and every last clone of him into the world, effectively making the Grail look like fools when all is said and done, and while that would have served as an awesome ending to this tale in its own right, this episode found a way to put one last smile on our faces.
 
Because the closing moments of this story, saw Jesse return to Angelville with his confidence restored and with one thing on his mind, to settle the score with Gran’Ma and well, you really cannot set up a season finale better than this episode did. Because our heroes have some big issues to resolve come next week and really, I’m loving how this series has more or less abandoned its slow burn style of storytelling to get every last loose thread resolved, and it is paying off in spades and while it kind of, sort of stinks that the season is coming to an end next week, at least I know it’s going to be one hell of a ride, and for the last time this year, I’ll be counting down the minutes to the next chapter in this incredible story to see how everyone wraps up, their respective messes. Until next time.    

Over the past six weeks, we have come to discover wonders thanks to BBC America’s magnificent documentary, South Pacific. Because this remote part of our world has been put on display like never before in this tale, allowing for us to learn more about the people in this part of the world, the life that mankind has brought its perfect shores and how said life has learned to survive and thrive against seemingly impossible odds. Yet, as is the case with all good things, our journey through this paradise has finally come to its end, since last night’s episode of this beautiful saga, also served as the series finale, closing out this story in thoughtful fashion.
 
Because it’s important to remember that this sliver of the ocean, is as delicate as any other part of Planet Earth and ‘Fragile Paradise’ spent the hour showing us some of the dangers inherent to the South Pacific’s future, and of course, what mankind can do to potentially stave off an ecological disaster in this majestic place. Obviously, the first and major threat that could harm the wonder of this chain of islands is climate change. For the rising seas will force all kinds of changes and disrupt life for many of the human beings that call this region home. In fact, the show made a point to highlight the island of Tuvalu, a place that 12,000 people call home. And if climate change cannot be altered, the rising seas will make this island uninhabitable and force these people to relocate.
 
In addition to making life difficult for humans out there, climate change will also cause trouble for marine life as well, since some species of creatures that serve as food, that so many other species depend upon will disappear, and the impact of something like that will be grave indeed. Yet, while combating that matter will take more time, one thing that can be done in the here in the and now, is ensuring that there is balance in the South Pacific, something that humans can help with greatly. Because our status atop the food chain has forced our boats into this region to fish its rich waters and the more we take, the more we tax this environment to produce, and it simply cannot keep up with our consumption rate, putting more wildlife in danger.
 
However, while it seems as though this particular finale was full of gloom and doom, it offered hope for this part of the world by showing us how some humans are doing their part to preserve the wonder of the South Pacific and Fiji is leading the way. For there are people on this particular island, who are working to help Coral Reefs survive by planting and growing their own reefs and then transplanting these healthy bits of that reef to damaged ones in order to keep those important parts of the ocean thriving and they are also doing their part to de-mystify the shark as a whole by showing people how important these creatures are to the food chain and what majestic creatures they actually are. And most importantly, there are fisherman who are finding better ways to catch fish, with methods that keep the population healthy. 
 
If anything, this finale simply serves as a reminder that we are all in it together when it comes to planet Earth, and mankind has to help in keeping the ecosystems we depend upon thriving and I truly appreciated the fact that this episode reminded us of the fact that we can achieve wonders when we put our minds to it, since we managed to save the Humpback Whale years ago by making their survival a focus, and if we apply ourselves here, the South Pacific can maintain its majesty. Either way, what a magnificent documentary this turned out to be, I simply learned so much about the South Pacific and while I’m a little sad that this documentary has come to its end, I cannot wait to see what other wonders about our world BBC America is ready to reveal to us in the weeks to come.  

​Normally when it comes to television shows, tying together every little plot thread and delivering big time surprises are saved for late in the season because that’s the best time possible for a series to tip its hand. After all, we’re invested, we’re dying to know more about the mysteries being presented to us, so we tune in and crave more, only to have our minds blown when the finale arrives, and everything comes together. Unless of course, you’re watching NBC’s Timeless, because only this series could deliver a finale caliber episode, weeks before we are anywhere near the real one.
 
Because ‘The Watergate Tape’, brought forth all kinds of incredible surprises, jaw dropping ones in fact, to the point where I honestly had trouble deciding where to start in dissecting this episode. But in reality, it’s best we start with the first surprise of this episode, the fact that we came to learn that Garcia Flynn, isn’t as evil as we’ve been led to believe. I mean, don’t get me wrong, he’s not exactly Mother Teresa, but the fact that he spilled his guts to Wyatt in this one, and expressed his desire to bring down Rittenhouse speaks volumes to how far he’s willing to go to set a wrong, right, and it’s obvious this moment likely set the foundation for his turn to the light side in season two.
 
In addition to that little shocker, I was quite pleased with how every single secret that Rufus has been keeping hidden, came to light in this story as well, and that it didn’t go over smooth in the slightest. Because it would have been downright silly for Wyatt and Lucy to just forgive the man outright, and their frustration with his secrecy will mean that Rufus will have to work hard to earn their trust once again, which means we will see him at his best going forward, and really, the same goes for Lucy, since her secrets were revealed in this tale as well and while this should have been enough to carry this powerful tale, there were still more surprises waiting in the wings for us.
 
Case in point, the fact that we learned just how powerful Rittenhouse truly is in this tale, and I’m not talking about how it was revealed that they’re bankrolling Mason Industries, I’m talking about how they are everywhere in this story. From showing up on the Nixon tape, to their agents and their backstory, this reveal truly made the episode chilling in a way since up to this point, Rittenhouse was nothing more than a name, and an entity and now, they’re a grave threat to the Time Team and they’ve rattled our heroes to no end, and I’m fairly certain that had I watched this episode when it first aired, I would have been worried about the future of the Time Trio.
 
Thankfully, I know that there is zero chance of this team splitting up (whew), but man, this episode really was something to behold. It honestly felt like a season finale and would have made a fine one for that matter as well. But, clearly this series has bigger fish to fry in the weeks to come, and bigger moments await us and I’m glad that the Time Trio will eventually find their way together again as a unit and I really cannot wait to see the Rittenhouse plot line continue to unfold so that at long last, I will know everything that there is to know when it comes to this incredible story. Until next time. 

I’ve come to realize over the years, that a vast majority of television shows, like to make what their characters are all about as black and white as possible. If they’re a good person or a hero for that matter, then they are in many ways infallible. Sure, they will be tested and face strife, but that moral center never waivers and they return to it as often as possible and really the same can be said of the villains as well. They’re bad people, they do bad things and good luck when it comes to possibly seeing them do something noble or worthwhile and really, this compartmentalization of characters is something that’s quite unfortunate to see when it comes to television.
 
Because when a show goes down this road, the writing can slide into cookie cutter territory, making for an enjoyable experience, but not one that truly satisfies and that’s why I think myself and plenty of other people gravitate to toward shows that dare to dig deeper into their characters and their flaws, like Better Call Saul, for instance. Because Jimmy McGill’s incredible story has never once given us anything cliché or topical, it puts everything complex and confusing about mankind on display and it is never afraid to shy away from the grey area that people truly operate within and for proof, look no further than last night’s episode, ‘Breathe’, wherein just about every single character in this series found themselves on both sides of the proverbial coin of good and evil. 
 
The most obvious part of that when it comes to this story, came by way of Mike and Nacho’s storylines since both of these men continued to walk the fine line they’ve always walked in life as Mike tried his damndest in this tale to find the balance between taking a paycheck for free, from a company that he knows is shady as can be, all while making the most out of the experience to justify in his mind what he’s doing and Nacho, well…he tried desperately to start his transition away from a life of crime, only to discover there’s a certain thrill that he cannot replicate in life without being a part of something sinister and it would also seem that escape is going to be impossible for him regardless, considering the fact that Gus is onto what he did to Hector and will use that as leverage in the days and weeks to come. 

​But as for how the series worked in the grey areas that people tend to gravitate toward, well that all came about by way of Jimmy’s storyline in this tale, wherein it seemed that Jimmy was going to be okay after all since he was already getting a head start on finding a new job to pay the bills while he waited for his restrictions from practicing law to end and well, it’s clear that Kim was right and that Jimmy needed to take a little more time before venturing out into the world like this because he’s a man who is rattled and confused. On one hand, he’s desperate to find his place in the world, and he’s hungry for someone’s approval, but he’s also filled with fury and rage over what’s happened, to the point where he flat out torpedoed a job opportunity that he initially was desperate to take on. 
 
Yet, while at first that doesn’t seem like a grey area to operate within, since in reality such an act appears to be a man working through his grief, one cannot forget that Jimmy goes to some dark places when he hurts, and he prefers to lash out at others and hurt them in order to heal his pain and the tirade he went off on at Neff Copiers was just the bare beginning of his ‘healing fury’ because Jimmy couldn’t help but notice a rare collectible at that office, one that could net him a decent payday, and one that could net him a sense of wholeness if he can get his hands on it and well, it’s chilling to watch Slippin’ Jimmy return to the forefront of this story and it should be interesting to watch how Mister McGill balances the darkness surging through his veins with the good things left in his life, and the decision to put together a heist at the end of this tale, only lends greater power to the tragedy brewing before us.
 
Because there is at least one person left in Jimmy’s corner, and that’s Kim, and if anything this episode gave us great insight into just how much she loves this man since she was willing to unload her own brand of fury (something we’ve never seen her do) upon Howard for his weak and spineless gestures in this episode and the last and that just breaks my heart, since it’s obvious that Kim is nowhere to be found when Saul Goodman arrives and in many ways, it would seem that Saul will eventually exist so that Jimmy can always operate in the grey area and find peace by being part of both the light and the dark and that’s why I love this show, because it’s giving us every little nuance and quirk when it comes to Jimmy’s future and while this is going to shatter all of us emotionally, I know I’m not alone in wanting to see the exact moment when Jimmy finds that perfect balance in his mind by making Saul Goodman a reality. Until next time.   

​I’m always a huge fan of when a television series finds its particular stride during a respective season simply because that means the audience is in for quite a treat. Our questions are answered, the plot chugs along and we have a ton of fun in the process and it would seem that Preacher falls into that category because everything is clicking when it comes to this series right now and last night’s episode of the show, ‘The Tom/Brady’, once again delivered in every way imaginable, by providing us with three fascinating storylines that captivated us and allowed for us to laugh, all while setting the stage for what looks to be a powerful and downright epic season finale.
 
In fact, each storyline handled a particular element that I just made mention of, since Cassidy’s storyline answered a question that I posed last week in that, what would happen when he discovered that Eccarius is an outright monster and well, it turns out…nothing good, since it would seem this ancient vampire is ready to lay the smack down on Cassidy now that his dirty secret is out. But how Cass discovered his friend’s evil scheme is what matters more here since it happened in such wild and unexpected fashion. I mean come on, you would think that a centuries old vampire would do a better job of hiding the evidence of his crimes, but clearly Eccarius has a lot to learn since Lisa’s bloody neck pillow was in plain sight in the trash but hey, at least the newly turned Hoover has a fighting chance to enjoy his new life as a vampire.
 
As for how the series advanced the plot, well that accomplished by way of Jesse and Tulip since their storylines revealed all kinds of surprises. Because while Tulip and Jody and Featherstone were off working on a spin off for the Ocean’s film series (Custer’s Trinity would be a kick ass title for that), we learned that Gran’Ma is pals with the Devil and has set up a new deal with her old friend to quench her thirst for souls and of course, this part of the story reinforced the fact that the ‘O’Hare Curse’ relates to Tulip’s temper because once again, it got the better of her and jeopardized the initial deal with Gran’Ma since she handed Featherstone over to Satan’s personal assistant, meaning there’s going to have to be a rescue mission to fix that mess.
 
As for the other surprises in question, well, all of those came about when we caught up with Jesse at the Grail’s headquarters. Because we learned in this sequence that the Allfather’s poor health actually works to his benefit since a bullet to the chest merely penetrates a fraction of the fat he’s carrying, and that Herr Starr is afraid of his boss through and through, something I never thought was possible. But the centerpiece of the night, was the grand reveal that the Grail has been planning to get their hands on Genesis for some time, and is willing to sacrifice clones of Humperdoo to find the right genetic mix to make Genesis take hold and wouldn’t you know it? They have apparently found the right formula…
 
If anything, one can feel the tension building toward the season finale, and it’s already getting pretty heavy because the thought of Humperdoo having that kind of power is terrifying and evil working together is equally as scary and well, when all is said and done, what a wild and delightful episode. I never thought I would chuckle so hard at watching an army of Humperdoo’s explode, but here we are and that makes me wonder if I need to see a therapist or not, but I’m guessing probably not. Because off the wall moments are what we signed up for and I’m sure that plenty more are on their way since there are only two episodes left in season three of this incredible show. Until next time.