We all familiar with the phrase, ‘we are a product of our environment’ simply due to the fact that there is some truth to that particular phrase, but not in the sense that one might think. Because while those words are often applied to psychology and debated hotly amongst human beings, it stands as fact in the wild by way of evolution. Because the environment has quite the impact on nature and the beings that inhabit this world and last night’s episode of South Pacific, decided it was high time to explore how the environment in this remote chain of islands has helped to mold some incredible creatures in ‘Strange Islands’.  

If anything, I’m glad the series took the time to address this, because often times we don’t think much about how nature figures out how to help life to survive in the tougher parts of our world by way of evolution, but this particular tale dug deep into this fascinating aspect of science and this chapter opened up by showing us how on some islands, the lack of diverse wildlife and predators for that matter, has allowed for some species to find new and commanding roles in the wild. To the point where a species of kangaroo now own the trees and some lizards have come to enjoy the wonder of vegetation as a food supply and friendship, something rare for the species as a whole. 

But this magnificent exploration into evolution didn’t end there. As the show took the time to focus upon the many species of birds that have found ways to grow and thrive in these wild environments. And what was equally as fascinating, was how many various avian species have more or less forgotten about flight now that they no longer have natural predators to deal with and these various species thrive happily. In fact, the Kakapo, which is found in New Zealand, can live up to a hundred years thanks to this blessing, and it was also quite cool to see how these birds have also seen their physical appearance change over time in order to feed and thrive on the various flora and fauna that they found themselves surrounded by. 

But. While all of this was fascinating to learn in its own right. It does leave one to wonder, how do all these unique creatures find a new home in a place where life shouldn’t thrive or rarely welcomes new species, and the answer to that question...is that often times mankind plays a part in helping life to find a new home since we transported many a creature to the places we colonized. Case in point, Hawaii, an island chain that once saw only one new species arrive on its shores every 35,000 years. But the advent of man changed all of that as mainland species after mainland species found its way to this beautiful paradise and countless other islands, which in some cases disrupted the natural order of things and helped to wipe some species off the map. 

While that unfortunate news could have allowed for this episode of the show to go to some dark and worrisome places, thankfully it ended on a high note. Because mankind is starting to do its best to help all of these species out, to the point where we are removing some the wildlife that doesn’t belong in the South Pacific, or we are feeding and nurturing the endangered species that need our help and well, that’s magnificent to say the least. Because in order for the South Pacific to remain unique and wonderful, it needs our help and it’s good to know we are in fact doing our part to keep this place as magical as possible. Until next time.

​It’s difficult to properly quantify exactly what it is that makes NBC’s Timeless such an amazing series because there are simply so many reasons why we enjoy this magnificent show. But for me, one thing that keeps me coming back over and over again, is the sheer fact that this saga is incredibly versatile in how it tells a particular tale. At any given moment, it can give us a tense and powerful drama, or a story filled to the brim with action and adventure, and it can flat out put smiles on our faces by giving us a lighthearted story filled with laughs and quirky moments. Or, as was the case with the next episode in this series, ‘The Alamo’, it can drop a powerful character study into our laps.
 
Because this is a tale that not only took us to an incredibly important time in American history, since the Alamo and everything that happened there galvanized the people of Texas to rise up and fight General Santa Anna, leading to the creation of the state of Texas, but it also really dug deep into the nature of heroism. Specifically, what makes a hero, a hero, and how the people we admire in that role, have their own demons and fears when it comes to tough situations and oddly enough, all of that was accomplished by focusing heavily on Wyatt in this story. Because we came to learn in this episode that he has some skeletons in his closet, the kind that can rattle a man in the most inappropriate of moments.
 
In fact, the entire siege at the Alamo was reminiscent of an incident that Wyatt ran into while he was in the field, wherein he was chosen as the sole survivor of a no-win scenario that would cost his team their lives, all so that important intelligence could make it back to his superiors and this, along with the fact that he was potentially looking at his final mission with the Time Team left Wyatt rattled and out of sorts for a fair majority of the episode, and that was supremely important when it comes to what the story was trying to accomplish, since it humanized the Trio and every hero in this story for that matter as well.
 
If anything, reminding us of a hero’s humanity never stopped being a focal point as this episode went on, and to hammer the notion home, Davy Crockett admitted to Rufus that he fudged the facts when it comes to a few of the stories about his life in order to inspire others. But what is truly interesting about all of this is that the push to demystify heroism managed to provide us with a reason as to what exactly separates a hero from the rest of the pack, in that they make a choice to overcome their fears and their doubts in order to make something special happen, and eventually the Trio did just that and in the process achieved wonders in this tale since they foiled Flynn’s plans once again and helped history stay on track. As an added bonus, they showed unity in this story as well since Lucy and Rufus made it clear that they wouldn’t travel through time ever again without Wyatt on their side.
 
When all is said and done however, I have to admit that this episode was in many ways inspiring, thanks to Wyatt’s storyline really. Because despite the fact that he’s been through hell, and that the trauma from that dark day still haunts him, he still finds a way to put it aside and tend to the mission at hand and save as many lives as he can in the process and well, that’s about as heroic as it gets and it was just wonderful to see what makes Wyatt tick in this tale, and see the Time Team display unity and strength in front of whatever government doofball tried to break them up, because let’s be honest, that’s a stupid idea. Either way, this was just another amazing episode, and I’m ready to start another. Until next time. 

​I have to admit, the more time I’ve had to think about the ending of the last episode of Timeless, wherein we came to discover that Flynn had his hands on a plutonium core, the more I found myself concerned about what the heck he was going to do with it. Because having that kind of a device means nothing but trouble and it made me slightly nervous to settle in to watch the next chapter in this grand and sweeping tale because this is a show that doesn’t mess around, since it resolves plot threads aggressively and considering the fact that evil is everywhere at this point in the story, I expected this nuclear mess to come to a head in epic and harrowing fashion.
 
All of these feelings and concerns were further amplified by the fact that ‘Party at Castle Varlar’ opened up with a glimpse of the Third Reich celebrating the launch of a powerful rocket in 1944, shortly before jumping back to present day to reveal that Flynn and his lackeys escaped with the nuclear core in the Mothership to that same place and time, mere moments before Wyatt and his team could capture them all, leaving an ominous cloud over this tale since it seemed quite plausible that the Time Team was going to face insurmountable odds to keep atomic weapons from getting into the hands of some of the worst people that history has ever known.
 
But, instead of being a supremely dark tale where the stakes were higher than ever, this episode actually ended up being quite the entertaining ride, since the Time Trio had the opportunity to hang out with Ian Fleming, the creator of the James Bond saga and every single scene that the team shared with Fleming was downright gold. But really, what made this particular story so worthwhile, is the sheer fact that the series once again found a way to provide us with some fantastic character development in the midst of a crisis since this story really served as Lucy’s arrival as a hero.
 
Because she spent most of this episode struggling with her newfound role as a defender of time, and it was fascinating to see the weight of history wearing her down since it truly humanized her as a character. And let’s be honest, her talk with Wyatt was quite the beautiful moment, since it demonstrated just how this team is starting to come together, how well these two understand one another and also because, Wyatt actually managed to inspire her and now that she has a cause to rally behind, we’re seeing a newfound confidence from Lucy and that’s just awesome when all is said and done.
 
Oddly enough, the feel-good moments didn’t quite end there because I also experienced a supreme sense of relief over the fact that Flynn didn’t give the nuke to the Nazis. Instead, it was converted into a power cell for the Mothership. Granted, that makes it harder to track, but it does foreshadow Flynn’s eventual turn to the proverbial light side and really, I’m thinking further ahead because this particular episode really didn’t do much to advance the overall plot and that’s not a bad thing. Because the spirit of adventure is what drives this series, and there’s plenty of time for the bigger story to unfold, since, as I mentioned before, this show always delivers and I cannot forget, that the quicker I watch this show, the quicker I get to those all-important moments. So, on that note, it’s time to settle in for another jaunt through history. Until next time.

The best television shows out there, feature powerful and incredible moments that stay with you for a very long time. These are the kind of jaw dropping scenes that move in you ways you never thought imaginable, and give you pause long after that particular and earth-shattering moment has come to its end and thus far, when it comes to Better Call Saul, that moment in question arrived at the end of season three, wherein Charles McGill, faced with a future where he was no longer a part of the purity of the law, took his own life in horrifying fashion. It was a death that quite frankly, no one expected to see and well, I think it’s safe to say that we were all wondering how Jimmy would handle Chuck’s passing, and how the show would present the fallout of his death as well.
 
Because in reality, the series could have handled this in simple yet powerful fashion, by taking a step forward in time to show us the lasting pain or push toward healing that Jimmy and everyone else that was close to Chuck is going through. But instead of taking that simpler road storytelling wise, this series decided instead to pick up immediately after the flames consumed everything within Chuck’s home and I have to say, that was quite the bold decision. Because in reality, so many of us have experienced the loss of a family member in our lifetime, and the moment we found out that they left our lives, we were likely just going about our day, the same way that Jimmy was, and well, that made this part of the story supremely relatable and supremely powerful since we’ve all been in Jimmy McGill’s shoes.
 
Yet the show wasn’t quite done with taking us on an emotional journey when it comes to loss, because we were with Jimmy every single step of the way in this tale and my goodness, it’s obvious that Chuck’s passing rattled this confident man like never before. In fact, it was quite stunning to see the normally lively and plucky James McGill so silent and reserved in this episode as his brain and his heart tried to process the fact that his brother, a man he did adore and wanted to have to a relationship with was gone forever and the silence and the pain on Jimmy’s face throughout this episode said everything it needed to about his state of mind and the ache surging through him and my hat goes off to Bob Odenkirk for such a powerful performance. 

But, really, there’s one moment that stands out above the rest when it comes to Jimmy’s journey through grief in this tale, and that came about during the tail end of this episode, wherein Howard made a pit stop by Kim’s place to spend a moment with old friends and colleagues to reminisce about Chuck’s life and perhaps, what exactly drove him over the edge, which was the whole insurance debacle that Jimmy set in motion late last season. And when this came out in the open, the look on Jimmy’s face is one that I will never forget, because it was an incredible mix of guilt, anger and pain all rolled into one, and his behavior after hearing this news, by sassing Howard and acting so cheery, well…it means that in many ways, Jimmy just reached a breaking point, and he will never be the same…
 
However, because this part of the story provided us with some incredibly heavy and somber moments, the show had no choice but to break up the uglier parts of this tale by catching up with some of the other characters from this rich and incredible universe, and oddly enough, it was a welcome respite to see the fallout from Salamanca’s stroke and learn that Gus is keeping a close eye on Nacho. Plus, Mike’s whole storyline, wherein he took his security consultant work to a whole new level, to the point where he was able to walk around Madrigal with minimal fuss, led to some of the only laughs of the night as he explored the offices and warehouses of this iconic company. But despite Mike being able to put a smile on our faces, all of this was in fact overshadowed greatly, by Chuck’s death and Jimmy’s downward spiral.
 
In fact, it’s worth pointing out that Jimmy was put through the wringer in just about every way imaginable in this episode since the Gene/Omaha segment was ominous to say the least since it seems Jimmy ran into someone that knows him from his time as Saul Goodman and well, when all is said and done, while this episode was downright heartbreaking and tough to watch at times, it was also downright brilliant. Because this kind of introspective storytelling is rare to find on television and everything that happened in this tale, serves as a fine reminder that we are in fact bearing witness to a grand American tragedy, and the closing moments of this tale, wherein Jimmy oozed apathy, is solid proof that he is truly starting down that slippery slope toward becoming Saul Goodman. Until next time. 

​Okay, so, I really need to start this particular Retro Recap of Timeless with an apology to all the Clockblockers out there, simply because, I’ve been slacking. I’ve been doing a poor job of recapping the first season of this magnificent show and that’s bad on me simply because, this is truly a time for celebration. After all, the fans worked their magic once again, and saved this show from the cancellation void since we are finally getting a two-hour movie to wrap this magnificent story up. So, I won’t make any excuses here today as why I’ve been slacking, just know, I’m sorry, and it’s time to get back to celebrating this amazing show by digging back into every single moment of season one, starting with the next chapter in the Time Team’s story, ‘Atomic City’.
 
Now if anything, the third episode of this show, signaled quite the paradigm shift for the series. Because in reality, the first two episodes, were a touch on the dark side and that’s okay. After all, Flynn and Rittenhouse got right to work in doing some incredibly rotten things with the timeline and being thrust into the role of a time traveler cannot be an easy task for our Time Trio, but this particular tale, well it had a different feel to it. In fact, it was just downright fun, and it was cool to travel back to this particular timeframe of Las Vegas history, wherein the city was more of a nuclear attraction than a tourist town and I have to admit, I had a smile plastered to my face watching this story as the team finally started to loosen up around one another and have a little fun with their adventures, something I saw in spades during season two.
 
As an added bonus, I couldn’t help but notice that this episode served as the genesis for something that made me fall in love with the show in the first place, character development. Because the Time Team’s struggle with their newfound roles, was front and center in this tale, especially when it comes to Wyatt, who truly felt as though it was unfair to save only the greater good and not his beloved wife, and it was stunning and heartbreaking to watch him do everything he could think of to try and change the future in order to keep Jessica alive, to no avail of course, and I also loved how the team didn’t shun him for his pain or make him feel bad about it. They supported him, they did their best to lift him up and I would venture to say this was also the budding beginning of the grand romance between Lucy and Wyatt that we’re still kinda waiting for, unfortunately.
 
Yet, while all of that was important and mesmerizing, the other big element that I loved in this story, was the fact that it handled our trip into the past differently in both design and storytelling style. While the first two episodes more or less set the stage for where we were headed and what particular moment the Time Team was going to try and prevent from changing, this episode left us completely in the dark and let the story grow organically and that made for a fascinating tale that focused heavily on John F. Kennedy’s mistress, Judith Campbell, and her desperate desire to keep her machinations in the shadows and that added a new layer to this show, almost a noir-ish feel to the whole thing and all of these changes made this tale supremely enjoyable.
 
However, perhaps the true crown jewel of this story, is the sheer fact that in essence, the bad guys win in this one because that’s just so rare to find in storytelling period. But Flynn and his gang really did get the better of Mason Industries since they were able to get their hands on a plutonium core after all and well, when all is said and done, it feels good to be watching this show once again and I am definitely invigorated and ready to power through season one. Because this show really does deserve to be talked about more so the uninitiated, as I was once was, can discover its wonder and also because, it’s time to complete this journey on a personal level so that I am one hundred percent informed on what happened in the first two seasons, before that all important series finale hits the airwaves. Until next time.      

Sometimes, when a television series has been delivering some heavier and harrowing plotlines, it’s never a bad thing for said series to let loose and have a little fun, provided of course that’s something the show is able to do when it comes to its respective genre. Because sometimes, you simply have to lighten the mood, and bringing a smile to our faces is something that AMC’s Preacher has always managed to do, but this year, has been slightly different. There’s been a lot that our characters need to address for their own development and growth, so the usual laughs that this series sometimes sends our way have been somewhat absent, until last night that is since ‘Hilter’, finally allowed for the audience to enjoy a few chuckles with a surprisingly loose and wild storyline.
 
In fact, this particular tale wasted no time in getting to the laughs by allowing for us to finally catch up with the missing Adolf Hitler, who as it turns out, managed to land himself a new job in sandwich shop under the alias David Hilter and wouldn’t you know it? He turned out to be one hell of an employee. He was efficient, good with customers, and he even was so kind as to cover for his boss while the man went next door to…enjoy the company of a young woman and for brief moment there, it truly seemed that Hitler, er…Hilter was a reformed man on his way to one hell of a second chance and well, who knew that part of that second chance included starting a brand new Reich right here on American soil and well…this whole sequence was just ridiculous and hilarious and while it wrapped up quick with the Saint bringing Hitler and Eugene back to Hell, the laughs didn’t end there.
 
Because back in Angelville, Herr Starr arrived with one thing on his mind, bringing the Messiah back into the fold and well, this ended up being one delightful storyline for so many reasons. For starters, watching Starr negotiate with Gran’Ma to ‘borrow’ Jesse was simply the stuff of legend since Starr offered up riches and fame untold by way of his unique brand of dry humor and of course, Gran’Ma’s response was about as ‘pissy’ as it gets and then there was the bad blood between Lara and Tulip since they continued to try to one up one another, to the point where another fight broke out and in order to quell the tension between the two of them, Starr and Jesse came up with the quite the impressive plan on the fly; have both of them head to Osaka, Japan to rob the Soul Happy Go Go warehouse in order to give Gran’Ma everything she could dream of and more, a damn near endless supply of souls, all in exchange for letting Jesse work with the Grail once again.
 
It’s a plan that seemingly brings peace to the whole mess in Angelville and with the Grail for that matter as well, but who knows how long that peace will hold since Tulip can’t stand Lara and of course, Jesse will have to deal with the Allfather to get what he needs as well. But, despite all the chuckles and laughs that came about in this tale, there was one ominous plotline hanging over this story, and that involved Cassidy. Because this tale saw him further trying to embrace his vampire roots, to the point where he converted one of Eccarius’ followers to advance a vampire agenda and he even went so far as to save the ancient vampire’s life since he’s shown Cassidy such kindness and truly, it seems something special and romantic is budding between them. But, Cassidy doesn’t quite know the truth about Eccarius just yet, in that…he’s actually a monster of a vampire, one that kills his own and hates his existence and that puts Cassidy in some serious danger.
​
Yet, while that particular storyline was heavy in its own right, it was full of laughs as well since it featured some of the most badass nuns and priests to ever grace the small screen and of course, more awesome antics from Hoover and all the black humor was truly a welcome respite from all the family feuding and dark clouds that have hung over season three and while that sounds like a knock on the series, it isn’t, it was just nice to see the show get back to its goofy roots and as an added bonus, this episode set up some important moments as well. After all, a showdown with the Allfather will have all kinds of consequences for Jesse both good and bad, and it would seem that Gran’Ma has an idea of what he’s after, and that’s no good considering she still has power over Jesse and of course, one has to wonder what will happen with Cassidy and his situation as well, which means we are in for some storytelling treats, as we hit the home stretch toward the season three finale. Until next time.
 

​Over the past few weeks, we’ve been taken on quite the incredible tour of the South Pacific, thanks to BBC America. And during this time, we’ve come to discover the richness of life that just so happens to permeate this remote and beautiful place, and we’ve learned how that life arrived in such a difficult place and how it’s learned how to beat the odds in order to survive and we’ve also come to discover, just how vast and far reaching this part of our world truly is and one would think, that at this point, we’ve learned just about everything there is to learn about this magical region. But, there is still more for this series to uncover, and for proof, look no further than last night’s episode, ‘Ocean of Volcanoes’.
 
Because it is important to know exactly what brought this beautiful chain of islands to life and really, the source of all of this incredible majesty lies deep beneath the sea and it just so happens to be mentioned in the title of this tale; volcanoes. After all, in order for land to exist out here, it had to be built from something and years upon years of volcanic activity is what slowly brought these islands to fruition and wouldn’t you know it? Some of the volcanoes of the South Pacific continue to function in this day and age and a few of them are working to build new islands in the middle of the sea, while others, like those found in Hawaii, are working to change the landscape.
 
In fact, this episode gave us some solid insight into Hawaiian volcanic activity since the volcanoes that built those islands are still erupting and are actually helping to continue to grow Hawaii and while it would seem at first that no life could thrive in such desolate rock, as always, nature figures out a solution and it was supremely cool to see that there is indeed life, surviving inside of this rock, by way of the lava tubes that these volcanoes create. From strange insects, to penguins and other birds, they all find ways to either use the tubes for shelter, or the heat from these conduits to the core, to survive and it never ceases to amaze me to discover how versatile life on our world truly is.
 
But of the many fascinating facts this documentary brought to my attention, the one that fascinated me the most, was how now dormant volcanoes can help to support life. Because many of these titans are slowly sinking into the sea thanks to their sheer size, and as they do so, their fallen slopes help to create majestic lagoons that now are home to magnificent coral reefs where species thrive and function and if anything, this part of the story gave me some serious pause, since it spoke volumes to the proverbial circle of life, and how everything on this planet happens to be interconnected and it’s quite amazing how so much beauty has come forth from mountains that in essence are feared for their ability to destroy when they unleash their fury…
 
If anything, this was just another beautiful chapter in this powerful documentary and well, of the many incredible tales that this series has brought our way, this one managed to utterly captivate me, since I’ve always had a soft spot for volcanoes in my heart, because I used to study and read up on them in my youth, but I digress. Because what matters more here is that volcanoes were presented as an important part of the eco-system in this tale, rather than something to be completely and utterly feared and everything in this episode stayed true to South Pacific’s proud tradition of celebrating the wonder and majesty of this incredible part of our world. Until next time. 

I would venture to say, that perhaps the toughest endeavor a television show can embark upon, is putting together a quality season finale. Because the Writer’s Room and the powers that be, have to figure out how to wrap up every single plot thread in a single hour, and provide a satisfying conclusion for the fans through and through and well, sometimes a series simply cannot accomplish that, and we’ve all felt the sheer frustration that comes about when a finale is lackluster. But sometimes, a particular series gets everything right when it comes to said finale and we are treated to something that is simply magnificent and that’s precisely what happened with last night’s season one finale of Cloak & Dagger.
 
In fact, I’m quite happy to declare that ‘Colony Collapse’, was hands down one of the finest season finales that I’ve ever seen for so many reasons, only a few of which we are going to be able to get into today. Because in all honestly, if I tried to list every single reason I enjoyed this episode, we’re looking at a ten-part recap, so we will stick to the two key elements that I thoroughly enjoyed in this episode, starting with the fact that this series truly did a phenomenal job of wrapping up just about every single storyline that it introduced over the course of the season. After all, this tale saw the Connors matter wrapped up in neat and surprising fashion thanks to the Cloak and it went above and beyond on the smaller storylines as well.
 
Case in point, all of the Voodoo related material that was presented to us this year. Because in many ways, it felt like all of that was introduced in order to properly immerse us in the setting of the story and in all honesty, I expected it to be abandoned in this tale in favor of larger elements, but instead…it was front and center in this story as we learned about the other divine pairings that saved the city in the past, and kudos to this plot thread for coming to a close in fascinating fashion and for setting up potential gloom and doom for our heroes since every other divine pairing saw one half of the pair sacrifice themselves to save the city. If anything, that foreshadowing raised the stakes for our heroes and really, the true highlight of the night just so happened to be Tandy and Tyrone, because at long last, they answered the call and became the champions of the city.
 
Oddly enough, it seems as though a proverbial switch flipped on in their minds after the harrowing events they endured in the last episode and they suddenly embraced their roles as saviors of the city and sprang into action and it was so supremely satisfying to watch these two fight to save lives and do everything within their powers to save the city and I was equally as impressed by the fact that they were willing to sacrifice themselves if necessary if it meant that their families and countless others could see another day. But thankfully, they broke the mold when it comes to history and both survived this cataclysm and what mattered most when it comes to their journey in this tale, is the fact that they finally overcame the fear and doubt that has paralyzed them at times this season because that means we were also treated to a complete character arc for Tandy and Tyrone, and that’s a huge deal going forward.
 
Because now that this duo have fully embraced their roles, and survived a pseudo apocalypse, the possibilities are endless as to what they can accomplish as the protectors of the Big Easy and judging from the final moments of this episode, their ascension could not have come at a better time since Mayhem has arrived as well and really, when all is said and done, not only was this one of the finest finales I’ve ever seen, but this season as a whole was an outright clinic on how to kick off a new series and man, it’s going to be a long and painful wait for season two of Cloak & Dagger, but I will definitely be on my couch and ready to roll when Tandy and Tyrone return to the airwaves next spring because this really is one of the best superhero shows out there. Until next year.